Michelle and Adam Get Married at Haywood Hall!

Last February I met Adam and Michelle to begin planning their ceremony for their wedding on October 19, 2013 at the historical Haywood Hall, a popular downtown Raleigh wedding venue and the oldest house in Raleigh. They chose to have their wedding in the garden area in front of the scuppernong arbor. The weather was rather iffy and overcast with rain threatening. They had vacillated back and forth about a tent but finally decided to take their chances and it all worked out! Their reception was nearby at the new Museum of Life Sciences. 

When Marty and I arrived the chairs were in place with pretty flowers decorating them. Our violinist, Craig, with Arioso Strings arrived about the same time and set up his place and a place for Ed, the guitarist, to join him. There was a race going on all around us and the traffic was definitely clogged due to barricaded streets but we managed to start on time! I got my sound system set up and did a sound check. Then Jim Colman, our photographer, arrived and we greeted each other. It had been a while since we had worked together so it was good to see Jim again.

The scuppernong arbor was bedecked with hanging flower balls and pretty petals underneath.

Ed arrived and he and Craig began warming up.

I sent the bride, her father, and the bridesmaids out the back door to circle around behind the gazebo while the groomsmen and I got lined up to make our entrance first. 

Our director, Betsy, got the mothers lined up with their escorts. Adam escorted his mother in and our groomsman Tom escorted the mother of the bride.

The groomsmen are holding flowers that will be part of a "circle of love" created around the couple during the ceremony before they make their vows. The table with candle is a memorial to Adam's father who has passed on from this earth but is dearly missed, especially on this day.

Our beautiful bridesmaids are ready to make their entrance.

Then our lovely little flower girl, Charlotte, and ring bearer, Chase, made their entrance. Charlotte was old enough to understand what she was to do and did a good job. Chase, age 3 1/2, didn't quite understand what he was to do and ended up kicking the ring pillow down the aisle and running crying to his mother, one of the bridesmaids. Adam's mom quickly retrieved him and he was fine for the rest of the ceremony! This is not uncommon!

Michelle and her father, Art, made their grand entrance next.

Michelle and Adam met when friends of theirs drug them to a joint gathering of two Carolina Hurricanes Fans Twitter groups (one in Raleigh, the other in Wilmington) back in April of 2011. They definitely noticed each other but it was when the two groups convened for another social gathering in Wilmington that they really connected and stayed up all night talking. By mistake Michelle gave Adam her father's phone number (one digit different than hers) and when he sent a text, her father texted back "and now you have my number too!" They started hanging out together a lot and soon became a couple and inseparable. Adam proposed at PF Chang's where they had earlier both confessed their love for each other. They told me that Adam's mother at that point started planning their wedding and they had a running joke that she would just tell them where and when to show up!

I had them each tell me in confidence what they love about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage. Then I tell them for the first time during the ceremony. It is a tender moment! About this time in the ceremony I felt raindrops and Michelle mouthed to me "it's raining." I walked over to my sound system and handed a nearby guest a plastic bag to cover it with and went right on with the ceremony. Thankfully the rain let up again quickly.

Notice the circle of flowers around our couple? These were flowers carried in by the mothers and wedding party. "These flowers represent not only a new beginning for our bride and groom, marking this spot in their lives, but also the love of each person who placed it.....Each flower is a show of support for our bride and groom as they become husband and wife as they begin this new, amazing and wonderful journey together." Then they exchanged vows and rings.

Oh happy day!!!

Cute! These two groomsmen pulled pink sunglasses from their pockets before recessing!

This young man came up to speak to me after the ceremony to tell me he had a good time. I had noticed him earlier taking pictures. His politeness and curiosity were refreshing!

Michelle and Adam, you two are a great match and I know you are going to create a wonderful life together. I wish you loads of love, happiness and contentment!

