About 1.5 months after we got engaged, Jeff and I started to look at Seattle outdoor wedding venues. We both immediately knew we wanted the ceremony and reception to be outdoors. We’ve only been to three completely outdoor weddings before (all in Napa Valley and Hawaii) and they were so memorable to us. We loved being outside and not in a hotel or ballroom. Now that it’s our turn to get married, we want a location that showcases the beauty of the PNW and dance the night away under the stars.

Here are 5 Seattle outdoor wedding venues we looked at and our pros and cons of each. Hope this post is helpful for newly engaged Seattle couples who are also looking for Seattle outdoor wedding venues! Can you guess which one we chose?

 

Seattle Outdoor Wedding Venues: The Admiral’s House

The Admiral’s House is a historical landmark property located in Magnolia, a wealthy, gorgeous neighborhood in Seattle, with stunning skyline views of the city. The venue is perfect for anyone that wants a blank canvas and have a truly customized wedding.

PROS

• Located 10 minutes from downtown with incredible Seattle skyline views.
• You get the entire property to yourself all day. Vendors can come and set up anytime that day and you can hold the reception until midnight, which is later than most Seattle outdoor wedding venues.
• Dog friendly venue and dogs can be left running around on the property.
• Large, clean house with bathrooms for wedding guests as well as separate bridal and grooms room.
• Beautiful separate areas for ceremony and reception.
• You can bring in your own alcohol (must be served by a licensed bartender). This is the only portion where you could be saving money.
• Blank slate to design and fully customize your wedding.
• Outdoor area is covered with turf so it’s easy to walk on, even with heels.

CONS

• Because the Admiral’s House is located on top of a hill, guests must park at the bottom of the hill. The venue provides a shuttle or valet option (valet is more expensive).
• This venue has the highest rates compared to the other Seattle outdoor wedding venues. They have dynamic pricing so if you’re the first to book, you get a cheaper price. If you’re the fourth or after, you pay more. The 2019 rates range from $12,400-$16,400 for the shuttle option while the valet option ranges from $13,900-$17,900.
• For the price you pay, you literally get nothing but the venue and the shuttle/valet service. You must bring in and rent everything yourself including tables, linens, utensils, tent, catering, lighting. It adds up A LOT!
• You must pay the Admiral’s tax, which is an additional 10% on everything you bring on site, including  photography, florals, rentals, etc. to Admiral’s House. If you are using a non-preferred vendor, the rate increases to 15%.
• You are required to have a Day of Coordinator and there is no flexibility in not having one.

Seattle Outdoor Wedding Venues: Rock Creek Gardens

Rock Creek Gardens is a 20-acre private estate located in Puyallup, Washington. The garden is full of 100 year old cedar trees, views of Mount Rainier, and waterfalls, providing a beautiful, serene garden-like setting. It accommodates up to 300 guests and owns the largest tent in Washington state.

PROS

• Largest tent (3200 square feet) in Washington with beautiful draping and nine chandeliers.
• The rental cost includes up to 10 hours access to the venue on the day of wedding as well as tables, white reception chairs, and a cute row boat for pictures.
• There is a small preferred list of caterers but they are flexible so you can hire an outside caterer for an additional $750 fee.
• You can bring in your own alcohol (must be served by a licensed bartender), which helps with large cost savings.
• They allow dogs for the ceremony (although they must be escorted off-site immediately after).
• You can bring in your own lawn games and there is a playground area for kids next to the tent.
• There is plenty of complimentary parking on-site.
• The General Manager checks in all of the vendors for you on the day of the wedding.
• There’s a large two-story house for the wedding party to share. The upstairs area is nicely designed and great for getting-ready bridal photos. However, I noted a minor con below related to this.
• They provide an online portal for couples that book the venue. It contains various information such as suggested table arrangements and other tips.

CONS

• Farthest of the five Seattle outdoor venues, located one hour from Seattle in Puyallup.
• They have dynamic guest count pricing, which I’m not a fan of, especially since we have a large guest list. The listed rental price is for 150 guests. If you have more guests, you must pay an additional $300 per 25 guest block.
• You must purchase sparklers through them, which is high at $150.
• The brick flooring in the reception area under the tent has several stains and is not even.
• Because the venue has a pond and is in a woodsy area, there may be mosquitoes at night. They do maintain the property with bug spray throughout the year and ensuring the pond has constant movement.

