July 9th, 2022
3:00 pm
join us around the campfire to celebrate our wedding!
At Vernonia Springs, Oregon
Our Story
Photograph by Abi Goldenberg
We met in October of 2018 and quickly bonded over many shared interests; a love of sports (baseball, basketball), games, trivia, music, camping, hiking, beer...the list goes on! But more than that, we found that our brains just sort of worked in the same way - thinking about and discussing hard problems, learning from others, and trying to have a good time in the process.
Over the next couple of years, we brought more of our lives together and felt happy and whole in our partnership. Jaclyn moved in with Garret and Artemis (our beloved cat), we got to know each other's families and develop closeness with parents and siblings alike, and we shared our long-lasting friendships with one another through boardgame weekends and trips around the country.
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When the pandemic hit, and everyone was stuck inside, we felt incredibly lucky to enjoy all of the shared home-time. In fact, we felt so much happiness about our relationship that we really wanted to share in that happiness with all of you! So in the summer of 2020, we decided to get engaged.
We planned a trip to the Wallowas (in Eastern Oregon) – including around 30 miles of backpacking through the mountains and winding our way to a bougie wilderness lodge on the Minam River, many miles away from any roads. As we hiked, we both crafted letters to one another. Then on the final night, we found a spot at a picnic table by the lodge's gardens, read each other our words of love and commitment, and made it official! In the strange reality of Covid, we celebrated our ringless engagement six feet apart around a bonfire with strangers, champagne, and s'mores.
Though initially hoping to have a wedding in 2021, it quickly became apparent that there were just too many variables in the mix. So though it's been a long time coming now, we have really enjoyed jointly planning a celebration that feels unique to us… complete with live music (by Garret's piano teacher), locally brewed beer, home-made trivia, a Spotify playlist of bangers (or jams???) for late night dancing, camping (and glamping), the woods and fresh air, and all of you!
Event Details
Join us on July 9th, 2022 as we tie the knot! Both the ceremony and reception will be held at beautiful Vernonia Springs. The ceremony will be in the afternoon starting at 3:00 pm, followed by refreshments, a food-truck, live music, dancing, and a campfire! Come in whatever makes you feel fancy and fun!
Vernonia Springs is also a campground, and we are encouraging anyone who is interested to bring your tent (or van/RV), stay the night, and party! For those coming from out of town, we will have extra tents & camping supplies if needed - please let us know in the RSVP form if you're interested and we'll make it work for you! Feel free to come starting at 2:00 pm to get set up before the ceremony starts.
Several hotel options are also available within a ~30 minute drive to the venue (see below), or Portland is just about 40 minutes away.
COVID Protocol
We ask that all guests be fully vaccinated at the time of the wedding. We will also be keeping an eye on public health data and recommendations. Should current trends change, we may request additional safety practices. We will keep you posted!
Order of Events (exact times subject to change)
Saturday, July 9th
2:00- 3:00 pm Guests arrive, set up camp
3:00- 4:00 pm Ceremony
4:00- 5:00 pm Cocktail hour, lawn games, photos
5:00- 6:30 pm Dinner from Tamale Boy's food truck
6:30- 7:30 pm Toasts*, trivia, and dessert
7:30- 10:00 pm Dancing
10:00 pm- 12:00 am Campfire, s'mores, and s'more fun!
Sunday morning, July 10th
9:00- 11:00 am Breakfast buffet and pack out
*Toasts are open to anyone who feels inclined to say a few heartfelt words or tell a funny story. No need to plan unless that is helpful to you!
Accommodations
Camping
Closest Hotel Options
Anyone who wants is invited to stay the night at Vernonia Springs. Bring your tent/van/RV and camp the night away with us!
If you are interested in camping and need a tent and/or supplies, let us know and we'll try to help you out!
We recommend the McMenimans Grand Hotel Lodge as a cool, local-ish option with some history.
There is also a nearby Best Western.
Many hotels and houes for rent are available in Portland, approximately 40 minutes from the venue.
For those coming from out of town
We love Portland and are excited to share our Pacific Northwest city with you. We recommend flying into Portland International Airport (PDX), which is about 20 minutes from downtown. There are lots of accommodation options in Portland for before and after the wedding, including a full range of hotels and short-term rentals. Our venue is about 40 minutes from downtown, heading west towards the coast range. If you are staying a few nights before and/or after the wedding, we would recommend staying in Portland's downtown or inner east side (we live in North Portland on the east side and love it).
Things to Do...
In Portland
Surrounding Area
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Bookstores- Powell's Books (impressively huge local bookstore is a favorite tourist destination) and Third Eye Books (a local favorite, Black-owned and community oriented)
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Breweries- Breakside, Stormbreaker (our first date spot), and so many more
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The Columbia River Gorge- waterfalls!
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Mt. Hood- amazing hiking and lakes
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The coast- we especially love Cannon Beach and Manzanita
Registry
In lieu of traditional gifts, we encourage you to make a donation to an organization doing good work in the world - click on our Zola registry below to easily donate to one of our favorites!