About Me
Let me help you create lasting memories on your wedding day. Call me today to schedule your free consultation! (206)406-7919.
I now also offer free Zoom consultations. Email elaine@seattleweddingofficiants.com
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Connect & Contact
Connect & Contact
Franklin Falls Elopement
/0 Comments/in Elope or Last Minute Wedding, Most Recent, Small Wedding /by MissElaineVanessa & Roxanne contacted me in May to discuss having an “epic falls wedding” at Snoqualmie Falls. In other words, they wanted to be right down in front of the falls to exchange their vows. What they didn’t know is that it isn’t that easy to get down to the base of the falls any longer. You can do it but only if everyone is a gymnast, including the photographer, and you have some sort of utility ladder. So instead, I recommended Franklin Falls around the same area for their June elopement. They liked the pictures I shared with them and we began to plan their Franklin Falls elopement.
Franklin Falls is about a 90 minute drive from Seattle and then there is a little hike into the falls. We decided to meet halfway and then caravan to the trail head. Once we got out of the city and close to our destination we discovered some great photo opportunities and took time to stop and capture some beautiful shots of the couple.
We arrived at Franklin Falls and set out on the trail. It was so beautiful with Northwest evergreens all around us. The trail is very well maintained and there is a river running below all along the trail. What an incredible little hike. We stopped along the trail to get more photos of Vanessa and Roxanne, and their excitement grew every step of the way.
We arrived to the falls and there was only one other couple there. So we basically had the falls to ourselves. The ceremony was lovely and afterwards Vanessa and Roxanne popped a bottle of champagne that they had hiked in with to celebrate with their friends.
All in all I would highly recommend this little day trip for your Franklin Falls Elopement. It’s well worth it and not far from Seattle. I hope you enjoy the fabulous photographs that Jeanne Phinney Photography captured for Vanessa and Roxanne!
Rose Garden Wedding
/0 Comments/in Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaineJanee and Raheem contacted me from California in March inquiring about a good spot for their Seattle June elopement. I love it when I get inquiries from out of town because I am a Seattle native and always have great ideas for ceremony spots for out of town couples. Their guest count was small — they had invited less than 10 people, which is a factor when I choose a ceremony location. I originally suggested a sweet spot among the trees at Volunteer Park in Seattle’s Capital Hill neighborhood. I refer to this particular spot as a “Woodland Cathedral” because the trees are tall and wrap around a small group for an intimate outdoor ceremony in a forest like setting. A few months into our planning, however, Janee advised me that their numbers had now grown to 20 people! The original spot was just too small for 20 people. So I shifted gears a bit and came up with the Woodland Park Rose Garden. They were thrilled with this idea and got on board with me to re-direct their plans to their rose garden wedding.
The rose garden at Woodland Park is an exquisite place to get married. In June, the gardens are in bloom and full of color and romance. Janee and Raheem exchanged their vows amongst dozens of varieties of roses with beauty all around them. They were beaming and their family looked quite happy even though there was a tiny bit of raining coming down. It was romantic, intimate and everything they had hoped for.
Please enjoy the following photos of Janee and Raheem’s rose garden wedding courtesy of Jen Sanders Photography. Flowers courtesy of Metropolitan Market, Queen Anne.
Be sure to check out my Small, Elope or Last Minute Wedding page for more information!
Seattle Pop-up Wedding
/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Most Recent, Small Wedding, Small Wedding Packages /by MissElaineAlyssa and Jesse contacted me from Ohio in early December regarding their destination Seattle wedding. They had never been to Seattle and were not sure about very much other than the fact that they wanted a nice shot at Kerry Park. They hoped to capture a nice wedding shot there so they could make copies to send to friends and family for Christmas. We met at Kerry park and got the shot but the weather was cold and windy so we headed out in my Kia to scout a location for a Seattle Pop-up Wedding . First stop Pike Place Market!
The Pike Place Market at Christmastime is fantastic! It is so festive with all the sites, sounds, and smells of Christmas. After finding a great parking spot we set out to find the perfect spot for our Seattle Pop-up wedding. The courtyard at the Inn at the Market came to mind and everyone followed me as I kept my fingers crossed. This spot ended up being the perfect location for our Seattle Pop-up Wedding.
The courtyard was decorated with Christmas trees and lights. It was open yet intimate, festive yet private. We tucked ourselves into a nice little spot among the trees and had our ceremony. The ceremony was intimate and lovely, and we even had some shopkeepers peeking through their windows as Alyssa and Jesse exchanged their vows. After the ceremony we all headed back to the Fairmont Olympic Hotel where the couple was staying and finished with some more shots inside this grand hotel.
On a side note, Alyssa requested that I customize one of the bouquets I offer on my website to include her favorite lavender colored “ocean song” rose. With only one week to go before the wedding, my go-to florist, Metropolitan Market was able to accommodate Alyssa’s request. Her groom, Jesse, also got a matching boutonniere.
I couldn’t be more happy with the way this wedding unfolded. All in all, we visited three locations, had a Seattle Pop-up Wedding and the couple got their wish of having a lovely photo to share with their friends and family for Christmas. I hope you enjoy the pictures below provided by Jeanne Phinney Photography.
Book Your Officiant Early!
/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Large Wedding, Most Recent, Same-gender Marriage, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Wedding Planning /by MissElaineIn this post I will explain why it is so important to book your officiant early. This is a note I received from a bride last July:
“My fiance and I are looking for a last-minute officiant for our wedding. We’ve actually been wedding planning for over a year but kind of put off getting an officiant until this last minute. If you are available for this date please let me know!”
Well, I wasn’t available and I’m not sure if any of my trusted colleagues were either. Couples, if you are beginning the planning process, please book your officiant early. It has been my experience over the past nine years that based on the popular engagement dates below, January is the heaviest booking month in the industry. In fact, most of my high-season Saturdays (May-October) will be booked by early February. I would like to share a few facts with you regarding booking your officiant:
Most popular dates to get engaged:
Check out this easy rule of thumb:
In summary: Book your officiant early! I would hate to get your call in July for an August wedding like the bride above and have to say, “I’m sorry, I’m not available.”
Data based on WedInisights, industry data from WeddingWire
Snoqualmie Falls Wedding
/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Most Recent, Small Wedding, Small Wedding Packages /by MissElaineLast December I was contacted by Barbara and Timo from Germany regarding their Washington State destination wedding. We e-mailed and Skyped for several months and I learned that they wanted a woodsy, bohemian feel for their August ceremony. Based on their wishes, it was easy for me to recommend a Snoqualmie Falls Wedding at the Salish Lodge and Spa. Barbara and Timo also wanted the ceremony photographed so they could share these memories with their families back home in Germany. I brought in my dear friend and colleague, Jeanne Phinney of Jeanne Phinney Photography to help me plan a creative timeline for the ceremony and photography. About half-way through the process the bride e-mailed me a picture of her dress and asked if I could match her dress to a wedding bouquet. I sent the photo to my go-to florist, Molly Snowden at Metropolitan Market and she created a lovely bouquet that matched Barbara’s dress perfectly. Timo got a matching boutonniere too!
We decided to start with the ceremony in the woods and then take the couple down to the river and falls to capture some moments in this beautiful natural setting. What follows are the amazing pictures from that day — including the couple opening a gift that their sister in Germany sent to me to be opened after their ceremony. Thank you Barbara and Timo for contacting me to be your officiant and help you plan your Snoqualmie Falls Wedding. The day was magical!