Throwback from February 2009 Featuring Melissa & Eddy (Mt Lake Terrace, WA)

I had the privilege to work with Melissa & Eddy to plan their Valentine's Day wedding celebration earlier this year. Melissa & Eddy were referred to me by a past couple I served. It's always a treat to have a former client pass my name along to a friend or co-worker -- it's a great feedback for me!

Melissa & Eddy are chefs who met on the job and whose friendship grew. They are from two different cultures (she is from the states while he is from Latin America) so I was able to reflect this into their celebration. Melissa & Eddy wanted to also incorporate Eddy's first language, Spanish, into the celebration. After our initial planning session and many variations on how we could do this, Melissa & Eddy decided upon having their wedding vows in their native languages. I would be saying this portion of their ceremony in both English and Spanish!

Melissa' mom and stepdad hosted their celebration in their Bothell, WA home. It was so wonderful to watch so many of their family and friends pulling together to make their wedding celebration and reception fantastic. As I had mentioned earlier, this bride and groom are chefs. Can you imagine what the food at their reception was like?? FABULOUS!! Co-workers (who were also friends) of theirs helped with the cooking and serving of their buffet-style reception. On the menu was prime rib with au jus, rich chicken and tortellini in an alfredo sauce, shrimp ceasar salad, and platters of fresh fruit and vegetables. Another friend of theirs created their wedding cake. It was a full house of guests and Melissa & Eddy put their entire celebration together for under $1K. Another thrifty couple!

I wanted to share this particular wedding because it's a great example of how different cultures were displayed, the couple was hands-on in the preparation of their ceremony & reception , they were blessed with family and friends who helped with details and preparation, and all without this couple going into serious debt.

Congratulations, Melissa & Eddy! Many blessings and years of happiness to you and your family.

It's A Small World After All

Do you remember hearing about the "7 Degrees of Separation" theory? It is said that each of us can be traced back to each other with only seven people or less. In the 90s, there was a pop culture game called the "7 Degrees of Kevin Bacon". Am I dating myself? :)

Well, in the wedding industry this theory often times proves true!

In August, I had the pleasure of performing the wedding ceremony for Allison & Greg. They came to me via a co-worker, Miranda, who I served a few years ago as her wedding officiant. Allison & Greg had met at work and as fate would have it, would lead to a love connection of their own! They choose to celebrate their love and commitment in an intimate ceremony with their family and friends close by the beach to serve as their backdrop.

On my way to their Stanwood oasis, I happened to get a call from a friend of mine. She had asked if I happened to be doing a wedding for Allison & Greg, co-workers of her husband's. Amazingly enough I was! This isn't the first time that this has happened over the span of my seven year career. I have performed ceremonies for clients' cousins, co-workers (of course), classmates,, family members, and even ex-partners!

Ask me about my "friends & family" discount that is available.

Until next time,

Tiffani the upbeat wedding officiant

A Photographer & Officiant For $1,000 ???

photo courtesy of marcusphotographyaz.com

Award winning photojournalist & Pacific Northwesterner Marcus Nichols is teaming up with Evening Magazine’s “Best Of Western Washington” Wedding Officiant finalist, Tiffani the Upbeat Wedding Officiant, to offer an amazing, recession-busting package.

(If you are planning a wedding from September through December 2010, we are talking to you!)

For $1,000 you can obtain the services and work of these two highly credited wedding professionals!

Services by Tiffani include:

• Planning session
• rehearsal conducted
• coordination with your wedding vendors for your ceremony
• arrival to your venue 1 hr prior to your ceremony
• a personalized ceremony written on behalf of you & your fiancée
• a keepsake copy of your ceremony
• filing of all completed marriage paperwork with the county

Services by Marcus include:

• photojournalistic approach to document your wedding day
• onsite photography of bride & groom as they “get ready”
• ceremony photography
• portrait photography available
• memorable, tasteful & fun reception photography
• photos placed on CD and you have all of the rights!

These services are available at a dramatic savings of over $1500. Inquire about our availability today. Call 425-508-8090 or email tiffani@upbeatweddingofficiant.com Please include wedding day & venue location in your email.

