Lisa and Tyler went to the same high school in Cary but never met until they were home from college, he at Georgia Tech and she at UNC Charlotte, at a mutual friend's birthday party the summer of 2006. They noticed each other right away and spent a large chunk of the party getting to know each other. School beckoned them back and they did not see each other until the following summer back in Cary where they kept bumping into each other at friends' get togethers. One thing led to another and they began dating. Although they had to separate once again, they decided to keep seeing each other. Many phone calls, plane rides, and long distance drives between Cary and Atlanta ensued with Tyler landing a great job all the way in Boston while Lisa stayed in NC finishing up a graduate degree and planning their wedding for the magical date of 11/11/11 at
Snipes Farm Retreat. With marriage, they look forward to living together in the same household and in the same city for the first time!
Lisa and Tyler came to see me in May to officiate their wedding. They are a delightful couple and seem to balance each other well. Lisa is quite outgoing whereas Tyler is a "man of few words" I was to discover as we were creating the ceremony! Well, he is a geek so what do you expect?? They chose the bulk of the ceremony and answered some questions for me and I put together their wonderful story and managed to squeeze out a few facts from Tyler! I could tell he chooses his words carefully and so Lisa filled me in on the details.
The wedding day turned out to be quite chilly but the sky was a clear bright blue and with the contrast of the beautiful fall colors of the leaves and grass, the day was gorgeous! We had the ceremony at the "wedding tree" on the farm overlooking the meadows and trees.
Daisy Cakes provided these delectable cup cakes.
Green Planet Catering was providing the healthy and delicious food.
Tre Bella furnished the pretty flowers and boutonnieres.
The inside of the barn was warm and toasty as everything was being set up. You may recall that there was a terrible accident on I-40 that day that backed westbound traffic up to Johnston County and some of our vendors got caught in that back-up. But not to worry,
Snipes Farm is a very casual fun venue and time is not a big deal! So, there was no panic or stress.
Mel Manning was our DJ for the reception and he was one caught in the traffic as well as the caterers. He was ready to go by the time the ceremony was done and the reception started.
Matthew Kanon was there when we arrived. He was warming up his guitar and keeping his head and ears warm too. He told us he had done a wedding at the beach the weekend before and had forgotten his hat and he almost froze to death!! So, he made sure he remembered it today. Matt and I have done many weddings together through the years but this is the first time this year. Turns out he is living in Goldsboro now but still loves to do weddings in the Triangle.
It is quite a long walk from the barn to the ceremony site and when
Erin McLean, our wedding director, cued us, Tyler and I began the trek closely followed by David and Charlie while Tyler's brothers, Sam and Mark, stayed behind to escort in their two grandmothers.
The bridesmaids, Kelly, Brittany, Claire, and one bridesman, Jay, followed then it was time for Lisa and her father to make the journey down the "aisle."
Lisa's dress was beautiful and quite unique. It really fit her personality and she was absolutely radiant!
The guests were all standing in her honor as they made their way across the grassy meadow.
"Who supports and blesses Lisa as she comes to join in marriage to Tyler?" Andy, Lisa's father, proudly answered in his British accent: "Her mother and I do." He was born and raised in England whereas her mother was born and raised in Malaysia so Lisa's heritage is quite unique. Her grandmother and aunt came all the way from England for the nuptials.
You can see Abigail Seymour, our photographer, in the background getting her shots.
I wonder how old this majestic tree is. I have been doing weddings under its canopy for over 12 years now and it has become a good friend.
I was not aware of it during the ceremony but seeing these photos I notice that Lisa had a lot of animation in her face that made Tyler smile. She was so relaxed and really did not seem to be cold at all. The wind picked up and by the time I left the wedding it was 43 degrees not counting the wind chill factor. Lisa told me at the rehearsal that she would be just fine because in high school she was in the Color Guard and learned to tolerate cold weather! Lucky for me, I could wear warm attire.
The attendants retired to the back porch area to be in the photos. Everybody was ready to party!
Erin poses with the couple for this blog. Thanks, Erin, it is great working with you again so soon! Let's do a lot more together!
Lisa and Tyler, I know you will love living and working in Boston. I lived there after I graduated from college too and had a blast. I wish you both prosperity and abundance, peace, joy and very much love!
