Rachel and Jeff chose the beautiful
Merrimon-Wynne House for their wedding. The day was November 17th, 2018 and the weather was wonderful.
I met Jeff and Rachel in November of 2017 to plan their wedding ceremony. They met in 2009 when both of them were students at NC State. They became good friends and their friendship gradually blossomed into romance! Jeff proposed in March of 2017 and they waited until Rachel finished grad school before starting the wedding planning.
The garden is all set up for the ceremony.
Up front is a table that holds the Anniversary Box into which they will place their unopened loveletters to each other during the ceremony.
Randy Bennet with
Bunn DJ Company was already set up to provide the ceremony music. I plugged my mic into his body pack and we did a sound check.
The Carriage House was all set up for the reception. After the ceremony the guests enjoy cocktails in the house before the reception.
Wylde Flowers provided the florals. Beautiful arrangements in white urns flanked the ceremony site.
Jessica King with
Happily Ever After was our wedding planner and director. Love working with Jessica! She always has covered all the details and we love giving the couple a wonderful wedding day!
The guests have arrived and taking their seats.
Kristen Moore, our photographer, and
Thomas Blake, our videographer, are ready for the processional to begin! Here is a
link to a short video of their wedding.
I entered the ceremony space first and made an unplugged announcement (asked the guests to put away their cell phones and cameras and truly be with our couple during the ceremony without the distraction of technology).
Then the processional of the family, the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
Rachel chose not to be "presented" in the traditional way. Instead, she and Jeff chose to enter together.
I invited the guests to stand in their honor as they came together to be married.
They stopped at the front row to greet their parents and each other's parents.
As the guests were seated, Rachel handed off her bouquet to the maid of honor then she and Jeff joined hands facing each other.
After welcoming everyone to this wonderful occasion, I stepped out for the Honoring of the Parents segment. Then I got to tell the story of how Jeff and Rachel met, fell in love, and the journey to their wedding day.
I had asked each of them in confidence to tell me what they love about each other, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage.
During the ceremony, they got to hear what their beloved told me for the first time.
Then it was time to exchange vows and seal them with their rings. Jeff reads from my book the vows he has chosen then put the ring on Rachel's finger.
Then Rachel does the same.
They placed their unshared loveletters in the Anniversary Box to open and read on their first anniversary.
After a closing blessing for Rachel and Jeff, I pronounced them husband and wife and invited them to kiss!
Yay! First kiss as a married couple!
The guests cheered as I introduced the newlyweds!
Congratulations to you, Rachel and Jeff! What a wonderful wedding for two people so much in love and happy to be married! I loved working with you and telling your great story! I wish you all the best in the world!
