Get Married Aboard the Sea Breeze in Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak Alaska visitor travel guide
Cover photo by Marion Owen
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(All photos on this site are by Marion Owen unless specified otherwise)

Nautical Nuptials: Get married at sea!
For a lifetime of memories, exchange your wedding vows in Kodiak, Alaska aboard the Sea Breeze...

Your wedding day should be a special one, so why not make it extra special by getting married on the Sea Breeze? Helping couples tie the knot (a nautical term!) is one of our favorite things to do. Besides, that's how we got married.

We can assist you with many details and preparations, from wedding photos to actually performing the ceremony. Getting married is supposed to be fun. For example, the cake show here is "escorted" by a stuffed toy puffin on the left and a sockeye salmon on the right! And if you'd like to make it a dinner cruise wedding (getting married creates quite an appetite!) or you'd like to follow up with a honeymoon cruise, we can do that, too.

A check list for getting married
aboard the Sea Breeze

For starters, in the State of Alaska, anyone can perform your marriage ceremony, including a friend or relative. In many cases, Marty (pictured below) is the marriage commissioner, and Marion, is the photographer. The following list will help guide you through the process and we are here to answer any and all of your questions:

On a beautiful summer day, Marty Owen (left), captain turned marriage commissioner for the day, performs a marriage ceremony aboard the Sea Breeze.

How To Obtain a Marriage Commissioner Appointment

First, you'll need to decide who will perform the ceremony. If you'd like Marty to do the honors, please contact him at 907-486-5079. Under Alaska Statute, anyone can perform your marriage ceremony, including a friend or relative, if they first obtain a marriage commissioner appointment from an Alaskan court. The person should be 18 years of age or older, and does not need to be a resident of Alaska or the United States in order to perform the ceremony.

The marriage license application and instructions are available on the Alaska Vital Statistics website.

For complete instructions, please refer to the Alaska Court System website.

1. Contact the State of Alaska Court System in Kodiak:

Alaska Court System
204 Mission Road
Kodiak, Alaska 99615
(907) 486-1600

Any interested person can write, call or come to the court office (in Kodiak, it's located right across the street from the downtown boat harbor) to request an appointment order. Interested persons include the bride and groom, the intended marriage commissioner or a relative or friend.

2. The court will need the following information:

The name of the intended marriage commissioner.
The full names of the bride and groom, including middle initials.
The month, day and year marriage is to occur.
The town or physical location where the marriage ceremony will be performed.

3. There is no charge or waiting period for this appointment. However, applications should be submitted at least one week before the wedding date to allow time for the appointment to be processed. (NOTE: If you're in a hurry, in Kodiak, there is a lot of leeway here!)

4. The court will issue a written order appointing the marriage commissioner together with instructions. The marriage commissioner is responsible for ensuring that the marriage is performed in compliance with the law and that the marriage certificate is filed with the Bureau of Vital Statistics.

5. The marriage should not be performed until the marriage commissioner has a copy of the written order in hand.

6. If the marriage is not performed on the date stated in the order, a new marriage commissioner appointment order must be obtained.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to apply for and pick up a marriage license. A marriage commissioner does not have the authority to obtain the marriage license for the couple.

Flowers, wedding cakes, food,
and other details

There are several florists in the Kodiak area, and we can provide suggestions for you. As to wedding cakes, again there is a variety of options from which to choose, though we highly recommend Mill Bay Coffee and Pastry at 3833 East Rezanof Dr. (907-486-4411).

If you'd like us to provide a meal, which usually follows the ceremony, please contact us so we can talk about menus (you gotta eat, right?).

Finally, if you have any questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to call or email us. We want your wedding day to be a special one!

Unbelievable dinner and scenery. Thank you for our wedding memories!--Mick and Jenny Gutt-Ohly, Flagstaff, AZ

Need someone to witness your marriage? This guy is already dressed for the occasion!

Sunrise Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak provides a beautiful backdrop for a wedding ceremony.