I Do! Fall/Winter 2017

I Do!

™

Fall / Winter 2017

Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide

Forever Begins Today 9 Real

Wedding Stories

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4 | 2017 Fall / Winter I Do!

Featured Brides MARCH 18, 2016

Ashley & Matt

Wined and Dined

JUNE 11, 2016

Megan & Nick Perfect Team

JUNE 10, 2017

(Pictured on cover)

Ashey & Josh

10

Flying High

AUGUST 13, 2016

18 Maia & Parker

Adventure in Asheville

AUGUST 28, 2016

24 Paige & Raymond Love Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2016

27 Heather & Taylor Intimately Rustic

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Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide

It was eight 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 Spring / Summer edition of I Do!, please email us at writer@sophiemagazine.com.

Cover photo by Jen Burrell

October 8, 2016

Cara & Drew

Party Under the Stars

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

34 Whitney & Jeremy Farmhouse Fantasy

April 11, 2017

38 Michelle & Roger

Destination Romance

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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 Spring/Summer 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 | 2017 Fall / Winter I Do!

2017 Fall / Winter I Do! | 9

Ashley and Matt

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att and I met in the summer of 2007 at an apartment pool during college. We hung out a few times but only remained friends. After graduating college at UNC Greensboro, we both moved back to our home towns of Black Mountain and Charlotte. We lost touch for awhile until 2011 when we reconnected through Facebook. Matt asked me to attend a wedding with him in Virginia Beach, which I gladly accepted.

After the wedding, we began dating. This was a bit of a challenge at first because we lived two and half hours away from each other. For two years, we had a long distance relationship and only saw each other on the weekends. This was hard on both of us, but I knew I wanted to be with Matt for the rest of my life. So, in 2013 I left my job and made the big leap to move to Charlotte.

The Proposal ​In the spring of 2015, Matt and I took a beach vacation to Ocean Isle Beach. The hotel we stayed at was great because it was right on the beach, and we could walk to many restaurants and shops. On the first night of our vacation, Matt and I were walking back from dinner on the beach. As we approached the hotel, Matt stopped me and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was in complete shock that I kept asking him “Are you serious?” Until I finally said yes, I will.

Our Wedding Day ​ n March 18, 2016 Matt and I were married at the Lake O Lure Inn and Spa outside with the mountains and the lake in the background. The weather was a perfect 72 degrees that day! Our families and close friends travelled near and far to celebrate with us. After the ceremony, the reception was held inside at the Lake Lure Inn and Spa. 2017 Fall / Winter I Do! | 11

Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The Walk: When I looked out to see all the people, I

almost started to cry. I realized I knew every single person there, and they were there to celebrate with Matt and me.

I then looked at Matt, and it put a sense of calm and ease over me. I knew this man was the man of my dreams and was about to become my husband.

2 First Dance: Matt and I never got around to practicing

for our first dance, so we just went for it. When we started dancing it felt like we were the only two people there. I loved being in the moment in his arms instead of feeling like I needed to put on a production.

3 Fraternity Dance: Matt was in a fraternity in college, so as tradition they do a dance at the wedding. Matt did not think he was going to have enough brothers to do the dance, so we were going to cancel it. However, the day of the wedding everything came together and most had made the trip. It melted my heart to see Matt so happy and able to do his fraternity dance. To my surprise, they all picked me up over their heads at the end.

4 The Cake: Heidi from Dogwood Designs Bakery did an amazing job on our cake. I knew I wanted a unique winethemed cake. What I got was beyond my expectation! It was a wine barrel cake with grapes pouring out. It tasted amazing as well!

5 Decorations: All of the decorations were handmade to

fit my dream of having a wine themed wedding. The tables were named after wines instead of table numbers. My mom also made an incredible float for the hotel pool. The float helped turn the pool from ordinary and unusable to something beautiful and extraordinary. The float had lanterns with candles the lit up the pool and the flowers were beautiful.

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BRIDE: ASHLEY NEWTON • GROOM: MATTHEW PERRY PHOTOGRAPHER: INSPIRED LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY (BRITTANY SISK) CAKE: DOGWOOD DESIGNS BAKERY (HEIDI) FLORIST: INGLES SUPERMARKET (LAKE LURE) VENUE: LAKE LURE INN AND SPA (LEIGH VAYO) CATERING: LAKE LURE INN AND SPA HAIR: LAKE LURE INN AND SPA

