Kal and Emily Have an Elegant Ceremony at The Umstead

I loved getting to know Kal and Emily.  They have been together more than 6 years, (I think it's up to 7 by now).  They met when he was her RA her freshman year at UNC.  They started out as friends and this is a wonderful foundation on which to build a marriage.  They have so much in common and also each have a twinkle in their eyes for all the ways they are different.  There is much to celebrate in their ceremony.  One thing too is the touch of class that is apparent in their wedding.   A special thanks to Blue Box Photography for these great photos!

Gotta love the bow tie! In their opening words I said, 'And so, building on over six years of learning, loving and creating, Kal and Emily are here today to take their relationship a step higher and to strengthen their bond even further as they join together in marriage.'

Emily is from Venezuela and she and Kal chose 'Sonnet XII' by Pablo Neruda for part of their ceremony.  It was perfect for them.  Part of their vows say, 'I take you as my partner, loving and respecting the amazing person that you are, and the person you will become.'  These words, too, seem to fit them seamlessly.

As they exchanged rings, the said, 'Accept this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love and devotion for all the years ahead.'

I pronounced them married with these words, 'My the joy of love, the grace of God, and strength of spirit be at the heart of the life you share together.'    

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful couples, like Kal and Emily, in my life. Couples with a genuine desire to grow in love, understanding and joy all their lives.  And from them I find hope for the planet, which will thrive based upon our commitment to loving relationships in all aspects of our lives.

The Umstead Hotel and Spa is a lovely outdoor venue and their staff is always very efficient and professional.  Kal and Emily's flowers were stunning, too.  They were provided by Brides and Bouquets in Cary.  Their musicians were from Arioso Strings, who are always flawless, too,

Michael and Sarah Marry at The Umstead on a Glorious Day

On June 1st I had the real pleasure of marrying Michael and Sarah at The Umstead Hotel and Spa.  They sent me their pictures in early August and, alas, I'm just now getting to their blog.  I traveled until mid-August and then proceeded headlong into September weddings.  But I didn't want to keep these wonderful pictures and this wonderful couple to myself.

They are just as genuine and open as their smiles.  They live in Maryland now but she went to UNC-G and he went to NC State so it was almost required that they marry in North Carolina.  

They met two weeks before he graduated from high school and their first kiss happened at his graduation .  They have been together for seven years and know the roads between Greensboro and Raleigh very well.

 They had a beautiful June day and thanks to Kevin Milz for taking these wonderful images for them to cherish.  One really nice thing about The Umstead is the ability to take pictures from above.  I want to also thank Watered Garden Florist for their gorgeous flowers, and Arioso Strings who are always a joy to work with. 

They are best friends, Michael loving making Sarah laugh.  He says it has always been easy and rewarding.  Sarah loving that he can still make her laugh until she can't breathe.  I have heard it said that the shortest distance between two people is laughter.

Michael chose the three stone setting of Sarah's engagement ring to represent their past, present, and future.  And I trust that they will have as wonderful a future together as has been their past, and certainly by these smiles, you can tell their present is a delight for them both.

Sarah and Michael told me that they can't wait to officially become a family  And now they are.

Sarah emailed me with these words:  'I hope you are doing well. Michael and I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did to make our wedding so special! You helped make our ceremony more beautiful than we ever could have imagined :)  All the best, Sarah'

It's always a joy for me to know that a couple loved their wedding ceremony and that it fit them perfectly.   I loved being a part of Sarah and Michael's lives at this special time and I wish them many many blessings.

Leslie and Craig Marry at The Umstead Hotel and Spa

Craig and Leslie were blessed with a beautiful day for their ceremony, which is a special blessing since most of Craig's family traveled from Nova Scotia, Canada and California to be with them.   And a beautiful location, the lawn at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary.   In their ceremony they simply wanted everyone to know how happy they are with each other.  They're each independent people with their own lives and yet their love has evolved naturally to include and embrace them both.  They both feel loved and accepted for the whole of who they are.  This is a wonderful foundation on which to build a marriage!

Their ceremony music was provided by Arioso Strings and I have Mary Page Block of Arioso Strings to thank for this wonderful photograph.  She's a great amateur photographer and I have the benefit of her skill and her generosity in this photograph.  The wedding also had the pleasure of their wonderful music.  It's always great to work with Arioso Strings.  They're always professional and excellent.  This day they played = 'Air' from 'Water Music' by Handel, 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring,' and 'Purcell's Trumpet Voluntary.'  And finally, 'Rejouissance' by Handel for their recessional.  

Thanks too to Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair for her great planning and coordination of this wonderful event.  There were about 70 guests.


They wedding party was piped in and the guests piped out by a bag piper.  It was a beautiful touch with all the guests following the bagpiper Paul Davis to the location for the cocktail hour while Leslie and Craig and their wedding party had pictures taken elsewhere.  


This is such a wonderful open venue that I wanted you to see the expanse of lawn.  Here is the view of the ceremony site with the lake in the background.

Here is the ceremony site looking back toward the hotel.

Thanks too to the Umstead staff for always doing a fabulous job of supporting the other wedding professionals.

Since Craig and Leslie's ceremony was planned primarily through their wedding planner I had less to do with the planning.  Kristen of KPO photographs was their official photographer but the ones you see are ones I took, other than the one by Mary Page Block.   Tre Bella was their florist.