Unique Wedding Venues in Seattle, Washington

Like most major cities, Seattle has no shortage of gorgeous hotels and event halls for your wedding or reception. However, if you're in the mood for a venue with a little something special, consider renting one of Seattle's more unique destinations. From the famous Space Needle to the wild Woodland Park Zoo, you can find something to match the ambiance and style of your wedding perfectly.

What better place to start this list then with the icon of the Seattle skyline? The Space Needle is about more than just being a popular tourist destination; you can reserve a section just for your wedding. The Skyline level, about 100 feet off the ground, offers plenty of space for groups from 30 to 250. In addition, you can take advantage of the Space Needle's catering staff for your wedding. During the event, you and your guests will have free access to the 520' Observation Deck. Imagine the amazing photos you can take with the entire city of Seattle as your backdrop.

For more information on this unparallelled venue, check out the Space Needle's website here.

The Chihuly Garden and Glass is a beautiful museum that pays tribute to one of the Pacific Northwest's most famous artists, Dave Chihuly. This recently opened museum presents a stunning backdrop perfect for a formal wedding reception. The Glasshouse, the museum's event space, hosts a number of Chihuly's works and offers access to the musuem's catering company. This location can serve parties ranging from 100 to 1,000 guests.

Learn more about this venue here.

Getting married at Seattle's zoo will undoubtedly create some exciting memories and awesome photographs for both you and your guests. Woodland Park Zoo offers several venue options:

Outdoor Spaces:

The Rose Garden includes two acres of beautiful space for your event. You and your guests can wander among the garden's almost 300 varieties of roses and stop for a picture at the cozy gazebo. This large space can accommodate 150 seated guests.

The Beech Grove has plenty of room for your wedding or reception with 200 seated guests or 300 standing guests. This idyllic location is adjacent to the zoo's south entrance and features a lush park-like atmosphere.

The Northern Trail gives you access to one of the zoo's most popular areas. If you want to get married while a herd of elk look on, select the Elk Overlook option. This outdoor space can comfortably accommodate 75 seated guests or 100 standing guests. The Taiga Viewing Shelter is an indoor space that shares a few windows with a fun zoo inhabitant: grizzly bears. This smaller space can hold 60 seated or 100 standing guests. Finally, the Tundra Center offers an intimate space for small groups.

At Jaguar Cove, you and your guests will feel like you're in the rain forests of South America. During your event, you'll be close to some amazing creatures, including the elusive jaguar. This particular venue can serve a small crowd of 60 seated guests.

If you really love penguins, the Humboldt Penguin Exhibit might be the right thing for you. As you enjoy your wedding cake or your seated dinner, you'll find plenty of entertainment from the local penguin colony. This fun venue can accommodate 60 seated or 200 standing guests.

If you choose the African Village, you and your guests will have the perfect view of the zoo's African Savanna exhibit. This exhibit features a variety of exotic animals, ranging from zebras to gazelle. If the skies start to threaten, you can even hunker down in the adjacent schoolhouse. This venue has enough space for 100 seated or 150 standing guests.

Indoor Spaces:

The Rain Forest Pavilion features floor-to-ceiling windows and a patio for viewing the zoo. Your pictures will look especially delightful thanks the vaulted ceilings and rustic pillars. This space is great for large wedding receptions as it can hold 250 seated guests or 400 standing guests.

The Zoomazium is ideal for small weddings with children. This cute space includes a fun play area to occupy any child guests. The Zoomazium can hold 70 seated guests or 150 standing guests.

For more information about the zoo's offerings for weddings, visit this page.

The Seattle Aquarium is one of Seattle's most treasured destinations. You can host your wedding or reception in several places in the aquarium, including beneath the aquarium's underwater dome. In addition to a fascinating venue, the aquarium staff will go all out to provide you with a memorable event. If you so desire, interpreters will accompany your guests as they wander around the aquarium, giving information about the creatures within the aquarium. The aquarium staff also likes to present a number of fun events, including a sea otter feeding session. You can also take advantage of the adjacent outdoor patio for amazing views of Seattle's waterfront.

This unique venue can accommodate 1,800 guests for a standing-style reception. If you plan to serve food, the aquarium staff can serve dinner for 75 guests. Learn more details about the Seattle Aquarium here.

With a wedding aboard an Argosy cruise ship, you can use Seattle's natural beauty as the backdrop for your amazing event. Argosy Cruises offers several different options to fit your party size and budget. For a large gathering, you can rent the Royal Argosy. This large ship can hold up to 400 guests and offers four private rooms. For smaller gatherings of 60 people or fewer, you can select the Champagne Lady or another small vessel.

Argosy Cruises offers you a variety of options to help you customize your event, including the option to bring in your own food and other vendors. The company even has a full-time wedding planner to help brides and grooms experience the wedding of their dreams. Read more about this fantastic option here.

Seattle is home to over 400 parks featuring shoreline views, forested paths and much more. Most of these locations can be reserved just for your event. In addition, some locations, such as Golden Gardens, have facilities that you can rent for an inexpensive fee. If you want to host your wedding at a city park, you must get a permit from the city. For best results, scout out each park that you're interested in reserving. This will give you a chance to figure out parking, seating and other important elements for your event.

Before you book your reservation, make note of the following information:

• Alcohol is not allowed in the city's parks. Some parks that include indoor facilities may allow alcohol, however.
• Although you can reserve a section of a park, the city will not close the park for your event.
• Some parks have very limited parking options.
• Non-amplified music is allowed at the parks, but the city will need to approve your music as well.
• Rice and confetti are not allowed in these parks. You are welcome to use flower petals, however.

To learn more about how Seattle handles weddings in the public parks, visit the city's events page here.

Choosing a venue for your wedding isn't easy, especially with Seattle's amazing and diverse venues. With a little patience, however, you're sure to find the perfect venue that fits you and your future spouse's personality perfectly.