Wedding Season 2010 Is In Full Swing!

Well, wedding season is officially underway! For this officiant, May kicks off the beginning of many busy months. In the month of May alone, I had the privilege of serving 11 couples and bringing them into marriage. Congratulations to:

Tracy & David
Beth & Harry
Jessica & Josh
Jennifer & Danny
Jaime & Scott
Jeremy & Becky
Brandy & Shawn
Brian & Megan
Racheal & Shannon
Micheal & Michelle
Catherine & Sal

Best of W. WA Wedding Officiants

It's amazing to be able to serve the people I bring into marriage. It's wonderful to hear the feedback their guests, families and friends provide me after I've delivered the wedding celebration. It's humbling to be able to be nominated for last year's 2009 KING 5's Best of Western WA wedding officiant category and to finish in 3rd place!

I was up against 22 different wedding officiants. (It's amazing to realize how many people perform ceremonies!) I had some pretty tough competition, too. I was able to read all of the wonderful comments and feedback that were casted on that website. (For a quick reference, please visit this link: http://www.best.king5.com/an-upbeat-wedding-officiant/biz/490097#more ) A great big thank you to all who took the time to cast your vote and to those who left kind words and messages, too. A congratulations to my colleagues who placed in the 1st and 2nd positions! See you next year. :)

"Best of Western WA" wedding officiant contest

Every year, KING 5's Evening Magazine has what they've dubbed "Best of Western Washington" contest, open to different industries and businesses throughout Western Washington. This year, I had the honor of not only being nominated but also running against 20 wedding officiants in the same category.

The polls closed after about a month and the winners were announced on October 26th. Guess what?? Tiffani, The Upbeat Wedding Officiant placed 3rd! This was very exciting for me. I was up against some very long term wedding officiants, pastors and celebrants. There was about a week and a half where I did get to enjoy first place. As the contest progressed colleagues of mine who have been in the wedding business fought for first and second places.

Here's the link to my page:

http://best.king5.com/winners/best-of-western-washington/4749/weddings/officiant?place=3

Congratulations to all of you! A special, BIG THANKS to all of my clients, their family and friends who supported me during this run with your kind words, positive feedback and votes!

Memorial Service For Wedding Officiant, Sean Patrick O'Reilly

As a wedding officiant, we are selected by engaged couples to join them on a very happy and exciting day in their relationship. The joys I have personally received as an officiant & celebrant are memories that will last me my lifetime.

I recently read of the passing of a wedding officiant/celebrant who was well known in the wedding industry and throughout Puget Sound -- Sean Patrick O'Reilly. He was also an award winning officiant.

There will be a celebration of his life on October 4th, 2009 in West Seattle. Although I did not get the chance to know him personally, he was a colleague nonetheless. I plan on attending this celebration to pay tribute to a man who was blessed to be a part of the ministry that few are called to do.

Here is a link to his website for more information:

www.seanpatrickoreilly.com

God's blessings to you and your family, Sean. May your energy and love live on through the memories that you were a part of and the wonderful work you did.

Catching up

Pictured: Tiffani pre-ceremony talking with groom, Vince

It's been awhile since I have been on here to blog. I have been blessed with a very busy and productive wedding season, despite our lagging economy!

I'll be spending the next several weeks updating my blog, posting some of my favorite couples and weddings along with pictures on here. Keep checking back in to see my progress! (You can also subscribe to my blog but clicking on the button...just look for "follow blog" option.)

Happy September, everyone!

Wedding Venue Review: Tibbetts Creek Manor, An Issaquah wedding venue

Jennifer & Ivan's wedding was my first trip to Tibbetts Creek Manor in Issaquah. It is located off of I-90 and very accessible from the freeway. Tibbetts Creek Manor is a beautiful facility, which offers indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception options. This is a great option for the Pacific Northwest's unpredictable weather patterns.

The dressing areas are upstairs and private. Although they are located not far from the main entrance, the winding staircase separates the guests' entrance from the private quarters. Restrooms are located on both floors which avoids having the bride, groom and their bridal party from being seen by guests before the ceremony begins. Who wants to ruin the element of suprise?

