About North Georgia Weddings

Learn more about the owners of The Small Wedding Experts

Specializing in Elopements and Intimate Weddings at Cavender Castle, Waterfalls, Venues and Cabins throughout North Georgia…

We know you are busy… Career, family, and maybe kids. And now you need to plan a wedding. This means finding time to research and visit locations, secure a wedding date, find a dress, plan a honeymoon, hire your wedding vendors… the list seems to go on and on and on! Then you have to figure out how to pay for everything. Yikes!

Shouldn’t getting married be more fun?

Well relax… You are in good hands with The Small Wedding Experts.

We believe every couple deserves a stress-free wedding that is fun, affordable and memorable. We are Rick, Cyndi & Delaney Durham, owners of The Small Wedding Experts and Cavender Castle. As a family business we have old fashioned values. Things like working hard and doing what you say you will do are important.

We go our of our way to treat every couple, and their guests like family.

From your first contact with us, all the way through your wedding day you will be working directly with the owners. The Durhams personally answer your phone calls, respond to your emails, provide tours and consultations along with working directly with you to plan all of the important details.

This includes helping you find the right package for your vision and spending plan. We do not want you to spend more on your wedding than you need to.

And then on your wedding day the Durhams personally work every event to flawlessly not just deliver, but over-deliver on the details planned for your special day. Our goal is to have you, your family and friends all say:

“That was the best wedding ever!”

But don’t take our word for it… Check out our: Reviews and Testimonials

Meet Cyndi Nichols Durham:

Cavender Castle Co-Owner Cyndi Durham

Cyndi Durham is a self admitted “Wedding Addict”. She eats, breathes and lives for weddings. Even when she is away from work she scours the internet for trends and ideas that can help her brides. In her off time you will find her watching wedding shows on TV. Sometimes she even dreams about weddings!

Cyndi has been planing weddings since 2003. Over that time she has planned and coordinated over 500 weddings throughout the south.

In high school and college she directed her Mom’s day care center. After marrying Rick in 1984, she founded and operated her own chain dance and gymnastics studios with a focus on pre-schoolers. All of the experience with kids makes Miss Cyndi an expert at making sure that children have a great wedding experience at your wedding.

.

Cyndi is also an excellent photographer. Her eye for details and fun-friendly personality enable her to get fantastic wedding poses (even from those who hate to have their picture taken). For our Elopements and Intimate Weddings she usually photographs the wedding while husband Rick officiates.

Meet Rev. Rick Durham!

Cavender Castle & Small Weddings Co-Owner Rev. Rick Durham

Rev. Rick Durham a student and innovator when it comes to weddings and the wedding business.

Prior to getting into the wedding business with his wife, Cyndi he spent 25 years in corporate America in a variety of sales, marketing, and product management positions. Prior to retiring from that life he managed a $25 Million global food ingredient business.

Once Rick retired from the corporate world he jumped into the family wedding business with both feet. As a trained public speaker he was appalled by unprofessional approach used by many of the wedding officiants and DJs that worked events at our Cavender Castle Venue.

He knew he could do better.

So in 2006 he began soaking up all the information he could on what made a great DJ. Rick was always a music lover, so that part was easy. So was the public speaking aspect. He learned everything he could about the craft of being a professional DJ. Since then he has been the DJ at hundreds of events at Cavender Castle and other venues.

But there was another thing that bugged Rick… He cringed at many of the wedding ministers and officiants that performed ceremonies at Cavender Castle. Most were awful speakers who mumbled or just recited from a written script. So in 2010 he became an ordained minister with the purpose of improving upon wedding ceremonies.

Since then Rick has become the busiest wedding officiant in Georgia performing almost 150 weddings a year at Cavender Castle, Waterfalls, Cabins other venues. He also designed on Online Ceremony Builder that give his couples complete control over the style, wording, and theme of their ceremony. His couples love not being surprised on their wedding day! And best of all Rick has the ability to mirror the personality of his couples with presentations that range from “lighthearted and joyful” to “traditional and solemn”

He even has his own website dedicated to his Minister/Officiant Services:

CeremoniesByRick.com

To our knowledge, Rick is the only person in the world who is a member of both the American Disc Jockey Association AND the International Association Of Professional Wedding Officiants.

Rick is a member of the American DJ Association

Rev Rick is also a member of the International Association Of Professional Wedding Officiants

Ok, Rick admits it sounds kind of weird… but isn’t is easier to work with one person for both your ceremony & reception instead of two? All we can say is that it has worked for hundreds of couples who got married with us!