Aaron and Rachel Marry in May at The Cotton Room

I loved marrying Aaron and Rachel.  They are such fun!  And we had a special connection. My husband, Ruben, was Rachel's science teacher in middle school.  And they have a 100 pound yellow lab named Buddy.  Just thinking about him makes me smile.

Aaron and Rachel wanted a simple ceremony, wanted everyone to feel included, and wanted a ceremony centered on their love.  Easy and a joy to do.  And good professionals to work with, too.  

Michelle Allred of The Cotton Room was excellent as always.  Thank you to Kent Murray of Kent Murray Photography for his great photographs of the wedding.  Margaret Pender, of Victoria Park Florist was their florist, Sugarland provided their cake and Suzanne Bolt and Shelley Livingston were the violinists for their ceremony.  Kiley Holder of Cool Cats Entertainment was their fabulous DJ at their reception.

 The Cotton Room provides a wonderful blank slate for each couple to personalize.  I loved Rachel and Aaron's orange accents.  They made the room come alive.

 Rachel's sister, Kathryn and Maid of Honor, sang a beautiful piece a cappella amazingly and beautifully.  What a gift.  The piece she sang was the class Irish song 'Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms.'  I recommend it for any wedding.  Here is a Youtube clip from singer John McDermott.

I love how relaxed and present Rachel and her attendants look, and so lovely in those colors.

I think it was Rachel's father that took this picture at the rehearsal.  I love it.  It's a great memory of the joy I have in marrying couples, and this very special couple.  

I wish Aaron and Rachel many many happy years together!

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.

Evan and Brittain at The Fish Pond in Duke Gardens

I married Evan and Brittain on Labor Day weekend at the newly landscaped Duke Garden Fish Pond.  It was a lovely wedding for a lovely couple and I'm so glad the site was spectacular for them, too.  

First, Thank you to Elizabeth K Photography for these wonderful photographs.  And she was a joy to work with.  Arioso Strings played for their wedding, too, and as always did a wonderful job.  

They planned their ceremony well so it went off without a hitch.  But then they had a well organized rehearsal, an essential for a large wedding party like this, but these folks were also very helpful in managing all the details.  In Duke Gardens on a hot day at the pergola and the fish pond it's handy to have a cell phone to help the bride stay where it's cool until just before it's time for her to enter.

There ceremony was even visited by the Great Blue Heron that is so often seen at Duke Gardens.  We even has some sight seers in the background.

Britain and Even wanted a warm and tender ceremony that was personal to them and that's just what we planned.  They wanted a wonderful quote from Antoine St. Exupery, 'Here is my secret.  It is very simple:  Only with the hart can one see rightly.  What is essential is invisible to the eye.'

We also had the beautiful words of Dante, from 'The Divine Comedy' and a poem by Maya Angelou.  And they spoke their own vows to each other before we joyfully pronounced them married.

Thanks to all their friends for all their help.  

Sugarland is responsible for this gorgeous cake!  I'm amazed by the detail.

Evan and Brittain took time to have some beautiful pictures in the garden before going to The Cotton Room for lots of dancing and celebration.

Here you can get a good view of Brittain's wonderful flowers designed for her by Tre Bella Florist.  It was a joy to marry Evan and Brittian with the love and support of their families and friends.  I wish them many many years of joy.

Matthew and Jennifer at Rock Quarry B and B

It was a treat to celebrate with Jennifer and Matthew at the fabulous Rock Quarry Farm which is a B and B just west of Chapel Hill on Highway 54. Camille, the owner, is always so gracious and the setting lends itself so well to an intimate outdoor wedding. This time is was a special treat for her since Jennifer's mother is Camille's cousin.

There are so many ceremony sites to choose from at the Rock Quarry Farm. I've officiated at several weddings here and each time I learn more about its versatility. And Camille is always a great help in giving cues so that the processional flows smoothly. Isn't this trellis amazing!


The day was perfect and they had wonderful professionals to help make their day special.
Matthew and Jennifer had a guitarist for the ceremony music. They had intended to have a fiddle player, too, but unfortunately he was ill.

Jennifer and Matthew wanted a traditional ceremony with just a few touches to represent their own uniqueness. For example, we ended their ceremony with a Welsh blessing in honor of Matthew's parents who couldn't come to the wedding from Great Britain. It goes, 'Wishing you a house full of sunshine, Hearts full of cheer, Love that grows deeper, each day of the year.'


He was great, as was the DJ, Darren Hunicutt. Jennifer and Matthew's cake was provided by Sugarland, Victorian Seasons in Apex did her flowers, and Sisters Catering in Raleigh provided the food.

This is the front of Rock Quarry Farm, but other than using the porch for pictures, every ceremony I've done happens in the back. The house is set far from the street though so parking and street noise are not a problem.


Guests were enjoying cocktails here while we were having pictures taken. Other side of this barn is also a great site for a ceremony.

This wonderfully rustic cottage is used as a changing room for one of the couple. In the background you see the Sisters Catering truck and on the porch you see champagne set out on a white tablecloth for the toast. There is also a fire all ready to go in the fire pit for later.

