Fabulous Interfaith Wedding Ceremony for Reshma and Darren at Maggiano's!

Reshma, Darren and I met last September to plan their wedding for October of 2011 at Maggiano's Little Italy in Southpoint Mall. Due to some health challenges in the family they decided to move their wedding up six months earlier than planned so we set a new wedding date for Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011. Fortunately Maggiano's was able to accommodate the change of date. So we got to work on their ceremony which was a lovely blending of Christian and Hindu wedding customs along with a sweet tribute to their parents and Reshma's daughter, Selena. We rehearsed on Saturday morning to make sure everyone understood their part. At the rehearsal I had the pleasure of meeting Reshma's parents, Babu and Meena. Babu, her father, and I chatted quite a bit. He earned his graduate degree from UNC in the 1970s and they now live outside Augusta, GA. He requested that I include in the prayer the significance of Easter Sunday to balance with the Hindu invocation of prayer to the Lord Ganesh, the God of Wisdom, which opens every auspicious Hindu occasion. 

When Marty and I arrived for the wedding, the reception area was all set for the celebration after the ceremony. Maggiano's has a nice large private room where I have also done several wedding ceremonies as it can be partitioned into two separate rooms. For Reshma and Darren's ceremony, however, we were using the round room with lots of windows to the left of the revolving door entrance.

Reshma was out of sight of the guests getting ready. Here she had not put on her veil. What a beautiful wedding gown!Thanks to Carolyn Scott, our photographer, for sending me these shots and more!

The color for the wedding was a true red and this lovely cake certainly fits right into the color scheme. I believe that the chef of Maggiano's is responsible for this beautiful cake. Reshma, correct me if I am wrong.

Maggiano's was open for business on Easter Sunday and so the wedding guests were mingled with the restaurant guests waiting in the lounge area to be seated and it was hard for me to tell who was a wedding guest and who was a customer waiting to be seated in the dining room! But, we got all the guests seated and started the processional. The first person escorted in was Darren's mother, Kay, escorted in by Darren's brother.

 Above is Reshma's beautiful mother, Meena, escorted in by her son, Sheel.

Reshma asked that I wear red as well and I was most happy to don the red dress I wear for weddings because I don't get to wear it that often, mainly at Christmas! Darren and I prepare to make our entrance followed by his best man, Ben.

This pretty little girl is Selena, the 10 year old daughter of the bride. She was so excited for this wedding and her enthusiasm showed as she walked in sprinkling petals.

Then Teresa, the Matron of Honor, entered. She was supposed to come in before Selena but somehow Selena got ahead of her. It was fine, no big deal!

Here comes the bride escorted in by her father, Babu, and her brother, Sheel. She sure got the attention of the customers waiting in the lounge area! I found out on Facebook that behind the scenes, Denise Hutter of Images by Denise had been doing hair and makeup for Reshma, Selena, Teresa and Meena.

You can see a little of what this room looks like from here. All the guests were standing for the entrance of our beautiful bride. When I arrived, there was a red velvet runner down the aisle but we had to remove it because the doors would not clear it and it would have been a tripping hazard during the ceremony as the bride and groom circled  the fire in the Hindu custom. When I told Reshma after the ceremony, she had not even noticed the absence of the aisle runner!

Our photographer, Carolyn Scott, kneels in the aisle to get some great shots of the bride and groom and wedding party as we begin this wonderful ceremony. She sent me some great photos that I have added to this post. Thanks, Carolyn! This is the first ceremony that we have worked together.

Reshma and Darren were so ready to get married! Their love for each other was evident as they gazed at each other. Reshma had been married before then widowed. I know Darren is so happy that he held out on matrimony until Reshma came into his life.

After the welcome, we had a Christian prayer which included the significance of Easter (everlasting life) and then Reshma's father was to give two Hindu prayers. He told me at the rehearsal that he and Selena were going to surprise Reshma at that point by Selena giving one of the prayers. And she did a great job. Babu, on the other hand, got a bit choked up at that point and Sheel stood up to help him but he recovered and came through. It was such a touching moment!

