Samantha and Dru's Beautiful Wedding at Highgrove!

Friday September 21st was a beautiful day at Highgrove Estates in Fuquay-Varina--one of my very favorite venues for weddings.

This sign greeted me when I arrived. 

A look inside the Garden Ballroom where the reception will be held. 

Look at the size of that dance floor! Sam and Dru are a fun-loving couple and so I know it was packed at the reception after the guests had eaten the delicious meal that Highgrove caters.

Cake by Sweet Memories Bakery.

Purple Poppy provided the bouquets the flowers at the ceremony sight and the hanging vases along the aisle. The owner of the Purple Poppy, Doug Odom, told me he has known Sam since she was a little girl and was so happy to be providing the florals for her wedding.

The ceremony site is all ready for the nuptials. Plans are underway to extend this area toward the lake and be able to accommodate even larger wedding ceremonies. All this will take place over the winter when the wedding season is in a lull.

Amanda Shepherd is our Highgrove wedding director. She is great and I love working with her. We make a good team!

Their table assignments.

Chris Overstreet provided ceremony music as well as DJ'd the reception. 

Amanda is getting us all lined up to process in. Dru's dad, Vince, was also his best man. He will be escorting his mother, Dru's grandmother.

Amanda gives the cue for me to walk in. I usually go in first then the wedding party joins me up front.

Vince and Nonna make their walk down the aisle and Vince returns to the line-up. 

Then our Maid of Honor, Ellen, escorts in Sam's grandfather, Al, then she returns to the line-up. 

Dru proudly escorts his mother, Cindi, in then joins me up front. (Love Cindi's beautiful flowing magenta dress!)

Mother of the Bride, Denise, is escorted in by Father of the Bride, Bill, then he returns to bring in Sam. 

Then the groomsmen and bridesmaids processed in and took their places up front. Time for the Bride!

Bill proudly escorts his beautiful daughter down the aisle! 

At the end of the aisle he shook hands with Dru then placed Sam's hand in Dru's and everyone was seated. 

I delivered a warm welcome to everyone and thanked them for being with us.  Then we remembered the couple's loved ones who could not be with us.

At this point I stepped out to the side and spoke to their parents and told them how much their children appreciate all their love and support for all their lives. Then I launched into the story of how Sam and Dru met, their adventures together, and how they got to this day. They both have a great sense of humor and that was reflected in their story.

Then I revealed what each one had told me about the other--what characteristics they love, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage.

After the secret paragraphs came their vows. 

Asking Sam the questions she answered I Do to. 

Vince handed me the rings and I explained their significance. 

Dru puts the ring on Sam's finger and says the ring vows to her. 

After Sam placed the ring on Dru's finger, I gave them a blessing and made the pronouncement of marriage! 

The Kiss! 

And more kisses! 

And away they go into the next chapter of their lives together! 

Sam and Dru! Congratulations on your marriage and on putting together such a beautiful wedding! Thank you for giving me the honor of joining you in marriage. You were so much fun to work with and I loved delivering your ceremony. I wish you all the best forever!

Margaret and Vince's Wonderful Wedding at Highgrove on July 8th 2018!

Margaret and I met at a venue that was hosting a "wedding etiquette" class for wedding couples last January. She had hired just about all her vendors except for an officiant. During the class, Frankie Hagan, DJ with Island Sound, who was presenting the session called on me to answer a question from the audience about the legality of online ordained officiants. (I explained that the State of NC does not recognize online ordained ministers as authorized to perform marriages and any couple who is married by an online ordained minister runs the risk of their marriage being declared invalid should any other marriage by an online ordained minister be challenged according to 2 court rulings in the past.) A few weeks later, Margaret contacted me to see if she and her fiancé Vince could meet with me to see if they wanted to hire me as their officiant. And so we met and I was thrilled that they decided to go with me.

 Highgrove is a beautifully restored estate in Fuquay-Varina. I love weddings there!

Flowers on Broad furnished all the pretty florals including this gorgeous arrangement on the front door. 

 The pergola is elegantly graced by two floral arrangement on either side. 

Beautiful! 

Having a conversation with Sean with Island Sound after doing a sound check. Sean is the "techie" person always on hand to handle any technical issues that arise.

Happy to be working with Frankie again.  

The garden ballroom was all set up and ready. 

The cake by Sweet Memories was also ready!

The sweetheart table decked out in their color scheme of eggplant and silver!

Getting everyone in order for the processional. 

Our Highgrove wedding director for this wedding is Britnie Jaynes. Good job, Britnie! 

Making my walk down the aisle first. 

Vince escorts his mom, Laurie, in then joins me up front. 

Margaret's parents, Ruth and Hans, enter then Hans circles back to bring Margaret in. 

The bridesmaids and groomsmen came entered as couples. 

Here comes the bride! 

Margaret and her father were beaming as they made the big entrance. 

I invited the guests to stand in honor of our beautiful bride!

Hans answered my question then transferred Margaret's hand into Vince's and everyone was seated. 

A warm welcome to all! 

Then it was time to pay tribute to their wonderful parents. 

Now for the story! Margaret and Vince met the old-fashioned way--in a bar--but with a twist. Vince was the bartender in this jazz bar where Margaret liked to hang out and listen to the music and unwind while bantering with the bar staff. The attraction was there from the beginning but Vince did not want to overstep his bounds so he took a while before he asked Margaret out. And it's history from there!

After the story I revealed to each of them what their partner had told me in confidence what they love about them. So sweet!  Margaret heard first.

Then Vince. It is so much fun for couples to watch their partner's expressions upon hearing these words of adoration and love they have told me for the first time in the ceremony.

They chose to read their vows to each other so I print them in my book and flip them vertically so the words are facing them. Vince says his vows to Margaret.

Then it is Margaret's turn. (She reminds me of Barbra Streisand here--one of my heroes!)

Then it is time for them to exchange rings. Vince repeats after me the words to Margaret as he puts the ring on her finger.

Then Margaret.

She patted his hand with the ring on it! 

I placed my hand on both of their and pronounced them equal partners joined in marriage!

Of course the kiss came next!

The deed is done! 

I introduced them to their guests and invited everyone to stand and join me in congratulating them! 

Our photographer, Cristobal with Azul Photography, gets a great shot of them recessing!

Then the attendants exited followed by the parents into the house for photos.  The guests were invited to enjoy cocktails on the covered terrace.

Vince and Margaret!! What a great wedding! Congratulations on having found each other and putting this all together and your upcoming bundle of joy. You did a fabulous job. And, thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage!