Getting Dumped By Your Wedding Officiant - What To Do When Your Officiant Cancels Or Is A "No Show"

As I was leaving Ryan and Angel's wedding ceremony at Volunteer Park yesterday, I checked my phone messages.

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A groom named Larry left a message saying their Officiant was a "no show" on this afternoon and they were in a panic to find someone to marry them. Fortunately, I was able to zip down to Pike Place market and marry them last night, in front of 40+ friends and family.

So, what do you do when your Officiant cancels at the last minute or is a no show? During the high season (March - October), finding an Officiant at the last moment is most often about "luck" or "good fortune" as many Officiants are booked. Sorry, no easy answer here. My best advice is to get on the phone and start dialing. Or as "insurance," make sure you have a copy of your ceremony and get a friend/family member ordained on-line so they can step up in an emergency. This is especially important when it comes to a destination wedding.

Seattle Wedding Nightmares: 4 Important Things To "Know" As You Plan Your Wedding Day in Seattle, Washington...

Weddings are a beautiful thing. Especially in Seattle, Washington during the popular summer months.

And, on the way to a wedding day in Seattle, there are "local/regional planning situations" that can create added wedding day anxiety, stress and the occasional wedding planning nightmare.

As you plan your Seattle wedding this summer, I invite you to consider these 4 planning tips if you want to want to move into your wedding day with more grace and ease:

1) Seattle's Seafair Weekend - Traffic! Each Summer, Seattle goes crazy for its annual Seafair celebration. This culminates on the first week-end of August (check the calendar for exact dates) with a 3-day weekend extravaganza which includes hydroplanes and aerial acrobatics by the Navy's Blue Angels. Due to hydro practices and Blue Angel practices, the two bridges over Lake Washington are closed for periods of time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, creating traffic chaos in Seattle.

If you have other dates to work with before confirming a wedding date, I encourage you to select another weekend. If you already have your date planned, consider putting an earlier ceremony start time on your invitation as people are often delayed/late because of traffic. Also, depending on where your ceremony is located, you may have engine noise from overhead as the Blue Angels fly over!

2) The Seattle Mariners/Seattle Seahawks/Seattle Sounds (August/September traffic nightmare combo) - Again, this is a well-known event cocktail that can create serious local traffic snafus, particularly if a wedding is located in downtown Seattle. Each August and September, the Seattle Mariners, Sounders and Seahawks schedule a game on the same day - and as both sports facilities are only a block or so apart, this create monumental traffic jams in and out of Seattle.

If you can, check ahead and see when the Mariners, Sounders and Seahawks are scheduled and adjust your wedding start time as needed. If you have already booked your wedding date and both teams are playing, alert your guests and suggest they arrive early to enjoy a complimentary cocktail!

3) Be Careful About Booking Your Wedding At The Seattle Center Space Needle On Bumbershoot Weekend - Bumbershoot is a huge and very fun music festival hosted at Seattle's Seattle Center each Labor Day Weekend. If you are looking at The Space Needle for your wedding ceremony and celebration (a very cool place!), talk to staff about logistics and parking because of the high auto and foot traffic all over The Seattle Center grounds.

Also, beware that if you do hold your wedding high in the sky in The Space Needle, you may hear music from the bands playing below. For most couples, this only adds to the color of their wedding!

4) Timing It Right And Don't Get Left Behind: Catching A Ferry to Kitsap County In The Summer Months - Each year, hundreds of weddings are held across the Sound from downtown Seattle in the beautiful area of Kitsap County. From Seattle, you can drive to Kitsap County and it's most convenient to take a ferry from downtown Seattle to either Bainbridge Island or Bremerton.

If you are planning your wedding on a popular Summer Seattle day, beware that the Washington State Ferries are packed with autos and people and oftentimes, family and friends have to wait one or two ferries before they can get on.

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

Marriage License: How To Apply For A Marriage License in Seattle, WA/King County...

Okay, there isn't the most romantic of topics and here you go!

To be married in Seattle, Washington, you need a valid marriage license. Whether you are being married in three days, next week or next month, here are easy steps to obtain and use your license in Seattle.

If you are being married in Seattle, Washington, you need a valid marriage license issued by King County (or any County in Washington State).

To do this, you and your partner will visit a Marriage Licensing office in Seattle/King County during regular business hours. The cost for the license is $64, cash or debit/credit card. No blood test is required and both of you must at least 18 years of age.

When you leave the government office, you'll walk away with a packet of legal paperwork which you will give to your Officiant or Minister on your wedding day. The person who marries you must review this paperwork before your ceremony takes place and he or she will then get required signatures (both of yours and two witnesses) and return your signed legal document back to the County for processing/certification.

Note: There is a 3-day waiting period from the date your marriage license is issued. What this means is that from the date your license is issued, you must wait 3 full days before you can be legally married. Also, most people who reside in the Seattle area secure their marriage license in Seattle. If by chance you are being married in any other County in Washington State, the license you secure in Seattle/King County is valid in all Counties in Washington State.

For more information, please visit the King County Marriage License website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/marriage.aspx or call (206) 296 4021. All particulars are on this website (including office locations) and while most couples do apply for a license in person, you may initiate the process via phone and regular mail.

Once you have your valid license in hand and have exhausted the three-day waiting period, you can get married!

On Your Wedding Day, Take A Break To Create Sweet Personal Moments...

My wedding day was a blur.

I don't remember much.

What the heck happened?

I wish I could have relaxed more.

In working with couples, I often take pre-emptive action around the ceremony portion of a wedding day so a couple has some private time or quiet time immediately after their ceremony.

Yes, a wedding day is a huge/big experience. A smart couple consciously creates "moments" during a day where they are alone, quiet and can just "be."

As you consider "what to do" immediately after your ceremony, consider this possibility - take "quiet/private time" right after you walk away from your "we're married" moment.

Instead of a receiving line or turning around to greet family and friends, take 15-20 minutes alone together. You will never again have your "just married" moment so take advantage of this time to sit together, go for a short walk with your photographer or share some champagne and appetizers.

Also, while the words of your ceremony are very important, work with your Officiant around the "feeling" of your ceremony. This will help create moments within your ceremony that you will remember. Oftentimes, a couple doesn't really remember many of the words from a ceremony (really!). In other words, it's the feeling one remembers more than the words.

The key to sweet personal moments on a wedding day? Set them up - don't expect them just to happen.

Beautiful Photo: David & Rachel - http://www.tashaowen.com/