Raleigh Wedding Blog

Five Reasons Why You Need a Wedding Planner! by Sally Oakley

2012-02-21T17:45:00.002-05:00

Congratulations you're engaged and ready to start the planning process! Feeling a little overwhelmed or don't know quite where to begin? Don't stress, hiring a wedding consultant can help you enjoy the planning process and focus on the important things like being engaged. Sally Oakley Personalized Wedding Planning can help you with all your planning needs whether you can answer "yes" to one of these reasons or not.

Here are the top five reasons to hire a wedding planner.

1. You're just too busy. Have a demanding job? Feeling like you've already got so much going on? No need to worry! A wedding planner will consult with vendors, schedule meetings, attend meetings in your absence, make decisions and take care of many other tasks. Wedding planners are professionals and have built relationships within the industry and thus are in the "know". Helping you cut down on researching vendors and products.
2. You're planning an out-of-town wedding. It'll be helpful to have someone who is familiar with the area and living in the area. Your planner will have the knowledge and can represent you when you are unable to attend vendor meetings. A wedding planner can also help with welcome baskets, maps and directions, and a list of things to do for your guests.
3. You have a small budget. It may seem counterintuitive but a wedding planner can actually save you money. First, wedding planners can help you set a budget and make sure you stick to it. Second, they can also help you focus in on what is most important to you when it comes to making you wedding day the best day of your life. Third, because they have built relationships with vendors they are able to get the best price from the best wedding vendors. Remember, if you think it's not a possibility with your budget having a day of coordinator will actually save you money and will ensure your day runs smoothly as possible.
4. You're not that interested in picking out the perfect shade of pink. Don't worry! That is what a planner is for. Your planner will take on those tasks you find boring because she will work closely with you and your fiancé to determine your style and taste. Have fun during your engagement and enjoy the ride your planner will take care of the rest.
5. You're overwhelmed. Feeling stressed or don't know where to begin? A wedding planner will help you with budget development, selection and management of vendors, and the creation of a timeline. For the wedding day especially your planner will take over the stress and allow you to enjoy your big day. After all, you've spent a lot of time and money on this thing don't you want to enjoy it to the fullest?

I saw this article on Sally's blog and quickly got her permission to reproduce it here. Sally and I have worked together on many weddings during the past 12 years and she knows what she is talking about. Many times I have seen my brides become exhausted by the time their wedding day rolls around because planning a wedding is like taking on a second job. I know that a professional wedding planner would have paid for herself in the savings gained in wedding expenses and headaches and mistakes avoided! Here is a link to Sally's website.

Kristina and Richard Get Married at Crabtree Marriott!

2012-02-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

Kristina and Richard were a delight to work with as well as being very much in love and devoted to each other. They actually met when they were in high school back in 2000. They dated then but went their separate ways. Out of nowhere eight years since they had seen each other, they stumbled upon each other on Facebook. Richard was living in Massachusetts and Kristina in North Carolina. This discovery led to an eight hour phone conversation which resulted in Kristina flying to Boston to spend her vacation with Richard in May of 2010. He told me that when he saw her get out of the car the evening she arrived he felt like he was 17 again! It did not take long for their love to be rekindled and a few weeks later Kristina moved to Boston. It was all very sudden and a bit abrupt but they have never regretted it. Now two years later they had returned to live in North Carolina and plan their wedding for February 18, 2012 at the Crabtree Marriott! I had such a fun time writing their story because they are quite a fun couple with a matching sense of humor. Then I had fun delivering all those funny lines at their wedding and experiencing their guests burst with laughter. Kristina's Dad said it was the best wedding ceremony he had ever heard!

Part of the large ballroom was partitioned off for the ceremony and the stage was set in place. They did their own floral decorations. I brought my handy little table for the sand ceremony and got my microphone plugged into our DJ's system. Our DJ was Brian Darocha with Complete Music. He was great to work with. Thanks, Brian!

Their photographer was Lesley Sagendorph and she prepared this photo for the signing of the guests.

It is always fun to do weddings at the Marriott because I get to see Julie Lee with the hotel. Julie and I have been working together on weddings for so many years now! She refers her friends and relatives to me for both weddings and baby blessing ceremonies. Thanks, Julie!

Our flower girl, Zoe, is ready to get down that aisle! Directly behind her is Brian, father of the bride, and to the right is Steve, father of the groom. That is Cori, bridesmaid, to the left.

Richard was hidden away while the bride scoots across the hall into an empty room to hide until it is time for her to walk down the aisle.

Our groomsmen, Chris, Steve, and Marcus are ready to escort in the guests as I speak to Richard to calm him down. He was rather antsy but said that once he got down the aisle he would be okay, and he was! Melissa, our honorary wedding director handed out programs and cued us in.

Missie, on the far left, is Maid of Honor #1, and Christina, in the middle is Maid of Honor #2. Cori, bridesmaid, and Brian, Father of the Bride, are on the right.

Once the mothers of the couple were escorted in, it was time for Richard and me to enter.

The Bridesmaids and Groomsmen entered as couples and then Zoe made her long walk down the aisle. She did a perfect job of scattering the blue and green silk petals down the aisle.

Everyone stands in honor of our beautiful bride!

I stood to the side for the Parents' Blessing and to tell their wonderful story.

Christina presented a reading entitled "To Love," author unknown.

They each read from my book a combination of vows and ring words.

Then it was time for the sand ceremony. Their individual vases of sand overflowed the center container!

Aaaah! Married at last!

Pretty sand layers!

There was still enough light outside for pictures so we dashed out while the guests enjoyed cocktail hour.

So, here they are, Richard and Kristina, husband and wife! Richard told me before the wedding that had someone told him that he would be doing what he was doing today back in high school, he would have never believed them! Congratulations, you two! I wish you a lifetime of happiness and prosperity!

Professional Photos by Neil Boyd of Emily and Daniel's Wedding!

2012-02-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

Kristie Boyer at Neil Boyd Photography just sent me some photos of Emily and Daniel's wedding on January 7, 2012 which I wanted to post here. Neil is such a great photographer and I am so happy to have these. Thanks Kristie and Neil!

What a great wedding! Emily and Daniel, I am sure that by now you have returned from your honeymoon, settled into marital bliss and happily pursuing your dreams. I wish you the very best life has to offer!

Win Free DJ Services for Your Wedding!

2012-02-17T11:54:00.001-05:00

Calling all brides and grooms! Joe Bunn DJ Company is running a contest for the best love story! The fabulous prize is Free DJ Services for your wedding, even if he is already booked for your wedding. What a deal! I hope you will all submit your stories and am hoping one of my brides will win this! Go to this link to submit your story: http://www.facebook.com/joebunndjcompany?sk=app_174953159281259

Lovely Home Wedding for Margo and Derek!

2012-02-13T00:57:00.000-05:00

I had the great pleasure of officiating the wedding of Margo and Derek this past Saturday February 11, 2012 in their lovely home. They visited me in September to plan their ceremony, ask questions, and book my services. They wanted a simple but sweet ceremony that was meaningful to them surrounded by their family and closest friends. No problem here. I customize all my ceremonies based on what the bride and groom want. So, we got started on the process of creating their ceremony.

Their wedding day was a beautiful sunny but windy and chilly day but my getting to their home turned out to be a comedy of errors. Except, it was not funny at the time! Their home is in a new subdivision and I had the address in Cary they gave me along with Margo's cell phone number. My GPS did not find a match when I put it in while in my driveway so I went back inside my house to my computer to Bing Maps driving directions and plugged it in and hurriedly printed out the directions. It took me to downtown Cary and Marty and I realized that the destination had been changed from the street address to just "Cary NC." Uh oh! So realizing I did not know where to go, we stopped in a parking lot and called Margo's cell number, the only one I had. Disconnected. Uh oh again! Had a Raleigh/Cary map in my car (probably 7 or 8 years old) but their street was not on it. It was about 25 minutes until ceremony time and the clock was ticking! While Marty was busy on her cell phone calling directory assistance for a land line number, I called my husband Dave who thankfully was at home. He went through all my emails from Margo to see if there was another phone number. No luck. Then he tried to find the address given. Finally Google maps found it and he read them to me as Marty jotted them down as I was driving from Chatham Street in Cary to the destination which was just south of Tryon Road on the other side of Crossroads. Then Derek called me! I was soooo happy to hear from him and have a good phone number. He confirmed the directions and I drove as fast as allowed through the Saturday afternoon traffic of two malls! We arrived 10 minutes late. I do not like to be late and have only been late once before due to a traffic snarl! I leave myself enough time to get there at least 15 to 20 minutes before the start time for these elopement type weddings. Later looking at their marriage license I saw that their home actually has a Raleigh, not Cary, address! That was the problem. I selected Raleigh and put in the address and my GPS guy whom I affectionately call "Jack," located it right away. Oh well. The important thing is that they got married!

They had a cute "wedding cake" of cupcakes all set up with a small cake for the bride and groom to cut.

A photo of the happy couple was on display along with lots of jars of candy.

After I got the marriage license and the rings, Derek started the music for Margo to enter and we began as we watched her elegant entrance down the pretty staircase.

Her friend, A.J., met her at the foot of the steps and escorted her in.

All the guests stand while the bride enters. They had transformed the great room with many prettily decorated round tables for the reception.

