owner & primary officiant
Rev. Ray Van Winkle
A Seattle "native" since 1982, I’ve been involved in the wedding industry most of his life, running a small catering company with my wife Stephie, and later working for her floral design business. As a former SF Bay Area stage actor, I find that many of those skills translate well to public speaking in general! During the holidays, you can find me at Lake Forest Park Town Center, where I work as a professional Santa Claus!
A bit more about me…
What got you started in officiating?
While I've been in the wedding business since the mid 1980's, first in catering, then in floral design, the officiating began in 2003. The original plan was to purchase something out on the coast and turn it into a wedding venue, at which I would be the officiant. The real estate portion of that plan fell through, but I started performing weddings after one of my wife's floral clients was complaining that she did not like her officiant. I offered my services, and a new career was born.
Favorite thing you have made/done for a client?
Princess Bride weddings. I'm a very impressive Impressive Clergyman!
In all your years in business, what is your favorite memory from a past event?
That would have to be a ceremony I did a number of years ago. The groom, unknown to his fiance, taught himself to play guitar and wrote a song for her. When it came time to exchange the vows they had written, the best man brings out the guitar hidden on the altar and gives it to the groom, who drops to one knee and serenades his bride.
We all have crazy creative ideas in our heads. What are some things you'd love to do at a wedding if you were given full creative control?
You have to understand first, that I am a major science fiction geek. We've all been to weddings using music from Star Wars, but I'd love to see a bride come out to Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Also, while I've done weddings in Spanish, Italian and German before (phonetically, of course) it would be cool to try one in Klingon. If I were getting married again, I’d use the James Bond theme for my entrance!
What was your dream job as a kid?
Like most kids, my career ideas were multi-faceted (I want to be a ballerina, doctor and a space explorer!). In my particular case, it was a Formula 1 race car driver, a charter boat captain based in Kingston Jamaica, and a molecular biologist. Closest I came to any of those was on a Coast Guard cutter in Alaska. Not quite the Carribean!
Any hidden talents you or your team has (other than being a wedding super start!)?
I'm a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself. Needless to say, I've had lots of time lately to increase my kitchen skills. (This was in 2020!)
Wildcard option... tell us anything else you'd like someone to know!
Nothing bores me more than dark socks and a conservative tie with a suit. Come on people, let's get some color going!
(From a blogpost at www.newcreationsweddings.com)
associate officiant
Rev. Bill Wood
Bill is a dear friend of mine and has been officiating weddings since 2012. Trained by me, he uses my ceremony materials and is very similar to me in style and demeanor. Born and raised in Chicago, Bill and his wife relocated to the Pacific Northwest shortly after Bill finished law school. He and his wife enjoy traveling, their Siamese cat Coco and wine as a few of their special interests.
ASSOCIATE officiant
Rev. Nancy Skipton
Officiating weddings since 2014, Nancy is already well established in the wedding industry, as she is the owner of Simply Celebrations & Events. Nancy moved from Massachusetts to Washington state in 1990. She has 2 grown children, a wonderful husband and an Australian Shepherd dog.