Natalie & Ryan
These college sweethearts met over 10 years ago at the University of Colorado in Boulder. “We had the best summer relationship but knew it would end because I was transferring universities at the end of the summer. We stayed great friends for several years while we lived in separate states but knew that friendship wasn’t enough. Ryan made the big jump and moved to Seattle 3 years later!”
“Our proposal was the quintessential definition of our relationship. Every year since we started dating, Ryan and I would fly to northern Kentucky for the holidays to be with Ryan’s family. It was our favorite time of the year since we were surrounded by family and endless amounts of homemade cookies! The night Ryan proposed, Ryan’s family had suspiciously rushed out to a ‘party’ after dinner but I didn’t notice because it meant I had full access to the cookies. As I was wrapped in a cozy blanket on the couch with a cookie in each hand, Ryan told me he had an early Christmas present for me but he wanted to give it in front of the Christmas tree. I was so comfortable that I asked if I could open it where I was. Ryan just laughed and threw me over his shoulders and plopped me in front of the Christmas tree. All I remember is immediately crying seeing him down on his knee and obviously saying ‘yes’!”
“One thing that we knew for sure was that we wanted to make our wedding a memorable experience for everyone that was coming. Since most of our friends and Ryan’s family would be traveling for our wedding, we looked for locations that our guests could explore and make a fun vacation from it. We had visited the Gorge a few summers before and absolutely fell in love with everything about the area! There was so much to do including the fun breweries and wineries and exploring each of the gorgeous hikes. It was the perfect location for our guests to experience all the greatness of the PNW.”
“We weren’t set on any type of venue but when we saw photos of Tin Roof Barn, it was the one venue I kept coming back to. We knew that it would be a popular wedding venue so we visited the space in the middle of winter and immediately fell in love. We had no idea what the landscape would actually look like besides the photos (since everything was covered in snow) but it blew us away when we saw it in full bloom for our wedding!”
“Our overall wedding design was a modern and boho vibe. We loved Tin Roof Barn’s rustic look with the mismatched dining tables and chairs, as well as the availability of the vintage plateware – which was unlike any other venue we had visited – and loved the idea of having our modern and boho style to be interwoven with the venue’s rustic charm. We wanted the night to feel like an intimate family dinner.”
“The most important element that we wanted to incorporate were an abundance of flowers. We didn’t necessarily have a color theme, but had our florist and coordinator pull warm and neutral tones throughout the space. Seeing everything come together on our wedding day was the most magical experience and one that we’ll always remember.”
“My wedding dress was a dream. I wanted something simple but still bridal. I didn’t want to be distracted or overwhelmed with my dress so when I tried on the Louvienne dress for the first time, it just felt right. I loved the simplicity and subtle details of the dress and especially loved the gorgeous train. I knew this chic and timeless dress was the one that I would marry Ryan in.”
“For Ryan’s ensemble, he wanted a suit that was light and comfortable, especially for the hot summer days in the Gorge. He also knew he wanted something he could wear again. How practical! The grey suit and mauve tie he chose were perfect.”
“We knew we wanted a first look because everyone kept telling us that the day was going to fly by, so we made sure to carve out enough time to enjoy each other and soak in all the excitement of our wedding day. Our engagement was a little over a year and a half, filled with saving and planning and coordinating and more saving, so when we first saw each other, it finally all felt real, and so worth the wait.”
“Our first look location was gorgeous. It was a spot that we had never seen before when we visited the venue but it was absolutely perfect. The private path down the hill from the barn was so serene – I still remember the sun peeking through the tall trees.”
“Ryan and I wanted to write our own vows, and it still is our favorite part of the ceremony. We also wanted to read our vows to each other before the ceremony. So the day before our wedding, we chased the sunset and found a spot on top of a gorgeous lookout of the Gorge and read our vows to each other. We didn’t want any ceremony nerves to distract us from the vows we wrote to each other and I’m so glad we had the chance to do that.”
“I’ll always remember walking out in my Vietnamese áo dài during the reception and the reaction my husband had when he saw me. I didn’t think his excitement level could get higher that day but he definitely exceeded my expectations when he saw me. It was extremely important for me to incorporate my Vietnamese culture into the wedding and this was so memorable for me and my family. It was so special for us to share our culture with friends and Ryan’s family, especially since this was the first time some of our friends and family were meeting.”
“Advice for brides to be: Stay true to who you and your fiance are and don’t worry about what is trending or the small details. I promise no one will notice that there aren’t any party favors! Hopefully, when you look back, you’ll remember how you and your fiance felt and not just what it all looked like. Also, once the day starts, let other people take care of things for you. Everyone wants this to be the best day ever for the bride and groom so trust your vendors and your friends/family. Last thing, invest in a great photographer! I promise it will be worth every penny.”
Beauty: Kelli Thomsen
Cake: Flour and Flower
Catering: Celilo Catering
Cinematography: Colton Byford Films
Entertainment: DJ Beatfarmer
Florals: Good Seed Floral
Photography: Peyton Rainey Byford
Transportation: Hood River Tours
Coordination: Union Event Co
Venue: Tin Roof Barn
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!