Lovely Autumn Wedding for Sam and Ric at Optimist Club Farm in Apex!

Sam and Ric wanted a casual fun wedding surrounded by their friends and loved ones. And, that is exactly what they planned for October 1, 2011. They met back in 2007 at a World Series party hosted by their friend Todd who thought that they should get together. Although they had noticed each other at work, they had never really met until the party. Todd's matchmaking intuition was right on! These two found that they fit each other like old worn jeans and everything was in sync. They told me they are best friends and that the sum of their parts really does exceed their individual strengths. They feel truly blessed to have found each other. They hired me sight unseen via email and we began crafting their special ceremony. Later on we met in person and knew we were a good match too. They brought along Sam's daughter Katie and her son Kendall who were their only attendants in the wedding. I could tell the kids thought that this marriage was a great idea! The day of the wedding, I was on Facebook and saw the above banner announcing their wedding. I made sure that I got a photo of it for this blog. 

I had never been to Optimist Club Farm  in Apex. It is a beautiful site with a clubhouse and a gentle slope to a pretty lake and lots of land in the back for parking. We were all set up for the guests to arrive.

On the porch the tables were covered and decorated. Everything was ready inside too. The Cupcake Bar set up the table of sweets. Another table held the place cards and some foam drink holders for the guests. There was a wishing tree where the guests wrote a wish for the couple and hung it on the tree.

I brought my copper-colored table for the Family Unity Sand Ceremony and placed it among the pretty chrysanthemums up front.  Then it was just a matter of time before the guests got there. Beverly Harmon with B.E.S.T. Hair Designs was doing Sam's hair. Backyard Bistro was grilling in the back yard. John Hensley with Anything Music was our DJ and had the music playing. Friends of the couple, David and Cheryl Williams with Painted Pixels Photography, were snapping photos everywhere. The flowers came from the NC Farmer's Market.

Kendall holding the ring box and Katie entered to take their places up front. Purple was the color!

Here come the bride and groom escorting each other down the aisle to take their relationship to the next level--marriage! The music they chose for their entrance was "Stuck in the Middle with You," just a little hint to the fun couple that they are.

When they got down front, they turned and faced their guests and I said: "There is an old tradition that the elders, or the wise ones of the tribe or family give the beloveds to one another as an acknowledgement of their support for this union. I believe all of you here qualify as the tribe of Ric and Sam. So, please all answer “We do” when I ask, “Who has the privilege of presenting this woman, Sam, to this man, Ric?” Of course they all shouted "We do!"

 

We acknowledged Katie and Kendall and how important they are in this marriage.

 

  

You can't tell in the pictures but it is really windy and our hair is flying all around! So much for the hairdos!

 

 

 

 

  

"Walking on Sunshine" played as we all recessed. 

 

Ric and Sam, Kendall and Katie, I know you are all so thrilled to be officially one big family now. May you have a wonderful life together with love and abundance!

Warm Wedding for Janice and Bob on a Chilly Fall Morning!

Janice sent me an email in August inquiring of my fee for marrying her and Bob. I responded that I would be most happy to marry them either at their location or in my wedding garden. She responded that they had decided just to go down to the courthouse and get married.  I do charge a bit more for my garden and a personalized ceremony than the $20 a couple pays to get married by a magistrate in a stock civil ceremony in the courthouse in Raleigh. Then a few days later she called me saying that they had reconsidered. Getting married in a courtroom with the possibility of a criminal signing their license as a witness suddenly took away all the appeal of going that route! Surely not very romantic or pleasant memory of your wedding day. So, we made all the arrangements for Janice and Bob to get married in my wedding garden on October 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM. They brought their two best friends to serve as witnesses.

 

That Saturday turned out to be the first day of our "cold front" so it was a bit chilly! But the sun was shining and the garden was beautiful. 

Janice told me she looked for something cream colored to wear but could not find anything that would be warm. Notice she even got out her boots for this weather! Bob seemed to be okay in his shirtsleeves and I pinned the boutonniere on his pocket. 

Tony has known Bob since they were little kids so it was really special he was there. Shirley and Janice work together. Shirley was busy being the photographer too. 

Bob is quite a tall fellow, isn't he? 

 

Congratulations, Janice and Bob! I am so happy to have met you and had the honor of marrying you two. May the force be with you!

Why I'm Happy My Perfect Day Wasn't Perfect

This article appeared in Huffpost today. It was written by Julia Cohen, Television Writer and Producer, and I assume was about her own destination wedding which did not play out as expected. Thankfully she turned it into a happy ending! 

A friend of mine gave me some advice before my wedding that would prove to be prophetic. The advice? Something is bound to go wrong, but don't sweat the small stuff.

