Fabulous Candlelight Wedding for Courtney and Denny at All Saints Chapel!

Courtney and Denny and I met last January to plan their November 7, 2009 wedding at All Saints Chapel, one of my favorite places for weddings in Raleigh. They are a delightful young professional couple who are careful planners and knew what they wanted. All Saints Chapel was a perfect setting for them and their 130 guests. It was close to the Capital City Club where their reception was and they hired buses to transport their guests from the hotel to the chapel and then from the chapel to the reception.

After Courtney's grandparents and the parents and all the attendants and I had processed in down the candlelit aisle, it was time for our flower girl, Caitlin, to sprinkle the aisle with pretty fall leaves.

Here comes the beautiful bride escorted in by her beaming father!

Here we are during the ceremony. Can you see all the candles? I happen to know there were at least 100!

The deed is done and Courtney and Denny are husband and wife and so happy! They exited to the front of the chapel followed by their wedding party and parents and grandparents.

Then I asked all the guests to stand and turn around and fill in the aisle, being careful of all those candles in the aisle! Then the parents, grandparents, wedding party and finally the bride and groom came back in to stand in front of the guests while our photographer, Robin Lin, got a shot of everyone from the balcony in the rear of the chapel. (All the photos on this blog are with my point and shoot digital camera, courtesy of my "roadie" Marty!)

Then I invited the guests to proceed to the reception while we took some photos of the bride and groom and their attendants and relatives. Courtney and Denny had decided to have a "First Look" before the ceremony so a lot of their wedding photos were taken in various spots around downtown Raleigh. Courtney's dress was gorgeous! She has such elegant beauty.

Courtney and Denny, I wish you lifetimes of happiness and all the best life has to offer!


Now to let you in on a few behind the scenes scenarios before this beautiful wedding happened: When Marty and I arrived at 4:00 for the 5:00 wedding, the aisle and the altar area were filled with beautiful glass vases of water of varying heights with white floating candles. The above photo shows where the candles were originally placed. But, the problem was, and I am sure the florist had no idea where the bridesmaids and groomsmen were to stand for the ceremony, that the candles were positioned where the attendants were to stand and there was nowhere else for the attendants to be. To leave the candles where they were was to risk them getting knocked over or the girls' dresses catching fire. The florist (Fresh Affairs) was long gone, having set up much earlier in the day.

Here Andrew Martin of All Saints Chapel and I are discussing what to do about this situation. (Andrew was filling in this weekend for Sarah Morris who was away at a wedding. Andrew told us that his wedding was at the chapel two weeks earlier!) We had no choice but to move the candles. So, Andrew, Marty and I set about rearranging the vases--some were quite heavy--toward the back of the altar to clear the steps and front of the altar. The photo below shows the final rearrangement and it is lovely. I loved all the candles and the romantic mood they create. But wait, another problem presented itself once we got the candles in place. It was now 4:30, 30 minutes before ceremony start time, and time to light the candles. We discovered we had no way to light all these candles! Andrew searched the chapel for a long handled butane lighter and Marty searched my car. Nothing but matches and the short cigarette lighters turned up. They would not work because you cannot stick your hand into the vases and light the wicks without burning yourself!

So, at 4:30 Marty and I hopped in my car and drove three blocks down the street to Caffe Luna where I also do many weddings and found Ryan Hill, the catering manager, and hurriedly explained the problem and she gave me two long handled butane lighters. Ryan, you saved the day! Marty and I sped back to the chapel waving to the wedding party on Person Street having photos taken. Andrew and Marty set about lighting the candles which were not easy to light, believe me. There were hanging glass candle holders in the little trees on the altar and in order to reach them, I had to climb up behind the altar, unhook each one from the tree branches, hold for Andrew to light, then hang up again. The guests were arriving and being seated as we were diligently lighting candles and one nice gentleman helped us immensely. Andrew found one taper candle that we could use as a lighter so with 3 of us lighting candles, we were done about 15 minutes before start time! The bride and groom had no idea what had gone on until I told them later! It would have been a shame if we could not have lit the candles.

