Carol & Chuck | May 16, 2015

A cautionary tale for brides considering entrusting young ring bearers with wedding rings; think twice before you do. At four years old, Cole is the second of two little boys we’ve had lose rings in the sand. As guests stood with backs to the wedding party watching the bride walk down the stairs the groomsmen discretely alerted a few guests sitting in the front about the missing a ring.

The ceremony continued as planned with the bride blissfully unaware of the issue at hand as a few guests and several bystanders sifted through sand on their hands and knees retracing Cole’s path back to the stairs. When it came time to exchange rings the officiant motioned for the bride and groom to lean in and calmly explained we were missing one ring.

After reassuring the bride we would find it after the ceremony Carol nodded in agreement and the best man handed over his own ring. When the ceremony ended one of the guests flagged down a man with a metal detector to aid in the search. Unfortunately when rings fall in the sand they almost always go under making them extremely difficult to locate.

However, as luck would have it the mother of the groom felt something hard and smooth brush against her toe and she reached down to find the missing ring. With the band safely in hand she raised her arm high in the air and announced the search was over. Everyone cheered as she made her way down the aisle and handed over the ring.

After thanking her mother-in-law profusely, the overjoyed bride turned to her new husband for the second ring exchange of the day.  Carol and Chuck are such a sweet couple.  I’m so glad this story has a happy ending!

Location: St. Regis Resort, Topsail Island

Donna & Nelson | May 16, 2015

You got to love a man in uniform, especially at a wedding. As retired Marine Colonel Nelson stood at full attention waiting for his bride to arrive, I couldn’t help but notice all the beachgoers lining the boardwalk and standing off to the side waiting for the ceremony to begin.

True, most beach weddings have an audience, but the crowd today was larger than normal. I’m not sure if it was because May 16^th was such a beautiful day, or because the folks on the beach were captivated by the three handsome men in full dress standing on our pavilion, but this wedding certainly held the crowd’s attention until the very end.

Donna, deciding to forgo a tradtional white gown for a flowy blue dress reminiscent of Elsa from the movie Frozen certainly looked like a princess as she made her way down the aisle to her real life prince.   Love may have found this couple later in life, but as both would attest in their personalized vows, it was definitely worth the wait.

In true military style the couple had friends and family in attendance from all over the country which made the day all the more special.   What a wonderful way to begin a new life together.

Location: Courtyard Marriott, Carolina Beach