Griffin House Small Wedding

Griffin House Small Wedding

I have been waiting so long to share this Griffin House Small Wedding with you. Frank and Julia are the coolest and their wedding day was dreamy, intimate, joy filled and so connected. It was a significantly special occasion to document! I am so grateful for Frank and Julia for inviting us to document this day for them.

The Details that made this dreamy Griffin House Small Wedding

This Griffin House Small Wedding had a great team behind it, starting with the Griffin House itself. The Griffin House is one of my all time favorite venues. Located in Hood River, OR on the Columbia River Gorge, the Griffin House is the perfect spot for an Oregon Small Wedding or Elopement. At the Griffin House you can stay the weekend, bring in your own wedding vendors and enjoy the best views on the Columbia Gorge and even explore all the cool things in the area.

For Frank and Julia’s wedding, Styled by Daralyn came out and did Julia’s hair and makeup. I’ve worked with Daralyn countless times and her talent, kindness and professionalism stands out! I wish I knew her when I got married!

The florals were done by 1972 Flower Co..- my go to florist. The owners Hannah and Kate are true creatives and have never failed to create epic work that I am so proud to recommend on wedding days. Their work is romantic, funky and thoughtfully designed. I was so excited they were the florists on this special day!

What I loved about this day

I look back at this day and loved how connected Julia and Frank were. Their love story took place over many years, multiple continents and you can truly tell that they are best friends and love each other so much. I also thought it was the coolest thing how they included Julia’s family traditions and how they included Franks family even though they couldn’t make it from overseas. Connected wedding days will always be my favorite.

What Season to get married in the Columbia Gorge

First of all, all seasons at the Columbia Gorge are drop dead gorgeous! My personal favorite is late summer like this wedding day and the Fall. Fall is my favorite season though! I just love the warm colors of the Fall foliage in the gorge. It’s what wedding dreams are made of! For more info and graphs on the average wind/ precipitation by month, take a look here!

Winter

A winter wedding at The Griffin House is beautiful in its own right. The temps stay in the 30’s and 40’s, but the highlight of a winter wedding at the Griffin House is the possibility of a snowy wedding combined with these epic venue views. The Griffin House has the coziest indoor area too, for all the cozy wedding vibes!

Spring

In the spring, temps are primarily in the 40’s- 60’s, making spring is a great time to get married at the Griffin House! I highly recommend to my couples who get married here, popping away for some photos at Rowena Crest. Rowena Crest is 25 minutes from the Griffin House and if timed right becomes a field of wild flowers with an epic view.

Summer

Summer here is amazing- almost never warmer that 85 degrees and all kinds of warm tones in the views (see the photos below). You can stay out late celebrating with your friends and family and it doesn’t get too cold.

Fall

My fave! Fall here is outstanding. My favorite combo of toasty warm tones, indoor and outdoor activities and nice, moderate to cozy weather. On average it runs from the 40’s to the mid 60’s, much like the Spring. 25 minutes away is Government Cove, which shows off in the Fall. I highly recommend escaping for some photos here on your wedding day! See this family session I did in the Fall at Government Cove.

Hood River Accommodations and More

• Cathedral Ridge Winery– A fun place to spend time with your bridal party/ family before the wedding day!
• Double Mountain Brewery– Beer, cider and good food! An awesome spot to stop while in Hood River!
• Columbia Gorge Hotel + Spa– A fun place to stay! Good views, nice hotel and a spa. The makings for relaxation a couple days before the wedding OR for the honeymoon!
• Hood River Best Western– Sounds basic but it’s a great stay with good views! You can also get a hotel block for guests!
• Doppio Coffee– It’s important to always know where the good coffee is, am I right?

Tips for your Griffin House Small Wedding

• It may be windy! That’s just something unique to the Columbia Gorge! Plan your hair accordingly and if there is wind, embrace it! Frank and Julia had a very windy wedding day (as you can tell) and they embraced it wholeheartedly! Remember, wind = emotive photos!
• Plan time to breakaway to another location for some of the photos! The Griffin House has beautiful views to take advantage of, but it’s also fun to get even more photos in another epic location (and the gorge has a lot of them). If the day of doesn’t work, consider a day after “adventure” session- they’re a really fun add on option!
• For brides! Add in a fun jacket option for yourself! It can get cold depending on the time and season of your ceremony. There are also so many fun and cute bridal jacket ideas, it adds some fun and variety to your portraits! I highly recommend this!

Convinced? A Griffin House Small Wedding is just the ticket.

This Griffin House Small Wedding was really an amazing wedding experience for this couple and such a blast to photograph. It was dreamy, warm, emotive, peaceful, romantic, connected and fun.

Ready to chat with Justin and I as your photography team for your Griffin House Small Wedding? We would love to document this chapter of your journey together! Contact us here to schedule a chat with us!

Happy wedding planning!

Warmly,

Kenzi