Emily and Danny Wed at the Carolina Inn!

When I met Emily and Danny in February I had the feeling they were a good match. When they sent me their answers to my Our Story questions, it was very obvious that they were meant for each other! They are both very bright, organized and determined individuals who are attending medical school with all the steadfast dedication it takes to become doctors. At the same time they are very dedicated to the well being and happiness of each other and treasure their life together. They met at UNC during the fall of their senior year in 2006. Danny remembers their meeting being a WOW moment in his life but they did not begin dating until some time later after being stood up by their group of friends for Trivia Night at Tyler's which in retrospect became very suspicious for a set up! That was all it took for these two to become inseparable and as they say, the rest is history and many adventures together, the greatest of which is their wedding to date!

Their ceremony was July 3, 2011 at the lovely Carolina Inn, a favorite place for UNC grads. Emily's parents live in Chapel Hill but her sister lives in Arizona and Danny's family is from New York City and so their guests came from all across the country to be with them.This is the view of the Bryan Courtyard from the perspective of where we will be standing.

This is the view from the terrace off the sun room overlooking the courtyard.  They had about 130 guests.On the far left you can see Chris of Heartstone Films adjusting one of his video cameras. He had three set up. He operates some and his wife, Toni, operates some. They are a great team! Our professional wedding photographers are another husband and wife team--James and Meridith Walters of Walters and Walters Photography. 

Our musicians from Arioso Strings arrived and started playing. That is Mary Page Block, the founder and operator of Arioso Strings, on the left and in the middle is Lisa who played for the wedding I did the day before at the Forest Theater, and the cellist is also Lisa! I can always count on Arioso Strings to be punctual, professional and superb musicians!

Meantime, in the John Hill ballroom, the reception had been set up and was ready for the guests to spend the evening celebrating with Emily and Danny.  Here is the beautiful wedding cake prepared by Sugarland Bakery.

 

The DJ for the reception was Randy Bennett with Joe Bunn DJ Company and you can be sure that everyone had a wonderful time. 

 

A Watered Garden did the flowers. This is the table outside the ballroom with the place cards. After the ceremony the guests adjourned to the black and white hallway for cocktails. 

Doesn't  it look like we are in jail?? About 5 minutes before we started the ceremony, Danny and I and all his groomsmen except the two that were escorting in the mothers of the couple retreated to the area behind the wall of the courtyard from where we made our entrance. I think I must be giving Megan the signal that we are ready. 

Speaking of Megan, here she is in just the right spot on the terrace to cue the musicians and then direct the processional. Megan is the owner of A Southern Soiree, a wedding and event planning service. She is also one of my former brides. She and Jason were married in a lovely ceremony in May of 2010 which I officiated. It was fabulous to work with her for the first time in her capacity as the wedding director for this wedding. She did a great job of tending to every detail. Emily and Danny were wise to have hired her for this service.

 

The groom and groomsmen and I are all lined up waiting for the bridesmaids. Don't ask me what I am doing with my right hand. I have no idea but it must have made sense at the time!

After the seven bridesmaids entered, our very responsible young ring bearer entered with the real rings! 

I put this photo in because it shows how anxious he was to be done with the responsibility of the pillow as he hands it to the best man to take the rings off! Except for the groom's parents watching the ring bearer, the other guests are looking back for the bride to enter next.

And here she is! So beautiful! Her father, David,  had the distinct pleasure of escorting her down the aisle. Standing to the left is Megan's assistant, Casey, who is interning with Megan this summer. What a cool job! Well, not literally, in this heat!

Once Emily stepped onto the grass, the front of the hem of her dress started dragging and Emily wisely figured out to gently kick the skirt forward with her foot. This happens quite often. The dress length is perfect for hard surfaces but the height of the grass makes it too long. She cannot reach down and pick up the front of her skirt because she is holding her bouquet in her left hand and her right hand is on Daddy's arm. What's a bride to do?? She wants it the right length for the reception but needs it shorter for the processional??

 

Everyone stood in her honor as she and her father glided down the aisle while Emily's eyes were fixed on Danny and his on her! 

 

The bridesmaids wore a pretty coral color. Coral looks great on most everyone and is such a happy color for a wedding. This is the second "coral" wedding I have had this year and I have two more coming up. Since I try to match or blend what I wear to the wedding with the wedding colors, I got busy and made myself a coral prayer stole and it matched their dresses perfectly! I thank my mother for teaching me how to sew and inspiring me to be creative.