There is ample room in the kitchen onsite. Tables, chairs, and linens are available as well. Two parking areas are also available for your guests. The site is also wheelchair accessible. For more information, please visit the Issaquah Parks and Rec department's website.

Love From High School Is Alive & Happy! (Jennifer & Ivan's Issaquah wedding)

Ivan and Jennifer married Saturday, June 20th at Tibbetts Creek Manor in beautiful Issaquah. Ivan and Jennifer connected with me after reading about me on theknot.com's message board. (A current couple that I am working with for their August wedding gave me great praise!) Just a few days after initially contacting me, I knew that this couple was going to be great to work with.

Ivan and Jennifer were high school sweethearts and have been together ever since. They've grown individually and as a couple and have shared in many special moments. Their celebration at Tibbetts Creek Manor was spectacular! They incorporated family and friends into their celebration, from the bridal party to the unity candle lighting. Once again, there was iffy weather that weekend (isn't it SUPPOSED TO BE nice in June??) but Jennifer and Ivan were prepared. They had both an outdoor and covered areas as options for their celebration. Great idea!

Luckily for us, the weather behaved and we had dry weather. The ceremony took place on the lawn, with over 120 guests in attendance. Because of the importance Jennifer's parents have been in her life, she opted to have both her mother and father escort her down the isle to present her to her groom. There were very few dry eyes all throughout the ceremony.

The guests who attended were a mixture of family and friends who had become family. Many people in attendance had known them over the years and played important roles in their formative years. There was definately a lot of love surrounding this couple!

Congratulations, again, Jenny and Ivan! May your wedding day be the day that you always look back upon with a smile.

Wedding Bells.....Again! (Ron & Stephanie from Idaho)

Have you considered renewing your wedding vows? Ron and Stephanie did! They were renewing their vows on their seventh year anniversary, at Stephanie's sister and brother-in-law's home in beautiful Snoqualmie. On their original wedding day, Stephanie's mother was not able to attend. This was a way for Stephanie to have her mother experience their wedding celebration all over again!

Stephanie incorporated different elements from her original ceremony and recreated those moments in their vow renewal ceremony. She came down the staircase to the song that was played during their wedding. Ron and Stephanie also used the unity candle ceremony just as they had before and even had programs with their wedding picture on it! They even exchanged wedding rings. It was a beautiful event!

Congratulations, Ron and Stephanie! Maybe I'll see you in another seven years. :)

Don & Janet (wedding couple from Marysville, WA)

Don & Janet are family friends of mine. They were married Sunday, May 17th, 2009 at a friend's home on Camano Island. It is an extra special experience for me to be able to bring two of my friends into marriage!
Don and Janet were looking to incorporate many different aspects of themselves into their celebration. They had decided to incorporate their Christian beliefs, their family heritages, and other personal touches. Don, who is of Scottish decent, and Janet, who is Native American, also dressed in traditional clothing as it pertained to their families' cultures.
We incorporated a smudging ceremony to celebrate Janet's heritage and a handfasting ceremony to celebrate Don's. Don & Janet met at our church and so they wanted their faith in God to be the foundation of their wedding. I incorporated favorite Scriptures and blessings as well. It was a very touching ceremony. They were beyond pleased with the results!
Congratulations, my friends! Many blessings to you both.

Yolanda & Jamaal (Everett, WA wedding couple)

Yolanda and Jamaal married on Saturday, May 9th, 2009 at the Daughters of the American Revolution, Rainier chapter in Seattle. Yolanda was a DIY bride and planned her celebration from beginning to end. Yolanda heard of me from a website that I advertise on and hired me as their officiant a year prior.
Because of the extensive planning Yolanda did in advance, she was able to meet many of the suggested deadlines early. After her ceremony and honeymoon were done, I touched base with Yolanda to ask of any words of wisdom that she could pass down to future bridal couples. Here's what she said:
"The only tips I can think of is don't freak out about the time schedule too much. At least one member of the bridal party will be late, pictures will run late, and so forth. The DJ will mess up at least one song you selected (our intro song and mother-groom song) and the cake might not be perfect (wrong color) but everything will be fine and nobody will notice except the bride!"
Thank you, Yolanda & Jamaal. May you have many years of happiness together!

