Amanda and Michael Wed at The Umstead Hotel and Spa!

Amanda and Michael live in Maryland but wanted to marry in North Carolina where she grew up. They met 3 ½ years ago when they both were working in Washington DC and soon became inseparable. They planned their wedding for April 16, 2016 at The Umstead Hotel and Spa, one of the most elegant wedding venues in the Triangle. It was a gala affair!

Before the wedding, Dave and I searched out the ballroom where the reception will be held. It is ready! 

The pretty wedding cake by Sweet Memories is in place. 

I love looking at their photos of their parents' and grandparents' wedding photos!

The very brief story! 

Back downstairs in the garden Gary with The Umstead and I hooked my mic into their sound system and did a sound check.

Then I rounded up Emily, the Maid of Honor, to sign the marriage license. 

Cara, our photographer, had the bride and her maidens out in the garden taking some photos before the ceremony.

The guys were hanging out up on the terrace so I got our Best Man, Vincent, to sign the license and certificate. 

Going over the ceremony details with Tia Jones with Erin McLean Events who planned and directed this wedding. Love doing weddings with Tia. She is so organized and on the ball.

The staff of The Umstead on duty for this wedding posed for a photo! 

Our amazing photographer, Cara with F8 Photo Studio, and her second shooter taking a break before the ceremony starts.

The wedding was carefully timed to start at 5:30. This photo was taken at about 5:15 when the shadow from the building was advancing toward the lake. By 5:30 the guests and wedding party were in the shadows instead of being blinded by the setting sun.

The videographers from Reel Weddings pose for a picture!

Our musicians from Arioso Strings are busy playing beautiful prelude music before the ceremony. 

Tia says it is time to start and signals the musicians to begin the processional music.

After the parents of the couple and grandmother of the groom have entered, it is time for the guys and me. 

Then the bridesmaids entered one by one and it was time for the bride. (Notice the shadow line is now behind us!)

Amanda and her dad, Todd, started the long walk down the aisle. 

The guests of the hotel look on from their balconies. (A few weeks after this wedding, I ran into a former bride from a few years ago who told me they were celebrating their anniversary as this wedding was happening. They were looking down from the terrace and were delighted to see that I was officiating!)

Amanda and Todd stop in front of Michael and me. 

Cara gets pictures of the transfer of the bride's hand into the groom's. 

A warm welcome to all! 

Michael and Amanda's wedding day was the third generation in Mike's family that has gotten married on April 16th. 39 years Michael's parents were married on this day and 61 years ago his maternal grandparents were married on this day!

A tribute to their parents brought forth some tears. 

They then heard for the first time what they had each told me in confidence that they loved about each other. This is a feature of my "bells and whistles" type of ceremony. 

Their vows were exchanged. 

Collecting the rings from the best man. 

Michael places the ring on Amanda's finger. 

Amanda places the ring on Michael's finger. 

They place their handwritten love letters into the wooden box with the wine to be opened on their first anniversary. 

A closing blessing.

The pronouncement of marriage! 

Michael goes in for the kiss! 

And there they go, married at last!

Another kiss for the photographer! 

The wedding party exits in couples. 

Mother and Father of the Bride. 

Father and Mother of the Groom.

Michael's grandmother, Rose, is escorted out by aunt and uncle of the groom. 

Congratulations, Amanda and Michael! You are a wonderful couple and I am honored to have been the one to join you in marriage. I wish you all the best for life!!

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Stephanie and John Wed at Second Empire!

Stephanie and John contacted me on January 16th to find out if I was available for their wedding on April 16, 2016 at Second Empire. I was delighted that I was. So, we met, decided we were a good match and got their date and time on my calendar. I sent them links to the ceremony material from which they put together the first draft. In the meantime, they answered questionnaires for me from which I wrote their story and secret paragraphs. They were really good about getting things to me in a timely manner and before long we had a complete script for their ceremony.

Their wedding day was a beautiful day. Second Empire is a wonderful spot for a small intimate wedding and the East Parlor was waiting for us.

When Dave and I arrived, we peeked out the window and saw the couple with their photographer, Nadiya with Imani Fine Art Photography getting some pre-ceremony photos.

When the guests had arrived and were seated, John and I took our places up front. Their friend Anna operated an iPod and played music for the bride to enter. I invited the guests to stand for the bride.

As Stephanie started walking down the aisle, John started walking toward her and they met in the middle. 

They turned and faced each other holding both hands. We started with a welcome to all and then launched into a tribute to their parents sitting on the first row. It is always a sweet surprise for them.

