Ana Lucia and Jeff Overcome Living in Two Countries to Marry at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham

 Ana Lucia lived in Guatemala and Jeff lives in North Carolina. They met online through a shared love of music and before you know it, emails and phone calls were going strong and Jeff decided to go visit Ana Lucia in Guatemala. That was it for both of them. From that point onward, they knew they were meant to be together and Ana Lucia eventually moved to be with Jeff this past spring.

But where to have the wedding with so many family and friends in two countries? They decided to have two weddings - one here this summer and one next spring in Guatemala. Luckily, Ana Lucia’s parents and a favorite Aunt were able to be here for this wedding.

Ana Lucia’s parents and Aunt speak English as a second language, but Ana Lucia and Jeff thought it  would be so much easier for them if the ceremony was spoken in Spanish, so they hired a wonderful Spanish Interpreter I know, Crystal Reyes. I have worked with Crystal before for weddings and she takes the ceremony and translates it into Spanish. We then take turns speaking each paragraph so both the English and Spanish are spoken. It made for a very special intimacy to the ceremony and a very thoughtful surprise for Ana Lucia’s family.

For the vows, they each spoke their own vows in Spanish and English and it was very touching. Here is Jeff speaking his vows as his parents proudly look on.

By the way, most of the photos used in this blog post were taken by Ana Lucia and Jeff’s photographer, Joe Payne, of Joe Payne Photography. As you can see, he has a discerning eye and loves to add creative accents to his photos. New to the area himself, I will be looking forward to working with him again. He also speaks Spanish, which will surely be an asset for him. Thanks, Joe, for the use of your photos.

Ana Lucia and Jeff chose to have their ceremony at the elegant Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club in Durham. The Wedding Coordinator there on staff was Chantel Jordan, who did a marvelous job of making sure everything was perfect. You could tell she really cared about everything she did.

Because it was so hot outside, they wisely chose to have the ceremony indoors in a beautiful, round, sunlit room. I had never done a wedding in this room before and I hope there will be many more to come. It was perfect for the small, intimate ceremony and absolutely magnificent with the sun streaming in the giant windows, the beautiful carpet and furnishings, and the trellis mural on the ceiling.

Ana Lucia entered on the arm of her father, down the long hallway just outside the rotunda room. The hallway is full of windows and the light was beautiful on her as she entered, beaming, with her dad.

During the ceremony, Ana Lucia and Jeff decided to add a Unity Candle ceremony, a reading by her Aunt and, because it is a custom in Guatemala that the signing of the license be a part of the actual wedding ceremony and not take place afterwards, we included the signing of the license. I don’t know why we don’t do that here as well. It makes for a very special moment in the ceremony.

Here are Ana Lucia and Jeff as they light their Unity Candle.

And here is Ana Lucia’s mother signing the license as we all look on. Jeff’s father had already signed. Parents are always so flattered to be asked to sign the marriage license.

As Ana Lucia and Jeff recessed out the aisle, they waited at the door to greet their parents and guests. Here, Joe caught this touching photo of them hugging her parents.

This wedding was so special on so many levels and I was very honored to be a part of it. I know their next wedding ceremony in Guatemala will be every bit as touching for they are very kind people who love each other and their families deeply and continually think of ways to show that they do.