Katie and Matt’s Garden wedding at Biltmore Estate

Katie and Matt’s garden wedding is the second part of our back-to-back Biltmore Estate real wedding features. The gorgeous, historic venue offers an incredibly scenic location as well as awesome photographic opportunities and we love the way it acts as a beautiful platform for a variety of event styles. Katie and Matt’s wedding is a colorful outdoor garden party design by wedding planner Weddings with Tara. Two Buds and a Blossom created the lovely florals and beautiful table garland for the intimate family-style reception tablescape. We’re loving the punchy, bright blue suit for the groom and the vintage-inspired BHLDN gown for the bride. Really though, it’s the way Rachael McIntosh Photography captured their smiles and the details of the day that have us swooning.

What made the wedding special and unique?

Having our wedding at the Biltmore was absolutely amazing. Everything about the Biltmore is so classic and timeless. We thought everything about our day was perfect!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

My wedding dress was from the BHLDN website. Since our wedding and reception were both outside, I wanted to choose a dress that would look appropriate for a garden wedding. I also wanted something that was simple and had a vintage look to it—but I wanted to look like myself and feel comfortable. Most people are shocked that I ordered my dress from a website, but I had a great experience ordering from BHLDN. I am crazy about their wedding dress designs and styles. I love how beautiful and effortless looking they are.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We only had around 30 people attend our wedding—all family! Having a small wedding with just our families made everything feel so personal and intimate. Also, the diamond in my engagement ring was the diamond in my mom’s engagement ring. My parents have been married for 30 years and have been such an amazing example to me of what a loving, respectful, and happy marriage is. My grandmother gave my dad that diamond for my mom’s engagement ring, but before that the diamond had belonged to several other members of our family.  It has a lot of history!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

There are so many memorable parts of the day! It’s hard to choose. I would say the most memorable part was seeing Matt for the first time. When I saw him, I knew marrying him was going to be the best decision I could ever make. Another memorable part of the evening was when my dad made his speech after our reception dinner. He is the first love of my life and my best friend. We have a very special relationship. We were both a mess during that speech!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Matt and I were neighbors—he lived in the apartment across from mine. Four years after we met, we got engaged during a early morning walk on the beach in Florida. Neither of us can really remember what exactly happened or what was said, because it was such a blur of excitement and happiness for both of us. We still laugh about how we’re still not really sure about what Matt said when asked me to marry him and what I said back!

Photographer: Rachael McIntosh Photography // Planner: Weddings with Tara // Floral Design: Two Buds and a Blossom // Venue + Catering: Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC // Gown: BHLDN // Rolls: Elite Limousine // Hair + Makeup: Lola Salon & Gallery // Film Processing: Photovision