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Connect & Contact
Connect & Contact
Getting Your Marriage License Made Easy
/0 Comments/in Wedding Planning /by MissElaineOne of the very first things that I discuss with couples in my consultations is the marriage license. You can’t get married without one unless you are having a commitment ceremony or a vow renewal. Signing a marriage license on your wedding day with your officiant and two witnesses is what makes your marriage legal. I spend a lot of time on this subject because it can seem complicated, but it is one of the most important components of getting married — besides hiring a licensed officiant — and needs to be addressed.
I am going to share with you just how easy the paperwork can be in two easy steps. Let’s begin with the marriage license application.
Step 1: Marriage License Application
Depending on which county you live in, both the bride and groom will need to go to the county courthouse in your area (Snohomish, King, Pierce) to fill out your marriage license application. The reason both of you have to be there is because your signatures need to be notarized by the county clerk. This will require providing proper identification (driver’s license, passport) to the clerk and then he/she will stamp the application notarized. You can do this Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Note: The application fee is $67.00 cash/money order/cashier’s check/personal checks/credit cards are accepted.
If for some reason both of you cannot get the time off from work to go to the courthouse, you can go to your local bank and get your application notarized. The benefit of having your signatures notarized by your bank is that only one of you will have to go to the courthouse to pick up your marriage license packet. (Note: Your bank may charge a small fee for notarizing your document.) This method will require downloading the form shown below from one of the county courthouse websites and bringing it with you to the bank. The example below is from the King County Courthouse and can be downloaded at this link: King County Courthouse.
Step 2: Marriage License
After you fill out your marriage license application, have it notarized (either by the county clerk or your bank notary) and pay the county clerk the $67 at one of the county courthouses, you will be given your marriage license packet. The marriage license packet includes these items:
Here is what your marriage license will look like:
Now you are ready to get married! On the day of your wedding the marriage license will be signed and then forwarded back to the county auditor that it came from and will be recorded. My last bit of important advice: DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR LICENSE TO YOUR WEDDING!
Take me out to the Ball Game Wedding at Safeco Field!
/2 Comments/in Seattle Wedding /by MissElaineWhen I first met with Robert and Melissa, they shared with me that their first date was at Safeco Field and that this was the venue they had chosen for their wedding. I really had no idea what to expect because I have only been to one baseball game at the ballpark. On their wedding day I was really excited to see what they put together for their ballpark themed wedding.
Robert and Melissa reserved a private room for their ceremony in the Ellis Pavilion (located at the Third Base Entrance to the ballpark). They brought in dozens of baseballs and a jersey for their guests to sign rather than a traditional guest book.
Robert and Melissa’s ceremony included a cute story called “Love Monkey,” which was read by a family member. When we got to the vows Robert and Melissa presented Robert’s daughter with a lovely ring symbolizing their new union as a family. After the ceremony, the guests signed the baseballs and jersey and then headed up to the private suites for the reception.
While the guests headed up to the reception the wedding party stopped into the official Mariner’s interview room to sign the wedding license. We all had fun pretending to be interviewed!
Robert and Melissa reserved two suites for their reception which overlooked the ballpark. With a setting like this for your reception who needs decorations? The guests were treated to food catered by the ballpark which included some traditional (hot dogs) and non-traditional (mac-n-cheese) favorites including a full bar. Guests had their choice of sitting inside the suites to watch the game on several TV’s placed around the room or heading out to the deck that overlooked the ball park. It was so fun eating a hotdog and watching the game just above 1st base!
I had a great time officiating Robert and Melissa’s wedding! The venue, the food, and the entertainment added such a personal and fun touch to the day — certainly a wedding that the couple’s guests and I will not forget. Congratulations Robert and Melissa!
Over the pass & thru the woods to Gini & Matt’s wedding!
/2 Comments/in Destination Wedding /by MissElaineYesterday I drove to Cle Elum for Gini & Matt’s wedding at Suncadia resort. Located just over Snoqualmie pass, Suncadia resort is tucked into a forest with beautiful surroundings including a winery, golf course and private homes that can be rented for your event. Gini and Matt rented one of these beautiful lodge-like homes for their private wedding in the mountains that included about 30 of their family and friends.
