Travel

House Or Rental

Airbnb / VRBO — Where We'd Actually Stay

Our top pick: rent an Airbnb or VRBO in Fremont, Phinney Ridge, Green Lake, or Wallingford. These neighborhoods are walking distance or a short ride to both events, and you can often find whole homes to yourselves — great if you're traveling as a group.

Hotel

The Maxwell Hotel - A Staypineapple Hotel

The #1 rated hotel in Seattle on Booking.com — and it earns it. Right next to Seattle Center and the Space Needle, about 10–15 min by rideshare to both venues. Pool, complimentary bikes, dog-friendly. Staff are genuinely exceptional. Parking runs ~$53/night, so heads up if you're driving.

Hotel

MarQueen Hotel

Historic 1918 boutique hotel in Queen Anne, about 15 min by rideshare to both venues. The on-site speakeasy bar is a great spot for a pre-wedding nightcap. One thing to know before booking: there's no elevator — stairs only throughout the building. Not the right pick if you have mobility needs or are traveling heavy.

Hotel

Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Seattle/Northgate

Our most no-frills pick, but a solid one — clean, free hot breakfast, free parking, and consistently good reviews. The honest caveat: it's in Northgate, about 20 min by rideshare from our venues. Light rail stops nearby if you want to explore downtown. More practical than atmospheric, but a good call if value matters more than being in the thick of it.

Travel Note

One Thing Google Maps Won't Tell You

Phinney Ridge is literally a ridge. Our home sits at about 250 feet elevation; Nectar Lounge and Fremont below are close to sea level. The distance between them looks flat on a map — it isn't. Walking uphill from Fremont to our place takes about 25–30 min. Walking downhill is a pleasant 15 min. Rideshare between the two is easy and cheap (~$10–12). Lime e-bikes are great if you want to explore — the motor handles the climb. If you're staying on Aurora Ave N or anywhere east of the ridge, factor in both the road crossing and the hill when planning your route to our home.

Travel Note

Getting Here

By plane: Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) is the main airport. Rideshare to Fremont or Phinney Ridge runs 30–40 min and typically costs $40–55. Or take the Link Light Rail 1 Line to Westlake Station downtown (~40 min, $3.25), then catch a northbound bus. By train: Amtrak Cascades runs to King Street Station — scenic, no traffic, and a good call if you're coming from Portland or Vancouver, BC. From King Street it's about 20 min by rideshare to the venues (~$20).

Travel Note

Getting Around Seattle

Rideshare: Uber and Lyft are everywhere in Fremont and Phinney Ridge — figure $10–20 from nearby neighborhoods, $20–25 from downtown, and $40–55 from the airport. Bus: Routes 5, 28, 40, and 62 connect downtown to Fremont and Phinney Ridge. Buses run until ~1am on weekends; fare is $2.75. The King County Metro app or kingcounty.gov/metro is handy for planning your exact route. Biking: Fremont and Phinney Ridge are very bikeable. Lime e-bikes are especially useful here — there's a real hill between Fremont and Phinney Ridge and the motor helps a lot going up. Parking at Nectar Lounge (Saturday): A few small lots sit within a block or two, plus street parking in the surrounding Fremont blocks. After 8pm on a Saturday, spots are scarce — rideshare is the easier call. Parking at our home (Friday): Street parking on N 60th St and the surrounding residential blocks is usually no trouble on a Friday evening.

Travel Note

What to Expect in Late July

Late July in Seattle is peak summer — warm and mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-70s. Evenings cool off, so bring a light layer for after the Saturday reception. Rain is unlikely, but this is Seattle, so never quite zero.

Hotel

Hotel Ballard

Boutique hotel on Ballard Ave NW — one of Seattle's best walkable strips, with breweries, oyster bars, and a Sunday farmers market out front. About 1.6 miles from both venues (5-min rideshare). All private bathrooms, free access to the Olympic Athletic Club (two pools, sauna, hot tub), and the Stoneburner restaurant on-site. One heads-up: Ballard Ave is lively on Friday and Saturday nights — request an interior room if you're a light sleeper.

Hotel

Silver Cloud Inn - Seattle Lake Union

Our best-value pick — lake views, free hot breakfast buffet every morning, and free on-site parking (rare for Seattle). Consistently excellent reviews from 2,400+ guests. Venues are about 2.5 miles north; plan on a short rideshare (8–12 min, ~$12–18). A great option if you're driving in from out of town and want to skip the downtown parking game.

Travel Note

A Note on Where to Stay

We used to live in South Lake Union and now we're up on Phinney Ridge — and we'll tell you from experience: staying near the neighborhood is worth it. Fremont, Ballard, and Phinney Ridge have great restaurants, breweries, and coffee, and you'll actually feel like you visited Seattle rather than just the hotel district. Downtown and SLU have plenty of hotel options and easy airport access, but once the sun goes down there isn't much to wander into. The magic of Seattle in the summer is in the neighborhood commercial strips. If you can, stay near the party. You'll have a better time and a shorter Lyft.