Megan and Dave Wed at Campbell Lodge at Durant Park!

Megan and Dave started working on their wedding day of April 10, 2010 more than a year in advance and the lovely details of the ceremony and reception reflected their hard work. They met with me in May 2009 and hired me to officiate for them. They assembled quite a team of wedding vendors to make their special day spectacular! 

 

Megan was escorted in part of the way by her stepfather, James.

Then her father, Clarence, escorted her the rest of the way down the aisle up to the altar.

 

I have done several weddings through the years at Campbell Lodge in Durant Park in Raleigh and all of them have been inside the lodge except for one that was down at the small old amphitheater in the woods. Dave and Megan figured  out a way to stage their ceremony outdoors on the side of the building underneath the deck and it worked out beautifully.

The altar area was beautifully appointed and underneath the shade of a flowering tree that shed small white petals on us during the ceremony. A nice effect thanks to Mother Nature!  We paid tribute to the couple's parents including remembering Dave's father who had passed on some time ago.

The couple's "story" was incorporated into the ceremony which everyone enjoyed hearing, some for the first time. Then Megan and Dave said their vows to each other and exchanged rings. 

They each poured their sand together symbolizing their coming together in marriage, never to be separated from each other.

I always place my right hand over the couple's joined hands to make the pronouncement of marriage after which Dave broke the glass in honor of his Jewish heritage and we all shouted Mazel Tov!

Dave moves in for the kiss! I love this part of the ceremony!

The bride retrieves her bouquet and out they go...married at last! Oh happy days!

I joined the newlyweds for a quick photo before I left for the next wedding. Megan and Dave, I know you are so glad you worked so hard planning your wedding--it sure paid off with a beautiful wedding day. With your determination and your love and devotion to each other, I know you will have a great marriage! I wish you all the best life has to offer. 

Our Vendors:

Lisa Jacobs was our Event Director & Wedding Planner from A Step To Gold Ballroom. She and her assistant did a fantastic job making this wedding flow smoothly. Here she is motioning the next person to come in for the processional. 

Demetris, the talented 19 year old young man who heads up Creative Touch Designs is an amazing floral designer. The decorations for the ceremony and the reception were gorgeous as were the bridal bouquets and boutonnieres. I watched him as he was putting the final touches on the beautiful arch of branches and flowers flanked by huge ferns studded with flowers. The aisle was created with the purple satin runner, pedestals, flowing fabric, glass vases with twig balls, and rose petals scattered all over. The wedding colors were predominantly purple and he used a lovely purple satin runner which stayed in place quite nicely as it clung to the concrete patio floor and over the railing to block out the view of some unsightly picnic grills. Marty got a shot of him working on the table decorations inside later.

Catering was provided by Urbana Catering Concepts.

This lovely wedding cake was made by Lynn Loomis of Lynn's Traditions, one of my favorites. Too bad I could not hang around and enjoy a piece of it! 

I did not get a photo of our DJ, Steve Scheidig, owner of Rotation Entertainment, Professional DJ Service. Steve was kind enough to plug my microphone into his sound system and all the guests could hear all the words of the couples custom ceremony. Thanks, Steve.

Robert of Robert F. Filcsik Photography was on hand to take the pictures to document this special day for Megan and Dave. Thanks, Robert!

Allyson and Graham Have a Fabulous Winter Wedding!

Allyson and Graham came to see me on January 18, 2009 and hired me to officiate their wedding on January 2, 2010 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship sanctuary on Wade Avenue in Raleigh. At that time, I had no idea how resourceful this young couple would be in creating their dream wedding. But, I found out at their wedding that they did a lot of very careful planning to make their wedding affordable. As Allyson told me herself, it was a DIY wedding! Brian, Allyson's father, told me that she has been a take charge, innovative person since she was a little girl.

Their reception was held at the Royal Banquet on Hillsborough Street across from the Meredith College campus. Marty and I stopped by there before the wedding to get a photo of the wedding cake the bride's mother made. It is a lovely space. We talked to Callie who was in charge of this event for Carla Towns, the Events Coordinator. The caterer furnished the dishes and silverware but Allyson purchased the linens and she and her friends and family set up the tables the night before. Her caterer was Visions Catering of Thomasville NC. I asked Graham how they came to use a caterer that far away. He told me that Allyson expanded her search beyond the Triangle and found Visions and there was no charge for travel within 200 miles and their prices were right.

Allyson's mother, Becca Lipscomb, is a cake baker. She owns the business Cakes for a Cause.  They donate part of every cake purchase either to fund research for childhood cancer or to  your charity. What a wonderful and generous enterprise! This is a lovely cake and I bet it tasted fabulous. It is missing its cake topper which was with the groom over at the church. The cake topper which I never did get to see is a replica of their two dogs!

Here you can see photos of the couple and their Labrador retriever, Huckleberry Finn, and their beagle, Bailey.  

I 

I was most impressed with their centerpieces! Allyson found these beautiful tall vases herself and filled them with the crystal pebbles. The florist, Madelyn's Flower Shop, from Nashville NC, topped them off with white mums. They were stunning! Good job sleuthing out your vendors, Allyson.

