Elegant Wedding for Amanda and Colin at The Umstead!

On September 12, 2009, a beautiful late afternoon wedding took place at The Umstead in Cary, NC. The guests were seated and the knock-out roses were brilliant against the background of the lake fountain.

Colin and Amanda knew exactly what they wanted for their wedding. I was impressed with their maturity and their mindful planning of their wedding. One thing they knew they wanted was for Colin's spiritual teacher, Elena, to be part of their wedding ceremony. So, they knew they had to find an officiant who was willing to do this. They quickly found out that I am all for making their ceremony about them and for them. It is important that their ceremony be a reflection of their beliefs and feelings. I welcomed sharing the ceremony with Elena although we did not meet until the rehearsal.

Here is a photo before the wedding of Amanda and her attendants in their gorgeous green dressed. Yikes--look at the height of those heels! Her mother, Lucille, was her Matron of Honor, and she told me she had her heels cut down. It was an emotional moment for Lucille who, through her tears, told me of some special circumstances about Amanda's birth. What a blessing they are for each other. What a milestone moment for this special family!

Elena and I were escorted into the ceremony by Colin as he was living his dream wedding!

Amanda was escorted in by her beaming father, Anthony!

I opened the ceremony with a welcome to all and a remembrance of those no longer with us in body but with us in spirit. Then I stepped back for Elena.

Then Elena stepped forward and gave the meditation and wedding address. Her message was so meaningful and cherished by Amanda and Colin.

I stepped forward again to take the couple through the vows they had written together, the ring exchange, and the pronouncement of marriage.

And here they are! Finally married and happy to be!

Let's go celebrate!

It was time for photos after the guests went to the reception. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Elena at the rehearsal and the time prior to the wedding. She is a therapist in Wilmington and in the Buddhist community there. We found out that we know several of the same people--small world. Amanda and Colin, if you plan the rest of your life together as mindfully as you planned your wedding, you will manifest a great life! Namaste!

This is a snapshot after the wedding of Sally Gupton, our photographer, on the right and Ami Wheeler of The Umstead, on the left. Sally is out of Winston-Salem and I had never worked with her before. I am looking forward to seeing her photos of this wedding. I have known Ami for many years since I married her and her husband, Dan, in 2004! Ami and I have worked together at many weddings at The Umstead and she is so good at her job and such a pleasure to work with. All the weddings go so smoothly and every little detail is taken care of with finesse! Thanks, Ami!

I want to thank George and his staff at The Umstead. Although they provide the sound system and would give me a lapel microphone to use, I prefer to use my Countryman theater microphone. So, we plug my receiver into his system. This time we needed to have a microphone for Elena as well as the one on Colin's lapel. So, we used my back-up receiver and microphone for her. George had to go get another mixer because we also had to have a microphone for the guitarist and soloist who did the processional music. Mel Manning of Joe Bunn DJ Company was also on hand to do the recessional music. George and Mel got everything hooked up and powered up and the sound worked beautifully! Thanks, George and Mel!

This photo does not do this beautiful cake justice but I wanted to credit Donna Ford of Sweet Memories for her artistry and good work!

Katie and Chris' Lovely Wedding at Raleigh Rose Garden!

Katie and Chris chose the lovely Raleigh Rose Garden for their wedding on September 12th at 11:30 AM. I think Chris was one of the most involved bridegrooms I have ever worked with. He even made his own boutonniere! His brother, Mike, was his best man and did a reading from the Velveteen Rabbit. Having gotten married only 3 years ago, Mike was full of good advice for Chris as we stood waiting to enter the ceremony!

Here comes the bride! Katie's original plan was to walk in by herself and have Chris meet her halfway down the aisle and they would walk together the last part of the aisle. At the last minute she decided she wanted her father to walk her down the aisle. That is Katie's aunt, Darla, straightening her train. Darla also served as the wedding director and her husband, Andy, operated the battery powered sound system for the music they had selected and put on a CD.

Katie's sisters, Amber and Scottie, served as her co-maids of honor. Scottie read a poem called "It Seems Wherever We Go" and Amber read "To my Friend" by Roy Croft. We were all proud of them for doing such a great job!

The pronouncement of marriage! They were so happy for that moment in the ceremony which is followed by the KISS!

The deed is done! They are now Mr. and Mrs. and so happy!

By the time the ceremony was over, it was high noon and the temperature was soaring. We ducked into the shelter at the garden to take some photos in the shade. Katie and Chris, congratulations! I wish you all the best forever!

Our photographer was Heather of Heather Swanner Photography. Heather and I had met at a networking luncheon a few months before but this was the first wedding we had together. I can't wait to see her pictures!

Spectacular Wedding for Susan and Mark at Duke Gardens Amphitheater!

One of the most beautiful places in all the Triangle for weddings is Duke Gardens amphitheater. On September 6, 2009, the place was at its summertime peak but the leaves on the trees were giving just a hint of fall colors. Mark and Susan planned a fabulous wedding and all their hard work came together to fulfill their dreams!
Mark is Jewish; Susan is Christian. They wanted an interfaith ceremony that blended the traditions of both faiths. Although I officiate many Jewish/Christian interfaith ceremonies and include all the customs, I do not speak Hebrew and the Rabbi I frequently co-officiate interfaith weddings with was not available this Labor Day weekend. Fortunately Mark was able to persuade a good friend and fellow doctor at Duke Medical, Ed, to be our Hebrew reader and cantor. Ed did a super job. In the photo above, Ed and I lead in the groom and his groomsmen.
Here comes our beautiful, radiant bride in her gorgeous wedding gown. Susan chose to walk alone from the reception center to the steps of the amphitheater.
Mark met her at the steps and escorted her into the "altar" area. They both loved this idea when I suggested it to them. (BTW, you can click on each of these photos and a larger image will come up.)
Mark and Susan had originally planned on only about 50 guests but the final guest count was near 90! All their friends and family were happy to come to their wedding and celebrate with them. What a beautiful Chuppah.
It turned out to be a windy day. Although the lovely breeze felt refreshing, it wreaked havoc with the Unity Candle lighting! But, with my helping shield the flames with my hand, we finally got it lit and this photo is testament to that feat!
I'm giving Mark the thumb's up here for successfully breaking the glass as we all shouted "Mahzel Tov" which means good luck and congratulations in Hebrew!
And now for the big kiss. I didn't think they kissed long enough the first time so I made them kiss again! They did not mind at all and the guests loved it. That is Ed on the right grinning and ready to give the benediction in Hebrew as I followed in English.
Here is the now married couple on their way out of the ceremony amidst applause and cheers.
At the rear of the amphitheater is a little private garden nook for the bride and groom and photographer to retreat to for some time alone before the group photos.
Back at the ceremony site after all the guests have departed to the visitors' center for the reception, Susan was thanking me for giving her the hankie during the ceremony when the tears started leaking and her nose too! I always carry a hankie with me for the bride and groom. I collect recycled fancy hankies for just that purpose!

I think Susan just said something really funny but I can't remember what!

Here is the wedding party. The young lady on the far left is Becki, Mark's daughter, and the young man on the right side is his son, Daniel. Their mother passed on many years ago and I could tell they were so happy that their dad had found such happiness with Susan.

Our Vendors:

We could never have had such a smooth flowing wedding without Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair. Mark and Susan hired her soon after contracting with me and she was on the job rounding up and coordinating the vendors and designing the wedding program. Thank you, Barbara and Sally, her assistant!


This is one of the most spectacular and unusual wedding cakes I have ever seen! New on the scene is the cake baker, Miel Bon Bons, Patisserie & Confiserie, out of Carrboro. I am looking forward to seeing more of their unique creations in future weddings.

Mark and Susan dine out frequently at Four Square, that very fine restaurant in Durham, and they offered to cater their wedding although they normally do not cater. I broke down and tasted one of the hors doerves and it was sooo delicious! This is Brandon Carr, the Maitre D'Hotel, serving champagne to the new Dr. and Mrs.!

We were graced with lovely music by the Stalberg String Trio. During the prelude a wonderful soprano soloist, Angelyn Bethel, treated us to Mozart's Alleluia.

Velvet and Justin Wed at Bass Lake Park!

Velvet and Justin wanted an informal fun wedding on September 5, 2009 and chose Bass Lake Park as their site. When they came to meet with me, I thought Justin looked familiar but being a quiet type of guy, he said nothing about already having met me. I finally put two and two together when I saw his last name and remembered that I had married Justin's sister and her husband and Justin had been at the wedding! (Jessica and Matt had a small private wedding in September 2007 in my wedding garden before Matt was to be deployed and we had a large renewal of vows celebration in June 2009.)

Here comes the Bride! Velvet is a beautiful young woman and made a stunning bride. She chose Cobalt Blue as her color theme and all the decor reflects this pretty blue. Velvet wanted to walk herself in without an escort. So, when the rest of the wedding party was in place she made her entrance! (You can click on the photos to get a larger picture.)

When she got to the last row of the chairs, Justin, who had been standing with me, walked to her and offered her his arm and they came down the aisle together.

The pavilion makes a wonderful canopy for the wedding and the lake in the background was a beautiful backdrop. This is our videographer, Wayne, from Cinema One Studio, making sure he got a good shot for the video. There were a lot more guests than chairs. The chairs were in the bright sunshine and so most of the guests chose to stand in the back in the shade.

Do you see that Velvet is standing on a stool? Justin is soooo tall and she wanted to be able to reach him for the kiss. So, she brought a little folding stool which I stashed behind me and after I made the pronouncement of marriage I set it at her feet and she stepped up and gave Justin a BIG kiss, or two--on his level.

I was the short one then!

Congratulations, Mrs. Lile! I try to be the first person to greet the bride with her new name and it always brings smiles! Justin and his dad, John, look on as Velvet responds with delight. John told me before the wedding that he has been to enough weddings this year!

The happy couple...glad to be married!

Being a part of this wedding felt like being with family! I had been with them two weddings before. Now they are all married and no prospect for another one. I hope to officiate at their friends' weddings someday and see them again--or at a baby blessing ceremony when they have children!

Justin and Velvet loved the wooden box ceremony and decided to incorporate it in their wedding. Justin made this beautiful wooden box out of cedar. Inside is a bottle of wine, two wineglasses and a sealed letter to each other telling each other why they love them. It is not to be opened unless they experience serious difficulties in their marriage at which time they are to open the box, drink some wine together, and then go into separate rooms to read their letter to each other reminding them why they love each other. Assuming that it will never come to that, they may open their box on their 50th anniversary! The lilies on the table were given to their mothers during the ceremony to honor them.

Stephanie of Piece-of-Cake made the couple's wedding cake and groom's cake. The groom's cake looks like a video game control. I guess Justin really likes to play video games! The wedding cake was whimsical and colorful. Here Stephanie and her assistant, Janie, work on getting the final touches on the cake.










Our photographer was Nancy Thomas, on the left, and her assistant, Kristin, on the right. I have done quite a few weddings with Nancy this year and it is always a pleasure to work with her again.


Our DJ was Harvey Grady and he provided the microphone for Velvet's sister, Crystal, to do her reading. I plugged my wireless mike into his system so all the guests could hear.

Catering the event was Ragazzi's. Sure smelled wonderful in the reception area!

Justin and Velvet, congratulations! Have a great honeymoon and please keep in touch!

A Sweet and Simple Wedding for Susan and Bill--At Last!

I was so honored to tie the knot for Susan and Bill on Sunday August 30th in my wedding garden. They are such a dear couple--very well matched and very much in love. But, getting married turned out to be a rather complicated and long journey for them and I will tell you why!

To start at the beginning, I met Susan at Debbie and Bill's wedding in August of 2008 at Rose Hill Plantation. She was one of 8 bridesmaids. I did not remember her but when she contacted me several months later, I knew who she was. Susan has the most wonderful sense of humor. Bill is a lucky man to be married to someone who can be so entertaining and also so full of compassion for everyone. She told me that she and Bill wanted to get married but she did not know where to start in planning a wedding. She had not decided on the date or the place but that she knew without a doubt that she did not want anyone but me to marry them! She had loved the ceremony of Debbie and Bill and they had also been to the wedding I officiated for Bill's colleague, Ellen, and her husband, Rob, at the Matthews House, a distinctly different flavor of ceremony.

I ran into Susan again last spring when visiting Karen Harmych and looking at her new wedding venue, The Laura Elizabeth in Clayton. Susan was there with Debbie and Bill. Debbie was wearing her exquisite wedding gown for photos Celeste Parker, a photographer I love working with, was doing a photo shoot for Karen who is also a wedding planner (From this Moment).

Long story short, they finally decided on September 26th at Caffe Luna where they fell in love with not only the restaurant but my friends Ryan (events manager) and Parker Kennedy (owner and my neighbor). With the venue and date in place, Susan and I started working on their ceremony. Susan is a gifted writer and has such a wonderful way with words. I think she should be a professional writer!

During this time I learned that Susan's mother had a serious illness and might not be able to attend the wedding. This was bothering Susan but things were so indefinite she had to go ahead and get things planned. Then about two months before the wedding, I got a note from Susan saying that her mother was doing better but had to have surgery that was scheduled the week of the wedding and she felt like her first obligation was to be with her mother and take care of her during this time so she had to cancel the wedding. Everyone understood, of course, and I threw out the suggestion that she and Bill could always have a small private wedding in my wedding garden just about any time they wanted. So, that is what they decided to do.

We re-wrote the ceremony keeping as much of the humor in it we could with the limited number of guests to pay tribute to and play with! On Sunday August 30th, Susan and Bill (I had not met Bill before although he had been at the two weddings I did earlier) and their best friends, Sharon and Darryl, arrived at my house with flowers, rings, champagne and, of course, the marriage license! And a generous gift certificate for me--so thoughtful, thank you! The weather was just right and they must have cast a spell on the mosquitoes because they were not even biting!

Finally married and time to celebrate at last! (Susan had bought a new dress for the wedding but at the last minute decided that it just was too dressy and would not do. So, her 14 year old daughter, Erica, loaned her dress to Mom. Don't you love it?)

Sharon popped the cork of the special champagne that Susan's boss gave them for the occasion!

Toasts for the happy couple. Susan and Bill, you are two wonderful people. Your teenagers are so lucky to have you as parents and stepparents and you can tell them I said so! Congratulations and I look forward to coming to your big housewarming party when you buy your new house and I will do a House Blessing ceremony for you!