I reminded myself of this advice during the planning process while at the same time reassuring myself that I was not one of those brides. I wasn't some detail-obsessed bridezilla who couldn't see the forest for the trees. I was determined not to obsess over things like color palettes, napkin rings and wedding cakes. It was a destination wedding and we were all about making it fun, simple and romantic. Instead of embossed invites, we made mixed CDs that told the story of our relationship through music. Instead of a rehearsal dinner, we rented a catamaran and hosted a sunset cruise for our guests. Instead of a bridal party, we had only our brothers as the best man and man-of-honor. I did my own makeup and a friend did my hair. Heck, my fiancé and I even went snorkeling the morning of our big day. We were all about making it uniquely our own and prided ourselves on our casual approach.

But as I prepared to walk down the aisle and the music began, I suddenly exhaled and thought to myself, "Nothing has gone wrong. Everything went to plan. We did it." In hindsight, it was at that moment that I jinxed myself. With my friend's advice ringing in my ears, I suddenly realized that despite all my protestations otherwise, I had, in fact, been secretly hoping that my day would be perfect. That my day would be special.

This realization had barely formed in my mind when the wedding coordinator suddenly gasped, "Where is your bouquet?!" Oh god. The bouquet. That thing you're supposed to walk down the aisle with? I had forgotten it in my hotel room. In my excitement and emotion... and while my mom looked for her lighter... we had neglected my bouquet. But it was too late, the music had started already and the show must go on.

"Ah well," I thought. There it is. That was it. Something went wrong. Now I could just get on with the business of getting married. I decided to own this snafu and wryly announced to our family and friends as I reached the top of the aisle that yes, I had forgotten my bouquet. Ridiculous? Sure. But as I approached my handsome fiancé standing at the end of the aisle, I shook it off and focused on what was really important -- him.

I smiled at my fiancé and stared into his eyes. After nine years together, we were finally here. We were both incredibly happy, emotional and excited. I lost myself in the moment as the officiant started to speak. The moment lasted briefly. As his words began to sink in, my fiancé and I both looked to him and then to each other as we realized the same thing: this was not the ceremony we had planned.

Apparently, the rehearsal ceremony is not just for the bridal party but also for the officiant. A fact we had not considered. We had taken great care to write our own vows and sent them to our officiant along with some basic instructions: The ceremony was to be secular. I was not taking my fiancé's name. The officiant confirmed receipt, said it was beautiful and assured us he would do it exactly as we'd asked. Not wanting to hem him in, we encouraged him to freestyle if he wanted to add his own touch.

Well, freestyle he did. Not only had he forgotten to bring our lovingly crafted vows, he had a strange verbal tick -- the result of English being his second language. As if to confirm that we were, in fact, picking up what he was laying down, every sentence ended with "OK?" As he waxed on poetically, "... and I can see from the joy written on your faces that you will be together, forever and ever and ever... OK?" My husband and I shared a, "What do we do?" look, then shrugged it off and smiled. The vows were cookie cutter and lifted straight from Days of Our Lives, he made us say "Amen", introduced us as Mr. and Mrs. Martin and literally did not get one thing right, yet somehow the words still carried the same weight. And when he pronounced us husband and wife, the moment was no less meaningful.

In the end, still more went wrong. From a snorkel mask tanline on my husband's face, to my Dad almost having a heart attack during our dance because the song he chose was too uptempo, from a sudden thunderstorm in our outdoor venue to an inebriated MC -- the night was far from perfect. It did not go to plan and it was not at all how I envisioned it. But it didn't change the fact that I got to marry my best friend and celebrate with all my favorite people in the world. The rest of the imperfections just made our wedding real, made it ours and made for one hell of a story.

"UnBelizable" Group Wedding Next Year on 12/12/12!

I came across this article from my Google Alerts for Wedding Minister. I found it quite fascinating and wanted to share it with my readers. Here is the link to the article.

The year that supposedly hosts doomsday—technically when the Mayan Calendar marks the end of a 5,126-year era—is upon us: 2012. Photo above of Cahal Pech ruin by Jose Luis Zapata Photography.

And, with the Mayan calendar being surprisingly accurate much of the time, the fast-approaching year has most people in a tether, worrying that humanity has seen its better days. Sure, Hollywood hyping up the occasion with several movies depicting the year as one full of catastrophic events on par with the extinction of the dinosaurs hasn’t helped. But, for one crowd, it’s just the opposite, and the woman in charge says the date is actually a year to celebrate—and she plans to do so in the most Mayan way possible.

Lara Goldman of 12 Productions Belize and Romantic Travel Belize is honoring the significant Mayan date by producing a massive and magnificent Mayan wedding ceremony on 12.12.12, and she’s inviting brides and grooms from around the world.

“What better way to begin your life than at a time like that?” said Goldman, originally a Philadelphia native. She went on to explain the differing beliefs of the United States and Belize.

“When I first started this, I said to people, ‘Are you familiar with 2012, the day that the Mayan calendar comes to an end?’ Everyone from the United States thinks it’s doomsday, but no one here believes the world is ending. Instead, it’s a positive and uplifting time. A time of renewal,” explained Goldman. “That’s the whole culture of the Mayans. It’s about starting over again.”

Goldman, along with famous New York wedding planner Lisa Light, has planned quite the wedding and, as part of the event, portions of the proceeds will be donated to several charities.

