Matthew and Angela Finally Say "I Do!"

"I do" - two words Angela and Matthew have wanted to say for years!

O'Dell Center in Kent had an open house today.  We were happy to be invited to the event and to learn about a venue that is new to us.  Kent was our representative.

The highlight of the afternoon was his exchange with Matthew and Angela.  The two married a few years ago.  They had met with us and at the time thought our fee was a bit over their budget. They decided to go with another officiant.  

Angela and Matthew recognized Kent immediately and were excited to share their "wedding ceremony story" with him.  In hindsight, the two wished they had chosen one of us to officiate for them.

Their wedding day was going very well ... until the ceremony.  The officiant had a "melt down" and in the confusion, skipped pages of the ceremony.  Angela noticed and pointed this out to the officiant several times.  When all was said and done, the couple didn't realize until after the ceremony that they had never actually said, "I do."  They regretted not saying these two simple words to this day.

Angela wanted to make it right and asked Kent if they could do so on the spot.  Kent was overjoyed to oblige.  The couple joined hands, Kent asked if they would take each other as husband and wife, they jubilantly responded, "I do," and kissed.

Satisfaction at last!  

Kent asked for a photo and permission to share their story, which was happily given.  Matthew and Angela look forward to seeing this blog post.  

The end!   (Not really.  It's the continuation of a very happy marriage!!!)

Finding the Perfect Officiant for You!

Last week we met with a couple who were so in love and so concerned about finding the "perfect" officiant for them.  Each came from a different culture and different religious background.  They had many considerations but nothing seemed to work.

First, they thought of asking the bride's pastor to officiate, but circumstances didn't allow that.  Plus, the groom didn't have a relationship with the person.

Then, there was the friend of a friend ... but they knew there wouldn't be a close connection with that person and there was huge anxiety about the type of ceremony they would have.  Not a good option.

The next step was looking on the Internet.  And that is where they found us.  The bride and groom were so relieved.  They were practically dancing when they left our home/office.  They had found an officiant who honored both their communities and looked for ways to bring them together, an officiant they liked and enjoyed the company of, an officiant they trusted, an officiant who had the experience and resources to create an amazing ceremony with them, an officiant who was organized and would guide them in finding wording they loved, an officiant who helps them plan for and direct their rehearsal so they could enjoy it, a person who they feel comfortable with when they shared their very personal wedding vows, an officiant they want at the reception to share their joy.

Of course we are proud members of many wonderful wedding sites, from Junebug Weddings and The Knot to Thumbtack and a preferred officiant at 200+ venues.  

Give us a call at 206.789.9788 or contact us through our website to find your "perfect" officiant!

E/M Fine Art Open House

The white theme really worked.

Kent and I attended the open house at E/M Fine Art last night.  The gallery is run by Roland Crane and Amanda Hauk ... and is a sweet space.

To get an idea of what a reception would look like, a number of tables were set and decorated with creates from Herban Design.  I liked this one in particular, with it pussy willows and calla lilies so in tempo with the season.

Kent and I enjoying the space!

Of course, we had to check out what it would be like to stand in the officiant space.  The brick wall provide a textural background, the trees and uplighting add ambience and the candelabras would work perfectly for a unity candle celebration.  It felt good.  Easily, over 100 people could be seated for the ceremony.

This is the entrance to the gallery.  The back panel can be moved to whatever position you like.  It is a great cocktail area.

Love plants -- doesn't this look good?

Herban Designs were showcased on all the tables.  Love the curling tendrils of this one.

A congenial place to meet and talk!

Upstairs is the bar/lounge area.  This photo doesn't really do it justice.  You can look over the railings to the happenings below.

And you have to love the food!  Herban Feast featured pan seared scallops on paella, along with a cheese spread and passed appetizers.  Quite yummy!!

There really is an art to food photography.  This was scrumptious!!

Let's see.  Alan Chitlik was the DJ.  Sadie and Jay from Sadie and Jay Photography were taking photos.  Herban Feast provide the floral designs and the food.  These are just some of the people who made it a very wonderful night.

If you are thinking of marrying at E/M Fine Art, give us a call or contact us through our website.

Mark and Denise - A Valentine's and Chinese New Year Wedding

Talk about an auspicious day to marry  --  February 14, 2010. 

Denise and Mark wanted to celebrate both the Western day of Love and the Eastern day of new beginnings.







In numerology, I believe, it adds up as well:     
            2 for February

         + 5 for the day 

         + 3 for the year

          10, reduced to a prime number is 1, 

                the number of new beginnings.)

The bride and groom are obviously happy!

So family and friends gathered at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School, which was decorated beautifully in red and white, of course. The joy of the day was evident -- all the way down to the ring bearer!

The couple selected a poem written by Lao Tzu to share during the ceremony.

See clearly

  your love is a great mystery.

It is like an eternal lake

  whose waters are always still and clear like glass.

It is like a deep well

  whose water are cool and pure.

Drinking from it you can be reborn.

You do not have to stir the waters or dig the well.

Merely see yourself clearly and drink deeply.

Mr. and Mrs. exit with huge smiles on their faces!

The view from to top is well worth the climb up! 

One of the many things I love about the Blue Ribbon Cooking School is it's proximity to so many Seattle landmarks.  The water tower at Volunteer Park is incredible!  It backdrops the wedding party so nicely. 

