International Wedding for Marcia and Hugo!

Marcia and Hugo planned a big party on April 28, 2012 at the Page-Walker Art and History Center to celebrate their marriage. They originally planned to just go down to the courthouse and get married the day before the party, then they began to have second thoughts about such an impersonal ceremony for this big milestone in their lives. Marcia called me in January to see if I could marry them before the party. I had a wedding at 4:30 that day but could marry them in my wedding garden earlier in the afternoon with just a few guests present. So, intrigued with the notion that they could have a custom ceremony if I was their officiant and curious about my garden, we set up a meeting.

They were thrilled with the possibilities of the ceremony, especially since I suggested they bring in elements from their diverse heritages. Hugo was born in Chile and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 10 years old. Marcia's mother is of Italian lineage and her father Irish. I suggested the Wine Unity ceremony as a possibility and they ran with the idea. Hugo would get some Chilean wine and Marcia some Italian wine that they would pour together. Then they would do a toast after the ceremony with Irish Whiskey, Bushmills, to be specific. Bushmills distillery located at the very northernmost tip of Ireland is the world's oldest whiskey distillery--I happen to know because I was there last August and Marcia and Hugo were on a trip to Ireland last year as well. Hugo also wanted to include a reading by well-known Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. So, we were good to go.

But plans changed a few weeks later when they decided that they would like to have the ceremony timed closer to the reception and in the garden next to the Page Walker Art and History Center in Cary where the reception was to take place at 7:00. We worked it out where I would get there as soon as I possibly could from the wedding before theirs, hopefully by 6:00.

Marty and I made it there easily and earlier than planned. When we arrived, Marcia was in the garden being photographed by Chad Williams, a talented young man still in high school just getting started with his photography career. This is our third wedding together this year! The CateringWorks truck was in the parking lot. Then Lenny Fritts, one of my very favorite DJs appeared on the scene! A surprise! I had recommended him to the couple but did not know they had booked him.

When we were ready to begin, Marcia's father, Ed, escorted her into the garden.

He started handing her off to Hugo when I said "Wait, I haven't asked the question yet!"

The question was "Who has the privilege of presenting this woman, Marcia, to be married to this man, Hugo?" He of course said he did and so the transfer was made.

Hugo's best friend. I am sorry I did not get his name! Maybe they will tell me and I will add it later!

On the left is Alexis, Hugo's sister, Chad Williams, and Lenny trying to duck out of the photo!

This was really a fun wedding. It was very loose and informal and we laughed a lot.

Marcia's brother Andrew, his wife, Michelle, Marcia's mother, Aggie, and her father, Ed.

Right here I am honoring and thanking everyone present at the ceremony and remembering Hugo's parents, Hugo and Pauline, who could not be with us this day.

Hugo made sure everyone heard his "I do!"  

Then Marcia said her "I do." 

Marcia's ring was snug and Hugo had to push it on her finger with some force but he made sure it got securely on her finger!

 "With this ring, I thee wed."

Pouring the Italian and Chilean wines together.......

 "Drink now and may your lives be full to running over!"

"As you have shared this wine, so may you share your lives. May you find life's joys heightened, its bitterness sweetened, and all of life enriched by a constant love." 

 

 The pronouncement of marriage.....

 And they kissed and kissed and kissed! 

 

Time for the Irish Whiskey! 

"To a long, happy and healthy life together. Cheers! Salud! Salute!

 

 

 

 

 

Marcia and Hugo, what a fun wedding! What a great couple you are. Thank you for allowing me to share a very important occasion in your lives. I wish you the very best life can bring your way....

Beautiful Wedding Day for Elane and Chris!

Saturday March 10, 2012 turned out to be a spectacular day for Elane and Chris' wedding and the first wedding of 2012 in my wedding garden. Although not all the leaves are out on the trees, one azalea was blooming, the thundercloud plum tree had put out its purple flowers, and I hung several baskets of flowering plants and some ferns around the arbor for more color. Here are some pictures of the garden before the guests arrived.

 

 

I did not meet Elane and Chris in person until their wedding day but we got to know each other working on their ceremony by email. Elane and I also connected on Facebook where I could see their photos and  put their faces with their names. They are such a vibrant young couple and very much in love and it showed!

Elane contacted me initially on January 7th saying that they were on a very tight budget and planned on eloping but heard about my wedding garden. She wanted to know how to make the arrangements. So, I emailed her a contract which she completed and mailed to me with their check. I was happy that I could offer her an elopement wedding that fit their budget. Elane and Chris are a very conscientious couple who are saving for their future together and were happy to be able to marry in a small private wedding surrounded by their family.

Elane told me she originally planned to borrow a a friend's wedding dress but the cost to alter it to fit her was too much. She then discovered that she could buy a wedding dress on line from China--very sentimentally consistent with her heritage as her mother was born in China. She shared with me the website where she bought her beautiful dress for under $100--a fantastic bargain and less than the cost to alter her friend's wedding dress. She did borrow her friend's veil for her something borrowed, something blue. She was escorted in by her brother-in-law, Dan, as all the guests stood in her honor.

 

 Views from my upper deck overlooking garden.

Elane is a very beautiful bride and so photogenic! Chris could not stop looking at her!

 

 

 The ring blessing....

