Small Wedding – Page 2 – Seattle Wedding Officiants

Space Needle Observation Deck Wedding

Serena and Michael contacted me in December to inquire about a Space Needle Observation Deck wedding. They explained to me that they had enjoyed their very first date there approximately two years ago. They now wanted to come back and celebrate their nuptials with their blended family on Valentine’s day.

I have officiated several weddings on the observation deck and it’s never a dull moment. You can always guarantee you will have wedding crashers but they all have the best intentions. Who wouldn’t want to be visiting one of Seattle’s favorite icons and have the opportunity to suddenly be in the middle of a wedding? If you have a Space Needle Observation Deck wedding expect a lot of cheering from people you have never met before in your life!

Just because you are eloping doesn’t mean you have to fore-go the extra touches

Seattle Wedding Officiants is proud to offer photography and flowers for small weddings under 20 people. Serena and Michael requested two hours of photography so they could get some family photos AND of course the cherished “first look” photo, which was done at Peace Garden. Side note: That’s the family in the background of their first look picture pretending to be paparazzi. I arrived an hour before their ceremony and brought a beautiful customized bouquet for Serena and matching boutonniere for Michael. In addition, I provided a smaller boutonniere for Serena’s son and wrist-let for Michael’s daughter (flowers provided by Metropolitan Market).

This small group had huge smiles from beginning to end. In fact, right after I pronounced Michael and Serena husband and wife at the top of the needle, their 7-yr-old son burst out in tears and exclaimed, “it’s too exciting.” Congratulations Serena and Michael and lots of love to your new lovely family!

Enjoy the following photos by Jen Sanders Photography.

Elope Wedding Seattle

February 17, 2015/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Small Wedding Packages /by MissElaine

This is an e-mail I just received from a couple who live in Idaho and want to have an Elope Wedding Seattle style:

“We have been scouring the internet for an officiant that would fit the uniqueness of our wedding plans and our relationship. We came across your website and what you posted really jumped out at us.”

In many cases, couples who want to elope have chosen to have their wedding day be an intimate event with just the two of them. It could also be a personal or financial decision — or maybe they have never been to Seattle and want to combine a vacation to the Pacific Northwest with a small wedding. Whatever the reason, I can help!

Just because you are eloping doesn’t mean you have to fore-go the extra touches

I love every wedding I officiate. Whether it’s a small elopement or a large event with 200 people, I always bring my passion and enthusiasm to the wedding process. Elopements are extra fun for me because I often get to act as an ambassador of Seattle — offering my expertise on different ceremony locations, restaurants to celebrate at afterwards and of course — crafting a ceremony that reflects the love between the couple. So far in 2015 ceremony locations have included the list below:

Private suite at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland
On a dock at Greenlake in Seattle
Private suite at the Seattle PanPacific Hotel
Private home on Queen Anne
Space Needle Observation Deck (2)
Washington State Ferry
Seattle Waterfront-Myrtle Edwards Park/Beach

These locations are just a handful of the many beautiful indoor and outdoor possibilities for your Seattle elopement. If you want to add a photographer for an hour or two I can help with that also. My photography packages can be tailored to your needs and they include my officiant services. I also offer Wedding Packages for your Seattle elopement.

Below are some of the photographs from an elopement that took place this past weekend. This lovely couple had planned on having a large wedding in California but at the last minute decided to elope to Seattle. I helped them get an upgrade on their room at the Edgewater Hotel so they could have a water view with a balcony on their wedding night. I also arranged for flowers and champagne to be delivered to their room upon arrival. The bride had a custom-made bouquet and the groom had a matching boutonniere that I obtained through Metropolitan Market. They dined at Aqua after the ceremony where I arranged for them to have a table with a view of Puget Sound. And the best part is that all of this was photographed by the amazing and talented Nicole Bischel of Orange Anchor Photography.

If you are planning to elope to Seattle, please contact me. I would love to be your officiant AND your Seattle hospitality expert. Enjoy!

