They serve many unique dishes at The Melting Pot, but when Raymond Williams popped the question to Nicole Christmas, something very special was on the menu. “I should have known something was up; Raymond had been acting odd all through dinner,” Nicole says. “Then they brought out the ring in a small melting pot full of pink rose petals.”

Just over a year later, they were married at Arden Hills Resort Club and Spa. The bride wore a dress she’d found while shopping with her mother and her grandmother, something that was very special for all of them.

“I was the first daughter and first granddaughter to have a big wedding, so my mother and grandmother wanted to help me pick a dress,” Nicole says. “I was going to pick something very plain and simple, but they convinced me to try something all jeweled out, and I found a dress I loved. It was something I would have never even thought to try on if they hadn’t been with me.”

The weather was perfect all week leading up to the wedding, and even the big day started with the promise of sunshine. Sure enough, however, at the very moment Nicole stepped out to walk down the aisle, escorted by her brother and with a penny from the year she was born tucked safely in her shoe, the first sprinkles started. Rather than be disappointed, however, she just smiled.
“I’d always heard rain was supposed to be good luck,” she says. “It made for a short ceremony though.” Short as it was, the ceremony still had some special moments for the new couple, one of which involved the tradition of jumping over  broom. It’s an old tradition which through the years has come to symbolize a variety of ideas from different cultures. In the American South, the custom was symbolic for deciding who would run the household; whoever jumped highest would be the household decision maker. It’s also meant to symbolize the beginning of a new life. Some stories even trace it back to rituals of placing sticks on the ground to symbolize the couple’s new home. Whatever its real origins, the phrase “jumping the broom,” just like the popular “tying the knot” has become synonymous with getting married.

At the reception, rather than have the DJ introduce the wedding party, Nicole and Raymond introduced everyone themselves to give a personal and laughter-filled touch to what is normally a kind of formal and sometimes awkward part of the day. It went off perfectly and was one of the reception highlights for Nicole, who also treasures the memory of the father/daughter dance.  

“I got to dance with my grandfather—he and my grandmother had been married for 66 years,” Nicole says. “That’s a moment I’ll never forget. I was just so happy to have my whole family—everyone who’s had a positive impact on my life, and our lives as a couple—there to support and celebrate with us. That was really important to me.”

Ceremony Site: Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa
Officiant: Pastor Raymond LeBlanc
Ceremony Music: Premier Entertainment
Photographer: Huy Phan Photography   Phone: 916-335-5024
Videographer: KRJ Productions
Reception Site: Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa
Hair: Tiffany Patterson
Make-up: Jen Williams
Invitations: Botanica Floral Designs   Phone: 916-673-8650
Flowers: Botanica Floral Designs   Phone: 916-673-8650
Caterer: Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa
Cake: Freeport Bakery
DJ/Entertainment: Premier Entertainment
Favors: Tile magnet in gold bag by The Bridal Box   Phone: 916-961-1500
Photo Booth Rental: Picture Perfect Photobooth Rental
Table Linens: Mimi & Co.   Phone: 916-525-1235
Table Decorations: Botanica Floral Designs   Phone: 916-673-8650
Chair Rental: American Party Rentals
Chair Covers: Mimi & Co   Phone: 916-525-1235
Lighting: Premier Entertainment
Honeymoon Location: Jamaica
First Dance Song: For You by Kenny Lattimore
Father/Daughter Dance Song: Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole
Mother/Son Dance Song: Three Times a Lady by Lionel Ritchie
Cake Cutting Song: Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder
Bouquet Toss Song: Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyonce
Garter Toss Song: Another One Bites the Dust by Queen

Any tips you'd give to brides and grooms planning their wedding:
Just stay on top of everything. Although the event seems so far away it will creep up on you very quickly. Getting everything out of the way early allows time to enjoy one another before the big day!

Anything else about your wedding?
Our wedding was special because it had the majority of our family in it. That is what made this day so wonderful for me...I was able to look around at our wedding party and really appreciate every single person involved! All of our vendors were amazing and made the event go off without a hitch. Except the rain! Despite the rain, the day was wonderful, and we were able to share it with everyone we loved!

What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
Nothing! Well, maybe picked a different day to get married because of the rain. But we had decided to get married on May 2, because that was Raymond's birthday, and his parents were alos married on his father's birthday. So the day had a huge importance and meaning to us!