Ronda and Mark Get Married at Raleigh Country Club!

The wedding of Ronda and Mark is really special for me. Ronda and I used to work together many years ago, she moved on to a new job, and we had lost touch. So, when she called to tell me she was getting married and wanted me to officiate, I was simply thrilled! I was anxious to meet her fiance, Mark, and her children from a previous marriage, Jonathan and Julia. We met on March 15th to plan their wedding for May 20, 2012. It was short notice and I was so happy I was available. Mark agreed for me to officiate and said he "liked my style!" They were not planning a very big wedding and they wanted the children in it. They chose Raleigh Country Club, a great venue. I love doing weddings with Bonnie Miller there. She and her staff take really good care of their brides and grooms.

It was a beautiful day that Sunday. The temperature was perfect but it was a bit windy.

View of the back of the club from the ceremony site on the green. 

 

This cake was baked by Not Just Cakes and the flowers provided by Ronda's mother who did the floral decorations.

Bruce Stevenson provided the ceremony music. The photographer for the wedding was Teri Lyn out of Charlotte who was contracted to provide her services by David's Bridal. 

 When the bride's parents were seated, the guys and I entered. 

 

Julia, daughter of the bride, entered next as our flower girl. 

Jonathan escorts his beautiful mother down the aisle! 

Such a pretty vista and backdrop for a wedding. Notice the clock on the tower says 2:00. We started right on time and the clock reflects that we accomplished what we were going for -- a 20 minute ceremony.

 

Mark gave Julia a necklace to commemorate the special occasion and said some really sweet words to her. I was impressed that he flawlessly opened the tiny clasp on the first try and got the necklace on without fumbling!

Then it was Jonathan's turn. Mark said some touching words to him and gave him a watch.

 

Then I told everyone how Ronda and Mark had first met at work back in 2002, were definitely taken with each other, but neither was ready for a relationship. Ronda told me that she also fell for Mark's dog, Mulligan, and often dog-sat for him, which gave them an excuse to keep in touch outside the office. It was not until several years later that Mark approached Ronda agan. They were both amazed that their original feelings were still there. This time they were both ready and soon became a couple.  Last June, Mark proposed at work with two dozen roses and had Ronda's mother and her children there. What a romantic!

 Wrong hand, Ronda!!

 

Now for the family unity sand pouring where Mark and Ronda poured 1/2 of their sand in separately making 2 layers, then Julia and Jonathan poured theirs in making 4 layers. The fifth layer was the blending of Mark and Ronda's sand symbolizing the union of this family who are so fortunate to have found each other and are so happy to officially be joined together.

 Pronouncement and kiss! (Look at the clock. We are right at 20 minutes!) 

 I introduced them as a family and they all 4 hugged before recessing out.

 Stepping out into their new life and their honeymoon to Cancun.

Bonnie and I congratulating each other on a great wedding well done! Thanks, Bonnie!

Relaxing in the board room before going out to take some photos. Everyone is glad the ceremony went so well and is behind them. It is time to celebrate!

Ronda and Mark, I could tell that the two of you simply adore each other. I know you are so happy together and Julia and Jonathan are two very lucky kids with you for parents. Thank you for choosing me to officiate for you; it was my honor! Let's not lose touch again! 

Paula and Tim Wed at Raleigh Country Club!

Paula and Tim met with me last April about officiating their wedding set for October 22, 2011 at the lovely Raleigh Country Club. They had met back in 2007 through a professional dating service that set them up for a lunch date. The match was truly amazing. Their lunch date lasted 4 hours because they were so comfortable with each other and conversation was natural and easy. Tim told me that he had been looking for the perfect woman for him for 22 years and was thrilled to have found her at last! Paula was delighted to find a man who was emotionally supportive and has now checked that off her bucket list! They have had many fun adventures together and look forward to marriage as a new and wonderful adventure knowing that they can handle any challenges life may throw their way.

Their wedding date was October 22, 2011 at the Raleigh Country Club, a truly beautiful and elegant setting. Other weddings I have done there can be seen at this link.

I thank my good friend and DJ, Lenny Fritts with Touch of Class DJ, for sending Paula and Tim my way.

Blue Moon Bakery made this delectable wedding cake and Davenport Florists did the flowers. Dave with Kuhn's Photography was there to record the event in pictures and Nicole McMillen with Premier Party Planners was our very astute wedding planner and director. Great team to work with.

Lenny had set up in the reception room with dance floor and had his mobile unit out on the terrace to provide the music for the ceremony. He knew I was the officiant so he was ready to patch my microphone into his system. 

 

Paula and Tim are such a good-looking couple. They shirked tradition and saw each other before the ceremony and here Dave Kuhn is doing photographs of them on the greens. So beautiful.