Christmas Wedding at the Falls

February 3, 2015/0 Comments/in Small Wedding /by MissElaine

Sandra and Matt contacted me last summer to discuss plans for their December wedding at the Salish Lodge and Spa. The Salish is always such a beautiful venue to have a wedding. Whether you are indoors or out, the falls with their rich history can always be heard – reaching out with their soothing roar to everyone at the lodge. Sandra and Matt’s Christmas wedding at the falls fell on their 3-year anniversary of their first date, which added special meaning for them. With friends and family around them, they celebrated in the beautifully decorated and festive Terrace Room. Enjoy the pictures below of Sandra and Matt’s Christmas wedding with all the trimmings. Photos courtesy of Ian Grant Photography.

Seattle Wedding Officiants Wins 2015 Couples’ Choice

January 15, 2015/0 Comments/in Last Minute Wedding, Most Recent, Same-gender Marriage, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Small Wedding Packages, Wedding Planning, Wedding Traditions & Trends /by MissElaine

Elaine Way of Seattle‘s Own Seattle Wedding Officiants Wins a WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award® 2015Seattle, WA – January 15, 2015 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, named Seattle Wedding Officiants as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2015 for Officiant in Seattle!The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2015 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Seattle Wedding Officiants. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.”It’s always exciting to start the year by honoring the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network who represent more than two million reviews on our website,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Each of the businesses recognized are committed to quality, professionalism and all around top-notch service. We applaud Seattle Wedding Officiants for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, Seattle Wedding Officiants is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 200,000 wedding professionals throughout North America and abroad.Seattle Wedding Officiants is proud to be one of the top Officiant in Seattle in the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2015.For more information about Seattle Wedding Officiants, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/seattle-wedding-officiants-seattle/355963dc6eae85dc.html.To learn more about the Couple’s Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.

About WeddingWire
WeddingWire, the leading technology company serving the $100 billion wedding and events industry, is the largest online vertical marketplace connecting engaged couples with event professionals. With more than two million consumer reviews, it is the industry leader in consumer reviews. The site enables engaged couples to search, compare and book from an extensive database of more than 200,000 recently reviewed event professionals, from venues to photographers. WeddingWire provides event professionals with the technology they need to serve their clients, including a SaaS platform, which powers advertising, marketing, and CRM needs of local wedding and events businesses nationwide.

Small Outdoor Wedding Seattle

September 25, 2014/2 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

Frequently I am asked by couples for recommendations for small outdoor wedding Seattle locations. This past May I was contacted by Josh and Crystal who were on a six-week road trip beginning in Vancouver, B.C. Their wish was to have an intimate wedding while stopping in Seattle before heading down the coast. I was thrilled to be a part of their planning. Being a native of Seattle I get really excited when couples make the Emerald City their destination wedding location. I love to introduce people to the city I grew up in. In addition, I get the pleasure of meeting people from all parts of the country.

We started talking about locations for their elopement and decided on Golden Gardens Beach. One of the reasons for this location was that I had arranged for a bed and breakfast for Josh and Crystal that was literally right up the street. Sunset Hill B&B is a 100-yr-old renovated farmhouse. The proprietor is a friend of mine and it is with joy that I refer guests to her urban retreat. Read more about Sunset Hill B&B.

On the day of their wedding, I drove to the B&B and captured pictures of their “first look.” Crystal looked charming and beautiful in her vintage gown. And Josh beamed as he saw his bride for the first time. The sunflowers in Crystal’s bouquet were even smiling!

Next we drove down the hill to the beach where our photographer, Jeanne Phinney of Jeanne Phinney Photography was waiting for us. The following photographs are a beautiful reminder that even small weddings can have huge feelings.

Pike Place Market Wedding

June 11, 2014/1 Comment/in Destination Wedding, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Uncategorized /by MissElaine

Leslie and Shelby contacted me from Plano, Texas in December of last year. They told me that they had never been to Seattle before and that they wanted to get married here. What a treat for me because I am a native of Seattle and I love helping people find their way around our city. In addition to being somewhat of a tour guide I have the added pleasure of officiating weddings for these Seattle newbies.

