Melissa and Terri Tie the Knot in The Portofino Horse Barn!

April 9th, 2016 was a beautiful sunny day but the wind was so strong that Melissa and Terri wisely chose to move their outdoor wedding from the piazza into the beautiful immaculate horse barn at Portofino in Clayton. I loved working with Melissa and Terri. They have been together many years and are a perfect match for each other. They recently located to North Carolina to be close to family and because Terri has a passion for horses they chose the beautiful estate of Portofino which started as a horse farm to begin their new life and to get married there. 

They did a First Look with their esteemed photographer Jason Martin of Veritas Photography. This is a view from halfway down the corridor towards the ceremony area. Cleanest horse barn I have ever seen (or smelled!). All the horses had been moved into the pasture except Terri's horse, Rebel.

Terri checks in on Rebel who seemed inordinately excited!

He has been decked out with flowers interwoven into his mane and tail and senses something special is going on. His name is "Rebel Enough!"

Jason puts down his camera to tie Terri's errant shoelace. 

The amused Melissa watches!

The brides had matching tennis shoes to which they had affixed strips of bling which gradually fell off the shoes leaving bits of bling behind as they walked!

They are so happy on this day. They chose their dresses separately and make such beautiful brides. 

This is the only photo I have of me with the brides because Dave, my husband/photographer, thought we would get more after the wedding. Not so!

A great picture of Melissa and Terri with the Portofino staff. Sandra, right, is the owner and creator of Portofino--an amazing estate of beautiful homes, spectacular grounds, and of course the horse barn. It all started with a horse farm!

The upstairs of the barn has a gorgeous villa for guests. Melissa and Terri stayed there the night before and after their wedding. The wedding party all gathered there before the ceremony as the guest arrived.

 Waiting! So much time at weddings is spent waiting! 

The two beautiful bouquets are by MEWS Floral Design. 

Getting the witnesses' signatures on the marriage license ahead of time. Greg is Melissa's brother and Heather is Terri's sister. Greg escorted Melissa in and Heather was our Maid of Honor.

They are so ready for this! 

Jim Unger with Ninety-Nine Entertainment is our wonderful DJ. Jim really knows what he is doing and everything went smooth as ice! It is always good to work with Jim again.

The upstairs apartment has a Juliet balcony overlooking the barn. This is a photo of the ceremony site as the guests are being seated. The white runner has been firmly affixed to the rubber tiles--Yay!

Back downstairs it looks like the guests have arrived, and we are ready to get the processional underway!

So we got all lined up in the office. Sally, Terri's mother, is ushered in by Chris and Justin and Terri's stepfather, John, followed.

Then it was time for the wedding party as I led them down the aisle. 

Tammy enters. 

Then Heather....

Melissa with Greg, her brother, and her mother, Kathleen, are ready to go! 

The guests are standing in honor of our two brides! 

And now Terri and her father, Tom, begin their walk. 

There they go! 

And so we began the ceremony which the brides and I had collaborated on to make it truly theirs. They have a wonderful sense of humor and the ceremony reflected that, generating sweet laughter during the ceremony. 

I introduced Heather's reading and as I did so, Rebel let out a loud neigh as if he wanted to do the reading! Perfect timing, Rebel!

After telling the story of how Melissa and Terri met and fell in love and all their many adventures together, followed by what they love most about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage, they made their vows to each other and exchanged rings. 

 The moment their marriage became legal!

 Sealed with a kiss--their first as a married couple!

The horse and carriage awaited them to carry them over to the clubhouse for the reception! 

And away they go! Veils whipping in the wind! 

Around the side of the lake with the photographers running behind them getting some great photos I am sure. 

"JUST MARRIED!" Melissa and Terri, what a fabulous wedding you created and carried out. It could not have been any better. I loved working with the two of you. Congratulations on your marriage and best wishes for the two of you as you begin the same journey you have been on for years, now sealed, signed and delivered!

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Pretty Pink Wedding for Susan and John at Ayr Mount!

