Scott and Erin's Incredible Wedding at The Sutherland!

This wedding was definitely a family affair and I felt as if I was a family member! Erin is the third daughter in her family that I have officiated the wedding of. First was Megan who married Ben on October 30, 2010 at The Cotton Room. Then on September 14, 2012, I officiate the wedding of Kate and Phil at The Pavilions at Angus Barn. I was delighted when Erin and Scott contacted me to officiate their wedding ceremony set for June 6, 2014 at The Sutherland!

As a result of planning for three weddings, Diane, mother of the bride, and David, father of the bride, are experienced in all aspects of making a wedding happen! With the onset of Pinterest, Diane was really able to get creative with all the wonderful wedding decor ideas. This bureau is simply wonderful, filled with trinkets and treasures!

 Cydney English with The English Garden is putting the finishing touches on the florals and candles. 

 Simply fabulous! 

The Sutherland is a wonderful venue which is conveniently located in Wake Forest. Ashlee Adams has so creatively restored the old plantation house and outbuildings and transformed the grounds into a real paradise. This wedding was held in the Walled Garden off the side porch of the big house. 

 On the brick terrace was one of "my babies!" This is Ella, 2 month old of Megan and Ben. So sweet!

Amy Turner, their photographer with Your Still Life Photography, provided the guest book. Feast your eyes on the Memory Tree hung with photos of loved ones of the bride and groom who have passed on and could not be with us in person.

Cute little tea cart holding the gifts and cards. Everyone is using Instagram these days to get wedding photos. Gone are the days of disposable cameras on the tables!

Sweet little display table to put the programs in. And speaking of the programs...this was the order of the ceremony: Music Starts, We Get Married, Everyone Parties. Simple and straightforward instead of listing all the different sections of the ceremony.

 These ornate signs were so pretty and artfully done! 

Literally a board for the guests to leave a message and sign for the couple. 

These are huge balloons filled with confetti used as pretty decorations and as props in photos. This is the Groom's Terrace on the opposite side of the house as the Walled Garden. The cocktail hour following the ceremony will be here.

This sign is outside the new pavilion that Ashlee recently completed. It is amazing and there is no longer any need for a tent if the weather turns rainy. Great idea!

It is two stories high, filled with light and plenty of room for a dance floor. Steve Stowe with Joe Bunn DJ Company was there setting up.

 Ashlee and I posing for the camera!

 CateringWorks was the caterer. Delicious food and such pretty tables and chairs and place settings.

 Look at the "chandelier" over the head table! 

 The pavilion from a distance so you can see how large it is. I remember when it was just an open field. 

 By the big old tree was this pretty bench and signs declaring it was a "kissing tree!"

 View from the Groom's Terrace of the new pavilion.  

NC Brass is a division of NC Wedding Music, an organization founded by Dean and Molly Olah. Molly is a violinist and handles the stringed ensembles where as Dean Olah, trombonist, handles the NC Brass Band. I have done many weddings with Molly through the years but never with Dean. Brass Bands are not the traditional choice for weddings but I loved them and I believe this "big" sound is getting more popular. These musicians were fabulous and I was delighted to have the chance to do a wedding with Dean for a change!

The groomsmen and I gathered at the side entrance to the Walled Garden to make our entrance to the side of the guests.

 Scott escorted his pretty mother down the aisle. 

 Scott's father, Kim, followed by Scott's nephew Logan! 

 Diane and David, parents of the bride, enter for their third (and final) wedding! 

 Jill, our bridesmaid, enters next.

 Kate, sister and matron of honor of the bride, enters. 

 Megan, sister of the bride and matron of honor, enters. 

 Brody, son of the bridesmaid, Jill, enters with the sign "Here Comes The Bride."

 David makes his last trek down the aisle with his beautiful daughter, Erin!

 And so we begin. 

 Erin's cousin, Sarah, read the words of ee cummings poem "i carry your heart."

 Erin and Scott met in college at Ohio State almost 10 years ago. Scott knew right away that Erin was the one. It was not much later that Erin felt the same way. Their romance withstood the typical college bumps and trials and really started to move forward when they relocated to North Carolina to be near Erin's family. Scott proposed at the Raleigh Rose Garden on June 22, 2013 and Erin barely let him finish the question before saying YES! It had been 7 long years. She and her mother and sisters began planning for this wedding and really did an amazing job! As I told David, he and Diane could hire themselves out as wedding planners and decorators!

 Scott and Erin had written their own secret vows for each other and read them from my book. 

 Ring exchange....

For a unity ceremony they chose the Hands Ceremony followed by a closing blessing and the pronouncement of marriage.

  So happy! 

