Nick and Beth Marry on a Stormy Saturday at The Hudson Manor

 This is the first time I officiated a ceremony at Hudson Manor.  It's really too far from my home but Nick and Beth had attended a ceremony of their friends that I have officiated and asked me to be a part of their wedding and they're such delightful people, I couldn't refuse.  On a questionnaire they tested 97% compatible and that shone all through the day.  We all watched with dismay as a huge story approached from the west and about a half hour before the ceremony is started to pour.  Luckily the manor has a lovely covered patio perfect for ceremonies.  And blessedly Beth and Nick concentrated on their love for each other and the love that was shown to them by their family and friends..   Thank you to Blue Box Photography for all these wonderful images!

We all delighted in all the water references during the ceremony and when thunder roared right when I pronounced them married and said, 'Those whom God has joined let no one put asunder.'  But it all started, in the ceremony that is, with Beth's lovely tears of joy.

 They love eating the great meals Beth cooks, playing board games and just lounging on the sofa together.  As long as they are together, they're happy.  They have found and created a home in each other's heart.

 Nick proposed to Beth on what she calls their 'Best Weekend Ever in New York City.'   When they wed, they said, 'With this ring I thee wed and join my life to yours. May it remind you that I am with you in spirit wherever you may go.'

Their reds and blues sparkled against the whites of the manor and the rainy day.  Fresh Affairs was responsible for all these lovely floral arrangements.  As a part of their wedding Beth and Nick gave each person a rock and asked them to write a blessing or a wish for them on the rock.  They had silver and gold pens with which to write what called to you.  It created a lovely and lasting weight of support and love blessing their marriage.  I'm glad that mine is a part of the collection.  I wish them much joy in the years ahead.

Michael and Sara Marry At Brier Creek Country Club on a Lovely September Day

Sara and Michael wanted a comfortable, casual, rustic ceremony.  They wanted traditional elements for their ceremony, too, so that it would be comfortable and meaningful for their families as well as for them.  They succeeded on all counts.  Their wedding party was made up of easy going people who complemented their generous quiet nature and were close to them.  Sara's uncle from New York, Tom Kightlinger, a professional DJ, was their DJ for both the wedding and the reception, and he did a fabulous job.   It was definitely a fun celebration that everyone enjoyed.

Thank you to Sally Siko of Silvercord Event Photography / Creative Imagery Services for her superb photographs so you can really how just how wonderful this occasion was.

 Brier Creek Country Club has a lovely outdoor setting for a wedding which looks over the golf course, and the addition of the yellow daisies created a joyful, playful effect. The drapes looked diaphanous blowing in the breeze which added to the whimsy and charm of the setting as well as offering privacy and showcasing Michael and Sara and their wedding party against white instead of green..

Part of their ceremony says, 'Enter your marriage confident in the love and trust you have already created between you.... Keep you love alive with your openness to each other and your enthusiasm for each other."  I so believe those words.  I'm delighted that they chose them.

Sara and Michael chose lovely classic vows: "I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.  I will love you and honor you all the days of my life"  that seemed to fit them and the clear thoughtfulness and consideration they have for each other.

It is with joy that I pronounced them husband and wife, saying then, 'May your way be blessed, may wisdom's light shine upon you, and may your journey bring you peace.'  And then I invited Michael to kiss his bride.

I think they had just as much fun with this kiss!  I encourage them to practicing their kissing skills all their lives.  You can never get enough practice!

Michael and Sara have a comfortable, playful, vibrant love.  I wish them many many years of happiness and joy!  

To give credit for their wonderful flowers we laud Jo Lynn Truesdale of Victorian Seasons.

Scott and Sarah Have a Unique, Joyful and Playful Wedding at Seeds Educational Garden in Durham

Many thanks to Sarah's sister Carla of Carla Duran Photography for these great pictures.  You will immediately see why I just had to write a blog about Scott and Sarah's wedding.  I am so impressed, too, that they planned this all so well to everyone's enjoyment.  

They wanted a relaxed informal ceremony with a rustic earthy tone held in Seeds Educational Garden in Durham.  The reception would be held in the outdoor classroom.  Here are some pictures of Seeds.  I'd never been there before and I doubt if anyone else had the creative thought of using it for their wedding.  But it worked wonderfully. 

Below are the guests during the ceremony gathered around the gazebo.

And here is the outdoor classroom.

