2018 Spring Summer I Do!

I Do! Spring / Summer 2018

Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide

The

Adventure Begins 9 Beautiful Real Carolina Weddings

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Featured Brides OCTOBER 22, 2016

Ashli & Ryan

Wedding MAGIC!

JULY 29, 2017

Melanie & Robert German Beer Hall

JUNE 17, 2017

Katie & Patrick

10

Country Club Classic

AUGUST 19, 2017

15 Mandy & Sam

Cheers to the Mountains

SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

18 Cristi & Adam

Whimsical Garden Party

September 24, 2017

26 Megan & David

French got the Broad

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Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide

It was nine years ago when we published the first issue of I Do! Along with this issue, we will have featured photographs from over 100 real brides. Thank you to all of the brides who have shared their love stories with our readers.

If you would like your wedding to be featured in the 2018 Fall / Winter edition of I Do!, please email us at writer@ sophiemagazine.com.

Cover photo by JCM Photography

October 14, 2017

Karina & Chris Intimate Getaway

NOVEMBER 18, 2017

32 Leah & Dan

Mix of Rustic and Modern

January 9, 2018

(Pictured on cover)

35 Kaitlin & Theodore Adventure Elopement

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I Do!

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Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide general manager/PUBLISHER

Patricia Martin Betts IT/PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jeff Ruminski creative EDITOR

Samantha Blankenship Creative Services

David Denton Randy Whittington Advertising Consultants

Pam Hensley Rick Jenkins Rose Lunsford CIRCULATION manager

Sam Howell

To advertise in the 2018 Fall/Winter edition of I Do!, Please call 828.274.8888 ext. 310 or e-mail editor@sophiemagazine.com.

Sophie Magazine Asheville Office Park 31 College Place • Asheville, NC 28803 828.274.8888 I Do!, a publication of Sophie Magazine, has accepted contributions which may not reflect the opinion of the publisher. No portion of I Do! may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

Attention Brides: Share your wedding in

I Do!

™

Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide

For details, call 828.274-8888 ext. 328 or email writer@sophiemagazine.com 8 | 2018 Spring / Summer I Do!

2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 9

I

Ashli and Ryan

drive a truck for a living, which means I listen to the radio constantly. Star 104.3 in Asheville was having a contest where someone could win tickets to see the band MAGIC! at the Orange Peel. One day I played the game and won two tickets. I at the time was single, so I put it out there on Facebook that I had an extra ticket if anyone was interested in going. At that time a friend of mine contacted me and said one of her girl friends was wanting to go but tickets were sold out, so I said she could definitely have my ticket. Once I looked her up on Facebook I couldn’t believe how stunning she was and had to meet her. So I sent her a message telling her about the ticket which she accepted. And we started dating after that.

Our Engagement: Ashli has a very tight family, and every single year for 25 years her entire family has met at St. Pete Beach in Florida to have a family vacation. There is always about 40+ family members of hers there. Her cousin and I became good friends once Ashli and I started dating. After 6 months I decided she was the one, so Ashli's cousin and I coordinated that I was going to propose on the beach in front of her entire family. He gathered the family on the beach and I proposed right at sunset in front of her whole family and of course she said “yes.”

She was so shocked I had to ask her 3 times before getting a yes out of her.

Our Wedding: Our wedding was October 22, 2016 at a place in Marshall, North Carolina called The Lodge at Bear River. It took almost 2 years to plan. We had around 100 people.

We also had a huge wedding party — eight bridesmaids and a groomsman. My wife is always late to everything, and I told her before the wedding I bet you will be late LOL, and she was about 30 minutes late. Our wedding was also outside, and it was only about 60° that day with the wind blowing — very memorable to say the least. Also during our wedding we coordinated with Ashli's sister's girlfriend at the time to have her propose to her sister during our reception. It was a very memorable moment.

Top 5 Favorite Moments:

1 When I saw my stunning bride for the first time it literally took my breathe away.

2 Seeing my beautiful daughter come down the isle as a flower girl

3 Watching my brides sister get engaged at our reception

4 Seeing my mother cry in happiness for the first time ever

5 The moment I shared with my best friend/best man of 18 years

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Bride: Ashli Nicole Drawdy • Groom: Ryan Daniel Gunter Photographer: Ashley Youngblood • Venue: The Lodge at Bear River • Caterer: Little Pigs BbQ

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Katie and Patrick

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atrick and I met the way most people meet today – online! I had been hesitant to do any type of online dating, but figured I could try it for a few weeks. If it didn’t work, I could just delete my profile. Patrick and I matched about three weeks in. We met at Dean & DeLuca for drinks. Drinks turned into dinner — about three hours worth of conversation. We saw each other two more times that week. We both knew we had found something special.

I had a feeling Patrick was going to propose, I just didn’t know when. The day before Easter he told me we needed to go to Wing Haven (a garden and bird sanctuary in Charlotte) to buy his mom a

plant for Easter. When we arrived he told me the plant was in the back of the garden. It was raining and I did not want my hair to frizz! I wasn’t thrilled about walking around in the rain. As we were walking through the garden, he stopped under a pergola and got down on one knee. I have no idea what he said, but my answer was Yes! Patrick had a bottle of champagne stashed behind a tree. We sat on a bench, drank the champagne and tried to soak in what just happened. After we left Patrick said we were going to Dresslers for dinner. Little did I know both of our entire families were at the restaurant waiting for us. It was so fun to celebrate our two families becoming one!

