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(541) 484 1244
www.reedcross.com
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Emerald City Bridal Show
Thomas Patterson Emerald
Janet Doolittle (top) feeds wedding cake to her granddaughter McKenzi at the Emerald City Bridal Show
at the Lane County Fairgrounds Jan. 19. 10-year-old Mikayla Coveall (below) and 11-year-old Kaylee
Terry enjoy being dressed as flower girls while helping out at the booth of Bride’s Corner, a shop
specializing in wedding clothing.
Couples plan great day
in the great outdoors
■ For couples looking to walk down
the aisle outdoors, Lane County
has some of the perfect settings
By Helen Schumacher
for the Emerald
When planning a wedding, choosing a lo
cation can be one of the most important deci
sions people need to make — other than, of
course, whom to marry.
Having the wedding in a cathedral can cre
ate a dignified and ceremonial feel. For oth
ers, the more relaxed atmosphere of the out
doors better suits their personalities.
For couples who have decided they want
an outdoor wedding, there is no shortage of
options when it comes to choosing where to
hold it. From vineyards to beaches, Lane
County offers choices that are as diverse as
Eugene couples themselves.
One popular location, according to Jo Dial,
one of the owners of Eugene’s The Wedding
Solution, is the Chateau Lorane. Although
Dial said it is one of the more expensive ar
eas, if a couple decides to have their wed
ding there, they can choose from settings that
include a lakeside view or ones that are near
the property’s vineyards.
Another vineyard that offers wedding
packages is the Secret House Vineyard
Winery, located 2.4 miles west of Veneta.
Secret House employee Michael Alteres
said the property’s bird sanctuary adds to
the special atmosphere.
The sanctuary attracts different species of
birds, ranging from song birds to birds of
prey, that might not otherwise be common to
the area, Alteres said. If a couple is interested
in Secret House, they can request that the
vineyard’s wedding package, which includes
menus, tent and decoration options and pric
ing, be sent to them. Couples are also wel
come to drive out and visit the Secret House.
Dial also sees a lot of couples choosing to
have their wedding at the Beacon House on
River Road. Beacon House has a large yard,
gardens, a gazebo, fountains, and a bride and
groom’s dressing room. Couples can rent
chairs, tables, linens, place settings and a
sound system. If a couple decides not to rent
from the house, the owner, Helen Goss, said
she has a list of services, including rentals
and catering, that she can recommend.
“You have lots of choices when you
come here,” Goss said. She said she does
n’t offer catering and some of the other
services that other locations might because
she wants the couple to be able to choose
exactly what they want.
If a couple is planning a smaller wedding,
they might want to call the Lane County
Parks office to request a brochure of the dif
ferent parks in the area that are available for
rental. Another option is the Eagle Rock
Lodge. Located on the McKenzie River, it
provides another outdoor setting for couples.
According to both Goss and Alteres, wher
ever a couple decides to get married, they
should make reservations about six months
in advance, especially if they want to get
married in the late summer months or on a
Saturday. Those dates tend to fill up more
quickly, they said.
While an outdoor wedding allows a cou
ple and their guests to enjoy the natural
beauty of the area, they are not for everyone.
An outdoor wedding brings with it some un
predictability.
“If you worry about the weather, don’t
plan an outdoor wedding,” Dial said.
Helen Schumacher is a freelance reporter
forthe Oregon Daily Emerald.