Elegant wedding at The Umstead Hotel and Spa!

Matt and Ruth were married May 10 at 6:00 in a beautiful and funny ceremony they created that fit them perfectly. After welcoming everyone and paying special tribute to their parents, James, Ruth's brother, read a very funny poem called "He Never Leaves the Toilet Seat Up" by an anonymous author. And, if that was not enough, Ruth's grandmother, Frances, regaled us with a reading entitled "Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali. So, after two good laughs we got down to the serious part of the ceremony and got those two hitched! At Ruth and Matt's request, their photographer, Kevin Milz, then got everyone together for a group shot taken from the terrace above before the guests went on to the reception inside.

I am looking forward to seeing that picture, Kevin!








Joe Bunn, one of my favorite DJs, provided the ceremony music and got my mike all plugged into the Umstead system so that the sound was absolutely perfect and everyone could hear all the words of the wonderful ceremony Matt and Ruth put together. The staff at The Umstead is so wonderful, always attentive and super organized. I love doing weddings there. I can count on them flowing smoothly as every detail is taken care of. I was happy to see Ami Wheeler there this weekend. She is in training under Laura Grissom the Catering Director and then will be taking over all wedding events in June. (I married Ami and Dan several years ago when she worked for CateringWorks. Small world, isn't it?) Thanks for all your help Saturday, Ami, and I look forward to seeing you often!

"Under the spreading oak tree......"

Kennon and Franklin's wedding took place on Franklin's family's farm in Apex on Saturday May 10. In the front is a huge oak tree that formed a beautiful canopy over the wedding site. It felt like we were way out in the country! Kennon was "delivered" to the ceremony in a Bentley and was escorted down the aisle by her father. It was quite windy but the temperature was very pleasant and as Franklin said, the breeze kept the bugs away! Franklin and Kennon, you are a delightful couple and I hope to see you again some day for a renewal or vows or baby blessing ceremony--better yet, both!

Franklin's sister Shana made the couple the most beautiful hand-fasting cord I have ever seen. She wove together ribbons and cords of different colors, attached little fairy bells, and at the ends she had charms for peace, serenity, dreams and wishes. Shana will make one for you just the way you want it. Call her at (919) 559-6335. For the ceremony I wear the hand-fasting cord in, during the ceremony it is looped around their clasped hands and then removed and symbolically replaced by the rings. I then place the cord around the groom's jacket and he gets to wear it from that point on.

"Green" wedding at Magnolia Cottage!

Nichole and Donald planned a small wedding for their families and closest friends on May 10. The weather was ideal! The wedding took place out on the deck of Magnolia Cottage at Lake Johnson in Raleigh. There was a runner and someone had wisely thumb-tacked it in place! They had the sand ceremony in the wedding and had gotten a lovely engraved glass and silver container. Their theme was oranges and even the wedding cake had little oranges on it (I think they were kumquats that look like miniature oranges--clever!) The centerpieces were oranges and limes. For gifts for the guests, each family got a blue spruce seedling to take home. All the best to you, Nichole and Donald!

Let's talk about aisle runners!

The vision of floating down the aisle on a pristine white runner is appealing for sure! The task of making that vision happen can be a challenge though. The best aisle runner I have ever seen is a 50-foot length of white carpet. The carpet won't twist, wrinkle, snag, or fly up in the wind which are the problems encountered with the standard aisle runners sold to brides! Diane Tighe at the Washington-Duke Inn where I did the wedding with the white carpet runner told me that the runner was rented from American Party Rentals. According to their website you can rent it for $50. It would be a wise investment if you want a great runner for your wedding.

Another suitable aisle runner was made by Laura and Ash, a couple I married at the Raleigh Rose Garden. I warned them about the futility of putting an aisle runner on top of grass and so they very wisely had a length of heavy white canvas hemmed with grommets inserted at intervals so the runner could be secured to the ground with tent stakes--very clever! See photo of Laura and Dad processing in on the runner.

The flimsy paper-thin, rather narrow aisle runners on a cardboard roll with rope through it leaves much to be desired and requires planning and hard work to install! I do not recommend it be laid out over grass--at all. Even when we have tried to secure it to the ground with white golf tees, it becomes treacherous. The least little bit of wind will pick it up and wrinkle and twist it. The heels of the bridesmaids' and bride's shoes can snag it and risks walking down the aisle dragging the runner behind like a long piece of toilet paper! Besides, it feels like you are walking on pillows! A better solution to defining the aisle is to sprinkle rows of flower petals thickly on each side of the aisle, or all over. This is so pretty! Or, sprinkle lavender seeds on the aisle right before the bride comes in and as she and her father walk on the lavender seeds as they process in, the beautiful lavender scent wafts through the air!










