Abigail and Jason's Wedding at Duke Gardens Amphitheater!

Abigail and Jason are a well-matched young couple and I was honored to officiate their wedding. They are both so sweet-natured and knew just what they wanted in their ceremony. Their careful planning delivered their vision on their wedding day September 18th. The forecast for rain was upon us but we took the chance and set up outside in the beautiful amphitheater and did not see even one drop of rain! Here Abigail is escorted in by her father, John.

Jason's lovely little sister, Jessica, presented a reading from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. She did a really good job delivering this with feeling. Thanks, Jessica. This was the first wedding I have done since I got my new wireless handheld microphone and it worked very nicely.

Jason and Abigail chose to have their best friends, Joanna and Justin, serve as Maid of Honor and Best Man.

Here is the pronouncement of marriage! (Jason reminds me so much of the actor, Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in Lord of the Rings! Can't you see the resemblance?)

Jason and Abigail disappeared into a secret garden right after the wedding for a few moments of private time while the guests were invited to the reception in the visitor's center. We then took photos of the wedding party and their families.

Congratulations, Abigail and Jason! I wish you many many years of wedded bliss!

Our Vendors:

Stacy Borelli of Swank Photo & Studio was our photographer for the day. Her assistant, Kristin, was so moved by the words of the ceremony that she asked for my card to give her brother who is getting married next year.

Molly Olah and Strings provided the beautiful music for the ceremony. They were stashed over in the gazebo across the way from the ceremony.






Cinda's Creative Cakes provided this adorable and sassy wedding cake!

Premiere Catering was in charge of the food and refreshments. You can always count on them to provide a wonderful spread! Gail Stephenson dropped by the rehearsal the day before to make sure we were all on the same page should we have to move the ceremony indoors due to inclement weather. Thanks, Gail. We are glad we did not have to use Plan B!




Ross Merle of JustMusicDJ was our DJ for the reception. It is always fun to see Ross again. We work together often as you can see in my blog and he is one of my very favorite DJs. Here Ross is clowning around for the camera before the ceremony!

Linda and Jared's Wedding at the Preston-Woodall House!

Weddings at the Preston-Woodall House are always wonderful! Although it is 42 miles from my house to theirs, it is a trip well worth it. Linda and Jared's wedding on Sunday September 13th was no exception. Linda and Jared were referred to me by Reta Kohari of French 75 Events wedding planning services. Reta and her daughter, Meredith, knew that I welcome couples who want to be an integral part of writing their own ceremony so that it fits their beliefs and feelings. When Linda and Jared decided on their venue and their wedding date of September 13th, we met and got started on their ceremony.

Linda's dad, Lee, brings our beautiful bride down the aisle where Jared is waiting at the bottom of the steps to take them up to a "higher level" for the wedding ceremony!

Jared and Linda love children and want to have their own soon! You can see that there are children of their friends in the ceremony and there were quite a few in the audience as well. At this point in the ceremony, Samantha, our flower girl, is being held by her father Rich, our best man. When she got fussy and the novelty of being in front of all those people wore off, her mom, Barb, the last bridesmaid on the left had to retrieve her and take her to someone in the audience. Sam's brother, Nick, our ring bearer, was so good. He stood there next to his dad like a champ the whole ceremony.

Jared and Linda barely took their eyes off each other during the whole ceremony! They wrote secret vows to each other that they heard for the first time on their wedding day. Another element that they wanted on their wedding day was Blessing Stones. They have an affinity for rocks and stones and this tradition spoke to their hearts. Each guest was given a stone to hold during the ceremonyto infuse a blessing for the couple then placed the stones in a bowl as they exited the ceremony to be displayed in the couple's home.

Bianca gets a good shot at the now married couple!

Congratulations, Linda and Jared. Have a great trip to Disney World and let me know when you start your family and we will do a baby blessing ceremony!

This cake by Sweet Memories was made to represent a rafting trip the couple went on! How clever.

Linda followed a fall theme throughout. The table decorations were so attactive!

Our Vendors:

French 75 Events. Reta and Meredith, thanks so much for sending Linda and Jared to me! It was a pleasure working with you again. I know I can count on you to be easy to work with, thorough and cover all the details!

Matt Kanon provided wonderful classical guitar music for the ceremony. Thanks, Matt. It was good to see you again at the Preston-Woodall House.

