Danielle and David's Fabulous Wedding at The Carolina Club!

Last May I met Danielle and David while they were in town. They live in DC but were planning their wedding on August 4, 2012 at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill, since David went to UNC. I was taken with this delightful couple right away and we seemed to have the same ideas about the ceremony. They were excited about writing it themselves with my guidance and loved the sample ceremony I read to them to give them an idea of how unique and personal their wedding ceremony could be. So we got started on their ceremony right away.

When Marty and I arrived for the wedding, the reception room was all set up and looked gorgeous.  

Turns out that their florist, Bea Miller with Floral Dimensions, is a very good friend of David's mother, Vera. She did a beautiful job and it was good to work with her again.

They had a candy bar and a table for the guests to write notes to them and put in their guest book.

This gorgeous wedding cake was baked by the chef at the Carolina Club and matches their multi-colored theme.

Separated from the reception area by expandable walls (later folded up so the reception could expand into this area) was the area for the ceremony. 

Florian Music, a popular string ensemble, headed by Sherry Lattin on the left, provided the beautiful music for the ceremony.

Meanwhile our beautiful bride was hidden away in the conference room down the hall with her beautiful ladies enjoying a champagne toast and having pictures taken by Garry and Emily with Big Star Studios.

The staff of the Carolina Club,Tristen, center, our sound guy and Liz, right, Private Events Coordinator, coordinated and directed the festivities.  Thanks for all your guidance and help!

We delayed the start of the ceremony a few minutes as an unannounced last minute activity in the stadium next door to the Carolina Club made parking a challenge for our guests.  So, rather than starting and having the guests trickle in during the ceremony, we decided to delay about 10 minutes.

The guys are hanging out in the hall as the guests are being seated. David assembled his good friends of many years to stand up with him. His father, John-Henry, was telling me how they had all met and stuck together although their careers took them in many different directions. That is David's brother on the left manning his two cell phone cameras.

After the seating of the parents, David and I entered from the side followed by the handsome groomsmen. Then the bridesmaids walked down the aisle and took their places up front.

"Please stand in honor of our beautiful bride" Danielle's father, Terry, proudly escorted her in as Steve Stowe, our DJ for the reception, watches from the hall! Steve was so helpful getting my microphone plugged into the house system before the ceremony. The sound was absolutely perfect! Danielle's parents are both full Lumbee Indian and of course, so is Danielle.

I learned on Facebook a day after the wedding that Terry had instigated a special father-daughter dance for the reception for which he and Danielle practiced for a week so I copied that photo for the blog! Sorry I missed that!

 

Heart Stone Films videoed the wedding and I can't wait to see the video, especially the Father-Daughter  dance! 

Danielle and David included a sweet tribute to their parents and a reading by Danielle's cousin, Chasity. Then I shared their story with their guests. It included a lot of laughs. They met two years ago and no one was surprised that they met in a gym because they are both dedicated to being fit and healthy. They love working out together and participate in runs. In addition, they are both career-oriented and like to work hard. Danielle moved to DC when David's work took him there. She is following her dream and is in law school and he is a real estate developer. They are very well matched and so happy to finally officially be a family.   

After exchanging their vows and rings, I invited their mothers to come forward and pour wine into two separate wine glasses that represented the bride and the groom. Then the couple poured half of their individual wine into a larger wine glass indicating their coming together in marriage. They did not pour all the wine together symbolic of continuing to be individuals and still connected to their respective families. During the Wine Unity Ceremony, the string trio softly played Ave Maria.

Then it was time for the big pronouncement of marriage, the moment they officially become husband and wife.

 Sealed with a kiss....

 

Danielle and David, it was my pleasure and my honor to join you together in marriage. It was fun working with both of you to create your special ceremony. I know you both will go far in your careers and together in marriage. I wish you all the best life has to offer!

Scotty and Jenn's Fabulous Wedding at the Washington-Duke Inn!

Scotty and Jenn are so happy they found each other and it shows! I loved creating their wonderful ceremony with them. They, like me, love lots of humor and the ceremony was spiked with it, especially their story and their vows to each other. And, it was a treat to work again with Diane Tighe, catering and events manager at the Washington-Duke Inn, who is so creative in choreographing weddings in the round.  All of the weddings I have done there in the past 3 or 4 years have been in the round, a unique seating arrangement in itself, but Diane always thinks of a new and unique way for the wedding party and couple to enter. Keeps the guests on their toes just watching to see what happens next.

