Alyssa and Alex Celebrate Love of Family at Their Wedding in Greystone Inn of Durham

 So how do two Ph.D students manage to find time to meet, much less marry? They used the scientific method - Match.com! And they do seem excellently matched.

They met in 2006, while they were still in school in Pittsburgh, and have been together ever since. Schooling has taken up most of their time as they worked through their studies at colleges around the nation, so wedding planning had to take a back seat until now.

They chose as their wedding location the stately Greystone Inn and Conference Center. Once the home of the venerable Washington Duke family, it is now owned and lovingly kept by Leslie Brame, who has restored it and furnished it with period pieces. It is fun to walk through the rooms imagining what it must have been like to have lived there.

Alyssa and Alex wisely chose Elana Walker of Savoir Faire - Event Planning and Management as their wedding planner. Because they currently live in California, wedding planning was doubly challenging from so far away and Elana was a very capable go-to person to make sure everything went off as planned. She certainly did a beautiful job of it and I will be looking forward to our working together again.

Alyssa and Alex wanted to have a green wedding and they did everything they could to make it a reality. They used Green Planet Catering of Raleigh because they use crops grown by NC State students as well as other eco-minded local growers. Their motto is “Saving the planet, one plate at a time.”

Alyssa and Alex would not use flowers because of the pesticides so Alyssa made bouquets for she and her Maid of Honor from family heirloom brooches, filled out with other old brooches she had found at yard sales. The bouquets were amazing.

They made their own pomander decorations from recycled paper and used them to good effect at the altar and on the aisle chairs.

Because it was important to Alyssa and Alex that the ceremony be about the work and commitment that sustains a marriage and the love and support of their family, there were a lot of sentimental touches. Their parents and grandparents had set fine examples of love and marriage and the family who were no longer with them were remembered with photos set up along the edges of the front porch of the Inn, where the ceremony took place.

Alyssa was wearing her tributes, not only in the family heirloom bouquet but also in her veil and jewelry;

pearl bracelet - from her Great Aunt, handed down to her Aunt, and borrowed for the wedding

pearl necklace - from Alex’s grandmother

veil - her mother’s wedding veil

She looked like a bride from the 1920s and it all went together beautifully. Her dress, hair and make-up were of that period and it suited her soft, quiet manner perfectly. Greystone Inn was the elegant backdrop that looked like Hollywood casting.

The DJ for the day was Brian Fore of DJ B4. He is shown here on the right and he sure kept things going musically. Also in this photo are Elana and her excellent assistants, Joella, shown on the left and Donnell, standing next to her. It was great working with all of them. Nice job, everyone. Very nice job.

The videographers for the event were the amazing husband and wife team, Philip and Mackenzie Henry of Ink Spot Crow Films. I have worked with them before and can’t wait to see how this video turns out. There are a few videographers whose work I can’t stop watching over and over again when I see it and this is one of them. Excellent work always. .

(Update 10/7/11 - Just got an email from Mackenzie that the wedding highlights video is now online. It is a great video that really catches the personalities of Alyssa and Alex. It is also a perfect example of why it is such an asset to have professional videographers for your wedding. Here is the link, if you would like to check it out. Love those Krispy Kreme hats!)    

Their photographer for the day was Beatrice Yaxley, of Beatrice Yaxley Photography. I have never worked with her before, but judging from her website, she is quite a talent. Looking forward to seeing the photos when they are online.

Alyssa and Alex, I enjoyed meeting you and working with you to create such a charming and heartfelt wedding. I hope your future together is filled with the bounty of nature and all the good things that come from caring about and giving back to the earth.

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Mikki and Hector Create a Beautiful Celebration of Love at Preston-Woodall House in Benson, NC

Mikki and Hector have a wonderful love story. Hector is originally from San Salvador and when he came to America he went to work for Mikki’s father in the construction business. Mikki worked there, too, and her dad asked Hector to watch over her when she was at job sites. Hector was dutiful to this assignment and eventually (7 years later!) the two of them started noticing each other as more than just coworkers. Through many long conversations over Coca-Colas, a friendship grew that eventually deepened into love.

