A Great Wedding for Melissa and Alex at The Museum of Natural Sciences!

Melissa and Alex are not your traditional American wedding couple! They are both highly intelligent and well-educated and definitely think outside the box. So, the usual wedding venues did not appeal. Perfect for them was the Nature Research Center in the Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.

I remember this museum under construction, especially the world globe. It is huge! 

Inside is the skeleton of a female Right whale named Stumpy and her story is told on the placards around the exhibit. She apparently was struck by a ship in 2004 and her body washed up on a beach I believe in the Alaska area where she died. She had been tagged so the scientists following her knew her history.  Her death also established a restricted speed limit for ships within her habitat. I have a degree in zoology so this was of great interest to me.

At the information desk I had the two witnesses sign the marriage license. 

Helping with the boutonnieres. 

Melissa and her flower girl Anna are hanging out in the classroom behind the museum store. This wedding was on June 23rd, 2018 at 6:30 after the museum had closed for the day.

Pinning the boutonniere on Alex. Silk flowers have metal stems so they can be a challenge to get the pin through. They did not have pins and the clips they had improvised with did not work. I always carry pins with me so we switched to Plan B.

The guests are beginning to arrive and hang out in the lobby of the museum. 

Rocky Top was our caterer--in fact they cater all the events at the Museum. The tables were all set up and after the ceremony the chairs will be moved into this reception area.

The tables are scattered around the exhibits. 

Yates Mill Bakery made this unique wedding cake. Both Melissa and Alex love projects, especially car projects thus the mechanic's tool box, lift, and tire!

The cake appears to be guarded by the Rottweiler in the life raft!  Actually the story of the whale included the information that they do use dogs to detect whales in trouble. I did not know that!

When the guests were all seated, we brought in the wedding party and parents to get lined up to process in. Kristen Stoneman with Morse Entertainment was our DJ.

And now we are all in place and the ceremony began. It was a heartfelt secular ceremony and very personalized to our bride and groom.

There was a sweet section where we recognized their parents and thanked them for all their love and support. 

After that I got to tell their story! They both grew up in New Jersey and were in the same high school where they met as volunteers for the stage crew in 2007. Alex was a senior and Melissa a freshman and they just "noticed" each other. Alex graduated and started college in Charlotte. They kept in touch and when Alex was home from school they visited and eventually started dating. When Melissa graduated she moved to Charlotte for college too and graduated. Then they moved to Raleigh where Melissa continued her education. And really, they've never been apart since despite the relationship changing to long distance when Melissa moved back to New Jersey to help care for her mother for a year. Her mother recovered and Melissa rejoined Alex in Raleigh. Alex proposed Christmas Day of 2016 and even though Melissa said no at first, she quickly changed her mind. After buying their first house and adding to their feline family they got around to planning this wedding and here we are today!

Alex reads his vows to Melissa from my book.

Then Melissa did the same. 

Alex placed the ring on Melissa finger and said a few lines after me. 

Melissa struggled just a little to get that ring all the way on Alex's finger! 

She did it of course with all her engineering and mechanical skills! 

A closing blessing followed then the pronouncement of marriage! 

Yay--the kiss! 

And away they go! 

Melissa and Alex! Great wedding! It was so YOU! Thanks for choosing me to officiate for you. I enjoyed working with you to write the perfect ceremony for you then delivering it on your wedding day! All the best!

Darcie and Willie Get Married at The Preston-Woodall House!

Darcie and Willie chose the historic Preston-Woodall House in Benson NC for their wedding venue. I have done many weddings there in the past 20 years. The staff is great and take really good care of their couples. The wedding took place on September 30, 2017.

 This cupid welcomes you in the foyer!

This beautiful cake was baked by Ashley Cakes and is in the Cora Lilly Ballroom where the receptions will take place.

Dragonfly Florist provided the centerpieces and the bouquets and boutonnieres.

Although added later, the Cora Lilly Ballroom is very spacious and elegantly decorated to fit the vintage of the house. 

I love the "key theme" because I also use a key as my logo. 

Every guests got a key which also identified their table.

Little jars of honey were the favors--so sweet!

This is the set up at the Queen Anne Pavilion for the ceremony. 

The sand is ready for the pouring!

Nick, the venue's event coordinator and wedding director, finishes putting out the yellow flower petals flanking the aisle. 

As the guests arrive, they signed the guest book and took a program. 

Getting off my feet to review the ceremony before we begin. Willie was the best man in the wedding of his friend Joey which I officiated. So he contacted me to officiate his and Darcie's wedding. And of course Joey was Willie's best man!

When the Queen Anne Pavilionwas built, the owners salvaged the roof of the original gazebo and incorporated it into this structure.

Marcus Ward with Morse Entertainment was our DJ and provided me with a microphone.

The groomsmen and I are waiting inside the ballroom for our cue to enter. 

The groomsmen and I entered first then Willie escorted his mother, Elizabeth, in then stepped up and joined us.

Here we go! 

Waiting for the bridesmaids to enter. 

Nick, is cueing Marcus and the wedding party.

Sophie is the last to enter before the bride.

Our beautiful bride is escorted by her father, John. 

Welcome to everyone followed by a prayer. 

I stepped out from behind the couple to pay tribute to their parents. 

Then I told the guests the story of how Darcie and Willie met. There was an instant attraction at a very chance meeting. It did not take them long to become a couple.

They exchanged their vows.

Then exchanged their rings. 

The pouring of their sand together. 

As part of the closing blessing I asked them to look around them at their loved ones who had come to honor them on their wedding day.

Pronounced married!

Sealed with a kiss! 

It was so good to see Sierra and Joey again! 

Willie and Darcie! Congratulations! Great wedding! Thank you for choosing me to officiate for you. I hope to see again at your other friends' weddings!