Jim and Tracie Say Their Vows Under the Trees of Their Farm!

Jim called me on Thursday 6/12/11 and explained that he and Tracie had planned a really fun wedding in Greece the next week but Tracie really wanted to get married under the beautiful trees of the horse farm they just acquired. So, they decided to have a simple ceremony in Raleigh before heading to Greece and doing a Greek style wedding.  I was so happy that I could squeeze Jim and Tracie's nuptials into my busy schedule on Saturday the 14th after the 11:00 wedding in Fuquay-Varina and on my way to Wake Forest for my 5:00 wedding at The Sutherland.

Jim and Tracie and their daughter Bella just moved into a beautiful 5.5 acre horse farm in N. Raleigh and so we gathered under the spreading pecan trees with a lovely background of a very green meadow of tall grasses grown for the horses to munch on. It was so pretty and pastoral. Tracie's parents came from Elizabeth City for the occasion and her dad escorted Tracie from the sidewalk to where Jim and I stood.

Her brother, Michael and his wife, Meredith, who live in Raleigh joined us too.

Bella, Tracie and Jim's beautiful daughter, celebrated her fifth birthday on their  wedding day and at her birthday party earlier in the day had her face painted with a magical pink princess mask surrounding her eyes.

With such short notice, I did not have time to write a ceremony and have them review it and make changes so I intuitively put together a simple sweet ceremony I thought they would like and words that would resonate for them as this was a second marriage for them both. I hit the mark if a few tears leaking from Jim's cheeks were any indication of his being touched by the ceremony.

The whole gang poses for a group shot to commemorate the occasion.

Tracie and Jim, you are likely back from Greece by now. I trust you had a wonderful second wedding ceremony there with all the bells and whistles! I wish you both all the happiness in the world!

Addendum: 

They're back! Jim emailed me that they had a fabulous time in Greece and sent me the photo below of Tracie and Bella riding the donkeys on their way to the ceremony! How romantic!

Jim also wrote: Thanks in advance and thanks once again for your services!  It was great and Tracie and I were both touched by your service!!!  I will recommend you for sure in the future!!!!

Fabulous Highgrove Wedding for Brittany and Hunter!

Brittany and Hunter are such a fun couple to work with. Their wedding was a true reflection of their personalities and their love for each other. The wedding was on Saturday 5/14/11 and rain was in the forecast. Fortunately their wedding was at 11:00 AM and the rain was not slated to start until the afternoon so we did not have to go to Plan B. But, at Highgrove, Plan B is their beautiful new garden ballroom so we were covered either way. This was the first wedding I have done at Highgrove this year and the new ballroom is simply magnificent and everything they promised it would be! Click here to see it before it was finished.

The new ballroom stands where there used to be the huge tent. No more loud AC unit blowing our hair out of place as we process by it to the portico for the ceremony and no more opaque plastic windows to peer out of. There is even a fireplace to make it cozy!

The ballroom is so spacious. See the fireplace in the background.

 

These two lovely ladies are Ann Eberle and Susan Blakeslee with Highgrove. They made sure the processional went flawlessly and that the couple's reception was a huge success! I love it when they are in charge because it makes my job so much easier.

Ashley of Ashley's Cakes made this innovative cake for Brittany and Hunter bringing to reality their vision for their wedding cake based on one of their favorite video games called Little Big Planet. The bottom layer is the African savannah, the middle layer a Japanese garden and the top, the world. The bride and groom reflect the characters. Note the bride is even holding a little bouquet!

Their DJ was Sunny Chauhan with Entertain Your Soul to Music. His assistant, Kirsten, was on hand to give him signals when to change the music during the processional. It all worked very well. I was somewhat concerned that my receiver might not pick up the signal from my body pack because of the distance from the DJ's set up to the portico but it worked without any glitches. Sunny put one of his large speakers outside at the corner of the ballroom (you can see it in the top photo) and the sound was perfect.

The large table in the dining room where we all lined up was filled with framed photos with favorite quotations of the couple and the guest book. Speaking of photos, their photographer was Jennifer Durham with whom I had not worked before. She was gracious and patient as Marty took photos for this blog with my little camera. Jennifer's information can be found on Facebook at this link.

Hunter's best man was his maternal grandfather, Harry. Here Harry is escorting his wife, Hunter's grandmother, to her seat. Hunter explained to me that his parents divorced when he was very young and that he grew very close to his grandfather and grandmother who raised him. It was only fitting that Harry was his best man.