They decided to marry at the stately Preston-Woodall House in Benson, NC. Presided over by the Special Events Manager, Diane Seymore, it was the perfect choice for the completely heartfelt and DIY wedding they had put together.

Mikki has her own drywall business these days and can put up drywall with the best of them - but she is also quite a handy lady on many other levels, too, with a lot of creative ideas and the know-how for implementation!

For starters, she made all the Bridesmaid jewelry, as well as jewelry for herself and the Flower Girl.

Notice the touches of crystal she added to the lovely vines that decorated the pillars of the pergola where the ceremony took place.

This interesting family tree was created by Mikki and Hector. The way the family added themselves to the tree was to dip their fingers in a pot of paint and then put their fingerprint somewhere on a tree branch. I would have loved to have seen that all filled in by the end of the night!

Birds were the theme of the event and they were everywhere on display... especially lovebirds. This very clever tree of birds was the seating chart - you found your bird hanging from a branch and the bird had your name and table assignment.

The table names were named for towns in both their countries. The names were written on a small chalkboard, edged in moss, and they stood next to an arrangement of flowers. Each floral vase stood on a beautiful slice of wood that Hector had cut and sanded. He had needed to heat the wood prior to all this to make sure he got out any bugs that might have been inside the wood. Big job, Hector!

On their table, Mikki and Hector had written “Mr. and Mrs.” and they had two lovebirds sitting there with another bird perched atop the chalkboard.

The rings were carried in by the very handsome Ring Bearer, Hector’s nephew, and he carried them in the same moss used on the tables. They looked beautiful in that moss and he handled them so carefully.

For the ceremony they had chosen some very special moments to share between themselves. Mikki had lost a sister and Hector his father and they chose a very unique way to honor them during the ceremony. They had each written letters to their loved one and during the ceremony they tied those letters to balloons and sent them aloft. 

They also had special signs for the chairs where the person would have been sitting had they been there. It was all very touching and as those balloons went up, it was all I could do to stop the tears from welling up in my eyes and throat.

They also added an Anniversary Box ceremony to the wedding. They had written secret love letters to each other, to be placed inside a box with a couple of bottles of Coke (remember those long early talks over Cokes mentioned earlier?). On their first anniversary they plan to open the box, read the letters and share the Cokes. Very sweet.

Their beloved dog, Boudreaux was also there, wearing his own tux and looking pretty happy to be included.

This beautiful wedding cake, made by Cinda’s Creative Cakes, was topped with its own pair of lovebirds and sat on one of Hector’s wooden slabs. What a unique cake plate it made!

Their DJ was the fun DJ Richie, of RJ Entertainment, who always knows how to keep a party hopping. He was the perfect choice for Mikki and Hector‘s fun, high energy!

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Other wedding professionals who helped Mikki and Hector create their wonderful wedding;

Photographer - Jamie Blow - J and J Photography
Videographer - Phil McInnis - Twenty-One Films
Flowers - Tracy Huntley - Springwell Gardens
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(Update  10/21/11 - I have just learned their photographer has put up a blog post with the photos from the wedding. Great collection - and they captured the letters on the balloons. So happy to see that special moment again.)
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Mikki and Hector, it was a real treat to get to know you and to be a part of such a special wedding. As long as I live, I will never forget your sending your love and prayers to your father and sister on those balloons. I still get choked up every time I think about it.
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Melissa and Ryan Have a Sunny Wedding at The Sutherland in Wake Forest

So how do you know for sure that your fiancé loves you? There are many signs, obviously, but for Melissa, her fisherman fiancé showed her by selling his beloved bass boat to buy her an engagement ring. For those of you with avid fishermen in your lives, you will fully understand how huge this is. Ryan wanted her to know how much he loved her and what better way than to sell a prized possession to buy something for her.

