Allison and Brian Wed at All Saints Chapel!

Allison and Brian are a terrific couple and I enjoyed getting to know them and collaborating with them to make their ceremony fulfill all their dreams and expectations. We met and began planning back in August of 2018 and finally their wedding day of June 29th, 2019 arrived. It was a hot, beautiful day in North Carolina! 

All Saints Chapel was ready and the couple and their families were out taking First Look photos with their photographer Delia Rati of Imagination2Infinity.

The altar chest was filled with greenery and floating candles. The simplicity is elegant and all that is needed at this sweet chapel of stained glass windows and beautiful woodwork.

The pedestal table near the altar chest was the place for their Memory Box filled with memorabilia they had collected since their first date on July 4th 2017. They had it engraved with their names and the wedding date. They wrote love-letters to each other the night before the rehearsal and sealed them without sharing to be opened and enjoyed on their first wedding anniversary.

These are our "chapel attendants!" They helped me hook my mic into their body pack and Kevin McVerry with Performance DJ stationed in the loft manning the house sound system did a sound check with me. (After the ceremony the guests are invited downstairs for refreshments while the chapel area is flipped for the reception with a great dance floor and music by the DJ. Cateringworks provided the food and the wedding cake.)

Downstairs in the bridal suite the three flower girls were having fun waiting for the wedding to begin. Dave caught a staged photo of them doing the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" poses someone had put them up to!

When it was time to begin and everyone was all lined up in the back of the chapel, I walked in, welcomed everyone and made the "unplugged announcement." Then Brian and his brother Scott (best man) entered from the door at the left of the altar and took their places. Allison's sister, Karen, then came down the aisle and took her place.

 The three sweet little flower girls are ready to begin their trek down the aisle now! 

 Caroline (with the chapel) shooed them in the right direction and they began dropping the petals. 

 What a great job they did! The aisle is well sprinkled with the petals for the entrance of the bride! 

The chapel doors opened and I invited the guests to stand for our beautiful bride escorted in by her stepfather, Dan.

 Brian eagerly awaits Allison as they make their way to the altar steps. 

After the traditional presentation of the bride, the wedding party and I stepped up onto the altar for the ceremony. 

We began with words thanking the guests for being with us followed by a prayer and remembrance of loved ones no longer with us.

A sweet surprise tribute to their parents came next as I stepped forward to speak to them on behalf of our couple.

 Then it was my great pleasure to tell our guests the story of how Brian and Allison met and got to this day. 

 There was quite a bit of humor sprinkled into the story and the guests loved laughing together. 

 They read their vows to each other where they were printed facing them in my ceremony book. 

 Then it was time to exchange the rings. Brian goes first and repeated his words after me line by line. 

 Then it is Allison's turn to place the ring on Brian's finger and say the same words to him. 

I handed them their love-letters to place in the box as I told the guests about the Memory Box. They returned to their places in front of me and we closed with a blessing.

 I placed my hand on theirs and pronounced them married! Time for the kiss! 

 They were happy to comply!! First married kiss! 

Karen handed Allison her bouquet and I introduced them to their guests for the first time as husband and wife and they made their way down the aisle amid cheers and applause!

Allison and Brian! What a great wedding! I am so happy to have joined you in marriage and loved working with you on the ceremony. And, thank you for your speedy and kind review of my services (below) on The Knot, Weddingwire, and Google Business as well as a generous gratuity! I wish you much happiness and the best always!

"Kayelily made our wedding ceremony as special as it could have possibly been. As soon as we hired Kayelily, she sent us lots of resources and questionnaires for crafting a ceremony, and we were able to work together to create exactly what we wanted. She told our story beautifully, had us laughing and crying, and she gave us and our guests a memorable experience. You can't go wrong by hiring Kayelily."

Camille and Shep's Beautiful Wedding at The Bradford!

Camille and Shep chose The Bradford in New Hill for their wedding venue. It is an all-in-one wedding location which is beautiful. It was built and designed by two sisters who are wedding planners (C&D Events). It is a wonderful place to get married and I love doing weddings there.

This full length mirror is actually the seating chart.

It had been raining earlier in the week and the ground had been soggy but it dried out enough to go forward with an outdoor ceremony in the side yard. These guests are finding their seats.

When most of the guests had arrived, we began the processional. After the parents were seated, Shep and I entered and took our places up front. All Events DJ provided our music for the ceremony and reception.

Our wedding planner/director was Nicole with Vision Events. She had the wedding party all lined up and ready to go.

Some guests arrived late and were allowed to find their seats before all of the wedding party entered.

When the wedding party was in place, it was time for our beautiful bride and her father to enter. There were more guests waiting to be seated after the processional.

The guests stood in honor of the bride as Camille and her father made their way down the aisle. 

Once the bride was presented, the couple turned and faced each other holding hands. Our photographer, Amanda with Rivers and Roads, comes in for a close shot.

After welcoming the guests and a prayer, I stepped out to thank the couple's parents on their behalf. Then I had the pleasure of telling the story of how Shep and Camille met and fell in love and how they got to this day.

