by Scott Johnson
Welcome back everyone to the next installment of our Favorites of 2018 Countdown! This time around is our Favorite Repeat Wedding Venues: places we went to multiple times this year. Who would have thought we would be hitting up these places so many times? But they sure made their impression on us! Ballrooms, golf courses, conference centers and more are coming your way, so let us dive right on in!
I have said it before, and I will most definitely keep saying it: golf courses are one of the best venues for a wedding. Architectured landscapes, peace and quiet, and usually a large enough clubhouse for your entire party all make these atypical venues such a pleasure to visit. Down near Olympia, the Indian Summer Golf and Country Club was so popular, we went twice within a month.
The Middleton Wedding at the end of May was such a gorgeous day from start to finish. Toasty weather, vibrant green grass and a sun that made our job so much easier really made for a superb wedding. The Smith Wedding, just a few weeks later, was not quite as sunny but nevertheless ended up being a perfect day. With so many places to snap photos of our bridal parties, we could walk around the course for hours and never get tired. Inside for the reception, both weddings really got into the swing of things. The hall, which seems big enough to fit hundreds of people, proved to be the perfect place to dance the night away!
I know, I know. You are probably thinking, “A conference center? Who would want to get married there?”
Let me tell you something: these places are fantastic. Especially the Bell Harbor International Confer Center.
Think about it this way: say you have hundreds of people to invite. Most places are going to be iffy about letting that many people come storming on in. But a conference center, somewhere that’s used to that volume of people, can surely accommodate the quantity.
Did I mention it's also simply stunning? Well, it is!
Take a look at its panoramic views of the harbor, city skyline, and the mountains way across the water and you’ll be treated to a feast for the eyes. Did you need space? They have over 96,000 square feet of it!
Two weddings took us there this year. The Ta wedding back in May was a touch cloudy, but the outdoor wedding against the harbor (with cruise ship backdrop and all) was touching and sweet. Once he headed on back in for the reception, the hall was so spectacularly designed and beautiful. With tons of room for dancing, it proved to be the perfect venue.
Elaine and Aaron’s September wedding was held indoor, but we certainly made them walk around the waterfront enough! The indoor venue was intimate enough for the ceremony, but big enough to fit everyone. Hopefully this has been enough to remove any doubts about Conference Centers!
Trinity Tree Farm serves one very important purpose during this time of year: Christmas Trees. But for much of the other parts of the year, it serves as a great venue for events and weddings. Poised on a hill overlooking Issaquah, with exceptional views of the mountains to boot, it’s a lovely location for some peace and quiet. With the Barn and the Lodge as their two venues (and with capacities of up to 150 people) they offer tons of amenities including lawn games, s’mores, and the option to hire your own food trucks.
The Van Cise and Wolff/DeChant weddings brought us over here within a month of each other. One right before Spring began and the other shortly after. Both of the weddings, and the farm itself, were teeming with new life and excitement for the future.
Early in March, as the trees were only about three feet high when Taylor and Angelina wed. The grounds themselves were so full of light and beauty, but it’s the Lodge that truly makes everyone feel right at home. It’s there that the Van Cises tied the knot, overlooking the backyard area in such a lovely ceremony. The Wolff/DeChant wedding followed suit, but they were not nearly as lucky with the weather as the Van Cises’. The gray overcast day still proved to be such a wonderful occasion.
It feels like we’ve been going to the Monte Cristo Ballroom forever! Certainly one of our favorite stomping grounds, this Everett establishment has played host to hundreds of weddings and other events. Their “no package” deal, which, essentially means you get everything, is an absolutely crazy good idea. They even offer the wedding dress. Along with servers, bartenders and more, they are ready to make sure your day goes as smoothly as possible.
Which is probably why the Cordovas and Ohashis had such stellar celebrations for their weddings here. Lovely marbled floors and stark white pillars fill the atrium where weddings are held. It doesn’t take too much effort, and soon the wedding hall is turned into the ballroom proper, with a balcony for those too tired to dance to watch from.
For both weddings, held almost exactly four months apart, the venue did their best to ensure a fun filled day. Hey, when you get married in a ballroom, they dancing should never stop!
Our final venue is one that holds significant value Best Made Videos®. It is where our founder got married two years ago. We were fortunate enough to get to go here twice this year--with its imposing views of not only the Sound, but Seattle as well, Salty’s inspires romance and beauty on its waterfront perch.
A late July wedding for the Eisenhauers, and a smart decision in opting for the drone package, exemplifies just how gorgeous the area can be for a wedding. While the Eisenhauers got married in a church, their first look (as with any first look at Salty’s) took place on the docks overlooking the Sound with Seattle soaring in the distance, followed by their reception in the great hall underneath the restaurant.
The Grybos spent their entire day galavanting around the area. An early September wedding, with surprisingly clear skies (that later made way for overcast clouds) allowed for some great shots, especially during the first look and group photos. Boisterous, romantic, and beautiful to say the least, both weddings reminded us of the magnificent power of Salty’s.
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Thus concludes our favorite Repeat Wedding Venues of 2018. We hope you enjoyed visiting these wedding venues as much as we have. Perhaps you might consider getting married at one of these great venues! Have any questions or comments? Leave them below! See you soon for our next Favorites of 2018!