Published:
THE 101
For one of the most versatile and photo-worthy venue experiences in downtown Seattle, let The 101 host your wedding day. Located in lively Pioneer Square, THE 101 has a youthful and vibrant atmosphere that matches its neighborhood, thanks to natural light flooding into its spaces, a gorgeous city view, red brick walls and towering vaulted ceilings. If gorgeous wedding photos are high on your priority list, this venue delivers truly stunning lighting and a number of cool-couple backdrops. The style of the space lightly plays on historic Pioneer Square itself while remaining a blank canvas with endless possibilities for transformation. Host a seated reception of up to 200 human guests (more for a cocktail-style gathering) and have your furry friends tag along, too—that’s right, the venue is completely pet-friendly. The 24-hour rental means the place is yours from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m. the next day. This comes with a flexible vendor policy, with a partner vendors list available, an in-house bar, tables and chairs, market lights and the help of a client concierge. The 101 team also offers full-service wedding-planning packages and extra amenity rentals and services, such as decorations, photo booths, ceremony arches, a time-lapse video of the event, sparkler exits and invitation assembly, to name a few.
Block 41
Once a 1927 ice warehouse in Belltown, Block 41 is one of downtown Seattle’s newest event venues. The renovated building is a work of art, thoughtfully marrying the original vintage industrial features with new touches of modernism and elegance. Three polished indoor spaces are spread out over two levels, while a manicured outdoor courtyard offers the privacy of a secret garden. On the second floor sits the airy Bert & Tot Ballroom, which features a prep kitchen, state-of-the-art audiovisual and lighting equipment, two projectors and retractable screens, and capacity for 350 seated guests. On the other side of a glass roll-up door is the 1,520-square-foot Courtyard, accommodating 56 seated guests or more than 110 standing guests. On the lower level is The Ewing Theater, which features a retractable wall, allowing the space to be split in two, as well as a prep kitchen and a bridal room equipped with essential amenities and comfy seating.
The Edgewater
True to its name, The Edgewater holds the honor of being Seattle’s only overwater hotel. Standing tall on Pier 67, the hotel is surrounded by stunning views of the Olympic Mountains and Elliott Bay. An in-house catering service and a team of wedding experts make planning a wedding at The Edgewater a breeze. The venue’s robust wedding packages include an overnight room for the couple; two dressing rooms; custom menus; tableside wine service; cake cutting; chairs, tables and tableware; up to six hours of event time; day-of setup and teardown; and a dance floor. The hotel offers four event venues, including the 2,500-square-foot Olympic Ballroom, with panoramic ocean views and room for up to 200 guests; the outdoor Terrace Patio and indoor Terrace Room, connected by sweeping 8-foot-tall French doors and offering a beautiful space for cocktail hour; the city-facing Alki Room, which can host as many as 70 guests; and the cozy Forest Room, complete with a fireplace, an intimate overwater patio and space for up to 30.
Georgetown Ballroom
Originally Georgetown’s Mission Theatre, built in 1924, Georgetown Ballroom (@georgetownballroom) has become a warm and eclectic venue for hosting joyful celebrations. The space is rich in history and personality while offering all the modern amenities. Exposed brick, high ceilings and curated artifacts, together with a grand staircase, two mezzanines and a private courtyard, imbue this place with a well-deserved sense of history. The venue comes with bridal and groom suites, space for 200 guests, in-house tables and chairs, planning, and catering with customized food and drink menus.
Grand Hyatt
The luxurious Grand Hyatt Seattle is located in the heart of downtown Seattle, near the city’s iconic Pike Place Market and Paramount Theatre. The Grand Hyatt pulls out all the stops when hosting events, with several elegant venues of various sizes to fit your ceremony and reception needs. On the first floor are two luxe ballrooms: the stunning Leonesa Ballroom, the hotel’s largest venue space, seating 500 for ceremonies and 400 for receptions; and the Princessa Ballroom, a smaller alternative, with space for 300 ceremony guests or 250 reception guests. A professional events team is there at every step, from customizing the menu, cake and drinks to tailoring your perfect wedding décor. Wedding packages come with a slew of amenities, including a wedding-day dressing room and tableware.
