You want to get married in Seattle before you board the ship for your cruise to Alaska! Let me offer some guidance and tips for successfully putting together your wedding ceremony the day before your cruise or the morning you depart for Alaska from the Seattle waterfront.
Each year, thousands of people board cruise boats in Seattle and take a beautiful one or two week voyage through Alaska's inside package. And also each year, many couples get married in Seattle before they take their cruise. Just think of this as a wedding 2-for-1 deal!
If you are flying in to Seattle, you will need to coordinate logistics to "get you married." If you are local to the Puget Sound area or live in Washington State, these tips also apply to you:
1) Best Hotel Location is Downtown Seattle: Most cruises to Alaska leave from the Seattle waterfront which is a few blocks away from all parts of downtown Seattle. To make things easy, stay at a hotel in downtown Seattle and taking a cab to the cruise terminal. You may decide to be married at your hotel or perhaps take advantage of some of the wonderful waterfront venues available in the Seattle area for a sweet outdoor wedding ceremony: Alki Beach, Magnolia Bluff, Hamilton Viewpoint Park or perhaps the Kirkland Waterfront, to name a few.
2) Marriage License: You will need a valid Washington State Marriage License. You can apply for this license within 60 days of your wedding ceremony and there is a 3-day waiting period. A license purchased in one County of Washington State is good for all Counties in Washington State. For more information on securing a marriage license in Seattle, contact the King County Marriage License Office at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/marriage.aspx
3) Find Someone To Marry You! You will need to locate and secure a Judge, Minister or Officiant/Celebrant to marry you! You can do an internet search for Seattle for a short list of possibilities and contact each wedding professional to determine their availability, fees and if their style of ceremony resonates with you. In Seattle, there are marvelous Officiants of all faiths and traditions available to you. Weekends book fast for Officiants so make contact early and insure you have a signed contract/agreement for a specific date/time so there is no misunderstanding on either end.
4) Pre-Cruise Department Celebration Dinner: If you are being married the day before your cruise ship leaves Seattle, you may want to make a reservation at a restaurant in downtown Seattle or nearby for your celebration dinner. There are so many wonderful "celebration restaurants" in Seattle for such an event. Ask your Hotel concierge for recommendations (make your dinner reservation before arriving in Seattle) or your Officiant may be able to recommend some favorite dining places to celebrate your wedding day!
