Katie and Chris marry August 22, 2009 at the Aqueduct Conference Center in Chapel Hill

Katie and Chris have been together since high school and all their family and friends kept telling me what a perfect match they are for each other. I could see that for myself, too. And so it came as no surprise that for this couple an extra special omen would come into play.

There was to be a chance of rain on their big day and although in many cultures of the world it is considered an omen of great good fortune to have rain on the wedding day, Katie and Chris would have preferred no rain at all. But it came anyway and prevented them from having their wedding out on the vast expanse of lush green lawn as they had planned. Plan B went immediately into effect and the ceremony was set up on the large back porch of the Aqueduct Conference Center, creating an intimacy we wouldn’t have had out in the yard - and it was just beautiful.

This was my first time at the Aqueduct Conference Center and what a treat. To look at the building as you approach it you would never know the great ambience it holds inside and behind itself. You enter through a nice foyer into a large expanse of three rooms with a big fireplace in the center one. At the far end of all three rooms is a wall of windows and doors, through which you enter onto the very large porch that looks out over a HUGE yard surrounded by trees. It was serene and beautiful.

In this photo, looking from the front porch into the room, you can see the fireplace and to the right is a piano, being played for the event by a friend of the family, Gregory Dixon. Mr. Dixon is a professional pianist and can be contacted to perform for weddings and other functions through his email or phone, 919-832-9429.

Here is the front porch set up for the wedding, looking out toward the yard.

For Plan B, the rose petals that were to have been the aisle markers were instead used to decorate the built-in wooden seating that runs the perimeter of the porch. It was a lovely effect and smelled so nice besides.

At the end of the ceremony, the guests were to shower rose petals on Katie and Chris as they exited back out the aisle as husband and wife. The petals were waiting for the guests under the chairs, beautifully arranged in individual doily containers sitting in a basket. They were handed to the guests as they were seated.

This handsome young man was the Ring Bearer and he is holding the two shells he carried. No ring pillow here, and what a unique and beautifully simple change it was. The color of the shells matched the pink accent color of the wedding, as did the Bridesmaid dresses, the men’s ties and the boutonnieres.

The cake was made by Cheyenne Brewington of Cake Delicioso, which is a student-operated custom cake bakery. I hope to see many more offerings from them as the years go by. My photo of the cake does not do it justice, unfortunately, but it was a real work of art and duplicated the simple elegance and feel of nature of the whole event.

Two other musicians were on hand for the ceremony music; Nancy and Jessie Holton, also friends of the family. Jessie was on sax and Nancy played the flute. I have never heard these two instruments played together but it was beautiful. What a wonderful and unexpected sound combination! Nancy and Jessie only play at their church but they would surely be very successful if they ever decided to branch out and play professionally.

The photographers were the very capable husband and wife team of Todd and Amy Farmer of Todd Farmer Photography. They were a very nice couple and had a knack for getting everyone together to make the photos go smoothly. Todd told me they strive to keep their rates reasonable and their photo quality high - a great combination. I’ll be looking forward to seeing their photos of the wedding when they are online.

I couldn’t resist adding this great photo of Katie and her niece, the adorable little Flower Girl. Behind them, you can see Amy taking a photo.

It was a delightful wedding, even with the rain, and I know Katie and Chris will benefit from the abundance of goodness that the rain foretold. Congratulations to them and their families!