THE NINES, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, PORTLAND

Welcome Party

Blockhouse PDX

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Dinner & Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

It all started in an elevator.

Knowing no one, Ciera moved from Seattle to Portland for work 6 months before the Covid shutdown - October 2019. Knowing no one, Josh moved from La Crosse, WI to Portland for work in the middle of the pandemic - June 2021. They lived in the same apartment building for a year and a half, 4 floors apart - both walking their dogs at the same parks, taking yoga classes at the same studios, going to the same bars, never crossing paths. Until September 20, 2022. Ciera, just waking up and going to the lobby to grab coffee (in her pajamas, socks, Birkenstocks, long puffy jacket, glasses, hair in a bun from the night before, retainers and drool crusties on her cheek) was greeted by a handsome, tall, yummy-smelling business man in a blue suit carrying a briefcase. Ciera froze as they made eye contact - her face in shock and his with a smirk on it. She awkwardly cornered herself in the elevator absolutely mortified, hoping other people got on the elevator so he wouldn't notice her pinky toe sticking out of the hole in one of her socks. From the other side of the elevator she heard "where you going?" She mutters very flustered "to get coffee", for some reason thinking that was the most suave thing he could have said at the time. They exchange a few sentences about him being in med device and how she had a med device background as well... and then the doors open to the lobby, she wished him good luck in his meeting, and she assumed she'd probably never see him again. In that moment, Ciera had no idea that she had just met her soulmate for the first time. It all started in that elevator. A few weeks go by and they run into each other three times in one day - coming and going from their building. The third time Josh asked Ciera for her phone and said "If this isn't the universe saying something, I don't know what is. Here's my number - you can text me if you'd like to, no pressure." Ciera playing hard to get never texted him - just kidding, she texted him as soon as she walked away. Ciera wouldn't say yes to an official date for two months. But in that two months, she would text him frequently letting him know when she'd be taking her dog Wyatt to the bathroom on the apartment building's 3rd floor dog run area... in case maybe Payton needed to go too. More often than not, Josh and Payton would appear and the four of them would end up walking laps around the 3rd floor talking - some nights for over an hour. One day just before Christmas, Ciera got out of the elevator on her floor and noticed a bouquet of flowers with a card - she thought it was so sweet someone was being surprised with flowers. She went into her apartment, came back out and realized they were for her. When he returned from Wisconsin, he brought her back cheese curds... Less than two weeks later, she let him take her out on their first date on his birthday... They've been inseparable ever since. Two years later, November 15th, 2024, Josh proposed to Ciera on the black sand of Pa'iloa Beach in Maui. Exactly one year later, November 15th, 2025, Ciera and Josh are getting married in a greenhouse/nursery nine blocks from where they first met.

It all started in an elevator.

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Travel

The venue is about 20 minutes from the Portland airport (PDX). You can also fly into the Seattle airport (SEATAC) and get a rental car (about a 3 hour drive to Portland). Highly recommend you taking an extra day to explore Seattle while you're here if you can... and you have a better chance of getting a direct flight if you fly in to Seattle!

Where to stay

There are so many different places to stay in Portland. You will find many hotel options, but there are also quite a few AirBnB's if that's your preference. Below are a couple of the hotels we would recommend that are close to the venue:

This is where the bride and groom will be staying! *TEXT CIERA FOR ROOM BLOCK LINK* This five-star hotel in Portland, Oregon is located next to Portland's Pioneer Square. It offers on site restaurants and free WiFi. Every guest room at The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel features a flat-screen TV. In-room massage treatments are also available. The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel offers a 24-hour fitness center. A billiards room is featured on site and includes pool tables. Guests can visit the Portland Art Museum or the Japanese gardens which are both within walking distance of the property. The Oregon Zoo a 15-minute drive from the hotel.

The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland

Less than one mile from the venue! Featuring an indoor pool and fitness center, Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Pearl District is located in the city center of Portland. Guests can enjoy a free daily breakfast, as well as free Wi-Fi access. The air-conditioned rooms here come with a flat-screen TV, a coffee machine, and a seating area. Each room has a private bathroom with a bath or shower, hairdryer, and free toiletries. Meeting facilities, a 24-hour front desk, and a nearby car rental are some of the additional facilities available. The Willamette River is a 3-minute walk away, Jamison Square is a 4-minute walk, and the Portland Art Museum is 0.9 mi from the hotel. Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Pearl District is less than a 1-minute walk from NW 10th &amp; Northrup light rail station, a 6-minute walk from Portland Union Station, and 12 mi from Portland International Airport.

Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Pearl District

Only 30 minutes East of Portland, Multnomah Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in the United States! Make sure you bring some good walking shoes and a rain layer - it's about a 2 mile hike round trip and the ground will be wet.

Multnomah Falls

The iconic 4-story bookstore in the heart of Portland with a great coffee shop inside.

Powell's City of Books

If you've never seen the Pacific Ocean, Cannon Beach is only a 90-minute drive West. This is the home of Haystack Rock and there are plenty of cute little shops &amp; restaurants.

Ciera & Joshua

Ciera & Joshua

C&J

Welcome Party

Wedding Day

6:15 PM–6:45 PM

Ceremony

6:45 PM–7:45 PM

Cocktail Hour

7:45 PM–12:00 AM

Dinner & Reception