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Breakfast: The morning of my wedding, I had room service in my suite. It was the only time I had alone time the entire day. It gave me a chance to collect my thoughts and focus on the day head.

2 Getting Ready: My bridesmaids and I got ready in the women’s

locker room at the county club. The locker room is two stories and had the perfect set up. I gave everyone matching robes which was perfect for lounging and getting hair and makeup done. We sipped champagne and just had some “girl time” before the big moment.

3 The Doors Opening: Patrick and I are very traditional, so we

were against any type of first look. The first time he saw me that day was the moment the doors opened.

4 Dinner For Two: Patrick and I decided to sneak off to a small

room and eat before we mingled with our guests at the reception.

All my married friends warned us we would never eat unless we intentionally went into another room. It was nice to talk to each other uninterrupted.

5 Dancing: One of our top priorities was a good band. A band

can make or break your reception! We wanted a mix of classic songs and current hits. Our band had everyone on the dance floor – young and old! I love going back and looking at pictures of the dance floor. Cracks us up!

Bride: Katie Busch • Groom: Daniel Patrick Davis IV Photographer: Katy Cook • Church: Biltmore United Methodist Church • Reception: Biltmore Forest County Club Flowers: Hendersonville Flower Market • TENT: Classic Event Rentals • Transportation: The Trolley Company Band: FlashBack the Party Band • Cake: Biltmore Forest County Club • Hair and Makeup: Who’s the Fairest

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Melanie and Robert

R

obert and I have a pretty long history together. We actually met while studying abroad in Germany in 2008. We were the first two off the plane and had a beer at 7:30 in the morning. It was love at first sight! While we didn’t date directly after this trip, there was a definite attraction, and what's interesting is though we went to the same college (UNCW) and were both History majors, we never had another class together and would never have met if it weren't for that trip. After Germany we remained friends and went on several dates but never quite got the timing right until 2012, Robert’s grandfather had recently died and Robert sent me a message on Facebook talking about the hole in his life. This message turned into a phone call, and within a week I went to Charlotte, NC to visit and within 5 months we were living together. We have always been lucky that life seemed to put us together early, and allowed us to reconnect often. Robert often says that the last gift he ever received from his Grandfather was another chance with me.

Proposal: I should have known Robert was going to ask me to marry him when we went to Aruba in June of 2016. I remember trying to get some candy out of his bag while we were on the airplane, and he freaked out about me looking through his stuff. Later I found out that’s where he had the ring! After a sunset cruise, Robert tried to take me to a nice restaurant, but all I wanted was pizza.

Afterwards we took a walk along the beach and I noticed that Robert seemed to be insistent on stopping and taking a break by the water.

Robert had brought a miniature statue of the Bremer Stadtmusikanten, a callback to our time in Germany. He also brought German Beer and put on “our song.” Robert dropped to one knee and told me how much he loved me and how he wanted me to spend my life with him. I immediately said YES! Wedding Day: Robert and I were married July 29th, 2017 at Oskar Blues REEB Ranch in the mountains of North Carolina. For a July wedding we couldn't have asked for better weather, sunny and in the 70’s. Mother nature really cooperated for us. Our Ceremony was set in front of a 1940’s log cabin (built by German POW’s, we really like Germany!), with a bridge over a creek creating the aisle, next to the ceremony site were two 70-foot waterfalls.

After the vows, we had a food truck with custom soft pretzels to represent Germany, and the main meal was pit smoked Carolina Bar-BQue with local craft beer. The reception was held on site in the rustic barn along the creek.

Our families helped create our dream German Beer Hall, with family style seating, lush florals table runners, and consignment beer steins and wine glasses. We ended the night dancing together, and having a bonfire with all our guests.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Seeing each other for the first time. I am so in love with my wife

that I was honestly worried that after I saw her I wouldn’t be able to stop crying. Melanie purposely had me face the other direction until she reached the aisle. Seeing her was the most breathtaking experience I have ever had, and I was blown away at how beautiful my bride was.

2 Having our closest friends participate in our wedding (officiant

and readers) we were so lucky to have our best friends stand next to us as we took our vows. Robert and I each had a childhood friend do a reading, and another best friend was our officiant. It couldn't have been more meaningful or perfect.

3 Hiking barefoot up to a waterfall right after the ceremony

together. Part of the reason we chose our venue was the twin waterfalls next to the ceremony site. After our vows we walked up there together to just take in the excitement and the beauty of the day.

4 Dinner at the cabin together, just being able to enjoy the first

moments of married life alone. Our vendor brought our meal up, and it was so nice to sit and laugh and talk and honestly just look at each other. It really allowed us to spend some quality time on a day that is so hectic.

5 Having bonfire with all our friends and guests, partying the night away. We wanted a German style beer garden atmosphere at our wedding and set up lawn games like cornhole. We also wanted to have a big bonfire and, it was so nice for our families and friends to mingle around the fire and dance.

