Family connections brought Mary and James to the decision of western North Carolina for their destination wedding. The day was romantic, loose, and rustic at Bear Lake Reserv. We’re loving the mountain-floral theme in the playful stationery illustrations by GL Invitation Design and we’re especially attracted to the gorgeous raspberry hues in the florals by I Do Events Atlanta. Our friends and Grey Collective member Live View Studios captured the day beautifully in these lovely photographs. Enjoy!
Our wedding was in the western North Carolina mountains at Bear Lake Reserve. When we first started planning we knew that we wanted our wedding to be an opportunity for our friends and family to take a weekend away to relax, celebrate, and enjoy the mountains and lake. My family is from the south (Georgia and Virginia) while James’ family is mostly from western New York, with our college friends mostly located in Pennsylvania so the event was going to be a “destination wedding” for everyone. We chose Bear Lake Reserve because my family has had a house there for the past 4 summers and it has become a special place for James and me. I chose blush pink bridesmaid dresses, tying in the green and blue from the lake and trees with flowers and other details. The accent color that I chose was Marsala, appearing in the bridesmaids’ bouquets and the ties/bowties that we had custom made for the groom, groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers, brothers of the bride, and minister. The style/general aesthetic can be describes as romantic, loose and flowy, and rustic.
The things that we prioritized while planning were photos, flowers, and location. It was very important that the actual event be a fun and relaxing weekend and the way that we made sure that goal was achieved is through custom welcome baskets that each household received upon arriving on property. Inside the baskets was an assortment of goodies that represented James and me: homemade granola, a curated “mixed tape” CD, candy, and a schedule of the weekend’s events. We wanted the wedding to be a reflection of the two of us but most important that our guests have a great time celebrating with us.
My favorite moment was when James and I got to sneak away from the reception and just have a moment on the beach with Brent. It resulted in the most amazing photos but it was nice to just have a moment to breath and escape the mingling. I also LOVED our first look. Just having that time before the chaos started was such a treasure for me.
Photography: Live View Studios // Florals: I Do Events Atlanta // Stationery: GL Invitation Design // Venue and Catering: Bear Lake Reserve // Cake and Dessert Table: Ruth and Ranshaw // Wedding Dress: Catherine Deane at BHLDN // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo at BHLDN // Hair: Amy Butcher // Makeup: Jessica Marston // Men’s Neckwear: Neck & Tie Co. // Getting Ready Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar