Sunday, September 2, 2012

Radiant Touch Wedding at Amadeus Manor in Oregon in HD

Radiant Touch Wedding at Amadeus Manor in Oregon in HD Here is a beautiful slideshow of wedding photos taken at Fred & Linh's Amadeus Manor wedding August 12, 2012 in Milwaukie, Oregon. This early 1900's manor overlooks the Willamette River and downtown Portland, Oregon. A unique location venue for a smaller, intimate size wedding. Ceremony officiant: Beverly Mason Photography: Radiant Touch Weddings

Chehalem Mountain Vineyard

My Animoto Video features Prive Vineyard in Yamhill County. Labor Day weekend celebration, wine tasting and wood fire pizza. Great food, great wine, good times!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Finding a Officiant or Minister to perform a Wedding

Congratulations!! You found the perfect Venue. You have a photographer to capture the events of the day. The florist is adorable. You found your dream dress. The Save the Dates are ready for mailing. Everything is going according to plan.  WAIT!! Who is going to marry you???

Some couples choose their officiant as soon as they have a venue reserved. Others forget that detail until it's nearly too late.  Just like photographers and venues, the best officiants are also booked up to a year in advance.

Here are some helpful tips and answers for when it comes time to choose an officiant / minister.

Q.   Who performs weddings in Oregon?
A.   To legally perform a marriage ceremony in Oregon, one must be a Judge, Justice of Peace, County Clerk or a person ordained by a religious organization and given the authority to perform marriages.

Q.   How do I find the right officiant or minister for my wedding?
A.   If you belong to a church, you could contact your pastor / priest / rabbi / clergy, and ask if they are willing to perform your marriage ceremony. If they are willing or available, often times they require classes, counseling and have restrictions on location and ceremony choices. Although they may be very good at preaching a sermon, that doesn't neccessarily mean they do well with weddings.

You may want to consider hiring a professional wedding officiant.  Wedding officiants legally perform marriages and generally don't have any restrictions about ceremony style, wording, location or pre-marital requirements.

A reputable officiant will most likely have a informative website to help answer many of your questions, will return emails and phone calls, can be found on many different vender referral sites and has recommendations and reviews from many peers and wedding couples.

Q.   How do I choose the right officiant?
A.   Talk to them. Corespond with them.  Schedule a free consultation with them if you live in the area. Read reviews and recommendations.  Some officiants you may find have only performed a few weddings, and most of those were for friends. Choose someone with experience, knowledge and a personality that you feel comfortable with.

Q.   How much does a professional officiant / minister charge for weddings?
A.   This varies greatly. You might find someone advertising on Craigslist that will do it for next to nothing, just to get experience. You may find someone charging as high as $600.00.
It all comes down to what you are looking for in an officiant. The average professional wedding officiant / celebrant may charge anywhere from $250 - $600. Generally there is a LOT more that goes into that than just showing up on a specified day and marrying someone.

Q.   What do I get from a professional wedding officiant?
A.   Usually you would correspond by email or phone to discuss date, location and general information. The next step would be to schedule a Free no-obligation consultation to discuss the wedding, share ideas, get to know each other, etc. (if you live out of state this may not take place)
Once both parties agree that they are a good fit, then a deposit should be placed to hold the date and time and a contract should be signed. You never want to assume someone will perform your ceremony without this. They could change their mind, make other plans or take a higher paying offer at the last minute.

Q.   What should I look for in a professional wedding officiant / minister?
A.   Experience, Personality, Genuine, Good Reputation in the Industry, Clear speaking voice with enough volume to be heard by guests, Outgoing, Friendly, Flexible, Open Minded, Organized, Prompt, Able to Coordinate Events.

Q.   If I live in Washington but I'm getting married in Oregon, where do I get the Marriage License?
A.   You must obtain a license from a County in the State that you are getting married in.  Any County Clerk's office in that State can issue you a marriage license for you wedding.  Contact the County prior before going, to inquire about their requirements, hours, locations and method of payment.  It does vary County to County.

Q.   Are there female wedding officiants and celebrants in Oregon?
A.   Yes.  I would have to say there are more female wedding officiants than men.  Choose whichever you feel most comfortable with.

Q.   Can a person "Elope" in Oregon?
A.   Absolutely!! You have the options of courthouse elopements, which are less appealing, non-personal, restrictive on hours and days and not such a great environment, or you can elope by finding a wedding officiant that has flexible hours and schedule to create just what you are looking for.  Elopements can be just as meaningful and memorable as a big expensive wedding. The possibilities are endless when it's just the two of you or with 2 close friends as witness.

