Mark and Kate Marry at The Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill

I had the pleasure of talking with Mark and Kate via email and the phone in March of this year so that they could decide that I was the right person to be marrying them.  You see, they live in Ann Arbor, MI where Kate is getting her Masters Degree in Public Health.   They would be coming down to NC about a month before their wedding and we would meet then.  That worked well for all of us and we had fun planning online.  They wanted a relaxed simple ceremony in the side yard of the Horace Williams House, in downtown Chapel Hill.  That picturesque historic home in Chapel Hill has several wonderful areas on their lawn to have ceremonies.  

Thank you to Kate's Uncle Stewart Nowlin of Stu Nowlin Imaging for these wonderful pictures.  He is based in Kansas but his card says that he will go on location anywhere.  I imagine he's photographed some interesting weddings.


It was important that their ceremony be inclusive and honoring of their families and they brought to me an expression from Mark's grandmother that I had never heard before:, 'Cut the apron strings but leave the kitchen door open.'


On the side of the Horace Williams House is a lovely huge old bell.  At the end of the ceremony they recessed to the bell and rang in their marriage there.

They're a playful couple with delightful senses of humor.  On the wedding day, they were transmitting it live to Australia and California via MarryMeLive.com.  While all the connections were being set up they had lots of on camera fun moments.  It was a great way for everyone to enjoy their spirit and their day.


Guglhopf Bakery, that wonderful German bakery in Durham, baked their beautiful cake and they decorated it themselves with seasonal flowers.

Kate also made her own bouquet.  

They love to cook together so we had a Salt Covenant in their ceremony.  It was a wonderful way of personally honoring their commitment in a way that brought them joy every day.

Then Mark's father read the lyrics by Roger Glover from the CD 'The Butterfly Ball' called 'Love is All.    They were wonderful and just like Mark and Kate's generous and joyful spirits.

I wish them much much happiness and joy!

Steve and Teri

At their wedding rehearsal, I hadn't seen Steve and Teri since we had met in late January, but our email conversations had been great, back and forth volleys sharing ideas and questions.   In that slightly unusual email way, I felt like I'd gotten to know a them well through a unique aspect of who they are together.  It was fun to see that blossom in our correspondence and then in person at their rehearsal.


I always love officiating weddings at The Cotton Room.  Michelle Allred is a fabulous coordinator and we've been working together so often and so well that we can trust that everything will flow flawlessly.    Also, the architectural elements make this space both elegant and warm as you can see below.  (The DJ was behind the curtain but with Michelle's 'walkie talkie' system, cue-ing the music was fine.)

Thanks to consummate pro, our photographer Diane McKinney of Diane McKinney Photography for these wonderful pictures, too.   She is a joy to work with as well, easy and personable.  Aaron was their wonderful DJ, Cinda of Cinda's Creative Cakes provided their cake and Tre Bella Florist created their flowers.  These are all local professionals who love their profession so create great work.  For all of us there that day,  Steve and Teri's wedding was a labor of love.

In their ceremony we celebrated that this was the anniversary to the day from when Steve proposed to Teri.  Their journey to this day began over 7 years ago at their first meeting.  They love the life they've built together, laughing at almost everything, except Patriot games of course.

In their vows they told each other, 'I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together.'

After Teri and Steve exchanged their vows, took part in the Hand Ceremony, noticing the hands of their beloved as we described how these hands would hold them through difficult times, lovingly hold their children, work together to build their future, and lastly, even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for theirs.

Their recessional was 'Here Comes The Sun' by the Beatles.  To me there is no more fitting music for a wedding.  But then I'm a Beatles fan ever since they were on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1963, listening as they grew and matured, creating timeless music.  BTW - their processional music was 'Come Away With Me' by Nora Jones, and 'Forever' by Ben Harper, and Dave Barnes, 'I have and I Always Will.'  They were all beautiful.




Another thing The Cotton Room is good for is a big open space to dance.  I'm glad they had such a good time.

The wedding was full of their friends and family - another good reason for a large welcoming space.  

And here is the way that they remembered all their guests and their guests remembered them.  On this tree of life, each guest puts their finger print on the tree and write their name beneath it.

They were off to somewhere warm and exotic for their honeymoon- Mexico or a cruise to the Bahamas - I just remember thinking, 'Ooooh.   That sounds delicious.'  What a culmination of a great time with family and friends, and, of course, getting married!  I wish them many many years of delight.