After the welcome and the prayer, came the Parents' Blessing where the couple acknowledge their parents and thank them for all their support and love throughout their lives. It is quite touching and usually brings forth tears from the mothers. Here Danny's parents, Sue and Gary, are standing on the right. Emily's parents, Carol and David, are standing up on the left. 

Do you see the young man standing in front of the groomsmen who is touching his forehead? Apparently he was in some distress because a few moments later he crossed the aisle and sat down with his father. I never found out what happened but perhaps he was dehydrated (it was very hot--in the upper 90s that day) or he locked his knees and got faint. I am glad someone was paying attention to him and sent him to sit down before he fainted. He seemed fine after the ceremony was over.

Emily's Maid of Honor, Jennifer, and her first bridesmaid, Anne, are her sisters. They were so happy for Emily and are thrilled that Danny is now a member of their family!

  

James is getting a good shot of the presentation here. But, how many other cameras can you count. I counted 13, can you? So many guests bring their cameras to weddings now days.

Vows, rings, pronouncement of marriage, kiss and presentation of the newlywed couple and out they go! 

 

After the guests cleared the courtyard and Marty and I had gotten my sound system packed up, it was time to bring out the couple and the wedding party for photos. Hugs all around for Emily and Danny. I always try to be the first one to address the bride by her new name and I usually succeed. Emily loved it. Danny was pretty happy too. They are so happy to be married at last and I am so happy for them. Emily and Danny, may your lives be filled with love, peace and joy! 

Kim and Butch Celebrate their Wedding at The Carolina Inn!

Sally Oakley Herring, wedding planner, with An Elegant Affair sent Butch and Kim to me because she knew I would work with them to create a special one of a kind wedding ceremony. (We actually included a poem Butch wrote to Kim.) They had chosen to have their wedding at the historic Carolina Inn. Both of them are graduates of UNC and of course, the Carolina Inn is the only place to get married in style! Kim and Butch had met years ago while in school but did not date. Years passed and then they reconnected on Facebook with the help of their friends and this time they really clicked. It did not take them long to decide to marry and invite their families and friends including many former UNC classmates to their grand wedding on October 17, 2010. It was like a class reunion in many aspects and several of their vendors were actually friends from college.  

They hired Arioso Strings to play for their ceremony. Always a great choice. Butch contacted his infamous fraternity brother and entrepreneur, Joe Bunn, to DJ for them. I asked Joe after the wedding ceremony if he was known as the party guy in their fraternity, Zeta Psi, and he said no, he was known as the kid who stayed up all night playing music!  He said that it was that experience in college that really launched his career as a DJ.  Their photographer was also a former classmate and came all the way from California to shoot their wedding. Her name is Laura Kleinhenz, a widely published and accomplished photo-journalist and founder of her photography company, Docuvitae.Click here to see the slideshow of their lovely wedding pictures.

Sugarland created this very pretty pink wedding cake which fit in with the blush pink of the bridesmaids' dresses.

Speaking of the bridesmaids, here they are all lined up and ready to process down the aisle followed by the ring bearers and flower girl then bride and father. Sally (with her back to the camera) will cue them in when it is time.

The parents, groom and groomsmen and I are all in place and waiting for the bridesmaids and bride to enter. 125 guests were expected but there were 160 chairs set up, way too many! You can see their videographer, Chris, from Heartstone Films, (formerly Barton Creek Weddings) on the right. I think they are partnered up with Joe Bunn DJ Company.

Kim floats down the aisle escorted by her father, James. Her dress is simply exquisite. I know it must be a designer dress and one of a kind.

Unfortunately the grass on the front lawn/Ann Hill Courtyard really suffered from the heat this past summer and is quite sparse. The shade of the big trees also makes it hard to get grass to grow there. Thankfully it had not rained and the ground was dry.

 

 Kim was really enjoying her wedding! She was so happy to be marrying Butch!

 

 

I can't remember what was so funny at this point in the wedding but something was! I do remember that toward the end of the ceremony a bird in a tree nearby started trilling a cheerful song. Could this be an omen? The best man is Butch's father, Darrell.

 The pronouncement of marriage. Kim exclaimed "Are we really married now?" She was so excited.

 Sealed with a kiss!

 It is time to go celebrate!

I cut Butch out of this picture so I could show you a close up of this gorgeous dress of Kim's. It was the fluffiest, fullest dress with yards and yards of soft silky fabric so artfully arranged in graceful folds.