When I walked in, it was so warm and comfortable. A fire was going in the big rock fireplace and Gini and Matt had a video running on the big screen TV above the fireplace of themselves and different adventures they had been on together.
Food was catered by Debra Lane at Chef to Go. Gini and Matt had requested an “upscale comfort food theme,” which Debra orchestrated brilliantly! Before the wedding, guests nibbled on a beautiful assortment of local cheeses and wine, and post wedding Debra put together a wide variety of items including tomato fennel soup with grilled gruyere cheese sandwiches, beef tenderloin crostini with caramelized onion jam and gorgonzola cheese, and Italian meatball sliders with provolone and parmesan cheese. Special requests, such as gluten free items, were also provided by Debra.
The wedding was conducted upstairs from the balcony where the guests down below could look up and see us. Gini and Matt requested a short ceremony so they could focus more on their guests. Right after the ceremony they came down, signed papers and came out to start the party! Because of the intimate atmosphere of the lodge, guests could easily mingle around — picking up food or heading out to the deck overlooking the grounds.
I was truly inspired by the decorations, the food, Gini’s dress, Matt’s calm and the general happiness of everyone who traveled to this unique “real wedding” in the woods! Congratulations Gini and Matt!
Last Minute Wedding? I can do it!
/1 Comment/in Elope or Last Minute Wedding, Elopement Style wedding, Elopements, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Wedding, Seattle Wedding Officiants, Small Wedding /by MissElaineThe couples I marry contact me with all different lead times for their wedding. Sometimes I get the inquiry for my services months in advance — in fact I have already booked a wedding for 2013! And other times I get a phone call from a couple who exclaims, “We want to get married as soon as possible”. I will then ask, “how soon?”. And they may answer tomorrow or next week or even next month. That is what I often refer to as a “last minute wedding”.
A last minute wedding can be any of the following:
Whatever your situation, I can help! Recently, I officiated a beautiful wedding for a small group of 20 at the Palisades Restaurant’s Magnolia room. My couple called me a month in advance for what turned out to be a beautifully orchestrated day – with only a month’s planning.
This weekend I also had the pleasure of officiating a last minute wedding at Gasworks Park. What an amazing day it was on top of the hill overlooking Lake Union. The couple even brought their pooch, Bennett!
There are so many fun and beautiful locations to have your last minute wedding. I am a native of Seattle and I have many favorites. Here are just a few recommendations for your last minute wedding:
And don’t forget to check out all the hundreds of Seattle parks: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/. Each park has it’s own rules and regulations so you will want to make sure to read the fine print.
Call me today (206.406.7919) to help you get started planning your last minute wedding!
Food Truck For Your Wedding Caterer? You Bet!
/0 Comments/in Seattle Wedding, Wedding Planning /by MissElaineI was strolling through the grocery store the other day when a magazine cover of Seattle Met (May issue) caught my eye. The cover’s title said in big blocky letters: FOOD TRUCKS. Being the foodie that I am (I know we are all sick of that term but I don’t know what else to call myself), I immediately purchased the magazine. I was intrigued with what seems to be a new trend in Seattle — moving wheels of goodness. I went home and read the article with fascination….and here’s what I learned.
Did you know that there are 143 full service food trucks scattered around our city? Did you know that in July 2011 the city council adopted legislation that opened up public roadways to food trucks? Did you know that food trucks serve everything from crepes to BBQ to grass-fed beef burgers piled high with arugula and cambozola slathered with bacon jam? Me neither…
So what about a food truck for your wedding reception? I would like to suggest to my audience (engaged couples and couples hoping to be engaged) that we take a moment to think outside of the box. Picture an outdoor summer wedding at a beautiful Seattle Park, i.e. Coleman Park on the shores of Lake Washington. It’s post-ceremony and your guests are ready to eat, drink and be “marry.” In rolls Skillet Street Food to serve up a delicious meal of kale ceasar salad, grilled asparagus and braised Draper Valley chicken. Really – you ask? A food truck can prepare a scrumptious meal on the road? Yes! Yes! Yes!
If you are as intrigued as I was about this new trend of rolling nirvana, please check out Christopher Werner’s entire article in the current issue of Seattle Met: Food Truck City. This article completely turned my head around about this style of catering that is perfect for an outdoor, indoor or anywhere Seattle wedding!
(Pictures courtesy of Young Lee Photography)