Bianca and Seth of A Moment Like This were our photographer and videographer. Their work is super!

One of my favorite DJs, Lenny Fritts, was doing the reception. It was good to see him at the wedding.

Denise Hutter was there behind the scenes doing the make-up for the bride. She is so good. Check out her website: Images by Denise.

Elegant Wedding for Amanda and Colin at The Umstead!

On September 12, 2009, a beautiful late afternoon wedding took place at The Umstead in Cary, NC. The guests were seated and the knock-out roses were brilliant against the background of the lake fountain.

Colin and Amanda knew exactly what they wanted for their wedding. I was impressed with their maturity and their mindful planning of their wedding. One thing they knew they wanted was for Colin's spiritual teacher, Elena, to be part of their wedding ceremony. So, they knew they had to find an officiant who was willing to do this. They quickly found out that I am all for making their ceremony about them and for them. It is important that their ceremony be a reflection of their beliefs and feelings. I welcomed sharing the ceremony with Elena although we did not meet until the rehearsal.

Here is a photo before the wedding of Amanda and her attendants in their gorgeous green dressed. Yikes--look at the height of those heels! Her mother, Lucille, was her Matron of Honor, and she told me she had her heels cut down. It was an emotional moment for Lucille who, through her tears, told me of some special circumstances about Amanda's birth. What a blessing they are for each other. What a milestone moment for this special family!

Elena and I were escorted into the ceremony by Colin as he was living his dream wedding!

Amanda was escorted in by her beaming father, Anthony!

I opened the ceremony with a welcome to all and a remembrance of those no longer with us in body but with us in spirit. Then I stepped back for Elena.

Then Elena stepped forward and gave the meditation and wedding address. Her message was so meaningful and cherished by Amanda and Colin.

I stepped forward again to take the couple through the vows they had written together, the ring exchange, and the pronouncement of marriage.

And here they are! Finally married and happy to be!

Let's go celebrate!

It was time for photos after the guests went to the reception. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Elena at the rehearsal and the time prior to the wedding. She is a therapist in Wilmington and in the Buddhist community there. We found out that we know several of the same people--small world. Amanda and Colin, if you plan the rest of your life together as mindfully as you planned your wedding, you will manifest a great life! Namaste!

This is a snapshot after the wedding of Sally Gupton, our photographer, on the right and Ami Wheeler of The Umstead, on the left. Sally is out of Winston-Salem and I had never worked with her before. I am looking forward to seeing her photos of this wedding. I have known Ami for many years since I married her and her husband, Dan, in 2004! Ami and I have worked together at many weddings at The Umstead and she is so good at her job and such a pleasure to work with. All the weddings go so smoothly and every little detail is taken care of with finesse! Thanks, Ami!

I want to thank George and his staff at The Umstead. Although they provide the sound system and would give me a lapel microphone to use, I prefer to use my Countryman theater microphone. So, we plug my receiver into his system. This time we needed to have a microphone for Elena as well as the one on Colin's lapel. So, we used my back-up receiver and microphone for her. George had to go get another mixer because we also had to have a microphone for the guitarist and soloist who did the processional music. Mel Manning of Joe Bunn DJ Company was also on hand to do the recessional music. George and Mel got everything hooked up and powered up and the sound worked beautifully! Thanks, George and Mel!

This photo does not do this beautiful cake justice but I wanted to credit Donna Ford of Sweet Memories for her artistry and good work!

Katie and Chris' Lovely Wedding at Raleigh Rose Garden!

Katie and Chris chose the lovely Raleigh Rose Garden for their wedding on September 12th at 11:30 AM. I think Chris was one of the most involved bridegrooms I have ever worked with. He even made his own boutonniere! His brother, Mike, was his best man and did a reading from the Velveteen Rabbit. Having gotten married only 3 years ago, Mike was full of good advice for Chris as we stood waiting to enter the ceremony!

Here comes the bride! Katie's original plan was to walk in by herself and have Chris meet her halfway down the aisle and they would walk together the last part of the aisle. At the last minute she decided she wanted her father to walk her down the aisle. That is Katie's aunt, Darla, straightening her train. Darla also served as the wedding director and her husband, Andy, operated the battery powered sound system for the music they had selected and put on a CD.

