Kitsap Memorial State Park Reviews

Name: Kitsap Memorial State Park
Address: 202 NE Park St, Poulsbo, WA, 98370
Telephone: 3609028844
Rating: 4.3

Kitsap Memorial State Park

Poulsbo, WA

4.3 out of 5 rating, 16 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 rating

16 Reviews

86% recommend it

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Quality of service
4.6 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3.9 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.4 out of 5 rating
Value
4.9 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3.8 out of 5 rating

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Jesika Sent on 03/26/2015

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It's probably helpful that we got married in the off-season, since I hear there's quite the competition for prized summer dates. Everything was absolutely wonderful including the rangers who never signed up to be event coordinators, but still manage to make sure everything is perfect.

We were warned that the roof leaks when it rains, so I was a little worried when it rained the night before after we'd set everything up. When I went in to the hall in the morning, though, nothing was wet, so it's obviously not too bad. The patio heaters were in need of servicing and didn't do a great job at projecting heat into the pavilion, but everything else was functional.

We ended up with around 130 people in attendance and it was rather cozy. We served our food buffet-style on the picnic tables in the "catering kitchen" and had tables/chairs set up in the pavilion for outdoor lounging, but everyone fit comfortably at long tables, even with a band, DJ, card/gift table, and trail mix bar set up in the hall.

The rangers can come off as a bit gruff, but they're big softies at heart, especially if you're not overly demanding of them. It's important to remember that these are park rangers, not event coordinators! They made sure we had what we needed, they whisked away the unused tables/chairs before our guests arrived, they quietly handled parking issues without me hearing about it (except when a tree damaged in the previous night's storm was leaning precariously over a guest's car, where they had us interrupt the DJ to make a timely announcement!) and let us have our fun without interference. One ranger was worried our band might draw noise complaints, but the low off-season camping attendance and the fact that I'd reserved all the cabins which face the hall probably helped in avoiding that issue, since there were no requests to lower the volume of music.

It's probably helpful that we got married in the off-season, since I hear there's quite the competition for prized summer dates. Everything was absolutely wonderful including the rangers who never signed up to be event coordinators, but still manage to make sure everything is perfect.

We were warned that the roof leaks when it rains, so I was a little worried when it rained the night before after we'd set everything up. When I went in to the hall in the morning, though, nothing was wet, so it's obviously not too bad. The patio heaters were in need of servicing and didn't do a great job at projecting heat into the pavilion, but everything else was functional.

We ended up with around 130 people in attendance and it was rather cozy. We served our food buffet-style on the picnic tables in the "catering kitchen" and had tables/chairs set up in the pavilion for outdoor lounging, but everyone fit comfortably at long tables, even with a band, DJ, card/gift table, and trail mix bar set up in the hall.

The rangers can come off as a bit gruff, but they're big softies at heart, especially if you're not overly demanding of them. It's important to remember that these are park rangers, not event coordinators! They made sure we had what we needed, they whisked away the unused tables/chairs before our guests arrived, they quietly handled parking issues without me hearing about it (except when a tree damaged in the previous night's storm was leaning precariously over a guest's car, where they had us interrupt the DJ to make a timely announcement!) and let us have our fun without interference. One ranger was worried our band might draw noise complaints, but the low off-season camping attendance and the fact that I'd reserved all the cabins which face the hall probably helped in avoiding that issue, since there were no requests to lower the volume of music.
Amy Sent on 03/27/2012

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Nothing but great things to say my wedding was beautiful and it was a very good price!!!

Nothing but great things to say my wedding was beautiful and it was a very good price!!!
Kate Sent on 10/02/2010

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This is a fantastic place to get married. We wanted somewhere with a view of the mountains and the water, but also somewhere affordable. Kitsap Memorial has all of that. The view is spectacular. The log cabin hall is so romantic and rustic, with all of the ceiling beams wrapped in white Christmas lights. Also, the hall is very spacious. Ours was a small wedding, but there is easily room enough for a large one. The open air pavilion was perfect to get married under, allowing a little coverage from sun or rain for guests. We heard compliment after compliment from our guests on the location. If you rent the guest cabin as well (you should), it serves as the perfect getting ready location for the bride and is wonderful to retire to at the end of the night. It's great to have your own personal cabin waiting for you, so that you don't have to leave when the party is over. Additionally, the park staff is great to work with and very accommodating. I highly recommend the venue.