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Bride: Melanie Kriksciun • Groom: Robert Jolley Photographer: inspired life Photography (brittany sisk) • Venue: Oskar Blues Reeb Ranch Cocktail Hour: Bretzel Bus (Matthew, 828.702.1089 Underground Baking) • Caterer: CHUB Wagon, Oskar Blues • Beer: Oskar Blues Tasting Room Rehearsal Dinner: Haus Heidelberg • Hair and Makeup: Adorn Salon & Boutique • Rentals: Rent All • Ceremony Musician : Jordan Okrend

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Mandy and Sam

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am and I met when we were 15 years old in driver's ed at Cary High School. Sam always says that he remembers the very first time he saw me — walking into the first day of driver's ed with a Starbucks late, per usual. Although many glances were stolen, we barely spoke the whole week. Sam spent the majority of his time napping, and I spent most of my time socializing (it's amazing that either of us got our licenses). We became friends during high school and shared the same group of friends; however, sparks wouldn't fly until a few years later.

Fast forward to Sophomore year in college. I was home from ECU for Thanksgiving Break when Sam and I ran into each other at a party. We chatted and flirted all night and exchanged numbers when my friends were ready to leave. Sam didn't waste any time, and I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before receiving a rather charming text from him. We hung out several times over that Thanksgiving Break, and played the first of many seriously competitive rounds of N64 Mario Kart. I went back to ECU where a few weeks later, right before Christmas Break, I received another text from Sam asking if it was cool if he were to join a friend on a weekend visit to ECU. I casually texted back, "Okay" (but was secretly super excited and trying to play it cool). We spent the entire weekend attending tacky Christmas parties with friends, ordering take-out Olive Garden breadsticks & alfredo sauce (which Sam found strange at the time but it makes perfect sense now), and getting to know each other better while doing what people do best at ECU. After that weekend, we were inseparable and went on to date for 7 more years before taking the next step.

The Proposal: After 7 awesome years of dating, two big moves, and countless memories together, Sam decided that it was (finally) time to pop the question. In June 2016, we took a trip to San Diego where Sam took me to the Sunset Cliffs to "take a walk before dinner and see the sunset." As luck would have it,

we picked the only cloudy weekend in the entire year to visit the always sunny San Diego. We waited and waited (literally down to the minute of the sun set time on his phone) to see if we’d see even the tiniest peek of a sunset, but the clouds didn't break. This didn't deter Sam though — while sitting on the cliffs looking at the ocean together, he took my hand and said, "The real reason I asked you to come here is..." and got down on one knee, pulled out a gorgeous ring, and asked me to marry him! Totally shocked and totally surprised, I said, "Yes!!!" And that cloudy evening has now become both of our favorite "sunsets" forever. Our two best friends (who would be our Best Man and Maid of Honor) were also there and captured the whole thing! It was perfect.

The Wedding: For our wedding, Sam and I knew we wanted to get married in the mountains. We love taking little getaways to Asheville and knew it would be perfect for us and our guests!

We knew we wanted to do everything in one place so as soon as we walked into Highland, we knew that was it. We had our ceremony on the rooftop surrounded by the mountains and it was exactly what we envisioned (and our guests were troopers because it was randomly super hot outside). The vibe and look of Highland was also perfect for us and our wedding day vision. We both like the industrial look and were envisioning an “Industrial yet Romantic” theme for our wedding. For our color scheme, we chose dark green and copper with touches of ivory and it was perfect for the setting, time of year, and mountain location (and I knew I wanted something totally different than the blush and navy tones that you always see at weddings). As far as décor goes, magnolias, ivory flowers, and greenery were complemented by lots of candlelight by way of copper votives and copper lanterns.

Strings of café lights lit up the open, 2-story space and provided a romantic feel to the evening. It was everything we hoped it could be!

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Seeing Sam’s face for the first time when I came down the aisle

is a memory snapshot I’ll never forget. We didn’t do a first look so there was such a build-up for that moment for the both of us. Sam absolutely didn’t want to do a first look, and I’m so glad I went with him on that one because that aisle walk is one we’ll both never forget.

2 Our First Dance. His younger sister sang it and totally crushed

it. We chose Perfect by Ed Sheeran and had no idea that it would ever become a single and now it’s everywhere. Oh well, it always brings back that moment when we hear it!

3 The Toasts. My dad blew everyone away with his (he’s not a shy

guy by any means but he was so nervous about doing one; he literally wrote it the night before/that morning so it was completely from the heart and full of emotion). Our Best Man and Maid of Honor both killed it. They had everyone laughing, awwww-ing, and completely summed both of us up both individually and as a couple. It was so special to have them all share our memories and well wishes for our future!

4 Dancing the night away with our best friends. We’ve all been

friends for so long that so many memories have been made out of songs, so it was so fun playing them all and reliving good times. Our DJ killed it, our guests were wild (pants were split from getting too low), and just seeing the happiness on everyone’s faces made us both so happy!

5 Knowing that all of our favorite people that have been there

through every facet and chapter of our lives and relationship were all in one room celebrating us and our love was such an incredible feeling. It still gives me the warm fuzzies thinking about how that felt.

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Bride: Amanda Young • Groom: Sam Hoerdemann Photographer: inspired life Photography (brittany sisk) Venue: Highland Brewing Company Videography: RD Productions (Rob) Event Planner & Florist: Party Envy (Michelle) Caterer: Twisted Laurel Cake: Perfectly Pretty Sweets DJ: Remix Weddings (DJ Mitch Fortune) Hair & Makeup: Flawless (Brittney and Heather) Dress Store & Designer : Paige & Elliott / Kenneth Winston

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The Best Wedding Gift Ever

By Lauren Griffin

W

hat wedding gift can last a lifetime? In the whirlwind that is wedding planning, premarital counseling is often overlooked. Some couples seek direction from a religious officiant or a professional counselor.

