Robert and Kira Marry at The Carolina Inn Amid Much Joy

Robert and Kira had been dating for over 6 years, almost 7, when they married at The Carolina Inn on a lovely Saturday in early September of this year.  They are both scientists ('Chemistry' is the key word here.  You'll see a fun theme emerge at their reception.) and wanted an intimate and meaningful ceremony and I was delighted to help them create just that.

They had a large contingent of their family arrive from Oklahoma to experience our southern charm done so well by The Carolina Inn.

Thank you to Carrie Richardson Fry of Richardson Fry Photography for capturing the beauty of their wedding and their joy so thoroughly.  I suggest you visit her website to see larger versions of these images.  They're just wonderful.    Thanks to Sugarland for their sweets.

 This is their seating chart for their tables.  I loved it.

Robert proposed to Kira right after her PhD orals when they were celebrating them being completed.  She was really surprised.

 Their reception in the Old Well room.  Thanks too to Kailey Branham at A Southern Soiree!  She was so helpful in helping manage all the details of their wedding.  We were all grateful.

 Thanks to English Garden for their florals.

 Theirs was a fun, warm, loving, intimate ceremony.  They wrote their own vows and everyone was touched by their tenderness, warmth, and playful loving intention.

 Thanks, too, to Brian McGuire of McSound Productions for fabulous DJ work.

 They have a caring tender love and it shows.  And they will have a wonderful marriage.  That shows, too.   I wish them man years of loving and much love.

Jon and Jill Married at The Angus Barns

I married Jon and Jill last August at The Pavilions at Angus Barn but just happened to communicate with their wonderful photographer, Cara of F8 Photo Studios because we worked together on another wedding this January.  She graciously provided me with pictures of Jon and Jill's wedding when we'd both been too busy last year to have time to showcase their gorgeous wedding.  


It was a really hot day!  That said, it was a really wonderful day, too.  Jon and Jill seem meant for each other. It was one of those wonderful stories that we told a little about in their wedding ceremony:  'You both were surprised by love that conspired to find you in North Carolina when you’d unknowingly lived just a few blocks from each other in Chicago.  Love does truly manage to find us in unexpected places and ways. We share today in the amazing grace of your love for each other.'  The twinkle in their eyes when they talk about each other is the other real give away.


The pavilions at Angus Barns is a great place for an outdoor wedding.  And the staff is really great and responsive.  I had done another wedding there that we pushed up 1/2 hour because a rain front was moving in and I was amazed at how quickly the staff just got it all done.  Ashley, was the coordinator for Jon and Jill's wedding and was also amazing.  Their Maid of Honor got a little dizzy in the heat and the staff was right there with a golf cart to make sure she had the support she needed.


And the water always helps make everything feel a little bit cooler.

The fuzzy pictures are the ones I took.  Either it's the heat or my ability to focus my DROID. I wanted you to see the pavilions from the ceremony site.  Here everyone is walking out to be seated for the ceremony.  When it's hot, we let folks stay in the cool as long as possible.

Here's the inside of the pavilions, pristine before any of the guests arrived for the reception.

Jon entered the ceremony to the music of Colin Hay’s ‘Waiting for my Real Life to Begin.'  I love when couples find fun new music to offer.  Brian McGuire of McSound Productions was our illustrious DJ.  I was glad he had a tent over his equipment.  He's always great.

I loved their flowers and was amazed that they looked so glorious in the heat.  We have Michael McLamb of Fleurtations Weddings andEvents to thank for that.

Jon and Jill each read special words of thanks to their parents and then gave each mother a white rose.  I don't think they'd mind me sharing those words with you.

Jon said:      Mom and Dad, I don’t know if I’ve ever expressed to you how truly grateful I am for the job you did raising me.  Let’s face it – I doubt you knew what you were signing up for when I came into your lives.  But with warmth, with caring, and with great humor, you guided me, supported me, and helped me become the man that I am today.  Thank you.

Jill said:    Mom, Dad – I know I haven’t told you often enough how much you mean to me, and how proud I am to be your daughter. You have raised me from a tomboyish little girl to a mature woman with love, laughter, lots of firm discipline and the abiding belief that I could do anything I wanted to do. Thank you for your constant love and support, and I love you both very much.   

A beautiful part of the vows they shared were:  'I acknowledge my love for you and invite you to share my life as I share yours. I promise to walk by your side, to love, help and encourage you.

I will share your laughter and your tears as your partner, lover and friend.'

Thanks to Cinda Putnam of Cinda's Creative Cakes for another masterpiece!