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Ashley and Josh

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t all started the summer before my senior year of college. I was interviewing at IHeart Media in hopes of completing my summer internship. Josh was the one that interviewed me. After I graduated college, I was hired by the sales department at the radio station. Soon after that, Josh and I started dating. Fast forward six and half years to our engagement ­— I know about time, right! Josh arranged for my co-workers to take me out after work for a mini girl’s night. Of course one of them made sure I rode with her, so there was no way I could back out. When she dropped me back off at home, Josh was outside waiting on me. He took my hand and led me inside. When I walked in the door, all I saw was a slide show of pictures of us on our television and a dozen roses on the coffee table. He told me to set my things down and come with him. I said “can I go pee first,” and he actually thought about it, but then said “no, just come here.” I rounded the corner to rose petals on the floor leading to our dining room. There were more flowers everywhere, a cake, and a sign that said “He asked, she said yes, they said, about time.” I remember my jaw dropping as I realized what was happening. Josh took my hand and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. After our moment together he ran outside and brought back all of our closest friends and family to celebrate with us. It was such an amazing surprise! Fast forward again nine months later to our wedding. Needless to say, all the details were in place, since I had been planning for six years in my head what my dream wedding would look like. It was perfect. Josh used to DJ weddings, so he had always dreamed of getting married at Claxton Farm. You would like to think it would be for the beautiful scenery, but anyone who knows Josh knows, that he loved the flat field the most. “It is a perfect place to land a helicopter,” he would say. That was his dream: to have a helicopter at our wedding, just like his parents did at theirs.

June 10th finally came. Everyone always told us that the wedding (continued on page 16) 2017 Fall / Winter I Do! | 15

day goes by so fast. Boy, were they right! Before I knew it, we were driving to Claxton to say our I dos. One of the moments I remember the most was how full my heart was seeing that helicopter come over the mountain, carrying my fiancé. Josh was getting what he always wished for. He was flying to his wedding ceremony in a helicopter with his father and brother.

Behind tinted windows I watched him walk to the isle to wait for me. In a few moments, I found myself arm in arm with my daddy and papaw as I walked down the aisle to marry the man of my dreams. We were finally husband and wife! Our wedding day was absolute perfection. We were so grateful to have our friends and family there with us on one of the most important days of our lives! We will always remember how amazing the day was for us. It was definitely worth the wait!

Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 One of our favorite parts of our wedding day was being able

to fulfill Josh’s dream of flying in to the wedding ceremony in a helicopter. Not only did he get to fly in, but he landed in a beautiful field at our dream venue Claxton Farm.

2 We felt so blessed that our officiate was John D’Innocenzi,

Josh’s dad. Having him marry us is one thing that we will always hold dear to our hearts.

3 Having both my daddy and my papaw walk me down the aisle,

fills my heart with so much joy. My papaw is 82 years old. He has always played such an important role in my life. Having him be able to walk with me just fills my heart with so much joy..

4 Josh and I were both so excited for one particular part of our

wedding day. We planned to do First Touch photos before the ceremony. We were under a willow tree and Josh has his back to me. I had my head down and walked up behind him. I remember him reaching his hands back to me and wrapped me around him.

It was such a magical moment being so close to each other, but not being able to see the other.

5 By far, our most favorite moment was seeing each other for the

first time as I was about to walk down the aisle. Josh had such anticipation for seeing my dress for the first time and knowing that after six years, we were only minutes away from being able to call me his wife forever. I don’t think I will ever forget the look on his face. I could see the excitement on his face, and no matter what he says, he WAS crying, which made my heart melt even more.

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BRIDE: ASHLEY NICOLE FENDER • GROOM: JOSH MICHAEL PHOTOGRAPHER: JEN BURRELL PHOTOGRAPHY • VENUE AND CATERING: CLAXTON FARM/ M7 EVENT SOLUTIONS ENTERTAINMENT: SOUND EXTREME ENTERTAINMENT • HAIR: PARLOUR 232­— EMILY SIKORSKI • MAKEUP: VAMP- SHIETA MIDDLETON SUITS: MITCHELL’S TUXEDOS • TRANSPORTATION: CAROLINA LIMOUSINE • FLORIST: GUDGER’S FLOWERS • JEWELRY: SPICER GREENE JEWELERS WEDDING AND BRIDESMAID’S DRESS: BILTMORE BRIDE • HELICOPTER: ASHEVILLE HELICOPTER TOURS

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Megan and Nick

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ow we met: Spring 2014. DC United soccer season had just started; however college basketball was in full swing and the UNC-Duke game was that night.

Naturally, Nick and Megan were out celebrating with friends in DC. While walking opposite ways along Connecticut Avenue in DuPont Circle, they had the good fortune of literally running into one another. However, this was not the first time they had met. Nick and Megan were high school acquaintances in North Carolina but had not laid eyes on each other in almost ten years.

Dancing the night away together, they very quickly knew that something special was brewing. With a strong interest in sports and music, they grew a special bond and something they knew would last forever. Immediately inseparable best friends, they started building a life together in Washington, DC with a bright future ahead.

The Proposal: Saturday mornings have always been our time when we are lazy, watch English Premier League games, and make breakfast sandwiches. We just simply relax. So, naturally, it made sense that Nick wanted to propose in this environment.