Susan and John have been sweethearts for many years but only recently have they both lived in the same state. So, it was time to get married and they chose the lovely Ayr Mount historic estate in Hillsborough for their wedding venue--the ceremony at the front of the house with the reception in a large tent in the back where the vista is simply breathtaking. We met in January to plan the ceremony. They wanted to be sure and include Susan's 16 year old daughter, Autumn. They loved the poem "All I Want Is to Love You" by Tracy Donovan, and the words of “When a Man and a Woman are in Love” by an unknown author, and the Family Unity Sand Ceremony. So we put all that together in a ceremony and from answers to questions they gave me, I created words for the wedding address about their love for each other. So the wedding day, Saturday June 23, 2012, arrived. It had been raining for several days before and scattered showers were possible so whether we could do it outside in the front or not was iffy. There was a cloud cover when Dave and I arrived to set up. (My assistant Marty is on vacation and so my husband Dave got drafted!) 

As the morning wore on, the clouds separated and the sun began to peek out so I removed the protective plastic cover from my sound system. Bea Miller with Floral Dimensions was on site to place the pedestals with the gorgeous sprays of flowers at the altar area, sprinkle the floral petals down the brick walkway and tie ribbons and roses onto the aisle chairs. She discovered when she arrived that chairs had been delivered to the site but had not been set up. Her crew chipped in and we began to set up the chairs. I like the angled configuration and so we did it that way. It looked very pretty. Then the white carpet aisle runners were placed. (Yay, carpet runners, the only ones that really work, especially on brick or concrete surfaces!)

Bea's staff brought around a table and table cloth to use for the sand ceremony and by that time John, the groom, had appeared and diligently got that all important marriage license into my hands first thing, then went to get the sand ceremony set up so that I could uncover and arrange the containers on the table . 

The sand was in their pretty colors of lipstick pink, soft pink and purple--a beautiful combination! 

And this is the finished product. The first layer was white sand which I poured representing God, The Source, and the foundation for the marriage, then John and Susan and Autumn poured in layers, then I poured more white sand on top as the overarching energy of God's love that is a blessing to this family every day. The inscription says "Always Remember our Family" and the date.

This stunning cake by Cinda's Creative Cakes was around back in the reception tent. Cinda's cakes are always a work of art! 

This is what was going on under the big tent. It is set in a huge meadow with an unbelievable vista that just goes on and on--see below.

Between Bea Miller (R) with Floral Dimensions furnishing the floral decorations and the caterer, Joel, with Hillsborough BBQ Company, the reception was all coming together.

A close-up of one of the gorgeous sprays of flowers that flanked the altar area for the ceremony.

An exceptionally talented musician, Anita Burroughs-Price, was our harpist. She was filling in for another harpist who at the last minute could not make it to the wedding. Thanks, Anita, your music was heavenly, as usual, and your exquisite gold harp! 

 

Right on time our horse drawn carriage from Bull City Carriages arrived bringing the Bride, Maid of Honor and Bride's daughter who was not only a bridesmaid but her mother's escort as well.

The first to process down the aisle were Susan's mother, Mary, and stepfather, Bud. 

Awaiting our bride! 

The two lovely ladies making their entrance! Our photographer, Natasha, second shooter for Prevoir Photography is in the background. 

And so we begin.....

I am telling Autumn how important she is to Susan and John. I asked her "Autumn, do you accept John as your mother's husband? Do you promise to d what you can to promote family love and harmony? Do you promise to speak the truth in love to everyone in this family and to hold your best wishes for each family member in your heart? Then I asked John "John, do you accept Autumn as your wife's child thereby making her a very important loved one in your new family? Do you promise to nurture her, protect her, counsel her and hold her in respect as if she were your own flesh and blood?" And of course they both responded "I do." Then John presented Autumn with a very beautiful necklace which he nimbly fastened as I watched in amazement because the clasp was quite tiny!

I shared with the guests what Susan and John love about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage which flowed into their personal vows to each other and the exchange of rings.

The pouring together of the sand. On the right is Erin, the owner of Prevoir Photography. 

The pronouncement of marriage! 

The kiss, of course! 

As I introduced them to their guests, John pulled Autumn over into the center and out they went!

Happy Family! 

Family Hug!

Susan and John, I am so very happy for you and Autumn! The wedding was fabulous and the weather cooperated divinely! What a lovely wedding day and I congratulate you and wish you all the best ever!