Posts Tagged ‘North Carolina wedding’
A Romantic Wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Sarah & Emanuel recited their vows surrounded by the lush mountain forest in Highlands, North Carolina. Sarah is an English teacher and huge book nerd so she incorporated her favorite books into the centerpieces. Emanuel is from Chicago so Sarah had custom cufflinks made for him from tokens used for the Chicago metro train.
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Lauren Rosenau Photography | Event Planner: Meagan Warren Weddings | Floral Designer: Floressence | DJ: Partytime | Makeup Artist: Who’s The Fairest? Artist Agency | Venue: The Farm at Old Edwards Inn
A Secret Garden Wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains
From the bride, Nicole: The Blue Ridge Mountains hold a special place in our heart, my husband proposed to me in Banner Elk, North Carolina and before we ever even thought about marriage, I knew I wanted to be married in a place that fills with me awe every time I am there.
I wanted my flowers to be very lush and romantic, reminiscent of the Secret Garden, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett that I loved as a child.
The ceremony was by far the favorite part of my wedding day. Turning the corner with my father and seeing my soon-to-be husband with this breathtaking backdrop behind him was undoubtedly a moment I will never forget. The first time I locked eyes with my husband as I walked down the aisle was the best part of my day!
I really wanted my flowers, greenery and centerpieces to add a feminine touch to the wood and stone that dominated the venue decor.
The reception was a blur of well-wishers and hugs and dancing.
Looking back, if there was anything I could go back and re-do about my wedding day, I would have hired a professional wedding-day coordinator. The day of any wedding is so busy for the bride, and to have someone who can handle all the little details so that the bride can enjoy every moment of the day, is, I think, very important. I had my sister-in-law be my wedding day coordinator, and looking back, I think that was unfair for her because my future sister wasn’t able to truly enjoy the day her little brother got married.
RECOMMENDED VENDORS:
Photographer: Ellen LeRoy Photography // Floral Designer: Fuschia Moss Floral Design // Venue: Beech Mountain Club // Makeup Artist: Beautiful Bride on Location // Hair Stylist: Do or Dye // Cake:Ugga Mugga Bakery
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You Are My Sunshine
From the bride, Beverly:
My mom had been vacationing in Cashiers for 20+ years. My mom passed away suddenly from cancer three years ago and I wanted to feel close to her spirit. There is nothing prettier than the vistas and backdrops of being in the mountains. Just being outside in the mountains with God’s creation puts me in a good mood.
In lieu of bridesmaids (other than my two daughters), I elected to have my seven closest friends “randomly” stand up from their seats and recite the LOVE verses from I Cor 13. It brought the audience into the ceremony and felt like my friends were speaking words of scripture directly to us.
Ray and I decided not only would I walk down, but we would leave as husband and wife, to “You Are My Sunshine” – a song my mom sang to my girls when they were babies and we discovered Ray’s mom had done the same with him.
I loved that Ray and I, with my girls, led the procession of our guests from the ceremony site along a streamer lined gravel path to the barn, where the reception was held.
My advice: ENJOY this time as an engaged couple and planning of the wedding together, as a couple. Then choose a well experienced and local wedding planning to coordinate your ideas.
Beverly & Raymond’s
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Venue: Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley. The best natural setting around the area.
Event Planner/Designer: Elizabeth Fletcher, I DO Events Atlanta. She is so much more than your typical wedding coordinator…..she is a creative planner that can help you bring all your ideas into a singular event. Plus, having the been in so many aspects of wedding planning, she has a myriad of contacts for absolutely anything you may need.
Photographer: Marisu Wehrenberg and Shannah Montgomery of Zoomworks Photography. They were fantastic to work with…..loved having two there the entire day, as they got great angles.
Band: The Boomers. Vaughn and David rocked, literally, and even lent their Christian song writing and acoustic voices for our ceremony.
Lighting: Get Lit Special Event Lighting. Dave Watson was fabulous.
Florist: Rooms in Bloom Flowers. Paul was beyond wonderful to work with, and I just loved the finished product.
Wedding Gown Designer: Monique Lhuillier…adored my dress…..best splurge ever!
Hair Stylist: Joel Jacovino, Salon Muse.
Honeymoon Location: Oia, Santorini, Greece…..BEST location for a honeymoon….so romantic.
A Wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains
From the bride, Donna:
I find such joy in God’s landscape and serenity in the nature that unfolds across the Blue Ridge Mountains. I truly feel ‘at home’ here. Neither one of us could imagine pledging our love, devotion, respect and trust to one another anywhere but in these mountains.
