Reecha and Heath's Forever Wedding at Rose Hill!

Reecha and Heath's wedding was originally scheduled for September 15th 2018 but Hurricane Florence blew in and changed their plans. They postponed to December 8th. The weather was cold and snow and ice predicted for later in the evening but the wedding was on no matter what! 

They chose the beautiful Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville, NC for their venue. 

A view of the gazebo where weddings in good weather are held. 

Inside the ballroom, I check out the sand ceremony set up and make sure it is ready. 

The cake was ready! And beautiful. By Edible Art. 

Heath and Reecha have known each other since middle school and went to high school together. They never dated but had a little crush on each other but nothing came of it. They graduated, went their separate ways to live their lives and raise their families. These are their high school photos for the 1980s!

Everyone was getting dressed and hanging out in the lodge. The guys were downstairs playing pool and snacking while the women were upstairs getting ready.

The place was beautifully decked out for Christmas. Would you believe I've done a wedding in this room many years ago?

Meanwhile back in the ballroom, the guests are assembling for the ceremony. Reecha's heritage is Indian and there are many guests dressed up in the traditional garments of this culture.
(Our wedding director for this wedding was Jennifer with Vision Events. The photographer was Brandon with Southern Love Studios. Our DJ was Randy Bennett with BunnDJ Co. The videographer was Elijah with Morgan Scott Films and the florist was Specialties Florals and Events. Rose Hill does their own catering.

The wedding party and I processed in then it was time for Reecha and her father to enter!

Purple was their color. Everyone is standing for the bride. 

They make their way down the aisle and I asked her father Ravi who blesses and supports Reecha as she comes to join in marriage to Heath. He of course answered that he and her mother did and everyone was seated.

We began the ceremony with a warm welcome to all followed by a prayer and remembrance of loved ones no longer with us.

A special surprise tribute to their parents was next.

Then I turned to their children who were in the wedding party and told them how important they are in the marriage we celebrate today.

The story--fast forward more than 20 years from high school graduation. Heath, single again, began browsing around on Facebook and found Reecha's page. He looked around to see how her life had gone since high school. He loved looking at photos of her and her kids.  He sent her a Friend request and wished her a Happy Mother's Day for the next two years. She friended him back but it took her 2 years to start a conversation. They found themselves in similar situations and the Facetiming, texting,  messaging commenced. Four months later they met in person. It was instant attraction and the feeling of being home again. But, he lived in Florida and Reecha in Raleigh so they endured a 4½ year long-distance relationship. He proposed on her birthday in 2017 and the wedding planning began in earnest!

I asked them each to tell me in confidence what they love about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage. During the ceremony I revealed to the other what their beloved has told me.

Time for their vows and the exchange of rings. 

Heath places the ring on Reecha's finger.

They each poured in their sand then each of their children came forward and poured in their container of sand creating one big happy family.

A closing blessing then I pronounced them married and invited them to share their first kiss as husband and wife.

Sealed with a kiss! 

Married at last! 

So happy for them! 

My friends Rubin and Pam were their guests. I had no idea that they had known them since high school! 

The sand sculpture in a glass brick with all their names on it. 

Our cute little flower girls who finally can dance and sing without being shushed as they were during the ceremony! So adorable!

Reecha and Heath! Congratulations! It was a long time coming and I am so thrilled to have joined you in matrimony! I wish you and your family all the best forever!

Jacalyn and Nate Wed at the Wine Cellar at Angus Barn!

Jacalyn and Nate joined their hearts and their lives in marriage on December 16th, 2017 in the Wine Cellar of Angus Barn. Such a special and cozy place to get married surrounded by their families. 

When I arrived I was escorted through the kitchen and down the stairs into the Wine Cellar. The beautiful cake by Edible Arts was being unboxed at one end of the table, 

I met Nate and his family and his brother and Jacalyn's brother while we were waiting for the bride, her father, her mother and her stepmother to arrive. Nate's parents were here from New Hampshire for this wonderful occasion.

 And so Jacalyn was escorted in by her father and the ceremony began.

For the blessing of the parents, I invited them to gather close-by. 

After a blessing and words on love and marriage, they exchanged their vows.

 And then their rings. 

Nate placed the ring on Jacalyn's finger.

I declared them husband and wife and invited them to seal their union with a kiss!

