Court In the Square

Could not have been happier with Bob, the entire staff and our wedding here!!! From planning, to the rehearsal to the day of, Bob and the team were extremely accommodating, kind and professional. I was nervous about communication, due to the reviews below, but I found Bob great. I chose to plan every detail myself, so I would just send him my plans and they made everything happen perfectly. As long as you are doing the planning and can clearly explain your vision, they make it happen. On the day of, no request was too big for them and they really made me feel taken care of and special. There were several instances where I did not receive an immediate response, but never to questions that needed immediate answers and it never caused any stress. For the food, I gave them recipes that they followed perfectly and made the most delicious meal. For the drinks, I was able to provide the types of beer and wine we wanted and they took care of all of the details. If you do not need someone to plan every detail for you — this is by far the best location in the Seattle area. They work extremely hard to make your vision come true. Thank you Bob, Jackie and everyone at Court In The Square!!!

my cousin had his wedding here. it’s a very cute space, 5 stars for looks.
however, the catering sucks bc apparently there was drama among them and there was zero flavor in our food!
all the guests i talked to agreed. this was due to their usual chef missing.
if good money is being spent, why did they not have a substitute chef? terrible.
if you hold an event here in the summertime, it literally feels like you’re being cooked alive. it’s like a greenhouse inside.

I’m giving Bob and his team 4 stars because they absolutely blew me away the day of my wedding. Everything was beautiful and Bob works alongside his staff very hard to make sure our day went absolutely perfect. A few things that i noticed in particular. was our sweatheart table was a little wobbly so Bob personally went and grabbed something to fix it. he also let my husband and I up and down the elevator a couple times when we wanted to go on the roof with our photographer. The FOOD was absolutely amazing too! The staff was awesome the way buffet was set up and how they served everyone.
The only negative feedback is Bob’s lack of communication leading up to the event. He goes MIA for a few weeks at a time and doesn’t answer emails very well. He definitely is better talking to one on one when we met with him. Setting up meetings wasn’t very hard either. he’s usually pretty accommodating.

We had our wedding and reception at CITS on June 20, 2015. Our experience is a blend of reviews already written. For the most part, the planning and execution were positive experiences. We live in Louisiana, so we only saw the venue and met with Bob twice before rehearsal day. It might not be the best situation for some couples, but I was happy to have someone who was blunt with the options and didn’t need to be micromanaged for the small details. If you like to micromanage the small details (exactly where tables will go, food tasting, etc.), you might have a less positive experience in your planning stages. Sure, it sometimes took a couple of phone calls for Bob to respond, but it never really got to a frustrating point for us. I actually enjoyed working with him because he definitely knows what he’s doing and kept everything flowing on wedding day. Have your vision in mind, he’ll make it happen.
We did have some difficulty with the menu, since the first version we were sent was nothing like we asked. I think we ended up with five or so edits because the cost kept fluctuating and the items weren’t right. We didn’t sign a contract until the week of the wedding and a month later we still haven’t seen a final bill, so just beware, as others have said, you may not know until well after your wedding what you actually spent.
Only a couple of disappointments, the major one being the food. We weren’t around for the passed hors d’oeuvres, but our guests said they were cold (mac & cheese balls/​bacon wrapped shrimp). We asked if dinner could be moved up 15 minutes since we got done with photos early and they «hurried» to get it ready… but everything was cold. I didn’t eat much, but what I had was bland… and just a sidenote, I guess asparagus in the PNW is made to be cold. That was unexpected for this southerner who only eats it hot! People did say the crab cakes were really good, though. So, again, hit or miss on the food.
The sun, which obviously can’t be controlled, was the other difficulty. We had our ceremony at 5:30 and I couldn’t even look at my husband as I was walking down the aisle because of the sun. It’s brutal. But I don’t recall ever feeling too hot in the venue, I believe because the ceiling was cracked open.
Some people have said check for Sounders and Mariners games, but we had both on our wedding day and no parking or traffic issues. Work with Bob on the parking… he makes it easy. Since there was no event in the venue on Friday, he also accommodated us for the rehearsal. We were able to drop ceremony decorations off that day, too.
Overall, we were really happy with CITS and the whole experience. You can really make the space your own. It’s not one of those «you get XYZ for $ 15,000»…do what you want to make it fit your budget.
If you love the space and aren’t worried about the details, only marrying your best friend, then CITS is a great choice.