After remembering loved ones who have passed on, including Darren's father and brother, we had a tribute to Reshma's parents, Darren's mother, and to Selena. 

Then it was time to pour the sand in the Family Unity Sand Ceremony.The couple's story of how they met and fell in love came next. Everyone enjoyed hearing the sweet moments and the humorous moments of their courtship--including their rival football teams, the Steelers for Reshma and the Cowboys for Darren!

In the Christian tradition, we had the lighting of the Unity Candle. These flames then served as the sacred fire of Phere. The Hindu wedding custom of Mangal Phera is for the couple to  walk around the fire four times. At each round, Sheel offered the couple ceremonial rice and rose petals as a gift which they accepted then made the next round.

The first three rounds the bride leads the groom signifying that the bride would be free to take the lead in matters of everyday life.

 

Darren had to be careful not to step on the bride's train that trailed after her on the three rounds! 

The groom leads the bride for the fourth round signifying that it would be the groom who would lead her through life. Each round had a significance: Dharma, Artha, Karma, and Moksha for which I read the meaning as they made their rounds.

The next tradition was called Saptapati. As the bride and groom walk around the fire taking seven steps, they make certain promises to each other at each step which they repeated after me.

Here Darren is placing the Mangalsutra, a ceremonial wedding necklace, around Reshma's neck. This Hindu custom is the counterpart to the Western tradition of wedding rings.

Now they exchanged rings and repeated their vows to each other after me, line by line.

Finally we come to the closing blessing and the proclamation of marriage!

The KISS!  (Darren remembered that at the rehearsal I told him to be sure and put his hands under the veil rather than on top or he would dislodge it or yank her head backwards!)

Look at that big smile Darren is wearing! I know Reshma was so thrilled. And Selena was ecstatic to have a new daddy! She and Darren have bonded like two peas in a pod!

 

After Marty and I retrieved my microphone and receiver from our DJ Tim Hazell of TJDJ Music, and my little table which held the rice, petals and necklace, we went outside for photos. I snagged Teresa and got her signature for the marriage license. I had already gotten Ben's signature just before we started the ceremony.

 

 Reshma had already stepped out of her pretty red high heels and Teresa was pinning up the train.

 

There was a refreshing breeze as you can see and we were all so thrilled that the ceremony had gone so perfectly. Darren and Reshma, I know you know how fortunate you are to have found one another and I know you are going to have a wonderful marriage and provide a wonderful model of a healthy relationship and nurturing home for Selena! Congratulations!

Professional Wedding Guild meets at Washington-Duke Inn!

On Wednesday, June 30, 2010, about 75 local wedding professionals gathered at the prestigious and elegant Washington-Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham NC for our monthly networking event of the Professional Wedding Guild (PWG) sponsored by Gail Galloway of the Perfect Wedding Guide. These luncheons are so much fun and I love mingling with people in the wedding industry when we are not working at a wedding and can get to chat and know each other better. I have been attending these events for years and have gotten to know so many great people to refer wedding couples to for their services. Each month we meet at a different venue. I knew this month's attendance would be greater than usual because of the venue. So, I brought my camera because I knew I wanted to put this on the blog.

Here's Gail Galloway, our sponsor. Pretty in pink this month! Gail and her staff put on these luncheons in the Triangle and in the Triad. There is no membership fee nor do you have to join any club or association. Just pre-register and pay $20 at the door will get you lunch and the opportunity to meet and mingle with others in the wedding industry. Thanks, Gail! She also publishes the wedding magazine Perfect Wedding Guide, a great resource of vendors in the area.

Diane Tighe of the Washington-Duke Inn and Sally Oakley Herring with An Elegant Affair wedding and event planning pose for my camera. I love working with both of these great women. I discovered at the luncheon that Diane and I have both been doing weddings for 11 years. We must have gotten started at the same time. Diane helps couples create the most unique wedding settings and entrances. I distinctly remember 3 weddings in which Diane choreographed the entrance of the wedding party for weddings in which the guests sat in a circle around the couple. So different and so elegant. Sally and I just finished up a wonderful wedding together in May at Duke Gardens. It was so much fun working with Sally. We have another one coming up together at the Carolina Inn in October. Thanks for sending these couples my way, Sally.

