Phillip and Jenny came all the way from Portland Oregon to wed at Bay 7 on March 5th

Phillip and Jenny flew in the week of their wedding so I had only spoken to them by phone. We seemed to hit if off immediately. They have easy going and playful spirits which served them well planning a wedding long distance. But when I met their families I understood why. They are all joyful spirits.
Jenny and Phillip wanted their ceremony on the upstairs balcony of Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus. With seating for 120 guests that made it a very long narrow space (about 4 chairs on either side of a row) but it worked with the use of sound amplification. Thanks to DJ Steven Feinberg of Event Pros for all the help in figuring out our sound options. Their reception was held in the big open space of the downstairs of Bay 7. I'd never officiated a ceremony at the upstairs of Bay 7 before - only downstairs, so I was curious to see how this worked. Phillip and Jenny had the cocktail hour in the reception area and had their reception set up ahead of time and didn't have to convert the big room at all. Floral Dimensions in Durham provided these wonderful wild flowers for the tables and the bouquets for Jenny and Phillip's two sisters who were her attendants.

Square Rabbit Catering make their cake, and Simply Delicious catered their reception dinner and it was lovely. Thanks to Lisha Myers of Lisha Myers Photography for these great pictures.

I loved their very real words of their opening as we invited guests to hear Jenny and Phillip as they promise to face the future together as husband and wife, accepting whatever may be ahead through the years to come. They chose the words 'Nothing is easier than saying words of love and commitment, and nothing is harder than living them day by day. What you promise today must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow.

At the end of this ceremony, you will be husband and wife - but you must still decide each and every day stretching out before you that you want to be married.' We went on to describe what real love is, and these very grounded words fit this couple who are best friends, sharing their adventures side by side and standing by each other in the hard times. They chose the poetry of Pablo Neruda as the wisdom about love and marriage to reflect their joy in their love for each other and we introduced their very beautiful pronouncement with 'We recognize and respect the covenant you have made. It is not the officiant standing before you that makes this marriage real, but the honesty and sincerity of what you have said and done before your families and friends.'
I enjoyed seeing all the joy of childhood friendships that greeted Phillip and Jenny after their ceremony. In fact I saw an old family friend of my sisters and learned of the ways my and Jenny and Phillip's lives had only one degree of separation. Then I wished them many blessings and left them to their partying.

I got this note from Jenny just 2 weeks later: 'Well, we are finally settling back in to normal life. Although, I came home with a nasty cold and am still recovering! ... I just wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU again for everything!! We pulled you in last minute and you were still able to make it so special for us. Everyone loved your ceremony and we will certainly never forget it.' It was a treat to hear from them - though I was sorry to hear about the cold.