Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Ceremony

Reception

Summer

Our Wedding

From the moment I met her, meeting up at a bar before our respective concerts, it was an instant connection. Our conversation was natural; it felt like we'd always known each other. A few hours of talking turn into a few hours more, and now I'm skipping the opener to my concert, just so I can keep talking to this incredible woman. Eventually, I walk her to her concert, and we go our separate ways for the night. But by the end of that night, I knew we had something special. Just a few days later, I'm being invited to play tennis in the park with her, and, while I did not own a single tennis racket at this time, I said yes faster than she probably could have put her phone down. I find someone selling their old tennis rackets and make my way over to another amazing date, full of tennis, good food, and even better conversation. By this point, I have forgone any subtlety with how amazing I think she is, and thankfully, she felt the same way about me.Fast-forward, we are now several "firsts" in, from our first time meeting each other's friends/family, our first time saying "I love you", all the way to our first exposure to living together. Erin's apartment lost its power due to a snowstorm, and my apartment being built just a year or so prior, still had power. In this 600 SQ Ft studio apartment, we have Erin, me, and two cats that do not get along at all. To keep them separated, we fashion a makeshift barrier out of pillows, bar stools, and blankets, hoping that neither will do what cats do and try to scale it. A few days go by, and it's some of the best moments with Erin up to this point. By the end of this experience, I knew we could live together, and sure enough, we did not too long after.Several milestones later, and we're now in a random Indian restaurant in Washington DC, feeling all kinds of excitement and love over the open acknowledgement of wanting to get married when the time was right. Sure enough, the time was right shortly after, and the ring shopping began! With the help of some thorough notes, I find the perfect design and gem that encapsulates all there is to love and appreciate about Erin. Months later, and I'm on one knee asking Erin to marry me on the top of a hill garden overlooking Florence, Italy. And now, almost 3 years into this amazing relationship, I cannot wait to celebrate such a significant milestone with our friends and family!

Matt's version

The day was May 21, 2023. I was getting ready to see Yves Tumor live in concert and to grab drinks with a guy that I had met online. He had told me that he also had a concert that same night, so we decided that a pre-concert first date could be fun. As a single 20-something-year-old dating in the city, I couldn’t have predicted that I’d be meeting the man that I’d be calling my husband 3 years later.We shared about our love of food, travel, and the connection that we both had to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. One date turned into a second, which turned into a third, which turned into months and years of developing a deep love and friendship with each other. From scuba diving the reefs of Honduras to moving in with each other and acquainting our 2 highly anxious cats, life with Matthew has taught me the importance of true partnership, the work of love, and how to bask in the joy of building and sharing a life with another human.The intention and care that Matt not only has for our relationship, but for all of the people in his orbit, is one of the many things that I love about him. He is kind, generous, patient, intuitive, funny, incredibly smart, a great cook, and did I mention HOT?! I struggle to find words that can describe my gratitude for the fact that we chose each other as life partners. He is my person y lo quiero mucho.

Erin's Version

Erin and Matt will be combining their surnames, Wallace and Hochhaus, to create their new family name: Walhaus. This decision was made intentionally by the couple as a way to honor both familial lineages while creating a new name for themselves and those who'll come after. #WalhausWedding2026

The Walhaus'

Our Story

Photos

Nicole Kelm

Lauren Bouchard

Sophia Bryce

Gisselle Genao

Sidney Watson

Huell Whitehaus

Hayden Willey

David “DJ” Fernandez

Kyle Thomas

Nick Huth

Wedding Party

Dress Code

How far are the ceremony and reception sites?

Q + A

Getting to Portland (PDX)

The closest airport to fly into is PDX, which is approximately 11 miles from Portland proper. If you are flying during the daytime, make sure to look out for Mount Hood when descending!