He apparently went to the store and got the fixings for our classic bacon, egg, and cheese on English muffins ... but added a bottle of champagne. On August 15th 2016, he quietly got up

a little earlier than normal while I was still sleeping and started cooking breakfast. There probably has never been a bigger mess in the kitchen because he was so nervous. I sleepily and unknowingly came into the kitchen but was guided back to bed without catching on to Nick’s uneasiness. He came back into the bedroom shortly after with a tray of the food and shoved it in my face and ran away pretty quickly leaving me somewhat puzzled.

Before I had time to yell out, Nick quickly came back with two champagne glasses and said, “We’re celebrating today.” I was mystified as to what we were celebrating and thinking to myself .. my birthday? (It was the week before.) The first day of English Premier League? (The Tottenham Hotspur game was just starting.)

Are we just celebrating for the heck of it? Meanwhile, my thoughts running wild, Nick got down on one knee with a black box and my grandmother’s vintage diamond ring boldly sticking out of it. With my mouth wide open in shock, he began, “Meg, I love you from the bottom of my heart…” and the rest is history.

Wedding Day: Nick and I were married on June 11, 2016 in Lake Lure, NC in Morse Park Gardens just outside the gazebo with the mountains and lake as our beautiful backdrop. We danced the night away on the porch of Lake Lure Inn surrounded by our friends and family who traveled from 16 states and two countries.

We could not have been more thrilled and happier that day!

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Taking Bride and Groom photos post ceremony. Those quiet, intimate, and reflective moments just the two of us that are captured in photos are absolutely priceless.

2 Putting on my wedding dress. I had my mom’s dress redesigned and fit for me, which was a special moment for us as mother/ daughter and best friends.

3 Dancing and singing with our friends and family. Our guests really brought the party!

4 Getting ready with my bridesmaids. My girls are simply the best.

5 The First Look. Seeing Nick and having that moment with just him re-centered me pre-ceremony.

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BRIDE: MEGAN REOCH • GROOM: NICK HOLMBERG PHOTOGRAPHER: NICK KING PHOTOGRAPHY WEDDING CEREMONY: MORSE PARK GARDENS, TOWN OF LAKE LURE RECEPTION AND CATERING: THE 1927 LAKE LURE INN BAND: WHITE CHOCOLATE • BAGPIPER: ROBERT WHITE FLOWERS: PAM MATTERN (FAMILY FRIEND AND RETIRED FLORIST) CAKE: MARLENE PAGE

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Maia and Parker

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arker and I met on a cold January evening at a small Cuban restaurant in Asheville. We were both there to watch a football game with friends but were a lot more interested in talking to each other. We ended up chatting and laughing all night, and it felt really easy to be around each other. After ending the night with a dance party at the Admiral, I asked Parker to go on a hike with me the next day. Getting home I had a giddy excitement I had never felt before! I was super excited to see Parker again the next day but was also very nervous. I picked out this ridiculously impractical outfit choice because I wanted to look cute and stylish while hiking... Anyway it was a bad choice, but Parker didn't seem to mind too much. We hiked to Haw Creek overlook with my dog Lucy and again talked for hours until the sun started to set, and we finally hiked home.

Being with Parker is such an adventure especially because he's very involved in the community. We went on fun dates like a champagne and strawberries party in Waynesville and a protest march called HK on J to show solidarity for social justice. But my favorite date was at Hickory Nut Gap Farms for John Ager's kickoff campaign. We started the evening at the Old Sherrill's Inn where we explored the incredible gardens, secret doors in the library, and a maze of hedges throughout their property.

We ended the night line dancing under the stars.

I knew the place was special but didn't imagine that a year later we would be planning a wedding there! Parker proposed to me on the parkway on top of a fire tower on another cold winter day. He had gotten my grandmother's diamonds from my mom in secret and had my engagement ring custom made with these family heirlooms. I was so unbelievably excited when he proposed I may have forgotten to even say yes! I just kept shouting out from the fire tower "we're getting married!" Luckily no one else was around to hear us which also felt very perfect to be up there alone.

When we started talking about where we wanted to have our wedding the answer seemed obvious, and we couldn't have been happier with the incredible beauty of the space and the kindness of the Agers. I was able to get ready in the Pink Room at the Old Sherrill's Inn where many brides before me have also nervously sat. Right before I was about to start putting my makeup on my bridesmaids stopped me and gave me a scrapbook of letters from all my friends and family. As if that didn't make me cry enough they also gave me a secret gift from Parker of a necklace made from the rest of my grandmothers rings. Needless to say, it was a good thing I hadn't put makeup on yet because I was barely holding it together! The rest of the day flew by in a blink, but it was truly the best day of my life. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful partner and supportive group of friends to celebrate with.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Watching the fireworks over the mountains of Fairview while listening to Katy Perry's song "Fireworks".

2 July and August were really rainy in Asheville so of course

I had a lot of anxiety about the weather at our outdoor venue.

To appease the rain gods Parker and I buried a bottle of Defiant whiskey at the venue exactly one month before our wedding. It worked, and our wedding day was a beautifully sunny day. One of my favorite memories was digging up that whiskey in my wedding dress and sharing it with friends.

