Wedding Reservations

Portland Parks & Recreation is the proud steward of more than 200 parks, gardens, and natural settings that can be reserved for weddings and/or receptions. These lovely settings are the perfect locations for ceremonies and celebrations. A few things to know:

• City code requires that a permit be obtained for any legal union ceremony in a public park where guests are invited. This includes ceremonies consisting of more than the couple, officiant, and two witnesses. Permits are issued by the Portland Parks & Recreation Customer Service Center. 
• If your wedding ceremony will not take place in a Portland park and you only need a permit for the wedding reception, your event will fall into the category of a picnic - please see Picnic Reservation.
• Weddings are not permitted at the Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion and surrounding acres, or Portland International Raceway.
• Only wedding ceremonies can be booked in the wedding gardens; receptions are not allowed in the gardens.
• Check the wedding brochure for locations, fees, policies, insurance, and reservation information.
• Weddings may be booked at picnic sites.
• Park area maps are located on our website and online reservation system.
• Wedding permit requests must be made at least 45 days in advance to avoid rush fees.

2023 Wedding Reservations

PP&R will once again be holding a lottery for 2023 wedding locations and dates. The wedding lottery will establish a list of who will be contacted first to receive their desired wedding date and location at one of Portland's parks or natural areas. The wedding lottery is only for wedding events taking place March 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.  If your wedding will take place January or February 2023, please contact the Customer Service Center directly at 503-823-2525 at this time.

2023 Wedding Reservation information:

• Monday, November 21 - First day to submit a Wedding Lottery application. 
• Thursday, December 8 - Last day to submit a Wedding Lottery application. 
• Thursday, December 15 - Wedding Lottery drawing results will be posted online at 8:00am.
• Tuesday, January 3 - PP&R will begin taking general wedding reservations for 2023

Applicants will need to submit a wedding reservation request to enter the lottery. In the request, they will need to provide basic contact information, provide preferred location/date information, and pay a $121.25 non-refundable application fee. All complete requests will be entered into the lottery.

Only one entry per couple is allowed. Duplicates will be removed without refund.

Entry into the lottery does not guarantee reservation of the requested location(s) or date(s). However, staff will do their best to find a suitable alternative if necessary.

Customer Service Center staff will start processing reservation requests in the order they were drawn starting Thursday, December 15 at 8:00am. When it is time for your request to be processed, staff will contact you on the primary phone number provided in the application. If they are unable to reach you, they will leave a voicemail (if possible) and call the second phone number listed. If they are still unable to reach you, they will contact the individual you designated using the third phone number - it is extremely important for you to provide reliable contact information, as this designated individual will be authorized to make reservation decisions on your behalf. If staff are unable to reach you, they will wait 1 hour and 30 minutes before processing the next reservation request. If you call back after the hour and a half hold has passed, your request will be processed immediately.

Once a request has been processed, the reserved location and date will be posted on our website. All requests will be processed by December 30, 2022.

How to apply for the Wedding Lottery

Online
To access the online reservation system, click here. (How to Submit a Wedding Reservation Request Online)

By phone
Call the Customer Service Center at 503-823-2525 and select option 1. 
Phone hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00pm (closed from 12:00pm-1:00pm)

By fax
Send the Portland Parks & Recreation Wedding Worksheet Application to 503-823-2515.

By Mail 
The Portland Parks & Recreation Wedding Worksheet Application and payment may be mailed to Portland Parks & Recreation Customer Service Center at 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 858, Portland, Oregon 97204. Please make checks payable to the City of Portland.

2023 Wedding Lottery - Results  

Cathedral Park Staircase and Deck 

Please note the Cathedral Park Staircase and Deck will be unavailable for permit reservations beginning October 1, 2022, due to St. Johns Bridge repair work. If you will be having a simple wedding ceremony consisting of no more than the couple, officiant, and two witnesses and would like to use the location on a first-come, first-served basis, you may do so as bridge repair work allows. The Cathedral Park Amphitheater is available for reservations as usual.

Insurance Requirements

Insurance may be required for your permit and may be purchased from a variety of sources:

• The City has arranged to make liability and property coverage available for those using city facilities or venues through Tenant Users Liability Policy (TULIP). This insurance is designed specifically for users of city facilities and venues so it meets our agreement requirements, and is often more cost-effective than the options listed below. Coverage is provided for the majority of events, however large-scale events, or events with dangerous or risky activities may be excluded.
• Many homeowners’ policies offer coverage for an event, or a special rider can be purchased.
• Many insurance agencies can put together what is called a special events policy.

Issued Permits

Upon approval and payment of all applicable fees, you will receive a link to your issued picnic permit via email. A permit confirms your reservation and must be on-site during the event to be valid. Please print out the permit and take it with you to your event, or have a digital copy available for viewing. You can access your permit online anytime by logging in to your online account.

You can request the following items to be sent to you through the mail:

• Issued Permit and Site Map We can mail you a copy of your issued permit and site map so you can have it on-site during your event. Please remember a permit is required to be on-site during the event to be valid.
• Reservation Signage We provide signs by request only. It is your responsibility to display signs on the day of your event to notify park users that the area is reserved. We do not allow signs to be attached to trees or placed on stakes in the ground (sandwich boards are recommended). A member of your group may wish to monitor the site prior to the beginning of your event.
• Vehicle Access Pass If requested and approved for your Special Use Picnic, a vehicle access pass will be mailed to you. See the picnic brochure for more information on vehicles.

If a key is required for access or amenities as indicated in the Wedding Brochure, it may be picked up from our office Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. The key may be picked up no more than two (2) business days prior to your event and requires a $100 refundable key deposit payable by cash, check, or Visa/MasterCard/Amex/Discover card. For a full refund of the key deposit, the key must be returned on the following Wednesday after the event. 

Please remember:

• Smoking is not allowed on Portland Parks & Recreation property per Title 20.12.110.

• You are required to remove all garbage generated by your activities from the park. We recommend you bring trash bags and/or cans.

If you need to cancel or make any changes to your issued permit, please contact our office as soon as possible. See page 3 of the Wedding Brochure for refund guidelines.

ADA Accessibility

Look for the ADA symbol in the tables on pages 4-7 of the Wedding Brochure. For more detailed information on accessible amenities, parking, and access points, please call the Customer Service Center.