seattle weddings ~ guest blogger ~ the awesome annemarie chimes in!

this year, i’m adding a new feature to the blog where my favorite people/places/companies can share their thoughts on something wedding-ish!  i’m ‘kicking it off’ with none other than annemarie juhlian, officiant extraordinaire….i met her at amy & derek’s wedding back in march of ’09 where her spunk and sass ‘had me at hello’.  it’s been super awesome getting to work with her ever since and i love calling her friend…i threw in a few photos of her doing her officiant thing to add to her helpful hints…here she is!

Annemarie says:  Jenny!  So happy to contribute to your amazing blog ~ thank you for giving me the opportunity to play in your sandbox!  Like you, I am super happy in this work, yet we both know there are so many pieces around a wedding day that need attention for best results.  Here’s my take on keeping our couples on a best track and out of trouble!  Love you!  Annemarie

5 Top Tips For a Fabulous Wedding Ceremony & Celebration – Seattle Style!

As an excited and enthusiastic engaged couple, you have a big variety of choices and decisions to make around the size, design and scope of your wedding ceremony and celebration.

If you are in the beginning stages of planning your wedding or have been in planning mode for a while, here are 5 important planning tips and considerations to help you plan and design a successful Northwest wedding day.

Plan Your Seattle Wedding During The Off-Season Or On A Weekday: The popular months for a Northwest wedding are April through the end of October. The “off-season” tends to run from November through March and oftentimes Seattle venues and vendors offer preferred pricing during this slower time.  Couples can also find special deals on venues and services when scheduling their wedding on a weekday during all months.

Unique Northwest “Outdoor Elements” For Your Wedding:  Throughout the Puget Sound area, we have many wedding venues, properties and parks with amazing water and countryside views.  As you plan your wedding, decide if you’d like to take advantage of what is unique to the Northwest and incorporate this into your wedding day.

You may decide that you want to be married waterside on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound with Seattle in the background, at the Seattle Arboretum surrounded by lush gardens and views of Lake Washington, at a contemporary venue in SODO or perhaps aboard a Washington State ferry!

Consider Traffic, Puget Sound Events and Road/Bridge Closures:   Really.  If you are planning a wedding ceremony and celebration, you are smart to consider road/bridge closures and community wide events – including summer celebrations like The Bite of Seattle, Bumbershoot and sporting events. If you know what is going on during the week or week-end of your wedding, you can offer family and friends alternate routes and/or time line your wedding day to make things easy and stress-free.

Timing It Right: Catching a Ferry in the Summer Months: Each year, hundreds of weddings are held across the Sound from downtown Seattle in Kitsap County.

If you are planning your wedding with ferry travel during the summer, be aware that Washington State Ferries are packed with autos and people. On Thursday, Friday and weekends, family and friends may have to wait one or two ferries before they can get on.

To make things more convenient for your guests, have them walk-on the ferry and plan for a bus or shuttle on the other side to get them to your wedding venue. This way, your family and friends can park on the “Seattle side” and enjoy a ferry ride with curbside service to your wedding!

Honeymoon In Your Backyard: Seattle and Puget Sound! Instead of taking a honeymoon immediately after your wedding day, what about a honeymoon in your backyard?

Whether this is snuggling into an Inn in downtown Seattle and enjoying the arts and nightlife for a few evenings, ferrying to a nearby Island for a soothing respite or hiking in the Cascade Mountains or around Mt. Rainier, many couples seem to be opting for a short honeymoon and save a larger post-wedding adventure for “later.”

Annemarie Juhlian is a Wedding Officiant & Celebrant in based in Seattle, Washington. She creates personalized wedding ceremonies for couples of all faiths and traditions. Take a peek:  marriedbyannemarie