Alison & Ian

Venue: University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture (Full street address for GPS navigation is currently missing)

All festivities will be located on the grounds. There are trails nearby you can stroll through, get peeks of Lake Washington, wetlands with birds and beavers, including bridges that lead to the UW athletic complex.

Parking: Reserved for wedding guests. Please note there is a UW football game against Utah, time is TBD. You may need to give yourself extra time to arrive as the venue is near the UW stadium. We will update game time with additional information when it is announced.

Schedule of Events:

Ceremony*: 4:30 PM on the Garden Lawn
Cocktails*: Immediately following reception on the terrace
Dinner*: ~6:00 PM fresco under the canopy of trees in Goodfellow Grove
Reception: 7:00-11:00 PM Drinks and dancing in the Merrill Commons (Indoors)

* Weather permitting; indoor alternatives in the reception hall / Merrill Commons.

Here are some recommendations for places to stay in Seattle:

Hotels

Staypineapple (UW Campus locations):

Watertown Hotel 4242 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98105
University Inn 4140 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Graduate by Hilton Seattle (UW Campus): A little upscale with 1920s charm. Even if you don't stay here, consider a fancy cocktail on their rooftop deck (one of Alison’s favorite happy hour spots). Reservations are needed and you'll be escorted up from the lobby.

Silver Cloud Hotel - University District: Near University Village.

Hyatt at Olive 8: This is a fun hotel if you want to stay downtown. Alison, Colin, and Natalie have enjoyed staycations here; it has a very nice spa-like pool, a giant hot tub, and a great gym.

Courtyard by Marriott Seattle Northgate: A little outside Seattle but still very close, with proximity to commercial areas (closest Target) and the Kraken's practice facility where you can go ice skating.

Airbnb

There are many neighborhoods in Seattle that are close and reasonable to stay in. Near the University of Washington and wedding venue: Laurelhurst, Ravenna, Wallingford, Fremont, and Green Lake. A little farther but closer to the Puget Sound: Ballard. All of these are north of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

Other areas to consider: Northgate, Shoreline, and Lynwood (farther north); South Lake Union, Belltown (south of the Ship Canal).

There are countless things to do in Seattle, but here are some of our personal favorites:

Pike Place Market: Watch the fish being thrown, grab fresh donut holes from Daily Dozen Doughnut Company, try the best mac and cheese at Beecher’s Cheese, visit the first Starbucks, and explore numerous vendors offering international cuisine, seafood, art, and local florals.
Ballard Locks: Observe boats transitioning between saltwater (Puget Sound) and freshwater (Lake Washington Ship Canal). In September, you can see salmon running through the fish ladder in an underground viewing area, near peak for Coho (Silver) and Chinook (King) salmon. There’s also a beautiful botanical garden on the north side.
Parks with Puget Sound Views:
- Golden Gardens Park: One of the largest beaches with sand and beach volleyball. Firepits are available for bonfires. Can get busy on nice days.
- Carkeek Park: Alison’s favorite spot to relax, watch boats, and enjoy the sun. At low tide, you can explore small tide pools. Connected to wooded trails and more remote than Golden Gardens. Both offer amazing views of the Olympic mountains.
Space Needle & Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum: The Space Needle offers panoramic Seattle views on a clear day. Tickets can be combined with other attractions, including the Chihuly Museum, showcasing incredible blown glass art from a local artist.
University Village ("U-Village"): An outdoor shopping center with many favorite stores.
Seattle Aquarium: Don't miss the sea otters for peak cuteness! Also features an incredible touch pool with Northwest tide pool creatures.
Green Lake Park: A paved 2.6-mile path around the lake, perfect for walking, running, or biking. Ian and Alison have walked hundreds of miles here. Paddleboards and paddleboats are available for rent.

There are so many amazing things to do and places to go beyond Seattle!

National Parks

Olympic National Park and the Olympic Peninsula: This vast park cannot be fully seen in one day. Highlights include Hurricane Ridge (day trip accessible with hiking), the incredible and lush Hoh Rainforest, and numerous tide pool locations like Ruby Beach, First Beach (car accessible), and the amazing but hike-required Second and Third Beaches.
Mount Rainier National Park: Majestic and definitely worth a visit; fall foliage should be at its best in mid-September. You can drive around for short walks and viewpoints, or tackle longer hikes into glacial fields (and maybe have a snowball fight!) from areas like Sunrise.

Whale Watching

Take a tour to see Orcas! Most boats leave from the San Juan Islands. To get there from Seattle, you can drive to Anacortes (1.5-2 hours) and take a ferry to Orcas Island. There is also a longer boat ride option directly from Seattle to Anacortes. Peak whale watching runs through October. Ferry lines can be long, so plan to arrive early or buy tickets in advance. We HIGHLY recommend reservations available starting in April.