Premarital counseling can guide you to focus on life with your future spouse, and create a set a of skills for your growing relationship.

You will build skills that support success in managing issues that will inevitably arise in your relationship. Counseling isn't reserved for couples who have major issues affecting their relationship or an indicator of a bad relationship. Premarital counseling is beneficial for all couples as they begin to create a new life together.

Avoiding the Wedding Bell Blues Engaged couples often think their stress will subside after the wedding and conflicts will dissipate on their own. However, my experience working with couples demonstrates relationship stress, communication problems and resentments do not magically disappear when the honeymoon is over.

Professional studies suggest that couples that choose premarital counseling have lower rates of divorce. Building a marriage success toolbox before the wedding can help couples sidestep unnecessary relationship challenges by identifying weaknesses and strengthening skills. One of the smartest wedding gifts a couples can receive is to seek premarital counseling before they say "I do."

Ten Steps to Build a Marriage Success Toolbox 1. Effective Communication Skills. Good communication skills are at the heart of a healthy and thriving marriage.

Understanding how your partner communicates about difficult subjects helps you build a more resilient relationship.

Premarital counseling offers a dedicated space to discuss difficult issues and an objective professional to bring forward the tough questions you may have overlooked.

2. Roles in marriage. What did your parents, your church, romantic movies, or love songs teach you about being a spouse? Are your fiancé's ideas about spousal roles compatible with yours? Before you tie the knot, explore each other's expectations and desires about emotional support, household chores, and more, to help avoid conflict and disappointment.

3. Sex, Intimacy, Affection and Fidelity. Do you and your fiancé REALLY know each other's views and feelings on these topics? For example, does your fiancé share your beliefs about affairs of the heart, intimacy, or expressing affection? Exploring feelings about these touchy subjects with your fiancé can be difficult, but with trusted guidance, it can help you build a deep, lasting relationship.

4. Family of Origin. Nobody's family is perfect, and you two are about to suddenly acquire a new one! Sharing information about family history and relationships, birth order, and 24 | 2018 Spring / Summer I Do!

Choose wisely

significant family events provides increased understanding and new insights with your partner. This conversation helps you to establish useful boundaries with both families to create common expectations, and strengthen the marriage.

5. Growth as individuals. Some people enter marriage erroneously believing it will fulfill all their emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual needs. Unresolved individual issues brought into a marriage typically become magnified rather than diminished. Jealousy, poor self esteem, and addiction are frequently overlooked as sources of future trouble. Addressing these issues first, allows the marriage to grow unencumbered by the weight of individual issues.

6. Conflict-resolution skills. Learning to disagree while simultaneously knowing that you love and care for your partner is paramount to successful conflict resolution. Learning these skills promotes more rapid resolution, recovery and reconnection.

Developing the skills to navigate differences and reconnect rather than hold onto old frustrations increases emotional intimacy.

7. Financial Skills. Financial difficulty and the accompanying stress can damage relationships. Mutual disclosure about spending habits before marriage can help avoid stress about money in the future. Discussing directly how you both plan to manage your bank accounts, savings, investments and bill paying sets you up to better handle your marital assets and avoid conflict over money.

8. Family Decisions. The decision on when to have or not have children can be a source of tremendous stress when a couple discovers they do not agree. Working together before the marriage to find common ground on this topic allows you to focus on planning your family or deciding what life goals to concentrate on together if you choose not to have children.

9. Spirituality and Religious Practice. Discussing spirituality and religion before marriage, can prevent conflicts. Sharing with your partner about your spiritual beliefs creates clarity and an opportunity to connect on a new level. Explore your willingness to participate, or not, in a religious community, especially if children are involved.

10. Personal Habits, Beliefs and Values. Your partner may surprise you once you share a home. When you're dating, it's uncomfortable to confront your fiancĂŠ's challenging habits, beliefs and values, thinking they can be worked out as you settle in. However, you or your fiancĂŠ may not want to change personal habits in ways that support you both. Potential issues include drinking, drug use, smoking, level of household cleanliness, spending, family boundaries, finances, politics, traditions, and religion. These areas can become a tremendous source of conflict if not addressed before the wedding.

Reap the Rewards Preparing for marriage is more than throwing a beautiful wedding and having a lively celebratory reception. Invest in a solid marriage foundation through premarital counseling by selecting the right counselor to keep your love alive through life's adversities. Your work to build your marriage success toolbox results in the huge dividends of marriage stability and success.

Lauren Griffin, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Psychotherapist in private practice in Asheville. Learn more about Lauren's work and read a longer version of this article at WNCcounseling.com, or call her at 828-782-3388.

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A Cristi and Adam

dam and I met in the fall of 2015 on a blind date. A mutual friend of ours randomly set us up and proclaimed that we were most definitely for each other.

We both had never done anything like it, but I figured, “Hey, why not. If it doesn’t work out, at least I get a free meal out of the deal.” Adam ended up completely sweeping me off my feet that evening. He set up dinner, a beautiful candle lit walk through the Biltmore Estate, and a post coffee date to top it all off. Anyone who knows me, knows that coffee is the way to my heart. We ended the night with a kiss and promise to see each other again. We both work as nurses, and we were both about to leave the country the following week to do volunteer nursing work in Nepal and Ecuador. We parted ways, and decided if we were still keeping up with each other at the end of our trips, we would see where things went from there. The whole month of December we kept up with each other through Facebook and every little WiFi signal we could muster while we were gone. At the end of that month, I came home to a surprise package on my doorstep — chocolates and a note. We met back up for a second date a day or so after our return and the rest was history!

