Our Hoyt Arboretum Stevens Pavilion wedding was one of the best decisions my husband and I ever made, and I wanted to share our experience to help anyone considering the same venue. Also, it’s already been 4 years (!!) since our wedding! Has anyone found a way to slow down time yet? Asking for a friend.
Hoyt Arboretum Steven’s Pavilion Wedding
Where is Steven’s Pavilion?
Steven’s Pavilion is located within Hoyt Arboretum (within Washington Park). The area is about 2 miles from downtown Portland. Hoyt Arboretum is very popular for hiking, so you’ll often see folks in the area.
Here’s a map of the area. As you can see, there’s about 40 parking spaces.
How to Reserve Steven’s Pavilion for a Wedding
You can book your wedding reservation onlineby calling 503-823-2525 or by visiting the Parks & Recreation office in person at 1120 SW 5th Ave.
When booking a wedding at Hoyt Arboretum, you’ll choose between three areas:
- Stevens Pavilionalso known as the Picnic Shelter (this is where we got married)
- Wedding Meadow
- Redwood Deck
Getting Married at Stevens Pavilion (Rental Cost & Logistics)
Our rental included exclusive all-day access to Stevens Pavilion and the small meadow behind the pavilion (where we exchanged vows). The pavilion came with ten picnic tables and had outlets.
The cost of renting Stevens Pavilion for one full weekend day (8am to 9pm) is $596. Upon reservation, you’ll be charged a non-refundable application fee (around $120) and a refundable security deposit of $250.
There’s an optional refundable key deposit of $100 as well. The key deposit provides access to the electrical outlets at Stevens Pavilion. We took advantage of the key deposit because we plugged in string lights. When the key was returned, we received our full refund without any problems.
Stevens Pavilion can host 100 guests and is ADA accessible. A restroom with running water is available just across the street at the visitor’s center.
Atmosphere of Stevens Pavilion
Rustic and cozy. We didn’t take enough photos during our wedding because we didn’t hire a professional photographer (sorry about the iPhone photos!). That said, the one adjective our guests used most often was “cozy.”
My mom and aunt decorated the arboretum with vintage lace and white cotton table cloths. If my life were a Disney movie (thankfully, it’s not!), I’d be the princess focused on staying within budget. The woodsy feel of Stevens Pavilion fit the bill!
Tip to the wise: Costco’s deals on flowers is hard to beat. I paid $250 for my entire suit of flowers, which was enough for a bridal bouquet, two bridesmaids bouquets and 12 table centerpieces.
Wedding Seating at Steven’s Pavilion
We decided to go with white foldable chairs during our wedding, but I’ve seen some folks go with benches and that looked very nice too! Our concern with the benches was the uneven ground in the meadow, so chairs seemed logistically easier.
Food catering at Hoyt Arboretum
We opted not to hire a caterer because we wanted to keep things as simple as possible. In an effort to keep our wedding intimate and low key, we decided to create a large charcuterie board for our guests. And it worked really well for us!
But if you’re more inclined to feed your crew – go for it! Heck, go all out and get a food truck. What’s more Portlandesque than that? If you plan to hire a caterer or food truck, it’s important to note that onsite sales are prohibited.
Essentially, the host is expected to pay for the caterer and meals. I suggest calling Portland Parks & Recreation if you plan to hire a food truck for all the details!
Serving alcohol at Hoyt Arboretum
Hard alcohol is prohibited at Hoyt Arboretum, so we served bottled beer and wine at our wedding. If you’ve more than 50 guests in attendance (like we did) you’ll need to purchase alcohol insurance ($100 through Parks and Recreation).
Tip to the wise: To stay within budget, we ordered beer through Costco and wine through Trader Joes, highly recommend!
Parking at Hoyt Arboretum
Our guests had to pay to park during the ceremony and reception. Parking is $2 per hour, $8 max per day. We weren’t able to reserve parking for guests which was a bummer but it’s a small detail in the grand scheme of things. If you feel so inclined, you can put a family member in charge of paying for parking or something.
Parking is limited. A lot of our guests were visiting from out of town and used Uber which worked out very well.
Sound systems at Steven’s Pavilion
A lot of folks reached out asking about the sound system we used. We relied on this portable speaker & microphone for speeches. It worked like a charm! For music, we hired a local cellist who didn’t need any technical equipment. She brought her own sound system, which kept things easy on us.
Getting Married at Steven’s Pavilion, would we do it again?
In heartbeat! We couldn’t have been happier with our wedding at Stevens Pavilion and would easily do it again. Our wedding felt so right for us, with the rustic beams and towering redwood trees, it was perfect for these two nature nuts.
Further Reading
- Pros and Cons of Living in Portland
- Local’s Guide to Powell’s Books
- Portland Rose Garden Guide
- 6 Portland Nicknames & Their Questions
Please let me know if you’ve any questions about getting married at Hoyt Arboretum, specifically Stevens Pavilion!
From one wedding couple to another, I’m more than happy to help!
Cheers and congrats!
Antonina
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