LAUREN + MITCH May 21, 2010  

Lauren and Mitch exchanged vows on the ocean side deck among friends and family.  Their

Below is an excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit, and it was one of the readings at a recent wedding posted on Glamour Weddings blog.  It touched my heart in its simplicity and I felt it was the perfect analogy for marriage.  It would be a wonderful option for a bride wanting to add a unique touch to her wedding ceremony.  Enjoy!

          "What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real," said the Rabbit.

The Skin Horse smiled. "The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago, but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

 

 

 

 

Asia + William  {Tying the Knot on the Outer Banks}

Part l

 

How did you meet?

 

At the time, I didn't think of myself as "the girl next door" but looking back, I guess I was.  William was the new guy on the block and lived two houses away from mine.  He moved to Manteo when we were in middle school.  The beginning of my sophomore year, his junior year, in high school we started dating and have been together ever since.  He knows exactly who I am and vice versa.  After finishing college we both wanted to start our careers before taking the next step.  To my surprise, after seven years of dating and a little over a month into my new job as an interior designer, William proposed.

 

 

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?   

 

Shopping for my wedding gown and shoes, of course!  I tried on a billion dresses but only one pair of shoes. It was fun creating my wedding book of ideas and after four years of clipping magazine pages featuring wedding gowns, my book turned into a four inch binder filled with inspiration  and ideas to consider when planning for my wedding.  I grew up watching the made-for-TV play of Roger & Hammerstein's Cinderella with Leslie Ann Warren as Cinderella.  I knew from the beginning that I wanted a flowing dress that fit off the shoulders like hers until I tried one on.  Cap sleeves and drape necklines just don't work when your Prince is so tall.  The strapless gown gave me more movement and the Manolo Blahnik shoes were a perfect fit!!!

 

Having your bridal portrait taken prior to your wedding is a southern tradition and one Asia was not going to miss.

We started with a few shots taken indoors, a great way to get comfortable with the camera, before taking the shoot on

location.  One thing you can count on when it comes to weather on the Outer Banks, it's unpredictable.  I like to have

at least one of two things available to me when I book a portrait session.  First, a back up date in case of weather and

second, a back up location in case the weather strikes twice!  For Asia's shoot, we got the weather right the first time.

 

A huge thank you to Holiday House Weddings for designing Asia's bouquet for the shoot.

 

Thanks Asia!

Outer Banks Wedding Ceremony,

by Tanya K. Young

Reverend Young is a native North Carolinian that has lived on the Outer Banks for over five decades. She is a non-denominational minister offering non-traditional spiritual ceremonies that are touched with scripture or prayer, as well as non-religious ceremonies that are focused on love and commitment. She can assist in creating a ceremony rich with personal touches reflecting the couples culture, personality and spirituality. Reverend Young encourages couples to participate in creating their ceremony by adding special passages and writing their own vows, making the ceremony a reflection of them.  She is able to assist in blending all types of background into one formal moment and believes that second marriages and blended families deserve the same care and reverence as the first one. Also, renewing vows at monumental anniversaries, or just to recommit to each other, are special occasions that she can create a special ceremony for.

She approaches all weddings in a contemporary intimacy." The couples that seek my services are not comfortable with "traditional" church affiliation and desire a meaningful spiritual alternative. Although I am very spiritual, I do not require that you share my views. During the ceremony, I will reflect the words and feelings of the couple. I offer direction that reflects the heart of the couple. This could be on the oceanfront or any outside location, a private home, or another appropriate location that speaks of the couples joined personality." Each ceremony is held to the utmost dignity without giving up the relaxed celebratory mood of the "Big Day."

Whether your ceremony is your first or your last, Reverend Young will assist in creating a "Ceremony that Reflects the Heart."

catering@coastalprovisionsmarket.com to learn more. Also visit our website at www.CoastalProvisionsMarket.com .