Hoyt Arboretum Elopement Wedding on the Redwood Deck

This Redwood Deck elopement at Hoyt Arboretum is just another reason why everyone should opt for intimate weddings in the places they love. I’ve said it before and will say it again: Portland elopements just can’t be overdone. This unbelievably gorgeous elopement ceremony at Hoyt Arboretum makes me wish I did my wedding day differently. Because, damn.

See what I mean? This elopement is the stuff of dreams. Let’s dig into all the pieces that made it all come together.

Hoyt Arboretum Elopement Venues

The Hoyt Arboretum is located in the center of Washington Park in Portland, Oregon. Once you get to the Arboretum, you wouldn’t even know you were smack dab in the middle of a city. There are several spaces you can book for your big day, but my personal favorite is the Redwood Deck.

The Hoyt Arboretum is home to three different types of redwood trees, Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, and Dawn Redwood. Most of Hoyt Arboretum’s redwood trees are even located right by the Redwood Deck, which means that when you’re on the Redwood Deck, you are completely surrounded by these gorgeous trees.

Do you get why Hoyt Arboretum’s Redwood Deck is my favorite of their venue options yet? It totally makes for bomb photos, but more importantly, it amplifies that close, intimate feeling that elopements already have. I guess something about being surrounded by mother nature just gets us in tune with ourselves and those we care about. If I could go to the Redwood Deck just to meditate every day, you bet I would. Who doesn’t want all of mother nature’s blessings?

If you’re already sold on booking Hoyt Arboretum’s Redwood Deck, hit me up. But also, you can click this link to book it for you and your boo. 

For more info on the Redwood Deck specifically, I’ve also got that link for you right here.

Curious about all those redwood trees? Same. Yet another link here just for you guys.

If the Redwood Deck isn’t your style, Hoyt Arboretum has more options for your elopement or wedding space to check out here.

Hoyt Arboretum Elopement Wedding Permits

Before you book your Hoyt Arboretum venue, let me help you avoid some headaches. Whether you have an elopement or a big wedding event, if you’re going to have more than just the officiant and two witnesses, you need to get a special use permit. This is also true for any wedding or elopement ceremony in any public park in the area. 

For more info on applying for permits and additional event regulations, click here.

Opal 28 Reception

After their intimate elopement ceremony at the Redwood Deck, this gorgeous couple decided to hold their reception at Opal 28. Opal 28 is a super rad event space with plenty of room for your guests, a built-in bar, and even four rentable rooms upstairs. It’s located on 28th avenue, one of the bougiest streets in Portland, and the venue and catering Opal 28 offers reflects that vibe. It’s the perfect location for your elopement or wedding receptions or ceremonies. This couple at the Hoyt Arboretum elopement was even featured on Opal 28’s website, so check it out!

Gimmie all the deets.

Wedding and elopement details tend to be way under-hyped, imho. They tend to get lost underneath the dress shopping, wedding party arrangements and venue choices. But the details are what make the day of your large wedding or intimate elopement really come together. So, I’m just gonna highlight a few of the bomb-ass details in this particular elopement at the Hoyt Arboretum Redwood Deck. 

Florals

A huge part of any elopement, reception, or ceremony is the florals. A good florist means the world when it comes to wedding planning. Walmart bouquets of baby’s breath and pink roses just aren’t gonna cut it. This couple at the Redwood Deck elopement chose to trust Songbird Floristry with their floral arrangements for both their elopement ceremony and their reception afterward. Hiring a florist takes care of bouquets, wedding party flowers, centerpieces, and anything else you need. Songbird Floristry deserves all the credit for all the gorgeous arrangements in this shoot. All blooms are locally grown and custom designed for your event’s needs. They have many awards such as a Couple’s Choice Award from WeddingWire, Best of Weddings from TheKnot, and has been featured in the Oregon Bride Magazine. Now that you’ve seen their work, maybe it’s time to invest in a professional florist.

For all you Insta stalkers out there (I see you..), their handle is: @songbirdfloristry

Wedding Planners

Get one. Nuff said.

Hahaha, but seriously. If the idea of hiring someone to plan a wedding you can do yourself doesn’t sit well, just hear me out. We all know what we want our wedding to look like, or at least have a vague mental Pinterest mood board going. But when it comes down to actually sitting down and planning what the day is going to look like, figuring out the pricing of everything you want, and booking all your venues and vendors, it’s kinda just.. yikes.

