Red Ridge Farms Wedding

January 21, 2021

Matt + Jeremy // Red Ridge Farms // Dayton, Oregon

We could not be happier that Matt + Jeremy invited us to capture their Oregon vineyard wedding at Durant at Red Ridge Farms. When they first reached out to us we immediately bonded over our shared love of travel, food, and specifically, traveling for food. They shared how most people attending would be traveling so they wanted their focus to be on creating a fun experience that felt like a vacation while bringing all the people they love together for the first time. And they nailed it. Not only did they accomplish that but they made it look damn good while they were at it. With their beautiful vision for a wine country wedding and an incredible team of vendors they planned a day that they truly loved that fit them perfectly. Throughout this post, along with the photos sharing the story of Matt + Jeremy’s day, we’ll also be sharing tons of helpful information such as some of our favorite wedding planners, caterers, and florists to help plan your own Oregon wine country wedding.

Durant at Red Ridge Farms

Located in the Dundee Hills less than an hour from Portland, Durant Vineyards has been a staple of the Oregon wine industry for almost 50 years; growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris fruit for many of the best wineries in Oregon. Part of what makes this place so special is the love, care, and personal connection they have for their work. Having learned from their parents and now passing it down to their children, you can tell that this is more than just a job to them.

They’re also home to the Durant Olive Mill, the premier purveyor of Oregon milled Extra Virgin Olive Oil and home to the only Olioteca in the Pacific Northwest. Sitting on 17 acres of land you can take in the stunning expanse of their olive trees and their state-of-the-art Italian mill. You can also participate in their harvest every year the weekend before Thanksgiving by joining their annual, three day long Olio Nuovo Festival. This celebration of freshly milled olive oil is based on the traditional festa in southern Italy to honor the bounty of the harvest and the vibrant new oil. This event can be enjoyed by the whole family and features a variety of the best artists and artisanal food producers from all around Oregon. There’s also complimentary bruschetta which I know would definitely not be the top reason to go but honestly, it’s up there.

This was the perfect choice for Matt + Jeremy as they wanted to create an experience that felt like a vacation for their friends and family traveling from all over the world. Along with their wine tasting room they have a variety of activities to partake in right there at the vineyard including private vineyard cabanas, estate experiences including a guided tour of the Durant Olive Mill and the upper-elevation olive orchard followed by a traditional blue glass tasting of their estate-milled extra virgin olive oils, ATV tours, and tractor tours. Not to mention taking in the beauty of their gardens and lavender fields while exploring the grounds with a delicious glass of some of Oregons best wine in your hands.

They also offer two private accommodation options. You have your choice of the Garden Suite or the Stoneycrest Cottage. The Garden Suite, located above the Red Ridge Gift Shop, is the perfect spot for a quintessential wine country getaway. Complete with spacious living and dining rooms and two balconies providing incredible views of the vineyard, olive grove, and lavender field it’s the perfect place to relax for a wine tasting weekend. They also offer a larger option for lodging tucked away right next to the vineyards featuring two bedrooms, this is the perfect place to accommodate multiple people or families. Added perk- you even get views of Mt Hood from the veranda. In addition to lodging on the property there is also plenty of options nearby for friends and family including Airbnb, VRBO, and hotels. A personal favorite is the nearby Vintages Trailer Resort, glamping at its finest. Sadly, Durant has recently begun to pivot away from weddings and get back to their roots of wine and olive oil. However, they are still offering their private dining room for small events such as rehearsal dinners and the grounds are also the perfect place for an engagement session. It would also make for a great stop in a wine tasting tour for your guests! If you’re planning an Oregon wine country wedding some other winery wedding venues include Beacon Hill Winery, Youngberg Hill, Domaine De Broglie, Gorge Crest Vineyards, Maysara Winery, and many more.

Wedding Planning and Day-of-Coordination

One of the best ways to reduce the stress of planning a wedding and ensuring that your vision is being carried out is to hire a wedding planner and/or day-of-coordinator. We cannot recommend the ladies at Your Perfect Bridesmaid enough. Not only have we worked together for weddings but we’ve also attended a few weddings that they have coordinated and let me tell you, they are phenomenal. Especially after seeing things from a guest point of view, we were blown away. We were lucky enough to work with Katelyn and Ashley for Matt + Jeremy’s wedding and couldn’t imagine doing it without them. I don’t know how but they managed to be in 10 places at once making sure that everything came together without our grooms having to worry about a thing. All the while making sure we had everything we needed to capture the day. Not only that but they are FUN to work with. Which if you know us is a highly valued trait. I know Jeremy + Matt felt so at ease knowing that they were in such great hands.

Your Perfect Bridesmaid offers a variety of packages starting at $1,700 to meet any set of unique planning needs. Depending on the package, services offered include planning and rental meetings, venue walkthroughs, event design and concept creation, and day-of and rehearsal coordination. All packages include at least 2 planners on site the day of the wedding so you know they’ve got it covered. On top of all of this they have an incredibly helpful blog filled with resources, planning advice, and inspiration.

Florals

Among the many things we enjoyed about working with Jeri, the owner of Bella Bloom Florals, was how incredibly kind and sincere she was. She is truly invested in bringing your vision to life and creates some of the most beautiful floral arrangements we’ve seen. Look at that room!! We couldn’t get over how masterfully she filled that space. You can see the passion for what they do and I think a big part of what sets them apart is how they work so personally with their couples, learning about the details of their day and what’s important to them. You can see how doing so comes through in their work. They offer a wide range of services from just personal items such as bouquets and boutonnieres to full service florals and styling for the entire wedding.

The Food

I don’t say this lightly, this was the BEST meal we have EVER had at a wedding. Which was no surprise to us as we knew that food was a top priority for Jeremy + Matt. Hunt & Gather Catering has an impeccable reputation in the Portland culinary scene and never disappoints. We’ve had the pleasure of working with them numerous times and always leave with happy bellies. For their wedding, Matt + Jeremy had their hearts set on roasting a whole pig and Hunt & Gather did not disappoint. As you can see below, it wasn’t just a meal you had at a wedding, it was an experience that everyone took part in. A huge perk of this space is the option to have an open kitchen, which allowed the couple to include the chefs and food service as part of the wedding which is exactly what they wanted.

Laura and Andrew, who own and operate Hunt & Gather Catering together, combined their culinary and event planning experience to create a remarkable business. They are Gold Certified for sustainability in the state of Oregon and source all of their food through local farmers, ranchers, and fisherman. If you’re interested in having them be a part of your celebration the first step is to reach out and set up a time to talk about what you love about food and your vision for the wedding. Their team will then create a menu/proposal that is designed specifically to match the couples style.

Fun side note- Hunt & Gather recently opened their own event space in the heart of the Pearl District in NW Portland showcasing seasonal menus and Pacific Northwest cuisine. The industrial space offers a variety of options from 15 person private dining events to 120 person seated dinners and even up to 250 person standing cocktail receptions. This would be a perfect spot for small weddings, elopements, or rehearsal dinners.