I had a great time telling their story to their guests like they had never heard before! Long story short, they met at work in 2011 and were just friends for about 2 years when their attraction turned into more than friendship. They love spending time together watching a movie or TV, John playing video games or often having feminist conversations and debates! John proposed to Stephanie on his birthday and told me her saying yes was the greatest birthday gift he could imagine!

They wrote their own vows which were printed in my book from which they read them to each other. 

John encircles Stephanie's finger with the ring as he said words after me to her. 

Then Stephanie did the same. 

We moved from there to a closing blessing to the pronouncement of marriage!

And they kissed! 

Introducing the newlyweds! 

Congratulations, Stephanie and John! Great wedding--down to earth yet elegant and perfectly you. I wish you all the happiness and satisfaction in the world!

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Melissa and Terri Tie the Knot in The Portofino Horse Barn!

April 9th, 2016 was a beautiful sunny day but the wind was so strong that Melissa and Terri wisely chose to move their outdoor wedding from the piazza into the beautiful immaculate horse barn at Portofino in Clayton. I loved working with Melissa and Terri. They have been together many years and are a perfect match for each other. They recently located to North Carolina to be close to family and because Terri has a passion for horses they chose the beautiful estate of Portofino which started as a horse farm to begin their new life and to get married there. 

They did a First Look with their esteemed photographer Jason Martin of Veritas Photography. This is a view from halfway down the corridor towards the ceremony area. Cleanest horse barn I have ever seen (or smelled!). All the horses had been moved into the pasture except Terri's horse, Rebel.

Terri checks in on Rebel who seemed inordinately excited!

He has been decked out with flowers interwoven into his mane and tail and senses something special is going on. His name is "Rebel Enough!"

Jason puts down his camera to tie Terri's errant shoelace. 

The amused Melissa watches!

The brides had matching tennis shoes to which they had affixed strips of bling which gradually fell off the shoes leaving bits of bling behind as they walked!

They are so happy on this day. They chose their dresses separately and make such beautiful brides. 

This is the only photo I have of me with the brides because Dave, my husband/photographer, thought we would get more after the wedding. Not so!

A great picture of Melissa and Terri with the Portofino staff. Sandra, right, is the owner and creator of Portofino--an amazing estate of beautiful homes, spectacular grounds, and of course the horse barn. It all started with a horse farm!

The upstairs of the barn has a gorgeous villa for guests. Melissa and Terri stayed there the night before and after their wedding. The wedding party all gathered there before the ceremony as the guest arrived.

 Waiting! So much time at weddings is spent waiting! 

The two beautiful bouquets are by MEWS Floral Design. 

Getting the witnesses' signatures on the marriage license ahead of time. Greg is Melissa's brother and Heather is Terri's sister. Greg escorted Melissa in and Heather was our Maid of Honor.

They are so ready for this! 

Jim Unger with Ninety-Nine Entertainment is our wonderful DJ. Jim really knows what he is doing and everything went smooth as ice! It is always good to work with Jim again.

The upstairs apartment has a Juliet balcony overlooking the barn. This is a photo of the ceremony site as the guests are being seated. The white runner has been firmly affixed to the rubber tiles--Yay!

Back downstairs it looks like the guests have arrived, and we are ready to get the processional underway!

So we got all lined up in the office. Sally, Terri's mother, is ushered in by Chris and Justin and Terri's stepfather, John, followed.

Then it was time for the wedding party as I led them down the aisle. 

Tammy enters. 

Then Heather....

Melissa with Greg, her brother, and her mother, Kathleen, are ready to go! 

The guests are standing in honor of our two brides! 

And now Terri and her father, Tom, begin their walk. 

There they go! 

And so we began the ceremony which the brides and I had collaborated on to make it truly theirs. They have a wonderful sense of humor and the ceremony reflected that, generating sweet laughter during the ceremony. 

I introduced Heather's reading and as I did so, Rebel let out a loud neigh as if he wanted to do the reading! Perfect timing, Rebel!

After telling the story of how Melissa and Terri met and fell in love and all their many adventures together, followed by what they love most about each other and what they are looking forward to in marriage, they made their vows to each other and exchanged rings. 

 The moment their marriage became legal!

 Sealed with a kiss--their first as a married couple!

The horse and carriage awaited them to carry them over to the clubhouse for the reception! 

And away they go! Veils whipping in the wind! 

Around the side of the lake with the photographers running behind them getting some great photos I am sure. 

"JUST MARRIED!" Melissa and Terri, what a fabulous wedding you created and carried out. It could not have been any better. I loved working with the two of you. Congratulations on your marriage and best wishes for the two of you as you begin the same journey you have been on for years, now sealed, signed and delivered!

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