Both Melissa and Ryan have had wonderful examples of long, loving marriages in their families so it was not too hard for Ryan to know how to show his love. Ryan’s parents have been married for 28 years,

photo by Brian Anderson

Melissa’s parents have been married for 27 years,

photo by Brian Anderson

and Melissa’s grandparents have been married for 61 years!

photo by Brian Anderson

Ryan and Melissa have some mighty big footsteps to follow! During the ceremony they wanted to make sure their parents and grandparents were honored for the great examples they had set for them, followed by Melissa and Ryan surprising them all with roses for their moms and grandmother. Many tears were seen as they presented the roses. Such a touching moment.

photo by Brian Anderson

Melissa and Ryan chose as their wedding location the beautiful The Sutherland Estate and Gardens in Wake Forest. What a wonderful location this is for a wedding. Tucked off the highway, it is all enclosed and private and they include skilled wedding planners in their packages. Ashlee Adams was in charge of making sure everything went well for Melissa and Ryan and she was certainly a professional in all she did. It was great working with her.

Here are some shots of this most impressive wedding and event venue;

the main house where the Bride and her Bridesmaids dress and the Settler’s Cottage where the Groom and Groomsmen dress

photo by Brian Anderson

the brick area where the ceremonies take place, the wedding garden lawn as it extends back toward the house, and the large brick patio behind the house, perfectly suited for setting up a large dance floor

photo by Brian Anderson

photo by Brian Anderson

the rustic dining room that leads into the bright, airy anteroom where the cake and some of the refreshments were served

Melissa’s beautiful wedding dress had been copied by her Grandmother for one of Melissa’s childhood Barbie dolls and I couldn’t resist getting a photo of Melissa and Barbie together.

Barbie also had a place of honor down in the traditional dining room where the gift table was set up and she later joined the revelry out by the dance floor in the evening. 

photo by Brian Anderson

The accent colors for the wedding were aqua and yellow and what a happy, cheery combination that is. Melissa and Ryan used it to perfect effect for the Bridesmaid dresses, the bouquets and boutonnieres,

the pomanders they made for the aisle chairs, 

the table settings and centerpieces under the reception tent,

 the jelly beans they made themselves (!!) for guest favors,

the wedding cake and table,

even Melissa’s wedding shoes were a cheery shade of yellow!

Their gifts for their Bridal Party were engraved beer mugs for the men and yellow and aqua polka dot glasses for the ladies.

Here you see Melissa’s brother and Ryan’s best man with the polka dot glasses in hand, no doubt going to get refreshments for the ladies.

photo by Brian Anderson

It was a sunny day with sunny decorations and it all matched perfectly the sunny dispositions of this happy couple and their families and guests. It was quite a special event and I know everyone there was having a marvelous time. Even Barbie herself, who must have been privy to some special moments in Melissa’s childhood, must have been enjoying every moment.

The photographer for the wedding was Hilton Pitman, of Hilton Pitman Photography. Some of his wonderful photos are included here with his watermark embossed. (Thanks, Hilton) He also did some wonderful engagement photos of Melissa and Ryan and I wrote a blog post about it a few months ago. Here’s a link to that post if you’d like to read it.

My thanks also to Melissa’s cousin, Brian Anderson, who provided most of the photos used here. 

Melissa and Ryan, it was such a joy to get to know you and to be a part of such a special day in your lives. Thank you again for the beautiful birthday flowers and sweet card you gave me on my birthday. I was so touched by your thoughtfulness. (My birthday was on their rehearsal date and they gave me flowers and a card signed by everyone at the rehearsal.)

May all your dreams come true in unique and wonderful ways - and may Ryan’s new bass boat (when it comes along) be a joy for you both.

Update 9/1/11- I have just learned that Melissa and Ryan’s wedding will be featured in the Spring / Summer 2012 issue of The Knot North Carolina, which will be on sale in stores starting Dec. 27, 2011. Can’t wait to read it!

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Update 1/23/12 - Here is the link to the blog post I wrote when their wedding was featured in The Knot North Carolina magazine.

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