Tiffany and Dylan Get Married at St. Marks Chapel!

Tiffany and Dylan met shortly after he got out of the Marines and she was not in the least bit interested in dating a military man and besides, she was a city girl from New York and he was a country boy from North Carolina although born in Minnesota! So she avoided him as best she could but they were thrown together often because they were both part of the same crowd. She did take note of how he always made sure all the girls in the group were safe and taken care of when they were out and how he always made his mother top priority. Dylan was charmed by Tiffany's stunning beauty and was curious to see if there could be any future for the two of them. They officially started seeing each other at a New Year's Eve party when Tiffany's resistance crumbled and she found out her perception of him had been very wrong. After that heart to heart encounter they soon became a couple. When Dylan proposed, Tiffany said yes and they started planning their wedding for September 1, 2012!

They chose St. Marks Chapel for its quaint historical charm and packed it full of their guests. The capacity is 55 people and they were at maximum capacity.

They added lots of lovely little touches here and there like this flower arrangement on the steps of the chapel. The bride and her friends did all the florals themselves.

There were groupings of bottles and unusual arrangements flanking the sidewalk.

The altar was decorated with ribbons, garlands, a flower wreath, and bird cages.

 Sherry Lattin of Florian Music graced us with beautiful violin music.

I met Dylan's mother, Robin, for the first time before the wedding. She had not been present at our rehearsal the day before.

Then, I was in for a surprise when Joy and Jason and their daughter, Sydney, appeared!

I married them 12 years ago at Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill and two years ago, Jason arranged for me to officiate a 10 year anniversary and renewal of vows ceremony as a surprise for Joy at the Horace Williams House! What a neat couple. Joy is a friend of Tiffany's.

After we shooed all the guests inside the chapel and the guys and I got lined up inside, it was time for Rosanne, mother of the bride, to be escorted in by her son, Russell, followed by the bridesmaids and then Tiffany and her father, John.

Tiffany's dress was one of the most beautiful wedding gowns I have ever seen and it was simply perfect for her. The color was quite unique and a beige-cream-taupe color called "antique."

The bridesmaids are already beginning to weep with joy! 

 

Tiffany and Dylan and I had such fun writing their ceremony to be just what they wanted. Tiffany and Dylan not only paid tribute to their parents but Tiffany included really funny tributes to her three brothers and had the guests in stitches and tears at the same time! 

Then I shared with the guests why Tiffany and Dylan wanted to marry each other and what they were looking forward to in marriage. 

 By that time, Dylan had worked up a sweat! 

We had to clean Dylan up after the kiss which left lipstick not only on his mouth but on his teeth!

They requested a group shot of all the guests so we pushed and shoved and got everyone up front while our photographer, April Sirit, Evoke Photography, went up in the loft to take the picture, along with Marty who got this one.

Then we all filed outside, collected our bubbles and lined up on the walkway to bubble the bride and groom when they came out! Great picture!

Dylan and Tiffany, what can I say? Great wedding! Great couple! My congratulations and best wishes ever!

Amy and Scott Tie the Knot at their Wakefield Plantation Wedding!

Amy and Scott and I met on January 9th to plan their wedding ceremony set for March 26, 2011 at Wakefield Plantation Country Club. They wanted a small wedding with family and close friends and not a lot of fanfare. They chose to have no attendants and therefore we did not have a rehearsal. We got to work on their ceremony right away. Part of the ceremony was their story which I began to piece together from their answers to questions I asked. They sent me some very good material so I was able to write their story that included a lot of humor.  During the ceremony creation process they happily discovered that they were expecting a baby in September so we added a blessing for the unborn baby to the wedding ceremony. 

When we arrived, the cake by Cake Dreams by Sally was already there. Such a pretty cake following their color scheme of pink and green.

 

After a week of unseasonably warm weather in Raleigh, March 26 turned cold with drizzling rain but it was cozy and warm inside the Wakefield Plantation Clubhouse. Jacklyn, the venue's event coordinator was on hand to answer questions, coordinate vendors, and help sneak the bride up to the door from where she and her father, Wayne, would enter. Thanks, Jacklyn!

The tables were all set with the pretty linens, flowers , and special favors from the couple.

Amy and Scott got cookies that she grew up savoring.

 

Amy's mother, Gail, was there and ready to celebrate. We can see where Amy gets her beauty!