This is a fantastic place to get married. We wanted somewhere with a view of the mountains and the water, but also somewhere affordable. Kitsap Memorial has all of that. The view is spectacular. The log cabin hall is so romantic and rustic, with all of the ceiling beams wrapped in white Christmas lights. Also, the hall is very spacious. Ours was a small wedding, but there is easily room enough for a large one. The open air pavilion was perfect to get married under, allowing a little coverage from sun or rain for guests. We heard compliment after compliment from our guests on the location. If you rent the guest cabin as well (you should), it serves as the perfect getting ready location for the bride and is wonderful to retire to at the end of the night. It's great to have your own personal cabin waiting for you, so that you don't have to leave when the party is over. Additionally, the park staff is great to work with and very accommodating. I highly recommend the venue.

Taya Sent on 01/09/2011

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We had the best wedding ever!!! I know I'm probably biased, but I've also heard this from several of our guests. The venue was beautiful and just perfect. The cost was very reasonable and the accommodations were great.

We had the best wedding ever!!! I know I'm probably biased, but I've also heard this from several of our guests. The venue was beautiful and just perfect. The cost was very reasonable and the accommodations were great.
Barbara Sent on 09/04/2014

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On August 15, 2014 my daughter Julie Babka married Michael Jones. Kitsap is a beautiful venue. Our family highly values nature and Kitsap provided an authentic pristine setting for the ceremony and the reception. The gorgeous trees, the Hood Canal and the rustic reception hall created a special atmosphere. We had a strict budget and the beauty of Kitsap allowed us to have a minimum of decorations. We rented hanging baskets, purchased some flowers and greenery at Pike's Market and with a little help from Ikea (candles, candleholders), we were set. Thank you Kitsap for helping us to create a memorable day.

On August 15, 2014 my daughter Julie Babka married Michael Jones. Kitsap is a beautiful venue. Our family highly values nature and Kitsap provided an authentic pristine setting for the ceremony and the reception. The gorgeous trees, the Hood Canal and the rustic reception hall created a special atmosphere. We had a strict budget and the beauty of Kitsap allowed us to have a minimum of decorations. We rented hanging baskets, purchased some flowers and greenery at Pike's Market and with a little help from Ikea (candles, candleholders), we were set. Thank you Kitsap for helping us to create a memorable day.
User2193246 Sent on 06/23/2015

4.8 out of 5 rating
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Beautiful location. Book early because dates (especially weekends) fill quickly. They work with you as best they can, but there are some strict timelines and rules to abide by, as with any venue.

Beautiful location. Book early because dates (especially weekends) fill quickly. They work with you as best they can, but there are some strict timelines and rules to abide by, as with any venue.
Megan Sent on 05/03/2019

4.6 out of 5 rating
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Magical Venue!! Perfect for a woodsy theme wedding

If you're wanting a wedding in the woods and something affordable, this is the venue for you! I was timid at first since it was a state park and it seemed like a lot of work. It was so easy to have a wedding here! We rented chairs to up the class a bit and hired an amazing caterer that know how to throw weddings here. Ambrosia catering is the way to go. Our DJ, was not as familiar with the venue and that was disappointing and did not go well at all. But Ambrosia catering in Bremerton is the way to go since they have so much experience there. You will need to bring in everything and the venue does not provide a lot for the day. They will not reach out to you until a week before your wedding so if you are okay with that, then this is for you! If you're wanting a full on woodsy wedding like in Twilight, this is definitely for you.

If you're wanting a wedding in the woods and something affordable, this is the venue for you! I was timid at first since it was a state park and it seemed like a lot of work. It was so easy to have a wedding here! We rented chairs to up the class a bit and hired an amazing caterer that know how to throw weddings here. Ambrosia catering is the way to go. Our DJ, was not as familiar with the venue and that was disappointing and did not go well at all. But Ambrosia catering in Bremerton is the way to go since they have so much experience there. You will need to bring in everything and the venue does not provide a lot for the day. They will not reach out to you until a week before your wedding so if you are okay with that, then this is for you! If you're wanting a full on woodsy wedding like in Twilight, this is definitely for you.
Kaylee Sent on 09/25/2017

4.6 out of 5 rating
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We loved this venue so much that we were willing to have our wedding on a Thursday just to get a spot here. It was well worth it! Our guests gave us so many compliments on the unique setting and the natural beauty. The park staff were all very kind and accommodating when we miscalculated how many coolers to rent from them, they brought two down the day of the wedding and let us use them for free. We highly recommend this venue!

