Finding an officiant is one of the largest elements to plan for a wedding ceremony, and it is our job to find someone that will provide you comfort, love, and support on your important day. In the midst of 2021, two amazing people were introduced into the Tapestry world. Our team was instantly drawn together and began coordinating. Their story will tug at your heart strings and show you how empowerment can be found through marriage. Christie and Jeff, thank you for trusting us with your special day.

OUR TAPESTRY COUPLE.

Let’s rewind to the year 2004, where Christie and Jeff first met at the Rochester Institute of Technology, one of the nation’s largest deaf and hard-of-hearing programs. During this time, both of them were still in high school, and they both went on to further their careers after they graduated. The two stayed in touch through classes, campus leadership and snail mail. The relationship was taken to the next level during Jeff’s time at grad school, with Christie residing away from him in Baltimore. The couple took every opportunity to create new adventures together, including weekend visits, road trips and hosting social gatherings. When the couple’s paths aligned once again in Seattle, their story started to blossom and the lovely pair decided to take the next step and move in together in DC, with Jeff proposing to Christie when they visited Korea shortly after. 

Equipoise (noun) - the balance of forces or interests

If we had one word to describe this couple, it would be equipoise. Both parties are dedicated to how they share their individuality, together. The combination of outstanding drive in their personal lives, mixed with a strong companionship, creates what we like to call a power couple.

When it came to marriage, Christie and Jeff proceeded with diligence and introspection. While they both sought financial and career stability, having a partner they could count on in times of emotional strife was a priority for both of them throughout their relationship. The couple stated that marriage felt very natural in the progression of their relationship. With the same future in mind, they both decided to take that leap of love. 

In reflecting on their journey to their wedding day, the two recall a story of their engagement. Jeff took it upon himself to ask for blessings from every important person in Christie’s life, acknowledging and validating the vast community that molded the woman he wanted to marry.

Christie and Jeff enjoy adventure and find a deeper, intimate meaning in all of their experiences, big and small.

PLANNING A PROFOUND WEDDING.

When Christie and Jeff originally reached out to the Tapestry Team, we were instantly intrigued and touched by their story. We recommended our blog titled The Engaged Couple’s Roadmap to jumpstart the planning process. It was in this step where the couple highlighted the main themes they wanted to see on their special day: 

• Quality time

• Adventure/Connecting with Nature (visually, physically, and spiritually)

• Feeling grounded and present

• Accessibility + Inclusion

Back in March 2020, the couple was supposed to celebrate their engagement with Christie’s parents, however due to the pandemic, that could no longer happen. With health factors affecting the couple’s loved ones, they decided to hold off on celebrations for the time being and proceed cautiously with planning. With family playing such an important role in the couple’s lifestyle, they wanted to ensure that all the boxes were checked for their celebration when it came to inclusion. 

In some of our earlier planning meetings, Christie mentioned some elements that would be necessary on their wedding day. Both Christie and Jeff wear hearing devices, so backup cochlear implant batteries were a must. Also, the couple wanted to communicate effortlessly with our team, family and friends. It was important that their day had a voice interpreter that could understand ASL, making sure that the guests were fully involved in the ceremony. 

We worked with the couple and decided on a small, intimate ceremony to take place at the end of 2021, with a larger, more fleshed-out celebration to take place in 2022. With the countless messages we exchanged back and forth, we knew exactly how to tailor this special day and be what the couple deserves. We feel extremely honored that we were chosen to officiate this sacred vow exchange between these two wonderful people, accompanied by an ASL interpreter.

THE EXCHANGE.

After many heartfelt conversations, all of our soul-searching and core values helped the ceremony finally come to fruition. We headed over to Golden Gardens in October of 2021 to honor their love story. The day went beautifully and we feel incredibly lucky to have worked with this couple. Both Christie and Jeff were planning superstars and are exactly what we look for in our planning partners in crime. Attentive, responsive, and overall just amazing human beings! We look forward to working with them for their 2022 celebration.

Words from the couple:

“We are incredibly grateful to have been connected with Kate. Kate surpassed our hopes to have an officiant who listened with intent and took the time to learn about our values. We wanted our wedding ceremony to be outdoors near the water, as accessible and inclusive as possible, and memorable.

Kate took the time to get to know us, both as individuals and as a couple. Her questions encouraged my husband and I to reflect on our values and explored what mattered to us the most in our wedding. Our interactions with Kate helped her craft a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony script. Her professional expertise, guidance, and laidback Pacific Northwest personality made the wedding planning process very comfortable.

On our wedding day – which was the first day we met in person – her warmth and welcoming spirit made us feel calm and grounded, and even made our families and friends feel welcome. Together we planned on bringing umbrellas and seeking alternative locations as the weather forecasted possible rain on the day of. Thankfully, our wedding day brought a ray of sunshine from behind the clouds and some light sprinkles for good luck. We are so happy that Kate officiated our wedding. The ceremony turned out wonderfully in person and we could not have imagined getting married with anyone else.

Trying to find the right wedding officiant can be overwhelming in the early stages of wedding planning. Check out The Tapestry Event Co. website, reach out to Kate, and see if you mesh well with her. We were drawn to Kate’s down-to-earth and loving energy. We wholeheartedly recommend Kate to help you out with any aspects of your wedding!”

-Sarah, Tapestry Blogger

THE VENDOR TEAM.

Planner + Coordinator: Kate // Tapestry Event Co. // @tapestryeventco // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Officiant: Kate // Tapestry Event Co. // @tapestryeventco // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Venue: Golden Gardens // Seattle, WA