Gary and Rosemary Wed at The King's Daughters Inn

Rosemary and Gary contacted me just one month before their ceremony.  They were planning a courthouse ceremony but then decided that they wanted their ceremony with their families at The King's Daughters Inn in Durham where their reception would be held.


I'm glad for them.  While I honor a courthouse ceremony has it's own sweetness, it is really short. And in some places the building isn't very festive or welcoming.  The King's Daughters Inn is a wonderful place for a small intimate ceremony.  The above picture was taken by Samantha, one of the staff members there during the ceremony.  The living room is in soft greens and neutrals and proved just the right size for their small group of about 25 people.  The group would get larger that evening for the reception.


Gary and Rosemary were moving up from Florida to New York but their families lived here.  They wanted a simple, warm, spiritual ceremony that honored their love for each other and it was a delight to created that with them.

Here's just one picture after the ceremony in the sun room at the inn.  This room is perfect for those ceremonies where there are only 5 or 6 people.  The light is amazing.  Here's a picture of just the room.

The inn is so lovely, and the staff so great, that I want to show it off to you.  Here's the living room before the guests arrived.  

We used an IPOD for the music, Bea at Floral Dimensions created Rosemary's flowers, and Bonnie at Miel Bon Bons in Carrboro created their cake. Terri at The Catering Company in Chapel Hill provided the food.  (I married Terri and her husband, Dave, years ago.  I love these connections.)  Their friends were their photographer and videographer.  I took these pictures.

In less than a month they created a lovely ceremony and reception.

By now they're just really getting settled in NYC.  I send them love and best wishes, and my hopes that they really enjoy all the adventures that NYC has to offer.

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.