The Griffin House On the Columbia River Gorge

The Griffin House is a 120-year-old home set on a private cliffside property above the Columbia River Gorge, just five minutes from Hood River, Oregon and about an hour from Portland. Built in 1900, the property has passed through many lives, including a dairy farm, a fox farm, and a Prohibition-era speakeasy with a tunnel through the cliff, before Claire Griffin and her husband discovered it overgrown and largely hidden in the 1980s and restored it. The house has hosted weddings since 2008. The grounds unfold across sweeping lawns and stone terraces along the property's original rock wall, with sweeping views of the Gorge from multiple vantage points. The Welcome Terrace serves as the arrival and cocktail-hour space, the Ceremony Lawn's grassy staircase frames the ceremony itself, and the Eastern Lawn opens onto the property's most panoramic views for portraits. A custom 2,600-square-foot clear tent provides the reception space, seating up to 175 guests. Inside the house, the Griffin's Wing and the Griffin's Den offer separate getting-ready spaces, the Wing surrounded by a sunroom and three bedrooms, and the Den outfitted with a bar, kitchen, and private patio. Rentals include full access to the property's private furniture collection, from tables and chairs to lounges and rugs, and a dedicated venue coordinator collaborates with couples in the months leading up to the wedding. The Griffin House also hosts a benefit concert series, started by Claire Griffin in 2011, that helps fund the upkeep of the historic grounds.