A wedding ceremony at Castaway Portland wedding venue

August 1, 2023

Spring Castaway Portland Wedding

Janel + Paul

Spring Castaway Portland Wedding

Portland, Oregon

I don't even know how to begin to describe how perfect Janel + Paul's spring Castaway Portland wedding was. But it's no surprise, these two are so incredibly kind and fun, they radiate joy and you can't help but smile when you're around them. Seriously, I challenge you to look through this blog and not have a big grin on your face the whole time. It can't be done! Along with the excellent coordinators at Your Perfect Bridesmaid, they were intentional and thoughtful about every small detail and created a day that was truly a celebration of them. That's what it's all about, y'all! This might be our biggest blog yet? But before you get to scrollin', I want to share a bit about this industrial indoor Portland wedding venue and one of the most impressive vendor teams we've ever been lucky enough to be a part of.

Castaway Portland

Nestled in the NW industrial district near the Willamette River, Castaway Portland is a premier Oregon wedding venue that will captivate you with its unique charm and has been named Oregon Bride Magazine’s “Best Urban Wedding Venue” from 2014 - 2022. Originally a 1929 warehouse, the 10,000 square foot industrial-chic space boasts 14 foot ceilings with original exposed wood beams, large sash steel windows that flood the space with natural light, and a 5,000 square foot covered outdoor patio. Whether you're planning an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, this industrial Portland wedding venue offers flexible spaces to accommodate your needs. Inside, the wide open floor plan can hold 400 people seated or 600 standing but has an expandable capacity to accommodate 900 people indoor/outdoor with the addition of Castaway's outdoor space. On top of all of this, the area outside of this Portland event space is perfect for industrial wedding portraits with a modern city vibe. It features several exposed brick walls and colorful buildings for backdrops as well as a stunning view of the Fremont Bridge.

Portland Wedding Vendors

I'm not kidding when I say that this is one of the best teams we've ever worked with. Everyone came together so well to support each other in bringing Janel + Paul's vision to life. The coordinators at YPB Weddings really hit this one out the park. Which is not surprising at all as they are some of the absolute best wedding planners in the game. We've had the opportunity to work with them on many Oregon weddings over the years and every time you can really see the expertise and care they put into each event shine through. Not only in how beautifully the wedding is designed and carried out, but in how happy our couples are knowing that they don't need to worry about a thing. Arden Event Collective provided all the rentals and Twin Vines Floral killed it with the ceremony arches, bridal bouquets, and centerpieces. The beautiful florals complimented their spring Castaway Portland wedding perfectly.
Now let's move on to the food. When we first met with Janel + Paul we spent the first half of our meeting talking about our love of food and more specifically, traveling to eat and experience all the food and culture we can! So we knew they were going to bring it, and they did not disappoint. Vibrant Table Catering prepared a 5 course, family style menu as well as the passed hors d'oeuvres that we may or may not have had to physically stop ourselves from eating because they were so good I think I could've eaten all of them. Blue Stag Mobile Bar took care of the drinks and even brought their super cute trailer inside the reception space making it a perfect addition to the modern aesthetic of the space. We've also gotten to work with the team at Blue Stag Mobile Bar for several weddings and can say with confidence, they know how to make a damn good drink AND have fun while they're at it. In additional to the tasty cocktails, Janel + Paul had a delicious surprise in store - Bubble Tea!!! Ding Tea Williams provided several flavor options and had the cutest personalized cup sleeves with Janel + Paul on them. We've never had this at a wedding before but now we think it should probably be required. For dessert, Lauretta Jean's Pies and The Mobile Scoop Ice Cream Cart were served side by side, offering guests plenty of options and delicious combos. Because you obviously can't have pie without ice cream, duh! Then to end this already very fun day Janel + Paul chose to go with a live band! Blue Wave Band truly brings something special every time and I can tell you from experience, they get the party goin'! There's just something about live music that makes a wedding reception extra special.

From the Couple

Last, but certainly not least, I thought I'd share the incredibly kind review that Janel + Paul left for us. It was such an immense joy to get to know these two and be a part of their celebration. Enjoy looking through their spring Castaway Portland wedding!

"Taylor & Madye were an absolute joy to work with! From our very first meeting, I was drawn to their quirkiness, passion for photography, and unique approach to lighting in their photos (which was perfect for our venue with beautiful natural lighting!) Throughout the weeks leading up to the wedding, they were very active in the planning process in terms of our day-of itinerary. In doing so, they provided us with their professional opinion with our timeline which allowed us to relax and not feel rushed.

On the day of our wedding, Madye posed as a quasi 8th bridesmaid for me, helped me with loading the car, and even drove me to the venue, so that the rest of my bridal party didn’t have to take an extra Uber. This was definitely more than I asked for in a photographer! Even though this was our first time photographing with them (as we opted out of an engagement shoot since we’re from out of state), we completely felt like ourselves while shooting with them. My guests were also raving about how wonderful they were!!

Fast forward to just a week after our wedding day, Taylor and Madye already shared with us 40+ previews. And then 3 weeks later, we got our full gallery of photos!! How these two captured my stoic Asian dad to smile is BEYOND me but we are sooo happy we went with them and we would choose them again for our wedding day in a heartbeat!!!"