Haley and Joe held a backyard wedding at the bride’s family home in Stevenson, Washington, overlooking the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. The setting looked just like Lake Como, and the day was picture-perfect from start to finish. Haley is from the Pacific Northwest, while Joe is from Texas. They’re college sweethearts who met at Texas Tech and quickly fell in love. They wanted to combine the beauty of the PNW with Southern hospitality, and the result was a party for the ages!

Planning a Backyard Wedding

Our team had the pleasure of providing full-service planning for Haley and Joe’s wedding day. They inquired in March 2022 to hire us for a September wedding. It was a sprint to find available vendors since that is our busiest month! Thankfully, several of our most trusted professionals were available.

The event was also a logistical challenge since the venue was a private home. There was no onsite parking, so we had to arrange for guests to shuttle from off-site parking and hotels in the Gorge to the ceremony site. Additionally, every rental and décor piece had to be transported onsite, including restroom trailers, lighting, generators, tableware, and linens. It was an epic undertaking, but the result made every hour of work and extra expense worthwhile!

The bride’s family property is on the water and boasts gorgeous views throughout. To take advantage of the space, we arranged a welcome drinks station and the ceremony set-up on one end of the property and the cocktail hour and reception area on the other. After the couple finished exchanging vows, their guests followed a wooded path to the other side of the property. Custom cocktails, a gourmet meal from Art of Catering, and a massive dance floor awaited them. 

Personalized Reception Details

Haley and Joe’s reception created a unique experience informed by their backgrounds in the PNW and Texas. During cocktail hour, their guests could indulge in the cigar and whisky lounge or sip on one of the featured drinks, including a spicy grapefruit margarita. Dinner was buffet-style inside an enormous tent and featured a “Northwest Station” with grilled cedar-plank salmon and a “Texas Station” with smoked beef brisket.

The couple are serious fans of the Texas Tech football team—we had to delay their ceremony because the Texas Tech vs. Texas State game went into overtime! Naturally, they had to incorporate the school where they met into their day. So, they ordered a groom’s cake in addition to their wedding cake from Dream Cakes. It was a replica of the Jones AT&T Stadium, where the team plays, and it was truly epic. 

After dinner, the couple and their guests flocked to the dance floor. They enjoyed entertainment from a live musician, country singer Britnee Kellogg, and a DJ from Higher Ground Entertainment. Finally, the day came to an unforgettable close with a fireworks show over the Gorge.

Haley and Joe are the sweetest couple, and there was so much love in the air on their wedding day. Our team was honored to bring their backyard wedding vision to life. If you’re daydreaming of a tented wedding on private property, we can’t overstate the importance of hiring a professional planner. We would love to get on a discovery call to discuss your vision, the logistics of executing it, and our full-service planning. Inquire today!

Special Thanks to our Amazing Vendors:

BLC Events | O’Malley Photographers | A Beautiful Union | Higher Ground Entertainment | Haute Flowers | Letters and Dust | Crave Design | Higher Ground Entertainment | Olivia Hawthorne | Britnee Kellogg | West Coast Event Productions | Art of Catering | Dream Cakes | Greenlight Creative | Cigar Angels | Luxury Restroom Trailers