Jerem and Mary Marry Amid Great Joy At the Haw River Ballroom

 Mary and Jerem live in Chicago so we met via Skype last October to begin planning their April wedding at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw.  This is a great new venue and people are discovering it in droves.  Yay!  Joyfully it was a warm sunny Spring day for Jerem and Mary's wedding and they could take advantage of all the beautiful scenery around them.  Carolyn Scott and her husband, Geoff, of Carolyn Scott Photography, were their fabulous photographers and have many more pictures on their web site.   They're always great.  Thanks to Carolyn for these wonderful pictures.

 The origami cranes made a lovely backdrop to set off the ceremony site.  Mary entered the room to the strains of 'Luckiest' by Ben Folds setting the loving sweet romantic tone that Jerem and Mary wanted.   And the ballroom was the perfect setting for their eclectic mix of family and friends from Chicago, St. Louis, Colorado and as far away as Calgary, Canada.  This venue is  also known for the terrific musicians who play here on non-wedding evenings.

I loved the neon sign saying 'Thrills' pointing right at them.  In their ceremony we told their guests how Jerem and Mary love how each person's strength fill in the other's gap.  They even find the idiosyncrasies of the other endearing - that rather than driving the other one nuts, they seem to enhance their affection.  Together they are better than the sum of their parts.

We told guests that they could clap, or or laugh as the mood struck them during the ceremony, and I believe that that's just what the picture below indicates.  Notice Jerem's bow tie.  We all loved it!

They chose a Unity Candle Ceremony, never lovelier, than with these succulents and the cranes surrounding them.  We offered these words for this ceremony. 'May the brightness of the candle you light together shine throughout your lives, giving you courage and reassurance in darkness.  May its warmth give you shelter from the cold.  And may its energy fill your spirits with strength and joy.'

With the words, 'Jerem, you may kiss your bride!' he did just that.

 Then after pictures it was a rousing celebration.  Here is a little of their decorations.  I loved them.  Heather Cook of Shindigs, in Durham, was their fabulous planner and coordinator.   And she created the flowers!  What a Godsend in her multi-talents and in making sure everything went smoothly for them. 

With the below not only did they keep it simple, but styling.  And the Saxapahaw Catering Company did their cake and catering.  From the menu it looks fabulous!  I don't see their name on Google.  If you're interested I'd contact the ballroom.  They'd know.

Each place setting was different creating a magical whole.

I love this picture capturing who they are together and their whole day.  In their ceremony I offered the Southern expression, 'Every pot has its lid.'  Mary and Jerem fit together so well, so joyfully, I now know where the expression comes from.

I got this wonderful note from them after they got back from their honeymoon,  'Hi Robin!

Well we are back from our honeymoon and still walking on clouds from the wedding! It was a gorgeous ceremony and we could not be happier with our choice of officiant :). ...

We haven't gotten digital copies of the pictures yet, but Carolyn has shared some on her blog. You'll see there is a great one of you in the ones she has shared!

http://www.carolynscottphotography.com/2014/04/11/maryjerems-wedding-at-the-haw-river-ballroom/.   Thank you again for all of the work and love you put into our wedding. It was a real pleasure!  Love,  Mary & Jerem' 

It was a labor of love for me in creating their ceremony with them. I wouldn't have had it any other way.    I wish them many many years of happiness.

Graham and Monica Marry In The Perfect Place

Graham and Monica chose to marry at the Nature Research Center, a.k.a.  the new part of the Museum of Natural Science on Jones Street in downtown Raleigh.  And I was the lucky officiant who got to marry them.  It was a perfect location for them.  As self-proclaimed geeks they were in their element.  And in addition to being fun and innovative, the center is quite lovely.  

Their ceremony site was a large meeting room on the fourth floor, quiet, perfect for easily 100 guests, and well appointed.  We did laugh that we lined up for the processional in the closet.  That's the door to the far right that goes through the closet which has kitchen elements to it and then out into the lobby.  So Carolyn Scott of Carolyn Scott Photography, a truly wonderful professional as well as a friend with a great sense of humor, documented us all hanging out in the closet before the ceremony.  Thank you Carolyn, for all of these pictures.

We had fun crafting their ceremony making it personal, humorous, warm and casual, just like them.  We invited guests to actively participate in the ceremony, just as they are active participants in their lives, inviting them to clap, cheer or laugh as the mood struck them.  Graham's fun loving grandmother took us at our word and clapped often and vigorously, which just added to the joyful mood.  Here we are enjoying just such a moment.

They created vows which I love and which begin, 'I take you as my partner, loving and respecting the amazing person that you are, and the person you will become,' and ending with 'I will cherish every day we have together, sharing the sweetness of our life.'