Just a spectacular event location! High rise red brick alleyway walls, retractable glass ceilings, and a peaceful water feature were just some of the clean venue me and my DJ partner had to look at while setting up our equipment.
I would recommend this hidden oasis to all the edgy elegant couples in seattle!
Thanks again for all the operational flexibility!
–AmpleVibeEvents

I just got married at Court in the Square and will give the good and the bads. The bads can easily be worked around if you communicate and plan accordingly.
I had 140 people and did a 6pm ceremony with reception in mid June.
Goods:
Venue is just beautiful
Location is great even with a sporting event going on
They staff has the process nailed down and can tell you exactly what you need to do to make it a success
Has an intimate feel while still fitting between 160 – 175 people
I like direct venue owners so I like being told straight up what I should not do
Was able to drop off big decoration items on Thursday/​Friday so less work on day of
Was able to pick up items/​clean up on Sunday so less work on day of as well
Bads:
Getting to taste food and getting final menu/​booze details. We heard food was amazing, but on day of wedding the passed appetizers were not very good (all very dry) and same with some of the items in the buffet. We even had to pull an item.
We had some signature drinks that they didn’t have us try prior and we had to have them changed.
Sun in eyes during ceremony. Sun in June is strong between 5 – 7. Which is an issue if you are getting married under the arch.
Wedding Party getting ready areas are upstairs and need a staff to let you up any time you wanted to get anything, which is really hard with 22 person bridal party.
DJ announcements are kind of hard to hear… echos with the high ceilings so getting people to hear that they had to be in their seats or to be somewhere was challenging
Just as you heard bob, can be slow on the communication, but I didn’t really have a big issue with it.
I had a fabulous time and the only thing I was disappointed in was the food, but I heard that was a unique situation and we only had a few people comment.

I have been fortunate enough to attend a few weddings here and see some close friends start a new life in this picturesque venue.
As you can see in almost every picture, the court is indoors but it looks like its in a beautiful alley as it is sandwiched between two red-​bricked walls of neighboring buildings. Sprinkle in some nice foliage, a cabana-​looking stage-​ish spot where the couple stands, and if Seattle cooperates, sun pouring in from the windows in front, and you got yourself a memorable wedding.
A couple things to note that seem to be consistent here:
1. There is a garage next door making parking amazingly easy and accessible
2. The hors d’oeuvres are a hit-​or-​miss; some are great and others are bad
3. There is an employee (man) with a white handlebar mustache that is ALWAYS upset at the world; he will let you know it
4. If you’re presenting a slideshow, be prepared to be underwhelmed; they provide a miniature projector screen… not great
5. IF you’re doing a end of spring/​beginning of summer wedding, make sure you note whether there is a Mariners’ or Sounders’ or both game going on; traffic… nightmare
6. If the sun is out, it gets blinding and your guests will sweat profusely through their nice threads; I’ve seen women’s make-​up melt off their face
There’s probably more, but I fresh out of reminders. Have a great event!

I have been trying to work with the contact for this venue, Bob, for a length of time. I had been warned about him from numerous people. As it turns out — he really is as difficult to work with as his reputation proceeded. He is impossible to get a hold of both by phone and email. When you do hear from him he is extremely curt and unhelpful. It has been clear in my interactions that he does not care whether guests are able to book the space or not — instead he acts as if his interactions are an inconvenience and nuisance.

