FAQs

Question

Covid

Answer

Oregon announced 8/11 that they will begin to require masks when inside starting 8/13 (out event date). The ceremony and dinner will be held outside but dancing will be held indoors. Please bring a mask to wear so we can comply with the state mandate and CDC recommendations! If you forget we will have some paper masks available!

Question

Why was your wedding postponed?

Answer

While we had hoped that our summer 2020 wedding would be distant enough from the COVID-19 outbreak, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to postpone our wedding celebration with all of our guests. We wanted to keep the wellness of our friends and family at the forefront of our wedding planning to ensure the safety of our guests. We were able to have a small ceremony with some local friends and family on our original date of August 15th, 2020 at which all guests underwent testing prior. We have made arrangements to reschedule our wedding celebration on August 13th, 2021 where we will celebrate our first year of marriage with all our friends and family.

Question

Why did you have a mini ceremony?

Answer

While we wanted to exchange vows surrounded by all of our friends and family, it became clear that it would not be possible to celebrate the way we had envisioned. We postponed our wedding celebration so that our wedding could be remembered as something full of love and happiness without the shadow of COVID-19 in the back of everyone’s mind. While it was a heartbreaking decision we knew it was the right one. We had been together for over seven years and were eager to start our life together as husband and wife. We therefore planned to move forward with our wedding as an mini ceremony on our original date and postponed the reception and celebration with all of you until 2021. Our families and some members of our wedding party were present for the mini ceremony in Flagstaff. Everyone was tested for COVID prior to the celebration out of caution. We are so excited that we can now all come together and celebrate our first year of marriage in 2021. We appreciate all of your love and support.

Question

When will the invitations be sent out?

Answer

We started to send our invitations for our 2021 celebration in April. The venue guest limit was initially very limited due to governmental restrictions. Our guest list is larger than the limit so we held back on sending all our invites until the County Risk Level was lower. We are SO pleased to have been able to send out all invites at the end of May. Invites were printed before the guest restrictions went into effect, so if you received an invite at the end of May, please disregard the request for RSVPs by June 1st and just let us know as soon as you can if you’ll be able to join us! Please reach out with any questions you might have!

Question

When are the RSVPs due?

Answer

We’d love to know if you can make it to our 2021 celebration (we hope you can!). Please RSVP by June 1st using the RSVP card attached to the bottom of your invite or via our RSVP section here: https://www.zola.com/wedding/becomingthebensteds/rsvp (Invites were printed before the guest restrictions went into effect, so if you received an invite at the end of May, please disregard the request for RSVPs by June 1st and just let us know as soon as you can if you’ll be able to join us!)

Question

Can I bring a plus one?

Answer

In order to keep our guest list on track and within the venue restrictions, we are only able to accommodate those guests formally invited on your invitation. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

Question

Are children invited to your wedding?

Answer

While we love your little ones, our celebration is going to be an adults-only event so that everyone can relax and enjoy the evening. We appreciate you making arrangements ahead of time and having an alternate plan for your kiddos so you can celebrate with us.

Question

Where is the marriage celebration taking place?

Answer

Our marriage celebration will be held entirely outdoors at Blackberry Meadow at McMenamin's Edgefield. We will have signs at the venue to help navigate to the hall. Address: 2126 SW Halsey St, Troutdale, OR 97060 Phone: (503) 669-8610

Question

If we are from out of town, where should we fly into?

Answer

The wedding venue, McMenamins Edgefield, is a 20-minute drive to or from the center of downtown Portland and about 15 minutes from Portland International Airport.

Question

If we are from out of town, when should we fly in?

Answer

Up to you! We are flying in Wednesday August 11th. There is a lot of stuff to do at the venue and in Portland itself. We will be hanging out at the hotel’s many bars on Thursday night. We would love if you could join us, shoot us a line to tell us if you come in early and want to join in the Edgefield festivities so we can meet up!

Question

Why did you choose a Friday?

Answer

Edgefield is a one of a kind venue that books up fast. All venue locations on the property were booked for the Saturday’s of 2021 prior to the COVID pandemic, so we had to switch to a Friday when we had to reschedule. It’s a Friday the 13th but we aren’t worried after the year 2020 ended up being.

Question

Do you have a hotel room block?

Answer

Yes! We will have a block at the Best Western Plus Cascade Inn and Suites (less than a mile from McMenamins). The hotel is offering our guests 10% off rooms Thursday-Sunday of our wedding weekend. Reservations MUST be made before a July 13th in order to be in the block and receive the discount. McMenamins Edgefield has rooms left in our block as well. It is best to call to check if rooms are left in the block. The code is 2008COBB/ The rooms are “European style” meaning many do not have bathrooms in the room, but rather the private bathrooms are in the hall and shared. They are little rooms with a shower, sink, and toilet off an adjoining common space. They also have “hostel” style rooms with multiple bunk beds that are significantly less expensive (usually about $35 a night). Of note if you stay at Edgefield or have any spa services performed at their spa you will have access to their soaking pool, which is like a warm lazy river.

Question

Will there be parking at the venue?

