While I appreciate the dedication of many of the couples I’ve worked with who’ve pulled off their own DIY weddings, I’m a big proponent of hiring a wedding planner to lighten the load when the budget allows. Keep in mind that planners more often than not offer a variety of services to meet your needs, whether you’re looking for a day-of coordinator to execute on the big day or a full-meal deal planner to do all the heavy lifting months in advance.
The last thing that I want for the couples I photograph is for them to be stressed while I’m capturing their day due to any hair-pulling in the lead up. If you’re just now starting the planning process, I can pretty much guarantee that there’s more to it than you now realize. Planners are worth every cent and if you invest in one you’ll be able to be that much more relaxed and carefree on your wedding day. And that will absolutely show in your wedding photographs.
Below I’ve listed those planners whom I consider to be the best Portland, OR wedding planners in no particular order. I’ve personally worked with all of them at least once if not several times. While I’ve collaborated with numerous other planners, all of the below have stood out to me for a variety of reasons, and they come highly recommended. Just like with photographers, personality and approach is very important when selecting a planner, so be sure to get in touch with at least a few so you can gauge who will vibe best with you.
So without further adieu, I introduce the best wedding planners in Portland:
Amore Coordination
Amy at Amore Coordination has been working in the wedding industry for 8 years and has cultivated deep connections throughout the community to build a wonderful team of vendors to pick from to execute your event plans. She champions connection, professionalism and trust with calm decisiveness as being foundations of her approach to wedding planning.
Amore Coordination comes backed with stellar recommendations and client reviews with a perfect 5-star rating on Google, and she has been featured in the likes of Oregon Bride, The Knot, and Hey Wedding Lady, and has won numerous Wedding Wire Awards.
Kick off your planning process with one of three packages, depending on the degree of help you need, that can be further customized. If you’re planning an elopement, a special package is available for shorter events. She even offers a location in the beautiful Wallowa’s if you’re dreaming of a romantic, adventurous place to say your vows.
Amore Coordination Example Gallery: Kylee + Justin @ Greatroom and Patricia + Jeffrey @ Leach Botanical Garden
Your Perfect Bridesmaid
Your Perfect Bridesmaid is a team of diverse, seasoned coordinators led by owner Kim, amounting to 15 years of experience. Together they share their combined knowledge of the Oregon and Washington wedding scene to offer a level of service with few equals in the region.
The YPB team approaches each wedding with a set of values to guide them when building out your wedding, including transparency, uniqueness, storytelling, and kindness.
YPB also strongly supports the LGBTQIA+ community and takes your pronouns and identity seriously in communication both with you and the vendors they work alongside. Matching you with vendors who share your values is of the highest priority.
A big benefit to working with Kim’s team is that when evaluating your wedding day needs you’ll be matched with a planner whose skillset, communication style, and experience will benefit you most while simultaneously having the knowledge base of the entire team.
You will also have access to a convenient client portal that will be the centralized hub for communication and planning, which helps streamline and expedite the entire process.
YPB Example Galleries: Annie + Josh @ Timberline Lodge and Anna + Michael @ The Ruins and Samantha + Jarred @ The World Forestry Center
EJP Events
EJP Events is led by Emee Pumarega, who began her work in hospitality in 1997 in Austin, Texas, and has since relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she’s ran her event planning business for 20 years. Emee and her team’s central philosophy is that guests should be pampered, or in other words, your guests should feel at home and taken care of. The guest experience is central to EJP’s approach to planning your wedding.
EJP Events offers a variety of services including both full-service and partial service on your wedding day, destination event planning, as well as kick-off planning to set you up with a venue and vendor list and a budget spreadsheet if you’d prefer to take the rest of the planning into your own hands.
If you’re looking for a coordinator that boasts outstanding experience, look no further than EJP Events. They’ve been featured in Portland Monthly Magazine, Oregon Bride Magazine, Portland Bride and Groom Magazine, the Portland Mercury, PDX Magazine, and a whole host of other reputable publications.
EJP Events Example Gallery: Melissa + Steve @ The Redd On Salmon
Lemonseed Events
Lemonseed Events is the brainchild of co-owners Meghan and bff Lauren. Both Portland natives, the two of them have nearly 20 years of combined experience in event planning, both in coordinating large-scale non-profit fundraising, weddings, and beyond.
