Raleigh Wedding Blog: Sarah and Alex's Surprise Wedding at The Stockroom!

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Sarah and Alex's Surprise Wedding at The Stockroom!

Sarah and Alex contacted me by email last September having been given my name by their wedding planner, Katie Dunn with Events by La Fete, about officiating their surprise wedding on February 19th, 2016 at The Stockroom downtown Raleigh. They live in Charlotte but they met in Raleigh and most of their family and friends live here. Their families knew they were getting married but it was a surprise wedding for their friends who thought they were coming to an engagement party, not a wedding!

The Stockroom was all decked out by their florist, Heather Miller with Eclectic Sage. Tables of candles and florals flanked the back of the chairs and floating candles lined the aisle.

Looking from the "altar" area back to the steps.

I don't know who did the nice chalk lettering but it is a wonderful way to announce a couple.

Heather and her team framed the window with a magnolia garland then hung clear glass lights. The yellow glow is from the uplighting. So creative.

On the upper level of the room is the cake table. The center coconut cake is very special cake for Sarah and Alex from the Peninsula Grill in Charleston. The two white cakes are by Edible Art.

The cute handprinted wine glasses for the bride and groom!

Randy Bennett with Joe Bunn DJ Company is ready to begin! Always a pleasure working with Randy. We have got hooking my mic not his wireless body pack down to a science!

Catching Katie off guard as she is running around making sure everything is ready to go.

Alex and Sarah greeted their guests as they arrived and it was fun to watch their friends' faces as they noticed Sarah was wearing a wedding dress and the dawning of the realization they were here for their wedding! After all the guests had arrived and were seated, the ceremony began with the entrance of Alex's mother, Peggy, escorted by Tyler, our best man.

Then the mother of the bride, Kathy, was escorted in by the father of the bride, Ralph, who circled back to bring in Sarah.

Alex, Tyler and I then entered down the aisle.

Jennifer, maid of honor, makes her walk down the aisle.

And now for Sarah and her dad.

And so the ceremony began--a surprise and warm welcome to all and an opening prayer.

A tribute to their parents was next and then the story of how they met and fell in love and the journey to this day.

The big reveal of what they each told me they loved about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage--along with some good humor too!