Elegant Small Family Wedding for Eva and Keith!

Eva and Keith came to see me on June 4th to talk about officiating their wedding set for Wednesday July 1st, 2015 at King's Daughters Inn in Durham. They liked the idea of having a ceremony that reflected the two of them and their relationship so we got their wedding on my calendar and began working on the ceremony. We had a brief rehearsal the day before.

And so this is the parlor area of King's Daughters Inn where the ceremony will take place. I have done many weddings here. They are cozy and intimate and always lovely. The acoustics are so good in this room I don't need my sound system.

This is the dining area where their guests will enjoy a sit-down reception before the partying and dancing happens on the lower level of the bed and breakfast. Maggie's Conscious Cuisine catered a vegan gluten-free spread. Details Cake Design provided the cake but we have no photo of it as it had not been brought out yet from refrigeration.

The flowers by Floral Dimensions are ready! 

After the parents of the couple were escorted in, Keith, his brother Nelson (best man) and I entered, then our maid of honor, Angela, followed by twin flower girls who were retrieved by their daddy at the end of the aisle. Music was played via iPod.

Finally our beautiful bride and her proud father, Rob, made their entrance. 

All the guests stand for the bride!

And so we begin the ceremony with a warm welcome to all, a sweet prayer, tribute to those loved ones no longer living........

Then honoring of the couple's parents whose marriages have stood the test of time. 

A few words on how they met three years ago within one month of them both moving to Durham. Keith was completely certain (and happy about it) that he would not marry again and Eva had begun to accept that maybe marriage just might not be in the cards for her. But after two years of shared walks, meals and movies, it became apparent that they could be good for each other. And the idea of marrying was born which led to this momentous day in their lives--their wedding day.

They exchanged their vows then rings.........

Eva places the ring on Keith's finger....

I pronounced them married! 

A sweet kiss just long enough for a picture!

The expression on Eva's face is priceless! 

We exited to the sunroom for photos before they joined their guests for cocktails. 

Eva and Keith, congratulations! I love joining you in marriage and I know you will be very happy together. I wish you all the best!

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Cobblestone Hall Wedding for Tracey and James!

I have been to several events at Cobblestone Hall in downtown Raleigh City Market but this was my first wedding ceremony there. The old historic building in City Market has been many things in the past including an upscale restaurant and brewery. It is a spacious facility that can accommodate both the ceremony and the reception and is surrounded by old cobblestone streets and quaint storefronts. This setting appealed to Tracey and James and so they booked their wedding there for August 25, 2012. The three of us met in January to plan the ceremony while they assembled an impressive team of wedding vendors: Steve Stowe with Joe Bunn DJ Company, Anna Paschal--wedding photographer from Greensboro, Bea Miller of Floral Dimensions, Simply Cakes, and Rocky Top Catering.

This cute wedding cake was baked by Simply Cakes and the adorable toppers are the UNC Ram and the Duke Blue Devil! Together on one cake--imagine that!

Anna Paschal, our photographer, center, and her second shooter, checking in with me about any rules I have about photography during the wedding ceremony. I really don't have any rules except I request she does not walk behind me and distract the guests. Otherwise, I am pretty oblivious to the photographer during the ceremony. I appreciate her asking! 

Rocky Top Catering has the appetizer table ready for the cocktail hour immediately following the ceremony. Thanks to Kevin DeHimer with Rocky Top for referring the couple to me!

To the right separated by a row of palms, is the ceremony area. On the left side are the tables for the reception to which the chairs from the ceremony will be added afterwards and the ceremony area becomes a large dance floor!

Kaitlin  Briggs, Special Events Manager with Cobblestone Hall, and Steve Stowe, DJ with Joe Bunn DJ Company, pose for the picture. They are a dream to work with!

In the meantime, I am getting Michael, best man, to sign the license for me while the groomsmen are standing around waiting for the guests to arrive.

Into "vintage" suitcases the favors have been stowed for the guests to help themselves to. Avondale Sweet 'n Spicy Pecans with Fiery Sweet Tea Vodka.

Kaitlin stepped in to direct the processional when the friend of the couple's who was going to direct, suddenly had a family emergency and could not be there. Thanks, Kaitlin! You did a great job and everything went perfectly. At this point the groom's parents have entered and next up are the groom's grandfather and the groom's sister, Christina, who did a reading during the ceremony.

