Mattie & Peter
“Our story began Freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Stout when we met at a bowling alley in January 2008…” Mattie and Peter dated for a year before she transferred colleges and consequently moved to California while Peter continued his education in Wisconsin. Five years later, Mattie was living in Portland and returned to Minnesota to visit family. Out of the blue, Peter called to see if she would like to meet for a drink. “BAM, that was all it took! Less than a year later Peter moved to Oregon and almost three years after that, on June 24, 2017, we became engaged in Joseph, Oregon. We hiked up to a beautiful view of Wallowa Lake, had a picnic with whiskey and cheese curds, and it was there that Peter proposed.”
“We are both from Minnesota but have made a life together here in Oregon. Many of our loved ones hadn’t made the trip out yet so we wanted to show them the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. We share a love of the outdoors and knew we had to incorporate that into our day, and what better place to have a fall wedding than the Gorge!?”
“We didn’t envision a barn wedding necessarily, but when we saw Tin Roof Barn, we knew it was right. What really hooked us was the property. Tin Roof Barn has indoor/outdoor options in case of bad weather, a mountain view on a clear day, and seemingly endless dreamy landscape. Tin Roof Barn is gorgeous as-is, but we knew we could make it our own for the day.”
Mattie and Peter knew they wanted to have a fall wedding, which was their main inspiration but also wanted to ensure it was their own style without too much outside influence. “We tried not to look at too many wedding blogs or Pinterest because we wanted our day to truly be our own vision. We created the tables to look like a dreamy Autumnal Harvest so we (and mainly our incredible florist, Lucy, of Lucy’s Informal Flowers) used local fruits, plants, and florals.”
“There were bright oranges, deep greens, moody reds, white pumpkins, fresh pears, and twinkle lights all over the inside of the barn. The decor we focused on the most was the floral and foliage as it was important for us to have a natural organic element to our day. Our main phrases used for our wedding inspiration were: “Autumnal Harvest, Natural Elements, and Dreamy PNW Adventure.”
They certainly succeeded in creating a gorgeous Autumnal Harvest wedding, but Mattie’s wedding dress was straight out of a woodland fairytale. “I love the story of my wedding dress! I came across it online before we were even engaged and saved the image. When it was time to look for my wedding dress I remembered the name of it, “The Winnie Gown” by Hayley Paige, and I asked the girl working at A&BE Minneapolis if they had it. I figured it was a long shot, but hey, can’t hurt to check. She told me they had one and it was half-off the regular price because it was a sample. I tried it on, along with only a few other dresses, and knew immediately that it was the one. My mom and brother who were with me agreed, and I took it home that day.”
“On our wedding day I wore a pair of beat up old booties because they were so comfortable and couldn’t be seen under my dress.” She also wore a delicate flower crown, as well as her late grandmother’s wedding ring. “When I put on my grandmother’s ring, I bawled my eyes out.”
Peter’s navy J. Crew suit and suede FRYE loafers perfectly complemented her dreamy chardonnay ball gown. “He also wore an Omega watch which was his favorite part of his outfit!”
“We had our first look under the shade of the old tree behind the Bridal Suite. We were both emotional but I did my best to keep it together, while Peter let the tears roll! It was his favorite part of the day. After the first look, everything just fell into place. We were able to breathe, be together, and mentally prepare for the ceremony.”
The couple wrote their vows together, a few days before their wedding. “We did our best to write something that was meaningful for us and true to our shared values. We wanted them to be promises to each other specific to what we want for our marriage. We also wrote letters that we didn’t share with each other until the ceremony. This was definitely the most overwhelmingly emotional part of the day for both of us.”
During the reception, Mattie’s grandfather and uncle serenaded everyone to ‘The Wedding Song (There is Love),” which left not a dry eye in the barn. The toasts ended up being relatable to all but unique to the newly wedded couple. Mattie’s dad concluded his toast with the surprise gift of his vintage teardrop trailer.
Mattie and Peters advice for all couples getting married: “1) Hire a wedding coordinator. 2) Create an email address separate from everything else for wedding business only. 3) Treat all of your vendors with kindness even when wedding day stress hits because they are people too and you will depend on them heavily. 4) Do WHATEVER you want, because to most everyone else your wedding is just one magical day, but this is your day FOREVER.”
Bar & Beverage: Boda’s Kitchen
Beauty: Salon Visio
Catering: Boda’s Kitchen
Entertainment: DJ Beatfarmer
Florals: Lucy’s Informal Flowers
Photography: Phil Chester
Venue: Tin Roof Barn
Wedding Planner: Union Event Co
At Tin Roof Barn, we specialize in creating a bespoke Gorge wedding experience for you and your guests. Our beautiful Gorge wedding venue includes many standard amenities such as the graceful vintage wood dining tables and mismatched vintage chairs, antique rugs, and furnishings. For your ceremony, we provide ceremony seating for up to 150 of your favorite people in our ceremony patio as well as an optional covered ceremony location, because, at a Gorge wedding, it’s good to have a Plan B, just in case! Our modern restroom facility, the beautifully appointed Bridal Suite and Groom’s Room, the rustic tin covered Pavilion and massive stone fireplace are all part of the indoor/outdoor Gorge wedding experience. Scenic views of the mountains, forests, orchards, and valleys of the Columbia River Gorge are the background to this stunning Gorge wedding venue and will leave your guests celebrating late into the evening.
The award-winning Tin Roof Barn has been featured on Harper’s Bazaar, The Knot, Green Wedding Shoes, Sunset, The Venue Report, PopSugar, Oregon Bride, 100 Layer Cake, Borrowed and Blue, and Pendleton. If you’d like more details on how to have your dream Gorge wedding at Tin Roof Barn, or if you’d like to schedule a tour of our gorge wedding venue located near Hood River, in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, please don’t hesitate to contact us here!