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Cape Fear Trends
Once upon a time,
there was a girl who had no family. By the time she was grown and
went out into the world, her parents and grandparents had all died.
At Barton College, in Wilson, N.C., Kim Denton
met Ralph Almkuist III. When Kim and Ralph became engaged, Ralph’s
parents knew what needed to be done.
Because Ralph was their only child, Durwood
and Gloria Almkuist of Wrightsville Beach never expected that they
would play hosts to a wedding. But they didn’t hesitate to become
surrogate parents of the bride for Kim.
The couple had always loved Airlie Gardens,
and hoped for a September 2004 wedding there.
“We didn’t start the process until the end
of February, early March,” Gloria Almkuist recalled. “We were behind
and we struggled. I’d always heard that you needed a year. I thought
that was so ridiculous. Now I know better.”
Because of the scale of the celebration they
wanted, the family hired coordinator Tonya Boulware of A Carolina
Wedding. To handle the logistics of a huge tent -- 60 by 120 feet,
to hold 340 guests -- they also called on Lewis Bordeau, a Raleigh
event planner. For food and flowers, they relied on vendors they already
did business with: Azalea Coast Florists and Jerry Rouse Catering.
Kim and Ralph played a major part in the planning
-- “All four of us did this together” -- but even so, “Every single
thing was a challenge. When problems came up,” Mrs. Almkuist said,
“I said, ‘Tonya, I’m having trouble,’ and she said “I’ll take care
of it,” and she did. We couldn’t have done it without her.”
Among the special touches at the reception
were lavish use of mini Christmas lights and luxurious draped greenery;
twin chocolate fountains (white and dark) and a separate tent for
the cake.
Mrs. Alkuist admitted that, having no daughter
of her own, the chance to produce such a storybook event “was fun.”
For the bride, who had no family of her own, “It was really like a
Cinderella thing for her.”
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Photo by Erin Whittle / EW Photography
Photo by Logan Mock-Bunting / EW Photography
Photo by Logan Mock-Bunting / EW Photography
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