I don’t normally write reviews but I feel the need to write this one because my fiancé and I came to Unilocal in search of guidance when making our own decision and the reviews below were very helpful.
We decided to have our wedding at Court in the Square in September 2013.
From the sound of some reviews we’d read, we were initially concerned about Bob’s communication. We are not a «needy» couple by any means yet we still found Bob’s communication style (or lack thereof) unnecessarily stressful throughout the planning process… until I finally said something about it towards the end and he seemed to put in more effort. Face to face, Bob is charming, friendly and refreshingly direct. He has been planning weddings for a long time, he knows his stuff, just don’t expect a lot out of him during the planning or in a timely fashion. Be prepared to have to chase him down at times for routine items that he says he will provide in a few days (like contract or menu options). It can take weeks and multiple phone call/​email reminders after that before he makes time. We didn’t get some of our stuff until a week before the wedding and had to make some very quick decisions.
His style… you basically tell him your dream, and he makes it happen. Bob is very good at turning a vision into a reality. The venue — stunning! Everyone loved the venue, they were blown away. It also provided tons of photo opportunities for our photographers too. The lighting can be difficult, but a good photographer will know what to do. Note… the sound in this venue can be difficult. We had a DJ tell us during an interview that he despises this venue because the sound bounces off the walls. We did not hire him due to his distaste of the venue, but… sadly, he was correct. It was difficult to hear the DJ announcements, toasts and speeches. Music sounded ok though.
The food… sadly again… I was a bit disappointed. On a good note, I will say that the food was fresh, high quality organic, and cooked well. However, it was extremely bland, and some of it was cold. Our guests were not impressed, which was a bit embarrassing since my fiancé and I enjoy hosting and cooking so much. I mentioned this to Bob early in the planning because I had read the same thing about the food in a review, so we asked for a tasting. He said they don’t provide tastings and said «We don’t drench our food in salt and seasonings. Steak should taste like steak, salmon like salmon», etc. True, yes, we agreed and that eased our worries. But on our wedding night… we understood what people meant… And yes… it was very bland, and some of it was cold. We let Bob handle the alcohol selections and he did a fantastic job at that. He knows what to pair.
Jackie is one of the coordinators we had, and she was great. She was friendly and helpful. She was there at 7am for set up and stayed until about 7pm (long day). Paying the extra for a coordinator (which I believe Bob is making mandatory now) is totally worth it. I would also recommend having things buttoned up before she leaves your event. A few things fell apart in regards to the schedule and we had to make multiple requests to make sure stuff on the schedule was done after she left.
All in all… my wedding day as a whole was great. In all honesty… you are basically paying for the beautiful venue. The food was not anything to rave about, and the hiccups along the way were pretty upsetting, but I will have beautiful photos and memories that will last a lifetime from this unique location. I hope this review was helpful. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

I tried to contact the venue using the phone number listed and it says the number is disconnected. Anyone have any ideas how else I can get in touch with them? The venue looks gorgeous!

Let me start by confirming, yes, this BEAUTIFUL space, and the AWESOME man behind it, Bob, are not for everyone. This space is NOT for the Type A Bride that needs a red carpet laid out for her every time she steps into the venue for planning sessions. Bob is hard to track down sometimes, he won’t remember you after the first time you meet him and they do not have a simple «I will have Wedding C for $ 15k» approach.
I got married here in April 2013, and although I have a few regrets from choices I made during the wedding planning process… choosing Court In The Square and working with Bob and his team is top on my list of what I would DEFINITELY do again if I had the choice! But let me start by saying I am a VERY hands off bride. I had a gut feeling that all would go well and Bob knew what he was doing… so I let him handle most of the details. We told him that we wanted an afternoon of heavy apps, wine & beer tasting & to have the overall feel of being in a French/​Italian courtyard socializing w/​friends. He hit the nail on the head w/​everything. We still get compliments today on the food at the wedding. We had a pasta bar, crêpe station and tons of anti-​pasta, salad and other appetizer choices. It was perfect.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or needing advice on working with Bob!

My family and friends visited this venue for a best friend’s wedding. It was so beautiful and the staff was very friendly. I can’t think of a more beautiful and fun wedding that I have attended. Great food and drinks, great times and memories are made here!
The windows, sky lighting, and water backdrop are all so beautiful and romantic. There is tons of well laid out space for everyone to move around.
I would highly recommend to anyone to host an event here.

While the space is lovely, (we had our company party there this last weekend) and the servers and bartenders were fantastic, the food left A LOT to be desired. Totally gross. The salad and main courses were inedible… desserts were great.

