Morgan and Hunter’s Summer Wedding at Knoll Crest Gardens | Sandy Oregon Wedding Photographer
Some weddings are beautiful. Some weddings are fun. Morgan and Hunter’s July wedding at Knoll Crest Gardens was both, in equal and generous amounts. Navy suits, sage green dresses, a garden in full summer bloom, and a dance floor that never had a quiet moment.
I am still smiling about this one, so let me tell you about the venue, the day, and the father daughter dance that pretty much deserves its own highlight reel.
Where is Knoll Crest Gardens?
Knoll Crest Gardens is a family owned garden wedding venue on SE Ten Eyck Road in Sandy, Oregon, about 45 minutes east of Portland on the way to Mt. Hood. David and Yvonne Knoll have welcomed couples to their property since 2003, and they host just one wedding each summer weekend, so the entire six acres belongs to you on your day. The grounds hold lavender and hydrangea beds, a pond and creek, gazebo ceremony sites, and gently sloping lawns that seat guests like a small amphitheater.
What is a wedding at Knoll Crest Gardens like?
A wedding at Knoll Crest Gardens feels like a garden party that grew up and put on its best dress. The stone dance floor sits under a big walnut tree strung with cafe lights, tulle drapes soften every edge, and there are chandeliers hanging in the trees, which I will never stop loving. From a photographer’s chair, the light here is a gift. There is soft shade for getting ready and portraits, golden hour glows through the grape vines by the red barn, and once the sun drops, that dance floor turns into a lantern.
What was Morgan and Hunter’s wedding day like?
Morgan and Hunter’s day was a full twelve hours of happy tears and very good dancing. It started with a twist I loved: a first look with the best man, which broke every nervous jitter into laughter before the ceremony even began. Their big wedding party filled the gardens with navy and sage green, and it photographed like it was planned by a painter.
Then the reception happened, and I need you to picture this. Morgan and her dad performed a fully choreographed father daughter dance to Danger Zone from Top Gun. He wore his black cowboy hat. She wore purple sunglasses. There were dips, twirls, and a finale that had the whole lawn on its feet. Not long after, Morgan traded up to heart shaped sunglasses and led her entire wedding party in a dance mob to Footloose under the pergola.
Between all of that, we slipped away for golden hour among the grape vines, with the red barn glowing behind them and the sun flaring low through the evergreens. The night ended with a sparkler sendoff under a deep blue sky, and it was the kind of goodbye that makes a photographer sprint to the back of the line to catch one more frame.
Why book Knoll Crest Gardens for your wedding?
Book Knoll Crest Gardens if you want lush gardens, an outdoor dance floor under the trees, and a family who treats your wedding like the only one that matters that week, because on their calendar, it is. The venue hosts up to 200 guests and includes tables, chairs, linens, evening lighting, dressing rooms, and that stone dance floor. You bring your own catering and bar, which kept Morgan and Hunter’s menu personal to them.
If your heart is pulling toward something smaller in the mountains instead, my guide to eloping near Mt. Hood is the place to start.
Looking for a Knoll Crest Gardens wedding photographer?
I am Becky Chambers, the photographer behind Studio 623 Photography, and my studio in Sandy is just up the road from Knoll Crest Gardens. After 20+ years and more than 400 weddings, I still get giddy when a couple books this venue, because I know exactly where the light will be all day. You can see more of my work on my Oregon wedding photography page, and when you are ready to talk about your own day, say hello here. I would love to hear what you are dreaming up.
Who made Morgan and Hunter’s wedding day run perfectly?
Venue: Knoll Crest Gardens
Day of Coordination: Jack&Lo Events
Officiant: Matt
Catering: The Local Grind Hawaiian Food Cart
Bartending: Simple Bar
Florist: Happy Hen Gardens A++++++ flowers by the way
Makeup: About Face by Tana Day
Desserts: Nya’s Bakery, Costco, and the mother of the bride
Photography: Becky & Alicia Studio 623 Photography
