A Wonderful Wedding for Nastassia and Luke at Caffe Luna!

I loved working with Nastassia and Luke! We met last May to begin designing their wedding ceremony which took place on Sunday October 6th 2019 at Caffe Luna in downtown Raleigh.

Nastassia is so beautiful and so ready to be married.......as well she should be! She and Luke met way back in 2008 when they were both undergraduates in college in New York. Their relationship has stood not only the test of time but also long distances that lasted for years while Nas attended medical school, residency and internship and Luke his graduate degrees. Finally they chose North Carolina to settle down in together and make home--and get married at last.

Meanwhile Cinda, the owner of Cinda's Creative Cakes, was on the job putting the finishing touches on her beautiful creation. It is rare when I see her as she has usually been on site and gone by the time I get to the wedding.

The finished product. Simple and classic! And delicious! 

Taking a quiet moment to review the script before I deliver it! 

Willis is a frequent DJ at Caffe Luna and, as usual, he did a great job providing my amplification and the ceremony music. Tre Bella Flowers did the arch up front and the bouquets and boutonnieres.

After persuading the guests to move forward and fill in chairs up front with Michelle Gunton, our wonderful photographer, we are ready to begin the ceremony. (Empty chairs--especially on the aisle--don't look good in the wedding photos. Often venues put out more chairs than the number of guests expected which makes it look like a lot of people did come to the wedding.)

When it was time to begin, I walked in first--past the empty extra chairs in the back. 

Luke and his parents, Donald and Laurel, enter next.

Luke joined me up front as his parents took their seats. 

Then the attendants came in as couples. Kareem and Daniela first. 

Todd and Melissa next.

Adam, best man and brother of the groom, and Shawnett, maid of honor, make their way down the aisle.

Their friend Jewel, our honorary director, cued Nastassia and her mother, Sharon, to begin their walk down the aisle.

They sweep past the guests standing in their honor. 

"Sharon, do you bless and support Nastassia as she comes to join in marriage to Luke?" Of course she answered "I do!" and took her seat as the couple turned and faced their guests.

I stepped out and began telling their guests the story of how they met and fell in love and their journey to their wedding day. It was a sweet story. They were smitten with each other from the very beginning when they were fixed up with each other to go to a party.

And there were some comical moments also and we all laughed a lot. In fact, their guests laughed in places I was not expecting laughter. Couldn't have been better! Always love that the guests are having a good time and enjoying the ceremony.

The story flowed into a welcome to everyone and a tribute to their parents. 

They turned and faced each other as I stepped behind them and revealed what each of them had told me in confidence they love about each other. Then they made their vows to each other. When it was time to exchange rings. I asked Adam for the rings. He placed them in my hand and as I looked at Nastassia's ring, I said "This is the tiniest wedding ring I've ever seen!" (NOT in the script!) Everyone laughed including the couple.

Handing the tiny ring to Luke as Nas wiped away tears of laughter! 

And more laughter as I asked Nas to take the substantially larger ring and place it on Luke's finger! 

I retrieved the hankie from her hand so she could place the ring on Luke's finger while saying the words after me.

They wrote love-letters to each other and sealed them without sharing. The Anniversary Box was brought forth by Adam's wife, Lisa, and they placed the letters in the box with the bottle of wine and locked it. I invited them to open the box on their first anniversary, pour each other a glass of wine, then read the love-letter from their spouse. Have a conversation about the wedding day and the year that has passed. Then write new love-letters, place in the box with the old letters and a new bottle of wine and repeat on every anniversary.

A closing blessing for our couple who were going to finally be pronounced married. 

The pronouncement was made and I invited them to kiss!

Sealed with a kiss! 

That sweet "after kiss" where reality that they are really finally married at last sinks in. 

Introducing them to their cheering guests! Willis starts Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You!"

And they step into their new married life together! 

What a happy couple! 

Luke and Nastassia! What a wonderful and fun wedding! I loved it and I thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage! I wish you the best always!

Kony and Patrick's Indian American Fusion Wedding at Caffe Luna!

Kony, Patrick and I met in January to plan their fusion wedding ceremony which took place on March 17th, 2019 at Caffe Luna in downtown Raleigh. They wanted to blend together the American wedding traditions with the Indian traditions of Kony's heritage.

