"Hidden" Gems | the Enumclaw Field House and other affordable South Sound event venues

Guys- let's talk about hidden gems. The Enumclaw area is filled with them and whenever people ask me about venues and are open to going outside of the Seattle/Redmond area, I get really excited to share with them some of my local favorites.

 I went to check out the Field House yesterday with the coordinator Jaclyn and I was blown away by this very affordable local venue! It used to be a big gym. As such, in the past it had gym style floors with painted lines for basketball, etc. It definitely gave off more of a "big church silent auction event" vibe than a "let's spend one of the biggest nights of our lives here" vibe. However, since being taken over by the Enumclaw Expo non-profit board, they have put renewed energy and budget into updating and streamlining the space and hiring a dedicated coordinator, and I was impressed with the results.

This place is the perfect blank slate. It's got such great vintage charm but with simple new light wood floors, cool shiplap wood walls, a lofted ceiling, great wooden windows, and a classic stage (use it for your ceremony, band, or ignore it completely and just use the rest of the room) with gorgeous white moldings, it could totally chameleon into whatever look you want with the décor you want to add.

Honestly, the pictures available online are not fantastic, so I would definitely go check this palce out in person!

Perhaps this place is especially appealing to me because my sister's gorgeous wedding was held at the Ronald (a little old mining town near Cle Elum, WA) school house which has a very similar look. It was the school my grandfather attended back in the 1920's and has the sweetest vintage charm. Their ceremony was in the field out back with hay bales covered in wooden "benches" my dad milled from old growth timber beams. Their reception, complete with a DIY bbq catered dinner, tons of dancing, and a family-baked pie bar, was truly classic. Her vision was to get married like people used to, surrounded by family and friends' love and not a lot of pomp and circumstance, and the understated elegance of their day still moves me in memory. Their little schoolhouse wedding embodied our shared lifelong goal towards Simple Goodness. So, when I stepped into the Field House yesterday, I immediately "got it."

Minimal, classic, vintage- styling the Field House

These tables! Check out Puget Sound Farm Tables for rentals from 2 very nice local folks

If it were up to me I'd style this Enumclaw events venue with long wooden Puget Sound Farm Tablesdraped in greenery from Paisley Petals Flowers for a family style meal, have a bluegrass band play during dinner, then transition to dancing and of course, some of our cocktails. Add in some signage from Something to Chalk About and gorgeous lounging furniture from Vibe Vintage Rentals on the long, covered front porch (from which parents can watch their kids play on the playset while they drink our garden to glass cocktails, total score) and you'd have a beautifully minimal vintage vibe, which is of course my favorite.

The Enumclaw Field House Venue details

The Details- $4,000 to book Saturdays in summer or $3,000 for "off season," for 12 hours plus 2 hours of set up/rehearsal the day prior. You can flip the space and do both the indoor reception and ceremony here, or this is what I would do-  have a church wedding or contact local farms like my sister's, Simple Goodness Farm and ask if they have the parking and event insurance to allow you to do your ceremony out in a field with a view of Mt. Rainier, then head to the Field House to party!

In my perfect scenario, while we're dreaming, I'd also have our Happy Camper mobile bar at the edge of that field so people could grab a welcome cocktail like our Summer Thyme Sangria before sitting down for the ceremony :)

Check it out for yourself- the Field House Expo is April 1st

We'll be out at the Field House  along with all of the vendors mentioned above (truly some wonderful, kind people, not just folks I wanted to give shout out's to- I would work with any of these guys any day of the week!) this April 1st for their Open House so you can see the place for yourself. Feel free to stop over at my bar to talk design, drinks, and donut bars.

Wait- so I can get married/renew my vows/throw a party outside of Seattle at a beautiful venue, for less?

My cousin's wedding had dried flower garlands and retro letters paired for a hip take on "country style"

My cousin's reception at my sister's place, Simple Goodness Farm. Wedding receptions aren't currently offered, but smaller events like corporate parties and rehearsal dinners are and quieter evening events like Wedding Ceremonies are welcomed!

Yes and Yes! The foothills/plateau area where we call home is definitely an expanding area for event spaces. For one thing, its beautiful. Out here you'll find a mix of flat farmland that exposes exceptional Mt Rainier views, and the evergreen landscape that defines Washington state. The South Sound also has a lot to offer in terms of convenience to the airport for out of town guests and proximity to a ton of recreation and tourist activities (Enumclaw in particular is often called the gateway to Mt Rainier), and these venues are often rented at a fraction of the cost of venues to the North. There are gorgeous indoor and outdoor venues dotted all along this beautiful land each offers a little something different. Many are "hidden gems" like the Field House.

Farm-style wedding receptions and events in the South Sound

Some of my favorite local venues are tucked in amid, or located on, farmland. You all know by now that sustainable agriculture and supporting local farms is very near and dear to my heart, and I think it would be REALLY cool to offer your guests a locally focused dinner and drinks menu where most if not all of the produce and meat came from a 5 mile radius of your venue. These places give you that chance! I get so excited about these farm to table dinner events and bringing them down this-a-way that I think I may need to campaign the city and the chamber of commerce to start an ad campaign drawing attention to these possibilities, so these "gems" can come out of hiding. They could call Enumclaw the "the Snohomish of the South Sound" or the "(usually)less drunk Woodinville" ....or something!

If you're convinced and want to travel down i-5 for your wedding or other next event, here is a list of venues all grooms, brides, and event planners can appreciate. These Enumclaw, Black Diamond, and Maple Valley area venues all have open alcohol catering policies or have us on their preferred vendor list. This means we are allowed to serve our delicious drinks here, so if you go with one of these, please consider hiring us!

our camper bar at the Kelley Farm wedding showcase 2017

Enumclaw area venues that we love to work with

• the Kelley Farm- Bonney Lake 

• Black Diamond Gardens- Black Diamond-

• Rein Fire Ranch- Maple Valley

• Brookstom Creek- Buckley

• the Wilderness Lodge- Maple Valley

Black Diamond Gardens has friendly goats onsite for guests to pet

Our donut bar at the Kelley Farm showcase this year

Open catering policy venues in the South Sound

• Mountain View Manor- Enumclaw

• Genesis Farm and Gardens- Enumclaw

• The Yellow Barn- Buckley

• Filigree farms- Buckley

• Puyallup fairgrounds- Puyallup

• Pioneer Pavillion- Puyallup

• Tacoma sportsman club- Tacoma

 

I would do anything for love....

Now while I was so amped to bring our headquarters hometown a little love, I will say as well that we still love to explore the greater Seattle area and of course we're willing to travel for events with our mobile bars. We are also friends and frequent referrers of venues in Seattle, Redmond, Gig Harbor, Snohomish, Monroe, Kingston, and even east of the mountains! There are some limits to our travel abilities, but just let us know where you want to party and we will try our best to be there!

Cheers and Beers,

Belinda Kelly, owner, HCCC