Exchange of vows and rings. 

They stepped under the arbor to light the unity candle. 

The candles are lit and stayed lit until after the ceremony. 

After a closing blessing, I pronounced them husband and wife and invited them to kiss.

No problem here! 

It was my pleasure to present them to their guests for the first time as husband and wife! 

On their way to the next chapter in their lives together--marriage! 

Camille and Shep! Congratulations on your marriage and beautiful wedding! Thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage. I wish you the best always.

Caroline and Varun's Wedding in the White Garden of Duke Gardens on August 25th, 2018

Neither Caroline and Varun nor their families live in NC but because these lovebirds met while attending Duke University, they chose to have their wedding here in the White Garden in Duke Gardens. This is a beautiful amphitheater that is a wonderful setting for a wedding. I've done many ceremonies here and watched the garden develop and become lush and full. See previous weddings HERE.

From the gazebo across from the ceremony area where the DJ is set up, you can see the circular ceremony area and the visitor's center behind it where the cocktail hour and reception will be.

Our wedding director, Amanda Scott with A Swanky Affair, is placing the fans in the chairs for the guests. The day was not too hot, in fact it was quite comfortable with a thin cloud cover. An exceptionally "cool" day for August in North Carolina!

Under the tent that covers the terrace, their guest book consists of a plaque of North Carolina for the guests to sign.

Caroline's aunt had given her a hankie for the wedding ceremony and our maid of honor, Allison, has just brought it to me to place in my ceremony book where I can hand it to Caroline during the ceremony when the tears appeared! And they did!

Inside the visitor's center the staff is getting the tables set and adding the decor for the reception. 

This later photo shows the tables set up with their color scheme of Duke blue--of course! Cateringworks was catering this reception.  

This beautiful cake by Ashley Cakes  is ready to cut and enjoy! 

Their photographer, Joe Payne, and Caroline and Varun did a First Look at Duke Chapel then came to the garden for more. And now they are heading back to the holding area within the visitor's center while the guests arrive and take their seats. 

Dave grabbed a photo of the three of us before the ceremony just in case we didn't get one afterwards!

They chose their mothers to be their witnesses on the marriage license. 

Alex Choi with Vox DJ is all set up in the gazebo. I plugged my mic into his body pack and we did a sound check. It was perfect! Thanks, Alex, it was great to work with you again!

This open air cathedral shaped structure is right behind where the guests will be seated and from which the bridesmaids and the bride and her parents will process in for the ceremony.

All the plants have matured and are immaculately manicured by the garden staff. Always beautiful!

It was time to begin. Amanda cued Alex to begin the music and I walked in to take my place followed by the groomsmen. 

Then Varun escorted his mother who traveled all the way from India for the wedding to her seat then joined me and the guys.

The bridesmaids processed in next. Allison has just walked in and is turning around.

Alex changes the music and the bride and her parents began their procession into the ceremony! 

After her parents were seated and she joined Varun, we began the ceremony with a welcome to all the guests. 

They took a look out at all their friends and families who had traveled from far and wide to be with them on this auspicious day.

After a blessing and remembering those loved ones who could not be with us, I stepped out to address their parents and tell them how much Caroline and Varun love and appreciate them.

Then I had the pleasure of telling the story of how they met and fell in love. 

It was back in 2013 when Caroline was a senior and Varun had just arrived from India to begin grad school.

They met one evening in a local bar when they were out with friends. Varun and Caroline gravitated to each other and had so much fun talking and laughing together, they decided to see each other again. It was not long before they were inseparable. Caroline graduated and began applying to law schools and working locally while Varun finished grad school. Then they both relocated to the DC area--Varun to begin his new career and Caroline to begin law school. Varun proposed on the peak of a mountain overlooking the Shenandoah Valley in May of 2017 by reading a poem he wrote to Caroline which ended with "will you marry me?" Of course Caroline said yes so they took a selfie then hurried down the mountain to share the good news with family and friends!

At this point in the ceremony I am sharing with each of them what the other told me in confidence about what they love about them, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage. It is such a tender moment and Caroline got to use the hankie!

Then they shared their vows with each other.

Varun places the Mangulsutra--a sacred black necklace--around Caroline's neck as I explained that this is an Indian wedding custom symbolizing the groom's acceptance to share his life with the bride.

Then I called for the rings which represent the unbroken circle of love.  

Varun placed the ring on Caroline's finger as he said words to her after me. 

Then Caroline placed the ring on Varun's finger and said her words to him. 

Just making sure the rings is all the way on! 

We closed with a blessing to send them on their happy journey!

I pronounced them married and invited them to share their first kiss as husband and wife.

Loving that! 

The "after-kiss moment" when the reality that they are really married sinks in! 

Presentation of the newlywed couple to their guests!

Up close shot of this beautiful sacred necklace--the Mangulsutra. 

Varun and Caroline! What a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple. I loved it and I think your families and guests did too. You were wonderful to work with. Thank you for giving me the honor of joining you in matrimony! My best for you always!