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!