Brooke and Brian's Dream Wedding!

Brooke and Brian are so well-matched. And, they met the old fashioned way, just a chance encounter in 2009 when the company Brooke worked for bought the apartment complex Brian lived in. They were instantly attracted to each other but it took a while for them to start dating. Once they discovered how much they had in common, they knew this was it!

One of their favorite places in Raleigh is Babylon, a fairly new restaurant carved into an old historic building right downtown where Capital Blvd splits into Dawson and McDowell. The architecture is amazing and I can see why Brooke and Brian are attracted to it. Babylon serves authentic Moroccan cuisine and the courtyard with a large water feature really called to Brooke and Brian--she with a degree in design and he with a degree in architecture--for their wedding venue. And so it was on March 31, 2012 that we all gathered to get these two people married!

Brooke and Brian were referred to me by Phillip Jefferson, himself an architect, and also an oboist whom I had come to know from weddings. When he and Greg Dixon on keyboard team up to do the music for a wedding ceremony, it is really something special. It is not often  you hear an oboe at a wedding and the sound is simply magical. It was really fitting for this dream wedding. Thank you, Phillip!

Inside the restaurant getting ready for the ceremony to begin. Brooke's dress was spectacular as you will see in more photos. 

Time for Brian and me to walk around the fountain and take our places.

Our ring bearer and flower girl are nephew and niece of Brooke, Fisher and Molly, Brooke's brother AJ's children. They were adorable and Molly's dress is a miniature of Brooke's wedding gown.

Our guests were seated around the fountain. There was no center aisle and so we processed in around the fountain which is really more like a pool. Our honorary wedding director was a friend of Brooke's, Courtney, and she did a fabulous job! Thanks, Courtney!

Here comes the bride!  

 Her dress is a beautiful blush pink and so fluffy with many layers of soft colors of tulle.

 Their parents had a front row seat right in front of the fountain. Grandparents were on either side.

The lanterns on the walls of the fountain were lit in honor of their loved ones who could not be there.

 

 

 Everyone is having a good laugh hearing their story and what they love about each other! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtney Navey of Always Autumn Studios was doing the photography. Here you see his second shooter on the left. After the ceremony the guests were invited to go to Seven where the reception was held. The wedding party and close relatives hung back for photos.

Fisher and Molly did so well at the wedding. They made it all the way around the fountain and behaved themselves during the ceremony! I think they are making the trip around the fountain again!

Brian and Brooke, you are one amazing couple. Your wedding planning paid off well and the rain went away so you could have the wedding you dreamed of. It was delightful working with you and I wish you the very best life can bring you!

The Cotton Room Hosts the Fabulous Wedding of Megan and Ben!

Megan and I started emailing last January about her wedding on October 30, 2010. She originally planned to have the ceremony in a church or chapel but the times did not work out so she decided to have the ceremony at The Cotton Room in Durham where the reception was going to be. When that decision was made she mailed the contract to me and the wedding and rehearsal were reserved on my calendar. Megan and Ben live in Atlanta and so I did not meet them in person until February when they were in town visiting her parents in Cary and checking out other vendors.

This is the historic Golden Belt textile manufacturing plant in which The Cotton Room is located. The old building has recently been renovated and The Cotton Room is owned by Michelle Aldred with Triangle Catering (located downstairs in the building). Michelle, who has been in the catering business for many years, jumped at the chance to have her own venue. She has created a wonderful space for weddings and other events. It is truly stunning! The Cotton Room opened a year ago this month. This was my first time to do a wedding here and I was so thrilled to have this opportunity.

The center portion of the huge space is cordoned off by wispy billowing sheets of sheer curtains to create the space for the ceremony. They were hanging the beautiful chandeliers for this event when we were there for the rehearsal.

 Tre Bella was the florist for this wedding and this is the altar area where the wedding party and I will stand during the ceremony.

Behind the curtains on both sides were the long tables ready to be moved into the center space after the ceremony for the reception. Megan and Ben chose black, white with apple green for their color scheme. It was striking!

Also striking was the fabulous music created by two of my very favorite musicians, Gregory Dixon on keyboard and Philip Jefferson on oboe. Megan and Ben hired them on my glowing recommendation.  I got to hear them play longer than usual at this wedding because the shuttle picking up guests at the hotel was 20 minutes late and so we waited and enjoyed more music. The combination of piano and oboe is simply magical music.

This beautiful wedding cake was provided by Cinda's Creative Cakes. Another masterpiece, Cinda!

Kent Bloms with Joe Bunn DJ Company was our DJ. He furnished the amplification for me and the reader for the ceremony and then provided the reception music. I know they had a great time after Marty and I left!

When the shuttle finally arrived, we started. The grandparents and parents were escorted in, then Ben, his best man, James, and I entered from behind the curtains at the altar area. Then the bridesmaids processed in. Here we are all waiting for the bride and her father to enter as the music changed.

