Help needed for wedding location

[EddieWalker]

First, thank you for all the kind wishes from everyone in my other thread announcing our engagement.

Our original plan was to just go to the Justice of the Peace. We know her and have fished at her place, so that would be real easy. The proplem is it's growing and turning into something neither of us want.

We're driving to Washington for a quick trip in the beginning of August and have decided to find a place along our route to get married. Just us.

Our goal is to find a place that is beautiful, outdoors and romantic.

We also have to be able to get a wedding license real quick, but otherwise, that's about it.

Our route will be through Colorado on Highway 25.

Then up to Highway 80 in Wyoming and across the state until we get close to Utah. We'll probaby miss Utah on our path up to Highway 84.

I'm thinking we'll be past Pocatello, but will be on 84 all the way to the Washington border.

We'll pick up Highway 82 on up to Seattle and then 5 to Bellingham.

This is a work trip and we'll be pushing it to get there and back in a week, so there won't be much time for detours or getting too far off course. We're just looking for a place to get married, take a few nice pictures and spend the night.

Any thoughts or suggestions????

Eddie & Steph

 

[Sigarms]

When going up 25 in Colorado, take 70 west into Utah (going past Grand Junction in Colorado). On 70 in Utah puts you right onto 191. You're right there at Canyonlands and Arches national parks. The one view in "Joe Dirt" (if you've seen the movie), where they say it's the Grand Canyon, is actually at Dead Horse Point state park, by canyonlands)

Grand Canyon has nothing over this area (in my opinion) and you can keep going on 70 west until you hit 15 north back to 84 to Washington.

A little off your road plan.

A suggestion. You're only planning on doing this once (married), and although plans may be growing from "outside sources" (you didn't mention, I'm assuming its the family), do take an extra day or two together and do something special out of the "ordinary" on the day you're married. You've got alot of living time on this earth, take a day or two and ENJOY those moments with your new wife.

Just seems with this being a "work" trip and having a "strict" time table, you may miss out on something.

 

[ronjhall]

Betty and I stopped at a Best Western in Ogden UT. The place had been just remodeled. Part of the remodeling included adding a pond and walkway. Sure would be a great place to take pictures of a newly married couple. Especially during the Summer. Just up the road are many other places. This is part of the area where the Salt Lake Olympics were held. If you are coming from Seattle it is not out of the way much.

 

[gsganzer]

We'll pick up Highway 82 on up to Seattle and then 5 to Bellingham.
Eddie & Steph

Eddie, I'll be in Bellingham the first few weeks in August for a project. If it makes it easier for you, I can stand in for you at the alter.

On second thought, my wife might not like that idea.

 

[anojones]

The columbia gorge (84 along the columbia river) is beautiful and there are some places that might be fun to stop. If you need to be in a town- then Hood River has a nice rennovated hotel- the town has become a bit touristy in the past decade or so - but is till a nice spot. For a more wacky idea- you could get married at the Stonehenge reproduction on the Washington side. Another beautiful spot outside of Portland is Multonomah falls. The last link is from a couple planning a wedding and has a bunch of links to the area.

http://www.hoodriverhotel.com/welcome.html
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WA-Stonehenge.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/millennium2/welcome.htm
http://www.gorgewedding.com/laylaandbrad/GorgeGuide.cfm

 

[BB_TX]

Eddie - I don't know what the waiting period is for all those states. I know it varies by state. But if all of those states require a few days waiting period, you might consider applying for the license on the way up and then getting married on the way back. That would also give you a chance to see it all on the way up before picking the "perfect" spot for the return trip.

This is a work trip and we'll be pushing it to get there and back in a week,
3 days to get there, 3 days to get back, 1 day to work?

 

[midlf]

When you pick a state and city call the office responsible for marriage licenses to find out about waiting periods. The niece from CA came back to WI to get married. They called the proper office and were able to somehow get the 10 day waiting period started with the call and then picked up the license when they got into town for the wedding. Similar methods may be available elsewhere.

 

[BarryinMN]

How about a more Southerly route thru Vegas & an Elvis Wedding??

Another option is the Little Rock Chapel in Leon Springs, TX (about 8 benches) on IH10 NW of San Antonio, then a night & hotel on the SA riverwalk.

A third option off I25 in Colorado Springs is Pikes Peak, a trip up there would make for a photo occasion (plenty of tourists to take pictures)

Congrats on your engagement!

 

[BB_TX]

Just a quick search on aboutmarriage.com shows that Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho have no waiting period. Oregon shows a 3 day waiting period, but some counties will waive it for an additional fee. Washington has a 3 day waiting period. This is not an official state web site, so an additional check would be a good idea.

 

[Sigarms]

Not sure if you've been to the canyonlands area in Utah, if not, thought I'd give you an idea of what the area looks like.

Funny, someone here mentioned vegas. Pic is my wife an myself on our first hiking trip (together) out to Utah (south of Moab). My dad took the pic, we were the only people around for a WAYS (figured if she could get along with my dad on a trip like this, she was "ok").

Also figured if she can camp with me, not worry about her hair all day, and take a crap outside without four walls around her, she was worth marrying. Flew out of Vegas (to go home), that night I asked her to marry me at a chapel with Elvis the next day. She said no. I said "well, I asked, if you want to get married down the road, you'll have to ask me now". Some short time later, she did.

To me, really is "Gods country" out there (south west Utah).