Venue #2- Willamette Valley Vineyards

I cannot tell you how many miles I've put on my little Kia Rio driving up and down I-5 between Vancouver {my hometown} and Eugene.  One thing that's always caught my eye on the drive has been this little vineyard called Willamette Valley Vineyards tucked away off the freeway in Salem.  I drive by a couple of miles of grape vines and see this beautiful cast iron gate opening the small road that leads up to the winery that sits atop the hill.  I always thought to myself that it would be so wonderful to get married at such a beautiful place {you should see it in the late summer with the grapes so full they're about to burst, or in the fall when the leaves have turned vibrant yellow... gorgeous!}  It was not a surprise to Douglas when I suggested we look into the facilities there to host our wedding ceremony and reception.

We visited yesterday {February 4th}, and were blessed with the most gorgeous weather!  The sun was shining and warmed up into the low 50s, which was much welcomed compared to the rain and cold we've had lately.  We arrived at the vineyard just before sunset, and were able to get some great pictures of the venue and the killer views from the winery.

The view out the reception room, looking onto the deck

View of the deck from the reception room

The reception hall {very long and narrow}

Douglas with Mari {our guide}, and the killer views from the deck

Gorgeous.

The back of the building with the reception room

The front of the building with the reception room {up the stairs}

I love all the wine barrels they have around

Sunset off the deck

All in all this venue was incredibly beautiful.  It's small and quirky, but definitely gave us the romantic cozy vibe that we feel really signifies our relationship.  Visiting this venue was a breath of fresh air compared to the lackluster venue we had viewed previously.  We took some time to make a pros and cons list, and were happy to see the amount of pros outweighed the cons!

+ Price is right, and we can get discounts if we become wine members

+ Scenery is gorgeous

+ Location is half way between Portland and Eugene, and easy to get to

+ They only host one wedding per day

+ The venue is unique and comfortable, and gives us the feeling we want our guests {and ourselves!} to have

+ A ceremony on the deck would be great, and the reception hall has a great exposed wood look to it

- It's a bit on the small side {but then again, so is our wedding}

- The reception room is long and narrow, and the deck for the ceremony would take some organizing to fit all the chairs {but it's do-able}

- We don't live in Salem, so it would be more difficult for pre-wedding set up and getting ready

- Space might be strange for dressing, etc.

I would say this place is definitely on the maybe-yes list!  We have more questions to figure out before we can really make a solid decision, but the venue is great and we had a fun time visiting! :)

<3 J