In December of 2008, I officiated the wedding of Melissa and Chris at Long View Center (unfortunately now closed) and their musicians were Gregory Dixon on piano and Phillip Jefferson on oboe. I told Denny and Courtney how spectacular and mystical the combination of the two instruments was and so they decided that was what they wanted. So above are Gregory (919 274-1041) and Phillip (919 604-2431) making their beautiful music. I wish I had sound on this blog! I was so looking forward to hearing this music again. For one of the processional numbers, Denny and Courtney chose the theme from Forrest Gump. I have never heard it used in a wedding before but it was truly magical and perfect! I hope to hear it again in a wedding.

Marty and I did not go to the reception at the Capital City Club although we were invited. I rarely go to receptions any more. For one thing, most of the time I really only know the couple and I want them to have fun with their friends and families and not worry about me. Another thing is that if I went to all the receptions, I would weigh about 400 pounds by now! Just too tempting! I understand that Courtney and Denny had Complete Music as their DJ and that Simply Cakes did their wedding cake. Courtney's make-up and hair were by Primp Salon and she sure looked fabulous!

Meredith and Brian Have a Halloween Wedding at Rigmor House!

Meredith and Brian did not choose Halloween for their wedding date because they were into ghosts, goblins, or tricks. But they were into treats! They chose the wonderful Rigmor House for their wedding. This was my first wedding here and when I arrived for the rehearsal I was really impressed.
The photos on the Rigmor House website just do not do the place justice! The setting is back off the road (NC Hwy 54 in Chapel Hill) and shielded by trees and fields. The retreat house is huge and spacious and very well equipped for weddings and retreats and corporate meetings for that matter. A tent was set up for the wedding reception near the ceremony site.

Saturday October 31, 2009 started out rainy and a bit chilly. By 4:30, the sun was shining, the wind was blowing gently and it was 81 degrees! When all the guests were seated, our honorary director and friend of the couple, Leigh, signaled Josh Starmer, friend of the couple, to begin playing his cello for the processional.


Our Chuppah holders then processed in. The original plan was to have the Chuppah already in place but the wind was such that the Chuppah would have been air borne had we left it unattended!

Then Brian and I entered. Brian is a laid-back guy but I could detect a bit of nervousness which is normal. Brian is not particularly religious and Meredith was raised Jewish and wanted Jewish traditions in their wedding. I don't think Brian cared one way or another, he just wanted Meredith to have whatever she wanted. The 4 Chuppah holders were his attendants--three men and one woman.

Meredith had 10 bridesmaids and we scattered them on both sides of the Chuppah. It worked out very nicely. We had three readings during the ceremony and then we had 7 blessings with one attendant reading one each so all ten had a speaking part!

Here come the last two bridesmaids, Julie--Brian's sister, (L) and Diana, Meredith's sister, (R), followed by our ring-bearers.

Sophia was our flower girl. She started out great then stalled when she noticed all the people. Her mother had to help her the rest of the way down the aisle! Then she spent a lot of the time during the ceremony off to the side playing with her petals! She was quiet though and that is what counts!

Our lovely bride is escorted in by her proud parents, Rob and Erica. Up until the last moment before the guests arrived they were busy working on the wedding details then had to stop and go get dressed. They were delightful to work with and I could tell that Meredith comes from a happy loving family!

What a pretty setting for this wedding! Meredith told me afterward that everything went just as she had dreamed.

Diana, sister of the bride, was the reader for one of the readings. It was ee cumming's "2 little whos," the same poem that was read at their parents' wedding. Diana got a little choked up during the reading and Meredith has turned around to grin at her. It was a memorable moment.

After the vows, the rings, the wine, the seven blessings, and the glass breaking and the shouting of "Mahzel Tov," the couple were pronounced married and scampered happily down the aisle!

This is where Meredith was exclaiming to me that everything went exactly as she had dreamed and she was tickled pink. Of course I was very happy to hear that too. I try hard to make brides and grooms as happy as they can possibly be! A friend of Brian's mom told me after the ceremony that he had been to many interfaith weddings and that none of them held a candle to this one. That is always nice to hear. Meredith and Brian....all your hard work paid off and you had a wonderful wedding. I am honored that you chose me to be your officiant and I wish you years and years of wedded bliss!