 

 

 

That kiss went on and on after I rang the bell that hangs inside the arbor!  Chad Williams, their photographer, has already posted some great photos of this wedding and the couple!

Chris and Elane, now married, husband and wife! 

They were delighted that their mothers, Megan and Cindy, could be with them for their wedding day. The mothers were thrilled as well.

Elane and Chris, I know your marriage will be as happy as your wonderful wedding day! I am so happy you found each other. I wish you all the best life can bring your way!

Elane and Chris just posted an amazing review (5 stars!) of my services on Weddingwire.com which I appreciate very much and want to share with my readers:

Reverend Kayelily is the primary reason why our wedding ceremony turned out much more beautiful than we ever hoped for!
Kayelily's efforts truly exemplify the phrase, "going the extra mile." We are not an extravagant couple, so we realized vendors would provide merely what we needed, but no more than necessary. We requested Kayelily's garden. Not only did she respond with swift promptness during every step of the communication, she worked with us to tailor the most personal, intimate ceremony. The ceremony speech Kayelily personalizes for you will move your guests to tears, because it is intimate, personal, and completely truthful. In other words, Kayelily doesn't write up cheesy purple prose: she will work with you to include details of your actual relationship into the ceremony.
Kayelily made the extra effort to make sure her garden bloomed early for our ceremony. She arranged the procession for the bride, thereby transforming our humble, private ceremony into a graceful, organized, and beautiful formal event. We did not expect this, and we were truly moved.
Kayelily, you are the reason why our wedding vows will be etched in our memories as one of the happiest moments of our relationship. We thank you again!
With deep gratitude,
Chris and Elane

Tonia and Doug's Fabulous Wedding at Caffe Luna!

Like many good love stories, Tonia and Doug were not expecting to meet someone special at work. Tonia kept coming up on Doug's radar very strong, but she blew off his invitations to dinner multiple times before succumbing with encouragement from her best friend who said "It's only Doug!" Mr. Harmless! Doug told me that he had thought twice about robbing the cradle before he convinced Tonia to go out with him but he thought to himself that if she did not mind going out with a "seasoned warrior," who was he to complain! So she finally said yes and they closed the restaurant down laughing and talking on their first date.  She liked his charm, his personality and his kindness in always helping others unselfishly and began to think differently about him. From then on, it did not take long for these two to become inseparable. Tonia loves being treated like a queen but she really treasures that Doug honor and respects her as a person because he has never tried to change her. She knows that this is one of the major hallmarks of a healthy relationship. Doug proposed to her by surprising her with a hot air balloon ride above Asheville and popped the question and the ring at 3, 014 feet in the air! (14 is Doug's favorite number.) Tonia is afraid of heights and was hanging on with both hands but was forced to let go to put the ring on! When they got back on terra firma, there were 14 lavender roses waiting for her. Lavender is Tonia's favorite color of rose.

So, it was fitting that these two fun-loving people chose Caffe Luna as their wedding venue. The owner of the popular downtown Raleigh restaurant, Parker Kennedy, welcomes weddings. There are several rooms available depending on the size of the wedding and the atmosphere is casual and just plain fun. Oh, and did I mention the food is delicious? I always enjoy doing weddings there and besides, Parker is my neighbor! So, when Marty and I arrived at Caffe Luna on Saturday evening January 14, 2012, the main room was full of restaurant customers and we passed through the archway into the middle and last rooms which were set up for the ceremony and reception. Parker had a beautiful massive mahogany door put in the archway between the main dining room and the smaller private rooms so it really is pretty darn sound proof from the noise of the regular customers. I was pleasantly surprised. I got my sound system set up and did a sound check. 

 Then I spoke with our musician, Gene O'Neil, guitarist, about the cues. 

All seats were filled and we were ready to begin. They probably had about 75 to 80 guests. Doug and I walked down the aisle first. Then Tonia appeared and walked to the back of the chairs. I asked the guests to stand and Doug walked toward Tonia, they met in the middle and came together to be married.

Doug's nieces, Lauren and Kristyn, followed. They were our ring bearers. 

Of course Doug and Tonia's ceremony had lots of humor. The guests really enjoyed hearing their story and all about the proposal during the surprise hot air balloon ride.

Tonia and Doug enjoyed hearing it again too. I also worked with each of them individually to write a paragraph about why they wanted to marry each other which they did not hear until the ceremony.

 

I don't know if this is the second or third kiss! I kept telling them to kiss again so that our photographer, Chad Williams, could get a shot of it! (Let me tell you about their photographer: Chad is 16 years old and the former neighbor of Tonia and Doug. They were at his Bat Mitzvah and needed a photographer for their wedding. He agreed to do it. This is his first wedding. Let me tell you something--this young man is very talented and is going places! Click on his name above and see his photos of the wedding on his blog. Impressive.) 

So here they are---finally married! They are so good together. I can tell they are going to have a great marriage and have a really good time together.

Don't you just love Tonia's "fascinator" hat? It fit her so perfectly and she had on stockings with seams up the back. Classy! Right here she was telling me that a guest was raving to her about the ceremony and asked her "where did you find her?" (I was referred by Parker! Thanks, Parker!)

Tonia and Doug, I had a blast working with you and officiating your fabulous wedding! (Note Doug's lavender rose boutonniere!)