3 Taking pictures with my girls. We had much fun with the different poses, and they looked so beautiful!.

4 Seeing all our friends and family from so many parts of our lives hang out together in the same place.

5 Our first dance was to "Life Is Beautiful" by Keb' Mo'. It was so nice to finally be in my husbands arms and be married.

BRIDE: MAIA PHEGN BALL • GROOM: PATRICK SLOAN PHOTOGRAPHER: ALEX BAKER OFFICIANT: PETER YOUNG HAIR STYLIST: WANDA RAY VENUE: OLD SHERRILL'S INN IN FAIRVIEW, NC DJ: KENT METTLE WITH BOOM BOXES ETC. CATERER: MAMACITAS

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Paige and Raymond

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y husband Raymond and I met at school; we both went to Penn State University. I was an undergrad and an animal science major.

He was a law student. My sorority had a close relationship with his fraternity. He lived in the fraternity house and acted as a graduate student advisor. We met at the fraternity house one night while I was wandering around, trying to find my friend that came with me to the party. We ended up spending a lot of time together on campus and eventually started dating.

Since I had always loved animals of any kind, I took him to the duck pond on our campus, right next to the alumni building. We have many great memories feeding the ducks together. We took some graduation photos together at this very pond, in our caps and gowns. We happened to graduate the same year, so we moved to Michigan together since he is from there and had a job lined up. A year or two goes by and we decided to make a trip to Penn State to meet up with some friends and reminisce about our wonderful school experience. Ray actually took me around to many places on campus that were meaningful to us: the cafe where we had our first official date.

The fraternity house where we met. The Pegula hockey arena where we had a date ice skating on the brand new rink. The law school building where we sat in comfy chairs and watched the sunset through the giant glass window of the library. Last, he took me to our favorite spot: the duck pond. I was happily feeding the ducks, and he was talking to me about how special this spot was to him and how he would love to have a lifetime of memories like the ones we had here. I was rather confused, and it took me a moment to catch on. He proposed to me right there, and had his longtime friend's children secretly film the whole thing. We also got lucky, a professional photographer happened to be right there and caught on to what was happening. We got some candid photos of our engagement, through the eyes of an onlooker. For our wedding day, my dad found duck figurines and spray painted them gold (my wedding colors were white, tiffany blue, and gold).

We placed two ducks on each reception table. The ducks are still my favorite wedding detail.

For our wedding location, we went through a few locations and venues before we realized we had a perfect one: The Biltmore Estate in Asheville.

My parents live 20 minutes from the (continued on page 28) 2017 Fall / Winter I Do! | 27

Biltmore, and I have a lot of great memories there from before and after I knew my husband. One of my favorite spots is the chicken farm. Biltmore is so beautiful, and for a long time I had a picture in my head of getting married at a castle, or a castle like venue, since I wanted to feel like a princess on my big day. Since my parents live so close to Biltmore, they made the suggestion, and we found that getting married elsewhere on the property was a better fit for our budget than getting married right in front of the estate. We decided that Lioncrest was our favorite (it was a nice coincidence that it was lion related, after all, we are Penn State Nittany Lion fans!) Plus, we were able to take our photos near the estate. The Biltmore staff did a great job all around, and the wedding day was everything I imagined it would be.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Seeing my husband's face when we did our first look. The

photographer had him turned around, his back towards me. I walked towards him, and then he turned around to face me. We initially laughed at each other, probably out of nervousness. But then we looked at each other lovingly, and I ran towards him for a hug. Katy took a photo of his face, and of mine. These 2 photos are my favorites.

2 My walk down the aisle with my dad. I had a floor length veil

that went down to the floor, and continued for another 2 feet.

I had been warned that long veils tend to have issues at my particular venue (Lioncrest at Biltmore) because of the splintery wood floor. Once my dad and I started walking on the wood floor, I could feel the veil pulling at my head and I knew it was getting stuck. I could hear my dad say, "you're okay, just keep moving!"

We ended up turning around a few times to move the veil along.

I started laughing, and I think a lot of the guests did too. I think one guest has video evidence of this, and it makes me laugh every time.

3 My dad's father of the bride speech. It was short, to the

point, but very real and heartfelt. He told my husband that he appreciated his honest personality, even knowing that he is an attorney. Everyone laughed, especially my husband. Katy took a photo of our reaction to this comment.

4 The surprise that my dad had for me. As a lifelong lover of

candy and sweets, he had (without my knowledge) set up an entire candy table for me and all the guests. He included all kinds of candy: M&Ms, rock candy, cupcakes with penn state flags on toothpicks stuck in, jelly beans, the works. And, most if not all were in my wedding colors: white and tiffany blue. He even included little gift bags, so that guests could take home the candy as a party favor.

5 A memorable moment I had with a guest. A longtime, dear

friend of mine came to my wedding, one that I haven't seen in a few years, but had grown up with. She patiently waited her turn to talk to me. When it came to be her turn, she started crying, telling me how I was such a beautiful bride and how much she had missed me. I started crying too, and in that moment I had realized how she was always there for me, even when we had gone off with our lives after high school and college.

