where to get married?

The venue was kind of a hard search for J and me. We didn't really know what existed around Portland, except for things we couldn't afford (the Benson Hotel and the Portland Art Museum are gorgeous, but the site fee is kind of more than what we wanted to spend on the whole wedding). We ended up just going through the 2008 Portland wedding guide and www.myportlandwedding.com to find site ideas, and scheduled appointments to view the locations.

We ended up going with the Arista Ballroom. It's a 1920's Greco-Roman style ballroom. It was really important to us to have a place that was not only affordable, but had charm and character. I really wasn't interested in getting married somewhere impersonal. Luckily, the ballroom is gorgeous!

The outside has beautiful columns, and the door is flanked on either side by these giant, open-flame torches. Check them out!
I love them. The venue also comes with a uniformed doorman to greet your guests. How cool is that?

The inside of the ballroom is just as beautiful. Check out that ceiling!
SO pretty.

I think we picked a beautiful place to get married. I'm really looking forward to using the venue. The event designer we've been corresponding with has been super helpful and friendly. Hopefully it will be a great event!