Family Wedding at RiverMist

Karen contacted me months ago about having a small family wedding at our retreat center. She and Michael wanted a ceremony that included her children.

It was a very tender moment as the children 'gave their blessings' for Karen to marry Michael.

As you can see, it was a very happy day.

And.... the children were happy to play on the rocks after the ceremony was over.

Wedding at Hanging Rock State Park - Kim and Jake Happily Married

After lots of hugs, Jennifer, Tate and I parted ways. They were off to celebrate with their sisters (who were their witnesses) and I was headed to Hanging Rock State Park.

I had been in the area before but this was my first time in the park. It will not be my last. This place is absolutely gorgeous. I went directly to the shelter just to make sure I knew where everything was. There I found Jake and Autumn (their 20 month old daughter) 

After talking with Jake and admiring their decorations,  I headed to the cabin to meet Kim. As with many couples, we had not met ahead of time. Brides are very busy but I love to chat 'just a little'... It also gives me a chance to ask for the marriage license. (usually the bride is in charge of the license)

                       Kim and Jake had been busy getting everything ready for their wedding and reception. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't have a beautiful wedding in a public park. Everything was perfect!

Kim and Jake put a lot of thought into their wedding. This was a clever idea. Everyone was asked to place their thumbprint on the 'family tree'. What a great wedding keepsake!

And they were very wise... They wanted to include a unity candle but this can be 'tricky' with outside weddings. (you definitely wnat your candles to stay lit, at least until the ceremony is over...) Kim and Jake had a plan.. they lit their unity candle at the reception. Problem solved!  It ended up being a looong day and I arrived back at our retreat center at 7:00pm. And yes, by then I was a little tired. But so happy to know that I helped two couples make wonderful wedding memories.

Jennifer and Tate - Married at Thunder Hill Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

May 1st, May Day, what a great day to get married! I knew Saturday was going to be a busy day traveling to two weddings but I knew they were both going to be very special... And was I ever right!

I left our retreat center at 7:00 am. Going down our driveway (about a mile long) I turned on my cell phone, GPS, iPod... opened my sunroof.... ready for a day on the road.

Jennifer and Tate contacted me several months ago about officiating their wedding. They were looking for a scenic spot somewhere around the Boone area. I suggested Thunder Hill Overlook, only a few miles from Blowing Rock. This is a very popular spot but I knew it wouldn't be crowded at 10:00am.

There is a meadow across the road which allowed us to have a very private ceremony. They wanted their feet planted firmly on the ground and not on concrete!

Jennifer told me that she was not the kind of girl who spent years planning her wedding. She definitely wanted to get married, just wasn't interested in the frills... Sometimes it's hard for family and friends to understand this and often feelings 'get hurt'.. Their families respected their decision, 'just be sure and take plenty of pictures'

I had a little surprise. I brought my HD pocket camcorder so their family will get to see the entire ceremony, thanks to their friend who videotaped their wedding.

Even a small wedding can be stressful and you can almost feel the tension leave once the couple are pronounced 'husband and wife'.

A little 'thumbs up' for the happy newlyweds!

Private weddings at RiverMist

I’m afraid I’ve gotten behind on my wedding blog. With spring weddings and a new grandson on the way… there are just not enough hours in the day. I will try to catch up a little….

St. Patrick's Day can be a fun time to get married. Like many couples Stacy and Justin wanted a very private ceremony. Stacy had already purchased a new green dress for her wedding before they decided on the date. How appropriate to wear green on this day!

Although they did not want an "Irish" wedding we did incorporate a few traditions. I included an Irish wedding blessing in their ceremony and I also had a special surprise gift for Stacy.

There is an Irish tradition that it is good luck for the bride to carry (or wear) a horseshoe on her wedding day. My daughter wanted to wear one on her wedding day, so I ordered an extra one...

The new Mr.and Mrs.   Don't they look happy!

Tina and Chris were also married at RiverMist in March. As part of their ceremony we included a water unity ceremony. Tina had yellow colored water and Chris had blue colored water.

