Amber and Thomas' Gorgeous Wedding at Prestonwood!

 Amber and Thomas' wedding on September 17th, 2016 was a picture book wedding at the prestigious Prestonwood Country Club. They worked hard and made their vision come true with the help of Kathy Swope with Sally Oakley Events. I was honored to be on the vendor team.

Thomas and his groomsmen and I are gathered on the other side of the ballroom door from where we will enter once Thomas' father escorts Thomas' mother in and joins us. 

The parents, bridesmaids and sweet little flower girls entered from the reception area through this incredibly beautiful arch created by Kelly Odom Flowers. 

Once we were all in place, it was time for our bride and her father to enter.

Amber looked like a princess! 

I greeted all the guests on behalf of our couple then we had a short prayer. 

The loved ones no longer with us were remembered then we paid tribute to the couple's parents. Always heartfelt and evokes tears from the mothers most of the time!

Then I got to tell the story of how they met and fell in love. They were matched up on line and from the first meeting they were smitten with each other. One thing led to another and in less than a year, Thomas proposed. Of course Amber said yes and they started planning this wedding. 

 They exchanged their vows.

 Then their rings.

(My dear husband, Dave, takes photos of weddings for me to post on this blog. He got a bit artistic here and played with the zoom on the camera and the backlighting.) 

It was time for a closing blessing and the pronouncement of marriage! 

The moment they become husband and wife! 

 I think they really enjoyed this kiss! 

And away they go! 

The staff slid back the partitions and here is that beautiful archway! 

Thomas and Amber, what a wedding! Great job. It was like a fairytale wedding and I loved it. I wish you the best of everything always!

Another Wonderful Wedding at the Majestic Duke Chapel!

Sally Oakley of Sally Oakley Weddings & Events contacted me in January to see if I was qualified to officiate weddings at Duke Chapel. Well, yes, I am! So she referred Liz and Chris to me for their wedding March 14, 2015 at Duke Chapel. They live in Michigan but were in town on the 20th of January and we were able to meet and plan their ceremony.

Weddings at Duke Chapel are rather spectacular! But rarely do we fill it up. 

Most weddings only have enough guests to fill the rows of chairs in front of the pews and Liz and Chris' wedding was like that. Both of them went to Duke and in fact, Liz's parents and her Maid of Honor were married in the chapel as well.

This is the huge wonderful organ that graces the back of the chapel. We are milling around before the guests arrived.

Sarah and Chris on the right are with the chapel and together orchestrate weddings there. They were saying that the chapel will be closed from May 11, 2015 for a year for restoration of the stone walls, ceilings, etc. and the first wedding after that will be July 2016. It really is necessary to do the required maintenance to preserve these historic buildings. I noticed that the buildings on the sides of the chapels are having work done on them as well.

Sally is tying the photo charms on Liz's bouquet. Tre Bella did the flowers. Then the groomsmen came in, got their boutonnieres pinned on and Sarah led us down into the basement to what I would call the "man cave" where we waited until Chris came to get us lined up to enter for the ceremony. 

Liz's grandmother, Chris' parents Patricia and Steve, then Liz's parents Diane and John entered. Then Chris and his groomsmen and I processed in from the side and took our places on the chancel.

The bridesmaids made the long walk down the aisle and took their places and then it was time for Chris' nephew Henry (age 2).

Henry is almost a blur because he ran all the way down that long aisle! Then he ran up to Chris and gave him the ring pillow. He did not know where to go from there but his dad retrieved him!

The guests were invited to stand in honor of our beautiful bride. 

She was proudly escorted in by her father, John. 

The parents gave their blessings and our couple stepped up onto the chancel. 

The pretty green theme was chosen because of the proximity to St. Patrick's Day and looks really pretty in the chapel.

The guests were welcomed and then we paid tribute to their loved ones who were not able to be with us in person but were surely with us in spirit.

I stepped out to address their parents and pay tribute to their love and support of Liz and Chris throughout their lives.

Then it was time for their story. It was a fun one to tell. They met in DC at a party of a mutual friend. Liz was living back home in SC at the time, having just graduated from Duke. She decided to move to DC to work and they had some fun times with Chris being in awe of Liz's beauty and her accomplishments and Liz getting used to Chris' love of surprising her!  Chris was accepted into Duke's Business School and they spend the next 2 years in a long distance relationship traveling back and forth between Durham and DC and lots of Skyping. Chris planned a surprise proposal in 2013 at his grandparents' place on Priest Lake Idaho, one of his favorite places on the planet. Of course Liz said yes! When Chris graduated in 2014 and went to work in Michigan, Liz made the big move to be with him there and the wedding planning commenced!

For the first time they are hearing what the other told me secretly that they loved about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage. Such a sweet moment. Then they said their vows as they exchanged rings.

As part of the closing blessing, I invited Liz and Chris to gaze around them and feel the love of their family and dearest friends surrounding them as they honored them on their wedding day.

