Dana and Matt's Fabulous Wedding!

It has been many years since I had a wedding at the Governor's Club in Chapel Hill. It is a very beautiful campus and the day of the wedding, July 6th 2019, was bright and sunny and of course on the rather warm side. 

View of the lake and golf course from the terrace where the wedding ceremony was. 

Tre Bella Flowers furnished these urns filled with beautiful floral arrangements. 

Looking from the altar area to the club and terrace, you can see that a nice tent had been erected to provide shade from the sun. I really enjoyed working with Lisa Johnson with the club who was coordinating the ceremony and reception. She had everything under control.

The view from the back row of chairs. There were between 150 to 200 guests expected. 

This sign greeted guests in the lobby as they arrived for the wedding. 

Power 2 Party is the wedding band that would play at the reception. Their keyboardist, Alex, played for the ceremony procession and recession while James hooked my mic into their sound system to amplify my voice. Sound was perfect!  

Paying a visit to the groom and groomsmen and getting the witness signature on the marriage license too. 

Watching the guests arrive for the wedding. 

Once the guests were seated, the guys and I went around to a side terrace from which we would enter. 

Here we are waiting for our cue to enter. 

Our youngest guest!

While the groomsmen and I were taking out places, Matt escorted his mother, Rose, in then joined us. 

Mother of the bride, Debbie, was escorted in by Craig, father of the bride, and he returned to bring in the bride. Time for the bridesmaids to enter!

Laura entered with her daughter Cori, our flower girl, who then sat with her daddy during the ceremony. 

Then Aly entered, followed by our matron of honor, Kaitlyn, sister of the bride, for whom I officiated her wedding in 2017. (Here is a LINK to her wedding.) I invited everyone to stand for the bride and her dad who got to escort another daughter down the aisle! It was so good to see Kaitlyn and their  family again! Unfortunately Kaitlyn's husband, Cody, could not be at the wedding due to military service.

And so the ceremony began with a welcome to all then a prayer. 

I stepped out to tell our guests how Dana and Matt met and fell in love. It was in February 2017 in a bowling alley. It was not a planned meeting and Dana was not prepared to meet her future spouse that night! Funny moments in the story had everyone laughing.

Telling them what their partner told me in confidence what they love about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage. Sweet and tender moment for both.

And a little laughter too! 

Some words on love and marriage and a welcome to the next chapter in their lives!

They made their vows to each other by answering "I will" to my questions to each of them.

I called for the rings and invited Matt to place the ring on Dana's finger as he said the words after me. 

Then Dana placed the ring on Matt's finger as she said the words after me. 

A closing blessing before the pronouncement of marriage. 

I placed my hand on theirs and declared that they are husband and wife. 

Their first married kiss! 

Introducing the newlywed couple to their family and friends! 

And out they go! 

Beaming! 

Matt and Dana! What a wonderful wedding. I loved it. It was fun and so sweet. I loved working with you both and know your marriage will be a grand adventure! I wish you the best always!

A Wonderful Wedding for Nastassia and Luke at Caffe Luna!

I loved working with Nastassia and Luke! We met last May to begin designing their wedding ceremony which took place on Sunday October 6th 2019 at Caffe Luna in downtown Raleigh.

Nastassia is so beautiful and so ready to be married.......as well she should be! She and Luke met way back in 2008 when they were both undergraduates in college in New York. Their relationship has stood not only the test of time but also long distances that lasted for years while Nas attended medical school, residency and internship and Luke his graduate degrees. Finally they chose North Carolina to settle down in together and make home--and get married at last.

Meanwhile Cinda, the owner of Cinda's Creative Cakes, was on the job putting the finishing touches on her beautiful creation. It is rare when I see her as she has usually been on site and gone by the time I get to the wedding.

The finished product. Simple and classic! And delicious! 

Taking a quiet moment to review the script before I deliver it! 

Willis is a frequent DJ at Caffe Luna and, as usual, he did a great job providing my amplification and the ceremony music. Tre Bella Flowers did the arch up front and the bouquets and boutonnieres.

After persuading the guests to move forward and fill in chairs up front with Michelle Gunton, our wonderful photographer, we are ready to begin the ceremony. (Empty chairs--especially on the aisle--don't look good in the wedding photos. Often venues put out more chairs than the number of guests expected which makes it look like a lot of people did come to the wedding.)

When it was time to begin, I walked in first--past the empty extra chairs in the back. 

Luke and his parents, Donald and Laurel, enter next.

Luke joined me up front as his parents took their seats. 

Then the attendants came in as couples. Kareem and Daniela first. 

Todd and Melissa next.

Adam, best man and brother of the groom, and Shawnett, maid of honor, make their way down the aisle.

Their friend Jewel, our honorary director, cued Nastassia and her mother, Sharon, to begin their walk down the aisle.

They sweep past the guests standing in their honor. 

"Sharon, do you bless and support Nastassia as she comes to join in marriage to Luke?" Of course she answered "I do!" and took her seat as the couple turned and faced their guests.

I stepped out and began telling their guests the story of how they met and fell in love and their journey to their wedding day. It was a sweet story. They were smitten with each other from the very beginning when they were fixed up with each other to go to a party.

And there were some comical moments also and we all laughed a lot. In fact, their guests laughed in places I was not expecting laughter. Couldn't have been better! Always love that the guests are having a good time and enjoying the ceremony.

The story flowed into a welcome to everyone and a tribute to their parents. 

They turned and faced each other as I stepped behind them and revealed what each of them had told me in confidence they love about each other. Then they made their vows to each other. When it was time to exchange rings. I asked Adam for the rings. He placed them in my hand and as I looked at Nastassia's ring, I said "This is the tiniest wedding ring I've ever seen!" (NOT in the script!) Everyone laughed including the couple.

Handing the tiny ring to Luke as Nas wiped away tears of laughter! 

And more laughter as I asked Nas to take the substantially larger ring and place it on Luke's finger! 

I retrieved the hankie from her hand so she could place the ring on Luke's finger while saying the words after me.

They wrote love-letters to each other and sealed them without sharing. The Anniversary Box was brought forth by Adam's wife, Lisa, and they placed the letters in the box with the bottle of wine and locked it. I invited them to open the box on their first anniversary, pour each other a glass of wine, then read the love-letter from their spouse. Have a conversation about the wedding day and the year that has passed. Then write new love-letters, place in the box with the old letters and a new bottle of wine and repeat on every anniversary.

A closing blessing for our couple who were going to finally be pronounced married. 

The pronouncement was made and I invited them to kiss!

Sealed with a kiss! 

That sweet "after kiss" where reality that they are really finally married at last sinks in. 

Introducing them to their cheering guests! Willis starts Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You!"

And they step into their new married life together! 

What a happy couple! 

Luke and Nastassia! What a wonderful and fun wedding! I loved it and I thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage! I wish you the best always!