They had created a backdrop for the ceremony and all the guests turned their chairs to face that way. The two guests on the left are Derek's parents. Margo's mother is on the right. The sweet honoring of the parents in the ceremony brought a few tears to their eyes.

Margo's dress was so pretty and I loved her Fascinator hairpiece veil. So stylish! Derek was pretty happy too--and very tall!

What I am saying here to the couple while holding the rings is one of my favorite lines in a wedding: "And when you have been together for a long, long time, you will look at these rings and you will feel the indentation they have made on your finger and you will know that these rings contain all the memories of your life together, beginning with this day!"

And....They are married!

They wanted a group shot from the stairway and upper level overlooking the great room, a great perspective.

Congratulations, Margo and Derek! It was a pleasure to work with you and be part of your special day! I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Wedding Don'ts!

2012-01-27T23:50:00.000-05:00

I use Google Alerts to see what is being written about Wedding Ministers/Officiants. Tonight a link to an article by Matt Jones/Altavista Journal Staff Writer was on the Alerts list. I have copied it here for you. It is quite the list and most of it is really good, some obvious, and some should be taken with a grain of salt! I have added some comments as well.

"Everywhere you turn, there are lists of things to do on your wedding day.

Well, the Altavista Journal talked to seasoned professionals and they shared things not to do in regards to your wedding. With a combined total of well over 2,000 weddings between them, Teresa Clayton, owner of Glencliff Manor; the Rev. Mary M. Jones, minister of New Bethel United Methodist Church and Motley United Methodist Church; and Roger Blackstock, owner of The Portrait Place, share some tips and tricks from their decades of wedding experiences.

For the bride and groom

•Don't deep dip the bride because your hands are sweaty and you mostly likely will drop her. No bride wants to start her married life that way.

•Don't over do the kiss. The saying is, "You may now kiss the bride." Be discreet and respectful. ( I will interject here a bit. A peck won't do. The kiss needs to be long enough for the photographer to get a good picture. It is a landmark moment and should be in your wedding album. I said "long enough" but that does not meet overly passionate and I am sure you know what I mean!)

(Brides: please wear long lasting lipcolor on your wedding day. There are several brands out there. The kind that won't smear off onto the lips and face of the groom! Also wear waterproof mascara so that you don't have black tear tracts going down your cheeks for your ceremony and photos!)

•Don't toss her into the pool. It's not funny. She may laugh, but she won't find it funny.

•Don't drink adult beverages before the wedding. The ceremony should not be held up because you are too sick to make it down the aisle.

•Don't smash cake in each other's face. It's awkward for the guests. It's rude and say goodbye to your hair and makeup.

•Don't just have one pair of high heels for your wedding day. It's a long day and if your feet hurt you aren't going to enjoy it.

•Don't use an aisle runner if you are having an outside wedding. It will just get muddy and wrinkled if the groomsmen even remember to roll it out and, if they do, the bridesmaids will all be terrified of tripping over it. (Aisle runners should not be used on grass or carpet. There is no way to secure it and it becomes a safety hazard. On concrete and wooden floors and decks, it should be taped down ahead of time. The best aisle runner is white carpet. A pretty option is to put rows of pretty flower petals down each side of the aisle.)

•Don't forget to eat the day of your wedding. It's a long day and you will pass out.

•Don't be afraid to say no. It's your wedding day. People can wait to say hello.

•Don't answer your phone. It can wait or they can call someone else or give your phone to someone else so they can answer questions about the ceremony.

•Don't be afraid to delegate. Pick someone else in the wedding party to answer your guests' questions.

•Don't forget your allergies. You may think golden rods are the most beautiful flower ever, but if they make you react, holding that bouquet will not be fun.

•Don't buy the wrong size dress. You are the size you are and if the dress doesn't fit properly, you'll spend all day fidgeting with it.

•Don't forget to check the fit of your clothes. Just because your suit fit a few years ago doesn't mean it still does.

•Don't invite people out of social obligation. It's your day and make sure you have a good time.

•Don't chew gum. It doesn't look good in person or in pictures. If you need to freshen up, sneak a mint.

•Don't invite the minister to the reception for the first time at the ceremony; it puts them in a difficult position.

(This has never been a problem for me. When I am invited, I graciously decline. I may have another wedding I have to go to, or it has been a long day and I want to get home, and wedding food is delicious and high carb and fat and I would weigh 400 lbs. if I went to receptions! Besides, I want you to be celebrating with your family and friends and not taking care of me.)

•Don't let price be your only deciding factor when it comes to photography. You get what you pay for. And know exactly what is included in your package.

(I will add one here. Don't let price be your only deciding factor when it comes to hiring your wedding officiant! Your officiant should be someone who shares your values, someone who is experienced at officiating weddings and can work with you to create the ceremony you deserve, and one in whom you have confidence. Your ceremony is the first event of the big day with your guests and sets the tone for the whole day so it is important to have an officiant who can deliver the ceremony you love with grace and confidence. You know the old saying "You get what you pay for.")

•Don't wait until the last minute to ask a minister to do your ceremony. (Amen here!)

•Don't blindly follow every wedding trend. This is (hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you want to create family heirlooms, not trendy photos.

•Don't wait until the last moment to decide who will be escorting the bride.

•Don't forget to check bow ties, zippers and shoelaces.

•Don't procrastinate. Do as much as possible before the day of your wedding.

•Don't forget to check for dry cleaning and price tags.

•Don't close your eyes during the prayer. You can get dizzy. Instead, discreetly bow your head.

•Don't forget the license. (When there is a rehearsal, I have my couples bring the license to me then so I know it cannot be forgotten on the wedding day.)

•Don't forget to pay everyone. It's your wedding and your responsibility.

•Don't forget to include the grandparents. Get them something.

•Don't wait to work out details on the seating.

•Don't forget the rings and know who has the rings.

•Don't fight. A wedding is supposed to be a happy time; plus you have the rest of your life to fight.

For everyone:

•Don't forget to account for traffic. Plan on it being bad. Early is better than late.

•Don't do too much. You are there as guests. Don't be the center of attention.

•Don't include everybody remotely related to the bride and groom in pictures. The photographer should not have to find a spot for the bride's twice-removed fifth cousin on her mother's ex-husband's side.

•Don't be enlisted to be DJ's, directors, caterers, etc. It's a day for you to enjoy as well.

•Don't forget to have scotch tape at the gift table. That way, cards stay with gifts and there is no guessing who got what. (That is a great idea!)

•Don't overindulge. Yes, it's a party and everyone is there to have a good time, but no one wants to have to carry you out of the reception.

•Don't wait. As much as possible, photography should be done before the ceremony; your guests don't want to wait while Great-Aunt Genie is helped up a flight of stairs for photos.

•Don't fake smile for the camera. It's obvious when you do that.

•Don't have a bride's side/groom's side for the ceremony. People are friends with both and they don't want to choose. Besides, it's always lopsided and that looks bad in pictures. (These days the only "sides" are the first, and sometimes the second, rows reserved for family. Everyone else is seated on either side and it is best to fill the seats up from the front, not the back. Blocks of empty chairs look bad in wedding photos--looks like people did not come to the ceremony.)

•Don't ask the photographer about his/her gear or the camera you bought during key moments of the ceremony. They are there to work and capture the moments. Find down time to ask them.

•Don't lock your knees; passing out is not a good look. (I am not worried about how it would "look" if someone passed out, I would have to stop the ceremony for them to be taken care of. I had a bridesmaid pass out once due to forgetting to eat and we stopped and gave her something to eat and drink then resumed the ceremony.)

•Don't assume people know the details of the location of the ceremony. Give them address, location, name and directions to the ceremony.

•Don't forget to say thank you.

•Don't take your cell phone into the ceremony.

•Don't forget logistics of travel, who is driving the cars after the ceremony, how is everyone getting to the next place.

•Don't forget those with special needs. Have a handicap-accessible entrance.

•Don't forget to check and double check the spelling of names and abbreviation of titles.

•Don't bring your dog

Remember to relax and have a good time and, of course, don't be late."

See Laurie and Matt's Wedding Video!

2012-01-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

Laurie and Matt married on January 15, 2012 at The Oaks at Salem in Apex, NC. It was a very heartfelt wedding with both tears and laughter. I call it a "two hankie wedding" because both the bride and the groom needed hankies! Janice Smith with Big Dog Little Bed Productions was there to video the wedding along with TLC "Say Yes to the Dress" videographer, Jill. Janice was gracious enough to send me her wonderful video of the wedding day with permission to post it on my blog. I like her observations of the wedding ceremony on her blog post here. You can read more details about the wedding on my earlier post here.

Erica and James Marry on a Beautiful Day in January!

2012-01-22T00:44:00.000-05:00

(This wedding was on my blog earlier but when I looked for it, I could not find it! Somehow it got deleted. A mystery but I am so glad I discovered it--so I am re-posting it!)
Erica and James chose the sweet chapel on the Mordecai House campus--St. Mark's Chapel--for their intimate family wedding on January 8, 2012. I wrote a ceremony for them and they edited to their liking. We included tributes to their parents and James' twin brother and a children's blessing for James' daughter, Penny.

The wedding day was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was overcast but unseasonably warm. Everyone was gathered waiting on the guests to arrive and taking pictures.

Scott, Arioso Strings' latest addition, was playing lovely music as the guests were taking their seats.

A typical scene before a wedding: the bride going over the photos she wants with their photographer, Maranda with Forever Young Photography, and me going over the processional with Meredith, sister-in-law of the groom.