Together they offer flexible planning packages, including full-day and partial-day service, as well as month-of packages for couples looking to hand-off the planning they’ve already done to a seasoned professional. Packages can be further customized to meet your specific needs.
Past clients of Meghan and Lauren have expressed that they are not only extremely detailed-oriented and professional, but that they make the planning process fun and stress free. Another couple has gone so far as to say, that Meghan and Lauren SAVED their wedding day!
Lemonseed Events Example Gallery: Lia + Bobby @ Amaterra Vineyard
Amanda Jean PDX
Amanda has had a life-long fascination with weddings that has culminated in her career as a wedding planner who values connection and finds immense joy in the intricate details of event planning.
While she and her team call Portland home and coordinate plenty of urban events, they cherish and specialize in weddings hosted in the Columbia River Gorge. If you’re looking for some great tips and guidance for hosting a wedding in the gorge then Amanda and her team just might be the ticket.
Clients reviews note that Amanda is LGBTQ+ friendly, helpful with budget friendly options, and has an extreme depth of knowledge to make your event run smoothly. While she only offers full-service packages, she believes that all of her clients deserve in-depth attention to detail and service, and she is very transparent about her pricing and the extensive services she offers, which also includes a curated rental selection that is exclusive to the couples who hire her.
Amanda Jean PDX Example Gallery: Erin + Nate @ Castaway
Elizabeth Kramer
Elisabeth Kramer is a journalist turned wedding planner who is devoted to making sure that your time and effort planning your wedding pays off big time. Additionally she is a central figure in advocating for a wedding industry that is more inclusive, diverse, equitable and sustainable. She is the founder of Altared, an educational resource for wedding vendors to bring about positive change in the industry, and the author of Modern Etiquette Wedding Planner: The Essential Organizer to Make Your Day Special for Everyone.
Elisabeth offers extensive services to guide you through the entire planning process, from conceptualization to execution, as well as a “rent my brain” service that includes a 1-hour consulting call and post-call plan, referral list, and timeline mockups to get a feel for her services or to get you started on your own. Elisabeth is also very upfront about her pricing with everything outlined on her site so you know exactly what you’re paying for and how she arrives at her prices.
On Elisabeth’s website you can find extensive vendor lists freely available, as well as help articles and free resources. Elisabeth also has a very clear code of conduct outlined for how she works within the industry so you know you’ll be working with an upstanding individual with admirable ethics.
Elisabeth Kramer Example Gallery: Caitlin + John @ Blockhouse
Najla Rose Events & Design
Najla and her husband are a couple of entrepreneurs with two restaurants and a wedding planning business under theirs belts. Shortly after getting married, Najla started her planning business while balancing a 40-hour workweek at a bank, and drew upon her years of experience wedding and event planning for the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower.
Now fully dedicated to her business, Nail’s approach to planning weddings is informed in her strong belief that friends and family matter most and that events are what keep us all connected. When she’s not planning your event, she’s coordinating events to keep her family connected.
Najla offers both full service and partial service wedding planning options, as well as day-of coordinating. If you’re planning a more intimate wedding or elopement, Najla has a special package to meet your needs.
Contact Najla Rose Events & Design
Najla Rose Events & Design Example Gallery: Becca + Clayton @ McMenamin’s Edgefield
Bells, Bows & Vows
Bells, Bows & Vows owner Brittney wants to imbue you with confidence throughout the wedding planning process that seamlessly flows into your wedding day. Confident in all your vendors. Confident in your planning team. And confident in the execution of your vision. She wants you to feel confident so you can relax and just enjoy your wedding day and your family and friends.
Brittney just so happens to be a Certified Timeline Genius, having taken an extensive educational course in event timeline management backed by research, so you can be assured that you’re in good hands when it comes to planning your day.
Brittney has a flawless 5-star rating on Google with over 40 reviews. She offers day-of Coordination, month-of Coordination, as well as partial and full-service planning options. So no matter how much assistance you need Brittney of Bells, Bows & Vows has got you covered.
Bells, Bows & Vows Example Gallery: Annie + Dylan @ Hoyt Arboretum