Wedding Officiant – Seattle Wedding Officiants

Elopement Concierge

November 2, 2016/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Elope or Last Minute Wedding, Elopement Concierge, Elopements, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

Welcome to Elopement Concierge!

Elopement Concierge was loosely developed in 2012 when Washington passed Ref 74 for same gender marriage. The Seattle wedding industry experienced a huge increase in weddings that year with dozens and dozens of couples traveling to Seattle, WA to enjoy marriage equality. Many of my couples didn’t know a thing about Seattle. As a native of Seattle, I was able to share epic location ideas for the ceremony. In addition, couples made special requests for flowers, cake, champagne, hair/make-up, and photography.

Even though Elopement Concierge casually began in 2012, it has grown into something that I am deeply passionate about and proud of. I love helping couples experience the glamor and excitement of a large wedding but with a small wedding cost. We will begin with the location or venue and add services provided by a hand-picked team of vendors. I will, of course, craft a ceremony you will love and remember.

Is this you:

You want to elope or have a very small wedding with just family and a few friends
You have 10 days to put together something really special and you don’t know where to begin
You are traveling from out of town and can’t wait to get married in Seattle, but you need help with a great location
You want to add a few extras such as flowers and photography to your wedding day but don’t know who to call

I can help you with all of this and I’ll even advise you on how to get your marriage license. I am a licensed notary and can take care of that part too! (Visit this page: Washington State Marriage License to find out more).

Please enjoy a few of the locations I have suggested for my couples. If you are coming to Seattle or you already live here, I would love to hear from you. Elopement Concierge is here to help with all your elopement or small wedding needs.

Space Needle

Elopement Concierge, Seattle Wedding Officiants, Elope Seattle, Jeanne Phinney Photography, Last Minute Wedding, Wedding Officiant, Small Wedding, Volunteer Park Conservatory

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Sorrento Hotel

Discovery Park Lighthouse & Beach

Snoqualmie Point Park

Franklin Falls

Lower Snoqualmie Falls

Be sure to check out my Small, Elope or Last Minute Wedding page for more information!

Rose Garden Wedding

August 10, 2016/0 Comments/in Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

Janee 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.

Seattle Wedding Officiants, Elaine Way, Woodland Park Rose Garden, Jen Sanders Photography, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Elopement, Rose Garden Wedding

Be sure to check out my Small, Elope or Last Minute Wedding page for more information!

Book Your Officiant Early!

November 18, 2015/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Large Wedding, Most Recent, Same-gender Marriage, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Wedding Planning /by MissElaine

In 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:

Although weddings take place year-round, 76% of weddings occur during the Summer and Fall months. In fact, 25 dates make up 50% of all weddings in 2015. (You guessed right, they are all on a Saturday!).

Fairmont Hotel Seattle Wedding

March 17, 2015/2 Comments/in Most Recent, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Small Wedding Packages, Uncategorized /by MissElaine

Paul and Susan contacted me just after the first of the year to brainstorm ideas for their small wedding. After some thought they decided on a small Fairmont Hotel Seattle wedding. I love the Fairmont! I actually worked there when it was the Four Seasons Olympic as a hotel Concierge. This hotel is luxurious with an over-the-top attention to detail.

Paul and Susan’s group was small, consisting of Paul’s daughters and their husbands, me and our photographer, Jeanne of Jeanne Phinney Photography. Metropolitan Market provided Susan’s lovely winter white bouquet with a matching boutonniere for Paul. They reserved a beautiful corner suite for the ceremony and a small celebration afterwards. Later they all went to the Georgian Room for dinner. Talk about an elegant way to celebrate an intimate wedding. Jeanne captured some lovely moments between Paul and Susan before, during and after the wedding. Congratulations Susan and Paul!

Space Needle Observation Deck Wedding

March 5, 2015/0 Comments/in Most Recent, Seattle Wedding, Small Wedding, Small Wedding Packages /by MissElaine

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.

Historic 1625 Tacoma Place Wedding

February 14, 2015/0 Comments/in Large Wedding, Most Recent /by MissElaine

I met Emily and Anthony about five months before their October 2014 wedding. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had officiated the wedding of Anthony’s sister and brother-in-law a few years previously. I love it when this happens because I get to celebrate with the new couple and catch up on the family too. Emily and Anthony chose Historic 1625 Tacoma Place for their fall wedding. Historic 1625 is a 6,000 square foot venue with high ceilings and separate rooms for both the ceremony and reception. It was a perfect location for Emily and Anthony’s 175 guests.

Everything was elegant about this wedding. From the black tuxedos on Anthony and his groomsmen to the beautiful black gowns on the bridesmaids — everyone looked amazing. Emily was gorgeous and elegant in her gown and veil, and she sparkled from head to toe. The tables were beautifully decorated, and Emily and Anthony even made some home brew. This couple beamed with love through the entire ceremony, which included a wine box and love letter exchange. With 175 of their family and friends around them, a good time was had by all. Please enjoy the beautiful photography of Vail Studio. Congratulations Emily and Anthony!

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.

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!

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.