Beautiful Wedding Day for Elane and Chris!

Saturday March 10, 2012 turned out to be a spectacular day for Elane and Chris' wedding and the first wedding of 2012 in my wedding garden. Although not all the leaves are out on the trees, one azalea was blooming, the thundercloud plum tree had put out its purple flowers, and I hung several baskets of flowering plants and some ferns around the arbor for more color. Here are some pictures of the garden before the guests arrived.

 

 

I did not meet Elane and Chris in person until their wedding day but we got to know each other working on their ceremony by email. Elane and I also connected on Facebook where I could see their photos and  put their faces with their names. They are such a vibrant young couple and very much in love and it showed!

Elane contacted me initially on January 7th saying that they were on a very tight budget and planned on eloping but heard about my wedding garden. She wanted to know how to make the arrangements. So, I emailed her a contract which she completed and mailed to me with their check. I was happy that I could offer her an elopement wedding that fit their budget. Elane and Chris are a very conscientious couple who are saving for their future together and were happy to be able to marry in a small private wedding surrounded by their family.

Elane told me she originally planned to borrow a a friend's wedding dress but the cost to alter it to fit her was too much. She then discovered that she could buy a wedding dress on line from China--very sentimentally consistent with her heritage as her mother was born in China. She shared with me the website where she bought her beautiful dress for under $100--a fantastic bargain and less than the cost to alter her friend's wedding dress. She did borrow her friend's veil for her something borrowed, something blue. She was escorted in by her brother-in-law, Dan, as all the guests stood in her honor.

 

 Views from my upper deck overlooking garden.

Elane is a very beautiful bride and so photogenic! Chris could not stop looking at her!

 

 

 The ring blessing....

 

 

 

That kiss went on and on after I rang the bell that hangs inside the arbor!  Chad Williams, their photographer, has already posted some great photos of this wedding and the couple!

Chris and Elane, now married, husband and wife! 

They were delighted that their mothers, Megan and Cindy, could be with them for their wedding day. The mothers were thrilled as well.

Elane and Chris, I know your marriage will be as happy as your wonderful wedding day! I am so happy you found each other. I wish you all the best life can bring your way!

Elane and Chris just posted an amazing review (5 stars!) of my services on Weddingwire.com which I appreciate very much and want to share with my readers:

Reverend Kayelily is the primary reason why our wedding ceremony turned out much more beautiful than we ever hoped for!
Kayelily's efforts truly exemplify the phrase, "going the extra mile." We are not an extravagant couple, so we realized vendors would provide merely what we needed, but no more than necessary. We requested Kayelily's garden. Not only did she respond with swift promptness during every step of the communication, she worked with us to tailor the most personal, intimate ceremony. The ceremony speech Kayelily personalizes for you will move your guests to tears, because it is intimate, personal, and completely truthful. In other words, Kayelily doesn't write up cheesy purple prose: she will work with you to include details of your actual relationship into the ceremony.
Kayelily made the extra effort to make sure her garden bloomed early for our ceremony. She arranged the procession for the bride, thereby transforming our humble, private ceremony into a graceful, organized, and beautiful formal event. We did not expect this, and we were truly moved.
Kayelily, you are the reason why our wedding vows will be etched in our memories as one of the happiest moments of our relationship. We thank you again!
With deep gratitude,
Chris and Elane