One of the best things this elopement couple did for themselves and their event was to hire a wedding planner. They booked two different venues for their ceremony and reception, the Redwood Deck at Hoyt Arboretum and Opal 28, which would be an absolute headache for most of us. Especially since state parks (like Hoyt Arboretum) require permits for wedding and elopement ceremonies.

Their wedding planner was able to take over all of that for them, recommending vendors for florals, photography, the band, and more. They even work out with the vendors when they should come and set up. AND, instead of your in-laws or cousins or whoever else asking the couple about details and schedule on their special day, they have to talk to the wedding planner instead. I’d say this is an all-round win. This couple chose to hire Keen Events for their elopement day, so they could just enjoy the moment they’ve been looking forward to, and enjoy the company of their closest friends and family.

Wedding Planner’s IG handle: @keenvents

Decor Rentals for Hoyt Arboretum Elopement

This one isn’t as widely known as some other detail vendors, but is just as valuable. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be down to decorate my own elopement ceremony and reception only with things I can find at Target. But.. so is everyone else. Renting decor from a company like Power of Love Rentals offers you a range of decor options that are classy and unique. And! My favorite part about it is you won’t have to figure out what to do with all the stuff after the wedding! Just drop all that back off to the rental company and dust your hands off because you are *done*.

This couple used Power of Love Rentals based in Portland, Oregon for their elopement details at the Hoyt Arboretum Redwood Deck, as well as their reception at Opal 28. Check them out here, and check them out on Instagram at @powerofloverentals.

Hair and Makeup

My friends did my hair for my wedding, and it turned out super cute. But the difference between cute or pretty and jaw-dropping, stunning, sexy wedding day hair is hiring a professional. They have been in this business for years, and they know exactly how to get the exact look you want with both your hair and your makeup. Plus, the benefit to hiring a specialized wedding hair and makeup artist is that they know everything they need to do to make sure your hair stays looking gorgeous and your makeup stays un-smudged, just the way you like it.

Our elopement couple opted for a stylist because it relieves so much extra stress on their wedding day. Blossom & Beauty styled hair and makeup on-site at the Hoyt Arboretum for the Redwood Deck elopement, and they’d love to do it for you too 😉

Instagram: @blossomandbeauty

Wedding Cake

I know, I know. Your aunt Cindy wants to make the wedding cake. Just tell her you got a super great deal on the Pinterest-perfect cake you’ve always dreamed of, and make up an extra excuse for the cherry on top. You want her to enjoy the wedding too, right?

Dream Cakes offers tons of different wedding cake flavors, styles, and even dessert buffets for your guests. Dream Cakes catered the tiered cake and Macaron tower in the Hoyt Arboretum Elopement. I’d say it was worth it fo sho.

Stalk them on their website here and on their instagram @dreamcakespdx

Elopement Ceremony vs Reception Music

Whether you’re all about live bands, DJs, or even soft harp music, Portland has it all. And who ever said you had to settle on just one? At the Redwood Deck Elopement, our couple opted to hire a harpist to set the mood for the ceremony, and hired a separate band to play live music at their reception! Don’t settle. Music is a HUGE part of your wedding or elopement ceremony, and it can be more flexible than you might think.

The Hoyt Arboretum Elopement couple chose to have Leigh Brown Harp play at their ceremony on the Redwood Deck, and had Dancehall Days Band come into their reception at Opal 28 to bring up the energy and get the dancing going.

To look into Leigh Brown Harp, click here or find her instagram @harpmakesmusic

For more on the Dancehall Days Band, check out their website or their instagram @dancehall_days

If you’d prefer a DJ, I’ll always recommend Silicon Forest DJ. Check out their website here!

Hoyt Arboretum Elopement? Yes, please.

So. I just laid out all the things you never knew you wanted to know about all the vendors at this intimate elopement. What do I really want you to know? I tell you aaaaall of this because I want to make it super clear that the elopement of your dreams is actually possible. It’s within reach! You can actually make it happen. Because, guess what? This lovely couple did it too. And they’re just like us: real, definitely overwhelmed people at the beginning of the wedding planning process. But if they made it through and loved it, well HELL YEAH let’s make it happen again!! I’ll help you out. I’ll help you navigate the wedding-planning world without letting you drown. And I’ll make sure you’re looking pretty and none of the details of your special day get forgotten. 

Let’s hang out! I want to be your creepy wedding day stalker like, real bad. Just click here and we can make that happen.