Q.   What can I expect from a professional officiant -vs- having a friend or inexperienced person do it?
A.   Besides the obvious, (professionalism, guarantee, experience) you would most likely get a customized ceremony created to fit your style, personality, beliefs and wishes.  You would also get a lot of help with the rehearsal. Most people have no idea how to run a wedding rehearsal. An experienced officiant can coordinate, direct and make a rehearsal run smooth and successful which increases your chances of a flawless wedding day ceremony. Your officiant will know how to properly fill out a marriage certificate, marriage license and file it promptly with the correct County officials.  Your officiant will know about things to suggest based on experience and help you avoid mistakes.  Your officiant will coordinate and work together with all of your other venders at the ceremony such as, DJ, Wedding Planner, Photographer, Venue coordinator, Videographer and more so that everyone works smoothly together with one goal in mind... THE BEST WEDDING EVER!

Hopefully this answers some of your questions. Feel free to leave a comment or email Beverly Mason of The Radiant Touch Weddings directly to ask questions or inquire about officiating services.
For more elopement ideas, ceremony samples, unity options, vow selections and more, visit www.TheRadiantTouch.com

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Maui Vow Renewal 2011

I just realized that I didn't update my Blog with the outcome of my 15 year vow renewal to my wonderful husband. It took place at Napili Shores Resort on Maui, October 12th, 2011, at sunset.

It was everything I had hoped for; beautiful weather, swaying palm trees, the blue Pacific Ocean in the background and surrounded by the very best of friends.

Preceeding the ceremony were three days of fun and adventure.
After landing and getting settled in on a Saturday afternoon we began the real fun on Sunday.

Beginning the morning with a snorkel and swim with green sea turtles, we then went to Lahaina for some sightseeing and shopping. In the afternoon we ventured as far south as you can go to explore LaParousse Bay. After a long hike and nearing sunset, we went a short drive over to Big Beach and walked straight over the cliff to Little Beach. Here after dark on Sunday nights is a funfilled drum circle and fire dancing free-for-all.

Monday: Up bright and early to head out on the road to Hana. We had done this trip a couple times before so we new where to take everyone for some great experiences.  Twin Falls, a tiny historic town on the way, Black Beach, Lava Tube, Red Beach then finally head back home. This was the highlight of the trip for many of our friends.

Tuesday: A great day for snorkeling, swimming pool, walks on the beach, drinks and good food.
That night was the "Bachelorette Party"! Even though I'm not a bachelorette, it was a MUST DO for the girls.  We had a great night dancing the night away in downtown Lahaina.

Wednesday:  We snorkeled a few different bays then all played in the surf for hours, trying to figure out the timing of the waves for body surfing and boogie boards. We were all having so much fun that we nearly lost track of time. We decided we better get out of the sun and start getting ready for the Ceremony.  Well, it was a little too late on the "get out of the sun" part. All of the girls (except me) had pretty severe sun burns and some MAJOR tan lines now to show intheir strapless bridesmaid gowns. LOL. They lathered on the Noxema cream to reduce the burning heat of their skin and we got all pretty for the Vow Renewal. The guys drove to Lahaina to pick up the flower leis and the girls helped eachother with hair and makeup.

At sunset we began. I walked down the aisle to Bruno Mars, "Just the way you are", but not the traditional rendition. This was a beautiful colaboration that he did with some other artists and it was slowed down and so beautiful.


We wore silly glasses and took fun photos before and after the ceremony and dinner reception.

Thursday: After some morning snorkeling, we made our way to the harbor to catch an afternoon snorkeling cruise that was basically FREE when you rent snorkel gear for the week from Boss Frogs.
We snorkeled at Coral Gardens, drank Mai Tais and enjoyed a VERY windy afternoon cruise.

Friday: We took 3 of the girls on a drive North to see some great overlooks and a really cool Blow Hole. Then it was time to go to Lahaina for our tatoo appointment. My husband and I have never had a tattoo before. We decided this would be special getting them for our 15th anniversary. Each is a tribal sea turtle that includes interlocking gold wedding rings. OUCH!! But we did it!
A little more shopping with the girls while Gene finished up with his tattoo allowed us to go to Maui Divers for pearls. So much fun choosing your own oyster and discovering your new pearls then setting them in custom jewelry.
For dinner, everyone brought all of their food from their condos to be cooked at ours so we could use it all up and have a buffet. 

Saturday: Cooked up all remaining food for breakfast plus a few bottles of champagne, lol, cleaned the condos then headed for the airport. This was a trip I will never forget.

Everyone is hoping to do it again for our 20th Anniversary!!!

LUXE Bridal Event March 8th, 2012

A Bridal Event you won't want to miss! March 8th 2012 at the historic Tiffany Center!Visit Website for DetailsThe Ultimate High-end Bridal Event for Today's Most Style Obsessed Couples!