Thanks to Megan Kime for being our photographer. Good to see you again, Megan.
Floral Dimensions and the bride were in charge of the flowers. The bridesmaids each held a single large hydrangea blossom. Simplicity is elegance! The wedding cakes were made by a friend. I saw some of them in the kitchen but did not hang out to see them brought out to the reception, hence no photos.

A Dream Wedding for Pam and Dick at The Matthews House!

Pam and Dick came to see me in early June to officiate their wedding. They told me their sweet story. They both were widowed and after they got their children grown up and their empty-nest lives in order, they met unexpectedly, fell madly in love, and consider each other a miraculous blessing in their lives. And so they wanted to get married. Pam wanted to have the wedding she always dreamed of and set about with great determination making that dream come true with Dick's loving support. Their lovely wedding was Friday October 30, 2009 at The Matthews House in Cary. A great place for a wedding. I love doing weddings there! Somehow Nina, the owner, keeps thinking of more things to make it an even better and more beautiful place to get married!

So, their wedding day finally arrived. Tracy Adams, our wonderful wedding planner, was on hand to wave her magic wand and make everything flow like clockwork. Even the weather cooperated! Ross and Alice Merle were there when Marty and I arrived. Ross was the DJ for the reception and providing sound for the ceremony. Alice on keyboard was providing the music for the ceremony. The groom and his men were all decked out in white suits and shoes. The bridesmaids were in pretty cognac colored dresses. Even Dick's boutonniere was a small cognac colored orchid--as were the tablecloths in the breezeway and the napkins and even the flowers on the cake. Everything had been so carefully planned. They even had surprise ring-bearers in costume!

Pam and Dick's grown up children were their attendants. Here Catalina and Darren process in.

Our beautiful bride was escorted in by her brother Jerry. Tracy is fluffing the bride's train. Two of Pam's sons, Benjamin and Joel, sang solos during the wedding.

Pam and Dick wrote their personal vows to each other and read them from my book to each other during the ceremony.

Then I called for the rings! The couple's furry friends were escorted in. Pick, an Australian shepherd mix, wanted to kiss each guest on her way down the aisle. Roxie, a dachshund, was steadily making her way down the aisle on her short little legs to greet mom and dad! Their pouches were handed to me and the pups then were escorted out.

Pick and Roxie really wanted to hang around with the family but reluctantly let themselves be led out.

Pam is ecstatic! Can you tell?? So happy to be married to Dick at last. The deed was done so it was time to have some fun.

As you can see, we were running out of daylight for the photographs but the bride and groom were on a high and ready to have a great celebration with all their friends and family. It was a glorious occasion and Pam had the wedding of her dreams. Pam and Dick, I wish you many years of bliss and all the happiness in the world! You both deserve it.

This is Pick smiling before the ceremony and ready to go. She is such a sweet and happy dog with boundless energy!

Here I am giving her last minute instructions as she washes my hands with her tongue!

Awww, sweet Roxie. She is 9 years old and looks like she has had many litters of puppies. What a sweet doggie!

All ready for the reception decorated in the bride's choice of colors.

Tracy Adams of Adams and Events was the wedding planner and director for Pam and Dick. When Tracy is in charge of a wedding, I can relax and know that everything will flow without a hitch. She told me that she thinks the same when I am the officiant! I highly recommend Tracy. Her opening words at a rehearsal are priceless! You rock, Tracy!

The wedding cake is by Ashley Cakes and follows the color scheme.



As a wedding gift to the couple, Tesh Parekh of was there to paint the scene of their wedding ceremony. Marty and I did not hang around to see the finished painting but I know it will be a treasure for the couple.

Martha Manning was our photographer and it was good to work with her again. Victorian Seasons did the pretty flowers.

Jenn and Sean's Wonderful Wedding at The Sutherland--Revisited!

