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Classic Downtown Portland Wedding at The Portland Art Museum | Oregon

Classic Downtown Portland Wedding

From Historic Church to Treasured Museum

I was so excited to be the Portland wedding photographer chosen for this classic downtown fall wedding at the Portland Art Museum and First Congregational United Church of Christ on Portland, OR.

The wedding day started at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, located in the heart of Portland's downtown. According to their website, The First Congregational United Church of Christ is a progressive Christian community embracing diversity of thought, belief and action. They have covenanted (made a sacred promise) to be "Open and Affirming" (ONA). ONA is a designation which signifies their commitment to welcome and honor the participation, wisdom and leadership of people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions in their spiritual community.

Flowers add such a beautiful touch to any wedding. Even better when they are local blooms. Their wedding day florals were thoughtfully designed by Sellwood Flower Co. Flowers for the for the bride, groom and wedding party included, local peony foliage and white dahlia from Raindrop Farms. Snowberry foliage and grasses from Charles Little farm. Locally grown roses from Peterkort Roses including “Metallina” and “Bridal White” (gotta love that tie in!). Other blooms include Quicksand Rose, Playa Blanca roses and brown Lisianthus. Pacific northwest perfect!

The wedding ceremony was held in The Sanctuary. It is a stunning room with sweeping Gothic architecture and elaborate stained glass windows. The beautiful dark hardwood make the room feel warm and inviting. The acoustics are perfect for any musician and the historic organ and baby grand Steinway at the front of the hall are just waiting for their turn to fill the room with music. This is such a historical church. If these walls could talk, what stories they would have to tell.

After the wedding ceremony, guests walked across the park blocks to The Portland Art Museum. According to their website, the internationally recognized Portland Art Museum was founded in 1892. It is the seventh oldest museum in the United States and the oldest in the Pacific Northwest. Definitely something worth bragging about.

The bride and groom are members of the art museum. Their love of art and exploring the museum are not their only reasons for selecting The Portland Art Museum for their wedding day. They also share a very special memory there. One day, in front of their favorite piece of art, he proposed and they got engaged! So many special memories in one beautiful place.

Part of the wedding day event rental includes access to a few galleries in the museum for you and your wedding guests to explore. How fun is that? Allowing your guests to mingle among paintings and sculptors by the greats on your wedding day.

After some cocktails and a stroll through the gallery, wedding guests were invited into the Fred & Suzanne Fields Ballroom for dinner and dancing.

Family style dinner, is one I don't see very often at weddings but it is my favorite type of dinner service. It's nice for your guests, as they get to stay at their table, but there is something about breaking bread with the people you are sitting with that just makes it feel more like home. I also think it encourages your wedding guests to interact with the people at their table.

This family style dinner catered by Devil's Food Cake started with roasted beet salad with herb-roasted farm chicken. Follwed by grilled NY strip with herb butter and a port reduction, olive oil mashed potatoes, grilled broccolini and an assortment of artisan breads. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The bride and groom treated their guests to not just one beautiful and delicious wedding cake, but three!!! The first creation from Banquette Bakery was devil's food cake with earl grey buttercream and caramel sauce. The second was lemon poppy-seed cake with raspberry jam and lemon buttercream. And coming in third but not last, was a vanilla chiffon cake with vanilla buttercream. All cakes were finished with fresh flowers.

The three wedding cakes were accompanied by sugar cookies, brown butter brownies, and three kinds of cream puffs. Pumpkin pie, salted caramel, and a classic eclair-style. Yum, yum and yum!!!!

Next, it was time for DJ Bee to take over. First to the dance floor, was the groom and his mother, dancing to “Days like this” by Van Morrison. Next up, the lovely bride and her father danced to “My Girl” by The Temptations, a true classic. And breaking with tradition by going last, the newly married couple danced to a live acoustic rendition of “Something” by the Beatles. Such good songs and such sweet wedding day moments!