If the aisle is carpet, concrete or decking, the paper aisle runner must be secured with tape--not an easy task getting tape to stick to carpet or concrete. It must be taped at the beginning and at the end and usually tacked down along the sides. This takes time and therefore dictates that the aisle runner be put down before the wedding begins and if you don't want your guests walking on it, rope off the center aisle and direct the guests to their seats from the sides. To wait and have your ushers roll out your aisle runner after all the wedding party have processed in can sometimes be a longer pause in the procession than you planned on. It is usually entertaining for the guests though as they watch the person(s) in charge of unrolling the aisle runner struggle to get the runner straight and then secured. The rope that they put in the tube that the runner is rolled on invariably snags and gets hung up during the unrolling and getting the runner straight down the aisle is not an easy thing for the usher(s) who is backing down the aisle and can't easily see where he is going--no rear view mirror--ha ha! Then, once it is in place, it must be cut and taped down before the bride makes her entrance.

The wedding I did at Bass Lake Park on 4/27 had a runner and it was quite easily taped to the deck there but did result in a delay as the two women who ran it down the aisle after the mothers were seated frantically had to get it straight then cut it with scissors and hold it down (it was windy) while trying to tape it down. See photo. The next Saturday 5/3 I did another wedding there where the runner was attempted to be held down by pots of flowers. That did not work very well--it was windy and the wind lifted the runner up and out from beneath the pots and it twisted and wrinkled. When the bride and her father tried to walk down the aisle it was too narrow because of the pots of flowers and dad had to run an obstacle course avoiding the pots of flowers. Actually he was a good sport and it was quite comical and we all had a good laugh! You can see the wrinkled runner and flower pots in the photos of Valerie and Kevin's wedding below.

Tim Oxendine, local DJ, has a red carpet runner which can be used in your wedding. Here is a photo of a wedding at Eagle Ridge Golf Club with Tim's red aisle runner. So, if you hire Tim to DJ your wedding, you can have a red aisle runner for your wedding!

If anyone has any innovative ideas for aisle runners, I would love to hear from you.

Celebrate May Weddings!

Did you know that May and October are the most popular wedding months in NC? I had three weddings May 3rd--two small private ceremonies in homes and one large one. The day was beautiful and all the weddings went smoothly!

Dan and Muneeba's wedding was in NE Raleigh. Peggy, mother of the groom, hosted a warm gathering of friends and family of the couple including Dan's grandparents and Muneeba's father and brother who traveled from Canada and England respectively for the occasion. Peggy provided quite a spread of delicious food and a beautiful wedding cake. Muneeba was radiant in her lovely wedding gown. Dan was pretty radiant too!

Then Marty (my "roadie") and I traveled across the Triangle to Durham for the wedding of Lori and Jimmy out in the countryside. They had created a sweet spot in their backyard garden for their beautiful ceremony which Lori had written almost entirely by herself with just a few suggestions from me. They were married surrounded by family and dear friends and later, Ginger, their sweet rescue dog joined us. I could not get her to pose with the bride and groom as she was so eagerly saying hello to all their guests!

The last wedding of the day was at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs, a wonderful setting chosen by Kevin and Valerie for their wedding celebration. There was a wonderful breeze on the deck with a backdrop of scenic Bass Lake. During the ceremony the youngest flowergirl proceeded to play with her basket of petals on top of the bride's train! You can see her if you look closely in the photo below. I could hear the other flower girls shushing her but she was having so much fun! Things like this do not bother me as long as they do not bother the couple and besides, it was entertaining to the guests on that side! Valerie's Grandmother Alice and Kevin's Uncle Jim presented two readings but Ethan, Valerie's 10 year old son, took the mike and held everyone in rapt attention with his reading of A Fairytale Potion for a Wedding. This special poem was written by Sean Brosnahan for his wedding ceremony that I officiated at Johnson Lake in 2004. I cannot resist publishing it here:

This wedding is, as stories are,
exquisite, warm, and bold.
A fairy-tale of love so strong,
it beckons to be told.
This couple here before you is
a testament you see,
that how to find love found in books,
is no real mystery.
If you’ll allow me, I will tell,
the recipe they’ve found
on how to mix a potion that will
spread true love around.
First take two individuals,
whose sense of self is sure.
And add a dash of thoughtfulness,
to keep their comments pure.
A pinch of warmth, a dash of smiles,
both grated fresh from stick.
But if you’re short, a spoonful
of compassion does the trick.
A willingness to give and take,
a penchant not to sulk,
should be added in large doses
(You should buy them by the bulk)!
Forgiveness is a quality found almost everywhere.
A pinch or two should do quite well,
to keep you from despair.
And last, not least, this recipe
needs flavoring does it not?
Two quarts of passion ladled in will surely hit the spot!
And now you know the recipe
that brought our lovers here.
If you follow it precisely
your own fairy tale we’ll cheer!
If this potion finds you love,
and marriage comes your way,
the only payment that they ask:
pass it on someday!

We followed the readings with the wedding address, vows and rings, then had a sand pouring ceremony including Ethan concluded by the pronouncement and introduction of the newlywed couple. Congratulations, Valerie and Kevin!

Ah, one May weekend of weddings down, 3 more weekends and many more weddings to go before June!