By MITZI GORDON

For couples who want to get away from it all, Fort Worden provides a popular site for destination weddings, offering enchanting spaces and accommodations set against stunning views on a 95-acre property.

Ellie Kovara, Fort Worden Hospitality’s group sales and events supervisor, said they currently host between 15 and 20 weddings in an average year, and that figure is expected to rise.

“Our demographic overall is people who want a sense of place, and to disconnect, whatever that means to them,” Kovara said. “We’re definitely more of an analog destination.”

Eleven wedding venues offer a wide variety of options at the Fort, with a maximum capacity of 400 guests. Memorable celebrations from the past year included weddings with specialty cocktails, a belly dancer, and a video game lounge.

“I think things are always memorable when there’s a sudden change of weather,” Kovara said. “We also get a pretty wide spread demographically in terms of age group.”

Small intimate ceremonies, casual elopements, and LGBTQIA+ weddings keep Fort Worden Hospitality active year round, but weather conditions put a limit on availability. Summer is their busiest time, Kovara said.

“It’s a very vibrant time, when we’re also juggling all the other programming that happens in Port Townsend,” she said.

Interest in the September-to-November season is also starting to grow, she said, due in part to the colorful backdrop of changing leaves.

“Coming out of Covid, so many people have deferred their wedding or completely changed what they expected to do,” Kovara said. “I think there’s still some volatility in the wedding market overall.”

Kovara worked in hospitality for more than 10 years before joining the Fort Worden team in April 2023. She said leveraging the expertise of a team of local vendors is invaluable to creating the best experience for couples, and points to an ongoing collaboration with Quimper Events Collective as key to that success.

“We are lucky in that we can offer lodging, full catering, full alcohol, and venue services all in one place,” Kovara said. Teaming up with local decorators, planners, florists, and bakers helps to “make ideas come alive” during each celebration of love, she added, highlighting the work of partners such as Seed Design, Cold Mountain Cakes, and PT Picnics.

“There’s all this tacit knowledge that’s really wonderful,” Kovara said. Using local vendors is also beneficial in avoiding any chaos around transportation, by lessening the need to rely on potentially volatile ferry and bridge service, she pointed out.

Fort Worden’s booth at the recent Seattle Wedding Show in late January featured a rolling slide show, vintage viewfinders, and giveaways of tea and botanical lollipops. Kovara said her overarching goal is to center each couple’s needs and wants, and offer an approachable price point.

“The concept of pink tax extends into the wedding business as well,” Kovara said. “We’re trying to do responsible business and give people a day that’s memorable, but not because of their credit card statement.”

She said the common thread among couples who tie the knot at Fort Worden is that they all feel a special connection to Port Townsend and the historic fort.

“Every wedding is unique,” Kovara added. “Every couple is unique, and every guest list is unique. What I try to tell people during the planning process is: Don’t do what you feel like you have to do. Do what you want to do.”