89-Year-Old and 80-Year-Old Tie the Knot in the WRAL Gardens
WRAL Gardens Now Open for Weddings
Eighty-nine-year-old Raymond Burnett & 80-year-old Helen Gaddy get married in the WRAL Gardens on May 11, 2013.
View the Slideshow
The WRAL-TV Azalea Gardens have long been a Destination Place if you are ever in the area, especially at this time of the year. It has for several decades been a place of beauty, serenity and reflection.
Over the years it has been a place for senior citizen groups to visit, a place to take your prom/ yearbook pictures, a place for employees to escape for moments of quiet devotion.
The gardens have given countless treasured memories for couples who celebrated their nuptials in this natural setting.
Garden weddings had been suspended for several years due to the construction/renovation of the new building and property-grounds maintenance. The gardens are once again open to wedding ceremonies and can be booked through Corporate Property Manager Tim Grissom or his able assistant Rodney Collier. Recently a very special couple did just that this is their story.
Raymond Burnett, Sr., having been married to Virginia Leake Burnett for more than 70 years, never gave any thoughts to life without her. His beloved Virginia passed away two years ago and he has missed her dearly. She was the mother of his five children and was always there for him. She helped him run his various business ventures throughout the years and they would read the Bible together every evening before retiring.
The WRAL Gardens provide the backdrop for the wedding of Raymond Burnett & Helen Gaddy.
When her illness took away that routine, his love for her helped him overcome the loss of those special moments. They were replaced with his devoted care and making sure her every need was satisfied. Upon her death, his grieving was constant and he turned to his faith to help him overcome the empty space in his life. His daughter, Hazel, would call him nightly to read the Bible with him, to help him bridge the loss and return to his routine.
In trying to bring back some structure to his life, it was revealed that he needed companionship that his children couldn't give him with their busy lives and families. When he was urged to seek someone to help fill the void left after having spent those wonderful years with Virginia, his prayers were answered
He met an old childhood friend while visiting his old home church and wrestled with the idea of making a new beginning in his life. After a series of long talks, dinner dates and church visits, he decided that the Lord was giving him a possible companion who could share his life and fill the emptiness.
After much prayer and countless discussions with his family and friends, he decided to listen to his heart and most importantly, to accept that his prayers were indeed answered.
Ms. Helen Gaddy of Spring Hope, NC graciously consented to become his wife on Saturday, May 11, 2013, in the beautiful WRAL Azalea Gardens in Raleigh, NC. Ms. Gaddy, after consulting her own five children and reflecting on her similar desire for companionship, now will share her life with a Christian man who will once again have a bible-reading partner.
The beautiful WRAL Gardens are open for visitors to enjoy during daylight hours and weddings can be booked via this tool on the WRAL Gardens website.
(Mr. Burnett is the father-in-law of WRAL-TV Producer/Director Clarence Williams, who is married to Burnetts daughter, Deborah.)
Thanks to WRAL-TV's Clarence Williams for this capcom story & for thse capcom photos.
--
POSTED: May 15, 2013
Close Window
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Steinberg DAWs now boast in-depth Tonalic integration
Celemony's innovative virtual session musician plug-in has just received an update that brings ARA...
04/06/2026
Get Hands-On With Over 20 Mic Brands
GearExpo UK is fast approaching, and if you've been looking for a chance to check out some new mics, then you'r...
04/06/2026
Combos feature new Amplifier Intelligence engine
Positive Grid's latest release sees the company introduce two new combo amplifiers that promise to offe...
04/06/2026
Is Your Job Making You Work this June?
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Launches the World Cup Watchers' Rights Association to Stand Up For Australians&...
04/06/2026
Statement regarding unauthorised use of SBS logos on third party social content
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has become aware of social media posts in c...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
89-Year-Old and 80-Year-Old Tie the Knot in the WRAL Gardens 
