Heather and Derek Exchange Vows with a Beautiful Nature Backdrop, October 16, 2010

Heather and Derek are serious people with the hearts and souls of poets and artists. Everything about their wedding day was put together with such thoughtfulness and beauty that everywhere you turned there was a glorious example of who they are.

They love being out in Nature and chose as their wedding location the serenely beautiful Montague Lake. It was a perfect setting and provided a calming presence that was felt throughout the day.

We held the ceremony between two handsome oak trees whose acorns were strewn all over the ground. The trees reminded me of a famous passage about marriage, written long ago by Kahlil Gibran, and those acorns were a perfect omen of the strength of Heather and Derek’s relationship, even in this its early stage.

Their unique program was a chalk board leaned up against one of the trees where all the guests could see it when they entered.

A pine cone attached to a sign was used to reserve the chairs for the families.

The music was provided by students from UNC that Heather and Derek had contacted. 

Because of their love of Nature, Heather and Derek included a ceremony to honor the four directions, lead by her brother and completed with his using a singing bowl that sang longer than any I have ever heard before. It was beautiful and touching.

When the wedding was concluded, the guests walked along a path strewn with lumieres to a clear, sunshine-filled tent beside the pond. It was bright and cheery and what wonderful decorations awaited their arrival!

As you entered there were family wedding photos set up beside wooden place cards that had been cut and hand-burned with the guests’ names on one side and their table assignments on the back. This must have taken so much time to do but what a handsome presentation they made! 

At each place setting there were burlap-covered favors.

The table centerpieces were photos of Heather and Derek as children, set into square, clear frames that held the name of the table. The names were each an attribute they wanted to incorporate into their relationship - things like courage, laughter, honesty, passion, respect and many more. Many tables had flowers in pots that Heather and Derek had planted themselves. 

The photographers for the day were Jonathan McCardell and Judy Auger of McCardell Photography. They took some wonderful photos of this wedding. Many are posted on their blog and they have given their kind permission for me to use some here. Thanks, Jonathan and Judy.

Heather and Derek found a prayer they wanted to use to conclude their ceremony and it is so perfect for them that it is included here. I know they will create all these things in their lives and will go forward from their wedding day as a strong and vibrant partnership;

May the wings of angels uphold you through all of life.
May you live forever in love and happiness with one another.
May your hearts be full and may your lips stay sweet.
May your love grow stronger with each passing day.
May your home be a place of happiness for all who enter it.
And may you live long and happily in each other’s arms.

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.

Linda and Marshall exchange vows amid autumn color, October 11, 2009

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year, when the brilliant color play of nature catches my heart with its beauty every time. Apparently Linda and Marshall feel the same because they had autumn colors in abundance everywhere you looked - and it was stunning. From the bouquets to the table and wall decorations, it was a feast for the eyes. Linda is an event planner and you could see her hand in all the details of the ceremony and reception.

Linda and Marshall live in Maryland but have family here, so they decided to have a NC wedding and chose the rustically modern Rigmor House in Chapel Hill. Although only a few miles from my home, I had never done a wedding there before and I fell in love with it immediately.

When you first drive up, you are greeted with a rather plain exterior that belies the airy expanse you find when you walk inside past the porch - which is huge and perfect, complete with rocking chairs.

On all the tables on the porch and the centerpieces of the tables inside, were these beautiful autumn arrangements made by Linda. She said she had been working on them for a year and how fun for her to be able to keep some for use through the years at their homes.

When you enter the house from the porch, there is a welcoming foyer they had set up with the table cards on one side...

And the guest book table straight ahead.

These incredible floral arrangements on the guest book table were done by Jeff Pipkin of A Floral Event.

And I love the simple bowl of flowers and stones.

This beautiful cake was provided by Sweet Memories. I have been seeing a lot of their cakes recently and they are all just exquisite.

Others on hand to make the event a success were;

Photographers - Mike Strauss of Strauss Studios, who was also the Best Man and Linda’s Uncle John, who is a photo hobbyist

Caterer - Deb McCartney (has no website, but she can be reached by phone, 919-247-6536). I don’t know what Deb was cooking in that kitchen, but it was making my mouth water!

Linda and Marshall found me through their friends, Kim and Travis, whose wedding I had done 5 years earlier. Happily, Kim and Travis were able to be at the wedding and we got to reminisce for a while. It was great to see them again and catch up on their lives. It’s always nice to run into old friends.

This wedding was about family, friends and loved ones here and departed and it was heartfelt all the way through. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Linda and Marshall to create their special ceremony and will miss not seeing them anymore. I hope we run into each other some of these days.

On the table by the cake was this great photo collection that says, “Live well, laugh often, love much, dream always.” I’d say that pretty much sums up everything about Linda and Marshall’s relationship. With this as their game plan they should sail through life having a grand time all the way.

Meagan and Jeremy get a surprise with the wedding rings, September 6, 2009 at Doubletree Guest Suites in Durham

It was a beautiful day, the bride and groom were both glowing and the ceremony was progressing as planned. When it came time for the rings to be exchanged with the beautiful secret vows they had written, just as Jeremy was putting the ring on Meagan, a bee dive-bombed into Meagan’s ring finger, leaving a sharp sting! Once we all recovered from the shock we had a great laugh about it and after I had made sure Meagan was not allergic to bee stings, we resumed the ceremony. It will be a moment none of us will ever forget and they are sure to laugh about it for the rest of their lives.

The ceremony was held at the beautiful pond behind the Doubletree Guest Suites, which is a lovely, intimate setting for a wedding. Amy Acosta, the Director of Catering, was on hand to make sure all went well for the event - and also helped Meagan deal with her bee-stung finger after the ceremony.

As the guests entered for the wedding, they were greeted by a very clever and beautiful decoration where they were asked to make a wish for the wedding couple and place it in the jar provided.

And then they came to their place cards, which were crystal stones with their names hand-painted on them. Meagan and Jeremy went to Jamaica for their honeymoon so all the decorations reflected the colors and feel of the sand and sea.

Beside the stones were the guests’ cookie favors...

And it all came together beautifully at the tables...

The cupcake wedding cake was provided by Becca Lipscomb of Cakes for a Cause, who donates to research for children’s cancers. It’s a great cause and her work is lovely.

Meagan and Jeremy, with your stinging intruder as an omen, it looks like you are going to have a life of unexpected surprises. I hope you face them all with the laughter and care that you approached the bee sting for you are going to have an interesting life together!
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Others on hand to help make the event a success;

Photographer - Slade Heath of Purple House Photography

Flowers - friends of the couple, Carmen Squadrito and Donnie Bunn

DJ - Taylor Pittman of TaylorMade DJ Services>

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