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BRIDE: PAIGE NAHIRNY • GROOM: RAYMOND ROLLAND GARANT II PHOTOGRAPHER: KATY COOK PHOTOGRAPHY • BRIDE’S DRESS: BRIDES BY DEMETRIOS, TROY, MI • FLOWERS: THE BLOOM ROOM PLANNER: TAMARA HESTON, BELLE SOIREE • DJ: PAT LANCE, SPINTASTIC SOUNDS • STRING QUARTET: RON CLEARFIELD MAKEUP: WENDY BALLANCE, ASHEVILLE MAKEUP ARTIST • HAIR: HANNAH BAILEY AND NICOLE BOHANON, SWELL SALON • VENUE: BILTMORE

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W Heather and Taylor

e were introduced via mutual friends two months into our freshman year at Clemson University. We were at a bonfire on Campus Beach in September of 2011 surrounded by many people but only interested in talking to each other. We saw each other the next day after a home football game and were pretty much inseparable from then on. We made our way through college, spending free time with our friends, attending Clemson games, constantly studying together, and enjoying the outdoors in the surrounding areas. Throughout our time as undergrads, I began putting together a collage of pictures. We took a picture in the same spot every Clemson home game, always took pictures at concerts, and always took pictures while on weekend getaways and accompanied these pictures with some type of ticket or memento to capture that memory. This collage actually played a pretty significant role in our proposal. As fate would have it, we had very limited space left in our collage frame, and Taylor had secretly made plans to fill those spaces. The day before we graduated in May 2015, Taylor and I made plans to go out to dinner to celebrate. We were running behind on our dinner plans when he quickly pulled into Campus Beach. I started asking what we were doing there and he played it off pretty well saying he just wanted a quick picture to fill the last spot on our collage and we wouldn't have time to get it in the busy days ahead. Little did I know he secretly had friends staged there to get pictures and videos of him proposing in the exact spot where we first met. I can honestly say there was no better way for our story to come full-circle by beginning and ending our college experience in the same spot where we met, and getting engaged was a cherry on top!

The wedding day was, of course, the day that dreams are made of. Our wedding was very intimate, and Taylor and I both wanted it to be very focused around our families since they are our biggest supporters and backbones.

We were married at Sleepy Hollow Barn and Plantation in Clemson which is a very rustic and outdoorsy venue that matched our styles perfectly. Throughout the planning process and the wedding day itself, everything seemed to flow perfectly and just fell into place. We dodged Hurricane Matthew and its weather and were able to have the perfect outdoor ceremony on what I believe to be the prettiest day Clemson has ever experienced. We wanted our decorations to be very simple and natural yet chic and elegant, and this venue gave us the perfect opportunity to do so. The outdoor ceremony provided us with the best green space as a backdrop, and the indoor reception area gave us the perfect blend of rustic and historical to mesh with our green and cream color scheme. I can never thank our families enough for all the hard work and patience they had while helping us prepare for our perfect day!

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 First dance as a married couple: We chose "Grow Old" by

Florida Georgia Line because we fell in love with the lyrics and felt as if they had such a connection to our dreams for the future together. I still tear up each time I listen to this song and it fills me with the best memories of our wedding day.

2 Best Man and Maid of Honor Speeches: Taylor's brother Hunter Purvis and my sister Chloe Burdette gave the best toasts! They were both so personal and touching yet funny and gave everyone in attendance a great view into their personalities as well as their relationships with us. I have these speeches on video and love to go back and watch them to relive the day.

3 Dancing with our guests: Our friends and families had the best time on the dance floor and requesting songs from our DJ. We danced the night away and got to release all the nerves that we had leading up to the wedding itself!

4 Getting ready with our bridal parties: Taylor and his groomsmen had an absolute blast before the wedding hanging out and getting ready. My girls and I kept it low key in our dressing room and ooh'd and ahh'd as we put together the final decorations in the barn for the reception. We both really loved this time with our guys and girls, and they made our day so very special!

5 Taking pictures with the bridal parties/families: I can't thank

our photographers enough for the fantastic job they did capturing the moments leading up to the wedding and getting our family pictures done after the ceremony. They accommodated every request we had and gave us the best images to help remember the day.

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BRIDE: HEATHER BURDETTE • GROOM: TAYLOR PURVIS VENUE: SLEEPY HOLLOW BARN AND PLANTATION CLEMSON SC • PHOTOGRAPHER: SWITCHBACK PHOTOGRAPHY ­— TROY AND KERRI COMPTON OF ANDERSON SC CATERER: GOOD FAMILY FRIENDS, MARK AND NIKKI HESTER OF SENECA SC • WEDDING CAKE: GOOD FAMILY FRIEND, JOY COOPER OF SWEETER DAY CAKE LADY GROOMS CAKE: HERSHBERGER'S BAKERY, FAIR PLAY SOUTH CAROLINA • DJ: OF SOUND MIND, BUDDY BRISTOW

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Cara and Drew

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rew and I met in 2014. Summer in the Carolina Mountains was in full swing. The long days and warm nights were filled with sun-kissed skin, family gatherings, small town festivals, and lots of good music! That summer, Asheville was holding its first outdoor concert at McCormick Field. My girlfriends and I had planned to attend this concert for months.

