The main events are evening on Friday August 7th (welcome drinks) and Saturday August 8th (ceremony and reception), so we recommend arriving by Friday afternoon at the latest and leaving Sunday or Monday if you can. We’ll be on Orcas a few days prior to the wedding weekend.
Yes. Car ferry reservations to and from Orcas Island are essential in the summer. They book up quickly, and standby is very risky. Reservations open at 7am Pacific 2 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days before the sailing date on the Washington State Ferries site.
There are some transportation options besides car rentals but you'll need to find some form of transportation. The Orcas ferry terminal is about a 20 minute drive from Eastsound, where the Outlook Inn and most restaurants are located. Since Uber and Lyft are not available, we'd recommend looking in to Orcas Island Taxi Service and calling ahead. Going without a car may be more feasible if you are staying in Eastsound within walking distance of the Outlook Inn.
Yes, Outlook Inn has parking available for wedding guests for both the welcome drinks and the ceremony/reception.
As soon as you know you’re coming! Orcas has limited accommodations and August is peak season, so hotels and rentals book up early. We recommend booking lodging several months in advance.
If you’d like to be walking distance to most things, we recommend staying in or near Eastsound (Outlook Inn, Landmark, nearby Airbnb, Vrbo, rentals). Rosario village is about a 15-minute drive away and there are several other hotels in Deer Harbor and Doe Bay and vacation rentals all over the island.
Probably not. You would need to find a ferry or other means of transportation that would take you to your lodging and the latest ferries leave around 10 pm, but this schedule may be different in the summer.
For the ceremony and reception, we'd recommend cocktail/garden party attire. Both the ceremony and welcome drinks will be outdoors on grass, so we recommend block heels, wedges, or flats. Attire for the welcome drinks is dressy casual. Note: since Outlook is right on the water, the evening breeze can be cool in the summer.
The weekend will be very busy! But we'll be on Orcas starting Tuesday the 4th through Monday the 10th, and if you'd like to see us or the family, we'd love to go hiking, go kayaking, or go to the winery with you - just let us know when you'll be there!