Christine and Kevin Wed at the NC State Park Alumni Center!

I loved working with Christine and Kevin! They've known each other almost all their lives but their romance didn't spark until Kevin's 25th birthday in 2015! He proposed in 2018 and they planned a beautiful wedding for October 27th 2019 at the NC State Park Alumni Center with the help of their wedding planner and director, Caroline with Caroline Ruth Design.

The original forecast for the day was rain and it did rain that morning but by 3:30, the clouds had cleared. 

Inside in the foyer, the guests were arriving.

For their guest "book," they asked their guests to sign this wooden sign. 

Inside the ballroom, this lovely cake by Ashley Cakes was all set up and ready to be cut! 

A view of the ballroom from the upstairs balcony. (This was our Plan B if it rained,)

Meanwhile Christine and her bridesmaids are dressed, make-up and hair done, and popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Evan with Island Sound was in charge of providing my sound for the ceremony. It was perfect! What's the point of writing a beautiful one of a kind ceremony if the guests cannot enjoy it?

Caroline did a fantastic job being in charge of this wedding and all the behind the scenes details. I've never had the pleasure of working with her before this wedding and look forward to many more weddings together! Chris Nieto and his team were their photographers.

North Raleigh Florists provided the birch arbor decked with florals. The table in the background holds their Anniversary Box for the unity ceremony.

The Anniversary Box holding a bottle of wine into which they will place their handwritten, sealed without sharing love letters. On their first anniversary, they will open the box, pour each other a glass of wine and read their letters from each other. Recall their wedding day and the year that has passed by. Then write each other another love letter, seal without sharing, place the old and new letters and a new bottle of wine back in the box and repeat on every anniversary creating a legacy of love for themselves and future generations.

Victoria Pedroza, violinist, and her friend the cellist provided beautiful music for the ceremony processional and recessional.

There are many sculptures of wolves around the alumni center! Go Wolfpack! My father and sister are NC State grads.

I entered first and asked the guests to put away their phones and cameras and be with Christine and Kevin in their hearts as they join their lives in marriage.

Then the parents were seated followed by Kevin and his guys. 

Christine's attendants were next. She mixed it up with men and women. A popular trend these days. 

Linda and Ryan

Our flower girl and ring bearer entered next and made their way down the aisle. 

The kids sat on the front row and then it was time for the guests to stand for the entrance of the bride!

Christine and her dad, Bobby, entered from the front of the center around the sidewalk. 

Happy day! 

After the presentation of the bride we had a prayer and remembered those no longer with us, especially Christine's mother, Nancy. But she was with us in the hearts of all those who knew and loved her.

A tribute to their parents came next. 

Following that I began telling the story of how they met and fell in love. There were quite a few funny moments and we enjoyed laughing together.

Time to reveal what they had each told me in confidence they love about each other. 

They made their vows then exchanged rings while reading their ring vows from my book. 

Christine's turn! 

The anniversary box and closing blessing followed. 

I love making the pronouncement of marriage and inviting them to kiss! 

They love it as the guests applauded! 

Yay! It is done! 

Bobby and Luann, stepmother of the bride, exit. 

Then Kevin's parents, Diane and Steven. 

The children and their adult in charge exit! 

Christine and Kevin, what a beautiful wedding! I loved it and I loved working with and getting to know you. You are a great match and I wish you all the best!

Laura and Charlie's Spectacular Autumn Wedding at the Barn at Valhalla!

Laura and Charlie and I met in June 2019 to plan their wedding ceremony which took place on October 26th, 2019 at the Barn at Valhalla in Chapel Hill. They specifically asked for a non-traditional secular ceremony and so that is what we created together.

The wedding day was beautiful and the barn was ready. A tent had been erected for the reception dinner. 

Their wedding date was just a few days before Halloween so they took advantage of that theme in many clever ways.  

This golden skeletal hand guarded the cards placed inside the box. Next to it are their wedding programs. 

Dave snapped this photo of Charlie's pretty mother, Carolyn, before the ceremony. 

A few photos and Halloween props on the table! 

In place of a guest book, they asked their guests to write notes and their names on the blocks so that whenever they play this game they can fondly remember them.

The deck and fireplace are located in the wooded area between the barn and the house the original owner built. The deck has been expanded to accommodate more guests. The Wedding Woman furnished the florals for the wedding. Note the pretty autumn spray on the top of the fireplace mantel.

Lanterns, candles, some pampas grass plumes, and greenery decorate the ceremony area in front of the fireplace. 

Add some mums!

They included the Anniversary Box unity ceremony in the wedding. The box with a bottle of wine was placed on the fireplace hearth at the ceremony site for them to put their sealed and unshared love letters into during the ceremony, then shared on their first anniversary.

Our DJ, Brian with McSound Productions was all set up to play the music for the processional and recessional with a set up also for cocktail hour on the deck and dancing in the barn later. I officiated his wedding too several years ago.  Always enjoy working weddings with Brian.

Emily with Events by Emily was our planner and director. Before the ceremony she lit all the candles. 

Kivus and Camera, the professional photographers, staged the First Look for our couple. Always a special moment and photo op! (photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

Just look at that gorgeous bride, the happy groom and the stunning bouquet!

(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera) 

Inside the house from which the wedding party will process, enjoying some laughs with some of their "wedding people."

The guests are taking their seats and John, one of the photographers, was making sure they filled in the chairs up front and along the aisle. Pictures of a wedding with lots of empty chairs look like folks didn't show up for the wedding! By the time we started, after a few late-comers arrived in costume (optional choice of dress), the chairs were all filled. Full House!

A quick photo of Emily and me. Thank you for everything you did, Emily, it was a great wedding!

After the grandmothers and wedding party took their places, Charlie and his parents, Terry and Carolyn, entered. They were seated and Charlie stepped up beside me to await his bride!
(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

Laura and her parents, Russell and Rebecca, floated down the aisle as the guests stood in their honor.  

(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

Charlie is watching them approach as a few tears leaked from his eyes!

(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

After welcoming their guests, remembering those who could not be with us, then paying tribute to their parents and grandmothers, Marilyn and Doris, we enjoyed hearing the story of how Laura and Charlie met and fell in love spanning 9 years. They knew each other as acquaintances in high school but became friends when they were both students at Appalachian State. It was not long before their  friendship blossomed into romance and they have been together ever since.
(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

After the proposal story, I moved back to my spot behind the couple and revealed their secret paragraphs--each one had told me in confidence what they love about their partner and what they are looking forward to in marriage. They did not know what the other told me until the ceremony. A tender moment that usually evokes a few tears.
(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

They wrote their vows to each other and read them to each other from my book where the words were printed facing them. Then they exchanged rings.
(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

After they placed their loveletters in the Anniversary Box, we had a closing blessing then the pronouncement of marriage in which I declared them husband and wife, equal partners joined in marriage. The KISS came next!
(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

The guests cheered as I introduced the newlywed couple to them and invited them to stand and join me in congratulating them!
(photo courtesy Kivus and Camera)

Charlie and Laura! What a great wedding! Thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage. It was a pleasure working with you to create the ceremony you dreamed of. I wish you the best always!