The proposal: Our favorite place to get away and just really connect is the Blue Ridge Parkway. So on a beautiful fall day in November of 2016, Adam proposed at our favorite waterfall spot on the parkway, Skinny Dip Falls. I instantly said yes! There was never a doubt in our minds that the love we had created over that past two years was a “forever kind of love.”

Our Wedding Day: One year later, Adam and I got married on September 3, 2017, at The Farm in Candler, NC. I know I’m biased, but our day was PERFECTLY beautiful in every way. From the weather, to our guests, and every last floral detail, It was everything we dreamed it would be and more! I mean when your backdrop is the mountains, a field of horses, and a rustic barn, how could it get better then that? We aimed for a whimsy garden theme with a slight country twist, and our vendors hit the nail on the head. I wouldn’t have done anything differently. The best part was at the end of the day I was married to my best friend, my favorite adventure partner, and my soul mate.

Life after marriage: We literally quit our staff nursing jobs the week of our wedding and decided to hit the road and travel nurse our way around the world for a while.

We’re already on our second assignment in Lake Tahoe and we couldn’t imagine life getting any better than this.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The walk: My walk down the isle to meet Adam and finally seal

the deal was the sweetest moment of our day. Adam completely lost himself to emotion, and it was the perfect moment for us. The only times I’ve ever seen him cry was on the day of our proposal and then again on our wedding day. It was beautiful.

2 Our vows: We chose to write our vows, and I feel like it really

gave our day a personal touch and our guests a peak at what our love was all about. I don’t care how scared you are to be that vulnerable in front of a crowd of witnesses, if your contemplating writing your vows verses just doing the classic I Do’s — write them. It was worth it and really made our ceremony more special to us and our guests.

3 The moment we saw our floral plans come together: Our

flowers were really the detail that we cared most about. Adam was even super involved. We both love and a appreciate a good flower arrangement so it was super important that this detail was just right. They were all put together by Adam’s second mom growing up, Claudia Brown, and we were blown away by how gorgeous they were. She really listened to our vision and made it happen. We had a flower garden that we purposefully grew for the wedding. We didn’t have many successful blooms, but what we did have she incorporated into our florals. That detail also made things extra special for us.

4 Reception moments: Our reception was so fun! During our

meal, we had a sweet couple, The Moon and You, sing and play.

They really set the mood for the evening and many of our guests enjoyed them. Following that, we cut the cake and started up the dance floor. The night before our wedding, I had our bridal party help pick out our reception songs. This really helped get everyone all out on the dance floor. My dad and his brothers even got out on the dance floor and did a number.

5 Our first dance: I think our first dance is when it really hit home

that we were married. We didn’t spend any time practicing our first dance, so it was full of awkward sways and wondering why we picked a song so long; but, despite it all, it was a really authentic sweet moment for us, & we will never forget it.

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Bride: Cristi Rayne Yoder • Groom: Adam Davis Monroe Photographer: Sheila Nolt Photography • Venue: The Farm • Flowers: Claudia Brown • Musicians: The Moon and You Calligraphy: Carrisa Borntreger • Wedding design: Deborah Miller • makeup: Powder Me Pretty • Hair: Elljay Studio Wedding Dress: Wildflower Bridal

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O Megan and David

ur love story began in a very unpredictable way and, in fact, a very unromantic one as well. I was a martial arts instructor at the time. Megan decided to branch out and add something new to her workout regime, so she joined the school I was teaching at. At first I thought of her as just another student, albeit a very attractive student. However, it didn’t take long for her to stand out in my mind, and within a few months I was nervously hoping to see her in every class I taught.

Eventually we starting hanging out away from the gym. The more time I spent around Megan, the more I came to love what made her want to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the first place. She is strong and bold, mixed with a clever sense of humor. Those traits helped take our relationship from friendship to marriage.

The Proposal: In the fall of September 2016, we planned a long weekend trip to Asheville to see the band Built to Spill at the Orange Peel in downtown Asheville. Little did I know that was only the start of a weekend we would never forget! We saw the amazing concert Friday night and decided to go for a hike at Grave Yard Falls the next day with our two dogs, Luna and Kekoa. It was a gorgeous, warm Saturday on the 24th of September. During the hike I could tell Dave’s energy seemed a little nervous and a bit frustrated that there were so many people around us during the hike. Dave has never liked big crowds, especially when being in Mother Nature, so I didn’t think much about it. However, I was completely clueless that he had a ring hidden in his backpack and was scouting out the perfect place to propose to me. When the hike was over we packed the pups up and decided to head back to the hotel and relax before going to dinner. On the way back he asked if I wanted to stop at one of the over looks to gets some pictures together since we didn’t get any on the hike. I happily agreed and we stopped at the overlook, Looking Glass Rock.

We parked the car, got out and he (continued on page 30) 2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 29

set my camera up on the hood of the car and suggested we take a video of us and then take stills from the video for our pictures.

Once Dave got the video set up he jumped in the frame and we stood smiling at the camera for what I thought was a picture he turned to me and proposed, and I was in TOTAL SHOCK! It was spontaneous and perfect and in front of a breathtaking view.

I must admit, Yes, was not the first thing that came out of my mouth, it was, “Are you Serious?!?!” He said, “Yes I am serious, this ring is for you!” I then wrapped my arms around him and said YES over and over, I was so excited! It was truly a magical moment, and one we have captured on film forever.

