Eastside Wedding – Seattle Wedding Officiants

Chinese New Year Wedding!

Last night I had the pleasure of officiating the wedding of Emma and Jay. I only met them a few weeks ago and it was definitely one of my “small, last minute” weddings. They had rented a suite at Willows Lodge for the evening and then chose to use the library at the lodge for their small, intimate wedding. Honored guests includes friends and Jay’s uncle but most importantly, the couple Skyped their wedding so both sets of parents could watch from Shanghai, China. You see, Jay and Emma met in China when they were only wee school children and their families have known each other for years. All four parents in China were very excited to watch their son and daughter get married from so far away. Emma had on a lovely Vera Wang gown and looked like an angle. And Jay could not keep from smiling almost the entire time. Their vows were beautiful and I was honored to be a part of their Chinese New Year wedding! Congratulations Emma and Jay!

Christmas Wedding at the Salish Lodge

December 18, 2013/0 Comments/in Eastside Wedding, Wedding Planning /by MissElaine

Since it’s Christmastime, what better wedding to write about than a Christmas Wedding at the Salish Lodge. Let me start by saying that Rosa and Joe, the couple whose wedding I am going to share with you, just celebrated their one-year anniversary. Again, happy anniversary Rosa and Joe!

Last year Rosa contacted me to discuss her upcoming Christmas wedding at the Salish. The first time we met, I was impressed at how sweet and lovable Rosa and Joe were. They were so in love and so excited about their wedding. I was also really impressed by how Rosa had thought out each little detail of her vision for her winter wedding, right down to the lipstick! . She definitely knew what she wanted, which was a very romantic wedding that expressed their love for each other. I was able to weave in creative ideas to the ceremony that complemented the romance Rosa and Joe were looking for. One example is that Rosa and Joe are huge movie buffs. I suggested that they each choose a line from a movie to read to each other that was special. We incorporated the lines into the personal statement I wrote for them and this is how it went:

Because Joe and Rosa love to share movie quotes with each other, I asked them — each privately — to share with me one of their favorite movie quotes that best describes their feelings on this day. This will be a surprise for both of them:

This is Joe’s movie quote for Rosa:

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”….From the movie When Harry Met Sally

This is Rosa’s movie quote for Joe:

“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together….and I knew it.” ….From the movie Sleepless in Seattle.

Next, we added a tree-planting ceremony. I suggested a little tiny Christmas tree that they could plant in their yard and watch grow over the coming years. Rosa and Joe and Joe’s two sons planted the little tree together.

Everything about Rosa and Joe’s winter wedding at the Salish represented the love between them. I was honored to be a part of their joy. I have put together some of my favorite photos from their wedding….there were so many! Please enjoy.

The Art of the Small Wedding

November 1, 2013/0 Comments/in Eastside Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

I met Sara and Shane early last summer to talk about their small wedding at Willows Lodge in Woodinville. They had made reservations at Willows for the special package called “I do for two.” Willows Lodge is such a lovely place to have a wedding — small or large — and I was excited to be invited to be their officiant.

I have had the pleasure of officiating all sizes of weddings — from 2 to 400 guests, on hiking trails in boots and all dressed up with wedding parties of 22! I am mostly always prepared for surprises and ready to hit the ground running in any situation. I have to say that Sara and Shane’s wedding totally took me by surprise because it was small in numbers but absolutely gigantic in emotion.

Both Sara and Shane had their parents fly in from different parts of the country and they would be their only guests. Sara looked gorgeous in her gown, hair and jewels, and the men wore tuxedos with bow ties. What was so outstanding was that although there were only six of us at the ceremony, it felt like the space was filled with the love of a 1000 hearts. Who says you can’t have a royal wedding with only six people? After Sara and Shane’s wedding, I know I never will. Special thanks to Renata Steiner at Nataworry Photography for capturing the emotion, especially the love, so brilliantly in the photographs below.

Historic Robinswood House Summer Wedding

February 1, 2013/0 Comments/in Eastside Wedding, Most Recent, Wedding Traditions & Trends /by MissElaine

Last summer I had the joy and pleasure of officiating John & Desiree’s wedding at Robinswood House in Bellevue. The color scheme that Desiree chose was stunning with shades of orange and pink. For the ceremony, the couple hung frames from a tree and added beautiful bouquets provided by Ravenna Bloom. Desiree’s son walked her down the aisle and the two couldn’t have looked more happy. During the ceremony the family participated in the tradition of blending sands, which included lots of smiles and giggles. The dinner was held on the outdoor upper patio where tables were adorned with colorful vintage tablecloths. Dessert, provided by Sweet Side Cake & Al A Mode Pies included a traditional cake but also an assortment of pies which fit in perfectly for this fun summer wedding. These special moments and many more were captured by Heather at One Love Photo. Congratulations Desiree and John!

Williows Lodge Wedding!

March 30, 2011/0 Comments/in Eastside Wedding /by MissElaine

Recently I performed a ceremony for a Nadya and Joe at the Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Wa.

Set in the wine country, this beautiful country lodge offers indoor and outdoor areas that are perfect for your small or large wedding ceremony. Joe and Nadya chose the library of the lodge and decorated it beautifully! Nadya’s mother formed a heart out of rose petals for the couple to stand in as I performed their ceremony – very romantic!

After the ceremony, the guests headed over to the reception room which offered a candy bar that was loaded with everyone’s favorite — chocolate!

Nadya and Joe treated their guests to a beautiful reception that ended with a cake decorated with butterflies!

Wedding at the Falls

December 20, 2010/0 Comments/in Eastside Wedding /by MissElaine

Tomorrow I’m driving up to the Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls to marry a couple! They are keeping it really simple and having the ceremony in their room. I sent them a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate! I bet the falls are beautiful this time of year!