Here are Jennifer's father, her Maid of Honor, Michelle and Matthew's Best Man, Ian after the ceremony by the swimming pool for pictures.

And I wonder where this classic truck came from. It's sure a great backdrop. All of the good shots above were taken my Jennifer's uncle Alex Webb who is a professional photographer but alas is from out of town. He captured the radiance of the couple and the day. I took the shots that are ordinary.

I just got this note from Jennifer with the wonderful pictures from Uncle Alex. She wrote, 'We love what you did for us and feel we had a perfect ceremony. We are loving married life and are ready for many years of love and bliss together!

I'm delighted for Jennifer and Matthew - especially for the love that grows deeper through all the years. Many blessing to them!

Santiago and Anne in Spanish and English

On Aug 7th, Santiago and Anne had gathered their closest family and friends at The Celebrity Dairy in Siler City for the weekend to celebrate their marriage.

Santiago's family is from Argentina and he and Anne met while Anne was studying in Argentina. Now, after more than six years later and after having lived in DC and Vancouver, Santiago is studying for his Ph.D. in Spanish at UNC .

Because some family did not speak both languages, and because the language of their heart was different for Santiago and Anne, they decided that their ceremony needed to be done in both English and Spanish. Anne would say her vows in English and Santiago would say his in Spanish. How best to do this?

Here is where Sarah entered the picture and was not only a huge help but her presence was a delight. Also a Ph.D. student in Spanish at UNC, she officiated with me. After each paragraph that I offered in English, she offered the same paragraph in Spanish. We practiced inflection and timing together and it was a treat to be able to be so much more inclusive with her help than we ever could have been with the ceremony spoken in only one language.

And The Celebrity Dairy was a wonderful location for their intimate family gathering. Easy and comfortable, we strung wires for the sound system where we needed to and started when everyone was ready.

Wonderful photographer Robin Lin took all the pictures you see here.
Oh - the wedding party entered to the music 'Te busco y te encuentro.' It was especially lovely.

At the end of the ceremony, as is in the first picture, we showered them with rose petals, a wonderful change from the custom of throwing rice.

Sugarland Bakery in Chapel Hill created their delicious cake. Celebrity Dairy also did their catering, and their excellent DJ (thank you Darren for all your help) was Darren Hunicutt.

Here's a picture of the Dairy you don't see often. I've never done a ceremony on their front porch. I usually do them on the left side of the house on the lawn, but it looks possible and the porch is also great for hanging out.

I wish them all the best as they take this new step into marriage. I have do doubts that they will do fine.

Renee, Andre, Emmet, and a Cat Named Cheezy Pete

It's impossible to describe Andre and Renee's wedding on May 1st at their home without mentioning their animal companions who they love like children. I love this about them. I have my own inter-species romance with our Senegal Parrot named Mango. I understand how our furred and feathered friends expand our world, keep us humble, teach us how to love, and remind us how to take things in stride. In the picture above, we're looking at the meows that Chessy Pete is making from the window of the house during the ceremony.

And here is Cheezy Pete looking back.

When we gathered for Andre and Renee's wedding at their home, their animals were very much included.

It was important for Renee and Andre to include their parents in spirit, too, even though Andre's parents had passed on and Renee's parents weren't able to be with us.
I loved this about their ceremony and their hearts. As a minister you learn how to create and honor sacred space. Andre and Renee had an intuitive understanding of both the power and the presence of that intention and created it beautifully in their front yard for their ceremony. Here are pictures of Andre and his family, here is memory and spirit.

Here are pictures of Renee and her family.


Though, too, her three sisters were very much there in person. I love seeing sisters together. Having two sisters myself, I know how the relationship most often softens and becomes closer in adulthood as you let go of childhood resentments and can once again laugh with the people with whom you've shared almost your whole life. It was fun to see them together enjoying each other in their quirks, gifts, and graces.

Pan, short for Pandora, and her friend played classical fiddle music on the porch. It was gentle and had a soft sweetness just right for this front yard intimate ceremony. You can find her on my musicians vendor page.





Emmet, Renee's 10 year old yellow Lab, walked Renee down the aisle, his attire complete with tie to make the occasion formal.

And Renee is carrying one huge stunning hydrangea blossom as her bouquet from a bush that is now planted in their yard. It worked beautifully.

Andre and Renee are, they're proud to state, two very different people. Two different people who've found how to relish new perspectives on life through loving each other. And in their loving they've found that happiness comes when we don't require the other to fit any mold but to wholly and joyfully be themselves.

As I left them on their wedding day they were just getting the party going. I knew that it would go on, in some way or another, for the rest of their lives.

There were lots of friends who helped them create their special day. First of all there were their friends from The City Tap in Pittsboro, where they met. And their cake was from Sugarland in Chapel Hill. And they had whoopy pies from Larry's Famous Cheesecake in Pittsboro. Their fabulous food was from Angelina's Kitchen also in Pittsboro.

And their rings were from Creative Metalsmith's in Chapel Hill.


Here's a final picture taken of them at The City Tap. They have a wonderful community of friends who helped them celebrate.....and continue celebrating.
What a blessing!