Brooke and Justin's Wonderful Wedding at Highgrove!

The wedding day of December 7th 2019 was sparkling and clear. A little chilly but not bad for December! Happy to be back at Highgrove for another great wedding! 

(The photos on this post were taken by my good friend Bob Andron who graciously volunteered to come with me because Dave was off at another gathering. The photos are taken with his iPhone 8+. Thanks so much, Bob! Great job!)

The stunning pergola is ready for the ceremony. Flowers on Broad does such a beautiful job!

Pretty hanging lanterns with candles inside flanked the table with the sand ceremony components. 

That chandelier is so elegant! 

This is the covered terrace area with bar where the guests congregate after the ceremony before the reception. 

The Garden Ballroom is decked out and ready. Big dance floor!

The sweetheart table for Brooke and Justin is in front of the fireplace. 

Nearby is the lovely cake by the Highgrove bakery. 

Ready for the ceremony are Nina and her assistant with All Events DJ. I work with them a lot! 

A fairly new addition to the Highgrove estate is this outdoor fireplace. 

It has a clear fiberglass room which protects it from rain and small ceremonies can be here. 

Checking in with Justin before the ceremony. 

Before the ceremony began, our Highgrove director Virginia cued the father of the flower girls to move into position at the bottom of the steps. We learned at the rehearsal that the little girls did not do well descending steps so best to start them on the ground level.

Then I entered to make the Unplugged Announcement before the processional began. 

Justin's grandmother was escorted in. Then Justin escorted his mother, Leeanne, in and joined me up front. (not pictured)

The flower girls are waiting patiently! 

Mother of the bride, Wendy, was escorted in by father of the bride, Don, who circled back for the bride. 

Justin's dad, Wade, was one of his groomsmen and escorted in one of the bridesmaids. 

Sweet ring bearer did his job perfectly! 

And now it's time for the flower girls to make their way down the aisle. The younger one needed some extra encouragement and help from her dad but they made it. Children in the ceremony are often easily intimidated by the guests watching them and may or may not make it down the aisle. This is something that cannot be anticipated at the rehearsal because no guests are there.

The flower petals are sprinkled and the little girls get to their chairs while the music changes for the entrance of the bride.

Brooke and her sweet daddy make their entrance while the guests stand in their honor! 

After Brooke was presented, the guests took their seats, and the couple turned and faced each other. I welcomed everyone, and said a prayer.

Then I stepped out and spoke to the couple's parents in a surprise blessing and tribute to them. 

It was then that we also paid tribute to their son, Jackson, who was born in April of 2019. 

Then it was my pleasure to share with the guests the story of how Justine and Brooke met and their journey to this wonderful wedding day.

They have a good story and we had some fun laughing at some of the funny moments. 

Then they get to hear what the other told me that they love about each other. 

Time for the vows! They each said "I do" and I called for the rings. 

They exchanged the rings as they said the words to each other after me. 

They pour their containers together and add some for Jackson representing family unity. 

A closing blessing. 

The pronouncement of marriage. 

Their first married kiss! 

Yay! Finally married and so happy!

Stepping out into the next chapter of their lives together!

Brooke gives the camera a big smile and Justin is just glad that the ceremony is done and it is time to celebrate! 

Our ring bearer escorts out mother of the groom, Leanne. 

I invited the guests to go up to the terrace and enjoy cocktails before the reception.

I had asked the grandparents to stay in their seats because the wedding party was coming back to take photos. They told me how much they enjoyed the ceremony. Always happy to hear that. 

Justin and Brooke! It was a wonderful wedding you planned and it went so well. I am so happy for you and wish you all the best!

Allie and Alex's Fabulous Wedding at Highgrove!

Allie and Alex are a great couple. I loved working with them to create the perfect ceremony for them and because they wisely chose to take my Marriage 101 course, I got to know them quite well. 

Their wedding was November 16, 2019 at the beautiful Highgrove Estates in Fuquay-Varina. 

Before the guests arrived, their photographers Brett & Jessica out of Wrightsville Beach were busy getting early photos. Here are Allie and her bridesmaids. Brent with Live View Studios was their videographer also getting these great shots.

Meanwhile I got hooked into the DJ's sound system and did a sound check. It is so important that the guests can hear all the words of our beautiful ceremony--a work of art and legacy for Allie and Alex. Our DJ today was Brian with Performance DJ. The musicians for the ceremony were from Arioso Strings. Because of the wind, they were set up inside the ballroom with microphones via the DJ's sound system. I had not seen that done before but it worked very well.

Virginia, our venue director, and I are discussing logistics. You can see from my dress how strong the wind was blowing. The temperature was a bit chilly but we were grateful for no rain!

 Checked in to see the ballroom. 

The pretty wedding cake by Highgrove's bakery.

I paid a visit to the bridal suite to see Allie and get the marriage license signed by her witness. It was then that I fell in love with her bridal cape!

So beautiful! 

When it was time to begin and the guests were all seated and ready for the ceremony to start, Virginia gave me the cue to enter and make the Unplugged Announcement.

After that, Alex escorted his mother Mona in and then joined me up front. 

Then next to enter were our 7 couples making up the rest of the wedding party. I just love these pretty green dresses. The color scheme was an elegant hunter green, black and white. The bouquets, boutonnieres, reception centerpieces and decor on the pergola were done by Flowers on Broad.

So we are all in and waiting for our bride and her parents to enter. 

Here they come! 

Again--that wedding cape is so beautiful instead of a veil. 

Allie handed off her bouquet to her sister Blair, I asked the question and her parents, Sharon and Jeff, responded then took their seats with the guests. 

Here we go!

After the welcome to all we had a blessing and remembered those who could not be with us. 

Then I stepped out from behind the couple and they shifted so they could watch their guests' reactions to the story of how they met and fell in love and their journey to their wedding day.

At that point the wind really picked up and there were leaves blowing all around us. 

They met in March of 2016 and were smitten. The dating commenced and they soon became inseparable. Alex proposed in May of 2018 and the wedding planning began.

They had each told me in confidence what they love about each other. And now for the first time, they are hearing what their sweetheart told me.

It was then time for the vows and rings. They spoke their vows to each other by reading them from my book. As I fetched the rings from the best man something funny happened but I don't remember what!

Alex placed the ring on Allie's finger saying the words after me. 

Then it was Allie's turn. 

After a closing blessing, I put my hand on theirs and pronounced them husband and wife and invited them to kiss! 

Their first kiss as husband and wife!

Then I presented the newlyweds to their cheering guests and out they went!

Allie and Alex! What a great wedding! I loved it and it was so beautiful. I also enjoyed getting to know you as a couple and departing some wisdom about marriage to you. I wish you all the best!