Robin and John marry in their new home!

After two rehearsals Saturday morning June 14th for Sunday weddings, Marty and I headed up to Youngsville into Granville County to find the beautiful new home Robin and John built and have been in for one week! You could not tell they had just moved in--it was picture perfect. Their family was all waiting for me and ready to go with the wedding. So, flanked by Robin's daughter, Ginger, and John's grandkids Dante, Sheridan and Jayden, John and Robin became husband and wife. Dante was the ring bearer and did a very responsible job of holding on to those rings! It was a tearful but sweet ceremony in which everyone in the family was remembered and honored. With the knot tied, the witnesses signed the marriage license, we posed for some photos and it was time to go celebrate! PS--Marty and I had noticed a roadside stand on the way there so on the way back, we stopped and loaded up on okra, strawberries and good old homegrown tomatoes. I love tomato sandwiches! It was worth the trip just for the veggies! All the best, John and Robin!

Mid-week Wedding in the Rose Garden

Mark and Edyta chose to get married Thursday morning June 12th at the lovely Raleigh Rose Garden located behind the Raleigh Little Theater. The roses were so pretty and so was the radiant bride. Mark's sister, Natalie, and her children, and his aunt, Randi, were the guests. Edyta's son, Jacob, age 12, was the best man and ring bearer. Her daughter, Maia, age 8, was a flower girl along with Mark's niece. We celebrated Mark and Edyta finding each other, remembered their parents who could not be with us, they exchanged their vows and rings, and then to symbolize the birth of this new family, we had a sand pouring ceremony. The ceremony ended with a kiss and then we posed for photos in the beautiful garden surrounding us. I forgot to bring my camera so their photographer, Tina Loeback, sent me these photos for this post. Thanks, Tina!

Despite the heat, Lena and Josh were soooo happy to be married at last!

Josh and Lena planned a small gathering of family and friends for their wedding June 8th at Magnolia Cottage at Lake Johnson at Raleigh. By 7:00 PM the heat had somewhat subsided and we did their ceremony out on the back deck. Lena carried a beautiful bouquet of fragrant star-fire lillies. We honored their parents and Lena's sons Malichi and Javin. Javin could not be with us so Malichi did double duty as a groomsman and ring bearer. We did a sand ceremony that included Malichi and Javin representing the family unity of this newly joined family. See photos before and after the ceremony. After the ceremony everyone was happy to go back inside and celebrate the newlywed couple!

A lovely indoor wedding at Brier Creek Country Club

Tracy and James wisely decided on the Thursday before their wedding at Brier Creek Country Club on Sunday June 8th to move it indoors due to the extreme heat forecast for the weekend. Their wedding party and parents, their guests, musicians, photographers and I thank them profusely for their kind decision. It was 103 degrees that day! We all enjoyed the cool air inside!

The change in venue did not alter in any way their wonderful wedding ceremony. James' father, Norman, wrote a terrific poem for the occasion and enjoyed reading it to us all. Tracy's aunt, Lynn, shared words from Pablo Neruda with us. We remembered those who could not be present and honored the parents. We asked for a community blessing from all present and they enthusiastically offered their support of their marriage. Tracy and James chose to include a handfasting ritual for the exchange of their vows in which their clasped hands and crossed arms formed the symbol of infinity "blessing their marriage in the ebb and flow of the universe."

Their wedding cake by Diane Fischer was one of the prettiest I have ever seen. I don't know Diane; she must be a friend of the couple. Their favors were "green" hearts filled with seeds to grow wildflowers when planted. They also had a very nice wedding program filled with information for the guests. James' brother, David, who is a picture editor with The New York Times, took the wedding photographs. Greg and Ray, fabulous violin/viola duet, provided the beautiful music. I love working with those guys!

It is always a pleasure to do weddings at Brier Creek Country Club. Rebecca Lyons and her staff are really on the ball and ready to do whatever needs to be done. Besides, whether the wedding is indoors or outdoors, the setting is gorgeous!
Another plus for this wedding was the fact that Tracy and James were referred to me by their good friends Jackie and Rob whose wedding I officiated 3 years ago at Brier Creek. Jackie was Tracy's matron of honor and Rob got drafted into directing the wedding! It was wonderful to see them again and see them so happy to be with each other!

Another great wedding at the Stone Chapel in Wake Forest!

I met with Maria back last July to plan their wedding ceremony. I met Ray for the first time at the rehearsal on Friday. Maria was born in Puerto Rico and Ray in the Dominican Republic and they found each other in North Carolina. It was obvious seeing them together that they were very much in love! We had quite a large wedding party with two maids of honor and 5 bridesmaids and a best man and 5 groomsmen! The rehearsal was a bit imprecise since several people in the wedding party were not there but it all came together beautifully for the wedding day!

Maria's father escorted her down the aisle and transferred her hand to Ray as her eyes filled with tears. (I handed her a hankie at that point--I carry pretty hankies that I collect and give to the brides, and not infrequently the grooms, who tear up at their weddings!) Maria's sister, Lourdes, and one maid of honor, Kenyatta, presented lovely readings. The bride and groom lit a unity candle and read their vows to each other from my book where I had printed them facing the couple. Their sweet kiss after the pronouncement brought on much applause and cheering! We closed with the Indian Wedding Blessing and I presented the newlyweds to their guests after which they jubilantly recessed down the aisle to more cheering!

Weddings at the Stone Chapel are always fun and Ranee and her assistant Corey did a great job behind the scenes. See the photo of one of the pretty stained glass windows in the chapel. After the wedding the wedding party reassembled for photographs by their photographer, Dan Hadley. Meanwhile Marty and I packed up my sound system and headed home to relax and get rested in all this heat for the two weddings the next day!