We both moved to Seattle because of the beauty of the area, and we hope you'll have a chance to explore Washington a bit while you're here for our wedding! If you get here a few days early or stay a bit after, here are our recommendations of how to keep busy:
Explore the city
Seattle is a cool city with tons to see. It's hard to say just a short list of what you should do while you're in town, but here are a few ideas:
Go to Pike Place Market Really any of the farmers markets in Seattle are lovely, but since you'll be busy attending our wedding on the weekend, Pike Place will be your best bet (and it would make the list no matter what). Head there during the day and you'll find fresh flowers, fruits and veggies, local artists, seafood and a bunch of lunch spots with great views.
See the View (you've got options) Ride the 'Great Wheel' on the waterfront ($13), get a historic glimpse via Pioneer Square's Smith Tower ($7.50), or go the traditional route and head to the observation deck of the Space Needle ($19).
Visit a Museum There is such a range of great museums in Seattle, it's hard to recommend just one. Downtown you'll find the Seattle Art Museum, by the space needle you'll find the co-housed Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum, in the International District you'll find the Wing Luke Museum and in the University District you'll find the Burke Museum of Natural History (and the nearby Henry Art Gallery is nice too).
Eat, Eat, Eat. There are so many delicious places to chow down in this city, it is hard to know where to start. The seafood here is fresh and local, so we recommend you go somewhere that you can get some Dungeness crab or some salmon. We also love the Ethiopian food available in the city - our top choices are Queen Sheba in Capitol Hill or Lucy's, which is on Highway 99. If you have a chance (and the time...there is usually a very long wait), head to Paseo in Fremont or Ballard for a Cuban pork sandwich - they are to die for. Any of the Ethan Stowell restaurants will leave you very happy and if you want to try a Tom Douglas restaurant, we recommend getting pizza at Serious Pie (go to the one on Westlake, it's less busy). These are just a few of our favorites - here is a good post about top-rated/beloved Seattle food spots: 38 Essential Seattle restaurants - this is a great list, and we especially '2nd' the recommendations of: Delancey, La Bete, How to Cook a Wolf, La Carta De Oaxaca, Poppy, Locosho, Ezell's and Jade Garden. Overwhelmed yet?
Go to Bumbershoot!
Every Labor Day Weekend, Seattle holds Bumbershoot, a big music festival, at the Seattle Center (the park with the space needle). Check out the website (http://bumbershoot.org) to see the line up, and if you're interested consider getting a one day ticket for Sunday or Monday!
Take a ferry / visit an island <now you have to ride a ferry to get to our wedding - fantastic!>
There are few things we love more than riding a ferry in Puget sound. My oh my, on a nice summer day it is just delightful. Our original goal for our wedding was 'require people to take a ferry to get there' so that all of our out of town family and friends would see why we love our adopted state so much! The most quintessential ferry ride is the one from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, but the one from Edmonds to Kingston is beautiful too - see the 'Travel and Lodging' page for more information about the ferries and getting to our wedding!
Hike a mountain
If you have a day, head about an hour east to the Cascade Mountains or three hours southeast to Mt. Rainier for a day hike. You could also head to the Olympics after the wedding (on Sunday of course, not that night) for some really beautiful hikes. It's hard to recommend a specific hike - they are all so beautiful, so check out the Washington Trails Association website for help finding a trail that's right for you.
