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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Marrying on September 9 Continues a Century-long Tradition in This Family

Staff Sgt. Kyle Ray and his lovely bride, Angelynn, were married in Cincinnati on September 9, taking their place in a long line of family generations who have also married on that date. For a hundred years, Angelynn’s family has had a tradition of marrying on September 9 and because of that, some of her family in attendance were celebrating their own anniversaries that day. What a day of happy celebration that must have been for everyone and how proud the older generations must have been as they watched with pride while the next generation followed in their footsteps.

It was important to Kyle and Angelynn that they be a part of this honored tradition and they both say they hope their children (when they come along) will decide to marry on September 9 as well. What a unique and special family tradition!

Here is a great article about it from The Cincinnati Enquirer, sent to me by my daughter, Sarah. Thanks, Sarah. It’s a heartwarming story and I would have never known about it had you not sent me the link.
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Andrea and Warren Celebrate Their Love at Their Raleigh Home

 Andrea and Warren wanted their wedding to be a fun, casual celebration at their home, surrounded by their family and friends. They both have a great sense of humor and that was going to come out in the celebration for sure... starting with the wedding entrance music. Warren is a member of a Barbershop Chorale group and many of the other members were guests, so the wedding processional was an a capella rendition of “Here Comes the Bride,” or as Andrea describes it, “the dum-dum-de-dum” version. I knew right away I was in for a fun time at their wedding.

They have a lovely home with a lush yard and the ceremony took place out in the yard under an arbor decorated with flowers and ribbons. Tables and chairs were set up in another part of the lawn and as I was leaving later, I noticed kids playing in yet another area. It was all very sweet and Norman Rockwell-ish and it was wonderful being a part of it all.

After the ceremony, Andrea and Warren had a very nice welcome for their guests, followed by a toast. 

After the toast, and as all the mingling began, there were some photo ops over by the arbor. Here’s one of me taken with the happy couple.

Over by their deck was a display of plastic pink flamingoes. I grew up in Florida, where plastic flamingoes are common, but in NC? And not even by the beach? I had to ask. Turns out that the flamingoes are an inside family joke that relates to Warren’s mom, who has now passed on, and the flamingoes were there in her honor. I’ll bet she would have LOVED that.

Before the wedding was to take place, some renovation work was going on at their home and it was supposed to have been completed by the wedding date but, of course, it began to look doubtful as the wedding date got closer. The workmen, God love ‘em, worked almost around the clock to get the walls up and painted and things finished enough to have the festivities take place in the addition, but there were some nail-biting moments to be sure for Andrea and Warren. I loved getting Andrea’s update emails about the progress. She could write a humorist’s column, she is so witty.

Inside that dining room renovation was laid out a splendid buffet of all kinds of delicious treats. Overseeing this sumptuous feast was the Chef, Kevin Ingram, of KSI Catering, proudly and ably being assisted by his son, Gregor. What you see here was just the beginning. Much more was to come later but I was not able to stay and see what that was to be. It was sure to be just as amazing, though.

 Their absolutely beautiful cake was created by Simply Cakes and with that pedigree, I am sure it tasted every bit as good as it looked.

In a corner of their living room sat this magnificent old jade tree. For those who don’t know about jade trees, they can live to a very ripe old age with care and this particular one is very old. When I asked about it, the tree had belonged to Warren’s mother and they had taken it into their home to love and care for it when she passed. How touching that is.

Andrea and Warren, I wish you all the many special years you see ahead for yourselves. May your family jade tree be a perfect harbinger of the friendship, luck and prosperity it portends and may your love thrive as well as has this tree.

Monica and Joe Exchange Vows at Treyburn Country Club in Durham, Nov. 20, 2010

Monica and Joe are a handsome couple, as you can see here, and they are every bit as nice as they look. It was so much fun being a part of their wedding; everything was beautiful and elegant and they were warm and easy-going through the whole process. That is always a good combination for a happy wedding.

