We are getting married in one of our favorite places, looking out over the Salish Sea.
Then we are going to throw a good party with some good food and good music.
Where: Fort Worden State Park (see map)
Ceremony: The Bluff (see map)
Party: JFK Hall (see map)
Ceremony at 2pm
(please arrive no later than 1:45pm), party to follow.
For those who stick around into the following day, we invite you to join us for a stroll up to the “bunkers,” where we will catch some amazing views of the Salish Sea and explore some artsy old creepy cavernous lairs.
9/5/2026
PORT TOWNSEND, WA
INSTRUCTIONS & SUGGESTIONS
For your consideration:
Driving to Port Townsend takes at least two hours, on a good day. With ferry and/or traffic delays, it can take up to 4 hours, one way. Labor Day might complicate things. Driving to the wedding on Saturday morning could be particularly perilous, if you don’t want to miss the wedding, especially if you take the ferry (which is much more fun but typically slower). The links below guide you to options for getting to Port Townsend with or without a car.
Important Details:
Collective Care and Accessibility:
There will be people in attendance at this wedding with a variety of health vulnerabilities (the bride included), some more serious than others. We ask that each of you test for COVID the day before and/or morning of the wedding. Please have anyone else traveling with you test as well (children, partners, etc). We will happily mail tests to you if you request, and we will have a bunch with us in Port Townsend.
If you discover, on the day of the wedding, that you (or someone you traveled with) feel under the weather, we ask that, if you attend any part of the wedding, it only be the outside part, and that you wear a mask (which we can provide).
This means a lot to us, so we ask that everyone please honor this request.
The outdoor part of the wedding will take place on a flat grassy bluff about 50 ft from ADA parking. The indoor part of the wedding will take place in an ADA accessible hall, with an ADA bathroom, windows open, and air purifiers throughout the space.
Weather and Clothing:
Bring layers. Be prepared for 75 degrees and sunny or 45 degrees and windy. We could easily get both kinds of weather in the same day.
If the weather is terrible, we’ll move the ceremony up to the building where we’re having the party, so no one will be standing around in an atmospheric river.
Wear whatever you feel moved to wear. We love a fancy party with flamboyant hats and polka dots. We love when our friends’ outfits look like works of art. And, we also want people to be warm and comfortable. Dress yourself up or down, just get dressed.
Where to Stay
Port Townsend lodging does fill up pretty fast for summer and fall. Links below to various lodging options. Do not dilly dally. If you are on the fence, book a room now at a place with a flexible cancellation policy and cancel if you can’t attend.
There are also two housing options at Fort Worden, where the wedding is taking place. One option is to rent a house or apartment, in the state park, for the weekend (two night minimum). The other is to stay in the dorm we have reserved (first come first serve). Details below.
If you want to stay in Seattle and just take the shuttle to the wedding Saturday morning and back to the Seattle ferry Saturday night, there are hotels listed below that are super close to the ferry terminal.
Lodging:
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The place where we are getting married is an old army fort, and there are lots of different sizes and shapes of housing in the old fort buildings. There are big old Admiral’s houses for large groups and smaller apartments for a few friends. These are state park buildings so this is not luxury lodging, but it’s also not rustic summer camp cabins. These are houses with new beds, kitchens, etc. Two night stay minimum. They will get scooped up fast. Go here and make sure you’ve selected Fort Worden State Park (Campus Operation) and Vacation Houses.
We have also booked a small dorm building at Fort Worden. 14 bedrooms, each room with a queen bed. 4 bathrooms. Large kitchen. That will cost, at most, $150 per night, per room. We booked it for Friday and Saturday night, but you can elect to stay there only Saturday night if need be. THE DORM is FULL but if you want on the wait list, we’ll let you know if someone has to change their plans.
The park has a cafe that serves breakfast and lunch, a beach canteen that serves burgers, sandwiches, and soft serve, and a bar that serves lunch and dinner. There are trails, beaches, incredible views, a Marine Science center, and old WWII bunkers to explore. It’s a cool place to stay! And you’d be steps away from the wedding celebration.
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We have reserved three campsites in the Upper Forest Campground at Fort Worden. Each site can accommodate one RV / Camper Van and one car, as well as a handful of tents. The sites are all in a row, so there can be some overflow between sites if needed. The sites are reserved from Sept 4 - Sept 6.
If you are interested in pitching a tent or bringing a camper, you can add that to your RSVP. If several folks are interested in camping, these sites will have to be shared. This is first come first served in terms of who RSVPs first.
If our sites are full, you might try Fort Townsend State Park, which is about a 20 minute drive from Fort Worden, or the County Fairgrounds, which are just down the road from Fort Worden (walking distance).
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Palace Hotel (fancy Victorian vibe, no elevator, steep stairs)
Manresa Castle (fancy Victorian vibe, haunted, also maybe no elevator)
Bishop Hotel(cute bar, lovely patio, steep stairs and no elevator, rooms are ordinary but clean)
Swan Hotel (hotel as well as dog friendly cottages, some rooms are somewhat accessible but not truly ADA)
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Water Front Inn (water views, free parking, elevator, ADA rooms)
Port Townsend Inn (maybe not so modern (?) budget motel)
Tides Inn and Suites(water views, elevator and some ADA rooms)
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Port Townsend has quite a few actual bed and breakfasts. These are gorgeous old houses that actually serve you breakfast. A few suggestions (but there are others):
Of course there are also vacation rentals in town through AirBnB and VRBO.
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If you want to stay in Seattle instead of Port Townsend (in which case you would take the Saturday morning shuttle to the wedding and return that same night to Seattle, on the shuttle), here are some lodging suggestions that are close to the ferry!
Citizen M Pioneer Square. We don’t know anything about this hotel except that it is new and it is directly across the street from the ferry.
Best Western Pioneer Square This one is also across the street from the ferry.
Hilton Embassy Suites This is next door to the Amtrak station. Ground floor has a fancy-ish 24 hour restaurant and bar. This is about 6 blocks from the ferry.
Populus Seattle. Newly renovated historic building. Rooftop bar and restaurant. Only a couple of blocks from the ferry.
Courtyard by Marriott Pioneer Square. Only a couple of blocks from the ferry.
There are lots of hotels throughout downtown, some old and cute, some new and shiny. The links above are just the hotels closest to the ferry. They are also all walking distance from the light rail that you can take from the airport.
DIY Affair and Gifts!
Some folks have asked about gifts. Just come to our wedding. Honestly, that’s the gift we want. We are of the opinion that gift registries are for people in their 20s who need flannel sheets and toasters. We do not need a toaster.
If you feel compelled to gift something, we could use your help the day before, and the day after the wedding, getting the hall decorated and then cleaned up. Both activities will be accompanied by good music and good snacks. Sign up form below.
Sign up to help with the wedding - set up, decoration, clean up, etc.
RSVP