When that hot summer day finally arrived, we spent the entire day preparing for a funfilled night of good music. We were certain we would make memories that would last a lifetime, as this was bound to be the biggest concert of the summer. Little did I know, that warm June night in downtown Asheville would be the night that changed my life forever.

Drew was with his best friend and some of his cousins, who turned out to be some good mutual friends of mine. I noticed him immediately, and once they introduced us, we spent the entire night side by side — laughing, dancing, talking, and having the time of our lives.

We became fast friends and also realized we had a connection that was undeniable. As summer faded, fall quickly approached and we couldn’t get enough of each other. We had become best friends! We met each other’s families, celebrated our first holiday season together, and welcomed in the new year. We were inseparable!

2014 was a year to remember, but God had far more in store for us than we realized.

We quickly found ourselves smitten in (continued on page 36)

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love! Summer rolled around, and Drew planned and executed the perfect proposal. He knew my admiration for photos that capture special moments, along with the love and closeness we both shared for our families. He arranged for a photographer, as well as both of our families to be present at the proposal. He told a “little white lie” and had me believing that we were having family photos made. As the day approached, I had planned coordinating outfits with the other family members as well as rummaged through Pinterest for family photo shoot ideas that we wanted to be sure the photographer captured.

That Saturday morning, Drew picked me up in one of his dad’s classic cars. I knew his dad wanted to include his 1962 Impala in some of the photos, so that didn’t raise my suspicions at all. The day was gorgeous, sunny, and HOT! The backdrop for our family photos were luscious green mountains, clear blue skies, and a rustic homestead.

We met the photographer and both of our immediate families, and the photo session began.

After the photographer captured several of our “must have” shots, she proceeded to hand out paper and pens, asking us all to split up individually to write three things that we loved about our significant other. Each couple stood back to back and exchanged their pieces of paper. Drew and I went last. As I read Drew’s “three things,” I quickly noticed there were far more. He had actually written me a full page of all the things he loves and appreciates about me. It was very apparent that he had put a lot of thought and time into this letter.

In that moment, I knew what I was about to turn around to. With shaky hands and tear-filled eyes, I finished reading his letter. I quickly turned around to find him on one knee! I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a dry eye around! Not only did he ensure it was documented with photos for us to cherish the rest of our lives, but he also included the most important people in my life, which meant so much to me!

We were married on October 8th, 2016, surrounded by the people we love most in this world. After we said “I do” we joined our guests for a party under the stars. We wanted our reception to be a true celebration of love and family. Our guests enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner that led to a fun night of singing and dancing. It was by far the best night of our lives and the true fairy-tale wedding I had always dreamed of.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Getting ready. Enjoying all of my favorite women

in one room, having hair and makeup done, definitely helped calm my nerves! There was lots of laughter and TONS of hairspray!

2 Seeing my groom for the first time. We chose

to forego a “first look” and keep it traditional. My dad and I were escorted to the ceremony site in my father-in-law’s A-Model Ford. As the car pulled away, Drew saw me in my dress for the first time.

Seeing his reaction was completely worth the wait!

3 The walk down the aisle. With tears in his eyes,

my Dad walked me down the aisle. Once we made it to my mom in the front row, she joined us. With both of my parents by my side, my dad placed my hand into Drew’s and gave me away. It was such a special moment with my parents that I will cherish forever.

4 The kiss. We got married on a very rainy and

windy day. The ceremony was delayed, and once the rain subsided for a few minutes we proceeded, knowing it could start again at any second. It was so windy that I spent the entirety of the ceremony holding my veil so that it wouldn’t fly out of my hair.

Right as we kissed, the sun came out beaming! It was such a surreal moment!

5 The reception. Just looking around knowing we

were surrounded by so many people that love and support us was incredible! We had the time of our lives dancing the night away! We can’t thank all of our family, friends, and vendors enough for making our wedding day perfect!

BRIDE: CARA REYNOLDS • GROOM: DREW SHOOK VENUE: WESTMORE FIELDS • PHOTOGRAPHY: KRISTY VEST PHOTOGRAPHY • CEREMONY MUSIC: GREENVILLE WEDDING MUSIC RECEPTION MUSIC: PAFF DADDY DJ & ENTERTAINMENT • RENTALS: CLASSIC EVENT RENTAL • CATERER: BLOWIN’ SMOKE BBQ • CAKE: DOGWOOD DESIGNS BAKERY FLOWERS: SWEET BOUQUETS FLORIST • HAIR: MICHELLE WEST • MAKEUP: POWDER ME PRETTY (JOANNA FERREE)

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Whitney and Jeremy

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small town family restaurant, Athens, brought Jeremy and me together. I was working two jobs and going to Mars Hill College as a full-time student. Jeremy worked nights for the Weaverville Police Department and stopped in the restaurant one night for pizza. Call it what you like, but at first glance, we knew there would be a bond between us to last for a lifetime. I often wondered when, and if ever, he would come back into the restaurant for dinner.