I was married at Court in the Square in August 2012. I cannot describe how PERFECT our event was. The venue itself is breathtaking, but Bob and his staff really made my event special. He and his staff are friendly, kind, and happy to help in any way they can. The food was absolutely delicious and I received countless emails after my wedding saying that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. We had over 200 guests which I was concerned would make the event very crowded, but with Bob’s guidance, we created a floor plan that encouraged mingling, flow and everyone had an amazing time.
I am an extremely organized, type A personality, and I was initially a bit hesitant to have my wedding here because of previous reviews. However, I told myself that everything would get done, I just needed to relinquish control in terms of my timeline matching with Bob’s timeline. We did not have a menu finalized until about 2 – 3 months before the wedding, but it turned out amazing. Only twice did I have to call or email Bob a second time if he didn’t call me back. He is extremely talented, helpful, and straightforward. However, he is not going to hold your hand in planning your event. You need to have a good grasp of what you want, and he will take care of the logistics. I would highly recommend this venue to any bride! Thank you Bob and staff for a truly perfect and magical night. There was not one thing I wish had been done differently!

I don’t remember how I found this place online, but I’m SO happy I did! My husband and I had a limited budget and a huge guest list, and we were trying to plan our wedding in less than six months! But we did it, and it was the best day of our life! Bob was incredible! He and all of his staff are very accommodating! We had our wedding and reception here, and it was AMAZING!!!
They are NOT wedding planners though– Bob can make your dream come true, but it has to be YOUR dream!!! For instance, he’ll ask you what you and your spouse would do to host your friends and family in a regular situation, and work with you to make your wedding reflect that… do you and your spouse go out to bars with your friends all the time? Then would you rather have upscale bar food, or pretentious lobster and caviar? Do you usually go out for super fancy nice meals? Then why would you serve your guests sliders or chicken wings? Makes sense to me! Our guests LOVED our food, and it was totally reflective of our personalities! Bob has a lot of experience, so he will definitely give input, for instance he’ll help you check on events at the stadium to work around parking headaches. We met with him in June to plan our November wedding — so he was honest about our expectation of the weather and the time (ish) of sunset, etc. He will step in to make sure the dreams don’t get too crazy and unrealistic, but honestly, he wants the bride and groom to be happy and will do whatever he can to make that happen!!!
Bob was very on top of things when it comes to all the details, and he was great at returning calls and emails! He’ll admit that the phone is the best way to get a hold of him, but he still was able to email when it was necessary. I loved working with him and his staff — our wedding was a dream come true, and a lot of that had to do with Bob’s insight and experience, but everything he did for us on our day reflected our taste! We had a day-​of assistant, Jackie, who was also amazing — she was very kind and got us where we needed to go at the right time! I loved the staff here sooooooooo much!!! :)
The cost to reserve the space is now $ 2000, and the food cost will vary depending on your guest list, the time of day, the length of the event, etc. But in our experience, they were ABSOLUTELY comparable, if not cheaper than other venues food/​beverage wise. Bob will totally give you details of your invoice — service breakdown, tax and tip, etc. It’s really black and white, with no surprises, and if you have questions, Bob will answer clearly! He was so sweet and great — when we were leaving the venue on our wedding night, he gave us a box with food, slices of cake, a bottle of champagne, and even a Diet Coke (my favorite!) to have as a «midnight snack!» :) I LOVED LOVED LOVED having my wedding here, and would highly recommend it to any bride!!!

