Carolyn and Daryl's Sunset Wedding at the NC Museum of Art!

Daryl called me in July to see if I was available to officiate his and Carolyn's wedding ceremony on October 23, 2010 at the new facility of the North Carolina Museum of Art on Blue Ridge Road, just down the street from the fairgrounds. Daryl had been given my name by Morgan Greer, the events coordinator at the museum.  I was thrilled that I was available and would have my first chance to do a wedding at the new museum. How exciting. It is such a beautiful place and I was curious just where the ceremony would be outside which I found out at the rehearsal the day before.

On that beautiful Saturday afternoon, Marty and I traveled from Brier Creek Country Club where we had just done a wedding at 4:00. I was concerned about getting there in time to set up my sound system and be ready to go by 6:00 when the ceremony was supposed to start. So, we purposely went down Highway 70/Glenwood Avenue to avoid the State Fair traffic on I-40 known to be quite heavy on the last weekend of the fair. I turned right onto Duraleigh Road and we were sailing along until we came to an absolute stand still where Duraleigh and Blue Ridge intersected. Knowing all the back roads, I cut down Blue Ridge towards Crabtree then swung around on Morningside to Lake Boone Trail onto I-440 beltline south. The left lanes were clogged with fair traffic exiting at Hillsborough but we just zoomed right by them and exited onto Wade Avenue westbound and took the first exit for Blue Ridge Road were the only ones going the opposite way from the fair traffic and made it in plenty of time to spare. Whew! When we arrived, we found this beautiful wedding cake by Sweet Memories inside the new museum. Of course the Museum restaurant staff with their fine chefs catered the reception so I know it was delicious!

The table for the sand ceremony had been set up in front of the big statue to the left of the main entrance to the museum flanked by the pedestals of flowers. Don't know who the florist was but they were lovely. Notice how long the shadows are. It was getting late in the day.

Ed Stephenson and his Paco Band set up inside for the reception then Ed and one of his fellow guitarists set up outside to provide music for the ceremony.

This is the view from the "altar" area. So very pretty. The guests were beginning to gather and about 5:45, I asked the groomsmen to start seating the guests. Little did they know that our photographer, John Rodgers, had yet to arrive. He had left the Sheraton Hotel downtown an hour or so earlier and was stuck in the fair traffic. Daryl was in phone contact with him but apparently John had little choice but to inch along with the fair goers! So we waited and waited. I finally announced to the guests at 6:15 that Daryl was not being stood up by Carolyn, but that we were waiting for the photographer to arrive. He finally got there at 6:30 and we were so happy to see him that the guests and wedding party all applauded! Poor John, it was not his fault. We knew some guests were in the same predicament by the number of empty chairs.The best laid plans......

So, we began. John is getting a shot of our line up right before the seating of Daryl's parents. Rebecca Dunn, our wedding director with Events by La Fete, is on the right and cued us all in.

The guys and I went in next closely followed by Daryl and his son, Jake, and the groomsmen.

 

Here come the bridesmaids. I was so grateful to the Museum for providing this soft spongy runner for us to walk on as gravel can be difficult, especially in heels. Thanks, Morgan, a great idea!

Our flower girls sprinkled the petals right before Carolyn was escorted in by her mother, Heather. Wish I had a photo of them.

It is time for the bride to come in as I turned around to cue Ed to start that music.

Isn't this a beautiful setting for a wedding? Quite unique too. Note that the lights inside the museum are showing. It is getting dark. I have lightened these photos quite a bit. 

 

Carolyn and Daryl's friend, Lauren, read to us a beautiful reading about two trees.

After the couple's "love story," the vows and ring exchange, it was time for the family unity sand ceremony. You can see Carolyn and Daryl pouring their sand in after Jake had poured his in. It is really quite dark at this point. Notice that the up-lighting of the trees is really visible.

We got through the ceremony just fine with enough light for me to read by and for Marty to get a few good photos with my simple little camera. Maybe John will send me some of his which are bound to be a whole lot better! After the ceremony Marty and I packed up my sound system and by then it was really dark and Carolyn and Daryl had gone off with John for more pictures and were nowhere to be found. Consequently I did not get the customary photo of the couple and me together. Nor did I get to congratulate them in person as I had to dash off to another event for which I was late! (It was not a wedding though!) All in all, it was a fabulous wedding and the most important thing is that they got married and are sure to live happily ever after if Jake has anything to say about it! Congratulations, Carolyn and Daryl, and Jake!