Rat City Roller Girl Gets Married! (Juan & Jaime of Everett, WA)

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally a very busy wedding weekend for me. This year was no exception! This was the first Memorial Day weekend when I didn't perform one single ceremony in the rain. I think I was more excited than my couples!

Juan and Jaime were one of the four couples that I served. Juan, Jaime and I had been working on the planning of their ceremony for nearly a year. Jaime, who works in the event planning industry, is a bride who wanted to see to it that no rock was left unturned for her special day. Their ceremony was held at the Monte Villa Farmhouse in Bothell, WA (www.montevilla.com).

When Jaime isn't working as an event planner, she moonlights as Anya Heels, a Rat City Roller Girl! (Check out their website at www.ratcityrollergirls.com for more information.) Her husband, Juan, actually proposed to her after a championship game. Many of her Rat City Roller Girl friends attended. Her wedding assistant, Jessica, is also a teammate. The photographers who shot their wedding were also photographers for the team. This definately was a team effort!

Best wishes to all of my couples who married this weekend, including:

* Ron & Stephanie, who renewed their vows in Snoqualmie, WA
* Jason & Joy, who married at the Kellogg Grange Hall in Marysville, WA
* Marina & Rafael, who took a drive from their Sea-Tac home, to get married at my home here in Marysville, WA

How To Be A Smart & Saavy Bride, Part 5

Reception & Ceremony

Here is the last segment of "How To Be A Smart & Saavy Bride:

* Talk to your favorite restaurant to see how much it would cost to rent a private room or even the whole place. This is an option that works best during non-peak hours, as the restaurant might not want to lose their busy weekend crowd.
* Avoid planning your event during typically busy times like June or around
Valentine’s Day. During the “off season", many places will work with you on the price.
* Earn frequent flyer miles for your honeymoon by paying wedding costs with a credit card. Just make sure to pay the balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.
* Find one location for your ceremony and reception to avoid having to provide transportation between venues.
* Skip the champagne and let guests toast with what they are already drinking.
* Reduce the length of your reception, and don't announce a last call for drinks.
* Book in advance since last minute bookings are usually more expensive due to the extra work involved to coordinate everything.
* Hire a student quartet to play during your ceremony or cocktail hour. Check with local colleges and universities.
* For inexpensive wedding favors, bake cookies or make your own sachets filled with Jordan almonds.
* Using an online budget tracker to keep your wedding finances in order and help control overspending.
* It costs merchants an average of 2% (or more) to process a credit card transaction so pay cash for all or part of the more expensive components of the wedding and ask for a cash discount.

How To Be A Smart & Saavy Bride, part 3

Flowers

* Having flowers flown in will raise your costs so only use only in season and readily available flowers.
* To get the best prices, order your flowers from an online wholesaler. Keep in mind, however, that you will be responsible for all of the preparation, trimming and storing them, as well as arranging the flowers the day of the wedding.
Tiffani's tip: Consider visiting your local farmer's market the day of the wedding to pick out large arrangements of flowers at an economically-friendly price!

How To Be A Smart & Saavy Bride, part 2

Invitations
* Save postage and additional paper cost on your wedding invitations by forgoing the inner envelope reply card and asking guests to reply online or by the telephone.
Avoid oversized or bulky invitations since this greatly increases your postage costs.
* Skip ordering the reception cards, have the reception information printed on the bottom of the invitation.
* Instead of paying extra for your invitations to arrive assembled, buy a few bottles of wine, gather friends and have an invitation assembly party! (Just don’t spill the wine on your invites by accident.)

Tiffani's tip: Use scrapbooking material such as stickers, ribbons, and other goodies to create your own invitations! This is a great idea if you are looking at a smaller guest list. Each card is unique, just like you. :)

Marriage Paperwork

Many couples ask me about "the paperwork". When do you get it? Do you (meaning me, as the officiant) buy it? How long do we have before we can buy it? These are all very good questions to ask.

