Squalicum Boathouse Reviews

Beautiful venue for a low price.

We had our reception at the Squalicum Boathouse and did our ceremony out in the grass of the attached park, Zuanich Point Park. We were extremely lucky in that we had an absolute gorgeous day, I mean not a cloud in the sky sunny day for our wedding so we were able to have all the doors open and have our guests enjoy both inside and outside. Being that it is in a public park, we did have a stranger walk in and leave with a cupcake in hand, but 1 wedding crasher isn't the worst thing. We really pushed the occupancy level, so if you are wanting more than 100 guests or have a huge demanding family, this venue may be a bit small for you (or just perfect depending on how you look at it). My husband's one request is that we got married near the water, and being surrounded by the port, the Boathouse could not be more on the water. The ambiance, views, entire atmosphere was just perfect! Having a kids play area right near by was very nice for all the young parents. The building is pretty enough that you don't even need that many decorations. I was a bit miffed at first as my family did not put up all the lights and decor I had asked them to, but in the end they were not even needed nor missed. The ONLY downside to this venue is that it is so popular it must be booked at least a year in advance (that is what we did) and the chances of you getting to go inside or do a rehearsal in the building before your big day are pretty slim. But everyone that works for the port of Bellingham is beyond helpful and friendly, we got our entire refundable deposit back within days, no questions asked! It was the perfect spot for our perfect wedding day.

This is the most amazing venue hands down in Bellingham harbor area. If you have a small enough wedding like we did then the views and ambiance of this venue is a steal! Our guests loved the coziness of the venue and the fireplace. We were lucky enough to have a gorgeous sunny day so our guests could have cocktail our on the grass and porch area. The only draw back is that the port if firm on their hours for use and you can't stay past midnight. They also did not give us our deposit back for a room that was professional cleaned after use.

We loved using Squalicum boathouse as our venue! Almost all went well! Only downside is the grass deposit/insurance that you have to pay and don't get back. Also, the mic was hardly working and the sound system kept picking up radio frequencies. Just little things! Other than that, it was god.