Katie and Chris Exchange Vows in the Raleigh Rose Garden, October 2, 2010

Some people know how to find enjoyment everywhere in life and Katie and Chris are just such a couple. They share a love of live music performance and their relationship developed traveling to and from concerts. This has become such a big part of their lives that they came up with the idea of making their Save-the-Date card into a VIP ticket for their wedding. Looking exactly like a concert ticket, it was a very clever idea.

Their ceremony took place in the Raleigh Rose Garden amid hundreds of roses. I had not realized that roses would bloom this late in the year, but there were glorious colors as far as the eye could see.

They set up the chairs in the center part of the garden with the beautifully simple arbor standing in front of the cherub fountain.

This was the view looking up through the top of the arbor. Despite its being so open, it still provided a charming sheltering feeling.

The colors of the Bridesmaid dresses and the matching accents in the Groomsmen's ties and vests were a beautiful compliment to the glorious colors of nature all around us. The flowers, provided by Jeffrey Surles of Jeffrey's Florist Limited (910-891-7000), were a beautiful mix of summer sunshine and autumn accents.

The day was beautiful, Katie and Chris were radiant, their vows were heartfelt and love was in abundance everywhere. Everything about this wedding was simple and elegant and I was so happy to be a part of it. My congratulations to you both. I wish you many great times ahead, attending concerts, living life to the fullest and enjoying each other's company as you know how to do so well.

Others on hand to make the event a success for Katie and Chris;

Photography - Martha Manning of Martha Manning Photography, assisted by Brad Matthews
Wedding Planner - Jeffrey Surles of Jeffrey's Florist Limited, 910-891-7000
Music - Matthew Kanon on classical guitar
Hair - Marigold Parlour, 919-833-0146
Make-up - Julie Hafer of Beauty Ethics
Limousine - Vern Bullock of Classy Transportation
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Jane and Zac marry with elegance at Barclay Villa, March 20, 2010

Jane and Zac knew each other in high school and then went their separate ways after graduation. But while Jane was in college they ran into each other again on MySpace and the friendship renewed, culminating a few years later with their beautiful wedding celebration.

The event was planned as a black and ivory, 50’s-style wedding and the color scheme was picked up in everything from the attire of the Bride and Groom and their Bridal Party to the table decorations, guest gifts and wedding cake. It was very elegant.

Here is a table set up for dinner and you can see on it the black and ivory monogrammed cookies and the black and ivory handmade calendars standing by the goblet. I’ve never seen handmade calendars as gifts for the guests before but it was a lovely touch and very handy to tuck into a pocket or a purse. They are sure to be used by everyone who got one.

And here’s the elegant wedding cake, provided by Ashley of Ashley Cakes.

This wedding incorporated a lot of handmade elegance and everything was beautifully done. The Bridesmaids’ necklaces and Jane’s wonderful necklace and earrings were made by one of the Bridesmaids. They were perfect for everyone and Jane especially looked like a Russian empress in her gown and jewelry... which was perfect because she is of Russian heritage.

The wedding and reception were held at Barclay Villa, one of my favorite wedding locations in our area. Sitting out in the countryside in Angier, NC, it looks like a castle as you approach it and the ambience inside is a lot of fun. The great hall is a giant ballroom with a grand staircase for making grand entrances and the back of the villa is a beautifully landscaped wedding garden. This particular day all the pink cherry trees were in bloom - including a magnificent one by the wedding gazebo - and the sun shining on it made it glow even more. First time I’d done a wedding there with the cherries in bloom and it was spectacular!

Overseeing everyone and making sure everything went off without a hitch were Cathy Hunneycutt and Cindy Ebersbach of Barclay Villa. With both of these professional ladies at the helm, we were sure to have a very successful event. One of the great things about Barclay Villa is that they offer so many amenities in-house so it makes it very easy for couples to plan their weddings with them.

Other wedding professionals on hand to help make the day a success;

Photography - Rob and Amy of Emory Lane Photography
Flowers - Linda Wallace of Garner Florist
Music - ceremony/Alice Merle - DJ for the reception/Ross Merle - of Just Music! DJ Service
Hair and Makeup - Jessica Williams of Lather Hair Salon
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Jane and Zac, it was a treat getting to know you and being a part of such a special wedding. It was obvious how much heart you put into everything and if that is the way you live your lives always, you are going to have quite a special life!

Penny and Aric exchange vows at Martha’s Chapel in Apex, January 16, 2010

Penny and Aric met in a most unusual way - they met at the airport waiting for the same flight to Boston. Or at least Aric thought it was the same flight. He found out later that he had been waiting at the wrong gate, but what a lucky mistake! A long distance romance quickly followed and eventually Aric moved south to be with Penny, who is a local wedding photographer (Penny Noell Photography).

