Fun, Sweet, Joyful Rainy Day Wedding for Sarah and Justin!

I got to know Justin and Sarah quite well during the course of working with them to plan their wedding and their marriage. We first met on September 27, 2011, a year and two days before their wedding on September 29, 2012. They envisioned having their wedding ceremony in the lovely gardens of the Mordecai House campus in downtown Raleigh. They wanted to get married under the shade of a huge oak tree surrounded by their friends and family. When we heard the weather forecast the week of the wedding, they wisely rented a 20 foot by 30 foot tent for Plan B in case of rain. On their wedding day, when I got to their venue one hour ahead of time, it was raining steadily and the decision had been made to do the ceremony inside St. Mark's Chapel, Plan C, because it was cold and the rain too heavy. Trouble was the chapel can accommodate up to only 55 people and they had many more guests. I did not count but we were all scrunched in, standing room only. Marty, wielding my camera, did not have the opportunity to move around and get many good photos. Our musicians, a string trio, from Arioso Strings had to move to the back of the chapel in order for the wedding party to gather on and around the altar. But, you know, it worked and it was really really fun. There is something about human nature that when packed into close quarters, people really bond with each other. Sarah and Justin both went to ECU and so they had tons of friends there who have known them for many years and were so thrilled to be at their wedding! The mood was quite festive and we were all thankful to be inside the cozy little chapel.

I want to credit Nicole McMillan Conder, owner of Premier Party Planners, whom Sarah and Justin hired just a few weeks before their wedding, for pulling this wedding all together. She helped them make the last minute decisions with her expert advice and then ran around in the rain making sure everything got done and people found the chapel. Then after the wedding she cleaned up all the rose petals on the floor and made sure nothing was left behind and then headed over to the Museum of Natural Science for the reception. Thanks so much, Nicole, we could not have done it without you!

Mary Page Block, owner and mastermind of Arioso Strings, and her two musicians were troopers as well. They arrived 30 minutes before ceremony start time and set up their chairs and music stands up front. But they had to move to the back because there was not enough room for them and the wedding party up around and on the altar. We had to create an aisle for the procession so Mary moved to the other side and kept on playing! The music was wonderful despite the close quarters and limited elbow room!

Mother of the Bride, Karen, was escorted in by her son, Brian, as we moved aside to make room.

 Then Justin's parents, Richard and Beverly, entered and were seated. 

I am instructing Justin that I will step up onto the altar but he is to wait in front for the bride.

 Let's go! Time to go get married! 

 

Lindsay, Jamie, Stephanie, and Elizabeth enter assisted by Nicole--excuse the blurry photos--Marty was crunched in between the guests! But, I'm putting these pictures in anyway!

Nicole is dripping wet but now the bride is in the building and she can relax as I take over for the ceremony.

 Happy bride, gorgeous dress! Happy Daddy! 

At the last minute Sarah asked me to add something about the significance of rain on the wedding day so I said: "Across the world many believe that rain on the wedding day is lucky because a wet knot is harder to untie. In some cultures rain is good luck, and can represent cleansing or stronger unity in the marriage.  Yet others say the raindrops are God’s tears of happiness for the couple. Whatever your belief, I know that none of us here will allow a little rain to dampen the celebration of this marriage here today!" And it surely did not!  I think a few claps of thunder came along right then and everyone got a good laugh.

This is an accidental shot of our photographer, Amy Turner, with Your Still Life Photography, moving  from the front to the back of the chapel. She also brought David and Scott, two other shooters.

Justin and Sarah wanted to pay tribute to their parents and so after an opening prayer I thanked them and reminded them that this marriage also joins their two families.

And then I got to present the whimsical and funny poem by Taylor Mali, "Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" which Sarah and Justin dedicated it to their two fur children, their pooches, Sophie and Meela!  It was very well received and I had fun reading it, always do!