At 11:11 in the morning a bagpiper piped the wedding party into the gazebo at the center, Scott and Sarah at the end of the line.  Their friend Amy welcomed everyone and led us through Om three times to center into the moment.

Their friend Cristian translated the ceremony, paragraph by paragraph, into Spanish, too.  He had the cutest children and it was wonderful that we had two languages of celebration.

Then they had me tell a lovely story about two very different trees, a Cottonwood and a Sycamore who have different rhythms of blooming and shedding leaves and honor, support and care each other in their difference, during their times of being bare and vulnerable.

The story ended with, 'It is from these two trees that I learned what it is to truly honor and love one another and to honor the timing of everyone and everything.  My Dear Friends, my Dear Companions, the greatest bloom is surely coming and when it does, it will be the most beautiful bloom in the forever of forevers.'

And so, too, with Scott and Sarah.  They chose to perform Saptha Padhi, one element of a Hindu wedding ceremony, as their vows.  Saptha Padhi translates as 'seven steps', which are taken by the bride and groom as the seven promises they make to each other are recited.  It is a lovely ritual.  And of course, we ended with a kiss!

During the picture taking there were opportunities for face painting, you can see that Sarah and Scott had fun with this, too, and for adding soil to the tree that would be planted by Scott and Sarah in the tree planting ceremony later during the reception.

 And of course there is always time for cake made by Guglhupf Bakery also in Durham.

 In the tree planting ceremony everyone adds some soil to the pot, just like they nurture the ground of their friendship with Sarah and Scott.  As they added their soil, they added a blessing for Sarah and Scott and their marriage.

 Then Scott and Sarah finish the planting.

While we planned the tree planting ceremony together, since they did it as part of their reception, I wasn't there to see it.  I love how it turned out.  And it is a fig tree they planted.  Since I love fresh figs, there can be no better tree in my mind for this ritual for them.  May they have many many happy years of fig preserves and many other blessings, too!

Shawn and Regan Find the Bright Spot in the Day for Their Wedding

This was the weather that greeted us at Snipes Farm on the mid-August day of Shawn and Regan's wedding.  The one thing that Regan really wanted was to be married outside.  So we all put our hopes and prayers together and watched as the clouds darkened, wondering if it was possible.  And amazingly, and joyfully, it cleared up enough, for long enough.

There is a wonderful huge tree near the bottom of the meadow at Snipes Farm that is a long treasured spot to hold a ceremony.  The tree seems to offer strength and roots and a center to the ceremony.  I loved how Shawn and his men looked dapper on this warm day, eschewing formality for comfort.

Shawn teared up when he saw Regan enter.  They are a delightful couple, cherishing each other, delighting in finding each other, relishing their love.

They met when Regan visited NC from CA to see cousins.  It was love at first sight and a hard parting but it didn't take long for Regan to come back for good. 

Thanks to our photographer Dana Dillahunt of Dana Dillahunt Photography from Greensboro for these wonderful images.  She captured the feel of the day and the love that surrounded Regan and Shawn beautifully.

 Their cake was designed by Lori at Simply Cakes.  And it was uniquely them.

 I've always loved how Snipes Farm can transform into such an elegant setting.  The yellows, Chinese lanterns and the twinkle lights were a perfect contrast to the stormy day.

 Regan and Shawn closed a love lock as part of their ceremony. Regan's mother bought the lock in Florence Italy when she heard of the custom of putting a lock on the Ponte Vecchio bridge and throwing the key into the Arno River so that you are destined to return to Florence.  For Regan and Shawn, their love lock means that they have given each other the key to their heart - for good and forever.

In our blessing I said, 'May the love that warms our hearts today and the love that flows between Shawn and Regan always be strong.'  They may not have had a sunny day but the strength of their love did seem to chase the clouds away. 

Here is a 5 minute clip of the video of their wedding.  Enjoy!  And thank you Adam Coker, from Authentic Explosure.

 I loved having Shawn and Regan in my life and wish them many many blessings! 

James and Lila Wed on a Beautiful September Sunday

On September 22nd we had a glorious Sunday.  On this weekend all the Sunday weddings were blessed with beautiful clear cool weather because the front had moved through the previous day and all the Saturday outdoor afternoon weddings were rained out.  Lila and James were blessed to have a Sunday wedding.  This was pretty crucial for them as you will soon learn.

