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.

____

Maryann and John Exchange Vows at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, March 5, 2011

Maryann and John met in New York on March 5, twenty years ago. They had kept in touch through the years as their lives went along and about three years ago they decided to build a relationship at last. Living and working in separate states, this has been hard for them to accomplish and as of this writing their lives are still going to be in separate states for a while until they figure out a good place for both of them to be professionally. Talk about a modern dilemma!

I met with Maryann early in the planning stages but with John in New York, I wasn’t able to meet with him until the day of the rehearsal. It was easy to see right away why he and Maryann are such a great fit - they both have a great sense of humor and make each other laugh all the time.

They also have a great sense of style, as evidenced by their choice of The Carolina Inn as the wedding location. What a wonderful, historic Inn this is and they chose the intimate Bryan Courtyard as the setting for their lovely wedding. This courtyard is a favorite of all of us who do weddings at The Carolina Inn because of its privacy and old brick charm.

No matter the time of year, all the grounds of The Carolina Inn are beautiful. The front entrance changes its display as the year progresses and here it is that day, alive with colorful spring flowers and interesting sculpture that reflects the areas’s reputation for handmade pottery.

This is the Bryan Courtyard, set up for Maryann and John’s wedding.

And the little details that always make such a difference.

This lantern was one of many hung in the tree with candles in them. It was a lovely touch and not one I had ever seen used there before. The copper was shining brightly in the crisp morning sun and it really was beautiful in its simplicity.

The gathering place for the bridal party and family was the cheery sunroom, just off the courtyard. With a full wall of windows facing the morning sunshine and its bright, happily colored furnishings, it was a great staging location for such a happy event.

Maryann and John had put their hearts into the creation of the ceremony, which included two readings and a solo by their friend, Robert, who sang, “When I Say I Do,” by Matthew West. I had never heard that song before and it was a perfect addition to the lovely, heartfelt wedding.

After the ceremony we all gathered in the sunroom for hugs and congratulations. Maryann and John had a chance to sit for a few minutes before heading outside for the photos and I caught this sweet shot of John looking lovingly at Maryann. It was such a touching moment.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were provided by Devon Schwartz, the Social Catering Manager of The Carolina Inn, shown here making sure all was going well for the happy couple.

What nice goodies Devon provided!

The other professionals on hand that day to help make the wedding memories so special were;

the fun and creative wedding planner, Erin McLean, of Erin McLean Events, shown here with our talented DJ, Jeff Simpson, of Simpsound DJ and Lighting Services.

The beautiful flowers and courtyard decorations were provided by Tre Bella Flowers.

And their international award-winning photographer was the ever charming and talented Neil Boyd, of Neil Boyd Photography. Ably assisted that day by his second shooter, Adrienne, I can’t wait to see their photos when they are online. Their tag-teaming is sure to produce some amazing shots. Here they are at work.

Maryann and John, I know you will be very happy together. No matter which state you end up living in under the same roof, I hope Life has grand things in store and you spend your days as the treasures to each other that you were meant to be.

Stacey and PJ share their love with family and friends, August 29, 2009, at The Magnolia Inn in Pinehurst, NC

It was a beautiful summer evening as Stacey and PJ exchanged vows on the intimate patio of the historic Magnolia Inn. Located in Pinehurst, NC, known for its wonderful golf courses and quaint old village, it was a perfect setting for the relaxed, caring and magnificent event that Stacey and PJ had in store for everyone. Stacey’s brother even serenaded them with his guitar during the ceremony!

Because their guests were so important to them and many had traveled quite a distance to be with them, they had decided to dispense with the normal photos after the ceremony and just mingle with their guests on the patio instead. The photographers, Gina McLean and Martin Kropf of Gina McLean Photography, are sure to have taken some great shots of Stacey and PJ chatting with everyone. And their videographer, W. Perry Davis of Davis Video Productions will be able to provide them with a heart-warming video for their memories.

Stacey’s father had passed away only a few months before the ceremony and his loss was still a very deep ache. But he was there in their hearts and represented by this sweet photo of him and Stacey in the ocean, taken when she was a little girl. I just loved that photo. It touched my heart.

This was the first time I had been to The Magnolia Inn for a wedding and what a treat it was. I enjoyed walking around the old hotel, checking out all the nooks and crannies and was told by the guests that all the rooms were uniquely decorated and all exquisite. The hosts were terrific and the food was delicious. I will certainly be looking forward to going back there again!

After a bit of mingling on the back patio with their guests, Stacey and PJ disappeared only to appear a few minutes later on the front porch of the hotel to formally welcome all their guests and have the toasts presented. Stacey had changed to a tropical dress with a matching flower in her hair. On her sandals were golden koi fish, which we were to learn later was going to be an ongoing theme for the evening. And so was PJ’s big, huge smile that never left his face all night!

When all the toasts and speeches were finished, we were invited into the Inn for dinner. As we came up the stairs, this very clever seating chart was waiting, with table cards attached. There were koi fish on the table cards.

The decoration theme for the evening was Asian, based around her beloved koi, with all the decorations having been created by Stacey herself. She had started working on everything over a year before the ceremony and it was all just magnificent! Mind you, she had also been working full time at a demanding job.

All the beautiful flowers, including her bouquet and flower hairpiece, were made of paper. Stacey had made each one and unless you actually touched them, you would have thought they were real. She said it was simple, really, and had gotten the pattern from Martha Stewart’s website. “Simple,” she said. Hmm. More like amazing!

The tables were set with many beautiful arrangements down the lengths of the tables...

and some vases actually had lighted koi floating in them! Just adorable.

And of course there were also koi and flowers on the mantle and around the fireplace for further accents.

Stacey had even monogrammed the napkins herself! They are going to be a nice keepsake for them to use in their home. A very nice touch.

The menu was good southern-style cooking with a modern flair. Everything was delicious and the shrimp and grits were the best I had ever tasted. Note the koi at the top corner of the menu.

The very interesting cake was provided by A Cake Tray and followed the Asian theme of the evening perfectly, with frog clasps down it’s length. The aqua fondant was a quilted pattern.

The favors for the guests were Good Luck bamboo. Plastic bags were thoughtfully provided for the travelers to place them in for their return trips home and care instructions were tucked inside, also printed with an Asian style.

It was a very special evening and my husband, Bill, and I were delighted to have been able to join them for their celebration. Koi fish represent good fortune, perseverance, courage and the attainment of lofty goals. Sounds like Stacey and PJ are going to have quite a remarkable life together. And they should because they are a wonderful couple. Congratulations to you both!