LeAnn and Jon Michael's Small Intimate Wedding at Caffe Luna!

When LeAnn contacted me to officiate her wedding to Jon Michael, she explained "no bells, whistles or frills!" LeAnn was born in Korea and she and her twin brother were adopted by their American parents. Last summer LeAnn spent several months in Korea getting to know her birth place and heritage. She sent me her blog address and it was fascinating getting to know her that way. She planned a small intimate wedding with just family and close friends at Caffe Luna on April 25th. So, we made all the arrangements by email and US mail without meeting in person. She wanted me to write the ceremony for them and they added personal statements to each other. I sent her a proposed ceremony based on what she told me they envisioned and she and Jon Michael made the changes they wanted. It was truly a ceremony that reflected the two of them and honored their parents and friends.


When I arrived at their wedding on Saturday evening, I met LeAnn and Jon Michael for the first time. LeAnn wore a simple but elegant white wedding dress. She looked so lovely. They are a laid back couple and this wedding suited them perfectly. Their three closest friends stood up for them. The wedding took place in the VIP room of Caffe Luna with their guests seated around the long table. LeAnn's father told me that he loved the ceremony and he was so impressed that I did not miss a beat when I handed LeAnn a hankie to wipe away her tears. Everyone seemed truly touched by LeAnn and Jon Michael's love for each other and how the ceremony expressed it so eloquently. All the best to you, LeAnn and Jon Michael!

Kimberly and Seth Wed in Their Lovely Home in Raleigh!

Seth and Kimberly wanted to get married at their lovely home surrounded by their close friends and families. When they met with me in February, their back yard had not yet been landscaped and they did a super job getting that done in two months because it was gorgeous. They placed tables and chairs in the lush green grass off the deck surrounded by a forest of huge trees. They built an arbor and decorated it with pretty pink flowers. Kimberly carried a bouquet of the biggest starfire lilies I have ever seen. When I first arrived for their wedding and took a look at the backyard, I spotted the wide white runner right away. I was quite worried until I took the first step onto it and realized they had wisely placed sheets of plywood down over the grass before laying down the runner which was made of flannel backed vinyl fabric. It was substantial and did not wrinkle, blow up in the breeze nor was it slippery. Good planning!

Kimberly was gorgeous in her beautiful wedding dress! Seth and his best man, Luke, towered above us all! The guys got all suited up in their tuxes and I pinned their boutonnieres on. Corey, the maid of honor, was dolled up in bright pink and red to match the flowers. It was a colorful wedding nestled in the backyard with the woods for the backdrop. Their friends, families and neighbors gathered around seated at their tables. Arioso Strings provided a string duet which is always a treat to listen to. Daniel Templeton was their DJ. He is a friend of theirs from Greensboro. Another friend, Bryce Campbell, was their photographer. His assistant was not able to come to the wedding, so Bryce was trying to be everywhere at once!

Kimberly's father, Terry, escorted her down the aisle and transferred her hand into Seth's and I began to speak the wonderful words of the incredibly beautiful ceremony Seth and Kimberly had put together. It is one of my favorites now. Kimberly shed a few tears and I am sure their mothers (Sue and Melissa) did too as I thanked them from their children. Seth and Kimberly are such mature individuals to be only in their twenties. They own their own home and run their lives responsibly. They love each other immensely and it is evident that they have thought everything through thoroughly. It was a delight to work with them and to be a part of their special day. After the ceremony we reassembled for photos and then I took off for the next wedding. I expect to be seeing Kimberly and Seth again as they both expressed their intention to do my Marriage Optimization program just to make sure they have covered every aspect of their relationship to insure a happy and satisfying marriage. I look forward to working with them! Congratulations, Kimberly and Seth!

A Very Special Wedding Ceremony for Cortney and Joseph!

Joseph and Cortney met with me in February to discuss their wedding plans and see what I thought about their ideas for their ceremony on April 25th. They really wanted to do things differently. First of all, their wedding was on the patio at the Washington-Duke Inn in Durham, an elegant and fun wedding venue. They wanted to do their wedding "in the round." Ironically, I did a wedding at that same site in the round a few years ago so I was positive it would be work very nicely there. They were thrilled. They loved the ceremony I read to them and the creative freedom I give couples in writing their own ceremony using my ceremony material as guidelines and were eager to get started. A few weeks later they called me and told me that they were very happily "with child!" I suggested we put a blessing for the child that was to be born to them in the wedding ceremony if that appealed to them and they loved it!

At the rehearsal on Friday, I was thrilled to work with Diane Tighe from the Inn again! It has been awhile. Diane and I work together so well because we have done many weddings together in the past 10 years. She had already had the chairs placed in an octagonal shape with 4 aisles. Joseph and Cortney planned to enter at the same time from opposite sides, come around the outside of the circle of guests, meet in the middle and enter the circle together. They also wanted to dance out at the conclusion of the ceremony with their first dance around the outside of the circle once then entering it again and then dancing with their parents and then inviting the guests to join them. So, we got the choreography down pat and went through the ceremony logistics and looked forward with anticipation for the ceremony the next day. Cortney's sister, Heather, and Joseph's friend, Alan, were their matron of honor and best man, respectively. They had two readers who stepped into the circle for their readings. The "sound man" from the Inn, Thomas Burke, was with us and I was able to plug my receiver into his system. The couple had a playlist of the songs they had selected to be played for the prelude and ceremony. See photo of Thomas and Diane above.

