Stephanie, Chuck and Brooke Become an Official Family in a Sweet Wedding Ceremony

For Stephanie and Chuck, it is all about their love and support for each other and their becoming a family with Stephanie’s daughter, Brooke. This thoughtful wedding was to be about the mutual love that surrounds and supports them all and they did so many sweet things to let everyone know how happy they were that their guests could come and share such a special day with them.

For starters, they had goodie bags for all the children so they would have something special for themselves and it wouldn’t be all about just the adults.

 There were colorful tissues on each seat when the guests arrived and I saw more than a few people taking advantage of them during the ceremony - and not just the ladies, either.

Those family members who had already passed on were prominently remembered with photos and memorial candles that the guests could see immediately when they entered. Another way they were honored was that, in lieu of guest favors, Stephanie and Chuck had made a donation to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Their wonderfully different programs had a wedding crossword puzzle on the back that they had cleverly created. “Across” and “Down” were built upon things like the following;

Groom’s favorite sports team

2012 vacation destination with Brooke

Honeymoon cruise line

Bride’s eye color

Groom’s middle name
Bride’s alum university

Grade Brooke is in school

There were 17 questions and at the bottom of the program, under the crossword puzzle, a note said the answer key was to be displayed at the reception. I’ll bet more than a few people took their programs over there to see how they had done!

During the ceremony, Brooke was included all the way through. She was the Flower Girl, she invited everyone to stand as her mother entered down the aisle (and she wielded that mic with some real maturity and presence!), she had a candle of her own for the Family Unity Candle Ceremony,

and in a special presentation to her, Stephanie and Chuck gave her a ring and necklace to commemorate the happy day they all were married. Playing in the background was the Keith Urban song, Making Memories of Us, and it was all I could do to keep from getting so choked up I wouldn’t be able to continue the ceremony.

This trio love each other dearly and Brooke had been saying for months that after the wedding she was going to be able to call Chuck, “Stepdad.” That was a big thing to her and it was touching to see her calling him Stepdad right after the ceremony. Knowing how important that was to all three of them, it couldn’t help but melt your heart when you heard it. Included in the program was a beautiful poem Stephanie and Chuck had written to Brooke and they had signed it, “All Our Love, Your Mommy and Stepdad.”

 Brooke was clearly excited about everything and she was totally captivated by the ceremony. I love these photos showing her looking and listening so intently during the ceremony and speaking animatedly with her Great-Grandmother. She was just adorable.

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Others on hand to help make the day such a happy event for Stephanie and Chuck;

Wedding Planner - Nicole McMillan - Premiere Party Planners
DJ - Steve Lillmars - Complete Music and Video
Wedding Location - Chef’s Palette Restaurant and Bar in Cary
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Stephanie and Chuck, I know you are going to have the most wonderful life, loving each other, having each other’s backs, and raising your charming little Brooke. I’ll be watching your Facebook page for all the photos and updates on your life. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the official beginning of your family.

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Carmen and Tim Marry at The Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina

 Carmen and Tim are a quiet couple who really live life to the fullest, enjoying everything that comes their way. They have a great slant on the world and are sure to have a wonderful time together as husband and wife. They have a black cat they got on Halloween and named “Thirteen.” They took swing dance lessons to surprise everyone for their first dance at the reception. And Tim surprised Carmen by proposing to her at a Hurricanes hockey game, complete with the full proposal photographed on the jumbo tron and the team’s mascot, Stormy, standing beside him. The audience was cheering for her to say, “yes” and her parents were hidden in the stands, making a video of the whole thing. (I wrote a blog post about it and you can read it here.) Yes, I’d say this is a couple who intend to have a rich, full life.

During their ceremony, they wanted to honor Tim’s dad, who had passed, and they did a beautiful Candle of Remembrance for him, with a globe that had been engraved with his father’s name and a memorium. It was beautiful and very touching.

They also included a Unity Candle during the ceremony to indicate the combining of not only their lives, but also their families. Their Unity Candle was very unique in that it appeared to be stones of rock that were actually stones of wax, layered in a black and white pattern. Very pretty.

