Following a hectic weekend in Portland, Mary Anne McNeish and Brendt Cyr needed to reserve their ideal wedding location before they could head back to Kansas City, Missouri.
The pair arrived outside the Portland Parks & Recreation Customer Service Center at 4:30 a.m. on Monday and waited patiently for the procedure to start while bundled up in coats in fold-out chairs.
In-person registration for 2025 wedding reservations was opened by Portland Parks & Recreation at 8 a.m. Every year, about 100 couples register for the morning event at the downtown Portland center, selecting their preferred location and date.
READ MORE: In 2025, would you like to tie the knot in a Portland park? What you should know is as follows:
Regarding the couple’s wedding, McNeish stated, “We don’t have an alternate date.” We have a lot riding on today because we already have everything else scheduled.
Since December 2023, McNeish and Cyr have been engaged. The appeal of a stunning and reasonably priced location in Portland parks has made the difficulties of organizing a wedding out of state worthwhile.
“Like last year, we saw the Redwood Deck, and I wanted to get married in a forest,” McNeish remarked. Since April or so, we had been eagerly awaiting our arrival.
In downtown Portland, Mary Anne McNeish and Brendt Cyr are waiting outside the Portland Parks & Recreation Customer Service Center.Profenna Chiara
Photographs from Hoyt Arboretum persuaded McNeish and Cyr to make the decision to get married out of state after they discovered a Portland-based photographer online.
Couples were chatting with neighbors, playing games, or reading books nearby. Many people arrived early to reserve their venue and date, and some had been there for hours.
In order to secure their ideal venue, Hoyt Arboretum, Chloe and Harley Henry came at 1 a.m.
According to Chloe, we didn’t sleep. The couple was the second in line and had stayed up the previous evening to arrive early.
They were not alone in their desire to reserve the most sought-after wedding location in Portland Parks. By 6 a.m., over 30 couples were waiting in line to get married at the Hoyt Arboretum. Mount Tabor and Peninsula Park were other popular spots.
According to Chloe, we simply adore the city, the outdoors, and the parks in Portland. It simply means a great deal to us.
Ninety-three couples had been given ticket numbers for processing by 8 a.m. They were shown to a waiting area with coffee and breakfast food by the personnel. From then, the procedure proceeded swiftly as each couple was processed in a different room by permission managers.
We will present all in-person permits from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., stated Portland Parks & Recreation supervisor Amanda Zyph. We anticipate finishing before noon, depending on capacity and volume. At one o’clock, we will open for online, phone, in-person, and mail-in inquiries.
This year’s wedding reservation day included a vendor display as a new feature. Photographers, musicians, officiants, bakeries, florists, and other vendors advertised their services to the newly engaged couples in a different room.
Couples are photographed at the vendor expo by Natalie Woodrum of Here Today Photography.Profenna Chiara
According to Zyph, this was a fantastic chance for us to work with wedding providers in the sector. Encourage couples to attend the event so they may have a better look at what’s available.
A trained clinical and therapeutic musician named Catherine Garvin wanted to get involved in weddings. She seized the chance when Portland Parks & Recreation invited her to take part in their inaugural vendor expo.
According to Garvin, I thought it could be enjoyable to perform some ceremonial music at weddings this year since it spreads love and hope.
Garvin, who offered to play the harp, guitar, and sing during a ceremony, claimed that performing always made her feel her best.
What better place to be for hope than next to someone who is saying, “I love you, I care about you, you’re a miracle in my life,” Garvin said, if two people are making a commitment to love in the world, even if it’s only for that one day.
At the vendor showcase, Catherine Garvin, who plays the harp, guitar, and sings, meets couples.Profenna Chiara
Charlie Dever, who had been granted a permission, walked across the lobby among the contented couples looking at the sellers’ exhibits. First in line was Dever, who showed up on Sunday at 9 p.m. Dever was camping alone outside the building on behalf of their partner, who couldn’t make it because of work.
I got a buddy to bring me there since I didn’t want to force her to drive at one in the morning, but I assumed that people would start to arrive a little after midnight, Dever said.
Their efforts weren’t in vain. They confirmed their wedding date, which is set for May 31 at Hoyt Arboretum’s Redwood Deck, with a broad smile.
Chiara Profenna discusses faith, religion, and cultural ties. You may contact her at [email protected] or @chiaraprofenna, or 503-221-4327.
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