Steve and Melissa Wed at Butterfly Garden on Biltmore Estate

Steve and Melissa were married in a beautiful fall wedding celebration on the stunning grounds of the Butterfly Garden at the Conservatory at the Biltmore Estate, Ashevile, North Carolina. They reside in Texas where Steve is involved with insurance and Melissa works as an IT specialist. Surrounded by close friends and family, Steve and Melissa shared in a very special time of exchanging vows and rings.

The beautiful wedding music was provided by Donna Germano. She is a wonderful harpist and always provides great music! It is always an honor to work with her. Jill Schwarzkopf was the photographer (www.realitiesbyjill.com) and she was fabulous as well! She even took a picture of me with the newlyweds! Thanks, Jill!

Steve and Melissa, you are a wonderful couple and I was honored to be a part of your intimate and personal wedding. Best to you in every way as you share life together! Enjoy life!

Mike and Stefanie Wed at Biltmore Estate

Surrounded by wonderful family and friends, Mike and Stefanie said their vows at the Deerpark on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina! Having dated since high school, Mike and Stefanie work at a family jewelry business in Kentucky. (By the way, their wedding bands were fabulous!)

Their wedding ceremony included scripture readings, prayers and a splash of their own great personalities. The music was provided by a close friend of Mike and Stefanie's -- Cybele. The floral decorations were full of fall color and added a special touch to the ceremony. And the staff at the Deerpark on the Biltmore Estate once again provided excellent service and help in creating a memory that will last a lifetime!

Mike and Stefanie, it was so fun getting to know you and an honor to be a part of your fabulous wedding celebration! May your lives be blessed even beyond your dreams! Best to you both in the journey! Enjoy life!

Brad and Donna - Top of the World!

High above beautiful Hickory Nut Gorge at an elevation of 2280 feet and a view up to 75 miles, Brad and Donna shared their marriage vows with each other in front of a close group of family and friends. With a crisp autumn wind swirling around, Brad and Donna allowed all of us that were there to create a memory that we will keep forever!

The beautiful wedding music was performed by Gracious Light Music from Fletcher, North Carolina - a wonderful trio of ladies playing cello, guitar and clarinet. They were fabulous! The photographer for the special day was Warren Sander from Asheville, North Carolina. I am sure that Warren captured some spectacular images - what a view and what a great couple!

Brad and Donna, it was great to meet you and to work with you in creating the wedding ceremony that reflected your values and your love for each other. Thank you for the blessing that you gave to me through asking me to officiate your wedding. Best to you in every way as you share your lives together! Enjoy life!

Heath and Betsy Marry at Homewood

On a brisk, but beautiful fall afternoon, Heath and Betsy shared their wedding vows with each other at beautiful Homewood in Asheville, North Carolina. Heath and Betsy met while attending East Tennessee State University. Heath is completing his college degree and Betsy is employed at East Henderson High School in Flat Rock, North Carolina. They are a great couple!

The wedding was coordinated perfectly by Jennifer King (Verge Events) and the wonderful staff of Homewood. Music was provided by Allegro Music and the photographer was Michael Aaron Hogsed and Zac Meltzer of Aaron Imaging.

I had such a great time getting to know Heath and Betsy in the months leading up to their wedding day. They are such an enjoyable couple! Best to you, Heath and Betsy, in all that life offers you. Enjoy it!

Dan and Sara Wed in Banner Elk

On a spectacular fall afternoon under a bright blue Carolina sky, Dan and Sara shared their wedding vows in front of a gathering of family and friends in a private ceremony in Banner Elk, North Carolina. At an elevation of nearly 3800', the cabin, built by Dan's stepfather, was the perfect setting for this wonderful event. Dan and Sara, and their delightful son, Evan, live in Charlotte. They have been together for 8 years and have experienced so much of life together. They met at work (an Irish pub in Charlotte - RiRa). As part of her job, Sara had to train Dan! They quickly developed a relationship and love took over from there. In 2003, Sara and Dan welcomed a little girl, Emily into their lives. Emily had several health issues and sadly, she passed away at 13 months old. Dan and Sara carried each other through this difficult time and their love continued to grow. In 2008, little Evan showed up! Dan and Sara describe their relationship through all of its ups and downs - they have loved, fought, cried, laughed, been scared and exited, felt pure joy and heartbreak. Yet, through it all, they have not lost sight of each other and their desire to share the rest of their lives together.

Dan and Sara (and Evan), you are truly an amazing couple and it was a joy and blessing to be a part of your incredible wedding! May you be blessed in your lives together as you continue your great journey through life. And whenever I am in Charlotte, I'll look you guys up.....at RiRa's! Enjoy life!

Cory and Lauren Wed in Hendersonville

After six years of being together, Cory and Lauren shared their wedding vows with each other before a group of close friends and family at the beautiful Melange Inn and Gardens in Hendersonville, North Carolina on October 11, 2008. Cory and Lauren live in Huntersville, near Charlotte. Cory works in the medical field and Lauren works in human resources. What a great couple! The Melange is a fabulous Inn and the staff really made everyone feel special. The music for the ceremony was provided by Ruben Orengo - a very talented violinist from Asheville. Cory and Lauren have a very strong bond and their love for each other is an inspiration to all that know them. May every joy be yours, Cory and Lauren, in every way as you share your lives together! You were a blessing! Best to you! Enjoy life!