Local Hikes

If you want a National Park-like hiking experience but are short on time, these local hikes offer similar incredible experiences. We've been to all of these and are happy to provide more insights. Note: Many require a WA State Park Pass (Discover Pass) or a Northwest Forest Pass. A National Park Pass can be substituted for the Northwest Forest Pass.

Lake 22: 5.4 miles, 1350 ft elevation gain. Combines mountain rainforests, old-growth, wetlands, and mountain views. Readily accessible.
Heather Lake: 5 miles, 1000 ft elevation gain. A serene lake with residual snow in the mountains. A quintessential Northwest day trip hike.
Lake Serene: 8.2 miles, 2000 ft elevation gain. Similar to Heather Lake, stunningly beautiful.
Twin Falls State Park: 2.4 miles, 500 ft elevation gain. Beautiful hike along a river through a wild fern grove to waterfalls. Great with kids.
Mt Si: Iconic hike 1 hour outside the city. 8 miles roundtrip, 3150 ft elevation gain. Popular with incredible views.
Little Si: Also 1 hour outside the city, but less strenuous. 3.7 miles roundtrip, 1300 ft elevation gain. A solid hike for visitors.
Wallace Falls: 5.6 miles, 1300 ft elevation gain. A day trip further from Seattle, featuring waterfalls and old growth. Excellent.
Denny Creek: 2 miles, 400 ft elevation gain to the waterslide area (can extend to 6 miles, 1345 ft gain). Popular and accessible. Fun for kids with slippery rock waterslides – bring a swimsuit and water shoes. Be prepared for crowds on sunny days.
Mt. Pilchuck: 5.4 miles, 2300 ft elevation gain. This is a more intermediate hike, but includes a historic restored fire lookout offering grand panoramic views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, and the Olympics.
Mt Dickerman: 8.2 miles, 3900 ft elevation gain. Known as “Death by Switchbacks” or “thigh-us fry-us,” this strenuous hike offers superb panoramas of nearly every peak in the Mountain Loop and mountain blueberries in late summer. Requires a full day.

If you have any questions about these or other itineraries, please let us know! We’re happy to help.

Choosing where to eat can be overwhelming, so here are some of our local picks!

Macrina Bakery: Multiple locations, Ian frequents the Maple Leaf spot. Amazing breakfast sandwiches and Budapest coffee cake are his favorites.
Blue Star: All-day eating with a wide variety for everyone. Our go-to brunch place.
Thai Ocean: Ian eats here at least once, often twice a week! Fresh spring rolls, pumpkin curry, Thai Ocean Noodle Soup, and pad see ew are saved orders.
Mioposto: Multiple locations (we go to Ravenna). Great pizzas, salads, cocktails, and desserts. We also love the meatballs, zucchini, and burrata. Also serves brunch. Everything is good!
Pagliacci Pizza: A local favorite with locations city-wide. A bit pricier but offers many interesting pizzas and is universally recommended in Seattle.
Ezell’s Famous Chicken: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, and rolls. We usually get the chicken tenders (Colin eats half!). Multiple locations, we go to Wallingford. It's famous for a reason (featured on Oprah!).
Din Tai Fung (University Village and Downtown): Lucy, Cora, and Ian’s favorite. Put your name on the waitlist while you shop!
Muddy Waters Coffee Company: Coffee and refreshers/dirty sodas. Lucy and Cora love it.
45th Stop N Shop & Poke Bar: Hands down the best poke bowls! Natalie would eat here all the time. Fun Asian snack foods; looks like a convenience store. We recommend a half rice/half salad bowl with salmon and/or tuna.
Pablo y Pablo: Great Mexican food. We go for the $5 happy hour tacos. Multiple locations.
Ivar’s: A nice seafood restaurant with great ambiance. Offers both fast-food options and indoor dining, with vastly varying menus.
Anthony’s: Nice seafood, good ambiance at the downtown location. Many locations.
Tat's Deli: Philly cheesesteak sandwiches – Ian says they are the best.
Kozue: Our local and favorite sushi place. We celebrate many birthdays here.
Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream: Delicious ice cream with many locations (University Village and Wallingford are our go-tos).
Fainting Goat Gelato: Gelato. Enough said. Multiple locations, including Wallingford.

Coffee Shops: Diva Espresso and Zoka are two solid local choices. There are many options, and you rarely find bad coffee in Seattle!

Breweries: Seattle is home to many breweries. Fremont Brewing is one of Ian’s favorites. Ballard alone hosts many others.

What should we wear?

We recommend Garden Cocktail, Semi-Formal, or Elevated Garden Party attire. Weather permitting, the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner will be outdoors. To navigate short walks in the garden terrain, consider dressy flats, wedges, block heels, or heels you are comfortable walking in grass with. Ties/jackets are optional. While mid-September weather is often beautiful and warm, it tends to cool down as soon as the sun sets, so please plan to bring a layer like a Seattlite!

Where are you registered?

Your gift to us is your presence; we couldn’t ask for anything more.

Any other questions?

Please reach out!

Ian: 206-661-0781
Alison: 206-579-9211