A Wonderful Wedding for Michelle and Dan!

With the wonder of email, all arrangements for me to officiate a wedding can be made without physically meeting the couple face to face. This was the case with Michelle and Dan who live in New Jersey. I did not meet them until their wedding rehearsal on Friday but I felt that I already knew them from our email correspondence and the process of creating their ceremony. Michelle is a gorgeous young woman and made a stunningly beautiful bride. She could be a model! Not many women can wear the lovely dress she did and look so smashing! Of course Dan is tall and handsome. They make a good looking couple. And, Michelle and Dan are equally as gracious and personable as their good looks. It was delightful to be around them. Their wedding was in Cary at the Page-Walker Arts Center on May 16, 2009. Michelle is from here and her parents live in Cary. So, between Michelle's mother, Paula, and the bride, they put together an awesome team of wedding vendors for this wedding.

Gregory Lewis of Catering by Design prepared and served all the delicious food. Assisting him was Karen Harmych of From This Moment. Karen is a wedding planner I love to work with and it was great to see her again and be updated on the progress of her new wedding venue in Clayton--The Laura Elizabeth. See prior post about this. The photographer was Tracey Franks and it was really good to see her and work with her again. My friend Greg Ramsey of Joe Bunn DJ Company was our DJ for the ceremony and the reception. I really enjoy working with Greg. The sound for the ceremony was perfect! There were about 60 guests present and since there are no acoustics outdoors, my wireless mike was a must for all the guests to hear all the words of the lovely ceremony the couple put together. Trevor Kirkendall was our videographer who had two videographers covering the event. Donna Ford of Sweet Memories Bakery did the elegant wedding cake. So, you see, the wedding vendors made a very good team for this wedding. Our wedding co-directors, Ashley and Maria, were new to doing weddings. They are ECU students majoring in event planning. Neither of them had directed a wedding so they got their first taste today! They were very good and we got started just about on time.

The only vacillating factor was the weather! The forecast was for stormy weather that afternoon and so I was just astounded that it was not pouring rain when Marty and I arrived at 4:30 for the 5:30 wedding. But the dark clouds were circling above. I was anxious to get this wedding ceremony started and done before any rain could fall. Just as the groom and groomsmen and I were entering as part of the processional, a few drops started falling and kept falling. Not a lot, but enough to notice. I saw Greg put a towel over the sound board but I was concerned about the microphone in the stand sitting out in front for the reader. It was getting rained on but really there was nothing we could do about it unless we interrupted the processional. The guests were beginning to look worried. But, then..........the moment the bride and her dad started floating down the aisle, the clouds parted, the sun peeked through, and the rain stopped and we were fine the rest of the ceremony! Whew!

I got a note from Michelle on Monday that said: "Dan and I just wanted to thank you so much for such a beautiful ceremony yesterday. Everyone was raving about how much they enjoyed everything ~ the ceremony being one of the best!!" I love to hear those words and that the guests really enjoyed the ceremony. (The ceremonies my couples and I co-create are far from the traditional boring wedding ceremony!) We included a blessing for their parents and a community blessing from their friends to the couple. Michelle's sister, Julie, read the Irish Blessing. The couple made their vows and exchanged rings. Then the pronouncement and the KISS followed. Everyone, including me, always loves to see the couple kiss! (At the rehearsal I usually give them a homework assignment to practice, practice, practice!) I introduced Michelle and Daniel, now husband and wife, to their guests and as they applauded, Daniel and Michelle scampered down the aisle followed by their wedding party and parents to take photos while the guests enjoyed refreshments on the patio. It still was not raining! But the tablecloths were whipping around in the blustery wind.

I stopped to get a photo or two with the couple on my way out. Funny....they told me that they watched The Biggest Loser show and thought they saw me in a photo with a couple and wanted to know if it was me. Of course, I said yes it was! I was the officiant for contestants Heba and Ed's wedding and they used the wedding photos for the show. Yep, my smiling face as I pronounced them husband and wife has been on national television! Another couple I married asked me the same thing. What notoriety! (See prior post on this.) Anyway, congratulations to you, Michelle and Dan! Have a great honeymoon and when you are back in NC, give me a call!