Married at last! 

Delicious menu for dinner, of course! 

Happy to be married!

 Time to cut the cake.......

 The traditional feeding of each other!

 After dinner and cake, they went upstairs to the lobby for photos around the big beautiful Christmas tree!

Jacalyn and Nate! Congratulations on your marriage! Thank you for allowing me to join you in marriage. I wish you the best always! Merry Christmas!

Katie and Tim's Wonderful Wedding at Wakefield Plantation Country Club!

Many thanks to my friend and wedding colleague, Kevin Seifert, for photographing this wedding for me to post on this blog! 

The site of Katie and Tim's wedding was TPC Wakefield Plantation, a golf and country club in Raleigh very close to Wake Forest. The wedding date was October 7th, 2017. They have a beautiful outdoor area in the back of the club for wedding ceremonies however, the weather turned rainy for this wedding and the staff there hustled to move the ceremony inside about 30 minutes before start time.

This is the indoor area for the reception which is all set up and ready. 

Above the mantel. 

Peeking out the window at the rain which was starting to fall. 

Edible Art made this beautiful cake!

The Sweetheart Table

The staff brings in the floral decorations from the arch and the aisle. The Purple Poppy furnished the florals.

Where the wedding would have been. 

Our couple's photographer, Shawn Tomkinson, gets a shot of Tim with one of his groomsmen. 

Photos of family weddings.

Katie and Tim live in Atlanta but  grew up together in North Carolina which will always be home. 

The Georgia Peach was their signature cocktail. I am partial to this because I was born and grew up in Georgia!

So now the double room adjoining the reception room is being readied for the ceremony. 

The staff is busy putting the florals taken from the garden into place in this pretty room that has awesome acoustics. I did not even need a microphone. The monogram from the reception area was placed above this mantel. Add a few candlesticks and other gold decor and it was complete.

Very nice job! 

I found a quiet spot to review the ceremony script before the guests arrived. 

Pinning on the corsage for a grandmother. 

The guests are being seated and having a look at the wedding programs. 

Shawn, our photographer, and Meghan, the venue director, go over last minute details. 

Peter Krumenacker with Island Sound DJ provided the ceremony music. He and Shawn meet each other. 

With the family in the lobby getting ready to line up and process in. There were 3 grandmothers and 2 grandfathers in attendance. 

Tim and I make our entrance followed by the groomsmen.

After the bridesmaids entered, it was time for Tanner, nephew and ring bearer, to enter with his dad, Stephen. The original plan was for Tanner to ride in a cute little wooden wagon but Tanner decided he would rather walk in.

A tearful Katie and her dad, Tim, enter as the guests stand in her honor. 

The couple turned and faced each other as the guests were seated and we warmly welcomed them to this beautiful wedding. We remembered those loved one who were not present.

I invited the parents of Katie and Tim to stand for a surprise tribute and they were really surprised that I knew all the dates and places of their weddings.

This is when I was addressing Tim's parents, Sarah Grace and Mark, and the words were: "It probably seems like only yesterday that exactly four years later you brought your second—and, Tim assures me, favorite—child home from the hospital, and now you’re here to see him get married." 
This generated a bit of laughter, especially from our best man, Eric, older brother of the groom! 

The most fun part of the ceremony was telling their story which spanned 17 years and lots of adventures. They met in 2000 in the eighth grade when Katie's family moved to Wake Forest from California. Katie had a crush on Tim from day one and chronicled for the story many humorous incidents from those years in school. They went their separate ways for college but eventually found their way to each other. It is a good story bringing us up to the wedding with many more stories to come in the future.

Then the story mentioned that Kristie, Katie's younger sister, tagged along when they went to the State Fair one time. And that Katie locked the keys in the car to boot!

The story included quite a bit of humor which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. 

Then what they love about each other, why they want to marry, and what they are looking forward to.

They read their vows to each other from my book then they exchanged rings. 

I made the pronouncement and invited them to kiss. 

Married finally at last!

The presentation of the newlyweds!

Time to celebrate!

A few more kisses!

The rain had stopped so we went outside for post-ceremony photos. 

Katie and Tim, I loved working with you to create your amazing and funny ceremony. Congratulations on the journey of your lives. I am so honored to have joined you in matrimony!