At the appropriate time they poured their water into a single vase, creating the color green. There are so many ways to make a ceremony special (and unique). Don't ever settle for a 'one size fits all'... 'cookie-cutter' ceremony.

When couples get married here I like to give them a little private time immediately following the ceremony. Guy was quick with the camera as Tina and Chris took advantage of their first minutes alone as husband and wife.

Tina and Chris had a few guests and wanted to celebrate after their wedding. Cake and cider receptions are available upon request.

         A toast to many, many years of happiness together!

Jessica and Matt - Family wedding in Asheville

Jessica and Matt had a fun wedding at Matt's parent's home. Home weddings can be very elegant or 'laid-back' and casual. Jessica and Matt chose both! Their wedding took place in a small community park that Matt's parent's maintain for the enjoyment of other residents. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous!

After lots of photographs, Jessica and Matt were happy to change into comfortable clothes and begin their reception 'picnic'.

Doesn't this look like fun! What a great way to have a spring wedding!

Lacie and Jon Marry at Homewood in Asheville

April can be a little early for a mountain wedding. Lacie and Jon were wise to plan an indoor wedding. The weather had been very warm for several days but there was a 'cold snap' on April 9th, the day of their wedding.

Homewood in Asheville, has a beautiful outdoor and indoor location. Lacie and Jon's wedding took place in the Piano Room, in front of a beautiful rock fireplace.

Lacie and Jon included Blessing Stones as part of their ceremony. They had fun shopping for just the right gemstones.

These were placed on the programs. At the beginning of the ceremony I explained the significance of the stones.

We also included an elemental ring blessing (air, earth, fire and water) I have some very special 'props' that I am happy to provide.

Dad signed the marriage license. It' all legal now, 'a done deal'...

                  And here's the newly married couple.
                      So happy to finally be married!

Drew & Kara marry at RiverMist

We have some really special weddings at RiverMist. This past weekend was no exception. Kara and Drew traveled from Tennessee. Well, actually Drew traveled quite a bit farther..(about 7,000 miles) to get married here and spend their honeymoon in Asheville.

I was a little concerned about the weather. Earlier in the week there was no prediction of snow. However, we woke up Saturday morning to 4 inches of snow. The roads were fine and the snow just added to the beauty of the drive. Drew had not seen snow in a while so he was very happy…

Since they were traveling, Drew arranged for flowers, cake, champagne, keepsake glasses, and a ‘take-along’ cheese basket. As always, I had fun shopping for everything and each item was hand selected.

After we talked a little, Drew and Kara changed into their wedding clothes. Keeping with tradition, Kara did not want Drew to see her wedding dress until immediately before the ceremony. As you can see from his face, he was overwhelmed when she walked around the corner.

I think the ceremony was a little more emotional than they expected. They were both happy to sit and 'catch their breath'.

Drew couldn't resist the snow and   had to have a few pictures taken outside. What a gentleman... he didn't want his new bride to ruin her beautiful shoes!

What a lucky couple... their 'first' honeymoon in Asheville... then in April another honeymoon in Greece!

Many, many adventures await these two… (hold on tight, Kara!)

Today (3/1) I received an email that I must share:
Victoria, We cannot begin to express our gratitude to you and Guy for the lovely ceremony you arranged for Kara and me. I never imagined I would marry so I had no idea what my wedding would look like. Our ceremony at Rivermist was all we expected and more.

The most overwhelming part was trying to narrow down all the options you provided us. I had seen my siblings go through the whole church/wedding/guest nightmare and was so thrilled that all I had to concentrate on that day was how lucky I was to be marrying the most wonderful woman in the world.

You were able to assimilate and accommodate requests from both of us while managing to create a sense of peace, serenity, and flow to the ceremony. Everything was absolutely perfect, I would only have asked for more snow (not your department)!
For couples who desire a quiet, intimate ceremony where the main focus is each other, I would highly recommend looking into Rivermist. It was undoubtedly the single most wonderful day of our lives to date.  Sincerely and with best regards,
Kara and Drew Clippard