It wasn’t until several months later, Jeremy contacted me through social media. FINALLY! From this day on, my life changed forever. Our relationship was complicated and confusing, but I quickly fell in love and couldn’t imagine my life without him. After dating for almost 4 years marriage became a serious topic.

Unfortunately, right around this time, tragedy struck my family. My cousin was diagnosed with cancer.

We decided to take time to focus on my family. Thomas passed away one year later. During this time of heartache, Jeremy was my rock.

He had been by my side during the good times and continued to be by my side during the devastation.

A few months later, Jeremy asked me to marry him at the Butterfly Sanctuary in Asheville, NC, another special memory dear to my heart.

Before Jeremy proposed, I knew exactly where I wanted to marry him. My aunt and uncle, Robin and Tommy Shepherd, remodeled a 1916 farm house in Barnardsville, NC. It was the perfect setting for the vintage wedding I longed for.

My great-great grandmother’s buffet was remodeled to serve as the cake table and there were two pantry doors from the farm house I remodeled which served as the entrance to the ceremony. These intricate details painted the perfect picture for our perfect day. However, it wouldn’t have been complete without our wedding party. We included all of our close family and friends, including Jeremy’s children, our siblings, my cousins, and some of our best friends. The intimate atmosphere of having our wedding at my Aunt’s home made our day extremely relaxed and enjoyable. It was truly the BEST day ever!

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2017 Fall / Winter I Do! | 39

Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Our First Look — Jeremy and I strayed from the traditional “first look” of seeing each other at the ceremony. Instead, we met two hours before the ceremony to have a private first look. I will never forget anxiously waiting for him to round the corner of bushes!

We spent the next 30 minutes talking and laughing while our photographers captured these moments. Then we went back to the farm house to finish our wedding photos. It was a blast!

2 The Flowers ­­— I loved our flowers; they were absolutely

stunning, especially the centerpieces! They were exactly what I had described to Loretta, our florist, and she brought my dreams to reality. I remember walking outside to our reception for the first time and it literally took my breath away. Seeing the final touches all come together was one of the best parts of the day.

3 Dancing — Apparently, during the first part of our reception, two of my uncles had been teasing each other about who could out do who on the dance floor. After our first dance, my Uncle Tommy requested my Uncle Wayne to come up to the dance floor. I, and the DJ, had NO idea what was happening. By the time they had finished their dancing competition, which looked more like Kung Fu Fighting, the crowd was in tears from laughing.

4 The Moment Before Walking Down the Aisle — I watched the

groomsmen walk down the aisle, then my bridesmaids, then my ring bearer and the flower girl. I clutched onto my Dad’s arm. I couldn’t believe it was finally happening! I wasn’t nervous, anxious, or scared. I was full of excitement. I couldn’t wait to marry Jeremy!

5 The Ceremony — Being surrounded by the people who we love most is a remarkable feeling. Every moment of the ceremony was special: the scripture read, the songs sang, and reciting the Lord’s Prayer with our congregation. We truly appreciate everyone who traveled such long distances, some from Raleigh all the way to Colorado, to celebrate our special day.

BRIDE: WHITNEY BULLMAN • GROOM: JEREMY JENKINS DRESS: STELLA YORK FROM WEDDING INSPIRATIONS PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY AND STEPHANIE PHOTOGRAPHY FLORIST: THE NEVER ENDING FLOWER FARM — LORETTA BALL VENUE: THE HOME OF TOMMY AND ROBIN SHEPHERD WEDDING CAKE: KATHLEEN KEYS CATERING: KATHLEEN KEYS

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Michelle and Roger

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ccording to the chicken-scratch in her high school annual, he thought she was "nice," but a weird and strange girl. According to the awkward scribble in the corner of his yearbook, she was convinced he would still be trying to pass junior history well into the 1990s. Skip to the end, it only took them 30 years to go on their first date...

Four years of bickering, teasing and trading insults, and Roger Daniel Peterson never figured out he was my high school "crush."

To this day he swears he thought I was out of his league, and I thought the same about him. High school came and went. He went to work at a local factory, while attending Mars Hill College at night.

I attended UNCA and worked at a local restaurant waiting tables.

Years passed, and we both faded into someone we use to know back in school.

Turn a different corner, and we would have never crossed paths again. Funny how things work out! As it happens, we both were attending to the arduous task of acquiring new cell phones, braving the Verizon store on Tunnel Road on a toasty June evening in 2016.