I told Amy that I had to get a photo with all three of my couples! And of course Ella! Ben was so good with her. He had to assume all baby duties since Megan was part of the wedding party and he seemed to manage it with ease! Congratulations all of you! 

Erin and Scott, what a beautiful and dedicated couple you are. I am thrilled to have joined you in marriage. I know you will be very happy and contented together. Please keep in touch and remember when you have babies we can do a baby blessing ceremony for her or him.

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The Pavilions at Angus Barn Hosts Wedding of Heather and Mike!

The photos above show where Heather and Mike's wedding ceremony was supposed to be and where we had our rehearsal! But, because of the rain, it was moved inside the pavilion. Nevertheless, they were bound to have a wonderful wedding ceremony no matter where on the property of the Pavilions at Angus Barn. The Pavilions at Angus Barn is one of the newest and most prestigious wedding venues in the Raleigh area. The facility is most impressive and this was my first wedding there. I had been to the grounds and taken photos and put up a blog post about it in early 2009 and was so thrilled when Heather and Mike contacted me back in August of 2009 to officiate their wedding on July 17, 2010.

Heather and Mike's wedding was special for another reason too. Heather's sister, Carrie, and my daughter, Andrea, worked together and that is how they came to know about me and hire me for their wedding officiant. I did not meet Heather and Mike face to face until months after they mailed me the contract and check.

When Dave and I arrived at 5:00 on the day of the wedding, it was raining. We had come from another wedding in Hillsborough, see next post, where it had been pouring rain and were wondering what decision had been made for this wedding. We were quite sure it would be moved indoors.

 The interior of the pavilion had already been set up with 100 chairs and the arbor all decorated with flowers. It was situated in front of the double sided fireplace and the lights from the trees and the candles softly illuminated the area. It was beautiful! Thank you, Kelly and Wendy (Angus Barn staff in charge of the wedding), for taking care of all the details!

Shortly after I got my theater microphone plugged into the DJ's sound system, Molly Olah, founder of  North Carolina Classical Wedding Music, and her two fellow musicians arrived. Molly is in the center. They provided heavenly music for the ceremony while the DJ, a family member from Plymouth MA provided the music for the reception.

DJ Gene and I chatting about weddings on Cape Cod where my niece officiates weddings and I have done a couple up there too for my niece's daughter and son.

Here is one table setting and another in the back ground.

The cute little place cards were held by corks!

Heather and Mike had found some smooth polished stones for each guest to take, write their name on it with a silver marker, hold the stone during the ceremony infusing it with their blessings for the couple then deposit it into the glass vase to the left after the ceremony. The glass vase of stones will be a keepsake to be displayed in their home of all the people and blessings from their wedding.

When all the guests had arrived and been seated by our groomsmen who did such a fabulous job (I am proud of you guys for not letting anyone sit in the back row!), I entered and took my place. I was followed by Mike escorting his two mothers, Susan and Kate.

Not a real good photo but this is the father and mother of the bride, Doug and Mary, entering. Doug circled around to do his duty bringing in the bride.

Next in were Jenny and Gabe. That is Tina Loebach, our photographer in the background catching the action as they entered.

Corey escorts Julie in. 

Angela enters with Bryan. She is one of the Maids of Honor. 

And now Carrie, Heather's sister, enters with our best man, Kyle. 

Madison and Jake enter. You can barely see Jake but he is following behind with the ring pillow. They are Mike's niece and nephew. Madison did a thorough job of sprinkling the petals. I could tell she was an experienced flower girl!

Time for our beautiful bride and proud papa. 

And the ceremony began. Take a look at that huge fan rotating slowly above the guests. And, that nice carpet runner! That substantial runner is what I like to see at a wedding! 

Here we are paying tribute to their wonderful parents. 

Carrie is reading her sweet vows to Mike from my book as I follow along with my finger so she can look up and not lose her place. 

 

Time for the big pronouncement of marriage. Someone else on the front row is taking a picture too! 

The photo of the kiss was just too dark to salvage but as you can imagine, it was a good one. They had been practicing! 

Whoa! I can't explain this photo but I sure do like it! Sorry Mike got cut off but Heather is grinning from ear to ear! 

Doug and Mary, Heather's parents, recess out. They are so happy about this marriage! Carrie, you are next! 

Mike's two moms, Sue and Kate, exit together. They were so touched by the ceremony! 

I just dropped my stone into the vase! I had it in my pocket during the ceremony.

It was only slightly misting when we exited for photos on the terrace outside the pavilion. The lighting is perfect. Mike and Heather, it was a pleasure working with you and I am honored to have officiated your wonderful wedding. I am sure I will be hearing about you from Carrie! All the best to you both!