I only give 5 star ratings when nothing could have been done better. Our wedding, when all was said and done, was perfect. NUMEROUS people said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding; no small compliment. However, it came at a price and with Bob.
Price: Renting the venue itself was cheap, about $ 1,500. We shared how much we wanted to spend on food per person, and he said that was doable, which we were surprised. But we forgot about the price of alcohol and service. That’s where it really got spendy. Food was $ 4,000 and the drinks were $ 2,032. Service/​Incidentals were $ 2,300 and the Extras (like setting up an hour early, staying a little late, etc.) were $ 450. Tax/​Gratuity was $ 1,962. Total bill was $ 12,244.
Food: We did a buffet style for 160 people. 160 people did not show up, but that was what we estimated so that’s what we paid. The buffet was not «Old Country» style. It was displayed beautifully… and when we walked through alone before anyone else, our jaws dropped. He sent us a menu suggestions way before the wedding, and we made edits hoping to keep the cost down. It didn’t do much, but just simplified the menu. We got a whole roasted pig, lots of sides, and a passed early service (for an extra $ 500). I’ll just leave it there. If you want good food, you will find it here (from our experience).
Drinks: That price above reflects unlimited sodas and juices, and then $ 1,500 of it was for our alcohol. According to his breakdown, our beer and wine equaled out to 3 alcoholic drinks per person, though not everyone drank. He gave us the option to add another $ 500 once the 3 drinks per person was about up, but it was well into the wedding so we said no and allowed people to purchase their own drinks from there on out. We required people to purchase there own hard drinks. Wine was good and our beers were Mac and Jacks, Guinness, and Hef. He let me choose any type of beer I wanted.
Service: The price included the full staff. They were good, we didn’t notice them (which is the way it should be). The price above includes them bringing in people to clean afterwards, keep in mind. We didn’t find ourselves groveling at their knees for how good they were, but it was what we wanted: efficient and professional.
Venue: Just look at pictures. It is beautiful there. We got married at 4:30 PM in April, and the sun did come through the window causing some squinting for the crowd and awkward shadows for pictures. But some people thought that was pretty I guess. Not a whole lot of decoration was needed, just lots of candles, some chinese lanterns, and a couple of white strands of christmas lights. Very classy, elegant, but not lavish. We have to move a few tables for the dance floor which wasn’t an issue since people had finished eating by then.
So you may be asking, why only 4 stars if everything the day of was so good?
Bob: I have nothing against the guy, he’s obviously built a successful business here. But someone else NEEDS to be handling the customer relations. Emails kept getting «lost» and it would take weeks to hear a reply of «Working on a response, will get back to you next week.» To which more weeks went by. Simple questions took forever to hear back on. Multiple phone calls went unanswered even with urgent voicemails placed. There is a ton of planning that we have to do on our side, and having serious delays from our vendor makes things stall. We feel like he wasn’t entirely upfront with the price. Maybe not on purpose and maybe due to our naiveté, but he needs to do a better job of assuming we don’t know all the extra costs that will be incorporated. His emails are confusing, fragmented, and in all caps. His invoices were even more confusing. It took 4 grown adults to figure out what some stuff meant, where he was getting prices, and how it was organized. Our meetings were very professional and to the point when we met in person, which is the only way to really make progress (because emails and phone calls take wayyyyy too long). It was just a grind. Even now, after we paid in full, I had asked a few more questions and got no response. I’ve never spent that much money on ANYTHING in my entire life. We spent years saving for it. The least we could have was some decent customer service. It was a confusing, frustrating, time consuming, and emotional process. This could have all been solved with him hiring someone to manage his customers.
So maybe 4.25 stars. We said during and after the wedding that it was all worth it. It went about as perfect as we could have hoped. It wasn’t cheap, but there are plenty of more expensive places that offer less. It wasn’t easy, but then again either is marriage. That 1.5 year process is about as good of a test as you can get as an engaged couple. Maybe Bob knew that and was just trying to help us have a successful marriage ;-P

Am yet another bride-​to-​be who (albeit briefly) contemplated Court in the Square as a wedding ceremony + reception site.
PROS:
— Beautiful, totally Seattle.
— Unique, no other wedding sites like it… can even use the rooftop for gorgeous photo opportunities.
— Rental fee is quite reasonable.
CONS:
— Bob. I don’t even know where to begin. HORRIBLE at responding to emails, phone calls, singing telegrams, you name it. It’s like pulling teeth. Just getting in touch with him to arrange a tour of the space required almost five days of phone tag. NOT the kind of communication issues I want to deal with while planning my wedding.
— Parking. Ew. Smack dab next to Qwest Field, may the gods have mercy on you if you’re searching for parking on a game day.
— Rental fee is good and dandy, but costs shoot up from there as you’re required to use their catering (Amphitryon) and alcohol. And if you want to supply your own booze, the corkage fees are atrocious.
— Cost of food + drinks = ??? You won’t know the final cost of your glorious day until, well, the end of the day. Bob goes on and on about all the menu options and while I enjoy and welcome custom touches, he was just way too vague.
Bottom line: if you’re a bride like me who prefers to know and plan everything in advance, has a fairly rigid budget, and no room for surprises — this is NOT the place for you. Planning a wedding is already stressful enough, and I simply cannot deal with the lack of communication and having my wedding budget hanging in limbo.

