Katie and Jon's Sweet Wedding at The Meadows at Firefly Farm

Katie and Jon planned their wedding for Monday afternoon at a beautiful new venue in Raleigh: The Meadows at Firefly Farm. The owners bought up this beautiful farm and surrounding acres for the purpose of keeping it natural and undeveloped. I admire them for this preservation of natural landscape. If you get a chance to visit and be toured around, it is quite impressive!

Monday October 29, 2108 was a beautiful day for a wedding!

This archway of natural material was the entrance to the ceremony space in the forest. 

Look at this sweet spot! Huge logs were the benches for the guests who were beginning to gather. 

Our photographer, Alex Lassiter of A&A Wedding Photography, was getting some shots of our music-makers, The Grit Lickers! 

The "altar" was a huge circle of intertwined limbs decorated with greenery, flowers and a fabric drape which kept getting rearranged by the wind.  Every Bloomin' Thing was the florist.

The guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin while Jon and I gathered with Kelly Joy, our wedding director, in the house next to the glen.

She gave us the signal to enter and we took our places. There was no wedding party other than the three of us. Jon and Katie wanted their wedding to be simple and sweet. And it was.

I invited the guests to stand as Katie began her long walk down the aisle. Jon left my side and began walking toward her to meet halfway.

And so they make their way down as the guests watch them come together into marriage. 

They faced each other and held hands centered in front of me as I invited the guests to be seated. 

What a lovely setting for an small intimate wedding! 

I welcomed everyone and thanked them for being with us. 

I stepped out to the side and paid tribute to Jon's parents who were on the first bench. Then launched into a reading of Captain Corelli's Mandolin that reflects the couple's beliefs about love and marriage.

Jon and Katie love the ee cumming poem of I Carry Your Heart and so they alternately read lines of the poem to each other from my book where it was printed facing them.

I gave a brief synopsis of their meeting and falling in love then it was time for the handfasting ritual. 

I took the cord from around my shoulders and began wrapping it around their joined left hands then asked them to join their right hands forming the symbol of infinity.

Some tears slipped out of Katie's eyes so I blotted them with my hankie.  

Then while their hands were bound they read their vows to each other where they were printed in my book. Then I removed the cord and they placed their rings on each other's finger which are symbols of the cord. 

After a closing blessing it was time for the pronouncement of marriage. 

I was so happy to declare that they are now husband and wife. 

Their first kiss as a married couple! Everyone was cheering them on! 

The guests stood in their honor as I presented them for the first time as husband and wife. 

And they step into the next chapter of their lives--marriage!

It was such a pretty day and the wind had died down enough to stop blowing my hair in my face! 

Jon and Katie! What a pleasure to know you and an honor to join you in marriage. Your hearts are truly melded into that wonderful spirit of sweet love. I know you are so happy to be together forever!

Suzanne and Justin Wed at Campbell Lodge!

Suzanne and Justin chose to have their wedding at the Campbell Lodge at Durant Nature Preserve on October 27, 2018. They did all of the wedding planning themselves with the help of family and friends. It is a daunting task but they were up to it and pulled off a fabulous wedding! 

The day was chilly but nice and everything was going according to plan. 

At the rehearsal I was thrilled to see that the old beige and green tiles had been removed revealing this beautiful wooden floor. It completely transformed the room with warmth. The  mantle has been decorated with greenery and candles and white flowers.

Suzanne and Justin had thought out all the little areas to display photos on the gift table. 

They had their guests sign in on Jenga blocks which they will use later to stack and play the balance game. 

Many scrumptious cakes--the "wedding cake" was by Capital Cakes and the others were homemade by family.

Daniel with Complete Weddings was all set up to provide the music for the ceremony and reception. 

Kristine Tew, good friend of the couple, was our wedding director and all around in-charge person. Great job, Kristine!

It's is time to begin. The guests were invited to take their seats so the ceremony could commence. (You can see that the other end of the lodge has an identical fireplace where the reception tables are confined to until after the ceremony when the chairs will be placed on the tables spread out in this space.)

I entered first then Justin followed from the side door. 

Justin's dad and best man escorts in Justin's Mother and Grandmother then joined Justin and me up front.

Mother of the bride is escorted in by her son and grandson. 

The bridesmaids and groomsmen entered as couples. 

After this couple our Maid of Honor entered. Not pictured.

Then Blaine, nephew of bride, entered with the sign "Here She Comes!"

Everyone turned to watch for the bride. 

Suzanne and her father entered and I invited all the guests to stand in their honor!

Father and Mother of the bride answered my question to them then all were seated. 

A warm welcome to all their guests with thanks from the couple for making the journey to be with them. 

An opening prayer.

Then remembrance of the people who were no longer with us. 

I stepped out to the side to address their parents and then to tell Suzanne and Justin's love story. They met back in 2015 and the attraction was instantaneous. It wasn't long before they were a couple enjoying traveling, introducing each other to their favorite restaurants, and discovering how great their compatibility is. Justin proposed in February of 2018 and they began planning their wedding together.

Then I revealed to each of them what their partner had told me they love about them, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage. Suzanne first as Justin watches her receive his sweet words. Then it was Justin's turn.

They made their vows and then sealed them with their rings. 

Suzanne gets that ring on Justin's finger securely!

Following a closing blessing, I pronounced them married and invited Justin to kiss his bride!

He wasted no time kissing his beautiful wife as we all cheered him on! 

While the guests were placing their chairs around the tables, the wedding party slipped outside and down to the lower level for photos. Their professional photographer was Haley Colley. Their florist was Gina with Designer Buds. The caterer was City BBQ.

Suzanne and Justin! Congratulations! What a great job you did in putting together a great wedding day. And I enjoyed getting to know you and working with you so much. I wish you all the best forever!!

LOVE + SCIENCE Annual Museum of Life and Science Showcase on March 8, 2019!

I have officiated many weddings at this cool venue! 

I will be attending this open house and hope to see you there. Get your tickets here!

Many couples find this to be the perfect venue where they can express their love of science and each other. There are several spots to choose from for your ceremony--inside the main museum for an "outer space" contemporary surrounding, the grounds around the lovely Butterfly House with its glass panels that mirror the beautiful sky, and even inside the butterfly house with the beautiful creatures wafting around us. 

I strongly believe that the wedding ceremony is all about the couple and your beliefs, love and commitment, your personalities. So together we design ceremonies to be a unique expression of the two of you that you will love hearing on your wedding day and your guests will be spellbound by!