Highgrove Wedding for Brittany and Clay!

This last weekend in April turned out to be a busy wedding weekend. I had 6 weddings--two on Friday night and 4 on Saturday! They were all evenly spaced so there was no rush getting from one to the other. The weather was very nice too although a bit on the warm side. The first one was for Brittany and Clay. Brittany is a friend of my daughter's and knew for sure she wanted me to officiate her ceremony and I was happy to do this for her. Her matron of honor, Pam, is also a friend of my daughter's so it was good to be with them both for this wonderful occasion.

Brittany and Clay chose to have their April 24th wedding ceremony and reception at Highgrove, a beautiful estate in Fuquay-Varina. I have been doing weddings there since they opened many years ago. Every year the setting looks more beautiful. It is also nice for the guests to have both the ceremony and the reception in one place. Ann Beerles served as the wedding consultant/director and kept everything moving right along. If you have a wedding at Highgrove, the package comes with a wedding director which is so convenient and one who knows all the logistics for running your wedding day. A few years ago the owners added a beautiful tent to the property so that there is plenty of room for the reception and a handy "Plan B" if the weather does not cooperate. The tent is elegant, air-conditioned and has a dance floor. The azaleas were in full bloom and the landscaping is so pretty. The pergola for the ceremony overlooks a beautiful lake and trees. What a gorgeous background for their wedding photos. Speaking of photos, Elizabeth Myers and Rick Ward of SweetLife Photography were there to capture every moment of the day. It was a pleasure to work with them again. Brian O'Toole was our DJ and provided the ceremony music and plugged my wireless mike into his system so everyone could hear me. Their colors were black, white and lavender so I wore my lavender dress with white prayer stole. It was just too hot for my long sleeved black dress. Their wedding cake was really one to behold but I forgot to find out who made it for them. Maybe Brittany will read this blog when they return from their honeymoon and tell us!

Brittany and Clay put together a beautiful ceremony that fit their beliefs and feelings for each other and their parents and guests, including a wonderful tribute to their parents--both mothers shed a few tears too! They wrote their own vows too. They exchanged rings and I pronounced them husband and wife and introduced the newlywed couple to their family and friends. Amid applause and cheering they scampered up the steps to celebrate. We took some photos of the wedding party and then departed for the next wedding. Brittany and Clay, I hope your wedding day fulfilled all your dreams! It was beautiful!