Jenn and Sean had a beautiful and heartfelt wedding at The Sutherland on September 25th. Jenn's parents live in Franklinton NC so they had their wedding here. They came all the way from Bothell WA and their guests came from all over the country. There is a post earlier on this wedding. Since then I have received some photos from their photographer, Brian Mullins, and a thank you note from the couple that I wanted to add to the blog.

Jenn wrote: "Dear Rev. Middleton, Sean and I wanted to thank you for presiding over our wedding. We truly enjoyed working with you and appreciate all the love, guidance, and support that you gave to us. My guests couldn't say enough nice things about you and your beautiful ceremony. Thank you for being a special part of our day. Love, Jenn."

Brian Mullins is an exceptional photographer. I have admired his work through the years. You can go read his wonderful reviews on WeddingWire.com here.

Here Sean is saying his ring vows and slipping the ring on Jenn's finger.

At the rehearsal I always tell the couple that their kiss needs to be long enough for their photographer to get a good photo and assign them "kissing homework" the night before the wedding to practice, practice, practice! Jenn and Sean took that to heart and what a great picture Brian got!

Post wedding photos. It was raining as all afternoon and so we had to move the ceremony under the big tent in the Groom's terrace. When the ceremony was over, the rain had stopped and we got some great photos outside. This one is in front of the front steps of the manor house.

This photo was taken in the Walled Garden area where we would have had the ceremony had it not been raining. The Sutherland's grounds and gardens are just gorgeous!

Thanks for sending me these photos, Brian! You do such great work and are so much fun to work with!

The Grand Marquise Ballroom is Open!

The Grand Marquise Ballroom in Garner opened this month, October 2009. It is an elegant new venue for weddings, receptions and other events. It is conveniently located about 10 minutes off I-40 and in a quiet neighborhood. I had the great good fortune of attending a Professional Wedding Guild (PWG) vendor networking luncheon there today, 10/28/09. The photographer for the event was Dajuan Jones and he has posted much better photos of this venue on his blog. Go take a look. Thanks, Dajuan!

The owners of Anfesa's Jewelers who built this lovely venue thought of everything. It will accommodate up to 500 guests and has parking for over 300 people.

This is the view when you walk into the ballroom from the spacious arched foyer. The grand staircase makes a great backdrop for a wedding ceremony and a great entrance for the wedding party into the ballroom for the reception.

This is the view of the ballroom from the side of the stairway.

This beautiful monogram projected onto the dance floor can be customized for each wedding couple.

There are gorgeous chandeliers on the ceiling and mood lighting as well. Notice the different colors of the room when the lights are changed. The doors lead into the beautiful foyer entrance where wedding guests can assemble for cocktails after the wedding ceremony while the ballroom is being turned for the reception.

Let me tell you, the bathrooms are equally well appointed. The mosaic above is in the ladies room as well as huge mirrors and chandeliers in each compartment.

This is the ceiling above the grand staircase.

Meredith Matthews, one of the owners, was gracious in giving us a tour of the ballroom. There is a fully equipped kitchen for caterers for events. There are no dedicated caterers at this venue so brides can bring their own choice of caterer.

This lovely peacock mural is in the bridal suite which is upstairs. The furnishings are really plush and elegant.

Three way mirrors and all the amenities.

A sweet swan lamp graces the spacious vanity area.

I had to show you the fancy "throne" for the bride!

And the matching sink! Note the pretty mural on the wall.

This is Rev. Robin Renteria who is our speaker for today's luncheon. She spoke on "hot buttons" -- how they get triggered and what to do about them. It was a great talk! Thanks, Robin.

Two of my favorite DJ's, Ross Merle on the left, and Lenny Fritts on the right, flank our PWG hostess, Gail Galloway!

Gail again. I like this photo of you, Gail!

This is Joy Edwards of A Joyful Occasion, wedding planning, special events and travel.

Two popular photographers I enjoy working with: Jennifer Kidd on the left and Jennifer Aanerud on the right.

Catherine and Kyle help out at the registration desk.

Marilyn Wienand graces us with her heavenly harp music. Marilyn is terrific on the organ too.

We-Cook-4U catered our luncheon today. It was delicious, Alvin! Ashley Cakes provided the cupcake desserts and brought this beautiful cake to display.