Virginia and Kevin's Steel Drum Wedding at Duke Gardens!

When Kevin and Virginia met with me last December they told me they really wanted steel drums played at their wedding. This I had never heard of but they pulled it off superbly. They were disappointed that the original site of their wedding at Duke Gardens had to be moved from the Fish Pool to the Amphitheater because of necessary renovations at the Fish Pool. But, the day and the setting on March 20, 2010 could not have been more spectacular. And, it was such a gorgeous sunny day after a long span of gloomy cold days around here that everyone else decided to take a walk in the garden that day, too. Consequently parking was a major challenge when Marty and I arrived to get my sound system set up. But we managed by double parking to unload and came back and moved the car later without getting towed. The staff was busy setting up the 140 chairs in the amphitheater while the steel drums warmed up.

The ceremony began with the entrance of Kevin, his father, Bob, who was his best man, and me via the side steps. Then the groomsmen processed in one by one down the center aisle followed by the bridesmaids. All to the wonderful music of the Tsunami Wave Riders playing "Spring Wedding Song."  Then it was time for Virginia and her mother, Gillian, to enter and the ceremony began.

Especially for Virginia to compensate  for the venue change from the Fish Pool, the Gardens had steps built to span the tiers of seating at the amphitheater to create a central aisle. So now those steps will be available to all brides who have their ceremonies at the amphitheater. Thanks in advance to you from future brides, Virginia! Here is the center aisle and it is difficult to see the wooden steps because of the over hang of the stone but they are there!

To the right you can see Leah, one of the three readers, presenting her reading as Virginia radiates all over! She was soooo happy!

Virginia and Kevin have a one year old lab mix puppy named Sandbox. (She is named Sandbox because Virginia had always wanted to name her dog Sandbox as a child but was not allowed to.) Sandbox was our ring bearer and when I called for the rings, her designated "handler" brought her in for me to retrieve the rings from her collar. (I really had them with me all along!) It was a sweet moment and Sandbox got her day in the sun!

This was taken after she "delivered" the rings. I know she was wondering just what was going on today! 

Here I am making the pronouncement of marriage which was followed by the KISS!

The new Mr. and Mrs. making their exit amidst much cheering and applause!  They went to the rear of the amphitheater followed by the rest of the wedding party before returning for a large group shot with their guests you will see below.

Just a few minutes for some smooching..........

And it is back to the ceremony site for the big picture of the wedding followed by the wedding party and parents.

And so, here is the big picture being taken from a precarious spot by the photographer, James O'Hayer, a relative of the groom. Thank goodness he was sure footed and did not end up taking a dip into the lily pond!

After the ceremony and the group shot, the guests were invited back to the porch of the Kirby Horton Hall of the Duke Reception Center for cocktails and appetizers.  Dinner was served later in the reception hall. I was told that the wedding celebration was scheduled to continue until 1:00 AM. (The ceremony was at 4:00!)  At 11:00 PM the Burgers Only truck was scheduled to make a special stop for hungry guests who had eaten all the food provided by Durham Catering and were exhausted from dancing the night away!

The wedding cake was prepared by Guglhupf--a wonderful German bakery in Durham. Must be a favorite haunt of Virginia and Kevin who are depicted in their ballgame attire on top of the cake. There really is a remarkable resemblance to the couple! Ninth Street Flowers did the florals.

Brian Darocha with Complete Music was on hand to keep the guests rocking and rolling including karaoke into the wee hours. This is the "before" shot! I did not stay to get the "after" shot!

And these folks are the Tsunami Wave Riders who provided the great music for the ceremony and for the cocktail hour. I was really impressed with their sound and would recommend it for any couple wanting an island sound. They operate out of Charlotte and Wilmington.

 This very talented and organized lady is Angie Wright who was in charge of the whole wedding! Angie and I have been doing weddings together for many years. She is fabulous in creating order out of chaos and making sure everything flows along without a hitch. She has her own event planning company Chic Details. Great job, Angie!

Virginia and Kevin, you are a terrific couple and if this wedding is any indication, you will create a wonderful life together and have lots of fun and adventure! I wish you all the happiness in the world!