Kony and Patrick's Indian American Fusion Wedding at Caffe Luna!

Kony, Patrick and I met in January to plan their fusion wedding ceremony which took place on March 17th, 2019 at Caffe Luna in downtown Raleigh. They wanted to blend together the American wedding traditions with the Indian traditions of Kony's heritage.

Their photographer with Complete Weddings took them on a First Look and when they came back I had done a sound check and guests were arriving.

Kony was worried about her parents because they were late arriving. However, due to construction on Moore's Square, the parking situation was challenging and time consuming. They arrived shortly thereafter.

Kelly Kennedy of Teacup Florals was their florist and had the ceremony space ready with flowers on the chairs and flower petals lining the aisle.

The reception area was ready as well. 

The mothers! Julia on the left is Patrick's mom and Ruby on the right is Kony's. They had gotten to know each other during the courtship of Kony and Patrick who are very close to their parents. They had vacationed together several times and enjoyed each other's company. Kony's parents live in India.

It is time to begin the processional. I motioned the couple and their parents to get lined up on the sidewalk at the rear door of the restaurant.

Billy Ezzell with Complete Weddings was our DJ. Billy and I have worked together at weddings for 20+ years. He was stationed right by the back door and I cued him for the music.

I entered first to anchor the ceremony space as the couple and their parents joined me. 

Patrick and his parents entered first then Kony and her parents. 

The guests were standing in their honor. 

We began with a warm welcome to all and thanked them for being with them on this special occasion. 

Kony and Patrick wanted to thank and honor their parents during the ceremony and so they each wrote a paragraph printed in my book to read to their parents during the ceremony. Kony went first (tearfully) then Patrick. So sweet.

Then I got to tell the guests the story of how Kony and Patrick met in 2017. It was on line but not a dating site. They were both on Reddit at the same time and struck up a conversation that intrigued both of them and they decided to meet in person. The attraction was instant and mutual. The date ended up being 5 hours as they walked around downtown Raleigh. One thing led to another and they soon became inseparable. And as they say, the rest is history! 

After the story they each got to hear what the other had told me in confidence about what they love about each other, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage.

Kony is hearing what Patrick told me in confidence! 

Then it was time for a few words of wisdom and advice about marriage then they exchanged vows and rings. 

I asked them each a series of questions to which they said "I do" and put the ring on their partner's finger. Patrick is pushing the ring onto Kony's finger!

Then Kony put Patrick's ring on.

Next came the Garland Exchange. The jaimala is an ancient Hindu wedding tradition that can be dated back to the Vedas – sacred Hindu scriptures that can be dated back to 1700 BC. The act of exchanging garlands signifies that the bride and groom are no longer separate individuals but are now united into a single family as equal partners. Given they are now one, they may share garlands, as they will everything else in life. Their mothers gave them a garland which they placed on their partner. 

Next came the Sindoor Ceremony. Sindoor, a vermillion powder applied in the parting of the bride’s hair by the groom holds importance in Indian society, and is considered auspicious in Hindu astrology. Mesha Rashi or the House of Aries is on the forehead, with Lord of Mesha – Mars, represented by the color red.  This is why red sindoor is applied at the forehead and at the parting of the hair. Both are signs of good fortune. Sindoor is also considered to be the symbol of the female energy of Goddesses Parvati and Sati. 

I opened the little tin of red powder and Patrick dipped his finger in it then placed the powder in the part of Kony's hair to signify their union as husband and wife.

Next was a closing blessing.

I placed my hand on theirs and pronounced them husband and wife! 

Their first married kiss! 

I introduced the newlywed couple and invited the guests to join me in congratulating them!

And away they go!!

I stayed behind long enough to invite the guests to go into the room next door for refreshments.

Kony and Patrick! What a wonderful wedding ceremony you designed. It fit you perfectly and was so fun and meaningful. Thank you for choosing me to join you in marriage and for your wonderful words and 5-Star reviews (below)!! I wish you the best always! 

Wonderful, professional and kind! 

Without Kayelily we wouldn't have been married - and I don't just mean it literally. She helped create an amazing story about how we met, what made us fall in love, and our journey together. She made the day so special and important, and even the guests commented on how beautiful the ceremony was.
Moreover, we were both kind of scared about saying things out loud, so she said our vows for us and that was so helpful! Neither of us are religious and she took that into account to still make the most beautiful ceremony ever. I also have to say that I find her voice so pleasing to hear, and that was great during the ceremony too. She also coordinated her outfit with us which looked beautiful.
Thank you again Kayelily, you're absolutely wonderful.

Allison and Brian Wed at All Saints Chapel!

Allison and Brian are a terrific couple and I enjoyed getting to know them and collaborating with them to make their ceremony fulfill all their dreams and expectations. We met and began planning back in August of 2018 and finally their wedding day of June 29th, 2019 arrived. It was a hot, beautiful day in North Carolina! 

All Saints Chapel was ready and the couple and their families were out taking First Look photos with their photographer Delia Rati of Imagination2Infinity.

The altar chest was filled with greenery and floating candles. The simplicity is elegant and all that is needed at this sweet chapel of stained glass windows and beautiful woodwork.

The pedestal table near the altar chest was the place for their Memory Box filled with memorabilia they had collected since their first date on July 4th 2017. They had it engraved with their names and the wedding date. They wrote love-letters to each other the night before the rehearsal and sealed them without sharing to be opened and enjoyed on their first wedding anniversary.