Wrapped around my bouquet, I carried a handkerchief of my great great grandmother. My mother also carried this same handkerchief in her wedding.
It had rained earlier in the day. But when the music began (Bridal March by Jonathan Cain – a beautiful rendition for an outdoor wedding) and my father started walking me out across the lawn, the sun came out and provided the most stunning view as I approached the love of my life. 
We tailored our ceremony to reflect the blending of our lives. It was very personal and not only did we live and experience each word but so did our guests. We also incorporated a reading, which was an excerpt of a letter written by Kent Nerburn to his son (‘Why people fall in love’ – which is where we got the theme of ‘love is a gift’). We coupled that with exchanging of love letters written to one another. We will open these on our 5th wedding anniversary.
The tables had burlap covering a table cloth, each had indigenous flowers with various decorations (i.e. old books, vases, bird cages). The table settings represented different stoneware and china created from the 1950’s through the 1980’s. Multi-colored cloth napkins were a nice accompaniment.
I wish I could have slowed down time. Many people told me that the day would go by so quickly and to enjoy every moment.
My advice:
-Think about what is really important to you as a couple and personalize your special day to incorporate those things. You will be happy and your guests will also experience those special customizations.
-Hire a planner or have someone help you plan the event.
-Have someone in charge for the day of your wedding. As the bride, you should concentrate on feeling beautiful and preparing for your ceremony. You need to enjoy every minute and not feel any stress!
-Hire a good photographer to capture all those special moments. The photos will be remembered and cherished for a lifetime.
Donna’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photographer: Fletcher & Fletcher Photography. They are incredible to work with, have great ‘eyes’, and their photographs exceeded our expectations.
Venue & Caterer & Lodging: Crestwood Resort & Spa. Fantastic destination. Beautiful views inside and out. FANTASTIC staff and service!
Event Planner: CeCe Hampton Wedding Planning & Design. Phenomenal. Great ideas, patient, works well within a budget and has connections with great vendors.
Florist and Design: Events by Elisabeth Ashley // Cake: Hallmark Cakes // DJ: Anything Music // Tent & Party Rentals: Boone Rent All and Party Reflections // Dinnerware: Miss Match Rentals // Gown: David’s Bridal // Men’s Wear: Men’s Wearhouse
Surrounded by Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Willow & Paul | May 19th | Black Mountain, North Carolina
From the bride, Willow:
We wanted a venue that showed off the natural beauty of the area, so our guests, who were all traveling from out of town, would really be able to feel outside of their everyday. We also wanted a blank canvas that we could make our own and a venue with at least some lodging on site. My family and oldest friends are mostly from the Chicago area, Paul’s are largely from New Jersey, and we live in Brooklyn. It’s not very common for everyone we love to be in the same place at the same time, and we wanted to provide the stage for that kind of togetherness.
My favorite décor element was the doors. I had originally envisioned an indoor wedding, so the theme of the décor was “outside in and inside out.” We had eight antique, off-white doors installed in an open field to create a somewhat structured aisle from the door of the tent to the actual aisle at the ceremony site. It ended up giving the space a fanciful, Alice in Wonderland, feel. The florist added a chandelier on a wood stump and terrariums for centerpieces which also played up the indoor/outdoor theme.
My absolute favorite detail was my dress. I loved my dress. It was a ballgown with a contemporary, artistic, and vintage edge. I’d already tried on a bunch of dresses, and when I tried this one it felt perfect.
The place cards, which turned out perfect, were my obligatory, patience-testing DIY project. I rented a late-1960s vintage typewriter, typed out names and table number onto manila shipping tags, and tied ribbons on to them in colors that represented the attendees’ chosen entrées. It looked vintage, natural and elegant.
The best thing about our wedding was being with the people we love, and feeling their love and their support of us. Everyone who attended went out of their way to share our big day with us. Without them there none of the details would have mattered.
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photography: Whitmeyer Photography // Event Planner: Shay Brown Events // Venue: Lake Eden // Floral Design: Flora Event and Floral Design // Catering: Black Eyed Susan Catering // Music: Sound Extreme Entertainment // Bakery: Short Street Cakes // Hair Stylist: Cody’s Wedding Creations
From the Magazine: Escape to Asheville
From the Magazine: Escape to Asheville
From the pages of the Premiere Issue, here’s a preview of a beautiful rustic chic destination wedding held in the mountains of North Carolina. With a nature-inspired color palette and lots of personalized details, we are pretty sure this wedding will inspire you to plan a mountaintop celebration!