Because it was a hot summer day in July, the Groomsmen all wore lightweight tan suits - which surely must have been a Godsend to them in that heat - and the Bridesmaids wore these lovely purple, polka dot dresses. First time I’d ever seen polka dots used for Bridesmaid dresses but they were perfect for the day and the ladies will surely be able to wear them for many more special occasions to come. Great choice, Carmen!

The ceremony took place under the pergola in the back of the wonderful Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina. All of us who do weddings in the area are in love with Highgrove and their staff. It’s a great location for weddings and other celebrations and the staff and food are always first rate. They have their own wedding planners there and for Carmen and Tim’s wedding, Angela Wright was at the helm. I always enjoy working with Angela and know she will make sure everything goes perfectly for the couple. (I also learned that Angela is expecting her first child in November of this year. How exciting! My hearty congratulations - motherhood is the best job in the world.)

Here are the front of Highgrove’s main house and the brick patio in the back. The pillars are the front entrance to the new ballroom.

This is the entrance to the new ballroom with its neat chandelier in the front and the equally charming post light that leads down the stairs to the pergola.

Inside the ballroom, where the reception was to be held, everything was in readiness for the celebration to come.

Unfortunately, I was not able to stay and see Carmen and Tim’s first dance but I am sure they must have wowed their guests with their swing dance routine.

As I was leaving, I noticed the sun shining on the gift table in the front dining room of the main house and couldn’t resist getting a photo of it. It struck me that it perfectly matched the feel of the happy, sunny wedding and the hopes and dreams of this special couple for their future.

Others on hand to help make this wedding day so special for Carmen and Tim;

DJ - Aaron Kinne of Anything Music
Photographer - Dustin Naderhoff of Halo Photography
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Carmen and Tim had a great idea for their wedding programs; they included a Celtic design entitled, “What Tree Did You Fall From?” and it showed the name of the tree for each birthday and the symbolism of that tree. I, of course, had to look up myself and all my family members to see if it was accurate and it was - uncannily so.

Carmen and Tim’s wedding date was symbolized by a fir tree and in reading the meaning of it, I found this;

“extraordinary taste and dignity, sophisticated, loves anything beautiful, cares for those close to them, rather modest, very ambitious, talented, industrious, many friends, very reliable”

Yes, I’d say that about covers it.

Carmen and Tim, I loved being a part of your wedding day and know you are going to have a fun and amazing life together.
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Erin and Mark Marry at the Rand-Bryan House, October 23, 2010

Erin and Mark met as college sophomores and after years of graduate school and starting careers, they were finally able to marry. Their smiles here are every bit as bright and sunny as the day of their wedding. It was an absolutely glorious day for them to begin their married life and everyone in attendance was as happy as they were.

They chose as their wedding location the lovely Rand-Bryan House in Garner, NC. Situated atop a hill in a Christmas tree farm, it is a secluded setting that lends itself beautifully to special events.








The ceremony was held in the bright, cheery sunroom of the house.

To commemorate their marriage, Erin and Mark planted a young butterfly bush during the ceremony. Over time that bush is going to get very tall and every year they are going to have a lot of butterflies around their home. What a great remembrance to have of such a happy day.

The music for the ceremony was provided by Pavelid Castaneda on electric harp. It was exquisite. If you have never heard electric harp before, you are in for a treat when you do hear it. What a wonderful sound. And it was perfect for Erin and Mark’s wedding.

Here’s the adorable little Flower Girl who was quite the hit with everyone.

The beautiful program design was created for them by a good friend.

The photographer for the day was Curtis Brown of Curtis Brown Photography and here he is taking photos after the ceremony. His fun personality brought out everyone’s natural smiles.

It was a happy wedding, a perfect, beautiful day and I loved sharing in the joy. Erin and Mark, I hope your life together is filled with as much sunshine and happiness as your wedding day and your yard is always full of butterflies.