It literally was a "she was walking out and he was walking in" scenario. As I exited Verizon in the normal cell phone trance, I heard a vaguely familiar voice quip, "Are you back from Nashville already?" (I am a musician, and, at the time, I was going back and forth to Nashville, TN, a lot — and of course, documenting my travels on Facebook!) From that moment, it was on.

After standing in the parking lot talking for over an hour, awkward hugs and phone numbers were exchanged and we left off with the "let's get together and catch up soon" goodbye.

In typical Michelle and Roger fashion, it took us a couple of failed scheduling attempts to finally set a time and place to meet.

But after our first official date, drinks and wings at Mack Kell's on Tunnel Road, we were pretty much inseparable. It didn't take long for us to realize this was something far more substantial than "hanging out." After an eventful evening at a county fair and not wanting our night to end, we made our way down to the banks of the French Broad River. A blanket, some wine, the dark-blue night sky ... it truly was a perfect night. In a voice so soft I could barely hear him, he said, "Would it freak you out if I told you I loved you?"

Those were the sweetest words I'd ever heard. And no, it did not freak me out at all. As a matter of fact, I wondered what had taken him so long!

Fast-forward a bit more ... After months of traveling with my southern rock band, shooting videos, going to music festivals, it was finally Christmas time — time to slow down, time to enjoy the holidays, and (yikes) time to go to his parents for Christmas Eve! The only thing on my mind that day was planning the perfect outfit and hoping madly that his mother liked me.

When Roger picked me up Christmas Eve, he announced that there'd been a change in plans. Seems his sister-in-law had to work late, so we had at least an hour to kill before heading out to his parents house. We were tossing ideas back and forth as to how we could kill an hour, and he oh-so-casually mentioned that he'd like to see "Our River Spot" in daylight. To this day, I thank sweet Jesus that I was agreeable, and, though nervous to meet his family, very happy to be spending Christmas with Roger. So down to the river we went. It was cold, rainy, and I had on white pants with black suede high-heeled boots. Miracle of all miracles, I didn't even balk at walking down to the river bank to "get a better look at that bench. Was it there last time, honey?" He was quite the actor, and (continued on page 43) 2017 Fall / Winter I Do! | 41

BRIDE: MICHELLE LEIGH • GROOM: ROGER DANIEL PETERSON PHOTOGRAGHERS: SEIRRA SHIMSHEA AND KELLEY INMAN • CAKE: CAKE "POPS" • FLOWERS: I DID MY OWN ARRANGEMENT DRESS: REVA EVANS (MY AUNT)TUX: BELK (WE PUT IT TOGETHER-CASUAL) • OFFICIANT: BLUES HALL OF FAMER HARLEY LAMOUREAX ARCH & DECOR: ANGELA HAGER-WATSON AND DANA HANEY • BRIDAL PARTY: KELLEY INMAN, CAROL CAROLL, ANGELA HAGER-WATSON, AND DANA HANEY MUSIC: STEVE COLE • LOCATION: TROPICAL BEACH RESORTS, SIESTA KEY, FL

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I was quite the oblivious one.

With my poofy black jacket serving as a makeshift umbrella, I prissed and pranced down behind Roger toward the banks of the French Broad. Roger was going on and on about the bench, about Christmas and how he wanted me to have the best Christmas ever, and at the very moment we arrived at "Our Spot," he dropped down on one knee and popped the question. Right there. In the rain. And I said YES!!

And that gets us to the Big Day!!

Roger had always wanted at beach wedding, and I was great with that. I was getting the man of my dreams! We decided on Siesta Key, Florida. The sunsets are legendary, the sand is pure white, and the weather is simply perfect.

Roger is absolutely the most wonderful man — He planned the entire wedding himself! To top it all off, his friends Dana Haney and Angela Hager-Watson built the beautiful arch, my aunt Reva Evans made my dress, and our great friend Steve Cole provided the music.

My very best girls Kelley Inman and Carol Carrol kept me sane and somewhat on time! Photographer Seirra Shimshea saved the day after our photographer could not make it. We happened upon her checking Kelley into her room, and we were lamenting that our photographer had canceled last minute. She immediately said that she was a wedding photographer and would love to do our wedding.

She really saved our wedding!

Our favorite memories of the wedding? Every single minute of that day is my favorite! Roger was so relaxed, he was napping on the sofa an hour before. Nerves of steel ... until he got my card! In all the rush, I had forgotten to leave his pre-wedding "I love you and can't wait to spend my life with you" card, so I sent the photographer's boyfriend down to the beach with it literally five minutes before I began my walk down! When he got it, he thought he was getting a Dear John! Can you believe that? He quickly found out that wasn't the case! Roger says one of his favorite memories is the fact that I showed up right after he read the card! Funny guy!

The wedding could not have been more beautiful, and our "I Do's" were said right at sunset. There are no words to describe our wedding and how we were both feeling. It was like our worlds finally made sense. Every wrong was made right, and there was a peace that I cannot explain that settled over me. A picture is worth a thousand words, which is why I will let them tell the story!

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