Lauren, Maid of Honor and sister of the bride, and Sadie, cousin of the bride, start down the aisle.

Brittany's father, Carlton, proudly escorts the bride down the aisle.

 

 

 

 

 

Brittany and Hunter were happy and smiling during the whole ceremony. They did not appear nervous at all and enjoyed every moment. Brittany wanted her ceremony to be no longer than 15 minutes and so that's the way it was!

 

They included the handfasting ceremony and Brittany made a very pretty handfasting cord of three colors of ribbon woven together. They said their vows while their hands were bound. 

 

Then I removed the cord, placed it around Hunter's neck and they exchanged rings which took the place symbolically of the cord.

 

Can you see the funny looking thing protruding from Hunter's neck/Adam's apple...that is his bowtie which spins. It was a big surprise for the guests. With his hand he could operate the little motor that made it spin when they kissed.

Away they go...married at last! Time to take some photos and celebrate!

Hunter and Brittany, I know you had a blast at your reception. Sorry I could not stick around. All the best to you both in your marriage. I know you will be so happy to be together forever!

Budget Bride: 10 Ways to Save on Your Wedding Day

I saw this article on the The Sun News website as a result of my Google Alert for Wedding Officiant. I thought it had some interesting suggestions and that you might enjoy reading this! 

Monday, May. 16, 2011

By TRAE BODGE - www.RetailMeNot.com

If you're planning a wedding, you're probably shocked by how much everything costs. I polled several wedding experts and came up with plenty of ways to cut corners without your guests catching on.

The Date

Marta Segal Block, editorial director of GigMasters.com, suggests, "Have a Friday or Sunday evening wedding. Venues are less expensive at these times. Also, people don't tend to drink as much as they do on a Saturday night!"

The Invitations

Why not customize your own invitations? Expressionery.com offers adorable, affordable personalized invitations that you can make truly unique with on-screen previews and multiple font choices. You'll find thousands of choices that you won't find anywhere else.

The Dress

The leading website for wedding dress resale, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, offers two money-saving options: You can sell your gown after you wear it, and recoup up to 50 percent off what you paid. Conversely, you can buy a pre-worn gown. Wedding dresses are usually only worn for five hours or so, so it's a fantastic way to save up to 50 percent off retail.

Photography

When it comes to negotiating with photographers, New Jersey wedding photographer Erol Ata of CIP Studios, suggests, "Ask the studio to provide CDs of high-res images and no prints. This way the bride can make prints and create her own albums at a more reasonable price on her own time."  [Note that your photos will NOT be edited though. This skill is part of why you pay a photographer for finished prints and albums.]

Videography

Most videographers use one or two cameras per wedding, and they are booked by the hour. The company Wedit mails you five HD handheld video cameras to use for five days. Afterward, you pop the cameras back in the box and mail them with the prepaid shipping label. The Wedit team edits a highlight reel and video with your feedback and delivers the finished product in less than a month, at about half the price of traditional videography.

Flowers

Angie Zimmerman, a florist in El Dorado Hills, California, who has written the Do It Yourself Flower Guide, says to "use flowers that are in season, and then leave it to the florist to pick flowers that match your color scheme and fit within your budget."

Another option along those lines is to do your own flowers. Buy the flowers the day before at a local flower market and create your own simple arrangements. My maid of honor and I did this, and it was a wonderful bonding experience for us.

The Food

To avoid a big food bill, wedding planner Greg Jenkins of Bravo Productions, provided these tips:

"Select simple cheese and fruit platters instead of expensive appetizers. Also, eliminate the carving stations of prime rib and jumbo shrimp and opt for more inexpensive fare such as chicken, fish and mini-appetizers."

The Cake

Wedding officiant and former high-end caterer Celia Milton, of New Jersey, says, "One of my favorite ideas is to have a mini wedding cake on each table instead of a huge flower arrangement; it can do double duty as dessert, of course, and each table can have a 'designated cutter,' which is a real conversation piece."  [What a unique and interesting idea. I have never heard of this but I like it!]

The Drinks

"Don't have a full bar," advises Block. "You should never ask your guests to pay for their own drinks, but you don't need to provide them everything under the sun. Just serving wine and a specialty drink can save you a ton of money."

