Best Central Oregon Wedding Venues for Outdoor Lovers
If you and your partner have chosen to get married in Central Oregon, there’s a good chance that you both enjoy taking your hiking boots for a spin—and are on the hunt for some wedding venues for outdoor lovers! It’s our (totally unbiased) opinion that we live in one of the most naturally beautiful regions around. In fact, there are so many stunning locations, and wedding venues to match, that you might not know where to begin with choosing one.
That’s where we come in! We’ve been around the block as wedding coordinators, and we can point you to the top six venues for outdoor lovers in Central Oregon—no endless Internet surfing required. Keep scrolling to find out what they are and why they made the cut!
Loloma Lodge
In their own words, Loloma is the wedding venue for you “if you want that ‘campground, middle of nowhere vibe.’” But, while it offers all the seclusion of a forested paradise, Loloma’s location in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon isn’t difficult to reach. It’s just a 1.5-hour drive from Bend and a 2.5-hour drive from Portland.
For the convenience of you and your guests, Loloma comes with all the trimmings: accommodations inside their historic lodge or their riverfront cabins, good old-fashioned camping, and designated ceremony and reception areas. Plus, it’s all yours for the weekend of your wedding! The ceremony area is located right on the banks of the McKenzie River and features handmade benches for your guests. Unsurprisingly, the reception area is equally stunning! With wooden picnic tables, benches, and bistro lights strung underneath a canopy of trees, it truly feels like a woodland oasis.
The property itself sits in the middle of a mossy Cascade forest, where the ground teems with wildflowers and a garden tended by the Loloma staff features local flora. So, you know you’re getting that authentic PNW experience! Bonus: the McKenzie River on the property is a popular rafting spot, so it’s great for some recreation for your adventure-minded guests. World-class mountain biking and hiking can also be found nearby.
Brasada Ranch
There’s a reason that this one was awarded the coveted title of “#1 Wedding Venue in Oregon” for five years in a row (Oregon Bride, 2016-2020). Brasada is available to couples year-round, with indoor and outdoor availability, and is equipped for weddings of all sizes. You may opt to host an intimate dinner on the Trestle Bridge or invite everyone you know for a dance party with Western flair inside The Barn. Either way, with facilities as charmingly rustic yet elegant as Brasada’s, you can’t go wrong!
Located in Powell Butte, Oregon in the high desert, Brasada features sweeping views of the snowy Cascade range, including Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, and the Three Sisters. Sagebrush and juniper trees dot the landscape and give it a unique appearance that appeals to mountain lovers and desert dwellers alike! Plentiful onsite lodging is available to you and your guests, so you can spend the weekend relaxing and enjoying your wedding festivities instead of stressing over transportation. Plus, there’s plenty of recreation to be found nearby, in the form of mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and fly fishing. Oh, and did we mention it’s all just a thirty-minute drive from Bend?
House on Metolius
We love this venue so much that we’ve already covered it in-depth. But, if you’d just like the highlights, here they are!
It’s hard to imagine a more picturesque setting for an outdoor wedding than House on Metolius. The historic property is located in Camp Sherman, Oregon, about an hour’s drive from Bend. While it features several ceremony locations, most couples opt to exchange their vows on the Main House’s grassy lawn, standing on the banks of the Metolius River and in the shadow of Mt. Jefferson. With a view like that, it’s no wonder that House on Metolius has been hosting weddings and retreats for over 100 years!
One of our favorite features of this venue is its on-site lodging, which can accommodate up to 46 of your guests. The Main House has eight guest rooms, including a newlywed suite, each with its own private bathroom. In addition, there are eight cabins on the property which can host 2-6 people each. All in all, it’s the perfect place to get away for the weekend with all of your favorite people! You can even host an intimate rehearsal dinner inside the Main House. And, if you anticipate inviting more than 46 guests (the venue can accommodate up to 180 for your ceremony and reception), worry not! Lodging in the nearby towns of Camp Sherman and Sisters is just 10-20 minutes away.
Skyliner Lodge
If you travel just eight miles west of Bend to the eastern slope of the Cascades, you’ll soon find Skyliner Lodge. In fact, it practically shares a parking lot with the Tumalo Falls trailhead. So, any local should be able to point your guests in the right direction!
Skyliner is a wildlife educational facility listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With its log-cabin-style build and large stone hearth fireplace, it’s irresistible to any couple who loves camping and cozy nights. And, it doesn’t hurt that the outdoor space surrounding the lodge is gorgeous! Oregon’s iconic ponderosa pine trees grow all around, and Tumalo Creek can be the backdrop for your ceremony.
While Skyliner doesn’t offer all of the amenities that a more traditional venue might, all of Bend is at your disposal! Your guests can lodge in a nearby hotel, bed and breakfast, or Airbnb. What’s more, they can take advantage of all our little mountain city has to offer—an upscale brunch, an afternoon at a craft brewery, or whatever else their hearts desire!
Please note that the following images are from a wedding coordinated by our talented colleagues at Radiant Event Co.! The images are by Mariana Tey Photography.
Ranch at the Canyons
This Tuscan-inspired ranch venue is one of a kind! While the brightly painted buildings could fool your guests into thinking they’ve landed in Italy, the landscape is unmistakably Oregon. Like Brasada, Ranch at the Canyons resides in the high desert. However, its location in a gated community at one of the entrances to Smith Rock State Park ensures a unique level of privacy. Access to the area is extremely limited, so you and your guests can have all 1,700 acres to yourselves! Plus, guest villas on the property ensure that your loved ones won’t have to leave the splendor of the ranch all weekend.
Ranch at the Canyons offers two ceremony venues for your consideration, depending on the size of your affair. For an intimate indoor ceremony of up to 49 guests or an elopement, the Old Winery Clubhouse is ideal. For larger events or those who would prefer to exchange their vows in the great outdoors, there’s the Tuscan Stables. At the Stables, a circular corral built from juniper pine, a grassy lawn, and Stable Lake set the stage for a stunning ceremony. For your reception, you can take to the lawn once more for an unforgettable night of dancing underneath the stars! And, it’s all just 45 minutes north of Bend in Terrebonne, Oregon.
FivePine Lodge
Last but not least, there’s FivePine Lodge! This venue really puts an emphasis on romance, with cozy cabins built for two, an on-site spa, and amenities galore (check out their Ultimate Romance Package). With ample on-site lodging, it’s also equipped to host all of your guests, so everyone can stay in the same place.
FivePine’s location in Sisters, Oregon is a convenient 25-minute drive from Bend. In addition, it has indoor and outdoor availability, so it’s open for weddings year-round. Your ceremony can take place outdoors amid a pine forest that looks like it came right out of a fairy tale. Then, you can head indoors to the Elda Teresa Event Center for a delicious farm-to-table meal provided by FivePine’s in-house caterer. So, while this venue enables you to host your ceremony and take plenty of portraits outside, it also has you covered no matter the weather! Not to mention, its location in Sisters will grant you prime access to the best outdoor recreation that Central Oregon has to offer.
Ready to Start Planning?
We hope you see the wedding venue of your dreams on this list! But, even if you’ve got your venue figured out, you might be left with a feeling of…now what?
That's where we come in. We're experts in creating beautiful and functional outdoorsy weddings for couples who want a stress-free wedding day. Click the button below to tell us how we can help kickstart your planning process!