Their photographer with Complete Weddings took them on a First Look and when they came back I had done a sound check and guests were arriving.

Kony was worried about her parents because they were late arriving. However, due to construction on Moore's Square, the parking situation was challenging and time consuming. They arrived shortly thereafter.

Kelly Kennedy of Teacup Florals was their florist and had the ceremony space ready with flowers on the chairs and flower petals lining the aisle.

The reception area was ready as well. 

The mothers! Julia on the left is Patrick's mom and Ruby on the right is Kony's. They had gotten to know each other during the courtship of Kony and Patrick who are very close to their parents. They had vacationed together several times and enjoyed each other's company. Kony's parents live in India.

It is time to begin the processional. I motioned the couple and their parents to get lined up on the sidewalk at the rear door of the restaurant.

Billy Ezzell with Complete Weddings was our DJ. Billy and I have worked together at weddings for 20+ years. He was stationed right by the back door and I cued him for the music.

I entered first to anchor the ceremony space as the couple and their parents joined me. 

Patrick and his parents entered first then Kony and her parents. 

The guests were standing in their honor. 

We began with a warm welcome to all and thanked them for being with them on this special occasion. 

Kony and Patrick wanted to thank and honor their parents during the ceremony and so they each wrote a paragraph printed in my book to read to their parents during the ceremony. Kony went first (tearfully) then Patrick. So sweet.

Then I got to tell the guests the story of how Kony and Patrick met in 2017. It was on line but not a dating site. They were both on Reddit at the same time and struck up a conversation that intrigued both of them and they decided to meet in person. The attraction was instant and mutual. The date ended up being 5 hours as they walked around downtown Raleigh. One thing led to another and they soon became inseparable. And as they say, the rest is history! 

After the story they each got to hear what the other had told me in confidence about what they love about each other, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage.

Kony is hearing what Patrick told me in confidence! 

Then it was time for a few words of wisdom and advice about marriage then they exchanged vows and rings. 

I asked them each a series of questions to which they said "I do" and put the ring on their partner's finger. Patrick is pushing the ring onto Kony's finger!

Then Kony put Patrick's ring on.

Next came the Garland Exchange. The jaimala is an ancient Hindu wedding tradition that can be dated back to the Vedas – sacred Hindu scriptures that can be dated back to 1700 BC. The act of exchanging garlands signifies that the bride and groom are no longer separate individuals but are now united into a single family as equal partners. Given they are now one, they may share garlands, as they will everything else in life. Their mothers gave them a garland which they placed on their partner. 

Next came the Sindoor Ceremony. Sindoor, a vermillion powder applied in the parting of the bride’s hair by the groom holds importance in Indian society, and is considered auspicious in Hindu astrology. Mesha Rashi or the House of Aries is on the forehead, with Lord of Mesha – Mars, represented by the color red.  This is why red sindoor is applied at the forehead and at the parting of the hair. Both are signs of good fortune. Sindoor is also considered to be the symbol of the female energy of Goddesses Parvati and Sati. 

I opened the little tin of red powder and Patrick dipped his finger in it then placed the powder in the part of Kony's hair to signify their union as husband and wife.

Next was a closing blessing.

I placed my hand on theirs and pronounced them husband and wife! 

Their first married kiss! 

I introduced the newlywed couple and invited the guests to join me in congratulating them!

And away they go!!

I stayed behind long enough to invite the guests to go into the room next door for refreshments.

Kony and Patrick! What a wonderful wedding ceremony you designed. It fit you perfectly and was so fun and meaningful. Thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage and for your wonderful words and 5-Star reviews (below)!! I wish you the best always! 

Wonderful, professional and kind! 

Without Kayelily we wouldn't have been married - and I don't just mean it literally. She helped create an amazing story about how we met, what made us fall in love, and our journey together. She made the day so special and important, and even the guests commented on how beautiful the ceremony was.
Moreover, we were both kind of scared about saying things out loud, so she said our vows for us and that was so helpful! Neither of us are religious and she took that into account to still make the most beautiful ceremony ever. I also have to say that I find her voice so pleasing to hear, and that was great during the ceremony too. She also coordinated her outfit with us which looked beautiful.
Thank you again Kayelily, you're absolutely wonderful.