Ed Stephenson and Craig Hanemann were our musicians from Arioso Strings. I do a lot of weddings with these two guys and it was good to see them after the winter hiatus. This wedding is our first together for 2011. They were in fine form too.

 

This is a beautiful ice sculpture. I don't know who to credit for this lovely work of art. 

When all the guests were seated, we began the processional with the grandparents. Then his very elegant mother and father processed in (above). You can see where Scott gets his good looks!

Scott and I came in and took our places in front of the fireplace. Thankfully someone had discovered he had forgotten to eat something before the wedding and gave him a plate of hors d'oeuvres which he gobbled up. I found out years ago that the combination of hunger and nervousness can lead to falling out and we don't want that at a wedding!

Here comes our beautiful bride. She was a bit nervous too and told me she was worried about crying during the ceremony. Crying is perfectly fine. In fact, I would be a bit concerned if no emotion was showing on your wedding day. That's why I carry a hankie for the bride and groom, just in case. Both of them needed it today!

We included a Parents' Blessing which is a thank you and tribute to the couple's parents. Here they are standing to receive the tribute.

And, we included the baby! I ask the couple to put their hands on the baby while I read the blessing.

Next up was a reading of "The Art of Marriage," a popular reading for a wedding by Wilfred Arlan Peterson that they asked Amy's friend, Wendy, to present.

Then Elli, Scott's sister, read to us the beautiful "A Blessing for a Marriage" by Unity Minister, Reverend James Dillet Freeman.

It was time now for the couple's story. I took that opportunity to step out from behind them and away from the warmth of the fire behind me to speak to our guests who thoroughly enjoyed the story of how Amy and Scott first met on Match.com then Facebook becoming on-line buddies for almost a year before they met each other in person. And when they did, the rest, as they say, is history.

 

The grand finale was the kiss and they did as I suggested--make it long enough for your photographer to get a good shot! April Sirit of Evoke Photography and her assistant Rebecca were our photographers.

Amy and Scott, I am so happy you found each other, and found me! I know you have a very bright future together and please keep me posted next September when your baby boy is born!

Wedding at All Saints Chapel for Sandy and Todd!

Sandy and Todd fell in love with All Saints Chapel and wanted to get married there with closest family and friends on August 21, 2010. Their reception was at Second Empire. I met with them last November and we signed a contract and I sent them all the material from which to create their ceremony. When I arrived at the chapel on Friday for their rehearsal, I met Debbie, a new member of the staff at All Saints Chapel, who was on duty for this wedding and extremely helpful. 

 

 Here Debbie is pinning the corsage on Todd's mother. April Sirit with Evoke was our photographer.

Matthew Kanon was on hand to provide the couple's selection of music. Always a pleasure to work with Matt!

The couple had a theater theme and this is the billboard that greeted their guests when they arrived. Sandy made lovely wedding programs that also reflected their theme.

When it was time and all the guests were there, we began with the seating of the mothers, entrance of the groom and groomsmen and me, then the bridesmaids followed by the bride and her proud father! That is Todd's Aunt Sally in the background. When Sandy's sister could not be at the rehearsal due to a work conflict, Sally stepped in and did a fine job of directing this wedding. Thanks, Sally!

The altar was filled with beautiful floating candles provided by Fresh Affairs and created a very soft and romantic glow against the dark wood of the altar.

 After the vows and the ring exchange, Sandy and Todd included the wine and chocolate ceremony. The wine was the same pinot grigio that they celebrated with on their engagement in 2009. The glass was "borrowed" from their favorite restaurant in Savannah, and the chocolate was Godiva, the first gift Todd had given Sandy.  The words in the ceremony were: "The years of life will have some hardships and disappointments, of which this bitter wine is a symbol, remember to forgive the frailties of one another. Bear together life’s adversities and be confident that the good will always return.The years of life have indeed, much happiness, joy, hope, healing and goodness, of which this sweet chocolate is a token. We ask that you eat of it together, and as you do, earnestly seek the power and wisdom to use all the pleasure and prosperity that may come to you, with gratitude, modesty, and sympathy for all those less fortunate than yourselves."

The pronouncement was made, the kiss enjoyed, and the newlywed couple step into their new life together as husband and wife!

Doesn't Todd's smiley smirk look like the cat who swallowed the canary? They were so happy to be married after meeting exactly 6 years ago on this, their wedding day! Congratulations and all the happiness and contentment in the world!