How to Officiate a Wedding in Renton, Washington

You have chosen a gorgeous destination for you and your beloved to tie the knot. With countless beaches, parks, and trails to explore, Renton gives you a glimpse into the wonders of the Pacific Northwest. Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park has over 35 miles of well-maintained hiking trails through lush, dense forests. For an especially romantic evening, check out Jose Rizal Park, where you can look out at the lights on the Puget Sound and Downtown Seattle. While in Renton, you can also pay respects to one of the greatest musicians of all time at the Jimi Hendrix Memorial. But before we get too distracted, let's get you started on the important information for the big day.

Step 1: Get Ordained with American Marriage Ministries

Washington Law states that “...any regularly licensed or ordained minister or any priest of any church or religious denomination…” is authorized to solemnize marriages. If you are not yet a priest or a minister, no worries! AMM’s free online ordination can get you ordained in just a few minutes! Simply sign up today, and join the thousands of ministers already in our ranks. The process won’t cost you anything except a few minutes of your time. 

Step 2: Prepare for the Wedding Ceremony in Renton

Now that you’ve got the ordination out of the way, you can start preparing for the ceremony. Having the honor of officiating a wedding can be quite overwhelming, but AMM is here to make things go as smoothly as possible. You may appreciate our wedding training pages, where we give you access to lots of helpful information regarding your speech. We offer everything from tips for brainstorming to tricks for speech delivery, as well as sample wedding ceremony scripts and much more!

Step 3: Officiate the Wedding and Complete the Marriage License

Your only legal responsibility as the wedding officiant is to complete your part of the marriage license by making sure it is filled out fully and correctly, signing it, and making sure that it is returned to the King County Auditor’s Office no later than 30 days after the ceremony. Once this is done, you have fulfilled your function as the officiant. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to check out our page on how to complete a marriage license. 

File for the Marriage License from the King County Auditor’s Office

The couple must apply for their marriage license at any of the Community Service Centers in King County. The process can also be started online, however a three day waiting period is required, so make sure to plan for that. 

The following items are required for acquiring the marriage license:

• Valid personal ID (Passport, Drivers License, State ID etc…)
• $69 Cash or Credit Card

The application can also be done per mail, but must be notarized and include the money order of $64. The mail-in PDF document can be downloaded from the King County website. The application can then be mailed to the following address:

919 SW Grady Way 
Renton WA 98057

Once the application has been processed, either partner or an authorized person can pick up the documents.
 

The Basics

If you are looking for a venue that can seat many guests, has large spaces for dancing, and a great catering service, the Renton Pavilion Events Center is a great option. If you want something more eclectic, Maplewood Greens is AMM’s favorite. Nestled right in the middle of a golf course, this venue not only has a tasteful selection of wines and some of the most delicious food, it’s also the perfect location for your stunning wedding photos. Otherwise, Seattle is just down the road, so make sure to check out some venues there if you’re not having any luck in Renton. 

Transportation

Renton’s bus and train services operate under the Sound Transit and King County Metro. These two public transportation options are reliable for getting in and around Renton. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is also super close, so if you are flying in you are in luck! Lyft and Uber rideshare services should also be available.  

Weather

The Pacific Northwest has a name for being rainy and overcast a lot of the time. This is true for many of the winter months, however, summers are pleasantly mild and sunny. A constant breeze from the Pacific Ocean keeps the air fresh and clean. Even though some days in summer can climb into the lower nineties, nights tend to cool off again.