Because Erica and James were not doing the "can't see the bride before she walks down the aisle," we got a shot of me with them before the wedding instead of after.

This is James' family: his father, Al, mother, Dorothy, the bride and groom, Meredith, who is married to James' twin brother, Allen, and in front are James' daughter, Penny, and Allen's son, Brady. They are the same age and have practically grown up as close as siblings.

Erica and Penny have really bonded in the past year while James was away in the service. You can tell they love each other. I believe I heard someone say that Erica made both hers and Penny's dresses.

Erica is such a pretty woman and she has that glow of a bride just about to be married!

Following the ceremony we got a group shot of everyone before they headed over to J. Betski's for a wedding celebration dinner.

Erica and James, what a sweet wedding you had! It was perfect for you and I wish you all the best in the world!

Laurie Said Yes to the Dress and Married Matt at The Oaks at Salem!

2012-01-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

It was November 2011, the wedding was January 15, 2012 at The Oaks at Salem and Laurie and Matt did not have an officiant, the one required wedding vendor! So, a co-worker of Laurie's recommended that they call me since I had married her and her husband several years ago. We met on November 16th and hit it off. They booked me as their officiant and we began to work on their ceremony. They knew for sure they wanted to recognize Matt's 9 year old son in the ceremony so we put in the Family Unity Sand Ceremony. They also wanted to include the story of how they met and fell in love and what they love about each other and why they wanted to marry. Seems that they were both out one night in November of 2009 at a sports bar enjoying themselves when they struck up a conversation. Matt loved Laurie's bright smile and beautiful hair. She was impressed with Matt's sweet disposition and friendly smile. They exchanged numbers and Matt did not waste anytime following up. It did not take them long to discover that they really liked being together and soon became a couple. I asked them individually to tell me what they loved about their partner and why they wanted to marry him or her. Their answers were included in the ceremony giving it such a sweet touch. From what they told me about why they wanted to marry each other, it was obvious that they are very much in love.

So, on January 15th, a bright clear Sunday afternoon, too chilly to have an outdoor wedding, a tent had been erected on the patio of The Oaks at Salem. It is a gorgeous venue and probably the newest in the Triangle. The proprietor, April Maness, has done a wonderful job designing the house for weddings.

Marty and I parked the car and snuck in through the garage and downstairs. On the way we saw this beautiful wedding cake and matching cupcakes by Stick Boy Bakery in Fuquay. Jeff Eisenhuth with At Last Weddings and Events is also associated with Catering by Design and was catering this wedding. He has been in the wedding business for over 25 years. It was good to see him there.

Joe Wells with Top Notch Entertainment and DJ Services was setting up and he graciously plugged my wireless microphone into his system and we did a sound check. Thanks, Joe, it was a pleasure to work with you!

While I was waiting for the guests to be seated, this perky little videographer rushed in and introduced herself as Jill with TLC filming the wedding for the show "Say Yes to the Dress!" I was floored. I had no idea that Laurie had flown to NYC with her mother and friends to Kleinfeld's to buy her dress and was chosen to be on the show. How exciting! I watch the show all the time. I can't wait to see how easy or how difficult it was for Laurie to select her beautiful wedding gown. It was perfect for her and you could tell she felt like a princess in it! I have been on national television before (Heba and Ed, one of my wedding couples used wedding photos with me in them when they were on The Biggest Loser show.) So, I asked Jill if she needed for me to sign a release and she produced one after the wedding for me to sign. I sure hope this wedding makes it through the editing process and will be on the show. They don't show the wedding of every bride who gets her dress at Kleinfeld's.

When it was time to begin and the mothers had been seated, we entered. The heaters had been turned off so that the sound would be better for the ceremony.

Matt's father, Sam, was his best man, followed by his friend Eddie, then taking up the rear was Sammy, Matt's son.

After the bridesmaids entered, Laurie was ushered in by her cousin David since her father has passed away.

You can see that the guests were seated at their tables while the families sat in chairs on the dance floor. The tent was beautiful and the backdrop of the lake was very special.

Laurie's friend, Trish, did a wonderful job of presenting "I Like You," a humorous poem by Sandol Stoddard Warburg.

Isn't her dress gorgeous? And the bride is too. Laurie was quite emotional and I could see tears starting as she walked toward us down the aisle. Eventually tears started leaking out of Matt's eyes and I was glad I had two hankies with me!

They read their beautiful vows to each other from my book.

Then it was time to exchange rings with these words: "I place this ring on your finger and my heart in your hand. I have no greater gift."

I think Sammy enjoyed pouring his sand! He was such a well behaved little boy!

Finally Laurie is smiling as I made the pronouncement of marriage.

That is Jill on the right, capturing the just married couple for TLC. Carrie Richardson Fry with Richardson Fry Photography was doing the still photos and Janice with Big Dog Little Bed Productions was the local videographer. Exquisite Occasions out of Roanoke Rapids furnished the flowers. The owner, David Dickens, is a friend of the couple and he also served as wedding director.

Right after the wedding, after all the guests were invited to go upstairs for refreshments and to warm up, Matt and Laurie were interviewed and videoed by Jill for TLC. Then we took our photos of the happy couple. I love that smile of yours, Laurie! I know you are both so happy and now on your honeymoon! Do let me know when your episode of Say Yes to the Dress airs!

Tonia and Doug's Fabulous Wedding at Caffe Luna!

2012-01-17T22:07:00.000-05:00

Like many good love stories, Tonia and Doug were not expecting to meet someone special at work. Tonia kept coming up on Doug's radar very strong, but she blew off his invitations to dinner multiple times before succumbing with encouragement from her best friend who said "It's only Doug!" Mr. Harmless! Doug told me that he had thought twice about robbing the cradle before he convinced Tonia to go out with him but he thought to himself that if she did not mind going out with a "seasoned warrior," who was he to complain! So she finally said yes and they closed the restaurant down laughing and talking on their first date. She liked his charm, his personality and his kindness in always helping others unselfishly and began to think differently about him. From then on, it did not take long for these two to become inseparable. Tonia loves being treated like a queen but she really treasures that Doug honor and respects her as a person because he has never tried to change her. She knows that this is one of the major hallmarks of a healthy relationship. Doug proposed to her by surprising her with a hot air balloon ride above Asheville and popped the question and the ring at 3, 014 feet in the air! (14 is Doug's favorite number.) Tonia is afraid of heights and was hanging on with both hands but was forced to let go to put the ring on! When they got back on terra firma, there were 14 lavender roses waiting for her. Lavender is Tonia's favorite color of rose.

So, it was fitting that these two fun-loving people chose Caffe Luna as their wedding venue. The owner of the popular downtown Raleigh restaurant, Parker Kennedy, welcomes weddings. There are several rooms available depending on the size of the wedding and the atmosphere is casual and just plain fun. Oh, and did I mention the food is delicious? I always enjoy doing weddings there and besides, Parker is my neighbor! So, when Marty and I arrived at Caffe Luna on Saturday evening January 14, 2012, the main room was full of restaurant customers and we passed through the archway into the middle and last rooms which were set up for the ceremony and reception. Parker had a beautiful massive mahogany door put in the archway between the main dining room and the smaller private rooms so it really is pretty darn sound proof from the noise of the regular customers. I was pleasantly surprised. I got my sound system set up and did a sound check.

Then I spoke with our musician, Gene O'Neil, guitarist, about the cues.

All seats were filled and we were ready to begin. They probably had about 75 to 80 guests. Doug and I walked down the aisle first. Then Tonia appeared and walked to the back of the chairs. I asked the guests to stand and Doug walked toward Tonia, they met in the middle and came together to be married.

Doug's nieces, Lauren and Kristyn, followed. They were our ring bearers.

Of course Doug and Tonia's ceremony had lots of humor. The guests really enjoyed hearing their story and all about the proposal during the surprise hot air balloon ride.

Tonia and Doug enjoyed hearing it again too. I also worked with each of them individually to write a paragraph about why they wanted to marry each other which they did not hear until the ceremony.

I don't know if this is the second or third kiss! I kept telling them to kiss again so that our photographer, Chad Williams, could get a shot of it! (Let me tell you about their photographer: Chad is 16 years old and the former neighbor of Tonia and Doug. They were at his Bat Mitzvah and needed a photographer for their wedding. He agreed to do it. This is his first wedding. Let me tell you something--this young man is very talented and is going places! Click on his name above and see his photos of the wedding on his blog. Impressive.)

So here they are---finally married! They are so good together. I can tell they are going to have a great marriage and have a really good time together.

Don't you just love Tonia's "fascinator" hat? It fit her so perfectly and she had on stockings with seams up the back. Classy! Right here she was telling me that a guest was raving to her about the ceremony and asked her "where did you find her?" (I was referred by Parker! Thanks, Parker!)

Tonia and Doug, I had a blast working with you and officiating your fabulous wedding! (Note Doug's lavender rose boutonniere!)

Audrey and Michael Have a Sweet Wedding at Second Empire!

2012-01-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

Audrey and Michael originally planned to get married on October 9, 2011 in my wedding garden. However, the wedding was postponed to January 14, 2012 because of a family medical issue. I suggested they contact Tracy Thorpe at Second Empire to see if they could have their wedding there and it all worked out perfectly.

When Marty and I arrived on that crisp chilly morning, Tracy had the East Parlor all set up and ready. Tracy and I have worked together many times in the past and it is always a pleasure because she is so conscientious of all the details for a wedding.

