UNIQUE WEDDINGS
Mt. Hood Matrimony -
the Sky's the Limit!
Wedding Tales from the Villages of Mt. Hood
Every wedding ceremony is a special reflection of what two people love, value, and bring to their new life together. In a place like The Villages of Mt. Hood, where all kinds of people come to have fun and build community, there's a setting and a ceremony for everyone.
Just ask the ministers at Historical Church Wedding Officiants. Based in the Mt. Hood neighborhood, they've married many a couple in the surroundings that suited them best. For Historical Church minister Noryne Robinson, that once meant hiking to a wedding spot on the banks of the Salmon River, which runs through dense, ancient forest. She also presided over a ceremony atop Palmer Glacier, after which the newlyweds skied down into married life.
Alpine Vows
Michelle Winner, one of Historical Church's founders, started her wedding ministry with a ceremony in the Spruce Goose. As you can imagine, the unusual is all part of the job for her, too! She's currently working with a couple who share a love for hiking and mountain climbing. Their big day on Mt. Hood is planned around a snowy theme with a dash of mountaineering thrown in. The ring bearer will carry the ring on a carabineer instead of a pillow, and the flower girls will carry baskets of coiled climbing rope. Each guest is asked to bring a stone from a place special to them. These will be placed all together in a vase with a candle; meanwhile the bride and groom will exchange their own special stones, whose stories will be woven into their vows. The stability of stone and the teamwork of climbing make a great theme for their wedding.
Another couple met during a Portland Community College snowshoeing class in 2001. They were seated next to each other on the van ride up to the mountain. Though they'd never met before, when they began chatting they discovered they lived only 5 miles from each other. When it came time to plan their wedding in 2007, what Mt. Hood started, Mt. Hood got to finish in a lovely ceremony outdoors at Timberline Lodge.
The Language of Love
Another officiant, Leigh Ittershagen, fondly recalls conducting her first wedding, with its celebration of different places and ways. The couple chose a small but traditional Asian ceremony, with the bride in a beautiful gown reflecting her culture and the groom in a coordinating suit. Though the bride wasn't yet fluent in English, she spoke her entire vows in that unfamiliar tongue, a brave gesture that brought tears to her husband's eyes.
Fireside Nuptials
When you're getting married on Mt. Hood, sometimes the mountain decides to give you something extra as a present. That's certainly what happened a few years ago at The River House in Zig Zag, a vacation rental home, when the weather gave the proceedings an unexpected and charming twist. The bride and groom and their small wedding party came to stay for Christmas week, and all was going smoothly for an intimate Christmas Eve wedding. Then the special day arrived, along with a snowstorm, which caused a power outage that morning. No matter! The fireplace was lit along with lots of candles, and a most romantic and memorable ceremony took place right on schedule.
These are only a few of the unique marriages that happen every season of the year on Mt. Hood. There’s a place for yours, whatever your style.
January/February 2008
Our stories are written by Andrée Larson. Andrée grew up in the Portland/Vancouver area. She earned an MA in Art History at the University of Oregon, and writes about the history and culture of people and communities. She’s spent time in Europe and on the East Coast, and says the Pacific Northwest is hands down the best place to live. She currently lives in Tacoma with her husband, an artist..