My husband and I were married at Loloma Lodge in August of 2011, and I am 100% confident that we chose the right spot. To host a wedding, you rent the entire grounds for 2 nights. Our families and the bridal party stayed on-site except for a few that stayed nearby, so we got to spend lots of time with everyone. We even took the bridal party and out of town friends in several rafts down the McKenzie River the day before the wedding and took out at Loloma. I can't imagine only getting to see out of town friends for the few hours of a normal wedding. Having entire days to share with friends and family also freed us up for dancing all night, which was very important for us. So, even if Loloma is booked, I highly recommend having your wedding at a place where you can enjoy an entire weekend. Sure, it's more expensive but totally worth it.
Now on to the specifics of Loloma Lodge.
Grounds. In August, the flower beds were amazing. The entire grounds were just gorgeous. A beautiful setting, and everyone was in awe of the splendor of Oregon. The ceremony site is adjacent to the river and has a neat pagoda-type gazebo thing to stand under. There is electricity, and our officiant held a microphone. The sound of the river was a nice peaceful touch. The reception site us a bit uphill, near the main lodge. We used their picnic tables for seating (they have other options). The dance floor is very large, covered, and well lit. There was plenty of room for a live band and lots of dancers. They are constantly improving, so I hesitate to give too many specifics.
There are 2 old log cabins on the top of the hill and 4 small cabins along the river. We crammed as many people in each as possible; nearly every futon was assigned to a person or two. The main lodge is gorgeous and welcoming. We all got ready in there (boys downstairs and girls upstairs). Family stayed in the riverside cabins, and they seemed pleased to enjoy breakfast along the McKenzie every morning. Each riverside cabin has a theme and is decorated with lots of knick-knacks related to the theme (e.g., rock-n-roll). The kitsch feel of the river cabins clashes a bit with the antique feel of the log cabins, but that's no big deal. It's kind of fun.
Service. I am lucky to have a close friend (Raina Powell Events of Corvallis) and sister (Sittin' in a Tree Weddings of Atlanta) that are both wedding planners, so I did not need to take full advantage of the service staff. Or maybe we did take full advantage of the staff, but my wedding planner dealt with it. I can't say for sure, but everything went smoothly the day of the wedding. My friends helped big time with decorating and setting up tables (another BIG plus for having everyone stay onsite--free labor!). If my friend/wedding planner hadn't taken the lead, I doubt I would have had time to shower before the ceremony. Trust me, get a planner for the day of!
The owner, Kathy, is very laid back and trusting and gave us plenty of space. Had we abused her graciousness, she probably wouldn't have been so laid back. Or, who knows, maybe my wedding planner shielded me from any negativity (another great reason to have a wedding planner!). Planning a wedding is stressful, and at times I was frustrated with the process and with Kathy, but that's just the nature of the wedding planning beast. Looking back, all the times I wanted to scream seem very minor now. Plus, she seems to be working out the biggest source of my frustration- the extras (table settings, grills, etc).
It's not a cheap place to host your wedding, but remember you can have your rehearsal dinner there too for no extra cost. As you've probably figured out by now, everything with the word "wedding" attached is way more expensive than without. So, either bite the bullet and do it right (a la Loloma weekend style) or do it guerilla style in a public park for the cost of a sundress and some birdseed. Any other way is too fast, stressful, cookie-cutter, or all of the above. That's my two cents anyway.
Here's a link to some of our professional photos:
http://www.becerraphotography.com/blog/2011/08/20/loloma-lodge-wedding-oliva-and-hyatt/ read more