Saturday dawned--a beautiful sunny day for a wedding. Their photographer, Ana Kirin of Studio 1, was there to capture the day in pictures. The ceremony went exactly as planned and the guests were marveling at the originality and uniqueness. Joseph and Cortney circled in and the ceremony began. Cortney was a radiant bride and Joseph was beaming. They were both so in the moment and really enjoying themselves. We honored their parents and then blessed their unborn child--so sweet and touching. They read the vows they had written to each other from my book and exchanged rings. Then we had the wine ceremony which begins "The years of our lives are as a cup of wine poured for us to drink..." The pronouncement of marriage followed and then the closing prayer. I announced them to their guests and the music started and they danced, and danced all around the outside of the circle as the guests looked on with amazement! It was so much fun! They were so happy to be married and be with their friends and families. I met one guest who came all the way from Hawaii to be with them. We are going to do a baby blessing ceremony for their baby when it arrives and I am so looking forward to it. I wonder if they will dance again!

Joseph and Cortney, you are amazing! Congratulations on your marriage and your new family!

Janet and Paul Eloped to North Carolina!

Nancy contacted me about performing a wedding ceremony for her father, Paul, and his fiancee, Janet, in Raleigh on April 24th. They live in Pennsylvania. They are both widows and wanted to get married without a lot of fanfare so they "ran away" to get married! I was most happy to do the honors. We discussed different venues and they decided that my wedding garden was the right spot! They flew into Raleigh Friday morning, got their marriage license, and came to my place at 7:30 after I got home from the wedding in Fuquay-Varina. Sunset was at 7:56 that evening but we had a enough daylight to do the wedding and take some pictures. They brought with them Nancy and her husband and Paul's dear friend, Sonny, and his new wife. Sonny told me how he and Paul and their former wives had been a constant foursome back in Pennsylvania. Sonny had remarried a nurse here in Raleigh and moved South. He was so happy that Paul was remarrying too and they could be a foursome again--the challenge is, Janet and Paul live in Pennsylvania. Oh well, I am sure they will find a way to have lots of fun together. I was honored to be a part of their sweet wedding and I wish them all the best!!

Highgrove Wedding for Brittany and Clay!

This last weekend in April turned out to be a busy wedding weekend. I had 6 weddings--two on Friday night and 4 on Saturday! They were all evenly spaced so there was no rush getting from one to the other. The weather was very nice too although a bit on the warm side. The first one was for Brittany and Clay. Brittany is a friend of my daughter's and knew for sure she wanted me to officiate her ceremony and I was happy to do this for her. Her matron of honor, Pam, is also a friend of my daughter's so it was good to be with them both for this wonderful occasion.

Brittany and Clay chose to have their April 24th wedding ceremony and reception at Highgrove, a beautiful estate in Fuquay-Varina. I have been doing weddings there since they opened many years ago. Every year the setting looks more beautiful. It is also nice for the guests to have both the ceremony and the reception in one place. Ann Beerles served as the wedding consultant/director and kept everything moving right along. If you have a wedding at Highgrove, the package comes with a wedding director which is so convenient and one who knows all the logistics for running your wedding day. A few years ago the owners added a beautiful tent to the property so that there is plenty of room for the reception and a handy "Plan B" if the weather does not cooperate. The tent is elegant, air-conditioned and has a dance floor. The azaleas were in full bloom and the landscaping is so pretty. The pergola for the ceremony overlooks a beautiful lake and trees. What a gorgeous background for their wedding photos. Speaking of photos, Elizabeth Myers and Rick Ward of SweetLife Photography were there to capture every moment of the day. It was a pleasure to work with them again. Brian O'Toole was our DJ and provided the ceremony music and plugged my wireless mike into his system so everyone could hear me. Their colors were black, white and lavender so I wore my lavender dress with white prayer stole. It was just too hot for my long sleeved black dress. Their wedding cake was really one to behold but I forgot to find out who made it for them. Maybe Brittany will read this blog when they return from their honeymoon and tell us!

Brittany and Clay put together a beautiful ceremony that fit their beliefs and feelings for each other and their parents and guests, including a wonderful tribute to their parents--both mothers shed a few tears too! They wrote their own vows too. They exchanged rings and I pronounced them husband and wife and introduced the newlywed couple to their family and friends. Amid applause and cheering they scampered up the steps to celebrate. We took some photos of the wedding party and then departed for the next wedding. Brittany and Clay, I hope your wedding day fulfilled all your dreams! It was beautiful!