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!

Greg and Aura Wed @ The Millennium Hotel in Durham

Working with Aura and Greg was a treat from the start.  They met through a friend a year and a half ago and their romance blossomed from the beginning.  I could understand why.  Greg has a quiet dry wit and Aura is bubbly and warm.  They fit together well and know it.  Greg was raised as, in his words, an Army brat and is a professor of biology, and Aura was raised in the Philippines and in Boston and is an ICU nurse.  Both have children from prior marriages that are close in age and both have gone through life experiences which make them very appreciative of the love they have found together.  They're wonderful people who have rich experiences to offer in growing their shared love.


Their August wedding was on a Friday evening indoors so joyfully we were all comfortable.  The reception too would be right there so everyone was relaxed.  This photo is Greg and his best man as we waited for the processional.  They both looked so sharp!

I love what I do.  It's being a part of sweet people's lives like Aura and Greg, that makes my own labor of love really special.

They married at The Millennium Hotel in Durham near Duke University and Pama Rutledge, their coordinator was wonderful to work with.  This inner upstairs room was just right for their 60 guests.  Then the very next room was set up for the reception.  Ross Merle of Just Music was their DJ and he also provided the ceremony music.  He was great.  I loved that I heard the Gryffindor Theme from Harry Potter played while we were getting ready for the ceremony.  I appreciate how easy he was to work with, too.


Aura and Greg were joining two faith traditions so we very intentionally honored both noting that both their lives will be enriched in their sharing  from these diverse faith backgrounds.


Kent Murray of Kent Murray Photography from Hillsborough  was their photographer, and Edible Art Bakery in Raleigh provided their cake.


I loved meeting their three boys and seeing the love they and their extended family and friends shared.  They are richly blessed in love.  And I add my blessings to them for many many years of happiness.

Curt and Jessica Marry at The State Club

Last Saturday, January 22nd, I had the wonderful joy of marrying Curt and Jessica at The State Club on NC State Centennial Campus. Pardon the picture quality you see. All of these are from my little DROID since I generally want to post my blog before the professional pictures are ready. And it takes so long to take the DROID picture that my hand sometimes shakes. Sigh. Thank heaven's for professional photographers! You'll hear more about that below.

In the picture above are Jessica's parents on the left and friends Alyson and Andrew on the right. Alyson is in the attendant's dress color of charcoal gray.

The State Club was a treat so I want you to see some pictures of it. Here's the foyer as you walk into the building. The ceremony was upstairs to the right, the cocktail hour was in this foyer, and the reception is straight back on the ground floor.

Here's that room, through the double glass doors you see in the photo above, set up for their reception with their colors of red, black and white.

Their ceremony was held in this wonderful sunny room. And the arch was wonderful. They got it at Holland Rent All in Raleigh for $50. It was sturdy and has gorgeous lines for all those couples who want a trellis to serve as a focal point for their ceremony. I made sure to put this in the blog because I want to remember it. I love the Japanese lines of the arch and the bronze finish. It was a classy touch.

The State Club is archiecturally elegant and the staff is impeccable in their service and attention to detail. Wendy Dorman, The Banquet Director, pictured below, couldn't have been more helpful and was upbeat and friendly to boot. That makes so much difference in helping all the small details go smoothly. For instance, she knew just how a runner would work on the carpet of the ceremony room. And runners can be tricky. Thanks, Wendy!

North Carolina Strings led by Molly Olah provided the beautiful ceremonial music, Bach's 'Air on the G,' and Purcell's 'Trumpet Voluntary.' Thanks to them for the 'spot on' timing, too.

Jessica and Curt have a delightful story about how they met and fell in love. It was fun to add this playfulness into their ceremony which was rich in heart. And their playfulness continued after the ceremony where they 'high-fived' each other and shared in a celebration beer. Here they are with Paul Stallman, one of their photographers from Wake Forest Portrait Shop. He teams with his wife Melissa in their work. I've worked with Paul and Melissa before. They're great.

Jessica got all those fabulous roses from Theresa at Fallon's Creative Flowers in Raleigh.

Below is the room on the second floor next to the ceremony room where Curt and his attendants waited before the ceremony and where we all went after the ceremony to wait for the guests to go downstairs before returning to the ceremony room for pictures.

As I left I knew everyone was in good hands with Mitch Woodard with joe bunn dj company. I trust they all partied well into the evening.

And of course, they enjoyed cake.... this one by Edible Art Bakery in Cary.

As I write this Jessica and Curt are enjoying themselves in Las Vegas, then they're traveling on to Oahu, Hawaii for another 5 days. I loved being a part of their wedding. As did all of the other professionals I worked with. This is a delightful couple. Openhearted, playful, and considerate. They'll have a great marriage.

Ryan and Jenna at The Matthews House on May 15 at The Matthews House in Cary

There are times when I miss getting photographs of a wedding and regret it. Some couples just linger in your memories longer than others. For me, its the couples whose generosity of spirit just shines from them. The ones whose love for each other seems to touch all those around them. Ryan and Jenna are like that.

So I was sad that I had somehow let getting pictures of their ceremony slip from my awareness. Most times at a wedding I'm just too busy making sure that everything is going smoothly that I forget to take a few pictures of my own. I'm pinning on boutonnieres or taking instructions from one person to the other, or double checking with the musicians or the venue or providing safety pins or putting out a guest book. Or finding a quiet place to read through the ceremony one last time so that I can be completely present with the bride and groom during their ceremony.

Jessica Key, their wonderful photographer from Jessica Key Photography, offered me these pictures when I emailed her and I was delighted. Her manner was easy going and fun and she got some great shots. And there were many great shots to be had. Jenna and Ryan had their wedding May 15th at The Matthews House in Cary.


It's a lovely restored house with a separate building for receptions and a lovely side yard with a trellis at the end which makes a perfect ceremony site.


The DJ or musicians can set up on the covered porch which is also ideal. For Ryan and Jenna's wedding Gregg Ramsey of DJ Bunn did the reception music, and Florian Music provided the string trio for the ceremony. They were great. Jill, of Preston Flowers in Cary was the florist. Ryan and Jenna had been friends in a close group of friend for four years before their friendship caught fire and deepened into love. And it felt natural, like coming home. These three years later, it still did.

At their ceremony we said, 'And now you stand before your family ,ready to acknowledge to God and to the world: this is my beloved, the one with whom I choose to create the rest of my life.' It never felt more true.

They had their close group of friends all with them on their wedding day, all celebrating that two of their own had found such happiness.


After their ceremony I got this wonderful email:


Hi Robin! Yes the wedding was so nice and we were very glad that you got to be a part of it. You did a wonderful job and everyone that I talked to had really nice things to say about the way that you handled not only the ceremony, but the moments before/after the ceremony as well as the rehearsal. Thank you so much for all that you did and I'm so glad that we chose you to be our officiant. We'll be seeing you again in a few days for Jolie's wedding!' (Which I officiated for them at the Shrine Club in Raleigh, and which is also a part of this blog.)

To give credit to some other wonderful wedding professionals: Their cake was made by Sandra at Edible Art Bakery in Raleigh, and their limousine was from White Horse Transportation in Raleigh.

I love it when I marry friends of couples I've met. It feels like the connection is never broken. A treat for me.