Family and Dear Friends Gather Around Marjorie and Lloyd as They Tie the Knot!

Marjorie and Lloyd were so happy when they found each other. They had been single a long time and were so amazed to have found a partner to share their lives with. They wanted a cozy wedding surrounded by their families and closest friends. The VIP Room at Caffe Luna was the perfect fit! 

Sherry Lattin with Florian Music provided the beautiful violin music. She and I have worked together for many weddings in the past 15 years and the solo violinist was perfect for this wedding.

Shooting the breeze with Parker Kennedy, the owner of Caffe Luna and also my neighbor. I love doing weddings here and he loves referring couples to me. It's quite perfect!

When we were ready to begin, I invited the guests to take their seats. Lisa Michaels, our photographer, got ready to get some great shots!

Lloyd and I were in first then his son Roger, best man, then Lloyd's grandsons, Justin and Brendan, as junior groomsmen. Lloyd's son Evan regretfully was not able to be with us due to his service in the military.

Ryan, ring bearer, and Lilly, flower girl, (also Lloyd's grandchildren) entered and took their places to my right. Behind them are their parents, Lloyd's daughter Mende and her husband Jim. Mende served as matron of honor and Jim as groomsman.

Marjorie was presented by her son, Eric, and her daughter, Chelsea, who was also her maid of honor.

And so we begin.......

Marjorie is Jewish and she could not imagine a wedding without the traditional Jewish wedding customs. One of these is the Cup of Wine the couple shares. "L'Chaim, may your cup of life runneth over!" 

Then it was the exchange of vows and rings followed by a special prayer read by Eric in Hebrew. 

I explained the symbolism of the breaking of the glass then as I made the pronouncement, Lloyd smashed the glass and kissed the bride!

We all shouted Mazel Tov which means congratulations and good luck! 

Happily married! 

Marjorie and Lloyd, thank you for the honor of joining your lives together in marriage. I wish you the best of everything always!

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Tiffany and Dylan Get Married at St. Marks Chapel!

Tiffany and Dylan met shortly after he got out of the Marines and she was not in the least bit interested in dating a military man and besides, she was a city girl from New York and he was a country boy from North Carolina although born in Minnesota! So she avoided him as best she could but they were thrown together often because they were both part of the same crowd. She did take note of how he always made sure all the girls in the group were safe and taken care of when they were out and how he always made his mother top priority. Dylan was charmed by Tiffany's stunning beauty and was curious to see if there could be any future for the two of them. They officially started seeing each other at a New Year's Eve party when Tiffany's resistance crumbled and she found out her perception of him had been very wrong. After that heart to heart encounter they soon became a couple. When Dylan proposed, Tiffany said yes and they started planning their wedding for September 1, 2012!

They chose St. Marks Chapel for its quaint historical charm and packed it full of their guests. The capacity is 55 people and they were at maximum capacity.

They added lots of lovely little touches here and there like this flower arrangement on the steps of the chapel. The bride and her friends did all the florals themselves.

There were groupings of bottles and unusual arrangements flanking the sidewalk.

The altar was decorated with ribbons, garlands, a flower wreath, and bird cages.

 Sherry Lattin of Florian Music graced us with beautiful violin music.

I met Dylan's mother, Robin, for the first time before the wedding. She had not been present at our rehearsal the day before.

Then, I was in for a surprise when Joy and Jason and their daughter, Sydney, appeared!

I married them 12 years ago at Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill and two years ago, Jason arranged for me to officiate a 10 year anniversary and renewal of vows ceremony as a surprise for Joy at the Horace Williams House! What a neat couple. Joy is a friend of Tiffany's.

After we shooed all the guests inside the chapel and the guys and I got lined up inside, it was time for Rosanne, mother of the bride, to be escorted in by her son, Russell, followed by the bridesmaids and then Tiffany and her father, John.

Tiffany's dress was one of the most beautiful wedding gowns I have ever seen and it was simply perfect for her. The color was quite unique and a beige-cream-taupe color called "antique."

The bridesmaids are already beginning to weep with joy! 

 

Tiffany and Dylan and I had such fun writing their ceremony to be just what they wanted. Tiffany and Dylan not only paid tribute to their parents but Tiffany included really funny tributes to her three brothers and had the guests in stitches and tears at the same time! 

Then I shared with the guests why Tiffany and Dylan wanted to marry each other and what they were looking forward to in marriage. 

 By that time, Dylan had worked up a sweat! 

We had to clean Dylan up after the kiss which left lipstick not only on his mouth but on his teeth!

They requested a group shot of all the guests so we pushed and shoved and got everyone up front while our photographer, April Sirit, Evoke Photography, went up in the loft to take the picture, along with Marty who got this one.

Then we all filed outside, collected our bubbles and lined up on the walkway to bubble the bride and groom when they came out! Great picture!

Dylan and Tiffany, what can I say? Great wedding! Great couple! My congratulations and best wishes ever!

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!