Blog – Seattle Wedding Officiants

Can I have My Dog at My Wedding?

November 5, 2019/0 Comments/in Wedding Planning /by MissElaine

So you are getting married and you have invited all your best people. Do you have a doggo friend? Have you been asking yourself, “Can I have My Dog at My Wedding”? Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge doggo lover. I love officiating weddings with dogs. There are, however, a few “tricks” to consider if you have decided to have your 4-legged friend at the wedding ceremony, possibly even as the ring bearer.

Things to Consider

Is your doggo “crowd friendly,” i.e. is your dog comfortable with a lot of noise and being in a new place with lots of strangers moving around?
Does your doggo listen and obey commands OR does he/she just want to run all over the place and be wild (which can be adorable but not necessarily at a wedding).
Do you want your doggo to stand up front with you during the ceremony OR do you have a handler that will walk your puppers up and then be responsible for him/her?

Here is a great article written by the AKC (American Kennel Club) that goes into more depth about having your dog at your wedding: 12 Tips on How to Include Your Dog in Your Wedding. Say YES to the Pet!

Dogs are a great addition to any wedding, but you must be realistic AND prepared. I have never had anything go wrong when there is a dog at the wedding, but that is because all of the couples below were completely organized with timing, handling, feeding, potty breaks, etc. My best suggestion is to assign someone to be your dog’s handler — someone you trust and someone who knows your pet well. After you have that in place, you should be good to go. Be prepared for lots of chuckles and smiles when your doggo comes running down the aisle to you for lots of scritches.

Click here to Contact Me about your wedding with your pup, and enjoy the gallery below of weddings I have officiated with dogs.

Dog at outdoor wedding, Can I have my dog at my wedding — Outdoor Beach Wedding with “Shadow”
Credit: Jen Sanders Photography

Can I have my dog at my wedding, Dogs in weddings, elopement with dog, Seattle Wedding Officiants — Pike Place Market Nuptials With Best Pals

Washington Park Arboretum With Bride and Her Special Boy
Credit: Jeanne Phinney Photography

Can I have my dog at my wedding, Dogs in weddings, elopement with dog, Seattle Wedding Officiants loves dogs — Great Pyrenees at Private Residence Elopement

Discovery Park Elopements

September 4, 2019/0 Comments/in Elope or Last Minute Wedding, Elopement Style wedding, Elopements, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Elope, Seattle Wedding Officiants /by MissElaine

If you are looking for a beautiful in-city park for your elopement or small wedding, look no further. Discovery Park Elopements have been some of my favorites because the park is so large with so many beautiful back drops.

Discovery Park is a 534 acre natural area park operated by the Seattle Parks and Recreation. It is the largest city park in Seattle, and occupies most of the former Fort Lawton site. Situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular view of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. As a result, the site is one of breathtaking majesty. Discovery park also includes two miles of protected tidal beaches as well as open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets and streams.

Whether it’s spring, summer, winter or fall, you can get married surrounded by nature and you won’t even have to leave the city! Check out the beautiful photos below captured by Rick Takagi Photography. In addition, you can read more about my elopement services here – Small, Elope or Last minute Wedding.

Seattle Wedding Officiants, Elope Seattle, Seattle Elopements, Discovery Park Elopement, Rick Takagi Photography, Wedding Officiant, Washington Elopements — Discovery Park Beach Summer

Elope with Seattle Wedding Officiants

January 13, 2019/0 Comments/in Elope or Last Minute Wedding, Elopement Style wedding, Elopements, Last Minute Wedding, Seattle Elope, Seattle Wedding, Seattle Wedding Officiants, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

Are you getting married but you don’t want to spend a lot of money or deal with planning a big wedding? There are many reasons why couples choose to elope, but here are the reasons you should Elope with Seattle Wedding Officiants:

You want a small, intimate wedding with just close friends and family
One or both of you have been called on military deployment
Seattle is your vacation destination, and you want a perfectly planned, short-notice destination wedding
Going to the courthouse to get hitched is just too impersonal

I can help you plan the perfect Pacific Northwest elopement, hassle free! My services include the following:

Unlimited communication before, during and after your wedding
Sample ceremonies for you to choose from, which will be our starting point for your personalized ceremony
A guide to writing your own vows
A draft of your ceremony for review
My services to officiate your ceremony at your location
Skip the courthouse! I am a licensed notary, and I will take care of all the paperwork and the running around that goes with it. (Please note: there is an additional $67 fee for the actual marriage license that goes to the county auditor.)
Afterwards, filing paperwork with the county courthouse
Please note: Travel fees may apply outside of Seattle

Following are some of the fantastic locations we went to in 2018:

Elope Seattle, Elope with Seattle Wedding Officiants, Seattle Wedding Officiants, Seattle Elope, Wedding Officiant, Wedding Minister, Last Minute Wedding, Snoqualmie River

Snoqualmie River

Snoqualmie Falls

Kayak Point

Franklin Falls

Washington Park Arboretum / Lower Woodland Pond

Enchant Seattle

Skykomish River

Kirkland Marina Park Pavilion

Franklin Falls trail

Washington Park Arboretum/Pacific Connections

Whether you live in Seattle or are traveling from out of state or out of the country, I can help you plan the perfect elopement! Contact me today for all the details.

Waterfall Elopement

October 31, 2017/0 Comments/in Destination Wedding, Elope or Last Minute Wedding, Elopements, Most Recent, Small Wedding /by MissElaine

One of the things I love about elopements is that the sky is literally the limit as to where, when, and how I get to help couples create something magical for their special day. Just because it’s a small wedding doesn’t mean you have to go to the courthouse. Couples who want something special contact me for ideas and suggestions. Sometimes they want a beach, sometimes they want a park. Bianca and Tony expressed an interest in having a big wedding feel for their elopement. This is what they shared with me:

“We were originally planning to have a destination wedding in February. We decided we didn’t want to wait to get married so we were going to get married at the court house. I felt a little disappointed because I wanted flowers, a dress, and pictures. We looked up eloping in Seattle and found you!”

In our initial consultation we decided on a mid-week early morning elopement with Franklin Falls as our destination. The trail is beautiful and well groomed with tall evergreen trees on every side. The Snoqualmie River runs parallel to the trail and creates a soothing sound of rushing water below. It is a fairly short hike and very enjoyable.

On the day of the wedding, we all met in North Bend, which is a short drive from the trail head to the falls. We drove up in a caravan with their photographer, Jeanne Phinney Photography and me in one car and the couple in the other. They brought along their hair and make-up artist, Shannon Mercil, as an additional witness and to do touch-ups along the way.

Bianca and Tony both brought wedding clothes to change in and hiked up the trail looking lovely. Bianca also had a flower crown made along with a gorgeous bouquet from Woodinville Florist.

It was a pleasant surprise to arrive at the falls and see that we were practically by ourselves. This location can get uncomfortably busy in the summer. Even though it’s less crowded in the fall, weekdays are still best if you want to have the falls to yourself.

We began with some fun pictures in front of the falls and then had their sweet ceremony. They shared a few tears but mostly they were both smiling from ear to ear. Jeanne took some more pictures and then we hiked out.

When we arrived at our cars, Bianca and Tony produced a cake they had brought with them. Jeanne took some fun pictures of them eating cake and having a little toast.

Below are some great photos of Bianca and Tony’s waterfall elopement. Enjoy!

Seattle Wedding Officiants, Seattle Elope, Franklin Falls, Jeanne Phinney Photography, Elaine Way, Elopements Seattle, small wedding Waterfall elopement, Seattle Wedding Officiants, Seattle Elope, Franklin Falls, Jeanne Phinney Photography, Elaine Way, Elopements Seattle, small wedding

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.