We loved this venue so much that we were willing to have our wedding on a Thursday just to get a spot here. It was well worth it! Our guests gave us so many compliments on the unique setting and the natural beauty. The park staff were all very kind and accommodating when we miscalculated how many coolers to rent from them, they brought two down the day of the wedding and let us use them for free. We highly recommend this venue!
Diana Sent on 07/23/2013

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We were lucky when reserving our wedding; didn't have to stand in line and was able to get our date reserved over the phone! It is a beautiful setting for a wedding and it is the best value in the county. It's a popular venue, however, and we were unable to have our rehearsal there because another wedding was booked the day before ours. We were also biting our nails up until a week before the wedding waiting to see if the state would pass their budget!! All worked out as planned, and it was an amazing day!

We were lucky when reserving our wedding; didn't have to stand in line and was able to get our date reserved over the phone! It is a beautiful setting for a wedding and it is the best value in the county. It's a popular venue, however, and we were unable to have our rehearsal there because another wedding was booked the day before ours. We were also biting our nails up until a week before the wedding waiting to see if the state would pass their budget!! All worked out as planned, and it was an amazing day!
Sarah Sent on 09/10/2014

4.2 out of 5 rating
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It is a state park and has almost zero cell reception. They are incredibly busy during the season so you may not have access to some of the pre and post set up and tear down. That being said, the venue is incredible, nothing short of breath taking. The pavilion is the perfect place to get married on a warm sunny day and the Log cabin is an amazing place to dance after the sun sets.
If I could make one suggestion, rent the hospitality house too! We would have been lost without it. It was great for getting ready and amazing for crashing once the night was done.

It is a state park and has almost zero cell reception. They are incredibly busy during the season so you may not have access to some of the pre and post set up and tear down. That being said, the venue is incredible, nothing short of breath taking. The pavilion is the perfect place to get married on a warm sunny day and the Log cabin is an amazing place to dance after the sun sets.
If I could make one suggestion, rent the hospitality house too! We would have been lost without it. It was great for getting ready and amazing for crashing once the night was done.
User1309754 Sent on 08/31/2013

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The customer service leaves something to be desired here- you are dealing with park rangers, after all. However, you absolutely cannot beat the value for this totally stunning location! We rented the log hall, pavilion, caterer's kitchen, hospitality house, cabins and several camping sites and made a weekend-long event out of our wedding. Our ceremony was under the trees, looking out at the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. We set up games in the field for after the ceremony and had a lovely reception in the hall. It was all so gorgeous and we loved that it was outdoorsy, but still very accessible to all of our guests.

The customer service leaves something to be desired here- you are dealing with park rangers, after all. However, you absolutely cannot beat the value for this totally stunning location! We rented the log hall, pavilion, caterer's kitchen, hospitality house, cabins and several camping sites and made a weekend-long event out of our wedding. Our ceremony was under the trees, looking out at the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. We set up games in the field for after the ceremony and had a lovely reception in the hall. It was all so gorgeous and we loved that it was outdoorsy, but still very accessible to all of our guests.
Erika Sent on 06/19/2017

3.9 out of 5 rating
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This location is extremely beautiful. The lodge and the surrounding trees made for a perfect venue for our wedding. A few things note are that this is a public park, with a playground right next to it, which means people might be wandering around with young children making noise. Luckily, it wasn't a problem for us, but I could see that being an issue. The only real issue I had with this venue is the communication problems. There is really no direct email to the person that helps with events, it just goes to the park office. It was also very difficult to get people on the phone, I had to leave a message every time I called. Other than that, the people there were very accommodating and pretty much just let us in to do our thing. For the price and location of this venue I think it is very much worth it, especially if you are having a smaller wedding.

This location is extremely beautiful. The lodge and the surrounding trees made for a perfect venue for our wedding. A few things note are that this is a public park, with a playground right next to it, which means people might be wandering around with young children making noise. Luckily, it wasn't a problem for us, but I could see that being an issue. The only real issue I had with this venue is the communication problems. There is really no direct email to the person that helps with events, it just goes to the park office. It was also very difficult to get people on the phone, I had to leave a message every time I called. Other than that, the people there were very accommodating and pretty much just let us in to do our thing. For the price and location of this venue I think it is very much worth it, especially if you are having a smaller wedding.
Kaeli Sent on 10/08/2013

