How To Plan An Indian Wedding in the Pacific Northwest
Rise of Indian weddings in the PNW
In recent years, there has been a vibe shift and trend explosion among couples, thanks to styled shoots, TikTok and Pinterest. Indian couples have always opted for a one-of-a-kind wedding experience for their guests.
Destinations like Cabo, Bali, and Europe have strongly held up their end as coveted spots for big fat Indian weddings, but now couples are opting out of the “been-there-done-that” location for experience’s that alters ones brain chemistry: we’re talking group activities for the guests like wine tasting in the Willamette Valley, paddle boarding/kayaking at Trillium Lake or a day trip to see the sights along the Columbia River Gorge.
We’ve even seen a swing in trend for bachelorette trips; sorry Vegas but you’re old. Destinations like Nashville, Scottsdale are becoming popular. The point is, we all want something new and different from Priya’s wedding (no offense Priya but what happened in 2010, stays in 2010.)
The Pacific Northwest and Oregon Wine Country in particular is still untapped in the destination market, and we’ve made it our goal to convince you to plan your modern Indian wedding right here.
Choosing a venue
We’ve written a blog on how you can plan your wedding in Oregon Wine Country here. We also have a blog that guides you on the best vineyards and wineries suited for a wedding here.
But today we want to mention a few big contenders for couples with groups of 150 or more.
WINE COUNTRY VENUES:
The Allison Inn & Spa - All in one spot for accommodations, luxury spa, wine tasting, restaurant and bar with ingredients from the garden.
Maysara - Iranian immigrants, Moe and Flora Momtazi, are owners of Maysara Vineyards, a bio-dynamic vineyard on 500 acres, breathtaking views and a stunning cool cellar where dinner receptions are held. One of the iconic moments at this estate vineyard is when they open the doors to the cellar, it’s sure to wow your guests! Check out this wedding and dream with us!
THE ALLISON INN & SPA
MAYSARA VINEYARD, Tony Gambino Photo
THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE:
Wind Mountain Ranch - A modern ranch with cabins on site for you and your entourage. See how this couple got married here.
Columbia Gorge Hotel - Accomodations, spa, and so many other amenities, bonus points the views! Group activities galore, so much exploring and relaxing in nature.
Skamania Lodge - On the Washington side of the river, this luxury lodge has it all. This is going to be a fun playground for your planner/designer. The design options can be explored both indoors and outdoors.
HOTEL SENTINEL
WIND MOUNTAIN RANCH, COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
SKAMANIA LODGE, STEVENSON WA
CHATEAU DE MICHELLIA, SALEM OREGON
[We’ve shortlisted a few more venues below.]
LUXURY/BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN THE PDX METRO:
The Ritz Carlton
The Nines
The Sentinel
The Benson
Hotel Lucia
CHATEAU VENUES:
Chateau De Lis
Chateau De Michellia
Chateau Lill
Chateau De Harpe
THE NINES, PORTLAND OREGON
2. Why Oregon is perfect for intimate, stylish Indian weddings
If you’re dreaming of an Italian villa on Lake Como but the budget is looking like the long lines at a wedding buffet then we’re proud to present Oregon!
Oregon really has a wide range - from Tuscan styled villas and vineyards in the Willamette Valley to one of a kind outdoor venues near Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. Don’t forget Central Oregon, which is high desert and has many stunning forest venues like Five Pine Lodge, Black Butte Ranch, Juniper Preserve, Brasada Ranch, and Proghorn Resort to name a few.
3. What to look for in a South Asian wedding photographer
Finding a creative team (photo, video or content services) to document your events can be intimidating. So how do you pick the right one for you. Some of the most important things to know when you book a creative team are -
years of real wedding experience
experience with Indian weddings (even if its just a handful but you can see from their portfolio that they shoot all types of weddings)
able to handle a 200+ guest wedding with multiple events
some understanding in the customs, rituals of South Asian culture
being bold, team players, approachable and talented
number of members that will be shooting your day
social credibility, reviews, what other vendors say about them
4. Planning for multi-day events
Do you know that on average your events are held in 4-5 hr increments depending on the venue offerings and your timeline.
It is important to know that you should be allotting 2-3 hrs for travel, outfit change and hair & make up pertaining to the event. This is where location and venues are important and cut down on travel time from the salon, Airbnb, or hotel etc. Sure the HMUA can come to your hotel, but you want to keep in to account the number of venues you select to have all your events.
This is why we recommend one multi-faceted venue. Example- the Allison Inn has both outdoor and indoor options, each part of the property serves as event spaces for your day. It’s advantageous to book all the rooms for you and your guests, this opens up many possibilities too like, a spa day with your bridal party, wine tours for your guests, welcome dinner hosted by the on-site private chef and so much more.
Ready to bring your vision to life in the Pacific Northwest or Wine Country?
Let’s talk → INQUIRE HERE
Kim Jeyaraj is the founder of DavidAnn Weddings, a Portland-based wedding photographer known for capturing multicultural celebrations through a design-forward lens. With over a decade of experience, Kim specializes in blending editorial style with documentary depth. Her work has been featured in WedVibes, Oregon Wedding Day, Maharani Weddings and more. When she’s not photographing soul-stirring love stories, she’s reading diasporic literature or curating moodboards that mix fashion, faith, and heritage.
Disclaimer- This blog is subject to updates. We have opinions and ever so now and then we share them in a blog post. Most references are made on personal experience, others and information found online. Images are mostly ours and in some cases borrowed from stock sites or Pinterest to enrich our articles.
