Ana Lucia and Jeff Overcome Living in Two Countries to Marry at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham

 Ana Lucia lived in Guatemala and Jeff lives in North Carolina. They met online through a shared love of music and before you know it, emails and phone calls were going strong and Jeff decided to go visit Ana Lucia in Guatemala. That was it for both of them. From that point onward, they knew they were meant to be together and Ana Lucia eventually moved to be with Jeff this past spring.

But where to have the wedding with so many family and friends in two countries? They decided to have two weddings - one here this summer and one next spring in Guatemala. Luckily, Ana Lucia’s parents and a favorite Aunt were able to be here for this wedding.

Ana Lucia’s parents and Aunt speak English as a second language, but Ana Lucia and Jeff thought it  would be so much easier for them if the ceremony was spoken in Spanish, so they hired a wonderful Spanish Interpreter I know, Crystal Reyes. I have worked with Crystal before for weddings and she takes the ceremony and translates it into Spanish. We then take turns speaking each paragraph so both the English and Spanish are spoken. It made for a very special intimacy to the ceremony and a very thoughtful surprise for Ana Lucia’s family.

For the vows, they each spoke their own vows in Spanish and English and it was very touching. Here is Jeff speaking his vows as his parents proudly look on.

By the way, most of the photos used in this blog post were taken by Ana Lucia and Jeff’s photographer, Joe Payne, of Joe Payne Photography. As you can see, he has a discerning eye and loves to add creative accents to his photos. New to the area himself, I will be looking forward to working with him again. He also speaks Spanish, which will surely be an asset for him. Thanks, Joe, for the use of your photos.

Ana Lucia and Jeff chose to have their ceremony at the elegant Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club in Durham. The Wedding Coordinator there on staff was Chantel Jordan, who did a marvelous job of making sure everything was perfect. You could tell she really cared about everything she did.

Because it was so hot outside, they wisely chose to have the ceremony indoors in a beautiful, round, sunlit room. I had never done a wedding in this room before and I hope there will be many more to come. It was perfect for the small, intimate ceremony and absolutely magnificent with the sun streaming in the giant windows, the beautiful carpet and furnishings, and the trellis mural on the ceiling.

Ana Lucia entered on the arm of her father, down the long hallway just outside the rotunda room. The hallway is full of windows and the light was beautiful on her as she entered, beaming, with her dad.

During the ceremony, Ana Lucia and Jeff decided to add a Unity Candle ceremony, a reading by her Aunt and, because it is a custom in Guatemala that the signing of the license be a part of the actual wedding ceremony and not take place afterwards, we included the signing of the license. I don’t know why we don’t do that here as well. It makes for a very special moment in the ceremony.

Here are Ana Lucia and Jeff as they light their Unity Candle.

And here is Ana Lucia’s mother signing the license as we all look on. Jeff’s father had already signed. Parents are always so flattered to be asked to sign the marriage license.

As Ana Lucia and Jeff recessed out the aisle, they waited at the door to greet their parents and guests. Here, Joe caught this touching photo of them hugging her parents.

This wedding was so special on so many levels and I was very honored to be a part of it. I know their next wedding ceremony in Guatemala will be every bit as touching for they are very kind people who love each other and their families deeply and continually think of ways to show that they do. 

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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