Seattle Outdoor Wedding Venues: Woodmark Hotel

Woodmark Hotel is a classy and glamorous hotel on the waterfront of Kirkland, which is only a 20 mins drive from Seattle. The views are gorgeous and they provide the most luxurious tent out of the five Seattle outdoor wedding venues. The venue is also part of a hotel so out-of-town guests can book rooms here for the night.

PROS

• Amazing Lake Washington waterfront view
• You get a lot as part of the rental price: tent, beautiful “double” draping (very luxurious!), chandeliers, linens, white chiavari chairs, silverware, cups, etc.
• Dog friendly for ceremony.
• Depending on the package, they provide hotel rooms for bride and groom the night of wedding, which is great for bringing your dogs up after the ceremony.
• Beautiful rooms for bride and groom to get ready in.
• Depending on the package, you can also get complimentary spa treatment and a free room at the hotel on your one year wedding anniversary.
• The tent connects to an indoor area for anyone that wants to hide away inside at night.
• For our party size, we needed an additional tent to fit all of the guests. Originally, they quoted us $4500 to replicate the main tent, but they were willing to waive this fee for us.
• Cleanest and nicest bathrooms out of the five Seattle outdoor wedding venues.
• Guests can book out rooms here for the night.
• Woodmark boat is available for photos.

CONS

• Exclusive catering through them, which is expensive. For buffet, it’s $84 per person for two proteins, $93 for three proteins. This does not include the cost of drinks or hor d’oeuvres.
• For a large wedding like ours, the ceremony and reception must be located under the tent, so cocktail hour is needed to transition the space.
• The dance floor is in a separate indoor room, away from tent. This was a huge con for us since we felt like this could prevent some people from dancing.
• Parking is $18 per car.
• Between the tent and Lake Washington, there is a public sidewalk so anyone walking by can view your wedding. Guests dining in the nearby can also get glimpses of the wedding.

Seattle Outdoor Wedding Venues: Sanders Estate

Sanders Estate is a private estate sitting on 35 acres of land with beautiful gardens and a private lake. It is located in Kent, Washington, about 45 minutes from Seattle. It is owned by Blue Ribbon Catering, which provides multiple services including catering, florals, event design, wedding cakes, and day of coordination.

PROS

• Large tent and tables are included in venue rental rate.
• They were willing to waive the rental fee so you would only pay for catering.
• Dog friendly and allows dogs to run around.
• Abundant, free parking on property.
• Multiple locations to have ceremony, which are separate from reception area.
• A boat and swan can be rented at an additional cost for photos.
• They provide a shuttle (like golf carts) for elders to help with the down hill walk from the ceremony area to the reception.
• Private estate and only one wedding per day.
• The catering company can be a one-stop shop since they provide multiple services.

CONS

• The bridal/grooms house was old and the rooms weren’t picture worthy if you’re planning to get ready here.
• The bathrooms were very….rustic. This was probably the biggest turn-off for us.
• You need to rent a lot of drapery to make the tent look more luxurious.
• Seemed like an area with lots of mosquitoes at night.
• Far location, 45 minutes from Seattle.

Seattle Outdoor Wedding Venues: Seattle Tennis Club

Seattle Tennis Club is an exclusive tennis club situated on Lake Washington with panoramic views of downtown Bellevue, the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Rainier. Most wedding receptions here are held in their ballroom, but you can also have both the ceremony and reception on their lawn, looking over Lake Washington.

PROS

• Amazing Lake Washington, downtown Bellevue, the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Rainier views.
• Conveniently located in a beautiful neighborhood (Madison Park) in Seattle.
• If it rains, you can rent out the ballroom as a back-up plan.
• Tables, chairs, dinnerware, and silverware are included in rental.

CONS

• Tennis club members have access to the club so you don’t get complete privacy.
• No guaranteed parking as the lot is for club members as well. Guests may need to find street parking.
• Exclusive catering with Seattle Tennis Club only with no flexibility.
• Tent fees are very high if you want to have an outdoor reception as most receptions are held in the ballroom.
• Bathrooms are located far away from the lawn area.

So there you have it – my detailed review of the 5 Seattle outdoor wedding venues we looked at! Do you have a favorite? I’ll be announcing which venue we ended up going with in an upcoming post so stay tuned!