Charli and Kevin Marry at Leatherwood

Leatherwood Mountain, near Boone, is a horse lovers paradise. It is also a very popular location for weddings. The beautiful grounds provide privacy, there is a lovely lodge for the wedding reception and there are many rental houses so everyone can stay on the property. Everything at one place!

  

Song of Solomon

My beloved speaks and says to me:

'Arise, my love, my fair one,

and come away;

for now the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtle dove

is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,

and the vines are in blossom;

they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one,

and come away.'

And that's exactly what Charli and Kevin did. They traveled to North Carolina to have a memorable family wedding. 

There are several wedding locations to choose from and this is one of my favorites. There's a lovely rustic arch to decorate and plenty of room on the lawn for chairs.

Charli and Kevin included a letter, wine and box ceremony. A very touching addition.

And at the end of their ceremony guests tossed blessing stones into the stream.

Wishing the newlyweds a lifetime of happiness.

Brittany and John Married at RiverMist

Although I love traveling throughout North Carolina I am always happy when couples choose to marry at our retreat center.

It was a wonderful day for Brittany and John and one they will always remember.

We began the ceremony by honoring the memory of John's parents.

After a lovely ceremony that included a unity sand ceremony
Brittany and John were ready to start kissing.

Lovely Bride.

And her family.

All smiles after the 'I dos'

 And I thank Brittany for her review on Wedding Wire.

We wanted an easy and stress-free wedding, but still wanted the elements of a traditional ceremony. Victoria made our day very special and it was more than we ever expected. She worked with us to create a ceremony that was perfect for us. 

We got married at RiverMist, and the place was amazing and absolutely beautiful! The pictures her husband took were incredible, and it is wonderful having those pictures to look back on. Both Victoria and her husband were very kind and welcoming, and made us and our few guests feel very comfortable. We are so glad that we found Victoria to officiate our wedding, and we wouldn't have wanted our wedding day any different.

Ida and Brent: Married at Chestoa View in North Carolina

Chestoa View was not Ida and Brent's first choice but as it turned out it was the perfect choice.

From the beginning their ceremony was to take place at Wiseman's View. But... after many days of rain the four mile gravel road was not an option. Because of the ruts and incline a four-wheel drive is required during normal conditions. Brent and Ida called me once they arrived in North Carolina, concerned about the conditions and were ready to have their ceremony at their rental cabin. I suggested Chestoa View, which is very similar but located directly along the Blue Ridge Parkway. They drove to the location and was extremely pleased with their 'second' choice.

The overlook is absolutely breathtaking and photos do no justice to the beautiful landscape.

Brent was hard at work setting up the cameras.

And Ida was trying to wait patiently. Some family members were delayed, having relied on their GPS, never advisable for the mountain area.

Ida's mother helped with her veil.

And Brent got a little last minute adjustment.

While waiting for their guests, many photos were taken.

Ida, still waiting patiently.

Married, and all smiles.

Everyone happy and ready to celebrate.

Brent and Ida sent me this picture. Glad he's holding on tight!

Jenny and Ross: Married at RiverMist in North Carolina

A Moment Like This

What if I told you it was all meant to be?
Would you believe me, would you agree?
It's almost that feeling that we've met before
So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy
When I tell your love has come here and now

A moment like this, some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this, some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this

Here comes the Bride.

 

Ross was happy to see Jenny for the first time in her wedding dress.

Jenny was all smiles.

She kept smiling during the entire ceremony.

And from their ceremony...

I Ross take you Jenny to be my wife
I love you. You are my best friend.
I promise to always be faithful to you
I promise to always love you and to laugh with you,
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I will even get a spider off of you
These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

I always tell couples that it's ok to add a little humor to their ceremony

Jenny and Ross chose to light a unity candle to signify their lives coming together in marriage.

Isn't Jenny's hair beautiful. Love the bling!

And they just kept kissing.

Time for their first dance as husband and wife.

Smiles, smiles and more smiles.

Lots of photos.

Time to cut the cake and....

have a little fun

And yes, they are still kissing.

Non-Traditional Vow Renewal

Be creative.... There's always a way!

I had an interesting email today. 'Can you do a vow renewal by phone'.

As it turned out, Shannon and Jason had planned to visit Asheville for their 10th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, they were unable to make the trip yet they still wanted to mark their special day.

A few emails later and we had a plan. And much better than just a phone call. Shannon and Jason renewed their vows over Skype!

 

My husband, Guy, is always such a good sport and is so supportive.  He quickly set up my 'studio' in the dining room. I love my iPad!

It was 8:30 and Jason had just gotten home from work. We chatted just a little before we started the ceremony. 

We have come together in the presence of God to celebrate your marriage and to witness the recommitment of your love for one another. A wedding is a celebration of falling in love and beginning a marriage. A Renewal of Vows is a celebration of staying in love and staying married.

 After a short prayer the ceremony continued. They were such a sweet couple and kept sneaking a little kiss here and there during the ceremony.

Thanks to the internet, Shannon and Jason were able to create a very special memory. And I am so happy that I was part of their celebration.

Wedding at Champion Hills, Hendersonville

I must admit I've never played golf but after this weekend, I may just take up the sport.

 

Isn't this beautiful? And what a wonderful backdrop for a wedding.

And the great part is, you have a wonderful view yet the wedding is held inside. 

The best of both worlds.

 This was smart planning for this past Saturday.

To be honest, when I checked the forecast for Saturday I was very happy that Stacy and Philip decided to have their ceremony inside. We were talking before the wedding and Stacy said she just didn't want the stress of worrying about the weather.

Guests were asked to sign a heart embossed plate rather than a guest register. 

What a special wedding keepsake.

Stacy was escorted by her father, who offered his blessing for her marriage to Philip.

In joining your lives may God grant you both...
Love... to afford each other a special quality of time together.
Joy...in the accomplishments of one another.
Understanding...that your interests and desires will not always be the same.
Friendship...based on mutual trust.
Courage...to speak of a misunderstanding and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun.
Compassion...to comfort each other in pain and sorrow.
Foresight...to realize rainbows follow rainy days.
Imagination...to keep with you part of the child you used to be.
Mirth...from your sense of humor.

It's always a nice touch when a family member or friend participates in the ceremony.

Love this picture. Julie, Philip's mother, is checking out the rings.

Here's the happy couple. 

And... as luck would have it. The rain stopped long enough for photos!

Tim and Melissa are Married at RiverMist

Do these guys look happy or what.....

And they had good reason. Sunday was not just a wedding day. It was a day to celebrate the joining of two families. We took a few pre-wedding photos.

Here's Tim, the groom, checking the wedding rings tied on a family bible.

Here comes Melissa, the beautiful bride.

 Tim is watching his bride, seeing her beautiful gown for the first time.

 

Lighting the unity candle was a bit of a challenge. It was a windy day and I decided it was best to use a floating candle.

 

Here's the happy family.

 Tim and Melissa looking forward to a life of love, laughter and happiness.