Jessica Key was on hand to capture the wedding in photographs. We last did a wedding at the Matthews House last summer. Jessica is the owner of Key Photography.

The Capital Room downstairs was ready for delicious dining and celebration!

When we were ready, the signal was given to Audrey and John (best man and bride's escort) to bring in the bride.

The wedding party outnumbered the guests! The guests of honor were their mothers. Their best friends, John and Mary Ann (married to each other), were the Matron of Honor and Best Man. Audrey's daughter, Cierra, was the pretty flower girl. Michael's two sons, Brandon and Brice, served as their father's groomsmen.

Cierra sneaks a quick glance at her mother!

Audrey glances over at her mother!

Each of the children poured in their sand then the couple blended their sand on top.

Vows and ring time.......

Pronouncement of marriage.....

The really fun part.....!

Audrey and Michael, husband and wife!

Let's go celebrate!

From left to right: John, Mary Ann, Audrey's mother, Grace, Cierra, Audrey and Michael, Michael's mother, Maureen, Brandon and Brice. Happy Family!

What a wonderful wedding! Congratulations, Audrey and Michael. I am so happy for you and wish you the very best life can bring your way!

A Sunny Warm January Wedding for Emily and Daniel!

2012-01-07T22:47:00.001-05:00

I met Emily and Daniel last June. At the time, they were living in the western part of North Carolina at a university where Daniel performed as a percussionist in the orchestra and Emily an actress in theater productions. Daniel told me that he remembers after every performance for the past 4 years, Emily would come down into the orchestra pit and thank all the musicians. He always looked forward to that special moment but Emily did not remember any individual musicians until the theater group went on tour to the Roanoke Island Festival Park to do several musicals in 2010. It was then that Daniel caught her eye! She noticed that Daniel was always around helping unload the sets, costumes and instruments and came up to thank him. After this, she began to notice him frequenty and soon they were spending more and more time with each other. At some point they became a couple and eventually decided to marry. Since then they have moved to a small town outside of Elizabeth City where Daniel teaches college and it was from there they planned their wedding in the Triangle because Emily grew up in Durham. They chose the historic All Saints Chapel with its warm dark wood trimmed interior and roomy chapel. It is a wonderful setting for weddings and especially charmed Emily whose creativity in designing the ceremony was evident. She grew up in the Baptist Church and Daniel is from Michigan where he grew up Catholic. So they had a traditional structured ceremony with both traditional elements like the Unity Candle and the non-traditional like Handfasting.

When Marty and I arrived for the wedding on January 7, 2012, the bride, bridesmaids and man of honor were outside having photos done by Neil Boyd, their photographer. It was an unseasonable warm and sunny day!

Inside, the chapel was ready to go. 100 chairs had been removed from the 250 that were there during our rehearsal the night before for a wedding that evening. Sarah told me it was the largest wedding they have ever had there.

There were hanging candles on stands along the aisle and lots of floating and votive candles on the altar including a unique Unity Candle holder in the center. Baby's Breath made a wispy and frilly floral spray for the center. The florist responsible was Flowers by Design.

Neil in action as the light streams in the windows on the south side of the chapel as the processional begins.

After the rest of the wedding party and parents and grandparents entered, our flower girl, Grace, and the ring bearer, Dylan, made their way down the aisle. They were so cute and did their jobs perfectly! The lady in the magenta dress behind them is Lisa, friend of the mother of the bride, who was our wedding director. Thanks, Lisa, you did great!

Then it was time for the bride. Her father, Craig, proudly escorts her in. She is carrying a lovely bouquet with very special meaning with the couple's hope that these meanings will translate to their new adventure of married life. The Myrtle is for love; Ivy for friendship; Holly for domestic happiness; Stock for bonds of affection; Stephanotis for marital bliss; Statice for loyalty; and Baby's Breath for happiness. Sounds good to me! Emily is also wearing a gorgeous gown. The long sleeved lacy bolero jacket can be removed and the strapless bodice underneath is lovely. Emily also made her very fashionable "fascinator" headpiece and flower. Who would have guessed. She looked so pretty and her wedding dress and hat implied "vintage" which fit the ambience of the chapel so well.

I believe Emily has the tiniest waist I have ever seen! Her train was beautiful as it flowed behind her.

After the Welcome, the Invocation and the Presentation of the Bride, Emily and Daniel stepped up onto the altar for the rest of the ceremony.

The guests were invited to stand and sing the Doxology together then we remembered those not with us and then two special readings. Emily's sister, Kaitlin, read one of my favorite poems about two trees whose branches and roots become so intertwined that many see only one tree. Author is unknown. Then Daniel's sister, Lori, read an excerpt from Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift From the Sea."

After the Prayer and Charge to the Couple, it was time for the Blessing of the Hands and the Handfasting ritual in which the couple's left hands are bound by a cord the couple made symbolizing the intertwining of their lives and the lives they have chosen to lead together.

Then they said their vows to each other.

The cord was then removed and they exchanged rings which symbolically replaced the cords.

The Unity Candle was next and they joined their candles to form the new and greater flame of their marriage made up of their unique individual expressions of light continually sustained and renewed by their connection to the eternal and inexhaustible Light of the universe.

During the light of the candle, "Morning Has Broken" was sung by a trio of bridesmaids, including Daniel's sister, Christina, who has a beautiful voice. A very special moment for their family!

After a prayer for the couple, the pronouncement was made followed by......

What very happy people you are, Emily and Daniel! Congratulations! I am so happy for you and I wish you all the happiness in the world! And have a wonderful honeymoon to the tropics!

Katie and Matt's Wedding Featured in Southern Bride and Groom Magazine!

2012-01-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

I am so thrilled to discover that Southern Bride and Groom magazine chose Matt and Katie's wonderful wedding as a feature wedding for their new issue. Jenna just sent me the photo below so I could put it on this blog. I thank them for crediting me as the officiant. You can see a larger image if you click on it. To see the previous post of Katie and Matt's wedding on this blog, click here.

Katie and Matt tied the knot this past summer on June 11, 2011 at the beautiful Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina. Brian Mullins was the photographer responsible for these gorgeous images. They capture these two people so perfectly. The creative couple took my ceremony material and made it their own including a reading by a Catholic priest and the breaking of the glass from the Jewish tradition as well as personalized vows to each other. The ceremony started out like this:

"Welcome! You have all come together to witness and celebrate the marriage of Matthew and Katherine. It was exactly eight years, three months and twenty-seven days ago that Matthew nervously asked Katherine to be his girlfriend." From that point on, the guests were enraptured with their ceremony which included the story of how they met and how their relationship blossomed in to love and then marriage. That sense of excitement and celebration flowed right on into their reception. It was a joy to work with these two love birds!

Meredith and Ryan's Amazing New Year's Eve Wedding at Haywood Hall!

2012-01-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

Who would have ever thought December 31, 2011 would be a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the upper sixties?? Meredith and Ryan believed with all their hearts that it would be and their dream day came true! Meredith's father, Tom, was assigned the task of calling me to see if I was available to officiate their wedding at Haywood Hall. Fortunately I was and so Meredith, Ryan and I met in late October to plan their ceremony. It was then that I found out that she and Ryan had been at the wedding of Meghan and Mark I officiated at The Sutherland in 2009. Meghan was Meredith's Matron of Honor so that was how they knew about me. Then, at the rehearsal I found out that I had married another bridesmaid, Jaime, Meredith's cousin, in 2002 at Millbrook Baptist Church. Another bridesmaid, Allison, piped up and told me that she tried to get me to do her wedding but I was already booked for her date. And to top that, a couple I am marrying in April of this year, Irene and Tyler, were wedding guests! Wow! My world is shrinking.

I loved working with Meredith and Ryan. They both have a delightful sense of humor and "go with the flow" attitude and that was reflected in the ceremony. We had a lot of fun making it exactly what they envisioned. Their story goes that they knew of each other in high school but had never connected. In fact, Ryan thought Meredith (now a hair stylist) was a "weirdo" because she sported funky hairstyles, even sometimes purple. Meredith was not interested in Ryan either, thinking they had nothing in common. But one magic May evening in 2009 they were at the same party and struck up a conversation that lasted into the wee hours of the morning and found out that indeed, they have a lot in common. Ryan told me that he has been unable to get Meredith off his mind ever since. Meredith told me that when Ryan kissed her that night, she knew he was the one!

The rehearsal the day before was quite the challenge with late arrivals, many sirens going off downtown, and a lot of grandparents and one great grandmother in the processional. But, our director, Winston, a beautiful blonde woman, whipped them all into shape on the wedding day and it turned out just fine.

The tent was all set up and decorated by the mother of the bride, Janet, and her friends. Cooper's Barbecue was catering the event.

Our DJ Heavy, yes, that is really what he is called although he does have a real name--Darrel Harris. He told me that he was nicknamed Heavy many years ago and it has stuck. He was so helpful and I appreciate that he was able to get the music and my voice heard although the DJ station had been pre-determined in the tent so that it was a challenge.

Terra is setting up the beautiful wedding cake inside the gazebo. Her business is called Cakes By Terra and it looks terrific!

Our photographer, Betsy Coley, was busy getting shots of the bridal party outside before the wedding. If you look closely, our beautiful bride is wearing red cowboy boots! Her dress is stunning! Her hair was by Jamie Sturdevant and makeup by Jill Carroll.