Penny and Aric are all about family and kids, even though they don’t yet have any of their own, so they decided to have their Bridal Party made up of the children of their family and friends. It was the first all-child Bridal Party I have ever witnessed and they were just adorable and probably stole the show. In the first photo Penny and Aric are shown with their Jr. Bridesmaid and below is a photo of all the Bridal Party in the gazebo outside the church. What a bunch of charmers.

The beautiful bouquets and altar arrangements were provided by Rachel at Tre Bella Florist. Here is a close-up of Penny’s wonderful bouquet.

The altar flowers were placed to honor family members who had passed on.

The wedding took place at the historic old Martha’s Chapel in Apex. In the photo above you see the serene mural painted at the back of the altar area that gives an added charm to the little church. Built before the Civil War, it saw its share of sorrow and pain during that war and has weathered many a strong storm through the almost 200 years that it has stood. One hurricane even took the bell tower off so they shortened it afterwards to keep that from happening again.

After the wedding, everyone went outside for the formal photos and it was quite an effort to gather all the Bridal Party around, especially when the piled up leaves were spotted. I don’t think there’s a kid alive who can resist those, no matter how they are dressed.

Waiting to take everyone to The Carolina Inn for the reception was this limousine, courtesy of Blue Diamond Limos in Raleigh. Now that’s riding in style!

The reception was held in the famous Old Well Room of The Carolina Inn and it was a sumptuous feast. The tables all had floating candles and flowers and the candlelight flickering off all the glassware was a beautiful sight.

Their amazing wedding cake was provided by Chuck and Wayne of Swank Cake Design. It was one of the most elegant cakes I have ever seen and I have tried to capture some of the intricate details in these photos.

Here’s the Groom’s cake - bet all the sports fans in attendance were smiling at his design.

The wedding planner for the whole event was Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair and as usual, she did a superb job of keeping everyone on track and helping Penny and Aric create the magical day and evening they had envisioned. Here she is on the left, chatting with Joan, one of the charming guests at our table.

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Other vendors on hand to make the day and evening such a success were;

Hair and makeup - Margo Williams of Belloviso

Music - for the ceremony and cocktail hour - Arioso Strings

- the band for the reception, Black and Blue

Photography - Amanda and Rachel with Millie Holloman Photography

Videography - Melissa Davis with Life Stage Videography

Photobooth - Shutterbooth

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It was a wonderful wedding and a great celebration of love all around. I enjoyed meeting Penny and Aric and helping them create such a special wedding celebration. How lucky they had to wait for their flights that first day!

ps.... Aric, thanks for the tip about Stargate Universe.

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Christina and Chad marry August 1, 2009 at The Umstead in Cary

It was another beautiful day at The Umstead Hotel and Spa and so perfect for Christina and Chad’s very special wedding. They are such a great couple and it is obvious they are going to have a happy life together. Everyone was talking about what a perfect fit they are for each other and I heartily agree. They have been living their lives in separate states for quite a while and it is going to be so nice for them to be together at last. After the honeymoon they plan to reside in Iowa, where Chad is part of his family’s business.

Ami Wheeler, the Social Catering Manager for the hotel, made sure all was perfect for them in the beautiful wedding garden where the ceremony took place and the elegant Salon Room where the reception was held.

Christina and Chad provided these engraved fans for their guests during the ceremony. This very thoughtful idea provided some much-needed respite against the summer heat and humidity and the engraving on the fans was an elegant touch.

The reception was held in the Salon Room where everything was exquisitely presented and the food was delicious.

All the flowers for the wedding and reception were provided by Steven Taras of The Watered Garden, who is one of the florists the hotel uses for its own floral displays. He is quite an artist and his handiwork was beautifully displayed everywhere. I wish my photo did them the justice they deserve.

Over by the cake was a beautiful, intriguing goblet that looked like a woman carrying a bucket above her head. It is called a Nuernberg Wedding Cup and was a wedding gift to Christina and Chad from a friend who had traveled in Germany. According to the German story (said to be true), in 1450 there was a young goldsmith who shared a love with a wealthy man’s daughter. The father, most disapproving of this affection, had the young man thrown into prison. After seeing his daughter wither away from her grief, he told her that if the young man could make a chalice from which two people could drink at the same time without spilling a drop, he would free him and allow them to marry. He was certain, of course, that this was an impossibility.

But true love is a marvelous motivator and the young man rose to the challenge, cleverly creating two goblets in one. The larger goblet is the woman’s skirt and the bucket she carries is the smaller one. The bucket is ingeniously designed to swivel at her hands, which then allows the bride and groom to drink at the same time. The father had no choice but to allow the couple to marry. (Ingenious young man!) You can find the full story of this charming legend here.

How can we ever resist the look of love on the faces of the bride and groom as they dance their first dance as husband and wife.

Or the gleam in their eyes as they decide if they should be nice as they feed the cake... or not.

Speaking of the cake, this beautiful creation was provided by Donna Ford of Sweet Memories. I have seen many of her cakes before and they are always exquisite. Her cakes are works of art and she has provided cakes for national and international celebrities. Obviously her talents are renowned.

