Why They Chose Their Venue: Tope in The Hoxton Hotel, Portland
We chose Tope as a venue because it’s beautiful, it has an outdoor space (for COVID safety!), and it is essentially all-inclusive. They have a bar and restaurant on site, furniture, and gorgeous lighting and plants everywhere. It felt like pulling off wedding in a short amount of time would be really do-able with all the amenities they have, and the great staff who were so helpful. We also wanted a space that would feel right for a small crowd like ours, and one that was in Portland so it was easy for our family to travel to.
Planning A Wedding During COVID & Wild Fires
We got a lot of positive feedback from our attendees that we did everything we could to plan for safe contingencies (despite smoke, rain, and the pandemic!) and reinforced for our family and friends that they should do whatever made them feel comfortable; even if that meant staying only for the ceremony, leaving early, eating outside in the rain if that was a better option, etc. We didn’t want anyone to feel unsafe or uncomfortable so we tried to plan for many options so people could pick what felt good to them. We planned this wedding in less than 2 months, so I would also say that leaning on friends and family was essential. A friend officiated for us, another friend did the flowers, and other friends helped set up the space. Their help was indispensable!
Their Wedding Journey
Our wedding journey was a bit bumpy given the converging crises in the weeks leading up to the wedding. We had always known we would have a COVID wedding, so our expectations were pretty simple from the onset, but we never expected to contend with hazardous air quality and the difficulty of being outside even in rain. We had to make a tough call about sticking to our date or postponing. It was all pretty tricky. We really wanted to get married before winter so other big parts of life could begin to happen (family, house buying, etc) so we pressed on knowing that worst-case scenario (it being only him and me) was still great.
So the ultimate advice is… Be flexible! ????
This Hoxton Hotel Wedding was so incredibly dreamy and couldn’t have been more perfect. Becca and Nick pulled off one hell of a day, especially considering all the hurdles they had to leap. I would highly recommend The Hoxton as a venue for any intimate wedding celebration!
If you need a larger space and would like a similarly bright and modern space, check out Emily & Ben’s candid Coopers Hall wedding.