They sent me a wonderful thank you note after they got home from their honeymoon.  'Jon and I are still on a "wedding high" - we really enjoyed our celebration and reception tremendously, and want to thank you again for being such an amazing and integral part of the whole occasion. We received many comments from guests about how much they like the ceremony and also you as the officiant, and Jon and I certainly feel the same way. It was a wonderful day, and we thank you for helping to make it all possible.'

I was delighted to be a part of their life at this special moment.  It still brings a smile to my heart.

I wish them many blessings and much love, and long life.

Todd and Kathleen Light Up Belle Vie

This last weekend I had the privilege of marrying Todd and Kathleen at Chateau Belle Vie in Fuquay Varina. It was a treat on lots of fronts. I'd never met Kathleen or Todd before - we planned their wedding totally by phone and email. I'd never been to Chateau Belle Vie before, often wondering about it as I looked over from the porch of its next door neighbor, the Highgrove Estate. And it was an absolutely beautiful day to be outside celebrating Todd and Kathleen's love.

So I'll try to touch on all these high points.
Thanks to Tim Hester our photographer from Winterville, NC, for these wonderful pictures of Todd and Kathleen. The less wonderful pictures of Belle Vie are my own.

Next, Belle Vie is lovely and was perfect for their size wedding - about 50 guests. Marie, the owner, showed us around and told wonderful stories of the architectural and decorative touches she added to make it so elegant.

Roxanna, who was the Chateau Bellevie Staff Coordinator for Todd and Kathleen's wedding was wonderful. Very much on top of things and ready to make sure no detail went untended to. Here she is standing in front of one of the 7 fireplaces in the chateau.

Here's the ceremony site from the bottom level. My pictures don't do it justice. But then I always say that. First looking from the house lower level.


Next, looking back toward the house lower level where the sit down dinner and dancing were held. Tim Hester our photographer and a guest are in the picture.

Next here are pictures of the front of the house, the front entry, and the bridal suite.



Finally, the room where the cocktails were served - guests were also on the porch enjoying the sunshine. Marie explained that her choices for decor were to convey a European elegance, which she knows well, since her own and her husband's heritage is Romanian.

Todd and Kathleen had a simple elegant ceremony to match the decor. They told me that they were private people and wanted a cozy ceremony. That is was. We added a little humor, wishing their dogs Rocco and Kermie were there with them, but their ceremony had a quiet sweetness that they seemed to enjoy.

A special moment happened when two geese flying up from Laurel Lake behind the house called to each other in exultant notes. Of course it occurred just at the right time, seeming to indicate that all of nature was conspiring in their happiness.

Their cake may look like it's leaning but that's my photographic abilities again. It was gorgeous and made for them by Ambrosia Cake Creations in Fuquay Varina.

Their DJ was my friend and colleague Brian McGuire from McSound Productions who is always great. Chateau Belle Vie provided the catering. The Chateau has fabulous pictures on its website so if you're interested, let those pictures inform you better than mine.

I left while they were still taking photos, wishing them a quick farewell. I loved being a part of this special time in their lives. They are easy going and gently caring of each other as they navigated all the busyness of the rehearsal and wedding. I with them both many many years of happiness and blessings!

The Rigmor House, The Highgrove Estate, The Matthews House, and The Rand-Bryan House

Sometimes I get photos of venues that I'm unable to use because I don't get pictures from couples of their wedding. I thought you might like a closer look at four of them - all lovely - all in the Raleigh Durham triangle. I have other blog posts on some of them with more pictures.

The first is the Rigmor House (in the picture above) just off of I-54 going west out of Chapel Hill. I've done several ceremonies here but this is the first time I got pictures. It's a great location for an intimate lodge wedding. It's off the road, quiet, with a large center room and rooms to stay upstairs. It has a big well stocked kitchen, a large veranda and a large lot. While the lot isn't all that scenic it is spacious and easy to use with room for a tent and lots of different possibilities. It also has great parking and a fabulous kitchen. They turn the place over to you and you either cater in or do it yourself.

Their website is a really good one, too. At Christi and William's wedding below, they did the decorations themselves with the help of family and friends and did a fabulous job. Both grad students at UNC, their families all came up from Mississippi and pitched right in. They've been together 7 years so everyone worked well together to make the place literally sparkle.

The main room at the Rigmor is two stories high and is in wood paneling. The upstairs rooms rim this two story room. There's an inset in the front wall, behind this wall in the entry foyer and the front porch. This inset is a great place for a buffet. Christi and Williams' guests faced this wall. They had a slide show of pictures of them before the ceremony, then this decoration, with the unity candle for the ceremony.