On the left is Jordan, our flower girl. She is the daughter of Jaime, the bride's cousin that I married to her husband John in 2002. Jaime is the third bridesmaid from the left next to Meredith. To the right of the bride is Meghan, the Matron of Honor, that I married in 2009. She and Mark have a 3 month old baby and are thinking about having me do a baby blessing ceremony for them. The second bridesmaid from the left is Allison who wanted me to officiate for her but I was already booked for her date.

Winston is getting Ryan's great grandmother, Eunice, and her escort, Jason, Ryan's brother, ready to be the first to process in.

After the family is escorted in, the groomsmen returned to process in with the bridesmaids.

Jordan, our flower girl, walks in with Mason, our ring bearer who is 4.

Tom, father of the bride, held her bouquet while she held up her dress to step up the steps. That dress is simply gorgeous!

Everyone is standing in honor of the bride as she and her father float down the aisle toward Ryan and the wedding party and me. They wanted me to stand at the top so that they could stand on the steps so that Meredith's wedding gown train would cascade down the steps.

"Who presents this woman to be married to this man?" "Her mother and I do."

It was amazing but not one siren, not one motorcycle, helicopter, train or other distraction happened during the ceremony!

Ryan's father, Terry, was his best man and had the real rings. When I called for the rings, he handed them to me and then I was surprised by Mason coming forth and up the steps to hand me the pillow with the fake ring! He was so cute and diligently doing his duty! I took the pillow from him and he went back to his seat.

I usually place my hand on the couple's joined hands to make the pronouncement but from the top of the steps, I could not reach unless I bent over so I chose not to put my hand on theirs.

Great kiss, Ryan!

This is where the recessional fell apart! Not that it matters but it turned out to be comical. In the photo above, Meredith's grandmother recessed with Tom and Janet instead of waiting for her escort.

Then Terry, Father of the Groom, was to come back and get Kathy, Mother of the Groom, but instead one of the groomsmen took Eunice out next then Terry left Kathy behind as he took out his mother, Ryan's grandmother Alice.

So, since Kathy was left standing there all alone, I said to her, "you and I can recess together" and so we and the guests all laughed and walked down the aisle together. Reminded me of the wedding where the little ring bearer was forgotten and left behind so I took his hand and had him stand with me until we left together.

Congratulations, Meredith and Ryan! I know you are going to have a wonderful marriage with lots of fun and laughs. You seem very good together and I hope as I post your wedding you are far away on a fabulous honeymoon! See you in April at the wedding of Irene and Tyler!

Beautiful New Year's Eve Eve Wedding for Eileen and Andy!

2012-01-01T17:14:00.000-05:00

Andy, Eileen and I met at the end of October to plan the ceremony for their wedding on December 30, 2011 at 5 PM at St. Marks Chapel in Raleigh, one of the sweetest spots in the Triangle for small weddings. We discussed what they had in mind and started co-creating their ceremony. The wedding day was simply unbelievably fabulous and unseasonal weather for December with a high of 63 degrees and lots of sunshine.

When we arrived, our photographer, Tom Edwards of New Image Studio, and his daughter, Amy, who was the second shooter, were taking some shots of Andy and two of his friends who were helping with the wedding.

The horse drawn carriage was maneuvered in place for the bride and groom to travel from St. Marks to the reception at Second Empire after the ceremony. I believe that J & L Carriages provided this beautiful one.

Lindsay Skipper of Elegant Violin was playing beautiful prelude music while the guests were being seated. Lindsay brings along her amplifier and iPod with pre-recorded piano accompaniment for her violin. It is simply beautiful. Lindsay and I did another wedding together last spring and I recommended her to Eileen and Andy. I did not know she had moved to Virginia though. She told me that her parents live in Raleigh so she is back frequently and was home for the holidays for this wedding so it all worked out!

Our pretty bride was hanging out in the Post Office building until it was time to begin the ceremony. We shooed all the guests inside and seated the mothers. Eileen's daughters, Marissa and Alexis, processed in then the two flower girls.

Eileen's son, Max, escorted his mother part of the way down the aisle then Andy met them and escorted her the rest of the aisle up onto the platform to join me for the ceremony.

Eileen and Andy wanted to remember those who have passed on front this earth, particularly Eileen's father and aunt and Andy's aunt so we had three white roses to symbolize their presence in spirit.

They each placed their roses at the altar while Lindsay played "To Where You Are" by Josh Groban.

St. Marks is such a nice setting for an intimate wedding. The capacity is 55 people. There is a loft from where the photographer can get some really good photos. Andy's mother and father, Dorothy and Andrew, are seated on first pew on the right. Dorothy took me aside before the ceremony and told me she had been waiting 50 years for this moment. Although Eileen had been married before, Andy had held out all these years! Eileen's mother, Caroline, and Eileen's children, Marissa, Alexis and Max, are sitting on the front row on left. In the ceremony we paid tribute to the two mothers and recognized Marissa, Alexis and Max.

Alexis read a passage from Colossians for us.

The pronouncement of marriage was made, they kissed, and were introduced as husband and wife to the guests then recessed to the back of the chapel as I announced for the guests to remain in the chapel for a champagne toast.

They really enjoyed this kiss in the light of the beautiful sunset!

The "champagne" was handed out but it was really non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice.

Andy made a great toast. Wish I had written down his words. Tom is capturing the moment!

Tom decided he needed to toast the couple as well as Amy handed him some "champagne," although in this photo it looks like he is taking it away from her and telling her she is too young to drink!!

Eileen poses with the pretty flower girls, Nicole and Michelle, who loved sprinkling the petals!

Eileen and Andy, I am so happy for you that you found each other to share your love and your lives! May you have peace, love and joy all your days!

This photo was taken by Lindsay and she posted it on Facebook where I copied it for this blog post. Thanks, Lindsay!! BTW, she commented that St. Mark's has the best acoustics of any place she has ever played, maybe in her whole life! I agree with her. I do not have to use a sound system in the chapel because the acoustics are so great.

Bill Surprises Diana with a Wedding At Regency Park!

2011-12-31T20:54:00.000-05:00

Bill sent me an email on 12/21 wanting to know if I could officiate his wedding to Diana on 12/30/11. I wrote back and said that I was available but then did not hear from him for a day or two. Because he has a Yahoo email address and my responses run into problems getting through Yahoo's spam filter, I gave him a call. Turned out he was planning to surprise his bride by staging a wedding at the place where, as he put it, their hearts first joined. I knew then and there that Bill was a pretty romantic guy! The place was the Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary. Since I love being a part of creative weddings I was happy to participate in pulling off this surprise wedding. He told me that they were going to get their license a few says before and for all she knew the plan was to go to the courthouse that Friday morning to get married there. He asked me for suggestions about flowers and I told him he would need a boutonniere and to get Diana a wrist corsage since she can't hold a bouquet and hold hands at the same time. I also suggested a ring of rose petals to form a "unity circle" they could stand in and he loved that idea. So, I wrote a lovely ceremony for them and emailed it to Bill for his review and edits. He sent payment to me and for the two witnesses I was providing via PayPal and made all the arrangements with North Raleigh Florists close to me for me to pick up the flowers and bring with me. The plan was for me and the two witnesses, my husband Dave and my "roadie" Marty, to be there by 9:45 AM out of sight behind the bandshell. It was a chilly morning but as long as we stood in a patch of sunshine, we were fine.

Just on cue, about 10:00 Bill and Diana showed up and as they were standing in the bandshell looking out at the amphitheater, I walked out and introduced myself and asked Diana if she would like to get married here.

She was absolutely flabbergasted and moved to tears.

So I pinned on Bill's boutonniere, got the wrist corsage on Diana and made a circle of rose petals for them to stand in. Bill gave Dave his camera to take photos with while Marty used mine for the blog. Diana took off her coat and unveiled a beautiful dress for the wedding. She said she did not feel cold at all!

Bill and Diana, as a symbol of your unity and intent to be eternal partners, you stand in a sacred circle of rose petals. The circle is the oldest sacred symbol, one with no beginning, and no end. There is a quotation that goes like this: “Our family is a circle of love and strength. With every birth and every union, the circle grows. Every joy shared adds more love. Every obstacle faced together makes the circle stronger.”

For thousands of years men and women have exchanged rings as tokens of their wedding vows. These rings are your gifts to each other to remind you always, and those that gaze upon their beauty, that you have pledged your love and commitment in marriage to each other. And when you have been together for a long, long time, you will look at these rings, and you will feel the indentation they have made on your fingers, and you will know that these rings contain all the memories of what your lives and your relationship have been. May they always serve to remind you of how great your love is for one another.

Bill and Diana, by the power vested in me, in the presence of these witnesses, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife.

Diana, you may kiss your husband! Bill, you may kiss your wife!

Bill and Diana, I wish you many years of wedded bliss!

The Garden on Millbrook is Open for Weddings Again!

2011-12-27T23:46:00.000-05:00

Sisters' Garden and Catering, located at 2400 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh, has recently changed ownership and is now called The Garden on Millbrook. The staff has been retained so you can expect the same excellent quality of service and amenities they have been known for for many years.

I am especially glad that Marc Dabagian has remained at The Garden. He is so great to work with and a master at coordinating weddings there. Yay, Marc! I am happy to help them put out the word that they are open for business and their 2012 calendar is wide open for weddings and other events.