The Wedding Day: We chose to have our outdoor ceremony and reception at The Farm, a Gathering place because of the gorgeous venue. Asheville in September never disappoints, and the day of the wedding the weather was absolutely perfect, with gorgeous clear blue skies. The ceremony itself took place in front of a beautiful green pasture lined with old oak trees and horses lazily grazing in the evening light. Our wedding day would not be complete without our two dogs, Luna and Kekoa, by our side as we said, I DO. After the ceremony our friends and family gathered on the beautiful lawn as the September sun began setting for an outdoor cocktail hour. When the sounds of blue grass started to fill the mountain air, the reception officially got underway as Blue Wheel Drive got the party started! We also had a surprise at our reception from our dear friends, the Casey Family, the owners of Asheville’s French Broad Brewery. A special IPA was brewed just for our wedding, French Got the Broad! Our friends and family indulged in incredible food, cold beverages and danced the night away!

Bride: Megan Charlotte Moskow • Groom: Dave Lee French Photographer: Sheila Nolt Photography • Venue: The Farm a Gathering Place, Candler, NC • Food: The Farm a Gathering Place Flowers: Urban Farm Girl Flowers­­— Elane Young • Cake: Short Street Cakes • Custom Rings: Melissa Tyson Designs Wedding Dress: Coastal Knot, Martina Liana, Gown • Hair & Makeup: Meraki Beauty-Tess Wheatley (Wilmington, NC) • Band: Blue Wheel Drive

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The Ceremony: Walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time is a memory we will both hold in our hearts forever. We chose to not do a first look because we wanted to take in the moment of seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony. The smile on both of our faces when we saw each other for the first time, truly showed how over joyed and excited we were to become husband and wife.

2 Rehearsal Dinner: Our rehearsal Dinner took place in downtown Asheville, at The Twisted Laurel. It was the perfect way to have all of our guests come together the night before our wedding and get the weekend started right!

3 The Group Hike: Having all our friends in one place had never happened before this weekend, so a group hike back to Graveyard Fields brought the whole experience full circle for us.

4 The Venue: Being outside was on the top of our list when we began to visualize our wedding day. It was also important for us that our ceremony and reception take place in the same location in order to minimize the travel for the wedding day and maximize the fun for our guests! A huge bonus for us was having most of our family be able to stay on the property with us in the amazing cabins and cottages at The Farm.

5 Megan With the Horses: Watching Megan in her wedding dress interact with the horses during the sunset was an incredible moment for Dave. Megan grew up riding horses and to see the excitement on her face when she got to hop over the fence and take photographs with them was priceless.

Avalon Farm Events L.L.C. Swannanoa, N.C. Nestled at the end of a mountain cove surrounded by a 200 acre Nature Conservatory in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Avalon Farm Events offers an enchanting farm venue for your special day. You may see llamas and goats grazing the hillsides, or a flock of wild turkeys leisurely sauntering by.

Our team of professionals are here to assist you in customizing your perfect day!

We are located seven miles east of Asheville, N. C. and the Biltmore Estate, and seven miles west of charming Black Mountain, N. C., in the shadow of Mount Mitchel the highest peak east of the Mississippi River with immediate access to the famed Blue Ridge Parkway. Genuinely Beautiful!

For Reservations & Inquiries: avalonfarmevents@gmail.com avalonfarm.events.com 2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 31

I Karina and Chris

t is such a funny story, actually, how Chris and I met. We were both in High School at the time, and he went to a different school then I did, but his best friend was dating my best friend. I remember seeing a picture of him on MySpace and I told my best friend that I wanted to date him. I invited him to my 17th birthday party, and he didn't show up, but, being the persistent girl that I was, I sent cupcakes home with his friends to give to him on my behalf. He finally ended up texting me and we stayed in touch here and there, but nothing really came of it. A few months later, he texts me randomly, inviting me to go see Christmas lights with him, and we have been inseparable ever since. We always knew we wanted to get married and have a family of our own, but we were young and we were in no rush to run down the aisle. Plus, I wanted my fairy-tale wedding, and being college students, we couldn't make that happen on our own.

We eventually ended up starting a Marketing Agency together and we both figured we own a business together, why not take the next step?

He always told me he wanted our proposal to be a huge surprise to me. I was expecting it, but I had no idea when, and he loved that part.

One day my mom calls me asking if I wanted to attend my sister's Disney casting over the weekend.

My sister is a model and does this kind of stuff all the time, so I wasn't suspicious of her asking at all. The best part is we usually get to go with her and have fun in the park too. I am also obsessed with Disney, so there was no way I was turning that down. Chris knew that.

My mom was in on our proposal the whole time. The morning of the proposal, we are all driving together, my mom, my sister, Chris and I, to Disney World which is about an hour and a half from our home, and I didn't suspect a thing.

We get to the park and we walk into a show that was going on. I remember noticing a photographer just sitting down not taking any pictures, and I actually mentioned it to my sister. She just laughed it off. At the end of the show, Chris was super insistent that we take a

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picture in front of the Disney castle, and by the time I could even realize what was going on, he was on one knee behind me, and everyone was cheering. I turned around to see him on one knee and to see the photographer taking photos. The same one that I mentioned to my sister. He was OUR photographer. I could have passed out from excitement and from the thousands of people that were now looking at us and congratulating us. It was really amazing and totally surprised me. We ended up spending the rest of the day going to other Disney parks. It was such a fun day and I loved that my mom and my sister were apart of it.

