Kate and Steve's Wonderful Family Wedding at Second Empire!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Kate and I made all the arrangements for their sweet family wedding at Second Empire on Saturday October 8, 2011 by email so I did not meet them in person until their wedding day. She and Steve wanted to include Kate's daughters, Kailynn and Clara, and Steve's sons, Elijah and Aiden, in the ceremony who would officially become one big family that day. The couple's parents would be present as well. So, I wrote a special ceremony for them which they reviewed and made the changes they wanted. I love the intimacy of weddings at Second Empire, a stately historic mansion which has been renovated into an upscale restaurant and event venue in downtown Raleigh. I do many weddings there each year and Tracey, the wedding/events coordinator, is always on the ball and everything is ready when I get there. It is a beautiful and elegant setting for small weddings of usually up to 40 guests and they could probably accommodate more if needed. This particular day there were two weddings--ours at 12:30 and another one at 4:00.

Kate found this pretty glass container for the family unity sand ceremony with sand for the bride and groom and the four children.

The atrium downstairs at Second Empire is a bright and airy space for the reception. The pastry chef there bakes beautiful wedding cakes but they keep them refrigerated until it is time for the reception so I don't have a photo to show you.

Ed with Arioso Strings provided the music for the ceremony. Ed and I work together a lot. Sometimes he is solo like today and other times he is one of a guitar and violin duo. It is a joy working with the musicians that Mary Page Block, the superbly organized owner of Arioso Strings, provides for weddings.They are always on time, organized, know the music and their musical ability is unsurpassed. I can always count on them.

The children are all ready and bursting with excitement about the wedding and their new family status! They cannot wait to get started on the ceremony.

The couple's friend, Gloria, was the perfect director for the wedding. She was very organized and had us all lined up and ready to walk in on cue. Thanks, Gloria! Their photographer was Tonya Mae Photography and the flowers were furnished by The Flower Cupboard.

"Now today, we witness the marriage of not only two individuals, but also that of a family who has been so fortunate to find one another, to enjoy one another and to love one another, now and always."

Kate's mother, Maxine, shared with us a reading from "The Oyster Bed" section of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book Gift from the Sea. She put in her own special touch for our couple based on her own marriage of 39 years. Thanks, Maxine!