 

 

The couple's story went over so well and everyone had some good laughs. They gave me some good material to work with. Then the vows and rings followed.

Making their vows to each other....

 The pronouncement--the magic moment they became husband and wife. 

 
I can't remember what was so funny at that moment...just that they were so happy! 

 

"Friends and Family, it is my honor to present to you for the first time.....!"

Congratulations, Tracey and James! You are so well suitted to each other and I know you will have a happy and long-lasting marriage! I wish you all the best!

Danielle and David's Fabulous Wedding at The Carolina Club!

Last May I met Danielle and David while they were in town. They live in DC but were planning their wedding on August 4, 2012 at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill, since David went to UNC. I was taken with this delightful couple right away and we seemed to have the same ideas about the ceremony. They were excited about writing it themselves with my guidance and loved the sample ceremony I read to them to give them an idea of how unique and personal their wedding ceremony could be. So we got started on their ceremony right away.

When Marty and I arrived for the wedding, the reception room was all set up and looked gorgeous.  

Turns out that their florist, Bea Miller with Floral Dimensions, is a very good friend of David's mother, Vera. She did a beautiful job and it was good to work with her again.

They had a candy bar and a table for the guests to write notes to them and put in their guest book.

This gorgeous wedding cake was baked by the chef at the Carolina Club and matches their multi-colored theme.

Separated from the reception area by expandable walls (later folded up so the reception could expand into this area) was the area for the ceremony. 

Florian Music, a popular string ensemble, headed by Sherry Lattin on the left, provided the beautiful music for the ceremony.

Meanwhile our beautiful bride was hidden away in the conference room down the hall with her beautiful ladies enjoying a champagne toast and having pictures taken by Garry and Emily with Big Star Studios.

The staff of the Carolina Club,Tristen, center, our sound guy and Liz, right, Private Events Coordinator, coordinated and directed the festivities.  Thanks for all your guidance and help!

We delayed the start of the ceremony a few minutes as an unannounced last minute activity in the stadium next door to the Carolina Club made parking a challenge for our guests.  So, rather than starting and having the guests trickle in during the ceremony, we decided to delay about 10 minutes.

The guys are hanging out in the hall as the guests are being seated. David assembled his good friends of many years to stand up with him. His father, John-Henry, was telling me how they had all met and stuck together although their careers took them in many different directions. That is David's brother on the left manning his two cell phone cameras.

After the seating of the parents, David and I entered from the side followed by the handsome groomsmen. Then the bridesmaids walked down the aisle and took their places up front.

"Please stand in honor of our beautiful bride" Danielle's father, Terry, proudly escorted her in as Steve Stowe, our DJ for the reception, watches from the hall! Steve was so helpful getting my microphone plugged into the house system before the ceremony. The sound was absolutely perfect! Danielle's parents are both full Lumbee Indian and of course, so is Danielle.

I learned on Facebook a day after the wedding that Terry had instigated a special father-daughter dance for the reception for which he and Danielle practiced for a week so I copied that photo for the blog! Sorry I missed that!

 

Heart Stone Films videoed the wedding and I can't wait to see the video, especially the Father-Daughter  dance! 

Danielle and David included a sweet tribute to their parents and a reading by Danielle's cousin, Chasity. Then I shared their story with their guests. It included a lot of laughs. They met two years ago and no one was surprised that they met in a gym because they are both dedicated to being fit and healthy. They love working out together and participate in runs. In addition, they are both career-oriented and like to work hard. Danielle moved to DC when David's work took him there. She is following her dream and is in law school and he is a real estate developer. They are very well matched and so happy to finally officially be a family.   

After exchanging their vows and rings, I invited their mothers to come forward and pour wine into two separate wine glasses that represented the bride and the groom. Then the couple poured half of their individual wine into a larger wine glass indicating their coming together in marriage. They did not pour all the wine together symbolic of continuing to be individuals and still connected to their respective families. During the Wine Unity Ceremony, the string trio softly played Ave Maria.

Then it was time for the big pronouncement of marriage, the moment they officially become husband and wife.

 Sealed with a kiss....

 

Danielle and David, it was my pleasure and my honor to join you together in marriage. It was fun working with both of you to create your special ceremony. I know you both will go far in your careers and together in marriage. I wish you all the best life has to offer!