Caffe Luna Wedding for Jen and Chris!

Last December Jen and Chris asked me to officiate their wedding on August 14, 2010 at noon at Caffe Luna, a great place for a casual fun wedding in downtown Raleigh. I am practically "resident minister" there! I was delighted and so we began work on their ceremony. We had the rehearsal on Friday afternoon and figured out how we would enter, the logistics of the ceremony and the recessional. Everyone was so focused and attentive that we finished in a record 35 minutes! The bride's family had traveled from Michigan for this wonderful occasion.

When Marty, my "roadie," back from vacation, and I arrived, our DJ, Daniel Clodfelter with Anything Music, was busy setting up the sound for Jen's Uncle Mark on guitar, his daughter Maddie and Mark's wife (not in photo) who was the page-turner and sound check tester! Then he plugged my theater microphone and the handheld microphone for the reader into the system and we were set.

Here's Daniel, all dressed and ready to begin the ceremony. He was so helpful. We worked together at another wedding at Preston Woodall House last spring. Thanks, Daniel!

Marty looked around and found this lovely wedding cake that was provided by a friend of the bride. What a nice tribute to a friend. The flowers for the bouquets and boutonnieres and centerpieces were by Flower City.

Another table held these two photos of the couple's parents on their wedding days. I could definitely recognize their younger selves. Nice tribute to both parents who are still married today and provided wonderful models of long lasting marriage for this couple. We paid tribute to them in the ceremony and they were very touched.

After the parents entered--see both mothers (Debbie and Peggy) on the right--the groom and groomsmen and I entered from the front of the restaurant and took our places in the archway and waited for the bridesmaids to come in. Uncle Mark and Maddie provided really terrific music for the processional and recessional. They apparently came in from Michigan for this wedding. Thanks, you two!

Five lovely bridesmaids in pretty "fern green" dresses and the sweet 6 year old flower girl, Ellal. She did a great job coming down the aisle and sprinkling the petals. The bride and her father are making their entrance at this moment.

Here comes the bride and her loving father, Ron, floating down the aisle!

"Ron, as Jen's father, do you and her mother, Debbie, bless and support her as she comes to join in marriage with Chris?" Of course his answer was "We do."

Chris' sister, Kathryn read a poem during the ceremony. It was a poem written by a bridegroom I married in 2003, Sean Brosnahan, for his own wedding. The title is: "A Fairytale Potion for a Modern Day Wedding" and is wonderful. Kathryn did a great job presenting it. Then  11 of the bride's friends each stood and read a quote from some of Jen's second grade students and former students on love and marriage. They were quite amusing, to say the least.

That was followed by the story of how the bride and groom met and how they got to this wedding today. Chris jokes around saying that match.com should use them for a commercial! Then they read their vows to each other from my book.

Jen and Chris chose to include the rose ceremony where they give a rose to each other as their first gift to each other. Nice and touching ceremony.

The pronouncement of marriage as Chris is grinning with happiness!

Followed by the kiss they had been practicing!

The presentation of the newlywed couple to their guests as the music begins and they take this sight in before exiting.

And out they go for photographs as the guests are instructed to go to the reception area.

Our very capable photographers, Nancy and Mark Ruggirello, of Simply Creative Photography, and their third camera-woman, Ashley, set up some great poses in the grassy area behind Caffe Luna. I really enjoy working with them and they do many weddings at Caffe Luna.

Final photo with the happy couple. Jen and Chris, you were a delight to work with and I am so happy you found each other! Congratulations and I wish you a lifetime of health and happiness!
(Whoopee! I am all caught up on my blogs until next weekend! Enjoy!)

Julie and Shawn's Wedding Ceremony at Caffe Luna!

Julie and I met in October to plan her wedding to Shawn on Easter Sunday April 4, 2010. I did not meet Shawn until the wedding day. The deal was, he told me, that he was in charge of getting their house built before the wedding and she would handle all the wedding plans. And he did. They moved in the week prior to the wedding. And, she pulled off a beautiful wedding celebration. Originally the wedding was fairly small but it kept growing and growing. Julie grew up in England and her mother, her aunt, her two brothers, her nephew and two cousins made the trip "across the pond" to be with us on this special day for Julie and Shawn.

Shawn, his best man, Bill, and I are waiting for the entrance of the bridal party. I am turning on my wireless mike at the moment Marty snapped this photo in case you are wondering what I have in my pocket! The wedding got started a bit late but the guests did not seem to mind. They sounded like they were having a great time socializing.

When it was time for the bride, Julie entered from the back of the aisle and Shawn started walking toward her. They met in the middle.

Then they walked up the aisle together and stopped in front of me and I asked the guests to be seated. The ceremony began.

The couple have a dog, Cosmo, and they asked me to read the poem "Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali and dedicate it to Cosmo. I did and the guests had a few good laughs. Then they had chosen from my collection of readings an especially poignant poem that I found in a book on earth rituals and no author was credited.  I thought you would like to see it so here it is:

"A marriage is like two trees rising from the sacred earth,
That grow close together, but from different roots,
Different colors of leaf, different textures of bark,
Different flowers in the spring,
Yet the same bees drink their nectar,
The same birds nest in their branches
And sing the spring into their unfolding buds,
The same shower of leaves falls in autumn
The same flood of cold brings winter sleep.
And sometimes, two trees may entwine so closely
That we who watch them see only one tree
With different leaves and wonder at the miracle,
For miracle it is."

 After exchanging their vows and rings, I pronounced them husband and wife and sent them back down the aisle to the cheers of their guests. 

 

The couple and the wedding party exited to the VIP room at Caffe Luna while I directed the guests to proceed to the lovely reception area for refreshments.

The happy couple, married at last! Shawn, it was a pleasure to meet you finally. Julie, your hard work and persistence paid off! I wish you both all the best!

Our Vendors:

Randy Bennett of Joe Bunn DJ Company did a fabulous job with the music and sound for both the ceremony and the reception. He came prepared with a mobile unit for the large ceremony room which worked beautifully. Thanks, Randy.

This lovely wedding cake was prepared by Sweet Memories.

All the floral arrangements were provided by Fresh Affairs. Always stunning!

Nancy and Mark of Simply Creative Photography assisted by Ashley, provided photographic coverage. They are always a pleasure to work with again. They told me they have opened a new venue in Sanford called Steele Street Cafe and can accommodate small weddings and receptions.

Last but not least, once again it was fabulous to do a wedding at Caffe Luna. Their staff always does such a great job and the decor and atmosphere are really special for a wedding celebration. Many thanks to Ryan Hill, Catering Manager, and Parker Kennedy, owner (and my neighbor)!