Megan was escorted down the long elegant aisle by her father, David. It was such a grand moment! You can see one of our photographers on the left alongside the musicians. Our photographer was Nicole Faby.

And so we began. Ben and Megan and I together created a warm welcoming ceremony sprinkled with humor and their story of meeting as students at Ohio University. Ben grew up in Ohio. All his family and all his groomsmen traveled to NC for the wedding. His grandparents, mother and stepfather are in the foreground here.

Megan's cousin, Laurin, presented a reading during the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

And they are married! What a wonderful wedding, Megan and Ben. I know everyone loved the beautiful ceremony and the great location. The guests were invited to go downstairs to the LabourLove Art Gallery for cocktails while the event hall was transformed into the reception area and dance floor. In the meantime, the couple and wedding party and family took some photos.

All your hard work and planning really paid off, Megan and Ben.What a fabulous wedding. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy! 

Wow, this is what I missed at the reception...just posted earlier on Facebook by Nicole Faby, the photographer! They are really "getting down" to Shout! What fun!  That is Joe Bunn in the foreground with brown pants! I can barely see Megan's white dress and I recognize Judy, Ben's mother, in the green strapless dress!

Shelley and Paul's Fabulous Wedding at Historic Haywood Hall!

When Marty and I arrived at Haywood Hall on September 25, 2010 for Shelley and Paul's wedding, we knew this was going to be a fun wedding! They had beautiful florals, a wonderful cake, three bands lined up for the reception, and two of my favorite musicians for the ceremony. The one downside was that their photographer never showed up. But, their videographer, David Goodwin, stepped right in with his still camera and covered the wedding while his assistant handled the video. (This is going to be a lengthy blog post because I asked Marty to shoot a lot of photos that I will send to the couple.)

After I got my sound system set up and did a sound check, Marty and I went into the garden area where the groom and groomsmen were hanging out and hanging loose! Men in Black!! Agent Smith??

The flowers were amazing and the color scheme very distinctive. Shelley told me that she told the florist to be creative and they were.

Look at the hanging votives and the rosebuds swinging upside down like little lamps from a spray of twigs.

Some of the tables were under the large tent and some were out in the garden. The bands were setting up and the florist putting the final touches on things.

The bride's bouquet was one of the prettiest and most unusual ones I have ever seen. Shelley told them she wanted feathers in all the bouquets and she got them! 

The cake was in the gazebo to begin with but eventually got moved inside the house due to the heat and humidity.

Photo of the engaged couple on display.

For the ceremony we had oboe and piano music. A winning combination and one of my very favorites for weddings because it is so unusual. Paul is a musician and he really appreciated that. He also has a band so he had all the right connections.

It is almost time to begin the ceremony. Reta, one of our wedding directors, was checking the time line. Reta and Meredith are great to work with and make my job so much easier!

The guys and I were lined up to the side of the house while the parents were ushered in. Down on the sidewalk in the front of the house, Meredith had the groomsmen and bridesmaids all lined up to go in.

The guests are standing and we are awaiting the entrance of the beautiful bride and her father.

Those high steps are not easy with a long full dress, high heels and carrying a bouquet!

And so we begin. Paul's father was an "honorary best man" standing with him until time for the Parents' Blessing when he sat with his wife from that point on.

Isn't that dress gorgeous? What a handsome couple! 

What is Paul looking at? I missed that one! 

Look at that look they sneaked during the pronouncement. 

After the wedding the wedding party walked the one block to the Capital for photos. After packing up the sound system and bidding farewell to the musicians and Reta and Meredith, we caught up with them for a few pictures. Paul and Shelley, you are a great couple and so much fun to work with . You planned a super wedding and I know you had fun! I wish you love, joy and peace for a lifetime!

I had to show you this exquisite ring. Paul had to save up for this one, as the story in the ceremony revealed. But, as he said, Shelley was really worth it! 

Our Vendors for this wedding:

Wedding Planners: Reta and Meredith Kohari (mother and daughter team) with French 75 Events.  Ladies, it is always a pleasure to work with you. I know I can count on your professionalism and covering every detail! 

Venue:  Historic Haywood Hall is owned by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America. I have been doing weddings here for almost 12 years! A great venue with front walk, garden and gazebo.

Videographer and Photographer to the rescue: David Goodwin. Man, you saved the day!

Musicians: Phillip Jefferson, oboe, and Gregory Dixon, keyboard played for the ceremony. For the reception the line up was: Tim Smith Jazz Quartet, Rye Mountain Boys, and then Hobex.

Flowers: Distinctive Designs of Wake Forest did fabulous florals for this wedding!

Wedding Cake: Lorie at Simply Cakes did a great job on their cake.

Caterer:  Famous local caterer is Barbara Boney Caters. Always wonderful!