Katie's sisters, Amber and Scottie, served as her co-maids of honor. Scottie read a poem called "It Seems Wherever We Go" and Amber read "To my Friend" by Roy Croft. We were all proud of them for doing such a great job!

The pronouncement of marriage! They were so happy for that moment in the ceremony which is followed by the KISS!

The deed is done! They are now Mr. and Mrs. and so happy!

By the time the ceremony was over, it was high noon and the temperature was soaring. We ducked into the shelter at the garden to take some photos in the shade. Katie and Chris, congratulations! I wish you all the best forever!

Our photographer was Heather of Heather Swanner Photography. Heather and I had met at a networking luncheon a few months before but this was the first wedding we had together. I can't wait to see her pictures!

Spectacular Wedding for Susan and Mark at Duke Gardens Amphitheater!

One of the most beautiful places in all the Triangle for weddings is Duke Gardens amphitheater. On September 6, 2009, the place was at its summertime peak but the leaves on the trees were giving just a hint of fall colors. Mark and Susan planned a fabulous wedding and all their hard work came together to fulfill their dreams!
Mark is Jewish; Susan is Christian. They wanted an interfaith ceremony that blended the traditions of both faiths. Although I officiate many Jewish/Christian interfaith ceremonies and include all the customs, I do not speak Hebrew and the Rabbi I frequently co-officiate interfaith weddings with was not available this Labor Day weekend. Fortunately Mark was able to persuade a good friend and fellow doctor at Duke Medical, Ed, to be our Hebrew reader and cantor. Ed did a super job. In the photo above, Ed and I lead in the groom and his groomsmen.
Here comes our beautiful, radiant bride in her gorgeous wedding gown. Susan chose to walk alone from the reception center to the steps of the amphitheater.
Mark met her at the steps and escorted her into the "altar" area. They both loved this idea when I suggested it to them. (BTW, you can click on each of these photos and a larger image will come up.)
Mark and Susan had originally planned on only about 50 guests but the final guest count was near 90! All their friends and family were happy to come to their wedding and celebrate with them. What a beautiful Chuppah.
It turned out to be a windy day. Although the lovely breeze felt refreshing, it wreaked havoc with the Unity Candle lighting! But, with my helping shield the flames with my hand, we finally got it lit and this photo is testament to that feat!
I'm giving Mark the thumb's up here for successfully breaking the glass as we all shouted "Mahzel Tov" which means good luck and congratulations in Hebrew!
And now for the big kiss. I didn't think they kissed long enough the first time so I made them kiss again! They did not mind at all and the guests loved it. That is Ed on the right grinning and ready to give the benediction in Hebrew as I followed in English.
Here is the now married couple on their way out of the ceremony amidst applause and cheers.
At the rear of the amphitheater is a little private garden nook for the bride and groom and photographer to retreat to for some time alone before the group photos.
Back at the ceremony site after all the guests have departed to the visitors' center for the reception, Susan was thanking me for giving her the hankie during the ceremony when the tears started leaking and her nose too! I always carry a hankie with me for the bride and groom. I collect recycled fancy hankies for just that purpose!

I think Susan just said something really funny but I can't remember what!

Here is the wedding party. The young lady on the far left is Becki, Mark's daughter, and the young man on the right side is his son, Daniel. Their mother passed on many years ago and I could tell they were so happy that their dad had found such happiness with Susan.

Our Vendors:

We could never have had such a smooth flowing wedding without Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair. Mark and Susan hired her soon after contracting with me and she was on the job rounding up and coordinating the vendors and designing the wedding program. Thank you, Barbara and Sally, her assistant!


This is one of the most spectacular and unusual wedding cakes I have ever seen! New on the scene is the cake baker, Miel Bon Bons, Patisserie & Confiserie, out of Carrboro. I am looking forward to seeing more of their unique creations in future weddings.

Mark and Susan dine out frequently at Four Square, that very fine restaurant in Durham, and they offered to cater their wedding although they normally do not cater. I broke down and tasted one of the hors doerves and it was sooo delicious! This is Brandon Carr, the Maitre D'Hotel, serving champagne to the new Dr. and Mrs.!

We were graced with lovely music by the Stalberg String Trio. During the prelude a wonderful soprano soloist, Angelyn Bethel, treated us to Mozart's Alleluia.