This venue has been one of my favorite wedding spots throughout the years and I love officiating weddings there. There are many weddings on this blog at this site. The Garden on Millbrook has a lovely courtyard type garden setting where you can have an outdoor ceremony surrounded by lush foliage with or without a tent. If the weather becomes adverse, Plan B is right there as the spacious ballroom will accommodate a large number of guests for the ceremony and the reception. They can provide the catering or you can choose from their list of approved caterers. They also continue to do off-premises catering as well.

Contact : Adelaide: 919.872.2100 adelaidestallings@gmail.com

Marc: 919.656.8010 gardenmarc@aol.com

Christmas Eve Eve Wedding for Jennifer and Mark!

2011-12-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

While on a business trip in California, Jennifer's mother, Judy, contacted me on December 13 about officiating for her daughter Jennifer who was marrying her sweetheart Mark on December 23, 2011 at her home in North Raleigh. She was referred to me by Greg Lewis of Catering by Design. Thanks, Greg! (I so appreciate the vendors who send couples to me. Met with a couple this week who were referred by a musician I work with.)

So, Judy and I worked out the logistics of booking the wedding and then I contacted Jennifer and Mark for details about their wedding ceremony. They wanted to remember those not able to be with us, thank Judy for her love and support, and include their baby daughter, Leila, in the ceremony. I sent them a proposed ceremony and they took it from there, making it just what they wanted and that is what is so important!

The big day arrived and Marty and I finally found our way to Judy's house. The roads in that area of Falls of Neuse up near the dam have totally been rerouted and my GPS got all confused! The day was so beautiful, a sunny bright day in the high 60s, so nice we could have done the wedding outside but all the preparations had been done inside Judy's beautiful home.

The sand ceremony was set up and ready.

Leila is not walking solo yet but she loves to push her little cart which Jen had filled with beautiful flowers so that she could be our flower girl! She was so adorable pushing the cart into the living room!

Of course, watching strangers take pictures is a lot more interesting than watching Mommy and Daddy get married!

Jennifer was so beautiful in her gorgeous wedding gown and Mark was all dressed up and handsome too. They were planning a big party that evening to celebrate and Greg was catering.

Judy is holding not only the bride's bouquet but also the flower girl and really was fulfilling the role of Matron of Honor!

They poured their own sand, brown and white, and added Leila's which was a pretty shiny gold sand.

The finished container leaves plenty of room to add more sand for future children they hope to have.

I wondered why Jen avoided looking at Mark during the ceremony. Then I found out after the ceremony she was afraid that if she did, she would cry. Here's a photo where she peeked!

I made them kiss 3 times so we could get a photo and although blurry, this is the best of the three!

Hah! Married at last! Breathing a sigh of relief and happiness!

It's celebration time!! Congratulations, Jen and Mark! It was my honor to marry you to each other and be a part of your special day. Call me when you have another baby and we can add another layer to that vase of sand! Merry Christmas to you all!

Wonderful Winter Wedding for Kristin and Tim at The Cotton Company!

2011-12-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

Kristin and Tim are a great couple. When we met on November 20th, they shared the funny story of how they met each other with me. I am so happy they found each other because they seem so compatible! They were a lot of fun to work with in creating their special ceremony for December 17, 2011 and worked so hard to transform the upstairs gallery of The Cotton Company in Wake Forest into a winter wonderland. Kristin's mother, Renee, was so very kind to donate all the decorations to the bride whose wedding was there the next day!

Marty and I arrived an hour before the ceremony and everything was in place. The caterer, Jessie Scott with Tastefully Yours, was getting all the beverages set up.

This beautiful cake was made by Dawn Macon.

The DJ, Frankie Hagen with Island Sound, was setting up too. He was great to work with and had been told that I brought my own microphone and receiver so he was ready. Frankie also identified for me the most beautiful rendition of the Bridal March Kristin had chosen for her entrance that I had heard at previous weddings and loved. It is by Jonathan Cain of Journeys. It is on You Tube at this link.

This is the latest trend in bouquets--brooch bouquets--made with vintage brooches. How gorgeous they were and Kristin made them herself! I had read about them just the other day but this was the first time I have actually seen them.

Across the dance floor Kristin and her father, Gregory, float down the aisle to that magical Bridal March. Our photographer for this occasion was Bernhard Goetsch with BG Photography in High Point. This was the first wedding he and I have done together but I met him a couple of years ago at a wedding event in Mebane. He also does a lot of weddings with our mutual friend, Rev. Jane Burnette in the Triad, and had furnished our website with some great photos he had taken of Jane. It was good to see him again and work with him!

Kristin's friends Samantha and Shannon were her two attendants. Tim's best man was his father, Tim Sr., and his groomsman was his younger brother, Josh. They were not at our rehearsal but did just fine.

After the vows, Kristin and Tim exchanged rings. Then we had the Unity Cross ceremony.

The Unity Cross symbolizes the joining of the bride and groom in marriage. First Tim took the frame of the cross which represented strength and his role as the supporter and protector of his family and set it up in the base.

Then Kristin placed the more intricate sculpture inside the frame representing her many capabilities and how she fit perfectly together within the frame of the marriage.

The Unity Cross comes with three pegs which hold it in place. These three pegs represent God: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. I placed those three pegs in place and finished the ceremony with words from Matthew 19: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two shall become one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Then we closed with a prayer based on First Corinthians, the pronouncement of marriage, the kiss and the presentation of the newly wed couple!

They look so happy and thrilled to finally be married. It is time to party!!

Kristin and Tim, what a wonderful couple you are and what a wonderful wedding you planned. It was my pleasure and my honor to know you and officiate for you! I wish you all the best!

Beautiful Christmas-time Wedding for Kate and Will Gray!

2011-12-18T23:49:00.000-05:00

Like many good love stories, Kate and Will Gray's began their freshman year in college at Furman University. During freshman orientation activities in which the freshman boys paraded through the girls' dorm, they definitely noticed each other. Will Gray was quite taken with Kate and that evening found him under her balcony serenading her at midnight in the moonlight--another Furman custom. Apparently the feeling was mutual! After spending many hours together attending classical music concerts, watching favorite shows in the dorm basement, and many hours of guitar hero and legend of Zelda, long after they were inseparable friends, they realized they were in love. After college their careers took them 300 hundred miles apart--Will Gray in Atlanta and Kate in Raleigh. With marriage and Will Gray's landing a job in NC, they are overjoyed to be married at last and make themselves truly inseparable.

They met with me on June 2, 2011 to plan their ceremony on December 17, 2011 at the beautiful Jones Chapel on Meredith College campus--a very fitting venue for these college sweethearts. They put together a composite draft of their ceremony from the material I sent them, wrote their own story and worked with me individually to craft the paragraphs to each other detailing the reasons they wanted to marry. So sweet! And then, the big day was here!

Kate and Will Gray included a lot of their college friends in the ceremony. Will Gray himself is a "tubist" and they had their friend Paul play the euphonium for the prelude.

All the while, the bridesmaids and parents were getting lined up in the foyer. Leroy, another college friend, was in charge of cuing the wedding party in. He had never done this before but with my training at the rehearsal, he did a fine job! That is Kate's father, Allan, holding Sarah's bouquet. She is Kate's sister and was helping the bride in the room behind him. Fallon's Flowers did the floral arrangements and bouquets.

We are all assembled on the altar as the bride and her father enter.

Sarah stepped down to take the bouquet as Dad transferred Kate's hand into Will's hand before they ascended the steps.

I welcomed everyone and told them how special they were to the couple.

We were graced by Blake, another Furman friend, who sang two pieces: "In the Bleak Midwinter" and after the prayer, "Simple Song." His bass voice is amazing! No wonder they wanted him to sing at their wedding!

After the ceremony I saw two Blake's, deduced that he had a twin but then found out that Blake and his brother and sister are triplets.

Love "red" weddings, especially at Christmas time. So vibrant and festive. The matron of honor, Sarah, is on the far right and next to her are Kelley and Bethany, also sisters of the bride.

Will Gray's best man was his father, Bill. Behind Bill are David and Phillip, brothers of the bride.

After the prayer, the story and wedding address, they exchanged vows then rings.

Their photographer, Denise Meyers with 1 Impression 2 Remember, and her second shooter, Peter Newby, got the wedding party and parents to assemble in the balcony after the guests departed for the reception at Crabtree Marriott.

Kate and Will Gray, such a pleasure working with you! I know you will be very happy! You have had very good role models in your parents and know how to make marriage a glorious path through life. Many blessings to you!

The Siena Hotel Hosts the Wedding of Rabia and Jon!

2011-12-06T18:24:00.001-05:00

The Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill holds many fond memories for me going back 12 years ago when I officiated the wedding of Laura and Gus, one of my first weddings. Their rehearsal dinner was at the Siena. (Back then I attended rehearsal dinners.) The Il Palio chef prepared Laura's family's favorite dessert from the recipe given supplied by her mother. It was layers of lady fingers and whipped cream drizzled with an amazing home-made chocolate sauce. Yummy. So fantastic that I asked for the recipe and still treasure it today! Since that time I have done many weddings at the hotel, some big and some small. They can accommodate just about any size wedding and the staff and hotel are wonderful to work with.

This is Arie, the events manager with the Siena. She is great to work with and took care of all the details of the wedding day!

