About Us

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We are often asked about our beliefs, our philosophy and our respective backgrounds, so we’ve created this page to help explain who we are, what we believe, what we do and why we do it.

First of all, a bit about who we are:

Rev. Joanna Marie spent over 20 years working in the medical industry as a successful bookkeeper and Patient Accounts Manager. When she, like so many others, suddenly and unexpectedly lost her job, she found herself with unlimited free time and decided she could turn misfortune into opportunity by doing something she’d always wanted to do. She decided to help couples celebrate their love by helping them create the wedding ceremony of their dreams!

Rev. David Cooper was a professional performing musician for over 25 years. During that time, he had the good fortune to work with some of the world’s finest artists. Since he retired from the music business, he has provided computer and network support and training for some of Seattle’s most prominent and progressive corporations. When Joanne’s wedding calendar became so full that she was forced to turn loving couples away, David knew it was time to join the celebration!

We have been married for 23 years and have one son, 21, who is studying to be a professional chef. We also share our lives with six fabulous felines, all rescued. Five live inside, one lives outside. They are, by turns, amusing, endearing and infuriating!

Back row, L to R: Katie, Two-Lane, Harry
Front row, L to R: Sabrina, Vinny

Now, a little about what we believe:

 

• We believe that any two people who are of legal age and want to create a lifetime partnership should be able to have the wedding they desire.
• We believe that, when all is said and done, only the couple has the right to decide what they should, or should not do, say, or have in their wedding ceremony.
• We believe that each couple should have a ceremony as unique and distinctive as their relationship.
• We believe that a ceremony should accommodate the specific needs of each relationship in a very special format.
• We believe that religious and cultural heritage, children and stepchildren, families, relatives, guests, hobbies, interests and special needs should all be considered, and respected, when planning ceremonies.

In other words, we believe that your wedding should begin and end with you.

And now, a brief description of what we do:

From the first day of our association, we work with our couples to help them create their own ceremony, or guide them through our huge inventory of ceremonies and ceremony ideas that can be combined and incorporated into a uniquely personalized ceremony. Readings, poems, prayers and songs can be included, and anyone can participate: children, aunts and uncles, and any of the couple’s friends or guests – more voices make a more interesting wedding! Ceremonies can be as long or short as desired and can be performed at virtually any location, on any day of the week and at any time.

From a casual event to an elegant black-tie affair, you have your choice of “off the shelf” ceremonies – religious, non-religious, civil, spiritual, inter or mixed faith, inter or mixed culture and special request. We can even offer ceremonies in Spanish (con ayuda de nuestros amigos).

Throughout the process, our goal is to provide couples with a personalized ceremony created especially by, and for them, performed their way, at their location, at their time and at a reasonable cost that will become, and forever remain a cherished memory.

At the ceremony, we help calm frayed nerves and guide all the elements into a meaningful experience for you and your guests. The ceremony sets the tone for all that follows. Get this right and you and your guests are set for a great celebration.

Finally, some of the reasons why we do it :

• We really love being part of such a special and exciting day!
• We think wedding ceremonies are (or at least, should be) a celebration! If you can’t have fun getting married, then you probably won’t have much fun being married, either!
• A wedding is a “win-win!” How often do you get to attend an event where everyone is excited and happy from start to finish? Not only are we lucky enough to do that all the time, but we have the opportunity to help make these joyous events even happier!
• The food is usually much better than we make at home!
• It helps pay the bills (and keep our Fabulous Felines fat and furry)!
• After performing nearly 450 weddings, we’d like to think we’ve gotten pretty good at what we do…but please don’t take our word for it. Drop by our Testimonials page and decide for yourselves!

Okay, enough about us. Whenever you’re ready, we’re ready to begin our relationship with you!

Thank you so much for considering our services!

Joanna and David