We held the ceremony at Starlight Meadow in Burlington.  Jeremy and Sarah, the owners of Starlight Meadow, are great to work with.  They are comfortable with work to keep everyone else on an easygoing everything-working-fine keel, too.  I thank them so much for this.  It really works.  James and Lila are easy going, too, so this was a perfect venue for them.  They wanted a simple ceremony with a hand-fasting that would use the family tartan.  You can see the tartan in the picture of the ceremony above.  And then their Red-Tail Hawk would fly down to present the rings to the Best Man.  This was a real treat and the she performed her role perfectly.  Here is a short video clip thanks to their videographer, Armin Goetsch of Happy Tear Videos.

Next, much thanks to Liz Grogan of Liz Grogan Photography for sharing her pictures of their ceremony.  And of course thanks to James and Lila for giving permission to me to write a blog about their ceremony.

 James also requested a short ceremony.  In formal wear in the heat is never a joy for men.  Formal wear just doesn't breathe!  I assured James that they could have a lovely meaningful ceremony that wasn't long.  That's one of the reasons I create a script with a couple.  That way they know that all their desires for their ceremony will be honored.  

I am a bird person.  And I wonder if my name being Robin has anything to do with it.  We have a Senegal parrot and three parakeets that we love and we seek out bird watching opportunities on all our vacations.  So I was delighted to be able to share some time with this lovely bird.   James wisely had her at the ceremony site easily an hour or two before the wedding so she could get used to what was happening.  And I understand that she spent some time with guests after the ceremony, too.  She was rewarded with some chicken neck for preforming so well.  I could have watched her again and again.

Russell Meadows, of Russell Meadows Floral and Nature Farm, provided the flowers for their ceremony.  The gazebo never looked lovelier.  Once again an instance where the person's name matches their calling.  I love it when that happens and it seems to always bode well. 

 Lila and James had the starlit meadow for evening pictures and brought their own light with them.  They beamed in all their pictures.  It's easy to see why.

 For their processional they chose the Johnny Cash recording of 'Rose of My Heart.'  It fit them perfectly.

Thanks, too, to Maxie B Cakes in Greensboro who provided their cake, and Above and Beyond catering.  The food looked amazing.  And Bernard Goetsch of BG Photography was there as well capturing more wonderful shots that I hope to see soon, too.   

James and Lila were a joy to have in my life.  They were playful, joyful, and excellent communicators.  And now I'll always think of them and their love when I see a Red-Tail Hawk!  I wish them many many blessings!

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!

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.

Brian and Melissa Marry in a Sweet Ceremony in The White Garden at J.C. Raulston Arboretum

Sometimes the small weddings are the sweetest.  Melissa and Brian chose a Thursday night because they both could get that night off from work, and they both had the weekend off so they could even arrange a honeymoon.  They asked two dear friends to be with them, and these four lovely people, one of whom is Brian's cousin and their photographer, and I met at the J C. Raulston Arboretum White Garden in the early evening.

I loved how spontaneous and alive the moment was.  They didn't have time to get nervous and no one to get nervous in front of.  It was just us and they could just be themselves.  And they are both delightful people.

 I'm glad I always carry tissues, too.  In their ceremony was honored their families, who couldn't be present with these words:  'Love is best when shared with all those whose lives ours touch, especially with family and friends.  So we're lucky and blessed that love transcends time and place.  While Brian's and Melissa's families could not be here today in body to celebrate their marriage with them, they are present in love and in spirit and celebrate the love that Melissa and Brian have found with one another.  We bring them into this community of affection now, knowing that they are here in love.'  And joyfully, Brian and Melissa would be seeing their families, who live in Massachusetts, soon to share their joy with them.

 They chose the poem 'Love' by Roy Croft speaks to them of their love and reminds us all of what the journey of a loving marriage is about.

 Both Melissa and Brian are in helping professions and are compassionate and kind people.  They are the people who bend the world toward goodness by their work and their lives.  It was a joy and privilege to be there with them to celebrate their love.

 In their vows they chose the words:  'I want to live with you, just as you are.  You are my beloved and my best friend.  I choose you above all others as my partner, to share my life.  I promise to stand with you in times of joy, turmoil and grief.  I promise to be completely present with you.  I promise to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, to honor and tenderly care for you, to cherish and encourage you, through all the changes of our lives.'

Now whenever I hear the news in Durham and it refers to work, I think of them and send my hopes that they have many many happy years of loving together.