Their romance began many years ago, when they were in the 8th grade. They went to a Valentine’s Dance together and, although life eventually parted them, they met again in 2006 and have been inseparable ever since. Someone had framed this great write-up and photo of that first date. Such a sweet way to begin a romance.

They chose as their wedding location the beautiful Treyburn Country Club in Durham. Weddings are always special there because the setting is so amazing and this particular day, with all the trees glowing in their autumn splendor, it was even more gorgeous than usual.

The day couldn’t have been more beautiful for Monica and Joe. Here are the arbor where we stood for the wedding, the sun glowing on the back of the clubhouse and the sun shining on the walkway where we all entered for the ceremony. Everything was glowing that day, including Monica and Joe.

The Special Events Coordinator at Treyburn is Lauren Barry, who was so very kind, patient and friendly. She was a joy to work with and Monica and Joe both commented to me about how great she was for them.

The flowers for the whole event were provided by Flowers by Gary and they were just perfect for the day.

 Monica added a special touch to her bouquet by attaching her grandmother’s brooch.

While we waited for the wedding to begin, Joe was chatting with the ladies of the Bridal Party and I couldn’t resist getting a cute photo.

The simple, elegant cake was provided by Cinda Putnam of Cinda’s Creative Cakes. Everything she creates is beautiful.

The wonderful DJ for the day was Randy Bennett of Joe Bunn DJ Company. I always love working with Randy. He is quiet and unassuming, has the couple’s best interests at heart and always knows how to keep things moving along with just the right style. First class all the way.

Monica and Joe, may you have many happy Valentine dances together and may those beaming smiles on your wedding day remain forever on your faces and in your hearts.

Erica and Paul Marry with the Splendor of Autumn Colors, October 16, 2010

Erica and Paul wanted an outdoor wedding that was fun, casual and laid-back. They started by choosing The Inn at Celebrity Dairy in Siler City as the location. A working goat farm, it is not a place one would think of for a wedding, but that is actually part of its charm. It is relaxed and rustic and you can even help them feed the goats if you like. (The goat cheese they make is delicious!)

Because it is October, they decided to use an autumn theme for the wedding decorations. Everything was absolutely beautiful and there are so many clever things to show you.

Here are their colorful aisle, arbor and sunflower bouquets.

They even came up with a creative way to camouflage a drainage pipe that was near where the Bridesmaids would stand!

The reception tent was aglow with beautiful autumn colors.

 And the place card holders were these cute little pine cones.

The great room of the Inn is a huge expanse of bright light. Along the walls are colorful paintings and a long table runs down the center. Complete with a stone fireplace on one side, it is easy to see why people like to be there so much.

These are their delicious-looking cookies, made by their friend who owns a bakery named Half Baked (what a great name). Erica made the hand-drawn labels and Paul wrapped and labeled the cookies.

They also had paper leaves laid out for the guests to write them notes upon and then hang the leaves on the branches in the pots. How wonderful that must have looked with all the leaf-notes hanging.

They had placed a photo of themselves between wedding photos of their parents. A heartfelt note to all the guests was another nice touch.

And what an unexpected way to set out their ceremony programs.

Erica and Paul read poems to each other during the ceremony and they were a big hit with the guests. It’s always nice to hear laughter at a wedding because you know the guests are enjoying what is going on. For this couple and their guests, the fun and laughter were going to continue into the wee hours of the morning.

The photographer for the day was Geoff Johnson of Geoff Johnson Films. He took some wonderful photos, a few of which are already posted on his blog and Facebook page. Here’s a link to the great slideshow he put together. I love his style and he captured the feel of the day perfectly. The aisle photo above is Geoff’s work and this photo of Paul twirling Erica is one of my favorites. 

Erica and Paul, I so enjoyed being a part of your beautiful wedding celebration. May your marriage and your lives continue to glow with many happy days of fun and laughter.