Kate and Matt Wed at All Saints Chapel!

Kate grew up in Maine and moved to Raleigh with her friend, Erica, in 2008 after college graduation just for the adventure of it and a change of scenery. Little did she know that two weeks later she would meet her future husband, Matt, at a party where they connected. Matt is from South Carolina and was living in Raleigh after college graduation. Since then they have become inseparable, gone on some exciting adventures, and decided to get married. They started planning their wedding for August 11, 2012 at All Saints Chapel. Kate checked out officiants on line and told me she was so impressed by my multiple excellent reviews she contacted me and we all met in March. We decided we were a good fit and so we got started on the ceremony. They chose the ceremony parts and wording that they loved and wrote their own vows to each other. From a questionnaire they completed separately, I put together their love story for the ceremony. Before long we were all set. The wedding day arrived, threatening rain, but it held off and besides, they had chosen an indoor venue and were so happy they did! They had the ceremony upstairs in the chapel, the cocktail hour downstairs while the upstairs was filled with tables and chairs for the reception. Luckily it was not raining right after the ceremony and we were able to scoot outside for photos.

The always wonderful Arioso Strings trio were there providing the lovely music!

Kate and Matt crafted this wooden box which holds a bottle of wine and into which they put love letters to each other during the ceremony.

Cateringworks provided not only the food and drinks but also the flowers for the wedding party and the centerpieces, and the wedding cake. We did not get a photo of the cake because it was not brought in until after the sanctuary had been set up for the reception.

Downstairs is the bride's dressing room. Kate and her bridesmaids were ready to go. I got her sister and Maid of Honor, Megan's, signature on the marriage license then went upstairs to find the best man, Aaron, Matt's brother, for his signature.

 

 

Meanwhile upstairs guests were trickling in and signing the Jenga pieces. I did not know what Jenga was so I googled and found that they are wooden blocks that you stack as high as you can before it falls over--a game for children and adults. Matt and Kate asked each person to jot a short note and sign one. In the green top on the right in the photo above, that is Diane with the chapel, who held off the rain (she told us at the rehearsal she would not allow it to rain until after the wedding!) and served as our wedding director. Thanks so much, Diane, you are a powerful woman!

Their photographer, Sonya Ewing, and her second shooter, Kate, were getting some good photos of the groom and his guys in the chapel.

Wedding favors were little jars of Wild Maine Blueberry Champagne Jam. How fitting since the bride and her parents are from Maine.

Kate's father, Peter, on left, and Matt's father, Doug, on right, are having a good chat before we start.

 Here comes the bride! 

 Kate and her dress were beautiful and she was so serene and calm! 

Peter places Kate's hand into Matt's, she gives daddy a kiss and he is seated as the bride and groom step up to the top of the altar to join me and the wedding party.

 Have you guessed the wedding color theme yet?  

 

 

Before the ring exchange, I pulled out my hankie to wipe the sweat off Matt's face! He was most appreciative as you can imagine.

 The rings. 

The wooden wedding box ceremony....the couple are to open it on their first anniversary, pour each other a glass of wine and read the other's love letter to remember the way they felt at their wedding.

 We closed with a blessing before the pronouncement of marriage and kiss.

 

 I think they must have been practicing! 

 

 

Kate and Matt, you were wonderful to work with! I loved every minute and wish you all the best in the world!

What is the Average Cost of a Wedding in the US?

Most brides shell out between $875 and $1,458 for their wedding dresses, according to The Wedding Report, a research company that tracks and forecasts trends in the wedding industry. Veils are an extra $80 to $134.

And that's just a small fraction of the average cost of a wedding. Projections based on 11,200 surveys of couples and wedding businesses conducted last year reveal that the average U.S. couple currently spends $25,631 getting married. The majority of couples spend between $19,223 and $32,039. These totals don't include the honeymoon (or the officiant's fee which can range from $150 for an elopement type wedding to $800+ depending on expertise, experience and services provided).

In Wake County, the average cost of a wedding is $25,118. In Durham County couples spend an average of $23,388 on a wedding. Orange County is $25,631. Chatham County $23,901.

