Shawn and Lindsay Marry Amid Great Joy at Prestonwood Country Club

 This Fall it was a real joy to marry Lindsay and Shawn.  They had a fabulous time and so did everyone else - all of us delighted for them.  They had guests that came from  from the East Coast, the West Coast, The North, Canada, even Ireland to share their wedding day with them.   

And just think.  It all started when Autumn, Lindsay’s sister,  who really loves pizza, especially, Checker’s pizza, went there with Lindsay.  And it was there that she met Shawn.  And that, as the expression goes, 'is all she wrote.'  Lindsay and Shawn had their wedding at Prestonwood Country Club, a spacious and elegant setting perfect. 

And they had these excellent professionals and just great people helping make their day perfect:  Dara Blakeley of Dara Blakeley Photography took these wonderful photographs, Sally Oakley was their wedding planner and, Randy Bennett from Joe Bunn DJ Company did both their ceremony and reception music and Watered Garden did their amazing floral arrangements.  

In their ceremony I asked each of them (of course, with the words 'wife' and 'husband'): 'The person who stands by your side is about to become your spouse. They will look to you for gentleness, for support, for understanding, for encouragement, and for protection. You must never take them  for granted, but be continually sensitive to their needs. Your life and love will be their greatest source of joy. So I ask you, will you have this person to be your lawfully wedded spouse? Will you love and cherish them? Will you always uphold her and encourage them? Will you be loyal to them, and true? Will you honor them all their days, and be respectful of them, and will you promise to always bestow upon them your heart’s deepest devotion?'    And of course they said, 'Yes'.

They wanted all their guests to know that their love is unwavering and everlasting.

 And very playful!

 They told me that 'they are so grateful and appreciative of each other for the unconditional love that they give each other. They are grateful for the support that they provide to each other through the good times and the hard times.'  It is the good times that buoy us up and it is the hard times that refine us and define us, and like jewels, help us shine.  This couple has the glow that comes from a mature seasoned love and I am so delighted for them.

 I received this lovely note from Lindsay after their ceremony:  'Hi Robin, Thank you so much for a wonderful ceremony. Everyone has been talking about how much they LOVED you and how special you made the ceremony. THANK YOU. ... It was so wonderful to work with you. You made it such a wonderful and delightful ceremony. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Thank you :)'  And I thank them, too, and send them both many many blessings and know that they will have a love that continues to deepen through all their years. 

Shawn and Jenna Wed In An Elegant Affair at Bay 7 in Durham

I had the pleasure of marrying Shawn and Jenna with lots of love and lots of style in April of last year!  Thank you to Dara Blakeley Photography for these wonderful photos, and kudso to Dara, Jenna, and Donna on the wonderful article called 'An Elegant Affair' in Southern Bride and Groom Magazine. 

Jenna is a staff member at Southern Bride and Groom, the magazine that her mother, Donna Parks, publishes, and both these wonderful women have wedding savvy and a beautiful sense of style.

Add to that the help of wonderful local professionals, and love from family, friends, and especially a delightful couple, and it was a truly wonderful celebration.

We're only seeing the pictures now so that they could be first shown in this the 25th edition of Southern Bride and Groom Magazine.

This of course if just a small part of all that is lovely in the magazine.

Shawn and Jenna's wedding was so full of lovely personal touches, highlighted by their talented friends' lovely musical rendition of 'Down by the River to Pray.'


It's fun to know that Jenna is now helping other lovely couples with their weddings with first hand experience of how wonderful it can be.  I wish them lifetimes of love.