These are our "chapel attendants!" They helped me hook my mic into their body pack and Kevin McVerry with Performance DJ stationed in the loft manning the house sound system did a sound check with me. (After the ceremony the guests are invited downstairs for refreshments while the chapel area is flipped for the reception with a great dance floor and music by the DJ. Cateringworks provided the food and the wedding cake.)

Downstairs in the bridal suite the three flower girls were having fun waiting for the wedding to begin. Dave caught a staged photo of them doing the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" poses someone had put them up to!

When it was time to begin and everyone was all lined up in the back of the chapel, I walked in, welcomed everyone and made the "unplugged announcement." Then Brian and his brother Scott (best man) entered from the door at the left of the altar and took their places. Allison's sister, Karen, then came down the aisle and took her place.

 The three sweet little flower girls are ready to begin their trek down the aisle now! 

 Caroline (with the chapel) shooed them in the right direction and they began dropping the petals. 

 What a great job they did! The aisle is well sprinkled with the petals for the entrance of the bride! 

The chapel doors opened and I invited the guests to stand for our beautiful bride escorted in by her stepfather, Dan.

 Brian eagerly awaits Allison as they make their way to the altar steps. 

After the traditional presentation of the bride, the wedding party and I stepped up onto the altar for the ceremony. 

We began with words thanking the guests for being with us followed by a prayer and remembrance of loved ones no longer with us.

A sweet surprise tribute to their parents came next as I stepped forward to speak to them on behalf of our couple.

 Then it was my great pleasure to tell our guests the story of how Brian and Allison met and got to this day. 

 There was quite a bit of humor sprinkled into the story and the guests loved laughing together. 

 They read their vows to each other where they were printed facing them in my ceremony book. 

 Then it was time to exchange the rings. Brian goes first and repeated his words after me line by line. 

 Then it is Allison's turn to place the ring on Brian's finger and say the same words to him. 

I handed them their love-letters to place in the box as I told the guests about the Memory Box. They returned to their places in front of me and we closed with a blessing.

 I placed my hand on theirs and pronounced them married! Time for the kiss! 

 They were happy to comply!! First married kiss! 

Karen handed Allison her bouquet and I introduced them to their guests for the first time as husband and wife and they made their way down the aisle amid cheers and applause!

Allison and Brian! What a great wedding! I am so happy to have joined you in marriage and loved working with you on the ceremony. And, thank you for your speedy and kind review of my services (below) on The Knot, Weddingwire, and Google Business as well as a generous gratuity! I wish you much happiness and the best always!

"Kayelily made our wedding ceremony as special as it could have possibly been. As soon as we hired Kayelily, she sent us lots of resources and questionnaires for crafting a ceremony, and we were able to work together to create exactly what we wanted. She told our story beautifully, had us laughing and crying, and she gave us and our guests a memorable experience. You can't go wrong by hiring Kayelily."

Heidi and Keith's Stunning Wedding at The Rickhouse!

Heidi and Keith chose for their wedding, the unique venue of The Rickhouse. It is a whiskey distillery located downtown Durham. Their decor vendors Get Lit and Springwell Gardens worked to enhance its natural lighting and industrial features into a magical setting for their wedding.

I love the criss-crossed drape in the center and the strings of white cascading down the glass window into the distillery machinery.

Chalkboards by Julie greeted the guests on this beautiful day of March 23, 2019. 

When the guests were seated and we were ready for the ceremony to begin, I entered solo first to make the "unplugged" announcement asking the guests to truly be with Keith and Heidi in their hearts without the distraction of technology. Then Keith and his groomsmen made their entrance.

They took their places up front then the bridesmaids joined them one by one. 

Then the adorable ring bearer pulled the wagon of babies down the aisle. 

And lastly our beautiful bride was escorted in by her mother and father and another sweet little flower girl. 

At the end of the aisle they gave their daughter their love and support as they transferred her hand into Keith's hand and were seated.

A hearty welcome to all their guests followed by tributes to their family members.

The couple and I had written the story of how they met and fell in love and the adventures they had had since them bringing the guests up to the wedding day.

Telling the love story is my favorite part of the ceremony and it is fun for the couple to hear and watch their guests' enjoying hearing it.

A spectacular photo by our professional photographers, Elyssa and John with Kivus and Camera. In fact, they provided most of the photos for this blog post and I am so grateful. Look for their watermark-- the encircled star in the lower right-hand corner. (The photos without the watermark were taken by my husband with my camera.)

There was lots of laughter as well as tender moments.

And now the big reveal as I tell them what their partner has told me in confidence about what they love about each other, why they want to marry and what they are looking forward to in marriage.

Another humorous moment!

Following the exchange of their vows, they exchanged their rings.

Heidi and Keith chose the Anniversary Box for their unity ceremony. They wrote love letters to each other about this exciting time in their lives and sealed them without sharing. During the ceremony they put them in a special box with a favorite bottle of wine and closed it. I invited them to open the box on their first anniversary and pour each other a glass of wine and read their letters from the other. Then have a conversation about the wedding day and the year that has passed. Write new love letters and seal without sharing and place in the box with the first letters and a new bottle of wine and repeat every anniversary.

We closed with a blessing then the pronouncement of marriage. 

Their first kiss as husband and wife!

Oh happy day!!

The joyous walk back down the aisle into their new life! 

And another kiss! 

Outside after the ceremony the wedding party and parents and the Durham Bulls mascot gathered for some photos. 

The wind was making it extra fun and made for some great photos! 

Emily Thomas, owner of Emily Katherine Events, coordinated the wedding vendors and helped bring the couple's vision of their wedding day into reality!

Keith and Heidi! A fabulous wedding! Congratulations to you on your marriage. Thank you for giving me the honor of joining you in marriage!