Jon called me in mid-November to see if I was available to officiate his wedding to Rabia on December 3, 2011 at the Siena--just a few short weeks away. Fortunately, I was available so we scheduled a meeting quickly. We did not have a lot of time so I crafted a ceremony based on what they told me they wanted, sent it to them and they loved it. They really liked the parts reflecting their different family heritages (Rabia is Muslim and from Pakistan and Jon was raised Christian and American although he was born in Germany) making it an interfaith ceremony. Rabia particularly liked the idea of using a poem by the Persian mystical poet, Rumi, as a meditative prayer. She told me that her parents who traveled from Pakistan for the wedding love the works of Rumi and would be very pleased (and they were). For a closing blessing, we used a prayer based on First Corinthians. We also included a tribute to both sets of parents who have intact marriages and serve as wonderful role models for our bride and groom.

Marty and I arrived at the hotel at 10:15 for the 11:00 AM wedding. This gorgeous cake by Sugarland was hidden away in the reception room. Needless to say, the wedding color was a beautiful pink.

The Fisher-Park String Quartet from Greensboro was already there and warming up. They were very good!

This the room all set up for the ceremony. I am amazed that my new camera got this low light shot without flash! Wow!

These are our flower girls all lined up early!

Jon's parents, Helga and Dean, process in first followed by Rabia's mother, Tehseen, escorted in by her two sons.

Then Jon and I.

The cute (unrehearsed) flower girls trickled in slowly!

Rabia was escorted in by her father, Javed, then he transferred her hand into Jon's.

I don't have any photos of it but we did a "water pouring" ritual after the wedding address, the vows and ring exchange. "We honor water, to clean and soothe your relationship that you may never thirst for love....Together may you always share kindness with one another that will ease any pain that may come between you. With all the forces of the universe, we pray for harmony and true happiness for you both."

Joining hands again after drying their hands.

"It is my pleasure and my honor to recognize you as husband and wife!"

Their kiss was so brief I had them kiss again but still we got no photo of the kiss! I think they were a bit shy about kissing in front of everyone.

Waiting for the quartet to start the recessional music. Isn't Rabia's ceremonial dress beautiful?

And out they go!

Jon and Rabia, I am so happy that you called me that day and that we could work together to make your ceremony so special for you. I wish you all the best always! Thank you for your note the next day that said: "I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful job you did on our wedding ceremony yesterday. So many people came up to us and told us how much they liked the ceremony - you really made it memorable. We even had one guest say that she and her husband would like to do their wedding over again with you as the officiant! So thank you very much."

The Oaks at Salem--A Stunning New Wedding Venue in the Triangle!

2011-12-05T14:47:00.001-05:00

I received an invitation to the Holiday Open House on December 4th at The Oaks at Salem via Facebook. I invited my "roadie" Marty to go with me and we were delighted to have the opportunity to see this amazing new venue. I have a wedding booked there in January so you blog followers will get to see it in wedding mode then. The owners, April Maness and her husband, bought this 5 acre spread in Apex, removed the existing house and built this mansion! April is a wedding photographer and I had no idea this new venue was in the works until it opened recently. It is truly magnificent and she has artfully geared the facility to accommodate not only weddings but many other types of events with ease and finesse.

Located at 6304 Old Jenks Road in Apex, it is easy to get to from Hwy 64 and only 16 miles from my home. The house is so impressive as you turn onto its street and see it looming in the distance. They had valet parking--so nice!

The foyer and beautiful staircase. That is Christa to the left.

Once inside, you could see all the wonderful touches. Christa Davidson was there as the official photographer. I had forgotten my camera but someone reminded me that I have my iPhone camera. So, all these photos here are taken with my iPhone--amazing.

To the left of the foyer is this room with the striking ceiling treatment.

In this room was a delectable spread by Cook Shack. That is a side of pork with delicious ribs and other goodies.

On the other side of the foyer was this warm and cozy room where we signed in and got our name tags.

These are views of the huge, well-appointed kitchen. Wow!

Janet Perry and her husband Daniel provided a table of goodies off the kitchen area. They are the proprietors of Daniel's Restaurant and Catering. Daniel's is that wonderful Italian restaurant nearby.

On the other side of the kitchen in what might serve as a dining room, there was DJ Rang with No Regret Productions who also did the special lighting outdoors. There was delicious punch, hot cider and hot chocolate to enjoy too.

Moving from the dining area into the next adjoining room we found the dressing room for the bride and her ladies. It was elegant. Tre Bella Bridal was displaying some of their beautiful gowns which were soft and flowing type gowns rather than the ball gown style.

Tre Bella Flowers are known for their unique and gorgeous floral arrangements.

Off the bride's room was this fabulous bathroom suite. It had everything a bride could possibly want!

Marty and I enjoyed visiting with some good friends who are vendors we work with often. Here is Mary Page Block who owns Arioso Strings with Angie Wright who owns Chic Details, special event planning.

Of course Tracy Adams of Adams and Events was there too. I don't know the name of this young lady she is standing with.

Off the living area are a series of porches or balconies where people were gathered.

This one area even had a fireplace which was decorated for Christmas.

Looking down from the porches we could see the very large lighted Christmas tree and the monogram projected onto the patio area. Out beyond is a lake but it was not visible at night.

Then we wandered downstairs to see what the lower level had in store and it was plenty! First was Neal Zipser with Shutterbooth with an array of whimsical head gear to wear in your photo!

Stephanie Cisko, wedding planner with Viva L'Event was there showing this very pretty table with all white blooms.

Jennifer Stevens, the proprietor of Ambrosia Cake Creations was on hand to pass out samples of her delicious cakes.

Cake Pops are the latest in wedding cakes--an evolution from cupcakes. They are simply little round iced and decorated cakes on a stick like a tootsie pop. Choose your flavor! These were furnished by Raleigh Cake Pops.

Coleen Speaks was on hand to display and serve guests her delicious treats from Posh Nosh Catering. Down at the far end of the counter are the ladies from Events by La Fete--Katie and Rebecca Dunn.

On the other side of the room downstairs were tables displaying floral works of art. I believe this was Julie Liles' floral creation. It is stunning.

This festive table was created by Elizabeth Jones, Floral Designer, with Flowers by Elizabeth. I was glad she was standing with her table so I could chat with her and definitely remember her creation!

Another table was by The English Garden.

I took this photo from my car as we drove away. What a fabulous site and they know how to entertain! Congratulations, April!

Julie and Richard Had Two Weddings!

2011-12-04T22:58:00.001-05:00

Julie and Richard met with me last April to plan their wedding ceremony for November 25, 2011at Fearrington Country Inn. We worked hard to create a very memorable and meaningful ceremony for them. It was the second marriage for both of them and it was very important that this ceremony be very personal and dear to their hearts. Their story is very special and they felt like they have been handed a miracle in finding each other. Julie was quite happy to expound on the details of their meeting the first time and the subsequent events. Richard, on the other hand, travels a lot and had sent me a very brief summary of his side of the story. I told Julie I needed more material to work with and so she got on his case to call me which he did and as a result I took reams of notes and gathered fantastic material to work with in fashioning that section of the ceremony. We finalized the ceremony script by early October and were all set for their wedding the Friday after Thanksgiving Day. Later on in October, Julie called me and said that she and Richard really really wanted to get married on the magical date of 11/11/11 at 11:00 AM because of its significance and emailed me an article on it. The article:

The number 11 is thought of as a "master" number in numerology because it is a double digit of the same number. When this occurs - the vibrational frequency of the prime number doubles in power. The very basic & primary understanding of the number One is that of new beginnings & purity. When we see this digit doubled as with the number 11, these attributes double in strength. The power of the number is further intensified this year because on November 11, 2011 (11.11.11) the number resonates three times. The year 2011 is significant because the sum of 2011 is 4 (2+0+1+1=4). In numerology the number 4 represents form, foundation, and structure. It is spirit manifest into matter, or those things that bring everything "down to earth." 2011 is a turning point year where the divine creative spirit, represented by 11.11.11 sets the foundation for what is to transpire in 2012.

They were thinking of going to the courthouse and getting secretly married on 11/11/11and wanted to check with me to see if that would be okay--would it affect my doing their "public" wedding later. I told them it would not affect it; that their 11/25/11 ceremony would technically be a renewal of vows ceremony and the ceremony on 11/11/11 would be their legal ceremony and real anniversary date. Then I invited them to come to my wedding garden, weather permitting, on 11/11/11 and I would be happy to marry them instead of having a standard quickie civil ceremony at the courthouse. They loved it! So I wrote a much simpler and shorter ceremony for them but used the same vows and ring words from the ceremony we had already created but added some universal spiritual elements such as having them join left hands and right hands together to form the symbol of infinity "blessing their marriage in the eternal ebb and flow of the Universe" which fit in quite nicely with the significance of 11/11/11. I put a lightbulb in a napkin for Richard to break (they are both Jewish). On that chilly crisp fall magical morning, Julie and Richard, two witnesses--my husband Dave and my "roadie" Marty and I gathered in my wedding garden which was beautifully strewn with an abundance of fallen leaves. Here are the photos of that day:

I timed it so that I pronounced them married at 11 minutes and 11 seconds after 11:00 AM!

And then it was official, Julie and Richard were wife and husband, at last! And so happy!

Fast forward to 11/25/11 at Fearrington Inn in the Crabapple Garden.

