Megan and Dave Wed at Campbell Lodge at Durant Park!

Megan and Dave started working on their wedding day of April 10, 2010 more than a year in advance and the lovely details of the ceremony and reception reflected their hard work. They met with me in May 2009 and hired me to officiate for them. They assembled quite a team of wedding vendors to make their special day spectacular! 

 

Megan was escorted in part of the way by her stepfather, James.

Then her father, Clarence, escorted her the rest of the way down the aisle up to the altar.

 

I have done several weddings through the years at Campbell Lodge in Durant Park in Raleigh and all of them have been inside the lodge except for one that was down at the small old amphitheater in the woods. Dave and Megan figured  out a way to stage their ceremony outdoors on the side of the building underneath the deck and it worked out beautifully.

The altar area was beautifully appointed and underneath the shade of a flowering tree that shed small white petals on us during the ceremony. A nice effect thanks to Mother Nature!  We paid tribute to the couple's parents including remembering Dave's father who had passed on some time ago.

The couple's "story" was incorporated into the ceremony which everyone enjoyed hearing, some for the first time. Then Megan and Dave said their vows to each other and exchanged rings. 

They each poured their sand together symbolizing their coming together in marriage, never to be separated from each other.

I always place my right hand over the couple's joined hands to make the pronouncement of marriage after which Dave broke the glass in honor of his Jewish heritage and we all shouted Mazel Tov!

Dave moves in for the kiss! I love this part of the ceremony!

The bride retrieves her bouquet and out they go...married at last! Oh happy days!

I joined the newlyweds for a quick photo before I left for the next wedding. Megan and Dave, I know you are so glad you worked so hard planning your wedding--it sure paid off with a beautiful wedding day. With your determination and your love and devotion to each other, I know you will have a great marriage! I wish you all the best life has to offer. 

Our Vendors:

Lisa Jacobs was our Event Director & Wedding Planner from A Step To Gold Ballroom. She and her assistant did a fantastic job making this wedding flow smoothly. Here she is motioning the next person to come in for the processional. 

Demetris, the talented 19 year old young man who heads up Creative Touch Designs is an amazing floral designer. The decorations for the ceremony and the reception were gorgeous as were the bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. I watched him as he was putting the final touches on the beautiful arch of branches and flowers flanked by huge ferns studded with flowers. The aisle was created with the purple satin runner, pedestals, flowing fabric, glass vases with twig balls, and rose petals scattered all over. The wedding colors were predominantly purple and he used a lovely purple satin runner which stayed in place quite nicely as it clung to the concrete patio floor and over the railing to block out the view of some unsightly picnic grills. Marty got a shot of him working on the table decorations inside later.

Catering was provided by Urbana Catering Concepts.

This lovely wedding cake was made by Lynn Loomis of Lynn's Traditions, one of my favorites. Too bad I could not hang around and enjoy a piece of it! 

I did not get a photo of our DJ, Steve Scheidig, owner of Rotation Entertainment, Professional DJ Service. Steve was kind enough to plug my microphone into his sound system and all the guests could hear all the words of the couples custom ceremony. Thanks, Steve.

Robert of Robert F. Filcsik Photography was on hand to take the pictures to document this special day for Megan and Dave. Thanks, Robert!