This intimate fall wedding took place in the mountains of Western North Carolina on the most beautiful day. A mountain wedding was the perfect choice for Carrie and Jonathan, being that the two were engaged at summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park after a 14 hour hike! Asheville Event Co. planned an intimate and warm wedding day for the two and their guests, and it was all captured by Almond Leaf Studios.
From Carrie:
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding.
Since we met in North Carolina and felt that so much of who we are as individuals and as a couple came to life when we were at Duke University and in Durham, it was incredibly meaningful for us to celebrate our wedding back in North Carolina. From the beginning, we envisioned an intimate event—so intimate that we continued to refer to the wedding reception as a ‘dinner party’ for our dearest family and friends. We knew we wanted the atmosphere to carry the warmth, from our favorite season—autumn, as well as elegance and simplicity which allowed the outdoor view and mountain scenery to simply speak for itself.
Why a Mountain Wedding?
Jonathan and I each have a passion for being outside—cycling, running, hiking—and autumn is one of our favorite seasons. We love cool temperatures and warm sun, the sounds of a cool breeze and leaves blowing and dining on the best of the season like elegant red wine and wonderfully colorful root vegetables at their peak. Autumn in the mountains is one of our favorite times of the year, and after living and meeting in North Carolina, it felt like a perfect place and a perfect time to visit, to celebrate and the best of ways to share our favorite things with those we love.
What are three things you’re glad you did?
1. Group hike the day before the wedding. Nearly half of our wedding guests showed up to hike Whiteside Mountain in Cashiers with us on Friday morning. It was so fun, casual and refreshing—what a way to enjoy the autumn mountains, share an amazing view with our guests, and spend a little more time with the people we love. 2. To-go-boxes and a journal. Canyon Kitchen surprised us with to-go boxes at the end of the reception, full of another full round of appetizers, dinner, dessert, cake—and champagne. When Jonathan and I got back to our suite at the Old Edwards Inn, we stayed up for hours—relaxing in our pjs, snacking, enjoying champagne and writing in a journal, together, our favorite anecdotes and memories from the day. We didn’t want to forget, and we figured right then was better than ever to relive it all again and write it down! 3. Just us. Immediately after the ceremony, we walked back to the Lonesome Valley Welcome House on the property to reset and take pictures. Guests made their way to cocktails, our photographers were resetting and so on, at that moment, Jonathan pulled me aside into an adjacent room all by ourselves. For about 5 minutes, it was JUST us. We posted a Best Man at the door to keep others out. We were just married, and we had few precious moments to enjoy exclusively by ourselves and wanted to embrace and appreciate what just happened. THEN, it was back to photos, food, and celebration!
What are 3 things you wished you hadn’t done or hadn’t worried about?
There isn’t anything that we wish we hadn’t done. We worried about opting for a casual farewell on Sunday morning versus a formal brunch, but it turned out to be simply perfect. We hosted a “stop by for coffee and pastry” at a local coffee shop, and it turned out to be a lovely and easy way to see our family and friends one more time! And collect a few more memories and laughs. And importantly, we got everyone appropriately caffeinated and sugared for their travels home.
How did you find your vendors?
We found vendors a variety of ways: wedding planner recommendations, our own research, friend recommendations. But really the most important part was talking with, video chat in most cases, with each of the vendors before making a selection. We really wanted these people to understand us, to embrace our vision and to be part of our celebration, so having that conversation and connection to each of these people was so important.
North Carolina Mountain Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Almond Leaf Studios | Ceremony Venue: Lonesome Valley | Reception Venue: Canyon Kitchen | Event Planning: Asheville Event Co. | Floral: Floressence Flowers | Videography: Almond Leaf Studios | Ceremony Musicians: Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet | Wedding Cake: Sugar Cloud Baking Company | Rentals: Professional Party Rentals | Ceremony Musicians: Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet | Hair: AnaRie Hair & Makeup | Makeup: AnaRie Hair & Makeup | Stationery: Brown Fox Calligraphy | Wedding Dress: Amsale | Groom’s Attire: Ted Baker | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaid Dresses: Monique L’Huillier | Engagement Ring: Susie Saltzman | Wedding Ring: Susie Saltzman | Submitted via: Matchology