Then it was time for the guests to hear their "story." In a nutshell, they met at ECU about six years ago when they were both students. Sarah first spotted Justin at a dodge ball game and thought he was pretty hot, but when she tried to strike up a conversation afterwards, he blew her off. A few weeks later, they officially met in his dorm where he noticed that Sarah was really cute and rather hot herself! They found a lot to talk about and after about a week of spending every free minute together, they began dating. Sarah knew that Justin was a keeper when, after one week of dating, he survived Christmas Eve dinner with her whole family and did not run away screaming! They graduated college then moved to Raleigh, began their life together and planned this wedding.

I moved back behind the couple to read their secret paragraphs to them which were surprises from each other--something really special I add to wedding ceremonies. Theirs had lots of sweet humor as well and truly touching words.  Justin looks forward to a wonderful life together and not ever, ever, ever planning another wedding!

 Getting ready to exchange rings after reading their vows to each other.....

The magic moment their marriage is legal and they are now husband and wife! Sarah's sister, Elizabeth, our maid of honor, is looking forward to her wedding this December in England! It will be in a church and a lot more formal than her sister's though.

Out they go--into the pouring rain! The plan was for them to congregate in the building next door while the guests went to the reception at The Museum of Natural Science then come back into the chapel for photos. 

I could see out the doors of the chapel that it was just pouring buckets of rain so I held the parents and grandparents back and invited the guests to leave. It took a while but all the umbrellas were claimed and we sent a message to the wedding party to return to the chapel. 

Sarah's holding up her beautiful wedding gown so she does not drag it in the puddles and get it all soppy wet.

Sarah's birdcage veil was folded up then she remembered to unfold it for the rest of the photos! 

Sarah and Justin, you are such a great couple! I really enjoyed working with you and getting to know you both. I know you will have a wonderful marriage adventure if you can roll with the punches life sends your way the same way you handled all the last minute challenges of your wedding ceremony logistics! It could not have turned out better though, in my opinion. The guests were really close and really involved and will never ever forget your wedding! Happy Honeymooning!

Katie and Matt's Wedding Featured in Southern Bride and Groom Magazine!

I am so thrilled to discover that Southern Bride and Groom magazine chose Matt and Katie's wonderful wedding as a feature wedding for their new issue. Jenna just sent me the photo below so I could put it on this blog. I thank them for crediting me as the officiant. You can see a larger image if you click on it. To see the previous post of Katie and Matt's wedding on this blog, click  here.

Katie and Matt tied the knot this past summer on June 11, 2011 at the beautiful Highgrove Estate in Fuquay-Varina. Brian Mullins was the photographer responsible for these gorgeous images. They capture these two people so perfectly. The creative couple took my ceremony material and made it their own including a reading by a Catholic priest and the breaking of the glass from the Jewish tradition as well as personalized vows to each other. The ceremony started out like this: 

"Welcome! You have all come together to witness and celebrate the marriage of Matthew and Katherine. It was exactly eight years, three months and twenty-seven days ago that Matthew nervously asked Katherine to be his girlfriend." From that point on, the guests were enraptured with their ceremony which included the story of how they met and how their relationship blossomed in to love and then marriage. That sense of excitement and celebration flowed right on into their reception. It was a joy to work with these two love birds!  

Zombie Wedding for Rachel and Dave!

Rachel and Dave are probably the most fun-loving couple I have ever worked with and I looked forward to their ceremony on October 29, 2011 with anticipation. They are a terrific match for each other as evidenced by their fabulous wedding ceremony into which they put their hearts and souls and loaded it with their brand of humor. They chose a welcome address about zombies and tied it in perfectly with getting married: "
They asked me to say a few words to set the proper mood and tone for their wedding.
They thought for quite some time about what they wanted me to say, discarding metaphors and quotes of love, before finally settling on a topic near to their hearts – Today I’m going to say a few words about zombies. 
Zombies. The shambling ghouls of black and white Saturday matinees and the quick, ravenous monsters of modern horror are all suffering from the same disease – disconnection – from the world around them and from each other.

 And aren’t we all there sometimes?

