Things To Do
HI LIFE
Just off the ferry from Seattle; quick and casual Japanese comfort food. Highly recommend the poke, curry, and chowder.
Proper Fish
Excellent fish and chips.
Seabird
A great spot for an excellent meal (if you don't mind spending a little extra coin). If you're feeling adventurous, ask if they have any special digestifs that you can try after dinner ;)
Downtown Seattle - Pike Place Market
Popular with both tourists and locals. Cat and I love to take folks here and our favorite vendors include: Beecher's Cheese, Rachel's Ginger Beer, Pike Place Chowder, DeLaurenti, and smoked salmon at pretty much any fish vendor.
North Seattle - Ballard
Our neighborhood! Ballard is located north of downtown and definitely worth a trip. There's plenty to check out on Ballard Avenue including food (Gracia, Asadero, Hattie's Hat, King's Hardware), shopping (Horseshoe), and cool antiques/furniture (Ballard Consignment). You can also check out our favorite local dive bar (Sloop Tavern) or head to the beach at Golden Gardens before enjoying a cocktail on the balcony at Ray's Boathouse overlooking the Puget Sound.
Central Seattle - Capitol Hill
Where to begin! Capitol Hill is known as the "East Village" of Seattle i.e. hip, fun, and where lots of young people hang out. There's incredible coffee (Espresso Vivace, Victrola), an awesome bookstore (Elliot Bay Books), fun (notorious?) parks (Volunteer Park), fantastic food (Rondo, Spinasse, Boat Bar) and more.
Seattle Mariners
I can't predict how things will shake out around our wedding day, BUT, the Mariners have historically hit their stride in August. Regardless, it's a great stadium with plenty of tasty snacks (the crab fries are *chef's kiss*).
Woodinville
About 30 minutes drive from downtown Seattle is Woodinville, home to over 100 tasting rooms for Washington wineries. You can drive to, and walk from, tasting room to tasting room or hire a car service and make a day of it. Our personal favorites are Dusted Valley and Novelty-Hill Januik.
The Islands (San Juans, Whidbey)
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago between Seattle and Canada. If you you are thinking of staying for at least a few days, you should definitely consider making the trip. We've visited Orcas Island many times and suggest you check out Buck Bay Shellfish Farm for some incredibly fresh oysters (from right over there!), Matia/Monti for some fine dining, and Turtleback Mountain for a casual hike with incredible views. If you can't make it to the San Juans, Whidbey Island is just a 45 minute drive, and a short ferry, from Seattle. There are dog friendly beaches with tide pools (Double Bluff Beach), a fun town with nice views and great restaurants (Langley) as well as some great hikes (Deception Pass).
North Cascades and Olympic National Park
Ok now onto the National Park portion of this list. North Cascades is an approx. 2.5 hour drive from downtown Seattle. There are pale blue lakes (Diablo), mountaineering (Mt. Baker), and plenty of camping and hiking for both novices and pros. Olympic National Park is an incredible place that has it all: mountain hikes (Hurricane Ridge), crystal clear lakes (Lake Crescent), huge beaches with rock formations and tide pools (Rialto and La Push) as well as a rainforest (the Hall of Mosses). The Twilight movies were filmed here (Forks, WA) if you're into that sort of thing. A shorter drive if you are coming from Bainrbridge.
Portland, OR and Vancouver/Victoria, BC
Another great option if you have the time is to visit Seattle's sister cities: Portland to the south and Vancouver to the north. Both have access to nature, awesome restaurants, and shops. If you want to make a quick trip to Canada, but aren't driving, you should definitely take the Clipper fast ferry to Victoria on Vancouver Island (you can also easily do a loop from Seattle to Vancouver to Victoria).