Saltwater Farm is lovingly placed on over 150 beautiful acres of meadows, forest, and farm land. We are located right outside the town of Friday Harbor, just one mile from the ferry dock. The Venue has many unique features including a beautiful modern Event Barn with suite above, “the Shop” for getting ready, and event parking all located at the center of the property. Our Ceremony Site overlooks the water and is a pleasant five-minute stroll from the Event Barn. We are excited to offer a variety of on-site accommodations including five individual guest houses surrounding a welcoming Inn Gathering space, the Sunrise Suite, Barn Suite, the Homegrown, and our two newest luxury tiny homes. We offer flexibility in our indoor and outdoor spaces, and our goal is to provide a stunning backdrop for your dream wedding!

• Source your own alcohol

  • This was important to us at our own wedding because it saves thousands of dollars, and we are happy to offer that opportunity to our couples! All alcohol must be served directly from licensed and insured bartenders under a banquet permit.

• Party all night

  • As far as we know, we are one of the only venues in Washington where this is possible. Our standard reception end time is 11pm, but if you want to go later, great! There is a staffing fee for each additional hour past 11pm (complimentary with The Everything Package) but so long as the doors and windows stay closed, the volume is reasonable, and your guests are respectful, you can go all night if you want to.

• Use the vendors you choose

  • Want to bring your favorite taco truck over on the ferry? Have a favorite doughnut shop you want to serve dessert? Fun! Go for it. We always encourage you to use the local tried and true vendors on our preferred vendors list, but we want you to do your wedding your way.

• Tables and chairs included

  • We created unique and beautiful farm tables that are included with every package, along with reception and ceremony chairs.

• On-site lodging

  • We offer on-site accommodations for your nearest and dearest. We know how important it is for you to have your people there to support you at your wedding. Up to 40 of your guests can be housed on-site.

    • Additionally, we are not a campground and we do not charge for camping, but if you’ve rented the venue for a multi-day package and your adventurous friends want to throw a tent down, it’s fine with us!

• Three events, not just one

  • Both of our multi-day packages offer the opportunity to invite any or all of your guests to spend time with you and enjoy the property up to three times during your wedding celebration. You may decide to invite everyone to the reception and keep the rest of the time intimate, or you may be inspired to keep the party rolling and host your guests for rehearsal dinner and goodbye brunch as well. It’s totally up to you.

• Walk on the ferry

  • Being so close to town gives you and your guests the opportunity to leave your cars behind (if you are so inclined—or, more importantly, if you’re late for the ferry) and walk or bike on to the boat with no reservation. There are taxis and shuttles waiting as you arrive in Friday Harbor, or you may choose to walk or bike up and use our pedestrian entrance off Weber Way!

• More quality time

  • We are hopeful that settling in for a few days will allow you more quality time with the people that mean the most to you. You can take your time creating your vision, and you have until the day after your wedding to gather your keepsakes and leftover champagne. ;) Our multi-day packages also give your guests the opportunity to experience more of what this beautiful island has to offer.

A little more detail

Packages

We offer three packages: the Unforgettable Day, the Signature Package, and our Everything Package which includes an extended stay among other special offerings.

The Ceremony Site

Our main ceremony site is an expansive meadow with an incredible view of the Salish Sea and the Olympic Mountains, just outside our Inn Gathering Space. The doors of the Gathering Space open and the walls disappear, allowing your guests a comfortable place to sit and chat, sip champagne, and use the restroom both before and after the ceremony. There is power to this site, and use of a speaker and microphone is included in all our packages. However, if you’ve always dreamed of a ceremony in the woods or under the twinkling lights of a barn draped in flowers, we encourage you to have your ceremony wherever you like!

The Barn

The Event Barn is over 4,000 square feet, fully insulated, and comes complete with large commercial kitchen & outdoor propane grill, 4 bathrooms (including ADA), DJ speakers and PA system, a projector and drop-down screen, AC & heat, up to 25 farm tables & 250 chairs, handcrafted reclaimed wood bar, 3 large outdoor propane fire pits to warm your guests and keep the party going after dark, one large fully stocked wood-burning fire pit, and a large window-filled barn door that brings the outside in at the touch of a button. There is a large patio to the south that seamlessly connects to the inside of the Barn through 3 large sets of French doors. While occupancy inside the barn is set at 249, placing tables and guest seating on the patio and in front of the Barn can increase the size of your event quite significantly (please inquire).

