Sarah and Shawn Tie The Knot!

On November 11, 2017, Sarah and Shawn joined their lives in marriage and I was delighted to have officiated their wedding at 214 Martin in downtown Raleigh.

The ceremony space was all decked out with a pretty arch and florals provided by Kelly Kennedy of Teacup Floral. She always does such a great job. Bethany Joy Photography was our professional photographer and Complete Weddings was their videographer, DJ, and photo booth.

There were many cute signs for the guests. 

And more signage! 

Catching up with Jenny, our honorary director and friend of Shawn's mother. 

Billy Ezzel of Complete Weddings was the DJ. Billy and I have known each other for years and love working together at weddings. I plugged my microphone into his body-pack and we did a sound check. This venue shares the building with another venue (Market Hall) and the walls are very thin and the sound from one bleeds over into the other. Our ceremony was timed to start at 6:00 sharp to avoid interference from sound through the wall behind the ceremony altar which was due to begin at 6:30. Billy assured me he could drown out any sound that came from next door!

I pinned the boutonnieres on all the guys. Shawn first.

Checking that the runner is taped down securely. A loose runner is a tripping hazard.

It is 6:00 and time to begin. The guests are all seated and waiting! Jenny starts getting the grandparents, parents, and wedding party lined up. 

Meanwhile I am keeping Shawn sequestered so he won't glimpse his beautiful bride prematurely!

And so we are all lined up and Jenny has gone up the stairs to get the bridesmaids. 

The grandparents and parents are on their way and Shawn and I followed by the groomsmen are next. 

The bridesmaids take their places. 

Jaci, our Matron of Honor, processes in with her sweet baby girl who is handed off to Jaci and Sarah's mother!

Jenny cued Billy then it was time for Sarah and her father, Frank, to enter. 

The guests were standing in their honor!

Everyone was seated and given a warm welcome followed by an opening prayer. 

We remembered the loved ones who are no longer with us physically but who are here in spirit.

I spoke to the parents and told them how much their children loved and appreciated them. Evoked a few tears from the two mothers!

Then I got to tell the story of how Sarah and Shawn had met when they were both students at East Carolina University back in the summer of 2011. Shawn went on to become a professional athlete and that has taken them on many adventures together.

Shawn proposed in August of 2016 and they began planning this wedding!

Sarah gets to hear now what Shawn told me in confidence he loves about her and why he wants to marry her. 

Then it is Shawn's turn to hear what Sarah told me about him!

I don't have the photos of them exchanging their vows, the rings, lighting the unity candle, the pronouncement and the kiss but here I am presenting them to their guests as husband and wife! (I am hoping Bethany Joy will send me her photos to fill in these gaps.)

And out they go into their new married life!

The wedding party recessed followed by the parents and grandparents.

Their unity candle is shining brightly as are their individual candles which do not cease to burn just because they are married.

While the guests enjoyed cocktails and the room was being flipped, we caught some photos up front.

Sarah and Shawn! Great wedding despite the sound distraction at the end. You are now married and your course is set for a grand adventure in life together. I loved working with you and I wish you the best always!

Lisa and Fred Wed at 214 Martin Street!

Lisa and Fred wanted a small wedding surrounded by close friends and their families. They chose 214 Martin Street for their venue for their wedding date of November 19, 2016. It is very conveniently located on Moore's Square in downtown Raleigh. They do their own catering and the food is delicious. They also cater off premises as well. 

The entrance to the building that is located in what once was Greenshields, a historic landmark in Raleigh. Also occupying the same building is Market Hall, also an event venue, that opens out into City Market. The two occupancies share the same bathroom facilities and some walls. Unfortunately the walls between the two venues are very thin and not sound-proof and the sounds in each bleed over into the other. 

This is the ceremony area as viewed from the bar area from which the wedding party processes. For this wedding, Valerie Wood played the keyboard for the processional.

View from the "altar" area to the front of the building on East Martin Street across from Moore's Square. I was here in August attending the wedding of my nephew as a guest.

Nick, our DJ with Oak City Entertainment, was set up on the side to provide music for the reception after the ceremony. Nick saved the day! He provided a lapel mic for me. (I did not bring my own as I did not know that Lisa and Fred had hired a DJ.) Fortunately Nick had one and it was definitely needed because as I began speaking the ceremony the very loud, overwhelming sound of cheering and music came right through the wooden wall behind me rendering the couple unable to hear what I was saying in their ceremony and I could not hear myself speaking as well. Nick had the speakers pointed at the guests so my voice came through to them and they were able to hear better than the bride and groom and I could because we were standing right at the wall. It was not a good situation and something needs to be done about these two venues sharing the same space. They need soundproofing on common walls and also to coordinate their events so that one side does not drown out the other. Same thing happened in my nephew's wedding during the speeches at the reception so this was not an isolated event.

Fred was the typical nervous bridegroom and stood off to the side to calm himself! Meanwhile we are waiting on all the parents to get lined up and the signal from the bride that she is ready. Helping the bride get ready was her friend Ivy who along with her husband Todd were the witnesses for the marriage license. I did not recognize them at first but later realized I had joined them in marriage in 2004. I was happy to reconnect with them on Facebook after this wedding!

It is time to walk, Fred! Let's get this ceremony started! (It was very quiet at this moment!)

Fred and I took our positions up front and waited for Lisa and her dad, Mike, to enter. 

Lisa handed her bouquet off to her mother and I asked: "Who presents this woman to be married to this man?" Her father replied "Her mother and I do." Then he placed Lisa's hand into Fred's and everyone was seated. And the the loud music and cheering behind this wall began in earnest.

I stepped out behind Lisa and Fred to welcome our guests, pay tribute to their parents and tell the story of how they met and fell in love.

Lisa is smiling at her beloved and I think he is smiling a back at her. I did not know until after the ceremony that they could not hear what I was saying.

Like many modern couples, they met three years ago in  2013 having been matched up on line. After meeting in person they found they were quite compatible--they both describe themselves as "quiet people." Fred proposed in December of 2015 and they began planning this wedding.

Fred gets to try to hear what Lisa told me she loves about him, why she wants to marry him, and what she is looking forward to in marriage with him.

After the vows and ring exchange and a closing blessing, I pronounced them married!

Fred was most happy to kiss his beautiful wife and that the ceremony was almost done!!

Lisa and Fred, despite the distractions during the ceremony, your wedding was beautiful and so heartfelt. I am so happy you found each other and that you gave me the honor of joining you in marriage! You are so well matched for each other and I know you are enjoying wedded bliss!