On Dec. 12, an estimated 36 couples and more than 200 of their close friends and family will take part in a special “Mayan Marriage of Many” wedding celebration to be performed on an ancient Mayan Temple at the 3,200-year-old Mayan City of Cahal Pech.

“It’s beautiful and not many people know it’s the only place where you can get married on Mayan ruins,” said Goldman. The English-speaking country also boasts the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. “Belize is very distinct and nothing like its Central American neighbors. It’s amazingly diverse and, for this event, we are bringing together all cultural aspects.”

Bridal parties will arrive on Dec. 9 for a five-day experience. From the moment the guests get off the plane they will be immersed in Mayan culture. Native dancers will welcome the group (each couple will be able to invite six of their closest loved ones to the wedding celebration, from Dec. 9 to Dec. 13), which will then head to a cocktail reception. From there, they can take in Belize in a number of ways ranging from zip-lining, Mayan massage, medicine trails with Mayan shamans, cave tubing, and exploring ancient caves where the Mayans made their sacrifices.

On the wedding day, a shaman, a priest and a minister will be on site to administer the marriage ceremony. Brides and grooms will line up all at once among the ancient Mayan temple, draped with watermelon-colored silk fabrics, and adorned with silk pillows decorated with fire elements. There will be music and dancing with a catered reception fit for a Mayan princess.

“It will be the biggest event that the country has had,” said Goldman. “It’s like our Olympics. We are pulling out every stop.”

On hand will be Dr. Jaime Awe of the National Institute of Culture and History, who will help make sure the event preserves the ancient Mayan cities during the festivities. An expert on Mayan archeology, he has designed the excavation process.

Following the wedding, the newlyweds will embark on a honeymoon dubbed a “mini-moon.” For five nights, the bride and groom will be transported to San Pedro (who’s singing Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” right now?).

As an added bonus, designer Chris Kole of Long Island’s The Cotton Bride is creating a Mayan-inspired wedding gown which will be for sale on the website. One gown will be given to a lucky winner.

Goldman says the wedding is a first-come, first-served sign-up with an average price tag of $16,000—a steal for the 10-day vacation and wedding for eight. Couples can sign up on the official website, 2012weddingsbelize.com. So, who’s going?

Pretty Blue Wedding for Sara and Brian at Bass Lake Park!

Sara and Brian originally met back in 2002 and exchanged pleasantries from time to time but it was not until 2008 when a mutual friend (Scott, one of our groomsmen) saw the potential match for these two and tried to get them together. After several months of putting it off, Scott, Brian and Sara finally met for drinks in  January 2009. As Scott suspected, they hit it off immediately and had a great time together. Brian invited her to his birthday party which was a week later and made sure that Scott got her there. After a couple of drinks at his party, Brian mustered the courage to ask her out and they finally had their first official date the following weekend. It was much better than either of them could have ever hoped for. They knew then that they wanted to spend a lot of time with each other. And so the story goes........fast forward to their wedding on September 24, 2011 at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs. Despite the rainy week before, they had incredibly great weather. We were so surprised to see the sun come out.

They had decorated the deck over Bass Lake with pretty blue and white paper lanterns and flower arrangements.

The chairs flanking the aisle were decorated with huge blue hydrangea blossoms.

The pedestal arrangements flanked the altar area and ferns hung from the beams of the portico. Palms lined the rail behind the altar. All the flowers were done by Patricia Wood, a friend of theirs. They were beautiful.

The wedding cake and the groom's cake were baked by Stephanie English, owner of Piece-A-Cake bakery. The Q Shack was catering. Yummm...I love their barbecue and collards! Our photographer is a friend of the couple's--Dawn with Photo Designs by Dawn from Roxboro.

A good friend of Brian's for many years is Steve Stowe, DJ, with whom I do a lot of weddings. He is with Joe Bunn DJ Company and the Lincoln Agency but he was doing this wedding as a friend and they gave him free reign on the music and he loved it.  Steve rocks!

 

After the wedding party had entered, it was time for our Bride and her father, David.  They are waiting for their cue to enter from Sara's Aunt Betty on the left who was our honorary wedding director. 

It had gotten rather hot with the sun out and Brian was dripping with sweat--little drops running down his face, so I decided to mop his face off. He was most appreciative and the guests and Sara loved it. I had to mop his face again before the kiss! 

Brian's adorable 9 year old son, Corey, thought it was really funny, too!

Sara and Brian wrote their own vows combined with the exchange of rings and read them to each other from my book where the words are printed facing them. Here Brian reads his vows to Sara before placing the ring on her finger. We had to be super careful not to drop the rings because to do so would risk the ring slipping between the cracks of the decking and falling into the lake!

Sara made sure Brian's ring was all the way on with a good shove! 

Congratulations, Sara and Brian! I loved your wedding and how you made it so much fun for you and your guests to celebrate your marriage. What a great time! I wish you much happiness and great joy! Corey too! He is a lucky little boy!