Leanna and Bill Wed at All Saints Chapel in Raleigh!

Leanna and Bill did a superb job planning their May 10, 2009 wedding! When they met with me last September, I immediately picked up on Leanna's determination and organizational skills. This was her big day and she wanted it to go perfectly. And it did! She and Bill had great wedding programs printed up with their photo on them and a guest book with a place to write messages to the couple. Flowers on Broad in Fuquay-Varina did a lovely job with the florals. I had never seen the railing at the door of the Chapel decorated before and it was beautiful. On the altar there were beautiful white flowers and the bride and bridesmaid bouquets were hot pink flowers--a great contrasting color with the "pool" color of the bridesmaids dresses. Note: I got in on the color scheme too by wearing a "pool" prayer stole! Something amazing that I did not see during the ceremony, probably because I was on the other side of the bride and groom, was the color of blue-green light reflected on the couple and floor in front of them from the sunlight streaming through the stained glass window behind us. When I opened up the photos from my camera and saw that beautiful reflection, I was awed with the celestial feeling of the photos! I am sure that our photographer, Neil Boyd, and fellow photographer helping him out, Jonathan Kaz of f8 Photos Studio, took advantage of that phenomenon in their shots of this amazing wedding!

Once again it was great to be doing a wedding at All Saints Chapel! Sarah Morris from the chapel was there and expertly directed the wedding. There is a photo of her here getting candle wax out of a votive for the arrangement of candles that Leanna wanted at the entrance to the aisle. Thanks, Sarah! And, it was good to see Laura Byrne, our harpist, again. Laura is such a wonderful harpist and harp music is so appropriate to the chapel where we have done several weddings together.

Just a few minutes before ceremony start time the groomsmen and I were crowded in the little room to the right of the altar where we wait until it is time for us to enter. Bill noticed a gift box about the size of a shoe box with his name on it and wondered what it was. There was a note on the outside that said something about "bouts" and so we encouraged him to open it. Lo and behold it was boutonnieres for the groom, groomsmen, and fathers. So I quickly pinned them on the groom's party and sent one of their wives to quickly pin them on the fathers. Whew. Close call! This brought up a wedding attire "rule" about wearing boutonnieres and pocket handkerchiefs. The rule says to wear one or the other but not both. So, the groomsmen got rid of their "pool" handkerchiefs (their ties were "pool" too) but we all decided Bill looked best with both the boutonniere and his white handkerchief--so much for the rule! Bill asked me if I ever got nervous before a wedding. I told him rarely because I have done over 1,000 weddings since 1997. It was obvious that he was a bit nervous though--normal for the groom from my experience!

By then it was time for the wedding to begin with the seating of the bride's mother and the groom's stepmother. Then the guys and I entered. The lovely 7 women entered in their pretty pool dresses. Then it was time for Dad and Leanna to make their grand entrance. Leanna was beaming and her dress was exquisite! Bill stepped down from the altar for the transfer of hands. Then the couple stepped up together to the top of the altar steps--symbolic of taking their relationship to a higher level. The lovely ceremony that they put together included a tribute to their parents and a reading by their friend Colleen. The wedding address included the blessing on the hands which flowed into the vows then the rings. After the pronouncement, we got to see the kiss they had been "practicing" since I assigned that for homework at the rehearsal! The guests applauded and we ended with a prayer and presentation of the happy couple. Then I sent the guests to Caffe Luna for the wedding reception. Bill told me later when we were taking pictures that my voice had calmed him right down and he actually enjoyed the ceremony! Bill and Leanna, I hope all your dreams come true!