I was excited to begin the process of working with Leslie and Shelby which meant finding a fun, private venue for just the two of them to exchange vows. They also wanted to utilize one of my small wedding packages which included a photographer for one hour, a beautiful bouquet for the bride and a matching boutonniere for the groom.

We decided on the Goodwin Library at the Pike Place Market for their intimate ceremony. I met them at the market with flowers from Metropolitan Market and Huoy Chen of Huoy Chen Photography took care of the photos.

Please enjoy the pictures below of this beautiful destination wedding.

Small Seattle Wedding Skyped to Italy!

April 9, 2014/0 Comments/in Last Minute Wedding, Most Recent, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

Kimberly and Gerardo contacted me in February for their upcoming wedding in March. I guess you could call this one of my “Small, Last Minute” wedding inquiries. But there was certainly nothing small or last minute about it. One of the funnest parts of orchestrating a wedding of this size is that you can weave in many of the elements of a large wedding without all the months of planning that go hand-in-hand with having a large wedding.

We started out by talking about a venue for their wedding that could accommodate 20 of their friends and family. I have a — sort of bible — that I pull out for requests such as these. Kimberly and Gerardo chose the Lakeside Room at Chandler’s Crabhouse on Lake Union for their Seattle wedding. They also decided to add a photographer from one of my Wedding Concierge Packages, which I was happy to provide.

Kimberly decorated the small private event room with beautiful little touches, such as little bags of goodies that had a sweet Winnie the Pooh saying on the outside. There were several yummy pies in place of the traditional wedding cake. But the funnest touch was that Gerardo set up a Skype session with his family in Italy. His brother in Italy even provided the music as we all walked into the room. And just before we began the ceremony, a large beautiful arrangement of flowers arrived from the family and friends who were watching via Skype. They got to see the bouquet they sent and watch the entire ceremony. We got to see their faces filled with joy on the big screen and hear the violin music coming all the way from Italy.

Please enjoy the lovely photos that my friend and colleague Jeanne of Jeanne Phinney Photography took of Kimberly and Gerardo’s sweet wedding. Congratulations Kimberly and Gerardo!

Seattle Glass Blowing Studio Elopement

March 31, 2014/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Elopement Concierge, Elopement Style wedding, Elopements, Same-gender Marriage, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

I was first contacted by Tammy and Patrice in early 2014. They live in South Carolina and wanted to have their destination wedding in Seattle, Washington. I asked them what they had in mind for a venue — indoor? outdoor? They expressed a love of nature and I assured them that we had many beautiful parks and beaches that they would love. They also expressed a love of glass blowing. I immediately recalled a glass blowing studio that I often pass on my way through downtown Seattle. I contacted the Seattle Glass Blowing Studio and inquired about doing a small wedding ceremony within the studio and adding a glass pouring ceremony. They were enthusiastically on board for a Seattle Glass Blowing Studio elopement.

If you are familiar with the traditional sand pouring ceremony in which two different colors of sand are poured by the couple into one vessel — imagine pouring two different colors of glass crystals (referred to as “frit”) into a center vessel, which is then later blown into a beautiful sculpture. Tammy and Patrice were on board and I worked out all the details with the operations manager at the studio.

We had the studio to ourselves for approximately 30 minutes at which time we had the ceremony. The ladies poured their frit and I got to sign my first Ketubah – a Jewish wedding tradition. I brought in my friend and colleague Jeanne of Jeanne Phinney Photography to shoot the wedding and what follows are the lovely pictures of two very happy ladies. Congratulations Tammy and Patrice!

Seattle Wedding Officiants, Elaine Way, Seattle Glass Blowing Studio Elopement, Jeanne Phinney Photography, Elope in Seattle, Seattle Elope

Chinese New Year Wedding!

February 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Eastside Wedding, Last Minute Wedding, Most Recent, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

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!

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.