Saint Irenes is one of my favorite indoor wedding venue spots in the Portland area! When Alyssa first reached out to me about her wedding day here, I was thrilled. This blog post is going to feature some photos from Alyssa and Jordan’s beautiful jewel-toned wedding this past October! But first, let’s go over some of my favorite parts about Saint Irenes, and their special day.

Everything You Need to Know About Saint Irenes Wedding Venue

Saint Irenes is an intimate wedding venue hidden inside an industrial park in the middle of the suburb Tualatin, Oregon. Next door to the event space is its sister venue, Industry Restaurant, which caters all of Saint Irene’s events and hosts their cocktail hour. The space can comfortably host around 120 guests so it’s perfect for a smaller wedding.

This space has two areas for an event – the venue side, which is bright and airy – featuring large windows, white walls and wooden barn doors, and the coffee shop, where buffet line dinners are served and the dance party often happens at the reception. Garage doors help separate the space and large curtains are available to hide the wedding party from guests!

Have you ever wondered how the wedding venue got its name? It’s a pretty sweet story from their website, “Saint Irene’s is named after the owner’s late mother, a seamstress for Jantzen swimwear. Much like the revolutionary company she worked for, Irene was a strong, hardworking mother of 7 who dedicated her life to others. Saint Irene’s High Dive + Event Venue is our family’s way of continuing her legacy of love and hospitality, offering the opportunity for groups to gather.”

Getting Your Dream Photos at Saint Irenes

If you are planning a Saint Irenes wedding, you may be trying to think through the logistics of taking photos. It is a small space, and a lot of the times couples ask for my advice on how to get all their “traditional” wedding photos done there. While every wedding is different, I can break down the best photography timeline for this venue from my experience in this post.

Where to Get Ready

Getting ready off-site is something you’ll have to do if you book a Saint Irenes wedding. Alyssa and Jordan found a beautiful VRBO only 5-10 minutes from the space that had a few stories, beautiful white walls and decor for the best getting ready photos. Alyssa got ready on the first floor while Jordan got ready upstairs, so neither party saw each other until they were ready! The Airbnb was right by Tualatin Lake of the Commons, which had a gorgeous spot for their first look and private vows. I definitely recommend looking in this area if you need a spot for getting ready!

Where to Take Off-Site Photos

Off-site photos are a great idea if you want to have some variety in your wedding gallery! At all the weddings I have photographed at Saint Irenes so far, my couples always opt for off-site photos. So far I have taken them at Jenkins Estate and the lake by Alyssa and Jordan’s VRBO for getting ready. Don’t forget to add extra time in your timeline for traveling between spots, and when in doubt – extra time in general in case you run behind.

To make things easy, I recommend doing your family photos at Saint Irenes in the little patio area to the side of the main wedding venue. It may be too hard to coordinate both wedding party and family photos off-site so I always say to choose one or the other.

Where to Take Photos at the Venue

Some of my favorite spots to take photos at the venue are the outdoor courtyard, the coffee shop, and just in front of the venue entrance! I usually gather with wedding party and/or family ~1.5 hours before the ceremony if we take photos out front before guests arrive.

The little courtyard area is to the right of the big ceremony space and is perfect for newlywed photos, small wedding parties and family photo combinations. You’ll see some examples in the post below!

Let’s Get into the Photos!

I am so inspired by Alyssa and Jordan’s beautiful wedding, and hope you are too! Enjoy these photos and follow the vendors who helped make the day magical to see more!

Venue, Catering, Bartending, Rentals: @saintirenes
Florals: @fivesistersflowertruck
Hair & makeup: @marinahaynes_artistry

Get in touch with me for your own wedding today!