Shawn and Nancy Wed in Maggie Valley

Nestled in beautiful Maggie Valley, Miss Caroline's Country Wedding Chapel was the setting of Shawn and Nancy's special wedding ceremony. In need of a minister to help them at the last minute (their original minister was unable to perform their ceremony), it was great getting to know this couple and to be able to share in their wedding day. They had numerous friends and family as their witnesses and everyone enjoyed themselves. Shawn and Nancy live in Raleigh where Nancy is a nanny and Shawn works for a construction company. The staff at Miss Caroline's Wedding Chapel were great to work with and they made sure that all of the details of the wedding were handled with great care. Best of life to you, Shawn and Nancy!

Andrew and Rachelle Married at Crest Mountain

High atop Crest Mountain, just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, Andrew and Rachelle shared their wonderful wedding with family and friends on a crisp and windy fall afternoon. Andrew and Rachelle are great parents to Riley, their 19 month old son. The staff of M7 Solutions at Crest Mountain did an outstanding job in coordinating all of the details for the special ceremony. Andrew and Rachelle live in Asheville where Andrew owns his own flooring company - Shock Flooring.

The ceremony included beautiful live music. The flowers were spectacular and celebrated the fall colors. Andrew and Rachelle also included a sand ceremony as a part of their wedding. Two distinct colors of sand were poured by the bride and groom into a common vase - symbolilzing their uniqueness as individuals prior to their wedding and then a reminder of their lives together. What a beautiful expression of their new lives as husband and wife.

It was a joy to work with you, Andrew and Rachelle, in putting together a ceremony that reflected your love and devotion. Best to you in the years to come! Enjoy life!

Matt and Chelsea Marry at Homewood

Who says that you can't marry your high school sweetheart? Well, certainly not Matt and Chelsea! They were married in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by wonderful friends and family at Homewood located off of historic Montford Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina. I have known Matt for many years, as he and his family were part of two churches that I pastored in Asheville, namely Beverly Hills Baptist Church and Journey Fellowship. I performed Matt's mom and stepfather's (David and Vonnie) wedding several years ago and also became acquainted with Matt's father and stepmother (Don and Joanie). I had the great priviledge of baptizing Matt's brother, Luke, several years ago and was also honored to share with Luke's family in a time of memorial following Luke's homegoing to Heaven. All of this to say that this family has a very special place in my heart.

Matt and Chelsea are such a great couple! They laugh together often and they have such a great outlook on life. I know that their lives are going to be blessed in many ways in the years to come. Matt and Chelsea, you will always have a special place in my heart! Thank you for giving me the honor of being a part of your incredible and beautiful wedding! Best to you always! Enjoy life!

Robert and Amy Celebrate on Biltmore Estate

Sunset at the Inn on Biltmore Esate in Asheville, North Carolina is always a very special, memorable and breathtaking event, but for Robert and Amy, it was also the moment when they sealed their wedding vows. Surrounded by wonderful family and friends, Robert and Amy looked into each others eyes and pledged their love and devotion to each other. The beautiful ceremony was coordinated and directed by Tamara Heston of Belle Soiree in Hendersonville. The wonderful strings trio was led by Ron Clearfield from Asheville and the photographer was Laurie Johnson from Fairview. Robert is a civil engineer and Amy is a recent graduate of Wake Forest University. They make their home in Charlotte. Robert and Amy, you were and are an amazing couple and your love for each other is so evident to everyone that knows you. Thank you for asking me to be a part of your beautiful wedding! May every blessing be yours on the journey! Enjoy life!

Bradford and Crystal Share Vows in Hot Springs

On a fabulous fall morning in October, in Hot Springs, North Carolina, Bradford and Crystal shared their wedding vows in front of a gathering of family and special friends. Having met at the University of Alabama's School of Law, these two aspiring young attorneys knew that the time had come for them to become husband and wife. The setting was the beautiful Mountain Magnolia Inn. The Inn has been featured on "This Old House" and HGTV and was the perfect place for Bradford and Crystal to share their wedding vows with each other. They make a great couple and I was so happy to be a part of their special day.

On a personal note, their wedding date of October 4 marked the eighth year anniversary of my Dad's stroke in 2000. My father, Tom Lolley, was born and raised in southern Alabama and here is the ironic part of the story concerning Bradford and Crystal. During our intital phone consulation, I found out that Crystal was born in Geneva, Alabama - a town not far from where my father grew up. As we continued to talk, we found out that Crystal's family knew some Lolley's in the Samson area. Crystal's grandfather, Charles, also grew up in the small town of Samson, so therefore I was really looking forward to asking him if he knew or remembered my father. When I walked into the Inn, I immediately met Charles and he walked up to me and said, "Who was your father, Tommy or Randall?" He knew my Dad! We talked for several minutes and I learned that he and my Dad were managers on the Samson High School football team and they were in the same Boy Scout troop! Charles even shared with me that he had eaten many meals at my Dad's boyhood home and even remembered my Grandmothers fried chicken and homemade biscuits! What a small, small world! What a blessing to meet Charles and to hear some great stories about my Dad. I continue to miss Dad in so many ways, but through Charles, I was once again reminded of Dad's legacy and the many blessings that he has given to me. Thanks, Charles!

And thanks Bradford and Crystal for asking me to be a part of your special wedding day! In some strange way, I feel that I am a part of your family! Best of all that life has to offer! Enjoy it!