Then it was time to pronounce them married! 

Sealed with a kiss! 

We did it!! 

After the guests departed to the reception at The Cookery, we gathered up front for photos. Here we are standing around with Dara Blakely, one of my favorite photographers.

Dara, with her second shooter Kathy, looking on is getting a photo of Liz's pink nail polish with glitter on her toes, significant for the time she painted Chris' nails with the same polish for a Halloween costume very early on in the relationship.

Chatting with the parents.....

Liz is stunningly beautiful and Chris is not too bad looking either! Handsome couple and a good match. Liz and Chris, congratulations, best wishes and may all your dreams come true!!

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Incredibly Stunning Wedding of Sarah and David at the Carolina Inn!

Where do I begin? Sarah and David's wedding on October 25th, 2014 at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill is one of the most stunning weddings of my career as an officiant! I should have known it would be because I officiated the wedding of Sarah's cousin Celia in 2011 at The Umstead and it was also spectacular. Go take a look here at that wedding. Most of the same vendors for both weddings.

The team from Fresh Affairs had erected this amazing chuppah and were arranging the flower petals in the aisle. 

They were actually using brooms to sweep the petals into the pretty swirls. 

Simply gorgeous!!

I loved standing in the chuppah surrounded by thousands of flowers! 

At the back of the aisle, a garland of greenery was used between two topiaries to block the guests from coming down the aisle to be seated. They were seated from the sides.

Our musicians from Save The Date Music are getting set up. 

Dennis Huffstutler from Cinema One Studio was ready to video the wedding. 

Back in the black and white hallway, the groom and family were hanging out before the wedding. David, our groom, is wearing a wonderful orchid boutonniere.

His brother Brian, our best man, was hanging out too. 

The groom and best man showing off their loud socks! 

Debbie, Angie's assistant with Chic Details, is keeping an eye on the reception area. 

Caught in the act is the flower wizard himself, Lyn Graves, owner of Fresh Affairs and the brilliant visionary behind the fantastic florals for this wedding and for Celia's wedding too.

The place settings are done. 

To honor David's Italian heritage, the favors are Italian cookies.

These centerpieces look like they are floating in air above the tables. If you look closely you can see the clear plastic support. Fabulous!

The cake by Sweet Memories before the floral embellishment to come. 

And they are still working on it! 

The Bride and Groom table. (Someone needs to remove that paper towel!)

A wider view of the John Hill Ballroom as it is being transformed. 

Meantime, totally unrelated to this wedding, some very young ladies are having a tea party birthday celebration in the lobby of the Inn!

Relaxing before the wedding with the mother of the groom, Linda-Jean!  

Dara Blakely is our photographer and above is Kathy, her second shooter. 

The guests are ready! 

So, Angie, the owner of Chic Details, begins cuing in the grandparents. Is that not the sassiest little dress Sarah's grandmother is wearing?

David's parents.....

Father and stepmother of the bride.....

Mother of the Bride, Sharon......

The guys and I......

Waiting for the bridesmaids......

Here they come!

Waiting for the bride now......

Dara makes her way to the aisle to get our beautiful bride's entrance.

Angie fluffs the train....

And here they come!!

Bill presents Sarah to be married to David....

And so the couple and I stepped inside the chuppah and we began the ceremony with a warm welcome and explanation of the chuppah, a prayer and in memoriam. 

I stepped around front for the Parents' Blessing and to tell Sarah and David's story. They met back in 2009 when Sarah began her first job after graduation from Carolina. It was in Washington DC and just so happened to be with the same company where David worked. They saw each other at company functions and events over the next few years and became friends. After spending the whole evening together at a company Christmas party in 2011, then again at another function the following February, David decided to ask Sarah out. Which he did by email...and still she said yes! They went to a pizza restaurant and talked so long the place closed around them and the waiter finally kicked them out. It wasn't long before they became a couple and practically inseparable. After nine months of dating they decided to move to the Raleigh area to be near Sarah's family and David's brother, Brian, who already lived here. David proposed in September of 2013, after which they both changed jobs, bought a new house AND planned this wonderful wedding!

This is the part where I revealed to them what their partner had told me in confidence that they love about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage.

Saying their vows to each other...

Brian, may I have the rings please?

The symbolism of the rings.

The rings are placed..

A closing blessing for the couple's future....

And now I pronounce you......

A sweet kiss....

The "after the kiss" moment as it all sinks in! 

Yay, we're married! 

I quickly removed my microphone and gathered up my equipment from Karen, the sound person from the Inn. She did a fabulous job because the sound was perfect! Thanks, Karen!

I spotted Celia and Scott while I was doing the ceremony and was so happy to see them afterwards and get this photo! I had not seen them since their wedding more than 3 years ago. Congratulations on your new baby, Celia and Scott! It was wonderful to see you again!

Sarah and David, you created an unforgettable wedding and I thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage! I wish you the best forever!

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