The Honeymoon

Philadelphia wedding planner Stacey Halstead, of Create the Moment, suggests, "Register for your honeymoon! Most travel agents can create a registry through their website, and couples can register for things they want - airfare, scuba diving, helicopter rides, etc."

My husband and I did this. We married in our late 30s, so we didn't need china and serving trays. The registry paid for our entire three-week trip to Southeast Asia, and we mailed thank-you postcards along the way to everyone who contributed. From all the photos we took, we created an online album so everyone could see how much we loved our gift.

Trae Bodge is a beauty and lifestyle expert who writes for www.RetailMeNot.com, the No.1 coupon site in the world.

Stephanie and Dan's Awesome Rustic Casual Wedding at The Sutherland!

Stephanie's parents contacted me in February of 2010 to book me for Stephanie and Dan's wedding on May 7, 2011 at The Sutherland. I married their daughter, Brittany, in 2009 at the Preston-Woodall House and they wanted to make sure they got me for Stephanie's wedding. I was delighted!

When Marty and I arrived for the big day, this cute little sign greeted us. There was great attention to detail at this lovingly and carefully planned wedding. Their theme was Rustic Casual and their color scheme was pink and orange so I made a new prayer stole to wear to match their colors.

 

The wedding box contains  a bottle of wine and unread handwritten love letters Dan and Stephanie wrote to each other and sealed--to be opened on their first anniversary to remind them of this wonderful day and how much they love each other.

The Cupcake Shoppe provided these tasty looking cupcakes and a small cake for the bride and groom to cut for the customary cake-feeding of each other at the reception.

 

Sweet little nest of Mr. and Mrs. eggs with sprigs of fragrant honeysuckle.

Burlap bags of coffee were favors for the guests to take home with them.

 

 Bride and Groom's colorful table with another nest of Mr. and Mrs. eggs! 

Rocky Top Catering catered the event and the menu is just right for this playful wedding theme.

Inside the house on the dining room table, the beautiful bouquets await the bridesmaids and the bride. The Purple Poppy  in Wake Forest provided all the beautiful florals.

A favorite DJ of mine is Jeff Simpson with Simpsound DJ and Lighting Services. He was also the DJ at Brittany and Will's wedding and Stephanie's mother, Lisa, persisted until she got him booked for this wedding. May is prom time and DJs are in big demand! This was his first wedding at The Sutherland and he was duly impressed with the beauty of the estate. At the rehearsal on Friday before this wedding, The Sutherland was setting up for a prom for Home Schools for the second year in a row. A gorgeous setting for an elegant prom.

Guests milled around on the Bride's Patio before being seated for the ceremony.

Jennifer Jones (and assistant Donna) was our wedding director from The Sutherland. She and Jeff are going over the cues. I don't know what the deal with their hands is!

Stephanie's dress was gorgeous and perfect for her. It was slightly off white which complemented her skin color and so light and fluffy!

 

The flower girls, Savanna and Ava, managed to stay up on the altar with us the entire ceremony. Ava, the younger one, had a good time playing with her hair from time to time and Savannah would remind her to pay attention! Our Matron of Honor is Stephanie's sister, Brittany, and one of the groomsmen is her husband, Will. They are expecting their first child in August. Also expecting is their older sister, Jennifer, (not in the wedding party but sitting in the front row) and she is expecting in August also, as well as another of our bridesmaids. We decided that we will have a group baby blessing ceremony for them all, including Ava and Savannah, later this year! That will be so much fun!

We had a very special parents' blessing for their parents. Mark and Lisa, Stephanie's parents, and Mike and Heidi, Dan's parents have been married 29 years! Congratulations and thank you for providing such wonderful models of marriage for your children!

 

After telling the guests how Stephanie and Dan met and the story of their courtship, it was time to exchange their vows and rings. Then they locked the wedding box with the wine and their love letters.

 

 The crowning moment of the wedding! A good kiss, Dan!

Nicole Faby is our photographer. We have done several weddings together. She is expecting a baby too! I have seen some photos that Nicole has done of babies that rival the famous baby portraits of Anne Geddes!

Stephanie and Dan, I know that your love and dedication to each other will ensure a wonderful marriage! Congratulations! I look forward to seeing you and your family again later on this year at the baby blessing ceremony as we welcome your new nieces and/or nephews!