As Monica placed Graham's wedding ring on his finger, she said, 'I give you this ring as a pledge of my love and as a symbol of our unity.'

They  took part in a Box, Love Letter and Wine Ceremony with a lovely handwoven container.  I've changed this ceremony over the years to have a few versions.  In this version we quoted author Germaine Greer that 'successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person' inviting them to choose a time, perhaps an anniversary, to open the box, read the love letters and share with each other how their love has grown and deepened.

When Monica emailed me after the ceremony to say thanks she included this note that I love, 'My grandmother commented that it was the only wedding she had ever been to where everyone laughed instead of cried :) '  I loved it.

What a dear couple.  I loved having them in my life.  And it was a real surprise and a treat to find that two of their friends are Sean and Ellen, a couple I'd married just the year before at All Saints Chapel.  

Another treat was to see that Noreen Fitzmaurice of The Celiac Bakery provided their cake.  I bet it was wonderful.

I send much love to Monica and Graham.  I so enjoy adding to the sum of love in the world, and having such lovely people who let me be a part of such a special time in their lives.  I thank  them! 

Nelson and Wendy Light Up All Saint's Chapel

Wendy and Nelson had a wonderful wedding at All Saints Chapel this spring as you can tell by these clear and vibrant pictures by Carolyn Scott and her partner Geoff of Carolyn Scott Photography.


I have often officiated at All Saints but have never before seen a reception in the sanctuary and it was lovely.  The catering staff turned the space over quickly and efficiently.  It was amazing to watch.  Sarah, the All Saints Coordinator was calm and efficient as always.  And Nelson and Wendy's florist was Mel Ray from Dogwood Tree Floral Designs, 

their cake was by  Melinda from Edible Art Bakery, 

and their catering was done by April of Unforgettable Food Affairs,

Wendy and Nelson and I planned their wedding ceremony totally by phone and email so it was a treat to meet them at their rehearsal.  Wendy is as bubbly as her voice and Nelson is a calm and steady a presence as she described him.


Wendy's son Ashton, nicknamed Ash, was a particular joy.  He is eleven years old and he walked his mother down the aisle and lit their unity candle all very formally with great decorum.  He was not quite tall enough to reach the candelabra so we removed the unity candle for him to light it and then placed it back in the stand.


When I entered I lit 9 remembrance votive candles and the individual unity candles.  Each remembrance candle was for a specific person.  The altar was radiant in their light under that gorgeous stained glass window.

The Ringbearers, Sam and James, carried the rings into the ceremony in beautiful ceramic eggs.  They then handed one to the Best Man and one to the Maid of Honor.  

Then Evee, their Flower Girl entered.  I bet Carolyn's blog has a shot of her.  She was a cutie.


We closed their ceremony with this blessing:  'So may this day be an open door through which Nelson and Wendy will go forth to build the dearest of all relationship - a happy, harmonious marriage.  May the years deal gently with them; walking together, may they find far more in life than either would have found alone.'  And there was no better an more lovely door could they have walked through than All Saints Chapel.

I got a Thank You phone call from them on the Monday right after their wedding.  What a thoughtful gesture.  I imagined them off celebrating and relaxing and they were giving thanks to all those who had made their wedding special for them.  They are a kind and considerate couple.  It was a privilege to have had them grace my life.  I wish them many many blessings!

Rob and Jen Marry With Much Love and With Their New Son at the Caffé Luna in Downtown Raleigh

Jen and Rob's beautiful wedding at the Caffé Luna was the culmination of a lot of planning and effort on Jen and Rob's part.  Effort that took place while they were pregnant with their son, Robert Douglas.  It was a delight to celebrate his entry onto the planet at their ceremony, too.

Their professional photographer was Carolyn Scott, of Carolyn Scott Photography, who got some absolutely fabulous shots (as did her partner Goeff).  Make sure you read to the bottom of the blog to see all her pictures!  They're wonderful.  I've gotten to work with them three times this year and it's always a delight.  I've included some 'friend's shots'  in the blog, too, because they were shot at a sweet angle during the ceremony that the professionals couldn't get.

Jen, Rob and I met in March when they anticipated an October wedding.  But then when she found out she was pregnant the wedding was moved to November.  It's a good thing and a great change since we all got to celebrate Robert Douglas, too.

These pictures are only of the ceremony.  My favorite part!  :-)  Their wedding was held at the Cafe Lunna in downtown Raleigh.  

Their florist - check out that lush arch - was Lyn Graves of Fresh Affairs, and their DJ for the reception was Mike Morse of Mike Morse Entertainment.  I've worked with Mike many times too and I knew he would be great.