Getting around (and out of) Portland 

Transportation options for getting around the city include Uber/Lyft, Portland Streetcars, rentals (car, bike, scooter), and TriMet city buses. The Oregon coast is about a 2-hour drive outside of the city. The couple frequents coastal cities such as Seaside and Cannon Beach, which aren't too far from each other. Scenic waterfalls such as Multnomah Falls &amp; Latourell Falls (Erin's favorite) are a short 35-minute drive outside of the city. Enjoy the scenic views of the Columbia River on your way there!

Where To Stay

While there are many great rental options in the Portland area, the couple recommends staying either in Downtown, Northwest, South or Southeast Portland. Hotel recommendations are as follows: • Jupiter Next • The Duniway Portland, The Bidwell Marriott Portland • Moxy Portland Downtown

Travel

Food/Drinks

Nicholas

Southern-Thai fusion food with delicious and unique mocktails &amp; cocktails.

Eem - Thai BBQ & Cocktails

A wide variety of food carts in an open-air eating area. One of four food cart pods within walking distance. Visiting a food cart pod at least once is highly recommended

Hawthorne Asylum Food Cart Pod

A beautiful industrial-turned-street-art food cart pod with outdoor games, rooftop seating, and concert events on the weekend.

WonderLove

Haitian cuisine meets Pacific Northwest bounty at&nbsp;Kann, a live-fire restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet.&nbsp;

kann

Our favorite brunch spot in town, with favorites including the hot honey syrup chicken and jalapeno cornbread waffles. The wait is worth it (10-50 mins depending on when you get there).

The Mont

DarSalam Restaurant (Downtown)

Bluto's

A small restaurant that focuses on Ghanaian-style food located in the Pearl District.

Black Star Grill

Experience the best (In Portland) of St. Louis-style smoked pork ribs, beef brisket, and Carolina pork shoulder, along with comfort food classics like fried chicken, baked beans, and collard greens.

Reverend's BBQ

Sold out of a vintage gas station, these slices &amp; pies are absolutely worth the trip to. Also employee-owned!

Signal Station Pizza

Play

An interactive art museum located in Southeast Portland.

Hopscotch Portland

Full of interesting local goods, and conveniently located on the waterfront; one of Matt’s favorite running/biking loops from Steel Bridge to Tilikum Crossing Bridge (~5 miles in total

Portland Saturday Market

Check out the newly renovated wing of the museum!

Portland Art Museum

NE Alberta Street, from 9th to 31st street, this neighborhood is full of fun little shops, restaurants, and beautiful artistic stops.

Alberta Arts District

A jazz club with a wide variety of performers and a relaxed vibe.

The 1905

The Willamette River cuts through the city. See the sights of Portland on water!

Paddle or Sail the Willamette

Follow the accessible and short trail to the beautiful scenery and waterfall.

Latourell Falls

A large, beautiful park located in Southeast Portland with activities, natural walking paths, and a lake at the center. Perfect for a stroll or picnic.

Laurelhurst Park

Portland Farmers Market at PSU

For a unqiue view of the Gorge, and many miles of trails, climb up this massive rock with a Gorge-ous views.

Beacon Rock State Park

Portland Japanese Garden

A game store mixed with a restaurant. Pick from a massive selection of board games to play at your table.

Mox Boarding House

If you happen to see thousands of tiny birds filling the sky while you're, you might be near a swift roosting site!&nbsp;It's absolutely worth taking a moment to watch these swifts funnel into a clown-car of a chimney like a living tornado. Every September, Vaux's swifts prepare for migration by congregating around large vertical columns found throughout Portland. Historically, the largest congregation was the chimney of Chapman Elementary School. These birds now seem to be choosing new sites to roost. New sites seem to include Abernethy Elementary and Peace Lutheran Church.

Swift Watching

One of Matthew's favorite parks in town, with the massive St. John's Bridge cutting right through a natural space like this park, it's perfect for a picnic. Also host to the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival every July!

Erin & Matthew

Erin & Matthew

Photos