Answer

Mcmenamins Edgefield will have free parking on site but it can be limited. There is a parking lot right next to Blackberry Meadow on the south end of the property where we are getting married, but it’s not saved for our guest specifically; guests may use any of the other parking lots if needed. We are going to have signs from the front of the property directing you towards the Meadow. Keep a look out to help you find our event!

Question

When should guest arrive for the ceremony?

Answer

The ceremony will begin at 5 p.m on August 13th, 2021. We kindly ask guests to arrive 15-30 mins before as the hotel is large, parking can be tight, and we don’t want to miss you. We will have signs directing guests to the Blackberry Meadow where our marriage celebration will be held near the back of the property. There is a parking lot right when you pull into Edgefield. You can park and walk up. Or you can park up near the venue, just follow the signs! The hotel has many bars, one of which is The Distillery. It is located right next to Blackberry Meadow and would be a great place to grab a drink beforehand to enjoy during a ceremony if you’re thirsty!

Question

Is there a dress code?

Answer

We hope our 1 year of marriage celebration will be a fun excuse to wear your favorite cocktail attire! The the evening will be held outdoors in a grassy meadow, so this may impact which shoes you choose.

Question

What is the weather like this time of year?

Answer

The average Summer weather in Oregon in August is sunny with a high of 85 degrees and low of 54 degrees. The sun goes down later here in the Pacific Northwest, sunset will be around 8:15. When we visited Edgefield for wedding planning it did rain, so we have a plan B including a tent in case of wet weather. Unfortunately, this August seems to have been struck by a heat wave. The projected temperature is supposed to be over 100 degrees. The ceremony and dinner will be held outside under a tent with fans. Dancing will be held inside. We hope you are patient with us as we try to navigate the unpredictable weather as best we can to keep you comfortable. If you are staying at Edgefield as an overnight guest or you book an appointment at Ruby’s Spa at the hotel you will have access to their very large outdoor, heated soaking pool that you will want to enjoy! The Best Western also has an indoor pool if you are an overnight guest there.

Question

Feeling ill?

Answer

If you or anyone you have been in contact with is feeling ill during the two weeks prior to the wedding, we kindly ask you to forego our event. We will miss you so much but our biggest concern is to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

Question

Are you hosting any other events over the weekend?

Answer

We are going to be in Portland Wednesday August 11th through Sunday August 15th. While we aren’t hosting any formal events we will be participating in the events the hotel hosts. Saturday nights they sometimes have free live bands and food trucks on the property. Let us know if you’re going to be hanging around too and we can let you know where we will be at! Saturday morning we will be eating on the side porch of the hotel until around 10am. Stop by to say hello or goodbye before you head out to explore Portland or make your way home!

Question

Can I post pictures of your wedding on social media?

Answer

Yes! While we will have an unplugged ceremony to encourage everyone to be present in the moment, we encourage guests to post pictures on to their social media of the reception. You can use our wedding hashtags #becomingthebensteds and #idrewcrew so we can keep track of all of your pictures! We also would love if you would participate in “The Guest” app for our wedding. We will send you a link via text a week before the wedding. All you need to do is download the app and sign up (takes less than 5 minutes). On the day of the event, simply take photos and videos as you normally would with your normal phone cameras! That’s it. There’s no manual uploading and no taking photos with a separate camera. It creates a collective album for our event. Here is the link for our event below if you want to check it out sooner! http://in.veri.com/to/elliedrew2021?t=e

Question

Will food and drinks be served at the reception?

Answer

Yes! We will have a cocktail hour with drinks followed by dinner. Our bar will have three beers, one cider, and four wines, all of which were crafted right here at Edgefield. We will also have two signature cocktails. Other hard alcohol will be available for purchase. There will be vegetarian and meat options for dinner, which will be served by staff to keep social distance. Please let us know of any allergies or dietary restrictions ahead of time so we can make the proper accommodations! The hotel has many bars. You can easily find a great place on the property to grab a drink beforehand (Distillery Bar is just 200 yards from Blackberry Meadow) to enjoy during the ceremony if you’re thirsty! We plan on going to one of these bars after the reception to hang out as an after party as well!

Question

Is anything happening after the wedding reception?

Answer

The Meadow may be closed... BUT THIS PARTY IS STILL GOING! If you want to keep the celebration going, there are multiple bars on the property. The bars may be open for limited hours due to staffing difficulties after the pandemic. We are hoping they will still be open after our event ends. If they are we will likely head to one when the venue closes to our event to keep spending time with all of you.

Question

Where are you registered?

Answer

Your presence at our celebration is gift enough. Seriously. We have missed you all so much! But because you asked, we are registered through Zola. If you prefer we also have a baby registry for Baby Bensted. Zola frequently has 20% off codes. Because we will be traveling to Oregon for the celebration, we ask if it is at all possible to send any gifts to our home address in Phoenix.

Question

How do I contact you if I have other questions?

Answer

We’d love to hear from you! Please e-mail us at becomingthebensteds@gmail.com with any questions, or just to say “hi!” We can’t wait to celebrate with you!