Sisters on the Harp -  Harp and Flute - the music for the ceremony was played by Brittany and Marissa Farrell.  They played beautiful Irish selections for the prelude, then a Sonata in A by Mozart, Edelweiss, and the Bridal March from Lohrengrin for the bridal processional.    They 

were flawless!

It was a joy for me to be there.  Here I'm entering from the front of Caffé Luna with Rob entering just behind me.

Rob's attendants

Jen's attendants.  There wasn't a big space but they made it work!

Jen's mother held Robert Douglas while we talked about what a blessing he was in their lives.  He was such a sweetie.

Here he is later in his mother's arms.

Their ceremony was rich in feeling and symbolism.  They were so clear and present.  That says a lot about their love.

The kiss, of course!

I kept some of the friend's shots in because they have a unique angle on the ceremony.  But they definitely speak to why it's important to hire a professional photographer.

The Presentation!  I love this part.  I call it the basking moment, because it's the moment where a couple is reentering your community as a married couple and everyone there is offering their love and support.  I tell all my couples, 'Drink it in.  This moment comes only once.  Don't rush out the door.  There will be hours to party.'

Even the recessional has a lovely peacefulness and grace to it.  I'm always glad when people honor that part of the ceremony with their attention, too.  Another friend shot photograph.

Here is Geoff getting a picture before the ceremony.  I love these architectural backdrops.

Their cakes were by Cinda of Cinda's Cake Creations.  R2D2 has special meaning for them since Rob's initials and their son's initials are both RD.
















Carolyn took some  photos before the ceremony to get the daylight shots.  These showcase the amazing rich color of their autumn wedding.

 The Caffé Luna has a wonderful reception room that amazingly is big enough for dancing.

What a joyful couple so in love with each other and with their baby.  Life will only deepen as they grow together.  I wish them so many blessings.  My daughter turns 40 this year.  I can hardly believe it.  The years speed by.  May they cherish each moment!

Grisha and Abby at Top of the Hill Back Bar

Grisha is really Greg, but Grisha is such a wonderful nickname and this is what Abby calls Greg so it kind of sticks.  They met in a camp for learning Russian language and this is the name Greg was given in camp.  Theirs was a delightful wedding in the area called the Back Bar at the Top of The Hill restaurant in Chapel Hill.  I love it when couples tell me what they want so that they are celebrating who they are and so they and their love shines through.  I had no worries about Greg and Abby - they had their own ideas.  Yay!

They had grown their love long distance that first year.  Now 3 years later they were marrying in a ceremony that honored some Jewish customs that were dear to them.  The colorful huppah they're standing under was pieced by Grisha's mother.  Abby's father offered the blessing of the wine, and immediately after the breaking of the glass, everyone began dancing the Hora.  It was great fun.

Grisha and Abby invited guests for drinks then when the moment was ripe, we all walked into the big reception room, Greg and Abby greeting guests then.  It was a great size for their around 70 guests.  I tucked in some pictures of the Back Bar to show you how well it served for their wedding and how creative their decorations were.  This first picture is the front of the room.  We gathered here in front of the huppah.

This is looking back toward the back of the room.  The back right is the entrance into the room.

Carolyn Scott of Carolyn Scott Photography took these wonderful photographs.  I love working with her.  She's fun as well as professional.  I think that's how she can get such amazing shots.  Thank you Thank you Thank you, Carolyn.  I don't know that people realize how important it is that the photographer be someone the couple can relax with.  They spend most of the hour before the wedding with them and then need to be in a good mood and not stressed.  Not easy.  Crissy Brady, of Not Your Grandmother's Wedding, was our coordinator extraordinaire.  Thank you, Crissy!

Thanks, Carolyn of taking a fun picture of me as I wait for Abby, Grisha, and guests to gather. 

Greg and Abby created just the ceremony they wanted.  One touch they chose was to combine the section of the vows and rings into one section where at the completion of their vows they slipped the ring onto the other's finger.  With the pronouncement, the kiss, the breaking of the glass and turning around to guests they were married, and the Klezmer band started the music to dance.  Later pie was served baked by the Top of The Hill.  I can attest to their desserts.  They are wonderfully decadent.  

Greg and Abby's wedding feels like a small town wedding to me.  My husband, Ruben, was Abby's Middle School Science teacher, and some of this other former students are employees at Top of The Hill.  For me it had the feeling of coming home.  How much more must it have felt that way for them.  It was a gathering of close friends and family who love and support them, and celebrate their love. It doesn't get any better than that! 

I wish them every blessing and Mazel Tov!