Tanja and Jeff have been together for 10 years! Tanja came to see me on February 26th to find out about my services for their wedding Sunday May 22, 2011 at
The Pavilions at Angus Barn. We immediately hit it off. She loved the idea of creating her own wedding ceremony and including the story of their relationship--and what a great story they have! Tanja is so laid back, straight-forward and smart. She graduated from law school the week before the wedding. I did not meet Jeff until the rehearsal but from writing their story I knew they both were very special people. They really are two peas in a pod! This was not the first wedding for either of them and they definitely knew they wanted to be surrounded by their families and closest friends. They called in favors from several friends (photographer, DJ, and flowers for the arbor) and planned a really festive celebration of their marriage. Cydney of
The English Garden provided the bouquets and boutonnieres.
The Pavilion was all gussied up and ready for the reception and Ashley Whittington was on hand to direct the wedding and reception as well as handle all logistics. The lovely aromas from the kitchen wafted through the air and made us all eagerly looking forward to the reception!
This large metal bathtub originally graced one of the bathrooms in the historic Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel built in Raleigh in 1923. It was salvaged by the owners of the Angus Barn and is now filled with huge wooden apples and serves as the place the guests put their gifts for the couple!
Isn't this a wonderful old bird cage? The guests slide their envelopes through the wires into the cage. How they get them out is another story!
I was the keeper of the rings until I gave them to the best man. I loved them and had to get a photo to show them to you. They were both Celtic rings with "Anam Cara" engraved on them which means "soul friend."
The fire pit was prepared for the fire later on in the evening. After the ceremony the wedding party gathers here while the guests go to the pavilion for cocktails. It was a beautiful day.
It is time to begin. After Tanja's mother. Marianne, was escorted in, Jeff and I, followed by the groomsmen made the long walk from the fire pit to the ceremonial arbor in front of the lake.
Waiting for the bride!
Tanja's Uncle Volker escorted Tanja in. Her mother and Uncle Volker came from Germany to the wedding.
As I started speaking the part of the ceremony where we remember the couples' fathers who have passed away, I heard a plane coming--see it in the photo. I then said something like, we arranged to have this plane fly overhead at this precise moment in memory of Tanja and Jeff's fathers so that we know that they are here in spirit. The guests and the couple loved that. (Despite the plane, the guests can hear me speaking because the venue has a sound system into which I plug my microphone.)
Thanking Tanja's mother and uncle for being with us that special day and for all the love and support they have given Tanja all her life. Tanja grew up in Germany and still has her lovely German accent, one of the things that definitely attracted Jeff to her.
Jeff and Tanja felt that their finding each other was serendipity and we wrote that into the ceremony. They are both such charming and witty people that their ceremony was full of both sweetness and humor. We all had many good laughs.
Wish I could remember what I was saying to Tanja at this moment! Probably something about Jeff's clever proposal.
More laughs!
Getting down to the serious business of the ceremony: vows and rings.
The pronouncement of marriage!
The deed is done! Let's have some fun!
Tanja and Jeff, it was my pleasure to work with you and officiate your wonderful wedding ceremony. We all had so much fun with it and your guests I know had never heard anything like it. It was such a great expression of the two of you. I am so glad serendipity was at work and that you attracted each other into your lives and knew you were meant for each other. I wish you the most happy marriage ever for ever and ever!
