Jaime and Gerald's Fabulous Wedding at Duke Gardens on September 18, 2010!

This beautiful bird was an uninvited but welcome wedding guest! He was at the Duke Gardens amphitheater  while we were setting up the sand ceremony table. We noticed him and got this photo! 

This "bird" was there also when Marty and I arrived and is DJ, Troy Wilson, with DJ Professionals and Video out of Winston-Salem. He is a good friend of Gerald's. He easily plugged my wireless receiver into his system and we did a sound check. He did a great job providing their quite non-traditional music for the ceremony and then moved inside for the reception. Thanks, Troy!

Inside Marty scouted out the wedding cake which was baked by Guglhupf's Bakery in Durham.They make really delicious cakes and this is not the first time I have seen one of their cakes with the replicas of the bride and groom on top. They do a fantastic job with the likenesses. Jaime gave Gerald strict instructions not to look at the cake before the wedding because he would see her dress! The cake was vanilla with mocha mousse and chocolate with white chocolate mousse and raspberries. Yum!!  Another "yum" goes to Durham Catering who provided the wonderful food for the reception.

So, when all the guests were seated and we were ready to begin, the couple's friend, Leah, serving as our wedding director, lined us all up for the processional . When this picture was taken, Gerald, the best man and I had already walked down the aisle followed by the grandmothers and mothers and their escorts to the Beatles' instrumental version of "Love Me Tender." After them was our junior bridesmaid, Gerald's pretty 9 year old daughter, Madison, escorted by groomsman Patrick, followed by the other bridesmaids, groomsmen and maid of honor to the Beatles' instrumental version of "Here, There and Everywhere." 

After the wedding party was in, the music changed to the Beatles' instrumental of "Here Comes the Sun" for our beautiful bride.  At the same time she was walking toward the ceremony site, Gerald was walking toward her so that they would meet at the top of the steps.

What a special moment for the bride and groom as the guests are standing in their honor.

Here is a view of the entire wedding party and guests from across the lily pond. If you look closely you can see tissues in use by two of the bridesmaids and a few of the parents. This is the part in the ceremony where we remembered the couples' fathers who are deceased and a tribute to their mothers.

The bridesmaids were in navy blue. When I told Jaime at the rehearsal that I would wear a lighter blue prayer stole she told me that would be great if it were Carolina Blue because they had some trepidations about having their wedding at Duke Gardens, lovely as it is! 

 

After two readings by friends, I told the story of  Jaime and Gerald meeting in the workplace and how their friendship developed into love.

Then we had a blessing for Madison and the three of them poured their sand together symbolizing family unity. 

 

I have never seen the sand layered in such a beautiful configuration. Jaime and Gerald are the blue and green sand and Madison is the stripe of purple sand! I have the couple pour 1/2 of their sand in first in layers, then have the child's sand next then cover that with the sand of the couple blended together. The symbolism is really awesome. 

 

Gerald read his vows to Jaime from my book and placed the ring on her finger.

Jamie read hers to Gerald as she put the ring on his finger.

A good one!

 

They exited out around behind the guests to a private area with a pretty footbridge for some privacy and a few photos. Jennifer Kidd of Kidd Photography was our photographer and Michelle was her second camera person.  Jennifer referred Jaime and Gerald to me. Thanks, Jennifer!

 

New daughter, new mom! I could tell that Jaime and Madison are really quite fond of each other.

Daddy's little girl!

The new "official" family!

What a good-looking couple! Fabulous together, too!  Gerald and Jaime, congratulations on your marriage. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

Heather and David's Wedding at Duke Gardens Amphitheater!

Heather and David live in San Francisco. They are both environmentalists and met at graduate school at Duke. Heather's parents live in Virginia and David's parents live in Massachusetts. So, they decided to have their wedding in North Carolina at Duke Gardens amphitheater. They contacted me by email last fall and we made all the arrangements by email and USPO. I did not meet them in person until their rehearsal. Their wedding day, May 9, 2010, was a gorgeous day, pleasant temperature, and a gentle breeze. The park was quite crowded with folks who took advantage of the nice weather so the parking was difficult for the wedding guests but we managed to start pretty much on time after all.

Dave and I processed in first. 

Then David's parents, Judy and Dave, were next. 

Heather's mother, Susan, is escorted in by Tom, David's brother and our best man. They were followed by the maid of honor, Davids' sister, Lisa..

Heather was escorted in by her proud father, Mike.

Her wedding gown was stunning. I wish the photo did it justice. The detail in the back of the dress was amazing.

Because it was Mother's Day, Heather and David wanted to pay special tribute to their mothers. I carried in two white roses which I gave to them to give to their mothers as I said: "Mothers plant so their children may harvest. Mothers rejoice when their children are happy. Mothers cry when their children hurt. Mothers’ hearts begin to smile from the moment they see their child’s eyes for the first time.  Mothers welcome pain and burden to give their sons and daughters the gift of life. Heather and David will now present their mothers each with a white rose, as symbols of their enduring gratitude for their unconditional love, their unyielding strength in times of hardship, and for the selfless sacrifices they have made for their children."

David's cousin, Mark, read First Corinthians during the ceremony.

Then Heather's aunt, Holly, presented a reading from Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

The Wedding Address was next and we included the story of how David and Heather met and fell in love, what attracted them to each other and what they look forward to in marriage. Then it was time for the vows. David is saying "I do." 

As he places the ring on Heather's finger he said the ring vows to her.

The pronouncement of marriage!

The KISS!

The new Mr. and Mrs.!

After the guests had departed for cocktails and refreshments at the Doris Duke Center, the bride and groom and their wedding party and parents returned to the amphitheater for some photos. Here I am congratulating the bride by calling her by her new married name. I am usually the first to surprise her with that!

Heather and Dave, you did a fabulous job of planning your wedding from afar. You even did it without hiring a wedding planner which is amazing. And, it turned out so beautifully. You are a great couple. I enjoyed working with you to create your special ceremony and I know you will have a long and happy marriage! 

Our Vendors who made this wedding so fabulous!

First of all, the venue, the Doris Duke Center and amphitheater at Duke Gardens for a wonderful setting for a wedding. One photo is of the reception center inside and the other is the terrace where cocktail hour takes place. 

Heather and Dave made the most unique and interesting place cards and favors. Here hung on the branches of small trees are medallions that they engraved on one side with the guest's name and on the other side, the name of their table. Each table was named for a flower.

This beautiful cake was made by Guglhupf Bakery in Durham.You can see how it follows their color scheme of pink, orange and white.

Triangle Catering provided all the good eats and drinks. Thanks to Jeff Eisenhuth and Theresa Syros who were very busy making sure everything was perfect.

Elizabeth Myers of Sweet Life Photography and her husband Frank assisting her documented the event completely. It was good to work with them again! Always a pleasure!

Our musicians who provided the ceremony music were the John Brown Entertainment string trio.