 Don’t we shuffle to work, monosyllabic, until we get our caffeine, and then go through the motions of work and house as if completely unaware of other people? Don’t we set our sights on one desire after another, rushing from experience to experience without actually stopping to enjoy any of it?

 Haven’t you found yourself staring into space, wishing for just a little more brains?
 Dave and Rachel were there too and they’ve decided to take the only vaccine that works – they’ve decided to get married. By which I mean they’ve decided to get connected — unashamedly, unhesitatingly connected — to each other.

  In this they refuse to become numb themselves, they promise to give each other attention, consideration, and kindness – emotions zombies most certainly do not share. They refuse to feed on the heart and mind of the other, agreeing instead to grow those things together and share them equally.  And they vow not to allow the other to become a zombie when they aren’t looking – slipping into apathy, numbness, and a maddening hunger. They do these things with the shotguns of their love strapped strongly to their backs and the truncheons of their humor held firmly in their hands. Friendship, love, and desire, when held with both hands, are the only weapons any of us need to stay human.

 With the zombies held at bay by their mutual promises, Dave and Rachel are ready to face the other monsters of life – defending against the Frankenstein coworkers, the Soul Sucking Vampires of false friends, and the Mummy of age itself.

 The adventure they are about to embark on has all the magic of any Hollywood movie and all the terror of true Lovecraftian horror – dread Cthulhu (Cah-thoo-loo) has nothing on balancing family Christmases.

But the truest fact is that as long as they stick together, connected to each other, the zombies of life, real and imagined, apathetic and disastrous, cannot harm them.

 That said, let’s get married, shall we?"  (Rachel wrote me after seeing this blog post that she and Dave could not take credit for writing the welcome address about zombies but that it was written by Leslie Light in 2008 and Rachel found it on the Offbeat Brides' blog--a great source for non-traditional wedding couples.) 

Dave and Rachel chose the Saturday closest to Halloween and their colors were red and black. The venue was All Saint's Chapel for both the ceremony and the reception. Ironically, my husband, also named Dave, and I were going to a Halloween party that same evening and needed costumes. Several weeks earlier when I was in a consignment shop, I came across a "ghoul" costume--black flowing cape and a red hood with black netting covering the face.  Thinking that we could have some fun at the party because no one could easily recognize us, I bought the costume and made another one like it--fortunately I can sew!

Here are both costumes. Heidi does not know what to think of these strange looking beings who seem quite familiar! Then it occurred to me that the ghoul hood would fit in perfectly with both the zombie theme and the color scheme of Rachel and Dave's wedding. On the day of the wedding, I brought the hood with me and pulled Dave (the groom) aside and told him of my idea to wear it in the beginning of the ceremony. He said "That is really gonna mess with Rachel. I love it; do it!" (Rachel is also one of the most organized and detail oriented brides I have ever met. She had this big binder with every minute detail of the wedding in it and carried with her everywhere!) So, when we were ready to begin the ceremony, I pulled on the hood and Dave and his best man, T-Bone, and I entered from a side door and walked out on the altar. It was really fun to see the expressions on the guests' faces. Some were tickled and some in disbelief yet others curious to know what was coming next!

After Rachel's parents and stepparents and Dave's mother were escorted in, the bridesmaids started down the aisle. They were in disbelief also but they also knew Dave and Rachel's sense of humor and were not surprised.

 Then Rachel entered with her father with a huge rather puzzled smile on her face!

 

 Delivering the Welcome Address about the zombies!

And when I said: "That said, let's get married, shall we!" I handed my book to T-Bone to hold while I whipped off the hood! Loved it!

 

We  paid tribute to their parents and remembered and honored Dave's father who was also a major contributor and influence in his life. 

 

Monica, Rachel's aunt and Godmother, presented "Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali, a wonderful and comical poem comparing love to dogs.

  

 

Of course their "story" was hilarious and I loved telling it, especially how they met and Dave's persistent efforts to propose when Rachel did not suspect him to. She kept foiling his plans! They read their vows which were very original, both touching and funny, from my book as they exchanged rings. 

