Bold, Creative Wedding Day at House on Metolius

After connecting on a dating app, Dana and Hunter’s love deepened as they developed shared interests in the culinary arts, including cooking, creating food-focused content together and eventually rooting their lives in creative collaboration. On a warm September weekend, those shared passions culminated in a colorful, whimsical wedding at the House on Metolius, a serene, 200-acre resort and nature reserve amid the forest.

Friends and family joined the bride and groom in a mindful, pre-wedding morning plunge in the very chilly Metolius River followed by a pop-up sauna, during which everyone embraced the area’s natural tranquility. Grounded in that togetherness, guests gathered (some resting on eclectic, thrifted blankets) as Dana, clad in a bright fuchsia gown, stood beside Hunter as they exchanged vows. Bold, locally sourced florals featured late-summer blooms of dahlias, delphiniums and more in a vibrant palette of golden yellow, orange and warm pinks.

A pedal steel guitar concert set a relaxed tone during the reception, with the majestic Mount Jefferson in the distance. To commemorate the occasion, an artist drew and painted individual Polaroid-style portraits for guests the night before the wedding—sweet take-home tokens of Dana and Hunter’s dreamy wilderness retreat. —Diane Meyer