Your ceremony should be a true reflection of yourselves as a couple. There are many ways to be creative and to make the ceremony fun and even a little daring if that is your desire.

When I meet with couples to plan their wedding, we discuss all of the options available. This creates a ceremony that is specially customized and personal, uniquely yours, and exactly according to your wishes. With this in mind, I offer the following:

Consultation    Ceremony Script    Wedding Packages & Fees   Rehearsal    Attire   Location   Travel    Web Design   Payment   Extras

Questionnaire

Whatever happens during the ceremony itself (dropping the rings, flubbing your lines, etc.) becomes part of the magic and joy of the moment, and contributes to the specialness of the day. In fact, it is things like this that make your ceremony so very priceless and unforgettable.

I have available to me a variety of ceremonies, from more traditional to alternative, reflecting many spiritual beliefs as well as being devoid of all spiritual reference. I encourage you to review the samples I will furnish you with, or to completely create your own. I am very flexible and respectful of your desires, and I'm happy to perform whatever you decide upon. There are many different rituals that can be included in your ceremony to make it unique and different. These can involve lighting candles, sharing a goblet of wine, handfasting, etc. You can also be creative with your choice of processional and recessional. The processional sets the atmosphere you wish to create during your ceremony, and the recessional is usually upbeat, expressing the joy and happiness in the completion of the ceremony and anticipation of the reception celebration.

Musical interludes can offer the couple a few moments to breathe while the guests are focused on the musician, as well as enhance the background of a ritual being performed such as a candle lighting.

Do you have someone special in mind to read for your ceremony? If you do, or if you would like me to read something for you, there are infinite possibilities available for readings to add a special touch to your ceremony.
Click here for just a few of the many possible choices for readings during your wedding.
Feel free to use these or other selections, or even come up with your own.

If you choose to have Biblical scripture and/or prayer as a part of your ceremony, I request that you have friends or relatives participate in such readings as I do not personally incorporate religious verbiage into the ceremony.

Thank you for considering me to officiate at your wedding.

You may choose any type of package from a short, "right-to-the-point" ceremony to an elaborate and fully orchestrated, formal event. With all ceremonies, I create a beautiful keepsake script of your unique ceremony as my complimentary gift to you.

Since it is YOUR wedding, it should include all the aspects of ceremony and celebration that are meaningful to you. It can be as personal and customized as you wish, and should emphasize how you wish to celebrate life as a couple. This is an awesome process analogous to an artist beginning with a blank canvas.

If you have children, their part in the merging of a family is important and you may wish to include them in your ceremony. If you would like to do this, there are many ways of sharing this day with children that range from a few simple words to full involvement throughout the entire ceremony. Together, we can find what best suits each unique family in expressing their love and commitment to one another.

I consult with each couple in advance. As a couple, you will be able to choose the various personal aspects of the ceremony you wish to have included. During planning, we cover all the questions about who, what, where, when and how.

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and I will work with you to make it one of the most beautiful and memorable, whether it be a large, formal affair or a small, intimate gathering. There is a special bond created between myself and the couples I join together. The officiant is only in your life for a short time, but plays an intense and important role during that time. After the ceremony, the officiant's presence remains in your lives in pictures, on video and in the stories which will be recounted down the road. Together we will design a ceremony that reflects you as individuals as well as a couple.

Most people who contact me are interested in having their wedding in a location other than a church. Ceremonies are held at the site of your choice; indoors, outdoors, on water or land, and even in the air. I cover the entire Puget Sound region, and in some cases I will be willing to travel more extensively - please see my Travel section below or call me to discuss your plans further.

Getting Started

The very first step is to make sure that I am available on your chosen wedding date. Please check with me by phone at (206) 387-7120 or by e-mail at Weddings@ReverendMary.com. Please specify the location and approximate time you would like your ceremony to take place.

If I am available, we will have a brief, no-obligation phone conversation where you can ask me anything you like so that you can decide if you would like to work with me.

If you choose to have me perform your ceremony, I ask for a $100.00 deposit which reserves me for that date. Once your deposit is received, I will give you a questionnaire to fill out which assists me with the planning and personalization of your ceremony.  As soon as I recieve your completed questionnaire we will schedule our first planning meeting.

When it is time for our planning meeting, if applicable, please bring your notes and ideas for the ceremony.

During our first meeting we will spend some time getting to know each other and begin planning the ceremony to reflect your values and personalities. This meeting is always a lot of fun. If you do not yet have your marriage license at the time of our planning meeting, I will need to have it at least one week prior to the ceremony so that I can prepare the legal paperwork properly. We will then proceed to filling out our Personal Services Agreement, which outlines the services I will provide and the associated fees.

I am always available by phone or e-mail for your questions

Script

One of the main services I provide is a script of your ceremony. I have heard quite a few stories about things that have been said at weddings/ceremonies by other officiants that the couple did not want said. Maybe you have experienced this yourself at weddings and ceremonies you have attended.
Your ceremony should say all the right things, the way you want them said. The only way to ensure this is to have the officiant provide you with a written script of the planned ceremony in advance.

No two ceremonies are exactly the same. I have a number of choices available in a booklet that you are welcome to use while putting your ceremony together.  After our planning meeting, I write up a completely customized and personalized wedding ceremony for you. You will have the whole script in advance of the ceremony so that you can make any changes you wish.
I have never had a couple say to me after a wedding, "We wish you hadn't said ____." or "Why didn't you say ____?"

Well before the wedding ceremony I will send a copy of the entire wedding script to you for your review. This gives you a chance to make sure the ceremony will include precisely all the things that are important to you. If any changes are required we will have plenty of time to make them.

When the time comes for the ceremony, everything should go like clockwork because of the script. This process is intended to give you peace of mind and complete confidence that everything will go smoothly and according to plan during your ceremony. After all the time and money spent planning your wedding, I want to do everything I can to make it perfect for you.
The final draft of the script will be produced on parchment paper in keepsake form as my gift to you.

I spend a lot of time helping each couple plan their wedding. A creative and artful ceremony does not happen by itself, but is the result of a lot of planning and coordination.

During the first meeting we will get to know each other, go over music, the order of the wedding party and just about anything else you can think of. We will discuss your completed packet and your choices for the ceremony, location, etc.

During a second meeting, which should take place a minimum of two weeks before the wedding day, we will put the final touches on your ceremony. I will e-mail or fax to you a final draft of your ceremony well before the wedding so that you can modify it if necessary.