 

The attendants, groom and I are in place waiting for the entrance of the bride and her parents.

Here they come!

The sanctuary of the Unitarian Church is such a beautiful contemporary setting. The acoustics are amazing! Bo, the person in charge of the sound system there, was helpful in getting my microphone plugged into their system and the sound was perfect. The couple saved money by using CD music for the prelude and burned a special CD of the processional and recessional music and it worked very nicely!

The ceremony was sweet and simple, just the way they wanted it. They found a great reading I had not heard before that fit their beliefs and feelings about love and marriage. It is titled: "When a Man and a Woman are in Love" and the author is unknown. They read their vows to each other from my book and after the exchange of rings, I pronounced them husband and wife. They really took to heart my homework assignment to practice kissing and smoothly executed a great kiss!  Sorry that I don't have a photo of that but our professional photographer, Penny Noell, surely does. Penny is a friend of the family and was wonderful to work with.

Let me tell you the story of Allyson's beautiful wedding gown! She fell in love with it when she tried it on almost two years ago at David's Bridal. But her family found another dress they liked better and she liked it as well and bought it. But, she could not stop thinking about that first dress. Later on she saw it on eBay in her size in perfect condition and bought it for a song! So, she sold the first dress she bought on a preowned wedding dress site and came out ahead. How is that for resourcefulness! The dress was perfect for Allyson. It was made for her figure and not only that, it was soft and comfortable and did not wrinkle when she sat down. A dream come true!

Allyson and Graham, you are young but you have known each other for years and have carefully thought out your decisions. I know you are going to have a wonderful and satisfying marriage! All the best to you! And hopefully I will see you again soon because Allyson's grandparents have been married almost 50 years and told me they were thinking of doing a Renewal of Vows ceremony! Just call me!

Melanie and Brad's Beautiful Wedding at Shady Wagon Farm!

Melanie and Brad got married on October 17, 2009 at Shady Wagon Farm in New Hill. It turned out to be a beautiful day with the sun occasionally peeking through the clouds and a gentle breeze. When Marty and I arrived for the wedding, one of the groomsmen was lamenting that he had walked out of his house leaving his jacket and tie for the wedding behind. It was too late for him to make a round trip back to get it. But, it turned out just fine because he was able to borrow Brad's stepfather's black jacket, and when Cindy Carroll, the owner of Shady Wagon Farm, heard about the dilemma, she quickly grabbed a red tie from her husband's tie collection for the groomsman. None of the guests ever suspected!
After the grandparents and parents were escorted in, it was time for Brad and his groomsmen and I to make our entrance, including Austin, Brad's 6 year old son, who was our ring bearer.
Then the bridesmaids in their pretty red dresses made their entrance and here we are waiting for the little flower girl, Aubrie, and then Melanie and her dad, Rob.

Here they come! Melanie was so beautiful as she floated down the long aisle.

You can see how lovely this setting is for a wedding. It is a good distance from where I am standing in the gazebo to the guests, so my sound system is a must. I always use it at Shady Wagon so all the guests can hear what I am saying.
See the pretty sky? I love the new paver aisle that Cindy had put in earlier this year. Cindy told me she plans to extend the pavers of the aisle to each side in front of the ramp to the gazebo making a T formation for weddings with many attendants, so the bridesmaids and groomsmen can stand there rather than crowd into the gazebo. The spacious red barn across the lake is where the guests are invited to go for the reception after the ceremony.
Melanie is a first grade teacher. She asked her students for their words of wisdom on being a good husband and wife. Christie, our bridesmaid with the microphone above, shared with us these funny things from the first graders. Three of my favorites: "Go with your wife on the honeymoon. Buy your wife a teddy bear. Give your wife a puppy and a kitten. When your wife has a baby all you have to do is go to the hospital. You spend the night then they put you to sleep. When the baby comes out wash it and then bring it home." Kids say the darnedest things!

We closed the ceremony with a blessing after the pronouncement of marriage.

And out they go--Melanie, Brad and their son, Austin!

What a handsome family! I wish you all the best in the world!

Melanie is simply radiant and happy and she has every reason to be!

This lovely cake is from Cake Dreams. The caterer was 9 Lyvz. The photographer was Heather Weisenreder of Sugarshots Photography. Unfortunately I could not find her website to link it to this site. Melanie's grandmother did all the flowers and they were spectacular. Friends of the couple supplied the music by teaming up into a string trio.

Lorena and Doug's Special Wedding in Raleigh!

Doug and Lorena planned for their Friday morning wedding to take place in my wedding garden on October 16th but the weather turned chilly and the temperature was in the 40s. Brrr! So, Brenda Jean, the friend of Doug's mother who was hosting their intimate reception, graciously allowed us to have the ceremony in her living room near downtown Raleigh off Wade Ave.