3.9 out of 5 rating
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Let me start by saying I wouldn't change my venue for anything; it was exactly what I wanted and I loved being married there. But the nature of the venue means that any couple getting married there should be prepared for the ways that it might prove challenging for yourself or your wedding party. Almost all these issues can be addressed by hiring excellent helpers, as you'll see. 1) The venue will not help you do anything on the day of. This means that set-up and clean up are all on you. So think about the kind of wedding you want and how much set-up and clean up there will be and if you want to put that all on yourself and/or your wedding party on the big day. If you can afford it (and you might be surprised!), do yourself a HUGE favor and hire a day of wedding coordinator (I suggest Emily from Manette Gracie) and a caterer that includes set-up and clean up as a part of the catering budget (I suggest Essence because the food was fabulous and they were so helpful). 2) Rentals. You are able to rent tables and chairs from venue but they are the classic brown folding chairs we all remember from high school. If you are looking for something nicer you can rent them from a party rental place such as AA party rentals but keep in mind that you will not be able to store them (or anything else) on site the night before the wedding. So it it will take a little more doing to coordinate how and when they'll get there. In our case, our caterer picked them up and returned them and our coordinator did all the set up and break down. 3) Park fees. Unless you manage to book on a free park day your guests and vendors will need a $10 park pass. If you do table rentals from Kitsap they'll provide you a certain amount. Last thing, we were unable to rent the guest house because the couple the day after us had already done so. It did not end up being a big deal! We got ready in the hotel and then did the wedding party exit out of the great hall. It was amazing!

Let me start by saying I wouldn't change my venue for anything; it was exactly what I wanted and I loved being married there. But the nature of the venue means that any couple getting married there should be prepared for the ways that it might prove challenging for yourself or your wedding party. Almost all these issues can be addressed by hiring excellent helpers, as you'll see. 1) The venue will not help you do anything on the day of. This means that set-up and clean up are all on you. So think about the kind of wedding you want and how much set-up and clean up there will be and if you want to put that all on yourself and/or your wedding party on the big day. If you can afford it (and you might be surprised!), do yourself a HUGE favor and hire a day of wedding coordinator (I suggest Emily from Manette Gracie) and a caterer that includes set-up and clean up as a part of the catering budget (I suggest Essence because the food was fabulous and they were so helpful). 2) Rentals. You are able to rent tables and chairs from venue but they are the classic brown folding chairs we all remember from high school. If you are looking for something nicer you can rent them from a party rental place such as AA party rentals but keep in mind that you will not be able to store them (or anything else) on site the night before the wedding. So it it will take a little more doing to coordinate how and when they'll get there. In our case, our caterer picked them up and returned them and our coordinator did all the set up and break down. 3) Park fees. Unless you manage to book on a free park day your guests and vendors will need a $10 park pass. If you do table rentals from Kitsap they'll provide you a certain amount. Last thing, we were unable to rent the guest house because the couple the day after us had already done so. It did not end up being a big deal! We got ready in the hotel and then did the wedding party exit out of the great hall. It was amazing!
Brandi Sent on 02/16/2009

3.9 out of 5 rating
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The log hall was absolutely beautiful and the scenery was breath taking!

The log hall was absolutely beautiful and the scenery was breath taking!
Tracy Sent on 10/11/2013

3.5 out of 5 rating
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I LOVED the venue, more than I can say. I had several guests tell me that mine was the best wedding they have ever attended. The backdrop of the Hood Canal is lovely & the surrounding area is great. It was the first trip there for our photographers and they were so impressed. The location was perfect.

As for the gentlemen handling the venue, I have to remind myself that is it a state park and they are park rangers, not wedding planners. I definitely found them to be frustrating on more than one occasion. The awesomeness of the location was worth everything!

I LOVED the venue, more than I can say. I had several guests tell me that mine was the best wedding they have ever attended. The backdrop of the Hood Canal is lovely & the surrounding area is great. It was the first trip there for our photographers and they were so impressed. The location was perfect.

As for the gentlemen handling the venue, I have to remind myself that is it a state park and they are park rangers, not wedding planners. I definitely found them to be frustrating on more than one occasion. The awesomeness of the location was worth everything!
Angela Sent on 11/22/2011

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The backdrop is amazing, the scenery, the log hall, the caterers kitchen are all beautiful. Unfortunately I would not recommend this vendor due to the lack of availability, communication, and all the restrictions imposed. Be warned, all cars will be imposed with a hidden park fee of $10 per car and the hall has to be inspected and closed up by 10pm sharp.

The backdrop is amazing, the scenery, the log hall, the caterers kitchen are all beautiful. Unfortunately I would not recommend this vendor due to the lack of availability, communication, and all the restrictions imposed. Be warned, all cars will be imposed with a hidden park fee of $10 per car and the hall has to be inspected and closed up by 10pm sharp.