A Mountain Top Wedding With A Little Rain and A Lot of Color!
Boy, do I love when a color palette completely surrounds a bouquet! What I love, even more, is when they are bright and colorful like these florals, beautifully crafted by Floressence Flowers. Not only did they deliver for the bride's bouquet but they created the most stunning reception installation at The Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club. While a bit of a rainstorm delayed their ceremony, it made for the best mountainside images by Perry Vaile Photography! Take a peek below, and check out Hart to Hart Media's video of the couple's dreamy day!
From the Bride...Sam and I met on my first day of work in mid-July of 2013. Our firms, his real estate, and mine marketing shared office space at the time (and still do today!). Our friendship was platonic for two and a half years until one evening at a post-work happy hour, we found ourselves effortlessly chatting the night away and made all excuses to extend our time together. From that night on, our relationship was fast and fun.Sam will die claiming he fell in love the moment he saw me. Cute of him, but we really sealed the deal over pitchers of Shiner Bock at Milo Butterfingers, a windowless dive bar in Dallas. My mom had sent me the NY Times article that received some attention that year, The 36 Questions That Lead to Love. I shamelessly suggested we try it out. We sat in a grungy booth laughing and listening to each other for nearly three hours. If there was any doubt before, it was gone. That night confirmed it - we had both found our match.
Fast-forward two short years. Sam proposed, and unknown to me, I planned the engagement celebration - he’s clever like that. His July birthday offered the perfect excuse to gather friends on a Friday night at, you guessed it, Milo Butterfingers (his idea). He proposed at our house a few hours before the celebration was set to begin. It was quiet, sweet, and casual. He followed protocol by getting down on one knee and delivering some unforgettable words. I said, ‘yes’. We laughed, I cried, we Facetimed with our families, ate pizza and drank champagne before heading to Sam’s birthday party to share the big news with the rest of our friends. Note: Sam never told anyone his plan, which made for a night full of surprises all around.We quickly narrowed our sights on a wedding in the North Carolina mountains, a corner of the world near and dear to both of us. I grew up in Charlotte and have spent summers in the mountains since childhood. Sam fell in love with the area early on in our relationship, and we could not pass up the opportunity to bring our friends and family from Texas and Nebraska together to experience everything it has to offer. An activity-filled guest experience was high on our priority list, so we planned hikes and played golf in the days leading up to the wedding. I even spent the morning of our wedding day on Lake Glenville with my dad and a few close friends.
We knew we wanted to get married outdoors with a long-range mountain view, and the 18th tee box at Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club was certainly one of the most dramatic places we saw. At the edge of an elevated and exposed ridge, it delivered nearly 360-degree mountain views. For the ceremony and reception, we envisioned a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere that was classic and elegant but with a colorful twist. I have always been drawn to bright, happy colors and knew I wanted that to come through the floral. The team at Floressence Flowers took my inspiration and crafted a stunning floral and moss-topped alter for the ceremony, along with my favorite part – a matching asymmetrical bouquet. The blush tones mixed with the vibrant pinks and oranges created a beautiful contrast against the blues and greens of the mountain backdrop.
The weather was pristine all weekend, warmer than anticipated, sunny, not a cloud in the sky. That is, until 20 minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle. Without warning, as can be the case in the mountains, the skies opened up and it poured. Lightning, thunder, a little hail, and plenty of rain. The storm ultimately delayed our ceremony by an hour. We laughed and used the extra time to snap a few photos while our guests enjoyed a bonus cocktail hour. The rain cleared leaving a misty landscape and dramatic sky, all of which were captured by our immensely talented and hilarious photographer, Perry Vaile.Our cocktail-style reception was on a grass lawn under a sailcloth tent. The entry path was lined with lanterns and the space was filled with café lights and candles. Hanging floral installations framed the dance floor, which Sam and I did not leave all night long. We made our exit in a flurry of white confetti and rode slowly to Old Edwards Inn in the back of a white 1980s Excalibur Phaeton. With the top-down under the star-filled sky, it was the perfect end to a weekend we will never forget!
About Floressence Flowers...Floressence is a floristry studio based in western North Carolina that specializes in floral design for weddings, rehearsal dinners and special occasions. Our work brings us to the most elegant and inspiring venues in North Carolina and beyond. At Floressence, we create from a deep sense of place. The mountains of western North Carolina and its lush biodiversity supply our designers with a surplus of inspiration and seasonal touches, the abundance we use to conjure your dream aesthetic. Our deeply personal approach paired with our talented team of designers and exquisite flowers conspire to create your most unforgettable moment. Surpassing expectations is our baseline.
Photographer : Perry Vaile Photography | Videographer: Hart to Heart Media | Floral Design: Floressence Flowers | Cake: Sugar Cloud Baking Company | Catering: Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club | Hair and Makeup : Blush By Wendy | Band: Sol Fusion | Officiant: Darr Conradson | Wedding Venue: Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club | Ceremony Musician: Asheville String Trio | Event Rentals: Professional Party Rentals | Event Rentals : Classic Event Rental | Linens: Nuage Designs | Wedding Planners: Asheville Event Co.