They used silver metallic wide ribbon for the table decorations. Here is the head table set up right after the seating was removed after the ceremony as they're setting up long tables for the reception dinner.

Here's the well stocked kitchen they relied on.

And here is the main room looking toward the back wall while folks are setting up tables for the reception. At this time William and Christi were having pictures taken.

You can see the trellis that Christi and William entered under as they walked down the aisle.
Since their wedding was only two weeks ago I hope to get more pictures to show you of this great couple and their charming hands on wedding. And I'm glad to finally have some pictures of Rigmor House to share with you.

The Highgrove Estate in Fuquay Varina is also a great venue. Their staff is fabulous is helping everything run smoothly. Justin and Kerry married on a busy Saturday in June and I needed to leave right after the wedding. This front porch is a favorite location for pictures.


This is the long hallway where the wedding party gathers before they process straight out to stand on the brick patio facing the lake. The couple and their attendants can dress in the house, but receptions are held in a tent behind the house. As you look out this door the tent is to the right. The website for The Highgrove has great photos of the tent for several different weddings.

This is the room where you can get dressed. Gotta love that mirror. It's a huge room with a private bath of course and it is roomy enough for lots of attendants.

The final picture is the lower patio which is the ceremony site. The upper patio to the left of the outside door is where guests go for the cocktail hour. My only concern ever with this great location is that at 5:30 on a hot summer NC evening the sun is shining directly on the ceremony site. It hits the couple full force. They're facing away from the sun but it's still pretty hot. At The Highgrove Estate we make an effort to keep everyone in the cool of the hallway as long as possible. Yet the site is so lovely that it's a great venue. And many days it's just perfect. And the tent is air conditioned.


The Matthews House in Cary is an elegant house in which to stay and/ or have cocktails, a walled lawn with a trellis that's great for an outdoor ceremony and a side building connected to the house via a covered patio. Both the patio and the side building can be used to suit your needs.


The above pictures is from Ryan and Jenna's wedding in May of 2010.
On October 1st I married Jim and Debbie here. I'd never officiated a wedding in the reception room before so I wanted to show you those possibilities. I got a couple of fun pictures that might help. BTW - the web site for The Matthews House is really spectacular.

In the picture below you see at the right where Brian McGuire set up the DJ equipment for both the ceremony and the reception. He is a consummate professional and lots of fun. It was a delight to work with him again.

Here are the place settings for the reception in keeping with her colors of Hydrangea blue and silver gray. The Matthews House also did the catering.


This is Debbie and Jim's cake made by Miel Bon Bons in Chapel Hill. Their desserts are delicious as well as gorgeous.

This is the where Debbie dressed with Graham Terhune the photographer taking pictures of Debbie dressing. A fun part of being a female wedding minister was getting to visit Debbie while pre-wedding pictures were being taken.

I never got a pictures of Jim and Debbie together after the ceremony. It must have been a busy day. I loved this couple. They exemplify all that falling in love a little later in life can bring. The amazing joy of finding someone just right for you and the playfulness that brings out in you.

Below is a picture from Tim and Kristina's wedding in 2009 at The Matthews House. Another wonderful picture. This one by Diane McKinney Photography.



The Rand-Bryan House is another versatile and lovely venue. Set off the road in Garner it's a restored house with a wonderful openness. Every wedding I do here carries the unique stamp of the couple since the white on white decor and the amazing large picture window. Martha Liles and her husband are gracious hosts, very knowledgeable and very helpful.

They have a big front porch with rocking chairs that's perfect for the cocktail hour. And I've done beautiful weddings on their side lawn, but my favorite room is the one in the picture below which is stunning.

Here it is decorated for Lauren's and Brian's November wedding on a gorgeous day. You can see the lush green side lawn outside the window better from the picture below.


The next picture is taken from that window looking back into the main room. This room would be transformed for reception seating after the ceremony. At the back right is the entrance to the kitchen and there is a door to the back yard from the back right, too.

The large double doors go into a square room that is off the front hall which is a great room for displaying the cake or for smaller weddings for serving hors d'oeuvres.



This couple used only two of these wonderfully creative decorations in the front of their ceremony. It was plenty and lovely.

This couple got their delicious food catered by Whole Foods in Raleigh and served by The Happiest Hostess. They found that this was a much less expensive way to have excellent food catered for their size reception.

These weddings all went smoothly and elegantly - in large part because these venues are so suited to the needs of a wedding and are so well cared for and loved by their staffs. It's a treat to be the minister at a wedding at any of these locations. And I hope you enjoy these pictures.