The marriage paperwork is a small, yet important, factor on wedding day. I like to say that without the marriage paperwork it's just a nice get together with friends or one big party. With that being said, the marriage paperwork places an important role after the I do's and before the reception gets underway.

A marriage license can be purchased anywhere in Washington state and can be used anywhere in Washington state. You also don't have to be a resident of Washington state to purchase paperwork. Each county has their own rules and regulations that they follow. What is consistent in each county is this: there is a three day wait period before you can use it (WA state law). You also have up to sixty days to be able to use the paperwork, once the waiting period has been met.

Something I offer to each of my couples is the option of having me file the completed paperwork. Regardless of what county you've purchased the paperwork in, I will see to it that the final paperwork is forwarded to the county of origin. This is part of each wedding package I offer. My thought is wouldn't it be nice to be able to go on your honeymoon without the added worry of turning in your paperwork?

For any paperwork purchased in Snohomish county, I hand deliver each document and also offer to pick up any certified copies of the marriage certificate at no additional charge. (The clerks at the Snohomish county auditor's office know me by name!) Just another service I offer to my couples.

I also answer any questions that my couples may have regarding name changes or what to do next, once the paperwork has been filed. For me, it's important to be able to finish my journey with my couples and giving them peace of mind that all i's are dotted and all t's are crossed.

So, rest assured, if I am serving as your officiant I will help you in the process from beginning to end, and sometimes even in the days after wedding day!

"Green" Weddings (or "enviornmentally-friendly")

I have heard of many couples looking to be more earth-friendly in their celebrations. I came across a great article about how couples can incorporate some very practical ideas while considering the environment in their celebration. Here's a summary:

Ceremony
1. Keep the ceremony small - limit the number of guests.
2. Choose a venue that uses environmentally responsible practices --- pesticide-free lawns, clean energy, etc. Look for a LEED-certified location.
3. Keep the location natural.
4. Choose an indoor venue that has lots of natural light.
5. Keep it local - less travel, and support your local economy!
6. Have the ceremony and reception in the same place or within walking distance of each other.


Reception
1. Set out recycle bins at the reception. Quick and easy -- all you need are a few pieces of paper to label "cans", "plastic" and "paper". Want to take it a step further? Offer an extra can and mark it "compost" for food scraps!
2. Choosing organic or locally grown -- they can provide environmentally-friendly options.
3. Put the "green" theme into your centerpieces. Table decor can take the form of small perenials or baby bushes that can later by planted by your guests. If you are looking for a vessel for the center of your table to hold sea shells or colorful rocks, consider vases made from recycled glass or a bamboo bowl, which are renewable. (There are many options if you want to give small trees, seeds, bulbs or plants.
4. Earth-friendly products and services are growing and often as simple as buying local. Supporting a local artist is much more earth friendly than having cheap trinkets shipped half way around the world. An easy wedding favor idea? Give something organic!

Dresses, Tuxedos & Accessories
1. Choose a vintage or used gown.
2. Choose a dress made from organic cotton, organic silk, hemp or hemp/silk blends.
3. Rent a dress.
4. Choose a dress that can be repurposed later (cocktail dress, etc.).
5. Donate the dress after the wedding.
6. Sell the dress afterwards through eBay or a consignment store.
7. Encourage bridesmaids to choose their own dress that they can reuse later.
8. Rent a tux.
9. Avoid leather shoes.
10. Buy jewelry made from recycled precious metals and stones. And don't forget the possibilities of transforming vintage pieces into radiantly recycled classics.


For more great ideas, visit http://greatgreenwedding.com/blog/.



Happy planning!

The Manor in Everett, WA

Here's a picture of me at The Manor's open house back in January of this year. Heather, events coordinator at The Manor, had invited a select group of wedding vendors to attend this four hour event. I highly recommend checking if your wedding venue hosts any of these events. It's a great way to "see" how the venue is set up and the live action.

At The Manor's open house, there was an array of vendors, from dj's to live music to bridal boutiques and, of course, a few wedding officiants. The main chef of The Manor (also a previous groom of mine that I had married off in 2008!) had different samplings of their menu to try. There were also accessories for your reception, including vendors who supply chair covers, party favors and cakes.