Julie and Shawn's Wedding Ceremony at Caffe Luna!

Julie and I met in October to plan her wedding to Shawn on Easter Sunday April 4, 2010. I did not meet Shawn until the wedding day. The deal was, he told me, that he was in charge of getting their house built before the wedding and she would handle all the wedding plans. And he did. They moved in the week prior to the wedding. And, she pulled off a beautiful wedding celebration. Originally the wedding was fairly small but it kept growing and growing. Julie grew up in England and her mother, her aunt, her two brothers, her nephew and two cousins made the trip "across the pond" to be with us on this special day for Julie and Shawn.

Shawn, his best man, Bill, and I are waiting for the entrance of the bridal party. I am turning on my wireless mike at the moment Marty snapped this photo in case you are wondering what I have in my pocket! The wedding got started a bit late but the guests did not seem to mind. They sounded like they were having a great time socializing.

When it was time for the bride, Julie entered from the back of the aisle and Shawn started walking toward her. They met in the middle.

Then they walked up the aisle together and stopped in front of me and I asked the guests to be seated. The ceremony began.

The couple have a dog, Cosmo, and they asked me to read the poem "Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali and dedicate it to Cosmo. I did and the guests had a few good laughs. Then they had chosen from my collection of readings an especially poignant poem that I found in a book on earth rituals and no author was credited.  I thought you would like to see it so here it is:

"A marriage is like two trees rising from the sacred earth,
That grow close together, but from different roots,
Different colors of leaf, different textures of bark,
Different flowers in the spring,
Yet the same bees drink their nectar,
The same birds nest in their branches
And sing the spring into their unfolding buds,
The same shower of leaves falls in autumn
The same flood of cold brings winter sleep.
And sometimes, two trees may entwine so closely
That we who watch them see only one tree
With different leaves and wonder at the miracle,
For miracle it is."

 After exchanging their vows and rings, I pronounced them husband and wife and sent them back down the aisle to the cheers of their guests. 

 

The couple and the wedding party exited to the VIP room at Caffe Luna while I directed the guests to proceed to the lovely reception area for refreshments.

The happy couple, married at last! Shawn, it was a pleasure to meet you finally. Julie, your hard work and persistence paid off! I wish you both all the best!

Our Vendors:

Randy Bennett of Joe Bunn DJ Company did a fabulous job with the music and sound for both the ceremony and the reception. He came prepared with a mobile unit for the large ceremony room which worked beautifully. Thanks, Randy.

This lovely wedding cake was prepared by Sweet Memories.

All the floral arrangements were provided by Fresh Affairs. Always stunning!

Nancy and Mark of Simply Creative Photography assisted by Ashley, provided photographic coverage. They are always a pleasure to work with again. They told me they have opened a new venue in Sanford called Steele Street Cafe and can accommodate small weddings and receptions.

Last but not least, once again it was fabulous to do a wedding at Caffe Luna. Their staff always does such a great job and the decor and atmosphere are really special for a wedding celebration. Many thanks to Ryan Hill, Catering Manager, and Parker Kennedy, owner (and my neighbor)!