Kim and Butch, may you have happiness and find it making each other happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another!

Very Special Wedding for Jenn and Andy at Duke Gardens Pergola!

Originally Jenn and Andy wanted to have their wedding in Henderson but when they could not find an officiant there, they decided to have it in the Triangle. The noon slot at Duke Gardens pergola just happened to be available on their wedding day of May 22, 2010. And, as luck would have it, I was available too having already booked the wedding at the pergola following their wedding. So, it all worked out great! The weather on Saturday was unstable and rain was threatening. But, we made it without a drop falling! Here are some behind the scenes photos of what takes place at the pergola beforehand to get ready for a wedding. 

One of my very favorite groups, Arioso Strings, sets up to provide the ceremony music.

Our Event Planner and Wedding Director with An Elegant Affair, Sally Oakley Herring, is putting on the chair covers and ties to dress up the plain green folding chairs that the Gardens furnish. Each wedding gets 50 chairs. If more than 50 guests, they stand to the sides of the chairs in the grass.

Sally did an incredible job of organizing this wedding and bringing all the vendors together as well as directing the ceremony. Thanks, Sally! 

Dara Blakeley, our photographer, and I go over the ceremony logistics and from which directions the wedding party will enter. At the pergola, the minister, groom and best man usually enter from the rear of the pergola once the mother of the bride has been escorted up the aisle below and seated. Today, since Jenn's mother and father were escorting her in, and Andy's mother, Carol, was being escorted in by her son, Buck, who was also the best man, Andy and I entered first with Dave, groomsman, and took our places first. Then Carol and Buck entered and he stepped up into his place, then the bridesmaids and so on.

Fresh Affairs delivered the bouquets and boutonnieres to the pergola. I pinned on the boutonnieres and Sally took the bouquets and rose petals down underneath the tree behind the bushes where the bride was hidden.

The cinematographers doing the wedding video were Chris and Toni of Barton Creek Weddings. They covered everything!  

Dave, our groomsman, was in charge of the couple's beloved beagles, Marcy and Max, before the ceremony. Marcy had not yet put on her veil or Max his bow-tie !

And so it is time to begin. I cued the musicians and Andy, Dave and I walked forward to the top of the steps.

Buck and Carol get ready to enter when Sally cues them in. Our flower girl and ring bearer are patiently waiting their turn.

Next our pretty bridesmaids, Heather and Deb, enter. Jenn's color scheme was black and platinum with multi-colored flowers.

Next our junior attendants, Coby and Alexa, enter with Marcy with her veil on and Max with his bow-tie and eager to get going!

Finally it is time for Carter, our ring bearer, and Chloei, our flower girl, to enter and sprinkle the petals.

Cloei did not fully comprehend her job as the flower girl and balked along the way finally dumping the basket of rose petals out and moving right along. Carter is unsuccessfully trying his best to get her to do her job right!

And now, the big moment, the bride and her parents enter. Dara is ready and Chloei has found her mom. I ask all to stand in honor of our beautiful bride.

Beautiful bride, happy parents, Mariellen and Phil.

As they come up the aisle, Andy comes down the steps to receive his bride from her parents as they "hand her over!"

Jenn and Andy were so ready to get married. During the ceremony I told their love story including how Andy had pursued Jenn persistently until she finally agreed to have dinner with him. He knew there was something really special about her and he wanted to find out what it was. Theirs is a match made in heaven! 

From the grin on Jenn's face, I think I must be telling the story of Marcy and Max and how they came to be part of this new family. Marcy was being a bit vocal here and wanted to run up the steps and be with her two favorite people in the world. Max was pretty laid back about it all though. 

Jenn's best friend since childhood and maid of honor, Debbie, read a quote from Oprah magazine by Natalie White which was quite touching and perfect for this couple. She got a bit choked up at first then did quite well. Thanks, Debbie.

Jenn is reading her vows to Andy from my book while putting the ring on his finger. They wrote their vows themselves and they were so sweet with some really funny lines too.

Okay, they are now married, at last! Happy, happy couple and I am so happy for them. They are really great together and I know they will have a great marriage.

Here are the two families and the wedding party. Everyone is ready to celebrate except Chloei who did not like it when her daddy made her take the bubble bottle out of her mouth!

All the best to you, Jenn and Andy! I hope you will keep in touch and I know we will run into each other from time to time.What a wonderful wedding!