I got married here 3 weeks ago and am fresh off my honeymoon!
Yes– Bob is difficult. He has a huge mustache and isn’t very comfortable with computers… which was tough for me because I am an email monster. Trying to nail down a specific price tag is impossible with Bob. He will give you a price range and then about two weeks before the wedding it will get a lot closer to an actual number. If you are a laid back individual, Bob shouldn’t worry you too much. If you are a type A, very particular person you might want to find another wedding venue!
Jackie was the woman on the day of (Bob was there too). Jackie was fabulous. I don’t know how many times I told her how awesome she was. My wedding guests all complimented me on the staff at the wedding which was so nice to hear!
The venue is one of a kind. You cannot find a place like this anywhere in Seattle. It is gorgeous. They don’t do any type of advertising. I happened to run by the name Court in the Square in the very back of a wedding magazine and decided to go take a look at it. I was sold the minute I walked in.
One negative~ It gets dark in the space when the sun goes down. Make sure the tables near the pond have sufficient lighting as the only lights came from the ones nearer the door and from the dance floor. Lots of candles or twinkling lights will do!
The food was great. I didn’t get a chance to sample much but we did serve mini burgers at 10:30pm and they were very very good!
For the people thinking this place is «too expensive» think again. Yes, it’s 1500 for the court rental fee, tables, chairs, linens, and if you ask Bob nicely he’ll let you have any of the million candles and white lights they have in storage. Now, you don’t get that at hardly any other venue in downtown Seattle or on the waterfront. Trust me. If you don’t, call The Canal or the Edgewater and ask. go ahead ask. OH and by the way… you can have your wedding on that summer Saturday you wanted and the price is still $ 1500!!! Now tell me that isn’t a good deal or what.
We had an all dessert reception with apps during cocktail hour and like I mentioned before, sliders for the late night snack. So far, every guest has said that there was «SOO MUCH FOOD» which was something I was worried about. Bob said we’d be able to feed our guests with the small budget we had and he was RIGHT!
I loved everything about Court in the Square. I even fell in love with difficult Bob.
I wouldn’t have married my husband in any other venue.

This review is for the service provided by the management.
I had an appointment w/​Bob to discuss holding my wedding at Court in the Square and I wasn’t impressed at all.
THIS PLACE IS WAY TO CUSTOM!
It’s $ 1500 just to rent the facilities (not bad), but your bill just shoots up from there. They only do the facilities and catering. No flowers, No decorations, No entertainment (not really a problem).
Your menu is totally custom too. It’s just way too confusing if you aren’t a very specific person w/​a large budget.
Bob’s demenor isn’t very friendly either. He’s basically say it «take it, or leave it».
The space itself isn’t as great as the pictures make it out to be. If you’re good at decorating you can certainly jazz it up, but it just looks like an old office complex when you first walk in.
I won’t be having my wedding here.

I wanted to write a quick review from a photographers point of view. I shot a wedding here a couple weeks ago, which was the 1^st time I had been there. It was a ton of fun and the staff was very helpful. The complex has buildings on either side of the courtyard. I really wanted to have a shot from the opposite side into the other building of the wedding couple. The staff of Bob and Jackie were great and were able to pull off the different things I wanted to do. Shooting from any of the floors requires someone to accommodate you due to the offices being privately occupied. Someone was always ready to quickly get me up the elevator and into an office in order to take the shot I wanted to get. That’s pretty good service.
We were allowed to shoot some photos from the roof, which turned out great. The light towards dusk is perfect up there. The staff let me have a tall ladder to shoot down on the tables and wedding party. The only challenge was the afternoon light, around 6:30 in Sept. The light comes beaming in pretty strong and you can’t help but get some heavy light on the wedding party.
The Courtyard has a few good places to shoot the wedding party and family photos including the street just outside the building. It was a great place to take photos and I look forward to working there again.
Rick