This is Gina McLean who is photographing this event for Gail. Gina is a wedding photographer I have loved working with for several years now. Note that most photographers are not used to having their picture taken! She is looking a bit uneasy and suspicious of me here! Gina brought her father with her to the luncheon. He is a retired professor from the University of Texas who now lives here in NC near Gina.

Speaking of photographers, here are Kevin Seifert and Jerry Dillard, both wedding photographers. They have covered other PWG luncheons too. The photos are posted on the PWG website. They did not notice me taking their photo from a distance!

Smile, Julius! Julius Carrasco is an amazing classical and Flamenco guitarist! He and I have done several weddings together and I highly recommend him. You can listen to his music here and you can view weddings we did together on this blog. I invited him to attend this luncheon and he told me he really enjoyed it. He also won a door prize! The cupcakes next to him were baked by the esteemed cake baker, Donna Moore, of Sweet Memories Bakery for this event.

And here she is, Donna Moore, who owns and operates Sweet Memories Bakery. I see her cakes at weddings more than any other cake baker and they are beautiful and each unique to the couple.

Look at this table full of sweet goodies Donna made for us. There were not only different flavors of cupcakes but also little containers of mousse and pudding with cake. Delicious! Thanks, Donna!

It was good to chat with Angie Wright of Chic Details, wedding and event planner.  We have done many weddings together. Angie is always such fun to work with and creates a beautiful wedding. Notice in her hand is the first course of our meal. We all went to a salad bar station and had a salad built in a martini glass. So delicious. There were several wedding planners present. Joy Edwards of A Joyful Occasion was there and we chatted a bit but I did not get her photo.

Diane is talking to Michelle Castro of Maggiano's Little Italy, Italian restaurant in Southpoint Mall. I have done several weddings at Maggiano's and it is a great place for a smaller wedding. Michelle and her staff are so accommodating.

So, we all sat down and enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by the Washington-Duke Inn's executive chef Jason Cunningham. The appetizer was chilled tomato soup with avocado sorbet. The entree was spinach and walnut ravioli with basil ricotta, Heirloom cherry tomatoes, chilled sweet corn and citrus herb butter.  Then we indulged in the sweets provided by Donna. When we finished the meal, Diane Tighe and Beth Pendergrass, also with the Washington-Duke Inn, presented our program which was about the impression we leave with our clients and others involved in our events. Great presentation. One of the slides was captioned: "Some days you are the bug and some days you are the windshield!"

The beautiful tablecloths and linens were provided by CE Rental. Some of the table cloths were covered with sequins and others were covered by raised fabric in the shape of roses. Beautiful!  The beautiful floral arrangements were provided by Floral Dimensions. Sotren.net Video Production was doing a video of the event and will be on the PWG website. Bartending Unlimited, Treasured Connections and the Washington-Duke Inn provided door prizes.

Melissa and Corey Wed at Maggiano's!

Melissa and Corey came to see me and my wedding garden on February 6th and decided they wanted to get married there on April 3, 2010. Later, they decided to change the venue to Maggiano's in Southpoint Mall in Durham because they had more guests than my wedding garden could accommodate. So, on the morning of April 3rd, Marty I arrived at Maggiano's for the wedding.

 

Melissa looks gorgeous and her handsome escort is her son, Jackson.

I am embarrassed that I did not recognize Corey--at first. Must be because he looked so handsome all dressed up to get married. See the grin starting on his face? He was so happy to be marrying Melissa!

 I believe he is trying to get the ring on Melissa's finger here as Jackson is looking on. You can see the bottles of sand behind me. After the vows and rings, Melissa, Corey and Jackson poured their sand together as a symbol of family unity. They also presented Jackson with a special ring to commemorate the occasion.