Dave, my husband, was drafted to be my roadie and blog photographer this weekend as Marty was on vacation. On Saturday September 10, 2011 (catchy date: 9/10/11) we arrived at the beautiful Washington-Duke Inn from the earlier wedding and checked out the lovely ballroom. Isn't it exquisite? Tre Bella was the florist and did some beautiful centerpieces.

Bride and Groom's table......in the purple color theme. 2nd Drink Band from Charlotte was just setting up for the reception. 

 

At first glance I did not notice all the writing on this beautiful wedding cake by Cinda's Creative Cakes. Her husband was there to deliver. He told me that he is drafted as the delivery man whenever there are football games on the day and today there were two! The writing all around the middle layer says: Us, Wife, Husband, True Love, Passions, Best Friends, Laughter, Romance, Devotion, Happiness, Hold You Tight, You & Me Together, Embrace, By Your Side and Live. How creative!

Here is Diane Tighe. I just love working with her. I can always count on her coming up with something spectacular and elegant for every wedding that blows me and the guests away. Great job on this one, Diane.

 

Heather Elkin, vocalist, and Jason Fava on guitar played for the entrance of the wedding party. Diane and Jason are working out the cues for the music changes.

Ken with Music& PA Rentals in Greensboro, a friend of the father of the groom, was our DJ for the prelude music and the recessional. He is posing here with Mary Haywood, the back-up photographer. The primary photographers were Emily and Garry from Big Star Studios in Mebane. 

The ceremony took place on the President's Terrace. This is the new area off the new ballroom that was built a few years ago. I have not done a wedding here but I liked the privacy of this area rather than the main patio overlooking the golf course. This was much more secluded and quiet. The ceremony was in the round, of course, Diane's trademark! When the groom's parents had been escorted in, Scotty and I entered together down one of the 6 aisles. 

As each groomsman entered, he passed by Scotty and they shook hands and hugged. I could hear a few murmurings and some soft laughs! 

Then each bridesmaid entered from a different direction and gave Scotty a hug. 

This one, he twirled around!

The parents of the bride entered, untied the ribbon of the rose petaled center aisle, then Jenn entered on her own to join them. 

Scotty's parents and stepparents stood and when the bride and her parents reached the center, Scotty stood with her parents and Jenn stood with his. I asked each set of parents to give their blessing to the union and take their new son or daughter into their hearts as family. Then there were hugs all around and the parents sat down and the couple joined hands in front of me. 

During the ceremony I would at times turn around and speak to the guests behind me. That way they all felt included.

Scotty and Jenn asked Marie, mother of one of our bridesmaids, to read "Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali. It is quite a humorous poem and she did a wonderful job. They told me that Marie and her husband Charles had been together for 36 years and that is the kind of love they look forward to sharing all the years of their lives.

Jenn and Scott had a really good story to tell with lots of humor. The guests really loved it when I said "Who knew that the man of Jenn's dreams would call himself Scottyrock123, love to travel and share her passion for music? And who knew that the woman who would far exceed Scott's idea of his perfect match would refer to herself as MightBeLookin4You, enjoy running, and share his love for trying new restaurants!" I told everyone how, when and where they met and included the story of the unique proposal Scotty dreamed up for Jenn which really did succeed in surprising her and that is not easy to do! 

Scotty told me ahead of time that they had tried his ring on his finger the day before and it would not go past the first knuckle so Jenn would only be able to put it on that far. But, surprise, surprise, Jenn got it all the way on during the ceremony--a good sign and it won't be coming off easily! 

After the rings, we had the Memory Box ceremony. This is a twist on the Wedding Box ceremony. The couple had procured a pretty box and filled it with the thoughtful notes they had secretly left for each other, all the monthly anniversary cards they had given each other since the anniversary of their first date and many other saved memories they shared. They are to continue to add their memories and cards to the box so that on each wedding anniversary they can open it and be reminded of their wonderful life together. In addition, they had each handwritten a letter to one another expressing their thoughts about all the qualities they love in each other, including the thoughts and emotions they were experiencing during this very exciting time in their lives. During the ceremony they placed those letters in the box.

Jenn and Scotty, what a wonderful wedding! I loved every moment of it and love that you thought it went so well too. I know the two of you will be so happy together and have a wonderful marriage! Best wishes always!