About a week after we got engaged, we had set a date for our wedding and our location. I knew that we wanted to get married

out of our home state of Florida, and the first place we both said was Asheville, North Carolina. We had spent 24 hours here on a quick Labor Day road trip and instantly fell in love with the views, the food, the culture and the people. We knew we wanted to come back to view the changing of the leaves. We both thought, why not have our wedding during that time so our families can experience it too. We set a date, booked a venue, catering company, incredible photographer, and sent out invitations. We had a very intimate gathering of 35 people. Candle lit dinner, a donut bar, a taco truck, sunset views, the best company, the best vendors in Asheville and the best weather I could have asked for. It was a perfect day.

Bride: Karina Ramos • Groom: Christopher Rodrigues Photographer: Sheila Nolt Photography Wedding Planner: Dominque Bedrosian, Lead Planner at Smash Events Wedding Cake: North Star Bakehouse Wedding Cake Topper: Smash Events • Flowers: Smash Events Decor: Dominque Bedrosian Catering/Donut Bar/Taco Truck: Smash Events Wedding Arch: handmade by my uncle • Groom's Suit: Milano Exchange Brides Dress: Galina Signature Brides Veil: Blossom and Blue Bird on Etsy Hair: Amy Elizabeth AE Studios • Makeup: Liz Black Wedding Invitation Design: The Voyage Society Location: Private Estate just outside of Asheville • Music: DJ Bash Bridal Party: Janelsy Elicier — Maid of Honor, Ty Diaz — Best Man Officiant: Susie Greene, Asheville Wedding Celebration

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The moment I received my bouquet for the first time 2 The second I saw Chris for the first time 3 The rose ceremony during our vows 4 Our candlelit dinner with all of our friends and family surrounding us

5 The taco truck at the end of our reception

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Leah and Dan

O

ur story began in 2011. I had just started working at Waterway Cafe as a hostess and Dan waited tables in the restaurant. We became fast friends, and that is how it stayed for a while because we were at very different points in our lives and neither of us were looking for anything more. In August of 2012 I started my freshman year at Florida State University. Being an avid FSU fan himself, Dan came up to visit with some friends a couple times, and as the year progressed we found ourselves texting more and more. The following summer I returned home and went back to work at Waterway. We spent a lot of time together that summer, and it was clear that I was into him, although he would never admit the same. He kept trying to tell me that he would never be in a long distance relationship again (clearly the first time didn’t go so well). But when August came and I returned to Florida State, I guess that idea of not doing long distance went right out the window. He immediately realized how much he missed me. I think it was at that time that he started planning out a surprise trip up to Tallahassee to ask me out. We officially started dating on Halloween of 2013. Over the next 2.5 years we dated mostly long distance. And, although distance isn’t easy, it made us so much stronger. We had our fair share of disagreements, which aren’t easily solved hundreds of miles apart, but no matter what happened we were determined to never let the distance get between us. We even spent the summer of 2014 half a world apart when I studied abroad in Switzerland. But we made it work — switching off staying up all night so that time zones didn’t get in the way. I sincerely believe that distance does in fact make the heart grow fonder, because our relationship was stronger than ever when we were reunited.

Fast forward to June of 2016. I had just graduated college and I somehow convinced my parents to take my family backpacking through Europe for 2 weeks. About half way through the trip we arrived in Mykonos, Greece — one of my most favorite places in the world. We had spent the day beach hopping around the island on ATVs before going back and cleaning up for dinner. What I did not know was that Dan and Taylor (Dane's GF) had planned out a perfect evening. There is a famous spot on the island with a bunch of windmills where crowds of people gather to watch the sunset. Dan knew I would not have wanted a large crowd around, so with the help of Taylor and our host, they planned for our family to watch the sunset at this old deserted lighthouse at the end of the island that had the BEST view of the sunset. However because of its isolated area, not many venture far enough to find it. Our host arranged for a car to pick all of us up at our hotel and take us to watch the sunset and then he made reservations for us at his favorite restaurant in Mykonos Town. Apparently there was some miscommunication about what time the sun would be setting that night and we arrived long before the sun would be at the ideal point for sunset pictures. After being there for about 30 minutes and taking some awesome pictures I was getting really hungry (and by hungry I may have been hangry). I really did NOT want to stay to watch the entire sunset and thought we had gotten plenty of quality photos. But little did I know, there was a whole different reason why we were going to stay there til sunset ... I am not sure there could have been a more beautiful proposal. It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. Not to mention it was followed by the best meal I had ever had in my life. (continued on page 36) 2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 35

On November 18, 2017 we were married at Chestnut Ridge in Canton, North Carolina. Being originally from Florida and now living in Chicago everyone always asks: why North Carolina? The truth is it wasn’t necessarily North Carolina we were set on, but it just sort of worked out that way. I wanted a rustic barn wedding, but Dan wanted something more modern. Chestnut Ridge was the perfect combination of rustic and modern and turned out to be a more perfect venue than we could have ever imagined. No one ever believes this when I tell them, but I had not seen the venue until the weekend of the wedding, and I was anything but disappointed. Now, I know that would’ve driven some brides insane, but it was tax season when we were searching for venues and I am a CPA. Dan flew to GA and NC on his own and toured a handful of different venues. Even though Chestnut Ridge had just broken ground on construction, he and I both trusted the vision

Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Writing our own vows. We chose to write our own vows and finish

off with the traditional vows for the exchange of the rings, and I would not have had it any other way. Everyone in the crowd laughed with us and cried with us as we exchanged almost the EXACT same vows even though we had no idea what each other had written.