The Shop

The Shop is a great spot to get ready or just hang out and relax. It has a changing area, bar, ping pong/pool table, bathroom & shower, wood-burning stove, and large couch all located just across from the Event Barn.

The Inn Gathering Space

The Inn Gathering Space is located just next to the ceremony site and has an incredible ocean view. A great place for Inn guests to relax, it is also perfect for smaller intimate weddings, rehearsal dinners, cocktail hours, or any event up to 50 people.

Getting Ready

Our one day wedding package includes use of both the Shop and the Barn Suite for wedding party prep. If you select one of our multi-day wedding packages, the choice is yours. You may choose to get ready in the Shop, the Barn Suite, or our newest favorite, the Sunrise Suite. Or perhaps you’d like to use one of our guest houses to spend the morning of your wedding. You decide what works best for you.

Ceremony Chairs

All our packages include use, setup, and take-down of up to 200 natural wood ceremony chairs at our main ceremony site.

Reception Tables and Seating

All of our packages include up to 25 farm tables (handcrafted from our very own island fir trees) & up to 250 natural wood reception chairs set up in the Barn in your own unique configuration. So, just set out your centerpieces and you’re ready to party! Need more matching tables & chairs? We’ve got you covered. Just inquire during your phone call. Our tables measure 10ft x 3ft and can accommodate 10 guests each when placed end-to-end, or 12 guests if free-standing.

Parking

We provide parking for around 40 cars in a pretty lot hidden in the woods just next to the Barn. There are 9 spots provided for guests of the Inn at the Inn parking lot, including 2 EV chargers and wheelchair-accessible parking/drop off capabilities for the ceremony. Additional parking is available by advance request. There are also shuttles and taxis that can be pre-arranged for anyone who doesn’t want to bring their car across or just prefers to party hard and have someone else get them safely home. We do encourage you to consider carpooling or leaving your car on the mainland.

Unique Ideas

• Saltwater Farm and the San Juan Islands provide unlimited opportunities to express yourselves and do something truly unique for your wedding. We hope you will use our venue as the inspiration and backdrop for whatever you want your wedding to be. Here are just a few fun ideas:

• Climate positive, carbon negative, & 100% local wedding. The Barn solar array produces enough power for our entire venue, our water comes straight out of and goes back into the island’s bedrock aquifer, all food scraps & organic waste can be composted on-site or fed to the chickens, and we are walking/biking distance from the ferry, so you’re off to a good start already. We also have great relationships with local, organic, humane polyculture farms as well as florists, caterers, and even bartenders who can source and provide uber local and organic food, drinks, and decor.

• Rehearsal movie night in the Barn. We have a large drop-down screen and projector. Popped corn & S’mores bar anyone?

• Kayak or charter a boat out to one of the uninhabited islands for an unforgettable oceanside rehearsal dinner or pre-wedding adventure. We’re friends with most of the island outfitters, and trust us, they love making your crazy ideas come to life! Just ask and we’ll put you in touch.

• Arrive on horseback! Yup, somebody did that.

• Have a farm-to-table rehearsal dinner at the Inn Gathering Space, or have our local bike shop arrange a bike to farm tour and dine right there where your food was grown.

• Create an epic scavenger hunt.

• Take your crew wine, distillery, cider, and oyster tasting.

• Host a karaoke night.

• Hang lanterns & twinkle lights in the woods and don your fairy wings for a midsummer night’s dream themed welcome dinner.

• Take your family or wedding party kayaking through the bioluminescent algae under the stars—they will never forget it!

Pretty much whatever you can dream up, we want to try to help you make it happen!

Next Steps

If you’ve submitted an inquiry, the next step is scheduling a phone call so we can get to know you and you can ask your questions about exactly what we offer and if it might be right for you. After that, we like to schedule a tour—then, if you love it, all that’s left to do is put down your deposit and secure your date!