"Jumping the broom is an ancient wedding ritual honoring and showing respect for your ancestors, their legacy, and your rich heritage from the African-American tradition.  This tradition is threefold: it is a leap of faith in each other that you take together; it is the overcoming of obstacles that you will face together throughout their lives; it is the cleansing of the spirit, both as individuals and as a united couple. Melissa and Corey will now signify their entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically “sweeping away” their former single lives, former problems and concerns, and stepping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as husband and wife."  

Married at last. Since I did not see Corey before the ceremony, I did not get a chance to pin his boutonniere on but  I  got it on him before the posed photos.

What a handsome family Melissa, Corey and Jackson make! They are also loving and incredibly thoughtful individuals. It was my honor to officiate for them. I wish you all the happiness in the world!!

Many thanks to Emily Slaughterbeck of Maggiano's Little Italy for all her help in putting this wedding together. Maggiano's is a great place for weddings--small up to almost 100 people in their private rooms which can be sectioned off. I also thank Kelly of Kelly Martin Photography for her talent in photographing the wedding and not minding Marty taking photos with my camera for this blog. The wedding cake was spectacular and was baked by a friend of theirs, Yelena Volchansky, who is just starting up her wedding cake business. 

Fabulous Wedding for Nancy and Steve at Maggiano's!

I knew when I met Nancy and Steve that theirs would be a very special wedding. They have both been married before and have grown children. They were not expecting to meet anyone who would be so perfectly matched for them. But then Steve's brother, Ron, (now dubbed "St. Ron") arranged for them to meet each other and the rest is, as we say, history! Both Steve and Nancy wanted a fun evening with their friends with the wedding ceremony thrown in. They picked Maggiano's Little Italy in Southpoint Mall, Durham, not only because it is one of their favorite restaurants but because it was the perfect atmosphere for their wedding celebration. Steve is in the wine industry and he wanted to pick special wines for the evening and the food there is wonderful anyway!

After our meeting, I sent Nancy and Steve a proposed ceremony based on what they told me they wanted. They really wanted to emphasize their friends and family members and so they added a tribute to just about everyone there. Some were hilarious and others were tear-jerkers. I was looking forward to delivering this ceremony so much and it was such a pleasure on their wedding day.

The couple arrived together and most of the guests were already mingling around in the private dining room. Can you see the individual bottles of wine at each place setting?

Here we are discussing where we will stand for the ceremony and Nancy is pointing out people to me who are named in the ceremony.

Nancy's dress was stunning. The back of it was encrusted with Swarovski's crystals.

Nancy and her sister, Dori.

Now it is time for the ceremony. The DJ put on Canon in D and folks started gathering around. There were mirrors everywhere and this one liked to reflect the flash on my camera. (I am grateful that I can post these photos that would be unacceptable to a professional photographer!) Their wedding had many funny moments and parts of it were akin to a "roast" in good fun. Nancy is a "horse" person and her beloved horse is Pablo. One of the lines in the ceremony reads: "If Pablo was here, we would thank him too, but Nancy could not figure out how to get him through the revolving front door outside of Maggiano’s." I loved it and so did their guests. I doubt they will ever forget it.

And finally the big pronouncement of marriage. The deed is done!

Their first dance as husband and wife.

Are we happy or what! Nancy and Steve, I will never forget you and your wonderful wedding. Thanks so much for making me a special part of your special day. Congratulations!

This is Emily Slaughterbeck of Maggiano's that I am speaking with. She was in charge that evening and fabulous to work with. She took care of all the details and even sent Marty and me home with generous helpings of Maggiano's very delicious lasagna. Thanks, Emily! Thanks too to Michelle Castro of Maggiano's for making all the arrangements with Steve and Nancy to make this possible.

What an exquisite wedding cake! It is by Blue Moon Bakery.

Our super DJ was Frank Meldau of Joe Bunn DJ Company. Thanks for plugging my mic into your system and taking control of the sound, Frank!

Our photographer was Heather Swanner. Good to work with you again, Heather! Send me some photos!