 

 

Ahhhh, Rachel and Dave, don't ever lose your enthusiasm, your sense of humor and fun, your amazing connection to each other and your zest for life. I am so honored to have been a part of your special day  and to have been the one to marry you.

Katie and Matt's Fabulous Wedding at Highgrove!

Katie and Matt met at Cary Academy. when they were both 15  After graduating from high school and college, they decided it was time to tie the knot! It was no surprise for either of their families and they were all so happy to see these two people so much in love get married and start their journey through life as husband and wife. They chose the lovely Highgrove Estate for their venue and set the date of June 11, 2011. Katie, Matt and I met one evening last August. They really liked the idea of creating their own interfaith ceremony including both Jewish and Christian elements, making it very personal and unique to them, and honoring their parents. And, so they chose me and I am so happy they did. The ceremony we created together has joined the ranks as one of my very favorite ceremonies.

The day was beautiful but a bit on the warm side. The cake was inside the garden ballroom. It was provided by Ashley Cakes. Gorgeous as always.

The garden ballroom was spacious and nice and cool! The florals were done by Jo Lynn at Victorian Seasons.

I got my theater microphone plugged into Ryan Pflumm's sound system and we did a sound check. He had put a speaker on each side of the portico and the sound was perfect.

Ryan and I have worked together for many years.

He is all dressed up for the wedding and ready for the ceremony to begin. Besides being such a very tall handsome guy, he is a great DJ! Ryan did this wedding for Island Sound DJs. He has since spun out on his own and his DJ company is appropriately named SPIN!

Katie and Matt hired one of my favorite photographers who is also one of the very best wedding photographers in this area--Brian Mullins. He and his second shooter, Jennifer Aanerud, look like they are shooting each other here! I think though that they are deciding which settings are going to be best for the intense sunlight that was beaming down at the ceremony site (and directly into my face)!

I processed in first to hold sacred space while the grandparents, parents and the rest of the wedding party enters.

I am followed by Matt and his best man, Brian.

The bridesmaids are all lined up to go next. First Christina, then Ariel (Matt's sister), then Katie.Their dresses were a beautiful soft coral which is becoming quite a popular color this year. It is a good color for everyone. I did not have a coral dress or prayer stole but since this wedding I have made one for future "coral" weddings!

Our lovely Maid of Honor is Katie's good friend, Sarah.

Here comes the bride with her father, Jeff. Katie is so pretty and her dress was perfect for her. Matt calls her hair "princess hair!"

 

 

Once we got started, I looked up at Matt through my squinted eyes (the sun was directly in my eyes when I looked at the couple) I saw sweat just dripping off his chin like a faucet! I had put one of those hand towels into my pocket and quickly retrieved it and mopped his face off many times during the ceremony. Katie did not sweat a drop! I asked her later how she managed that and she said she just "willed" it to be so!

In the beginning of the ceremony I said: "It was exactly 8 years, 3 months and 27 days ago that Matthew nervously asked Katherine to be his girlfriend..." Everyone loved that and so did Katie and Matt! 

I asked their parents to stand. Katie and Matt wrote a very special blessing for their parents and included the fact that this day was also Katie's parents' wedding anniversary.

They asked Father Daniel Nelson to share with us the words from First Corinthians 13.

 

And then I told the couple's story. Everyone enjoyed hearing all about their adventures followed by the reasons they want to marry each other.

 

 They made their vows to each other and  exchanged their rings.

Before the pronouncement of marriage I explained the Jewish custom of breaking of the glass at a wedding to honor Matt's Jewish heritage. Notice he has his foot ready!

 I made the pronouncement, he stomped the glass and we are all shouting "Mazeltov" as they kiss!

Either Matt is going for the kiss here or they have finished it!

 The new Mr. and Mrs.!

Looks like there were some latecomers who watched the ceremony from the patio.

 

Matt and Katie, your wedding was wonderful. I am so happy for you and I know you will have a wonderful marriage and life together. Congratulations to you both!