11/25/11 was actually a warmer, nicer day weather-wise than 11/11/11 and Richard had let the cat out of the bag that they were already legally married so it was no longer a secret!

This is the Garden Room. We had our rehearsal here the day before because it was cold and rainy outside. This room is so cozy and inviting with a crackling fire in the fireplace. We gathered here before the ceremony and it is where the guests congregated for cocktails after the ceremony.

The sand ceremony was set to go. Richard has three children and Julie two and they wanted to include them in the ceremony as well as their parents.

Everything is ready so I am taking a load off my feet before it is time for the guests to be seated. You can see what a beautiful, sunny, glorious day it is.

Craig and Ed with Arioso Strings arrived and got set up and went over the cues with Gilda McDaniels, the event manager for Fearrington. You will see Ed and Craig in many weddings on this blog. I love working with them and all the musicians with Arioso Strings.

The groom and his best man and son and I waited to the side of the garden until it was our turn to walk in.

Julie was escorted in by her father, Sandy. She is so beautiful and her dress is perfect for her.

Julie's sister, Nancy, was her Matron of Honor. Richard's Best Man was his good friend, Daryl. David, Richard's son, served as the groomsman and his daughter, Andrea, was his grooms-woman. David's other daughter, Michelle, was a bridesmaid, along with Julie's daughter, Hope. Unfortunately Julie's son, Alex, was not able to be with us on this day.

Julie's parents, Rhoda and Sandy, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year and Richard's parents, Marsha and Irving, their 53rd anniversary this year. Julie and Richard wanted to honor them on their special day so we surprised them with a tribute. (Poor Julie, the sun is right in her eyes when she looks at Richard!)

We included the Jewish wedding custom of the cup of wine ceremony where they each drank from the cup as I said: "L'Chaim, may your cup of life runneth over!"

Pretty girls!

Telling their wonderful story!

They made their vows to each other again and then exchanged their rings which had been passed among their guests to be infused with their blessings for the couple.

Then it was time for the family unity sand ceremony. They included their parents who poured in sand representing Julie and Richard's heritages and serving as a strong foundation upon which Julie and Richard will build their marriage.

Then Julie and Richard separately poured in half of their sand making two more layers.

I called their children to come forth and each pour a layer of different color sand representing them. Hope poured in sand representing her brother, Alex.

Then Julie and Richard blended the rest of their sand together as they poured it into the container.

I placed the glass for Richard to break at his feet and made the pronouncement of marriage (again)!

When he broke the glass we all shouted "Mahzel Tov" which means congratulations and good luck and they kissed!

Awww... such a sweet kiss and such a wonderful couple!

And away they go!

Cheryl Kast, our wedding director with Fearrington, is such a delight to work with. I discovered that her lilting English accent is actually a South African accent where she grew up. Thanks, Cheryl, for another beautifully orchestrated wedding!

The finished vase of pretty layers of symbolic sand.

Julie and Richard, you are such a delightful couple and it was my pleasure to do two ceremonies for you. Thanks for being who you are and for your love which just radiates between you and all around you!

Beautiful Fall Wedding for Mary and Matt at the Preston Woodall House!

2011-11-21T21:31:00.001-05:00

Mary and Matt are both serving our country in the military, Mary in the Air Force and Matt in the Navy. They were both stationed in Hawaii when they met in 2009 and discovered they both love finding new and exciting things to do together such as walking on lava fields and diving with manta rays! They have had some wonderful adventures together and it was time to get married. They set the wedding date for November 19, 2011 at the wonderful Preston-Woodall House in Benson. Mary's mother contacted me last May about officiating and put me in touch with Mary and Matt who were then living in California. We started working on the ceremony by email and met for the first time at their rehearsal Friday evening.

This is the Preston Woodall House from the side. The front is to the right. I have been doing weddings here for over 10 years now and always enjoy being here. It is such an elegant venue and Diane Seymour, the events manager, is a delight to work with.

The front parlor was sumptuously spread with really wonderful appetizers for the guests.

For favors for the guests to take home with them, Mary chose caramel apple kits.

The Cora Lily Ballroom was all set up for the ceremony. After the ceremony the room was "turned" by the staff and ready for the reception.

Douglas Potts at the Harris-Teeter in Cary was the florist. He did a fine job!

This beautiful wedding cake was created by Lisa of Tier Bella. Gorgeous!

Jeff Martin with Strawboss Productions was our DJ.

A gift from the bride's parents was a framed display of their two family coat of arms. Matt's family is of Welsh heritage while Mary's hails from England.

Their photographer was Rob Seelye with Studio R1. I have done many weddings with Rob but we had not crossed paths in about a year. It was great to see him again. He did an engagement session with Mary and Matt a few days before the wedding because they had not been able to come to NC earlier and put them together for their wedding poster to be signed by the guests. Their first date was on Memorial Day. The photos were taken at Jordan Lake and replicate some of their great ventures in Hawaii.

Last in was the bride with her father. She looked so pretty and the flowers were stunning.

Diane looks happy that all went smoothly with the ceremony and now it is time to set up for the reception while the guests enjoyed a cocktail hour in the mezzanine.

Well done, Mary and Matt! Now you can get on with your great adventures. May all your dreams come true!

Warm Wedding on a Chilly Day at Snipes Farm for Lisa and Tyler!

2011-11-14T23:23:00.001-05:00

Lisa and Tyler went to the same high school in Cary but never met until they were home from college, he at Georgia Tech and she at UNC Charlotte, at a mutual friend's birthday party the summer of 2006. They noticed each other right away and spent a large chunk of the party getting to know each other. School beckoned them back and they did not see each other until the following summer back in Cary where they kept bumping into each other at friends' get togethers. One thing led to another and they began dating. Although they had to separate once again, they decided to keep seeing each other. Many phone calls, plane rides, and long distance drives between Cary and Atlanta ensued with Tyler landing a great job all the way in Boston while Lisa stayed in NC finishing up a graduate degree and planning their wedding for the magical date of 11/11/11 at Snipes Farm Retreat. With marriage, they look forward to living together in the same household and in the same city for the first time!

Lisa and Tyler came to see me in May to officiate their wedding. They are a delightful couple and seem to balance each other well. Lisa is quite outgoing whereas Tyler is a "man of few words" I was to discover as we were creating the ceremony! Well, he is a geek so what do you expect?? They chose the bulk of the ceremony and answered some questions for me and I put together their wonderful story and managed to squeeze out a few facts from Tyler! I could tell he chooses his words carefully and so Lisa filled me in on the details.

The wedding day turned out to be quite chilly but the sky was a clear bright blue and with the contrast of the beautiful fall colors of the leaves and grass, the day was gorgeous! We had the ceremony at the "wedding tree" on the farm overlooking the meadows and trees.

Daisy Cakes provided these delectable cup cakes. Green Planet Catering was providing the healthy and delicious food. Tre Bella furnished the pretty flowers and boutonnieres.

The inside of the barn was warm and toasty as everything was being set up. You may recall that there was a terrible accident on I-40 that day that backed westbound traffic up to Johnston County and some of our vendors got caught in that back-up. But not to worry, Snipes Farm is a very casual fun venue and time is not a big deal! So, there was no panic or stress.

Mel Manning was our DJ for the reception and he was one caught in the traffic as well as the caterers. He was ready to go by the time the ceremony was done and the reception started.

Matthew Kanon was there when we arrived. He was warming up his guitar and keeping his head and ears warm too. He told us he had done a wedding at the beach the weekend before and had forgotten his hat and he almost froze to death!! So, he made sure he remembered it today. Matt and I have done many weddings together through the years but this is the first time this year. Turns out he is living in Goldsboro now but still loves to do weddings in the Triangle.

It is quite a long walk from the barn to the ceremony site and when Erin McLean, our wedding director, cued us, Tyler and I began the trek closely followed by David and Charlie while Tyler's brothers, Sam and Mark, stayed behind to escort in their two grandmothers.

The bridesmaids, Kelly, Brittany, Claire, and one bridesman, Jay, followed then it was time for Lisa and her father to make the journey down the "aisle."

Lisa's dress was beautiful and quite unique. It really fit her personality and she was absolutely radiant!

The guests were all standing in her honor as they made their way across the grassy meadow.

"Who supports and blesses Lisa as she comes to join in marriage to Tyler?" Andy, Lisa's father, proudly answered in his British accent: "Her mother and I do." He was born and raised in England whereas her mother was born and raised in Malaysia so Lisa's heritage is quite unique. Her grandmother and aunt came all the way from England for the nuptials.

You can see Abigail Seymour, our photographer, in the background getting her shots.

I wonder how old this majestic tree is. I have been doing weddings under its canopy for over 12 years now and it has become a good friend.

I was not aware of it during the ceremony but seeing these photos I notice that Lisa had a lot of animation in her face that made Tyler smile. She was so relaxed and really did not seem to be cold at all. The wind picked up and by the time I left the wedding it was 43 degrees not counting the wind chill factor. Lisa told me at the rehearsal that she would be just fine because in high school she was in the Color Guard and learned to tolerate cold weather! Lucky for me, I could wear warm attire.

The attendants retired to the back porch area to be in the photos. Everybody was ready to party!

Erin poses with the couple for this blog. Thanks, Erin, it is great working with you again so soon! Let's do a lot more together!

Lisa and Tyler, I know you will love living and working in Boston. I lived there after I graduated from college too and had a blast. I wish you both prosperity and abundance, peace, joy and very much love!