Portland's Hoyt Arboretum is one of those wedding venues that truly lets you have your cake and eat it to when it comes to perfect locations. Located just 10 miles west of downtown Portland, it's a stunning intimate space to say your I do's beneath the majestic redwoods and sequoias while still being within city limits! What more could you ask for!? With miles of trails, thousands of plant species, and plenty of wildlife, if you're in the midst of planning your own Portland ceremony a Hoyt Arboretum wedding should definitely be high on your list of potential locations.

Jess and Ben first came to me, they didn't have their venue booked yet actually. But they knew that no matter the location, it needed to be intimate and special. And as creatives themselves (Jess is an unbelievably talented Mexican bead artist – see her work here! Ben is an environmental artist for video game design), we had plenty of talks about the look and feel they wanted for their photos, everything from colors and textures to what emotional moments they cherished, to what they wanted to feel when they saw their photos. Getting to collaborate with my couples on the creative aspects of their wedding day is one of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer. And I knew that no matter what venue they chose it was going to be spectacular, but when they told me they won the lottery for the Redwood Deck I couldn't have been more over the moon. Very quickly, this Hoyt Arboretum wedding made it's way to the top of my list for favorite venues ever photographed (I know, I know, I'm not supposed to have favorites, but c'mon, can you blame me?).

If you're planning your own Hoyt Arboretum wedding check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Hoyt Arboretum Redwood Deck Wedding for all of the best tips, tricks, and planning info!