Julie and Alex wed at Duke Garden Pergola

Thank goodness Jule and Alex chose to have their small intimate wedding with their families at 10 AM on June 7th because this day has turned out to be a record with a temperature of 102 degrees! It was quite pleasant in the morning under the pergola though. I had not met Julie or Alex before I arrived for the wedding. Julie made all the arrangments with me via email and USPO. I wrote a custom ceremony for them and then sent it to them for their editing and changes. They added a favorite poem and made the words fit them perfectly! Their families in attendance were quite moved by the ceremony and very happy that Julie and Alex tied the knot!

Pam and Richard get married again!

Pam emailed me about a week ago to see if I could do the wedding for her and Richard this weekend. She told me that they were married many years ago but later divorced. However, she and Richard had remained close through the years raising their daughter, Kate, who was born with cerebral palsy with spastic quadriparesis. Kate, now 24, has recently graduated with her MSW and it was her heart's desire for her parents to re-marry. So, they jumped at the chance to get married in my wedding garden today which was accessible to Kate's wheelchair. They also brought Pam's mother, Grace, age 81, to be the second witness to sign the license. I asked Grace after the wedding if she had ever thought she would be Mother of the Bride twice to her daughter marrying the same man! We had a good laugh. We had a sweet ceremony based on what Pam and Richard told me they wanted and Kate and I took lots of photos afterwards. Kate, you are so amazing and I am grateful for the opportunity to meet you. Pam and Richard, thanks for your love and devotion to Kate and for each other! Have a great new marriage and I'll see you in a few years for a renewal of vows ceremony. Kate, I would love to officiate your wedding some day!

Jessica and Stefan marry amid roses in full bloom!

Today, June 1st, the Raleigh Rose Garden was in full bloom for the wedding of Jessica and Stefan, and it was hot as blue blazes with temps near 100! Can you see the sweat on all of us? The roses were so high that you could barely see the wedding over them from the side of the garden. It is a magical place and Jessica was a beautiful bride as she was escorted down the aisle by her father. The young flower girl eventually made it down the aisle...with some coaxing from her mother who was directing the wedding. See the photo of her and her brother in the tree in the back of the garden after the wedding! They were glad it was all over and could play a bit. After the wedding the guests were invited to go cool off at the reception at Caffe Luna, one of my favorite restaurants and wedding sites.

In the ceremony we did a sweet parents' blessing that brought tears to all. A friend of Stefan's family presented a reading in Spanish which was translated into English for us all to enjoy. Stefan grew up in Mexico and Jessica in Canada and met in NC. The bridesmaids wore lovely yellow ("canary") dresses. Yellow is not a color I see very often in weddings these days and they looked so pretty with the background of multi-colored roses. The tent you see in the pictures was provided for the musicians--Arioso Strings. They are always superb and managed to overcome the heat of the day. Ellen, the photographer had so many wonderful choices for pictures with the garden so abloom. I thank my "roadie" Marty for getting the great photos you see here. We all thank Penny, Stefan's mother, for her hard work in getting all the details and hard work done to make this lovely wedding happen.

Amy and Hank's wedding in Fuquay-Varina

Amy and Hank planned their wedding on May 31st to be held their home in South Raleigh but decided to move it a couple of weeks before the wedding to a house that Hank, a contractor, had built and has for sale in Fuquay-Varina. With about 50 guests in attendance, we had their wonderful ceremony in the back garden. It was a ceremony to which the couple added many personal stories and a quotation from one of Dani's favorite authors, Shel Silverstein, about "hug o wars!" Hank and Amy made vows to Dani and she reciprocated with vows of her own to them at her request. The ceremony was touching and sprinkled with funny quotes and stories about the couple's experiences together. I received many comments from the guests on how wonderful and refreshingly different the ceremony was. One couple told me they wished they had had me for their minister at their wedding a few years ago but will call me when they have their 10th anniversary for a renewal of vows ceremony. The ceremony was followed by a delicious pig pickin' and celebration and in the 90 degree weather, the shoes and coats came off fast!

Ruth and Gary marry in Kayelily's Wedding Garden

Ruth and Gary decided it was time to get married so they scheduled their small intimate wedding in my wedding garden on May 31st. It was a sweet ceremony attended by Gary's daughter, Laura, his friend Tracy, and his brother surprised them by flying in from California for the big event! Despite the humidity of the day, they were radiating happiness as they exchanged their vows and rings. My wedding garden is in my backyard and will accommodate about 15 guests for small private weddings.