Hyatt at Olive 8
Just a block from the Grand Hyatt sits its eco-luxe boutique sister hotel, the Hyatt at Olive 8. The LEED-certified building features a rainwater-retaining green rooftop with a garden and uses 30% less water through an innovative plumbing system, among many other sustainable practices. With the environment as the property’s focus, events held at Olive 8 are executed with eco-friendly amenities and sustainable catering, with food supplied by local farms and fisheries to reduce the carbon footprint of your special day. Wedding packages include use of the elegant 6,641-square-foot third-floor ballroom, which has space to host a whopping 600 ceremony guests and 400 seated reception guests; a Seattle Collection wedding cake; staging; a dance floor; tableware; a wedding suite for the couple on the reception night; and more.
Lotte Hotel Seattle
Known as Seattle’s best luxury hotel, Lotte Hotel Seattle goes above and beyond in every aspect, from its South Korean luxury hospitality standard to the hotel’s artful design and abundance of oversize mirrors, windows and arches, which provide spaciousness and natural light. That said, the hotel fancies itself as existing in both the past and present, giving equal emphasis to the city’s rich heritage. Lotte Hotel Seattle comprises two buildings: the first is the iconic Sanctuary, a historic landmark that was one of the oldest church in downtown Seattle; the other is a lavishly modern skyscraper. Together, the buildings present an impressive and intentional juxtaposition. The 20,000-plus square feet of indoor venue spaces are every bit as breathtaking. The Sanctuary’s highly sought-after Grand Ballroom retains its original 1908 stained glass windows, carved wood furniture, terra-cotta moldings and a massive wall pipe organ; it seats as many as 320 guests. Wedding packages include gourmet catering with custom menus and cakes, access to preferred vendors and a wedding consultation.
Axis Pioneer Square
Rich in historic architecture, Axis Pioneer Square comprises 10,000 square feet on the ground floor of the 1890 Globe Building, located in the center of downtown Seattle. The venue, now modern-industrial in style, offers versatile indoor options, accommodating a range of events, from intimate affairs to grand celebrations of more than 500 guests. Axis features two spaces that can be joined, both with soaring ceilings and brick archways; also available is the richly bricked Nord Alley as a bonus outdoor space. The venue’s most popular package includes not only the use of the space with table and chair rental and a photo booth, but also its in-house photography service, Urban Light Studios. Renowned for its innovative and creative off-camera lighting techniques, Urban Light Studios has access to Axis’ integrated custom lighting system not available to outside photographers (though other photographers are welcome as well).
Seattle Art Museum
For a truly unforgettable and quintessential Seattle backdrop to your wedding celebration, say “I do” at Seattle Art Museum (SAM), which is mere steps from the world-famous Pike Place Market and the Seattle waterfront. With SAM as the leading visual arts organization in the Pacific Northwest, hosting an event here means a celebration that is every bit as stunning as the masterpieces displayed on the museum’s gallery walls. The building itself is a work of art, with multiple contemporary light-filled spaces to enjoy, including the Brotman Forum, highlighted by the renowned suspended sculpture Middle Fork by John Grade. The forum can host as many as 400 guests for a standing reception or 250 for a seated dinner. The Grand Staircase and South Hall Lobby, which feature sculptures dating back to the 14th century, can accommodate standing receptions of as many as 300 guests or ceremonies of as many as 160. The venue offers private access to art galleries, in-house tables and chairs, and custom seasonal menus, pre-event planning and logistics coordination by Shooby Doo Catering.
Dockside at Duke's
Just north of downtown Seattle, resting upon the shores of South Lake Union, is the picture of a Northwest nautical dream. Dockside at Duke’s features waterfront views and a versatile open space spanning 3,000 square feet indoors and another 2,500 outdoors on the patio. West-facing floor-to-ceiling windows offer an uninterrupted marina sunset view from inside the event space. Host as many as 325 standing guests with use of the venue and patio or as many as 175 for an indoor seated event. Celebrations at Dockside also include the use of the bridal suite, an assortment of tables, chairs, rolling bars, tableware and exclusive catering by Dockside at Duke’s.