Here we are in front of the fireplace with about 20 close family and friends joining us. On the far right of the photo are Lorena's parents, Ernesto and Alicia, who came all the way from Lima, Peru for the occasion. Standing next to them in blue is Doug's mother, Mary Jane, who was an integral part of making this wedding happen. I gave my camera to one of the guests and asked her to take some photos during the ceremony for me. She did a great job!

The ceremony was quite brief, at the couple's request. There was only exchange of vows and no rings. They plan to have a large wedding celebration exactly one year from the date of their marriage on October 16, 2010 at Rosedown Plantation  in Smithfield. They have already booked that date on my calendar for me to conduct the ceremony which will be more typical of formal wedding ceremonies.

Yes, finally married and so happy for this day!

Lorena teaches school and Doug, at the moment, is not working because of an unfortunate racing accident in which he injured his right arm and is in the middle of staged surgical procedures to restore the function of his arm. His injury was just about forgotten in all the wedding rejoicing today, though!

Keith signs the marriage license as Doug's witness.

Chantell signs the license as Lorena's witness. All legal now!

After the ceremony everyone was invited to go out onto the deck for drinks then back inside for the wonderful buffet that had been prepared by Barbara Boney Catering.

There was quite a spread and I stayed to taste it all: marinated green and white asparagas and baby carrots, a wonderful concoction of eggs and cheese, cheese grits, crabcakes, roast beef sliders, and fresh fruit salad. It was delicious.

Then we had cake! Lorena made her own wedding cake. It was not only beautiful but delicious too. There were many layers and different fillings. The yellow car on top was reminiscent of a yellow racing car Doug once had.

Lorena and Doug, I know you are both so happy to finally be married. I look forward to working with you in the coming year for your big wedding celebration on October 16, 2010!

Eric and Lauren Have a Wonderful Wedding on the Family Farm in Chapel HIll!

Eric and Lauren met with me in April of 2008 to plan their wedding for May of 2009. Their venue was The Matthews House. When the economy tanked earlier this year, Eric and Lauren, being a frugal and considerate couple, decided to scale down their wedding plans and move the venue to Eric's family farm in Chapel Hill. The date was changed to October 3, 2009. So, when I saw them at the rehearsal on 10/2, it had been 18 months since we had met!

Our flower girls are Katie and Izzy, daughters of friends of Lauren's family. We did not know if they would make it down the aisle or not because at the rehearsal, they were very shy. Something must have happened overnight because they made it all the way down and they even remembered to sprinkle the petals!

Here comes the bride! The aisle was unfortunately covered with gravel, guaranteed to chew up the delicate train of Lauren's beautiful bridal gown. So, after attempts to get a runner to stay down, we gave up and Megan, the Matron of Honor, did the honors of carrying the bride's train as Lauren entered with her father. If you look closely you will see that the bridesmaids wore purple dresses with bright orange high heels and carried bright orange bouquets. The effect was very pretty.

Our bride and groom are really quite talented. As part of the ceremony, a song that they had written together was performed by Eric's sisters, Rachel and Rebeka and their friend, Catherine Jones. The beautiful music written by Eric and played on the keyboard by Yuri Broze, featured lyrics written by Lauren adapted from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. It was simply stunning and I was so glad when the guests broke out into applause because I wanted to applaud them as well. It was quite moving. Tears were streaming down Lauren's cheeks and the hankie I carry for just that reason came in handy.

The couple also chose to have a family sand ceremony in which their parents poured in sand from the Mississippi River at St. Louis where Eric grew up and sand from the shore of New Jersey where Lauren grew up. This sand represented the couples heritage and foundation. Then Eric and Lauren poured in sand representing the two of them.

The couple and wedding party departed the ceremony to go take photos while the guests were invited to enjoy a cocktail hour on the lawn.

Finally Eric and Lauren are happily married! The change of venue and date all worked out for the best and they had a fun celebration with their guests. Their ceremony was at 1:45 and I hear that the party was still going strong at 7:30!

Eric and Lauren, I wish you a very happy marriage and may all your dreams come true!

Here is the reception tent in the back yard. It was huge!

See the dance floor and all the tables and the bandstand?

The band is getting set up and the lanterns make the tent so festive.

Pretty table arrangements and attractive place cards.

This was a beautiful cake. It was made gluten-free. The smaller cake (not pictured) was dairy-free. It was baked by Aggie Stachura who used to bake wedding cakes for Whole Foods when they sold wedding cakes.

Karen Harmych of From This Moment was our wedding planner and director. Karen is wonderful. Eric and Lauren contacted me a couple of months before the wedding feeling too stressed about pulling everything together for their wedding. They needed help organizing all the vendors and creating a time line. I recommended they contact Karen whom I have worked with many times before. She knows how to pull those loose ends together and get everything handled. She did it again for Eric and Lauren. Thanks, Karen.

Gregory Lewis of Catering by Design, catered the reception as arranged by Karen, and there were some additional dishes from Neomonde Mediterranean Deli. I tasted a phyllo pastry cup filled with chicken, mango and cilantro that Greg made and let me tell you it was delicious!

The videography and photography were done by good friendsof the couple who are not in the wedding business in NC. The band was also a group of friends of the bride and groom.