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Allyson and Jeff's Sweet Wedding at 12 Oaks Country Club

I so appreciate Jeff and Allyson's flexibility. We met on January 15th to plan their wedding for June 18, 2011 at 12 Oaks Country Club. They were really intrigued about creating their own ceremony and telling their story (a really good one) in the ceremony. Shortly after our meeting, I discovered that I had not synchronized my mobile calendar with my desk top calendar and  just a few days earlier had booked a wedding for that same day and same time. I phoned Jeff immediately and apologized for my error. They were very understanding and graciously decided to start their wedding earlier so I could still officiate for them. I thank them very much for their generosity. I was excited to see this new venue as well and I am not sure but this wedding may have been the first one at this beautiful site. 12 Oaks is a new subdivision in Holly Springs and I got to see the area at the rehearsal. There is a huge clubhouse and golf shop on the property along with spectacular homes. Jeff and Allyson had their ceremony at the elegant and well-appointed welcome center. It was the perfect setting for their wedding with about 45 guests.

The family unity sand ceremony and the necklaces they were giving to each other's daughter during the ceremony were ready.

The food was all set up and the bar stocked for the wonderful occasion.

 

The ceremony took place on the back porch and patio. All the chairs were set in place and the Basket Tree Florists had very tastefully decorated the altar area and both sets of stairs with greenery, flowers and ribbon. Marty and I set up my small sound system and Adam Pitts, the guitarist who was providing the ceremony music, set up his equipment also. He was located on the porch to the right. Jim Colman and his second shooter, Allison, had set up strobe lights on the porch also.

Our processional got a little out of order as the grandmother and mother of the bride took their seats before we got started. Jeff escorted his mother, Beulah, to her seat then stepped over to the foot of the steps to wait for Allyson.

We had many flower girls. They were so pretty in their poofy white dresses with baskets of yellow petals to scatter. Erin, Allyson's sister, and her father, Owen, urge this little girl to step forth. Children of this age may likely not understand what adults are asking them to do at a wedding. It is not often a child is all dressed up and asked to walk down an aisle flanked by so many "big" people and throw petals from a basket onto the ground!

These beautiful girls are Anna, Jeff's daughter, on the left, and Juliette, Allyson's daughter on the right. They were so excited that they were going to be sisters!

Owen proudly escorts Allyson down the aisle to Jeff while Jim Colman gets a good shot of them.

There was an awkward turned humorous time delay before Owen "handed over" Allyson to Jeff as the aisle was shorter than the music being played by Adam for the bride's entrance!

Ah, now we are in place and the ceremony has begun in earnest! Juliette is sticking close to Mom's side. She was not a bit afraid to get involved in the action!

Jeff had some sweet words to say to Juliette: “Juliette, I want you to know how much I love your mother and want you both to join Anna and me as a family.  We would like to give you and your mom the kind of family that you have never had the chance to enjoy. I know that I will never be your dad, but am so happy to embrace you as my daughter.  I hope to someday earn your love and that you will be happy to tell me and anyone who asks that you love me…"  Then he put one of the necklaces around her neck.

 

Allyson had these sweet words to say to Anna: “Anna, thank you for opening your heart to Juliette and me and sharing this incredible man you call Dad.  I hope you will embrace the love we have for you today and will accept us as family. As our families are forever joined today, my hope is you will not look at me as a stepmother, but rather as a friend, one more person in your life who will love you and support you through all of life’s journeys.” Then she put the necklace around her neck.

I stepped out to speak to the guests and started telling the terrific story of how Jeff and Allyson met and fell in love. It is really a good story. I was especially touched by Jeff's romantic nature and the fabulous proposal he pulled off. Everyone loved hearing about it.

Time for the vows and rings. They wrote their own vows to each other and read them from my book. 

 

Then it was time for the family unity sand ceremony as each of this new family of four poured their sand together.

The beautiful layers of colors of sand represent this family's individuality and their union.

Loved the kiss!

 

They circled around the house closely followed by Jim and Allison to the front steps for photos.

Allyson and Jeff, thank you for giving me the honor of officiating your wedding. It was wonderful and you were so considerate of my time on that day. I have no doubt whatsoever that you are a match made in heaven. Bless you!