Their photographer for the event was Chris Perez of Azul Photography. Chris’ work is amazing! He has won many photographic awards in his career and the photos on his website and blog show abundantly why this is so. To say they are excellent photos is an understatement so I can’t wait to see his photos from Christina and Chad’s wedding!

The DJ for the reception was Kevin Majoros of Joe Bunn DJ Company. Kevin was a great DJ with an amazing playlist and all of us at our table were constantly talking about how good all the songs were. He also had two slim, cylindrical speakers that put out some high quality sound. Very impressive technology.

And lest I forget, the woman whose job is a necessity and who did such a great job on all the hair and make-up (which was no small feat in the heat and humidity) was Page Berse of About Face Make-up Artistry.

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The legend of the Wedding Cup states that love, faithfulness and good luck await the couple who drink from this cup... I see a wonderful marriage ahead for Christina and Chad.

Melissa and Alan - a classic Hollywood style wedding at Brier Creek Country Club, Raleigh, June 12, 2009

This was a fun wedding from beginning to end and I will never forget all the surprising and amazingly creative things that Melissa and Alan did for their wedding. They wanted the feel of old, classic Hollywood and they created it right down to the smallest detail - and most of the creations they did themselves. The theme was “Feathers-n-Pearls” and the colors were black, white and hot pink, used creatively in everything they did. Melissa even wore a feather and pearls in her hair and made beautiful pearl necklaces for her bridesmaids.

While planning their wedding, Melissa wrote a blog, appropriately called Feathers-n-Pearls. I encourage everyone to read it if you haven’t already. She has so much great information there and you are sure to find it very useful as you plan your wedding. And it’s a fun read. Here’s a link to a post I wrote about it some time back.

The ceremony took place in the wedding garden at Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh. There is a large arbor there and for weddings white sheers are hung amongst the beams and they billow with the wind. It makes an incredibly beautiful backdrop and suited Melissa and Alan’s plans perfectly.

The pink pomanders that hung from the chairs and were carried in by the flower girl were hand made by Alan and Melissa. They were so beautiful you would never have guessed they were actually made of tissue paper. They found the directions for them online - so there is sure to be a post about it in her blog.

Also in her blog, Melissa mentioned she was dying her wedding petticoat hot pink and I couldn’t wait to see it at the wedding. Here’s a photo of the finished product - it perfectly matched her bouquet. Nice touch.

Unbelievably, with all the many other things Alan and Melissa did for their wedding, they also found time to write a beautiful ceremony that reflected their feelings for each other as well as their guests. They included a lovely Sand Ceremony and one of their guests caught a great shot of them pouring the sand. (Love those smiles!)

Once the ceremony was concluded, we all went inside for the reception and what a treat for the senses awaited us there! There was the tallest chocolate fountain I had ever seen and lots of hors d’oeuvres, all laid out beautifully. Yum!

But the real treat were the table decorations. Following the feathers and pearls theme, the table centerpieces, created by The English Garden, were very Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard)

and absolutely perfect for the occasion. The tables glistened with the crystal, pearls and candles and each table was named for a Hollywood Icon - Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Cary Grant... just to name a few.

The beautiful cake, created by Cinda’s Creative Cakes, was a knockout and the topper was absolutely perfect for the event. Everywhere you turned it was one amazing thing after the other and it was a total delight to be a part of such a fun and creative evening. I am sure their friends and family will be telling them for years how great their wedding was.

Alyse Woodward of Alyse Woodward Events was the wedding planner and she kept everything rolling along on schedule. There was a lot to oversee for this wedding and she seemed to take it all in stride. I had never worked with Alyse before but she was a lot of fun to be around and I can see why Melissa and Alan chose her.

The photographer for the event was April Sirit of Evoke Photography. I watched her work from the sidelines and she took so many wonderful-looking photos that Melissa and Alan are going to have trouble deciding on just a few hundred. That’s going to be a huge wedding album! Can’t wait to see the final shots once they are online.

And of course, where would an event be without a great DJ? Bethany, of All the Right Grooves (an all female DJ company) was on hand to create the musical backdrop for the evening and she had plenty of Ol’ Blue Eyes in there for the theme of the event. And many other classic greats as well, all chosen by Melissa and Alan. I am always amazed at the range of music that DJs have and Bethany is no exception. Good job, girl!

It was a great evening, and as Alan and Melissa sail off into the sunset, I know they are going to live happily ever after.

(cut - print - that’s a wrap!)

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Other vendors who helped make the wedding a success;

Hair and Make-up - Elizabeth Tolley

Video - Keith - K A Studios

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Update -  Melissa and Alan became the proud parents of Dylan Alexander on August 29, 2010. Congratulations, Mom and Dad!

Here are two great photos, taken by their wedding photographer, April Sirit, of Evoke Photography.

Sharing the love of a child brings an incredible new depth to a marriage.
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