Wedding Officiant Seattle – Page 2 – Seattle Wedding Officiants

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.

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

How to Obtain a Washington State Marriage License When Out of State

February 15, 2014/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Last Minute Wedding, Most Recent, Same-gender Marriage, Seattle Wedding, Wedding Planning /by MissElaine

Marriage Open

Washington State marriage licenses are only valid for 60 days. Therefore, you do not want to begin this process until you are within that 60-day period. For example, if your wedding date is August 30th, don’t mail your application until June 30th. That puts the arrival and processing of the application within the 60-day valid period. If you send it more than 60 days before your wedding date it will expire and you will have to re-apply.

Here are the steps:

Click on this link to be taken to the King County Marriage Licensing Dept: http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/marriage.aspx
When you land on the page, click on Applying for a Marriage License
Next, click on Apply by Mail
Click on Download a Marriage License Application (PDF)
Download the application and print it off
Take the application to a licensed notary (banks usually have at least one notary). Please note: both of you must be present to get the application completed and your signatures notarized. Be sure to bring valid photo ID, i.e. passport, driver’s license.
Mail the completed license application in an overnight envelope with a cashier’s check in the amount of $64 made out to King County to:

King County Marriage Licensing
King County Administration Building
500 Fourth Ave., Suite 311
Seattle, WA 98104

Please call the courthouse (206-296-4021206-296-4021) approximately 5 days after you have mailed your application to ensure they have received it. Next, shoot me an e-mail and let me know it’s ready to be picked up and I’ll swing by and get it and bring it to your ceremony.

Press Release – Seattle Wedding Officiants Awarded 2014 Couple’s Choice Award

January 17, 2014/0 Comments/in Wedding Planning /by MissElaine

CHEVY CHASE, MD – January 13, 2014 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Seattle Wedding Officiants has been selected as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards 2014 for Officiant in Seattle, WA. The esteemed annual awards program, formerly known as the Bride’s Choice Awards, recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the Wedding Wire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards 2014 distinguish the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding officiants, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.

Unlike other awards in the wedding industry, the Couples’ Choice Awards are solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with their wedding professionals. Wedding Wire has quickly become the world’s largest wedding review site, with more than one million consumer reviews of wedding professionals. Approximately 72 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a family member or friend, therefore such reviews on WeddingWire help give consumers valuable historical information about wedding businesses and their experience.

Among the more than 200,000 wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network, the award-winning professionals are determined based on their quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they received from their past clients. For thousands of engaged couples, the award symbolizes legitimacy, reliability, and a proven track record of success.

“There’s no better way to start the year than by honoring the hard work, commitment and success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “It is exciting to embark on a sixth year recognizing those who engaged couples believe are committed to quality, professionalism and all around top-notch service. We celebrate this group of excellent wedding professionals for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”

2014 Wedding Wire Badge

About WeddingWire, Inc.

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including Brides.com, MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE:MSO), Weddingbee.com and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ:FLWS).

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.

Center for Wooden Boats Wedding

October 20, 2013/0 Comments/in Most Recent, Seattle Wedding /by MissElaine

Last summer I had the pleasure of being contacted by Sarah and Paul regarding their upcoming wedding at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union. Their wedding was only two-and-a-half months away, and travelling for work was in Sarah’s immediate future. Needless to say, we needed to get started on their ceremony and wrap up details quickly before Sarah left the country. Fortunately, we had the help of my friend and colleague Kelli Bielema at Shindig Events. Everything was more or less in place except the officiant – me! Sarah and Paul are a laid back couple but they clearly wanted something special and unique for this ceremony. Together, we wrote something they loved and the ceremony turned out perfectly — including random pauses for the planes taking off and landing on the lake. Speaking of planes, family and friends flew in from around the country. One friend made Sarah’s beautiful bouquet (see below). The music was provided by Swing Soiree and the food from Herban Feast. Beautiful couple, beautiful setting, fabulous wedding! Enjoy the photos from Sarah and Paul’s Center for Wooden Boats wedding below.