Reva and Michelle Commit Their Lives Together at Preston-Woodall House in Benson, NC

It was a gorgeous day for a wedding. The Brides were glowing, nature was glowing, there was so much happiness around you could feel it everywhere you turned. This day was a culmination of a love that had started two years ago for two very lovely women and I was so happy to have a part in the beginning of the next phase of their lives.

Reva and Michelle chose the Preston-Woodall House in Benson as the location for their very special celebration. With everything overseen by the friendly and capable Events Manager, Diane Seymour, (who I learned is planning herself to marry in Feb 2012 - congratulations, Diane!) it was sure to be a very special day.

They chose black, white and hot pink as their colors and used this glorious combination to great effect throughout the event, starting with the bouquets and the aisle decorations, right down to the shoes of the Bridesmaids and the socks of the Groomsmen. Love those wedding ring accents in the bouquets.

That cheery hot pink color was a great accent that added a perfect compliment to the glowing Brides and the happiness of the day. 

Inside the ballroom, the decor picked up more of the black and white elements, from the seating chart to the tables and the cake.

The cake was provided by Sweet Memories Bakery and sported a simple pink and white orchid topper.

Their DJ for the day was the very kind and fun Lenny Fritts of A Touch of Class DJ.  His company is aptly named for indeed he is class all the way. I love working with him. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a good shot of Lenny that day, but here is one of him from his website.

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Other wedding professionals who helped Reva and Michelle create their beautiful day;

Florals - Dutch Iris Florist

Photographer - Ted Salamone - 20/20 Photo Video

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Reva’s wedding ring was her grandmother’s wedding ring. I wear my grandmother’s wedding ring all the time on my right hand, but to wear your grandmother’s ring as a wedding ring that reminds you of a love from your past and now another love from your present and future - she will be surrounded by love! Her grandmother would have been so proud. It makes my heart smile just to think of it. 

This wonderful photo of Reva and Michelle was displayed at the reception with a sign under it that says, “Our Life, Our Story.” I was so happy to have played a small part in the story of these two beautiful Brides. As they begin the next chapter of their story, I hope all the sweet, wonderful things that all of us in their lives wish for them will come true many times over.

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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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