As you may have heard by now, Young Hip & Married has expanded into Seattle, Washington! We are so excited to be Seattle wedding officiants, helping WA couples tie the knot.
To help you plan the most epic Seattle wedding, we’re turning to our expert, Seattle Officiant Janie! Janie has officiated many Seattle weddings and is ready to share her wisdom to help you plan yours.
Here’s everything you need to know when planning a Seattle wedding.
Planning a wedding in Seattle? You need a rain plan
Seattle is known as the Emerald City because of how green and lush it is. And you know what makes it so green and lush? All that rain. Seattle is one of the rainiest cities in all of America so it’s essential that couples plan for rain.
If you’re hoping for no rain, have your wedding in the summer. Janie says, “Summer in Seattle is usually perfect for weddings; it’s not too hot, not too cold, but it can rain, of course. So preparing for that possibility is vital – if you want an outdoor wedding, you need to have an indoor plan. Bringing umbrellas is also a good idea.”
For elopements and small weddings, we definitely support the umbrella idea!
Consider a farm venue
Farm weddings are hugely popular in Seattle, and for good reason. Janie filled us in that most larger Seattle weddings she officiates these days are actually held on farms outside of the city.
Janie shares why she thinks this is, “One reason for this, I think, is many people here have weddings outdoors, but the farm provides an indoor option if the weather is bad. Also, most of these venues are all-inclusive with the ceremony and food for the reception.” Sounds like a pretty great venue option!
DIY your flowers
Many couples like to DIY elements of their wedding in order to save costs, add a personal touch and get more involved in their wedding plans. If that sounds like you, Janie suggests an easy area where you could add DIY to your Seattle wedding. She says, “Many people buy bunches of flowers at Pike Place Market or one of the other farmers’ markets in the city the day before or day of the wedding and make their own bouquets and table centerpieces.”
If you’re feeling creative, why not give DIY flowers a try?
Channel PNW vibes
If you’re lucky enough to be getting married in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, you might as well lean into the natural theme all around you. It isn’t really a Seattle wedding without some essential PNW elements. Janie describes the PNW vibe perfectly, “Natural, very green, DIY and purposely not too refined. We love locally sourced, reusable, organic items and ingredients.”
Getting married at the park? Get your permit!
Heed Janie’s warning here to ensure you don’t get kicked out of your perfect wedding venue. “If you want to get married in the city at a park, you do need to get a permit from Seattle Parks and Rec, which isn’t too difficult. The most popular sites I’ve been to are Washington State Arboretum (which has beautiful huge trees and flowers), Japanese Gardens, and Alki Beach.”
Watch out for traffic
Seattle is infamous for two things. One of them is the rain. And the other is the traffic. But don’t worry – Janie has your back. She has lots of awesome advice to help you and your guests avoid Seattle’s notoriously bad traffic.
Janie shares, “If you’re getting married on the weekend, traffic might not be too bad. Except for Friday evenings, those are terrible. Pay attention to bridge closures. The 520 bridge and I-90 bridge both often close on weekends and make traffic a bit of a nightmare, especially if guests are expected to travel across Lake Washington.”
One more thing to think about? Sports. Janie continues, “The other traffic thing to pay attention to is sporting events – Mariners’ games, Seahawks’ games, University of Washington football games. That can grind traffic to a halt on the weekends as well.” You’ve been warned!
Ask about venue access
Here’s one you might not have thought about. Sure, your Seattle wedding ceremony is scheduled for noon, but what time do you have access to the venue? Can you go in at 9:00 AM to set up? Or are you not allowed in until 11:45 AM?
Janie warns, “If the wedding party can’t get into the venue until right before the ceremony begins, it makes preparations for everyone involved pretty frantic.” So be sure to ask your venue exactly when you can gain access and begin your wedding day preparations.
Thank you so much to Officiant Janie, our Seattle wedding expert, for sharing all of her firsthand advice and wisdom. You can read more about Janie here and contact us to book her as your Seattle wedding officiant.
Stay tuned – we’ll be sharing Janie’s top Seattle wedding venues in a future post!