Is this not the most spectacular vista? The day was absolutely beautiful for a wedding.

 We were including a sand pouring in the ceremony and everything is set up and ready to go.

Tim and Jeff, the best man, and I entered when it was time to begin and all the guests were seated. They actually had to bring in an additional row of chairs because more guests showed up than were expected.

After our Maid of Honor, Diane, and our Matron of Honor, Cheryl, entered it was time for Paula to be escorted in by her son, Logan. Her other son, Daniel, was sitting on the front row.

At the first sight of Paula, Tim's eyes filled with tears and despite his nervousness, I could tell he was so happy for this day.

 

 

They had two readings in the ceremony. The first was read by Tim's sister, Cathy, who traveled from Portland, Oregon, for this special occasion. She presented "Marriage Means Being in Love for the Rest of Your Life" by Chris Ardis.

Tracey, Paula's girlfriend extraordinaire, read "The Key to Love" by Robert M. Millay.

 

Then it was time for the couple's wonderful story of how they met and fell in love and why they wanted to marry followed by the vows.

 The exchange of rings....

 

 

 

We started the ceremony right at 5:00 and as you can see from the clock behind the couple, it was over in 20 minutes, the perfect length for a wedding ceremony! 

 

 

Paula and Tim, I am so happy that you found each other at last! It was my honor to marry you to each other. May life bring you abundant blessings!

This cute little guy was hosting the cocktail hour after the ceremony and before the reception. It was a special tribute to the father of Diane, our maid of honor.

A Gorgeous Wedding at Raleigh Country Club!

Carrie and Brandon had a wonderful wedding celebration at Raleigh Country Club on Saturday September 20, 2008 at 6:30 PM. What a great place for a wedding and reception and the weather was perfect--a bit overcast and low humidity! I brought my Fender sound system, Shure receiver, Countryman wireless theater mike, and battery pack and Marty and I set it up about 45 minutes before the wedding and did a sound check. Their wedding ceremony took place out behind the clubhouse on the green with a lovely floral backdrop designed by Kate Foster who also directed and coordinated the wedding with the help of her assistant, Lilly. Thanks, Kate and Lilly. It is such a pleasure to just wait with the groom and groomsmen and be told when to walk down the aisle instead of having to be in charge of the wedding. Carrie and Brandon had eight attendants each so it was quite a processional for their 200 guests!

I did a wedding back in about 2002 at Raleigh Country Club. At that time it was floundering on the brink of bankruptcy and had become somewhat unkempt. I was delighted to find that since then it has been purchased by a private individual who also owns Treyburn Country Club in Durham and Cardinal Club in downtown Raleigh, two elegant venues where I also do weddings. The Raleigh Country Club has been beautifully transformed and is pristine in its buildings, decor, and landscape--a real makeover--and it is thriving. I hope to do many more weddings there in the future.

Carrie and Brandon went all out for their wedding and hired terrific vendors to make their wedding first class. Carrie told me that the minute she had her date set and venue booked, she hired the Crush band. She had enjoyed them for 10 years and always envisioned Crush playing at her wedding reception. And, she fulfilled that wish! Crush is a very popular dance band around the Triangle--even I had heard of them and how good they were. She also had Donna Ford of Sweet Memories create a beautiful wedding cake with blue trim that matched the color of her bridesmaids dresses and the color scheme of the wedding. F8 Photo Studio photographers Jonathan and Cara covered the wedding and her musicians were the Stalberg String Trio put together by Mary Greiner of Musicians' Booking Agency. The wedding I did last weekend had the Stalberg String Quartet also put together by MBA. Beautiful music for weddings! Wayne Young of Cinema One Studio did the videography and Lyn Graves of Fresh Affairs did the floral arrangements for the reception and the bouquets for the bride and attendants. The Country Club catered the event and the food looked scrumptious although I did not stay for the reception to taste it.

Carrie's father escorted her in and transferred her hand into Brandon's. Carrie is a beautiful bride and had on a gorgeous wedding gown. Brandon is a really handsome guy too! I gave the guests a warm welcome and told them how important they were to Carrie and Brandon. We had an opening prayer and remembered the loved ones who could not be with us. Words on love and marriage followed which flowed into the blessing of the hands ceremony which flowed into the vows. Then they exchanged rings and I made the happy pronouncement of marriage and invited them to share their first kiss as husband and wife. We closed with a blessing for their new life together and I introduced the newlyweds to their guests. And, out we went to take photos while the guests retired to the bar area for cocktails prior to the reception. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful sky over the green lawns. Crush was striking up the band for the reception as Marty and I packed up my sound system and went home--rather weary after 4 weddings that day.

You had a great wedding, Carrie and Brandon! Congratulations to you both!