2 The first look. I honestly never thought I wanted anything to

do with a first look. I always imagined the first time Dan seeing me would be when I began my walk down the aisle with my dad.

However, due to the time of the sunset, we had to decide between changing the time of the wedding or doing a first look. We chose the first look and I am SO glad we did. Getting that time alone together to really soak everything in was incredible.

3 The father/daughter dance. My dad loves to dance and although

he let me choose the song we would slow danced to, I knew he would have something up his sleeve. We danced to “My Little Girl”

by Tim McGraw for about two minutes before the song suddenly switched to “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns N’ Roses and we broke it down on the dance floor.

4 The wedding planner. Caroline McCrory from Mingle Events

was incredible. She had everything under complete control, and everything went flawlessly the entire weekend. There were multiple things I had forgotten to do or to bring and she always had an immediate solution. She even had a friend deliver taco bell for everyone towards the end of the reception because I LOVE taco bell and had mentioned that to her. I would highly recommend her to anyone getting married in the Asheville area.

5 Spending the morning and getting ready with the most important people in our lives: Our families, bridesmaids, and groomsmen.

Each and every one of them is so special to us and we are so lucky that they all made the trip to North Carolina to celebrate us.

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they had for their venue and knew it would be everything we wanted. I say all that to say this — Chestnut Ridge far exceeded any and every expectation that Dan and I, and our families, had.

Family and friends alike are still talking about how beautiful and perfect it was. My mom even continues to joke that she would love for another one of her kids to get married there. It was a little chilly on the day of our wedding, and, even though the wedding pavilion has no heat or a/c, it was still perfect. The cocktail hour took place on the covered side patio where we had a few heaters set up and dinner and the reception took place inside with the patio still open for guests to wander in and out as they pleased. Celebrating with our family and friends in this perfect venue was amazing. From the venue owners and staff, to the caterers, photographers and especially the wedding planner, our day could not have been better and it will be a day we cherish for our lifetime.

Bride: Leah Wisneski • Groom: Daniel Marten Dunham Jr. Photographer: JCM Photography Venue: Chestnut Ridge Event Planner: Mingle Events — Caroline McCrory Caterer: Catering by Corey DJ: A Brides DJ — Robby Cusic Hair: Flawless Airbrush Makeup: Pop of Color Asheville Flowers: Springvine Design

2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 37

Kaitlin and Theodore

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W

e met in a modern social media cliche way, but I’m not complaining! I was scrolling through my inbox and deleting old, old, old (did I mention old) messages and stumbled across a simple “hey” from Theodore in 2012 and decided to message him a “hey” only 5 years later! And we hit it off immediately with 5+ hour Facetime dates daily. He was in NC while I was in Ohio and he would drive every weekend 9 hours to come take me out for just one night!

We kind of just knew we were each others The One and nothing has ever felt more right!

Proposal: Ted took me to a mile long Christmas lights trail the day after thanksgiving, and it was MAGICAL. We are talking lights everywhere (my favorite time of the year). There was a giant lit up arch that we were racing to get to, and as we got under it he was on his knee, and my heart exploded. It was all so exciting and perfect!

Vendors: Vendors didn’t really exist for our adventure elopement. Flowers were made by yours truly from the help of Michaels craft store! Jenny and Joe from JMC Photography is what I really wanted to make room in the budget for. That’s all that really mattered in my wedding to-do list — amazing photographers, and that was a win! Our reception was at our hotel's restaurant that we lucked out and was empty to where we just reserved a large seating of people!

2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 39

Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Waking up late and rushing so much that my makeup was done in

the car next to Theodore due to the 4 hour drive out of town to the ceremony. Looking at it now, it’s really funny because 1 hour into our already late road trip, I realized I forgot my bouquet and he turned around for it!

2 Getting my wedding dress on by myself in less than 5 min and

running through the hotel in front of a giant crowd and rushing into the car to make it on time to say I do. Which I did achieve like a BOSS!

3 Getting to the waterfall and being breath takingly speechless

because it was the most perfect spot to vow to love him forever.

4 The ceremony. The vows. Feeling so, so happy and realizing it was even better than I had thought it would be x100!

5 Getting to do our couples just married photos with Jenny & Joe.

It was so intimate and fun! The perfect setting and photographers!

Wish I could relive it!

Bride: Kaitlin Taylor Wagner • Groom: Theodore Robert Howard Photographer: jcm photography Venue: Looking Glass Falls

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2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 41

Sealed With A Kiss Megan & David

PHOTOGRAPHER: SHEILA NOLT PHOTOGRAPHY

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N. Charleston Greenville Spartanburg Anderson Asheville

Tuesday, June 12th, 2018 | Greenville Sunday, September 9th, 2018 | N. Charleston Tuesday, September 18th, 2018 | Greenville Saturday, January 5th, 2019 | Greenville Saturday, January 12th, 2019 | Spartanburg Saturday, January 19th, 2019 | Anderson Saturday, January 26th, 2019 | Greenville Saturday, February 2nd, 2019 | Asheville Sunday, February 17th, 2019 | N. Charleston 2018 Spring / Summer I Do! | 43