Grooms typically spend between $2,423 and $4,039 on their fiancée's engagement ring, and the wedding bands range from $884 to $1,474. If you want a DJ at the reception, expect to be charged somewhere in the neighborhood of $524 to $874. Hiring a live band ranges in price from $1,157 to $1,928.

Then of course there are the flowers, party favors, invitations, venue, photography, transportation, place settings, dinner, alcohol and last but not least, the cake. The average wedding cake costs between $317 and $529, so savor every bite.

The Wedding Report website can be quite helpful in estimating costs per your zip code.

Danielle and David's Fabulous Wedding at The Carolina Club!

Last May I met Danielle and David while they were in town. They live in DC but were planning their wedding on August 4, 2012 at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill, since David went to UNC. I was taken with this delightful couple right away and we seemed to have the same ideas about the ceremony. They were excited about writing it themselves with my guidance and loved the sample ceremony I read to them to give them an idea of how unique and personal their wedding ceremony could be. So we got started on their ceremony right away.

When Marty and I arrived for the wedding, the reception room was all set up and looked gorgeous.  

Turns out that their florist, Bea Miller with Floral Dimensions, is a very good friend of David's mother, Vera. She did a beautiful job and it was good to work with her again.

They had a candy bar and a table for the guests to write notes to them and put in their guest book.

This gorgeous wedding cake was baked by the chef at the Carolina Club and matches their multi-colored theme.

Separated from the reception area by expandable walls (later folded up so the reception could expand into this area) was the area for the ceremony. 

Florian Music, a popular string ensemble, headed by Sherry Lattin on the left, provided the beautiful music for the ceremony.

Meanwhile our beautiful bride was hidden away in the conference room down the hall with her beautiful ladies enjoying a champagne toast and having pictures taken by Garry and Emily with Big Star Studios.

The staff of the Carolina Club,Tristen, center, our sound guy and Liz, right, Private Events Coordinator, coordinated and directed the festivities.  Thanks for all your guidance and help!

We delayed the start of the ceremony a few minutes as an unannounced last minute activity in the stadium next door to the Carolina Club made parking a challenge for our guests.  So, rather than starting and having the guests trickle in during the ceremony, we decided to delay about 10 minutes.

The guys are hanging out in the hall as the guests are being seated. David assembled his good friends of many years to stand up with him. His father, John-Henry, was telling me how they had all met and stuck together although their careers took them in many different directions. That is David's brother on the left manning his two cell phone cameras.

After the seating of the parents, David and I entered from the side followed by the handsome groomsmen. Then the bridesmaids walked down the aisle and took their places up front.

"Please stand in honor of our beautiful bride" Danielle's father, Terry, proudly escorted her in as Steve Stowe, our DJ for the reception, watches from the hall! Steve was so helpful getting my microphone plugged into the house system before the ceremony. The sound was absolutely perfect! Danielle's parents are both full Lumbee Indian and of course, so is Danielle.

I learned on Facebook a day after the wedding that Terry had instigated a special father-daughter dance for the reception for which he and Danielle practiced for a week so I copied that photo for the blog! Sorry I missed that!

 

Heart Stone Films videoed the wedding and I can't wait to see the video, especially the Father-Daughter  dance! 

Danielle and David included a sweet tribute to their parents and a reading by Danielle's cousin, Chasity. Then I shared their story with their guests. It included a lot of laughs. They met two years ago and no one was surprised that they met in a gym because they are both dedicated to being fit and healthy. They love working out together and participate in runs. In addition, they are both career-oriented and like to work hard. Danielle moved to DC when David's work took him there. She is following her dream and is in law school and he is a real estate developer. They are very well matched and so happy to finally officially be a family.   

After exchanging their vows and rings, I invited their mothers to come forward and pour wine into two separate wine glasses that represented the bride and the groom. Then the couple poured half of their individual wine into a larger wine glass indicating their coming together in marriage. They did not pour all the wine together symbolic of continuing to be individuals and still connected to their respective families. During the Wine Unity Ceremony, the string trio softly played Ave Maria.

Then it was time for the big pronouncement of marriage, the moment they officially become husband and wife.

 Sealed with a kiss....

 

Danielle and David, it was my pleasure and my honor to join you together in marriage. It was fun working with both of you to create your special ceremony. I know you both will go far in your careers and together in marriage. I wish you all the best life has to offer!