life-and-living-under-coulds: A Ming Rose

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Jessica and Brent Wed at The Oaks at Salem!

Weddings at The Oaks at Salem are so wonderful! A truly gracious Southern setting with spacious facility and well-groomed grounds conveniently located in Apex. April Maness, the owner, knew what was the perfect venue for weddings when she purchased the property and built the beautiful manor. Jessica and Brent fell in love with it and had their wedding there on Sunday May 18, 2014.

Valet parking service is routine for weddings at The Oaks.

A view of the back of the manor house from the side of the lake. The tent on the terrace serves as protection for both rain and intense heat of the sun. April even has lighting and speakers installed within the tent.

Plenty of room for seating of guests for the reception and the ceremony.

Jessica and Brent had large cookies as wedding favors for the guests and they are all laid out for the taking!

Just inside the terrace is the bar, food bar and the wedding cupcakes! This lovely configuration is by Bitty Cakes. Thrills from the Grill was catering. Yummy! A Ming Rose was the florist.

DJ Mel Manning was in charge of the music for both the ceremony and reception. Jessica and Brent chose to have their wedding under the tent from the very beginning to avoid everyone sitting out in the sun. Turns out it was seasonably cooler that day with a cloud cover and forecast of scattered showers--which did not happen!

Okay! It is time to begin. Joslin, the wedding director for the venue, cued the music and the processional. You can see her in the background. The seating of Brent's grandmother was first, then his aunt, then the parents of the groom and mother of the bride.

Greg and Justin, the groomsmen entered after Brent and me.

Here comes the bride and her father!

Jessica bids farewell to her father and joins Brent.

The tree in the background is the popular spot for some weddings but serves as a nice backdrop for weddings under the tent.

Our lovely bridesmaids witness the ceremony. The maid of honor is Jessica's sister, Lillian. I did not get the other two girls' names but I know the middle one is engaged to Justin, one of the groomsmen.

It is unusual to get a photo of the guests but it is so telling of the feelings they have for Jessica and Brent. That is Brent's aunt wiping away some tears of happiness. Note up just above Brent's parents' head are a couple--he with glasses and she a blonde with an aqua top. That is Jay and Alyssa whom I married last July at The Cotton Room. I had no idea that Alyssa and Jessica were college roommates. It was so good to see them again. You can view their wedding here.

The blessing of the parents.......

The telling of their story: Jessica and Brent met at work where a lot of love stories begin. Jessica had just been hired and her cube was right next to Brent's so he was the go-to person for all her questions. She said he had immeasurable patience with her. He said he relished in the opportunity to be with her the questions afforded! They never tired of each other and decided to go out to a basketball game after work. Even though Jessica's alma mater UNC beat their opponent, Brent's alma mater NCSU, they had so much fun that the die was cast and there was no looking back.

Brent proposed to Jessica three years later and since then he has earned a graduate degree, they moved to a new city and bought their first house together, all while planning this wedding!

This is where I reveal to each of them what their partner told me in confidence they love about each other. "Brent, along with always letting her try a small bite of your food, killing spiders for her, and many other things, Jessica knew you were a keeper. She loves the way you cackle when you laugh and the way you make her smile...."

They read the vows they had written for each other from my book where the words were printed facing them as they exchanged their rings.

I pronounced them husband and wife and told Brent he could kiss his beautiful wife!

Off into the world, they go!

Photos after the ceremony were on the front lawn. Their photographer, Francis Wong, was getting the family photos so we waited our turn. The couple with Brent's parents, Jane and David.

Aunt Gayle and the groomsmen.

Jessica's parents, Jinn and liHsia.

Brent's grandmother, Nancy, is pleased to pose with the couple.

My turn! Jessica and Brent, what a great couple you are. Loved your story and I know you will be happily married ever after! My best for you always.

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Friday, April 12, 2013

Lovely Hindu-Christian Interfaith Wedding for Lea and Rupal!

Lea and Rupal live in Austin, Texas and planned to marry at Rupal's sister and brother-in-law's home in N. Raleigh on April 6, 2013. Rupal grew up and went to school in North Carolina and his parents live here. Rupal emailed me in February to see if I could officiate for them. They found me on-line, probably because I have done many Hindu-Christian interfaith weddings. I was so happy that I was available for their date and so we made plans to Skype on February 5th which we did. We discussed what they wanted for their ceremony and the services I could provide. They mailed in their check and contract and we got busy putting together their ceremony.

Rupal told me that the wedding would be in his sister's yard in N. Raleigh. The above is not what I had pictured in my mind! When we drove up to this grand estate, there was a security gate beyond which was a pond and gazebo then the road would up to the "guest house" with 10 garages, tennis court and pool. Behind that was this mansion above! It was simply gorgeous! I stopped by the guest house where Lea was getting ready and her make-up artist and hair stylist, Donnie Whitsett of IC Beauty, was there. We had just done the wedding of Hewan and Clarence together a couple of weeks earlier!

Rupal, Lea's father, and her brother-in-law, Beau, constructed this wonderful mandap with direction from Lea for the placement of the fabric! Inside was the table with the fire, or Phere, in Hindu weddings. The gentleman tending the fire is making sure it does not catch the table on fire!

Rupal's parents arrived. His mother, Joystna, is in a wheelchair and his father, Harshad, was by her side.

Before the guests arrived, Brent and Anna Deitritch, Live View Studios, arranged for a "First Look" where the bride and groom see each other before the wedding ceremony. Lea's father, Amador, and Rupal's brother-in-law, Himanshu, held up a scarf in front of Rupal while Lea walked up to the other side of the scarf.

Then they dropped the scarf and they saw each other for the first time that day. In a traditional Hindu wedding the bride arrives to the ceremony hidden out of sight behind a veil so they cleverly adapted this custom to a "First Look" staging.

These young ladies provided lovely music for the ceremony are students of the math and science high school that Rupal attended. They were good!

The guests started tricking in and filling up the chairs but most stood around visiting until we shooed them into their seats. It was a full house!

Our director, Shelby Fisher, got everyone lined up to process in. Rupal's sister, Parul, with her husband, Himanshu, were first to walk.

Then Jaci, sister of Lea, with her husband, Beau, escorted in Janet, mother of the bride.

Time for the groom and ring bearer and me.

What a beautiful day it was. There was a slight breeze and the temperature was perfect.

Sonia, our flower girl, did an excellent job and threw lots of petals on the aisle.

Here comes our beautiful bride and her proud father!

I stepped out to speak to their parents.

Here we are blessing the baby that will be born to them in July.

Then it was time for me to tell their story! It is a good one too. Everyone enjoyed hearing it, especially our ring bearer, Viraj!

It was time for the couple to make their marriage vows while walking around the sacred fire in the Hindu tradition of Phere. They take 4 rounds in all. These rounds show that each of them consents to the marriage in the Hindu tradition. The bride leads the groom during the first three rounds, but in the fourth and last round, the groom leads her.

This signifies that the bride would be free to take lead in matters of everyday life, but finally it would be the groom who would lead her through life.

Then we celebrated Saptapati where the bride and groom took 7 steps together around the fire and made promises to each other with each step.

The Mangalsutra is a black necklace that is placed on the bride by the groom and symbolizes the married status of the woman in Hindu tradition.

Then in the American tradition, they exchanged wedding rings.

The legal moment! The Pronouncement of Marriage!

Some cool refreshments were in order!

Rupal and Lea, what a wonderful wedding you planned all the way from Texas! It could not have been more beautiful and wonderful. You are a terrific couple and your love shines all around you. I wish you all the best life has to offer and special blessings for your little one!