Dear Pat -

It was an absolute pleasure and a relief to have someone as talented, thoughtful and pleasant as yourself to walk us through out most important day! 

Thanks for making it seem effortless and for making the ceremony so special. 

Sincerely,

Mark and Denise

Now, here we are ... coming up on their first anniversary.  Sending the two "double happiness" in their life together!!

Hats off to Cheryl Chudyk for her fine photos and to Lindsey, the couple's coordinator at the Blue Ribbon Cooking School.

When planning your double romantic, double joyous, double lucky wedding day, think of us - a doubly talented officiant team -- and give us a call at 206.789.9788 or contact us at our website.

Acalia Open House

The buffet station was beautiful!

Kent and I were fortunate to be invited to Acalia's Open House, which is always a great time.  The space is so bright and airy, even on a cloudy winter day.  It just feels good to be in the atrium.

There were several food presentations.  The "spring" fare featuring the braised ribs (my favorite entree) was at the buffet, the "summer fare" which was served at several tables and included chicken, the gyros at a separate station.  Plus, there were passed specialties.

This is the hanging appetizer station

I love appetizers ... and Foodz Catering had some very good one.  My fave was the cured salmon on a shrimp chip (please forgive me if I named the base incorrectly).  It tastes great.

There was popcorn with truffle oil, shrimp on coconut rice and duck on endive.  All good.

Zack and Kristine kept us "on beat."

We caught up with old friends, Kristine, and her son, Zack, of  Wave Link Music, Inc, who were the DJs.

Victorian Cake from New Renaissance Cakes

Scott Eklund of red box pictures and Bonnie Lyons of New Renaissance Cakes were also there.   I realize that Bonnie's cakes are as pretty as a picture but I really enjoyed tasting all the flavors.  I lean toward the Belgium Chocolate, the Hazelnut, the Poppyseed, and the Carrot Cake.  Kent was chocolate down the line:  Belgium Chocolate, Chocolate Espresso and Chocolate Orange.

The floral displays were by Dogwood Designs

We also made new friends:  Katie Cunningham of Dogwood Designs Floral Studio and Cindy Dovinh, Sales and Marketing Manager of the MarQueen Hotel and Inn at Queen Anne.

And I apologize to Shelby Sewell, Chef and Owner Acalia Event Space and Foodz Catering.  We did talk with her but I didn't take out my camera until afterward.

Here's where the officiant stands.
Photo by Scott Eklund
red box pictures

If you're planning a wedding at Acalia and need an officiant, give us a call or contact us through our website.  We would be very happy to assist you!!

Photo Booths

What a group!

Last night while Kent and I were talking with a couple who were planning their wedding, the topic of doing something fun and unusual during the reception came up ... and I remembered what a great time we always have with photo booths.

At the Seattle Wedding Expo last weekend, there were two variations.  The Aura Photo Booth is actually a draped space that allows quite a few people to be included in the photo.  The photos to the right include one officiant (me), four photographers and a facility coordinator.  We are a fine looking group, aren't we? 

The advantages of this booth is that there is room for a number of people to be included in the photo, they do provide props for fun photos and each person receives a copy of the images. 

Other booths we recently have had tried out are 321 Photo and Robert Riner Studios.

The other possibility was offered by Vivid Images Photography.  Kimberly Halinen had a red curtain set up and a number of wooden signs and props.  She had flash on stands and personally took the photos.

What I liked about this booth was the interaction with Kimberly, the playfulness of the signs and glasses and more, the ability to take a number of photos and the quality of the images.

Jennifer and Scott of Red Fish Blue Fish also offer such a booth called Studio-On-The-Go.  

What a great idea all around.  Thanks everyone for the possibilities of great memories.

Yes, we to attend a lot of weddings, receptions, shows and open houses so we have a chance to experiment and try things.  For ideas, please contact us at 206.789.9788 or through our website.

Hotel 1000 Hosts Wedding Celebration of David and Vickie

One of the most interesting and playful parts of officiating is hearing how couples meet and "fall in love."  For David and Vickie their story began at the Karma Lounge.  Isn't that just too perfect!!!

They wanted a ceremony that would acknowledge family, have some traditional elements yet be genuine and heartfelt. 

 
The ceremony and reception both took place at the Hotel 100, right in the heart of downtown Seattle.  The light in the atrium was "heavenly."


Dave's son and daughter sat in the front row.  The couple wanted to recognize what a huge part their children play in their lives and how proud they are of both of them.  (Weddings are such a great time to show appreciation for those we love.)

There was so much to be happy about.  Good feelings and joy permeated the service.  Isn't that great?

"Thanks Pat. You did a wonderful job and we had MANY compliments on how great you were.  We agree!

Again thank you for taking part in our special day. We loved you!"
~Vickie and David

A toast to love found and love lived!  May Vickie and David be ever happy!!

Studio Joe + Jill captured the spirit of the day. 
Flowers were provided by Melissa of Terra Bella Flowers.  (I love this connection too.  David frequently buys Vickie flowers at Terra Bella, which is an organic florist.  Melissa naturally created the flowers for their wedding.)

And Jubilee Cupcakes and Vintage Candy added the icing on the cake, so to speak.


There are marvelous hotel wedding venues in Seattle.  We are located nearby in Green Lake and always enjoy going "downtown."  So if you have decided on one of these locations for your special day, please give us a call at 206.789.9788 or contact us through our website.