I Do! Fall/Winter 2018

I Do!

™

Fall / Winter 2018

sophie magazine’s wedding Guide

9 Beautiful

Real Carolina Weddings

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Featured Brides (Pictured on cover)

OCTOBER 7, 2017

Katie & Paul

DECEMBER 28, 2017

Melissa & Devin

OCTOBER 28, 2017

Emily & Mitch

9

JANUARY 6, 2018

14 Mary & Kelvin

MAY 5, 2018

17 Anna & Chad

MAY 12, 2018

25 Kristen & Morgan

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28

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 2019 Spring / Summer edition of I Do!, please email us at writer@sophiemagazine.com.

Cover photo by JCM Photography

JUNE 2, 2018

Amanda & Eddie

JUNE 3, 2018

31 Amy & AJ

JULY 22, 2018

34 Samantha & Alex

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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 2019 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!

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Sophie Magazine’s Wedding Guide

For details, call 828.274-8888 ext. 328 or email writer@sophiemagazine.com 6 | 2018 Fall / Winter I Do!

2018 Fall / Winter I Do! | 7

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Katie and Paul

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wenty-two years ago we met officially as 5th graders at a YMCA resident camp in Big Bear, CA. But it wasn’t until 7 years ago that we TRULY started to fall for each other.

Believe it or not, there was one thing she told me from the get go I could not do if/when I proposed. Being a die hard baseball fan and player my whole life, we went to a game early in our relationship and I was told I’m not allowed to propose at a game. So, fast forward to that moment and the plan was to propose at a park across the street from a local minor league game where we have a picture we both love, with the both of us and the Charlotte skyline in the background. Plans don’t always work out the way we want them to though right? So we weren’t able to get to the park before the game (we were going to a game that day), so I had to find a way to hide the ring box from her the whole time. Mind you, I was wearing skinny jeans, so I brought a jacket to hide the box ... and it was 80+ degree, so I now had to wear the jacket. Long story short, I did the EXACT thing she asked me not to do, and proposed just beyond the center field wall with the Charlotte skyline in the background of a Charlotte Knights game (in extra innings mind you).

The wedding day was one thing, but what we really wanted to do was make it a wedding WEEKEND. 98% of our guests were traveling from out of state and most from CA, so we wanted to make it a weekend to remember.

That’s how I remember it, which I think is a great thing and highly recommend to anyone. Everyone says their wedding day was a blur, but ours? I can remember every little detail of what we did. Nothing felt rushed, everything felt perfect.

Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The first dance 2 Holding hands at the alter and seeing the smiles 3 The speeches and the passion behind them from friends and family 4 Seeing everyone close to us that we cared about take the time and money to travel to a very rural area for us.

5 The first look 10 | 2018 Fall / Winter I Do!

Bride: Katie Rae Webb • Groom: Paul Everad McDonald Photographer: JCM Photography • Venue: Vineyards at betty's creek • Planning: Smash events • Flowers: Smash events

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M Emily and Mitch

itch and I met in high school. I never remember actually formally meeting him. I just always knew of him, and thought he was the cutest guy around — those tight blue jeans and cowboy boots, oh my. My crush on him was well known. However nothing ever happened. We grew up, graduated and went our separate ways. We had our own lives, own personal struggles, failed relationships, even our own children. Then Christmas Eve 2016 I saw him at Walmart. We spoke, hugged, and carried on. I didn't think much of it. Then on Jan. 4, 2017, I was working at granny's Kitchen when up drives ol' Mitch Hardesty in his beat up old Chevrolet flat bed pick up. I of course went right to the drive thru window to do some flirting. When he actually flirted back I didn't resist much and gave him my number.

The rest is history.

The proposal: Well things were going so well, we just put the pedal to the floor and went with it. our little families were blending well; it was great. Then comes June. My mom, daughters and I head to the beach for a week. Mitch and one of his sons were able to come down for a couple days to enjoy the sun and sand with us. Little did I know he had been toting a ring with him the whole time.

Finally alone on the balcony of our oceanfront hotel room, he starts acting weird. I am instantly questioning him and kind of being rude. I had no idea. Then he gets down on his knees in front of me and BAM asks me to marry him. I said "maybe!" Yes, I said maybe.

I was still in shock. Then I said yes! 4 months and 3 days after our official date of courtship!

The wedding day: I went with the same speed we had been going and picked october 28th 2017 — 4 months and 3 days after the day he asked me to marry him! I had some pretty awesome people around me to help pick out my dress, and tell me all the small things I would have never thought of. The wedding party consisted of my girls, his boys, the preacher, Larry Rogers, and us. I made my bouquet out of brooches, some from my family and some from his, some old and some new. I love that I will have it forever. My mom sewed the lace I found to make the table clothes. She also sewed the boutonnieres and the ribbons that hung from the pews in the church. Speaking of church, I had always wanted a wedding outside since I knew I would wear my boots, but I went with my church (Mount Sheba Baptist Church), so I wouldn't have to worry with the weather.

Thank goodness cause it rained A LoT! I still wore my boots. I saved all the decorations for the reception, that's where I let it all hang out! Everything I love was everywhere! I used my bottle collection, family button collection, feathers, dream catchers, sharks teeth, I could go on and on. To me it was perfect.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Decorating for the reception. Seeing it go from a bare setting

for me to do with it what I pleased. Seeing my visions come out of my head and in real life for my loved ones to see and enjoy with me was magical. To have my family come through and help so much to make it happen made it even more special.

2 Putting on my dress! I called it my Julia Roberts dress, it made

me feel like she looked in my favorite part of the movie "Pretty Woman." Knowing that in that moment I AM THE BRIDE! This is really happening I am about to marry my Mitch Hardesty! With my mom and daughters and close friends around helping with the finishing touches. Wow.

3 Getting our rings custom made! I have always wanted a piece made from the one and only Jason Janow of Janow Metalsmithing! And to have my first piece from him be my wedding ring, priceless. Did I mention he took two of my old rings, melted them down and used the gold and diamonds to make my very own custom never worn ever by anyone but ME wedding band! How cool is that!

4 Walking down the isle. Knowing that bone cancer could have taken my daddy from me, yet he was able to stay in this world long enough to walk me down the isle and give me away to my husband. Words cant even. Knowing my sweet little family was waiting for me at the altar, seeing their faces. Everything worked out better than I had planned.

5 The reception. Being welcomed in like movie stars. Introduced as Mr & Mrs Mitch Hardesty! Seeing my wedding cake for the first time. Honestly I hadn't seen my cake in its entirety until the moment of my reception and I loved it so much. My cousin Billy and his awesome girl friend Heather came many miles to bring me my cake they made together!! No store could have provided that!

Bride: Emily Renee Silvers • Groom: Lewis Mitchell Hardesty Photographer: Amy Frohman • Ceremony: Mount Sheba Baptist Church • Reception: NC-Coop Extension building Cake: Billy Rice and Heather Payne • Caterer: Granny's Kitchen and Sam's club bakery • DJ: James DeVore • Dress: David's Bridal Hair: Danielle Elliott Upper cut salon • Makeup: Kaitlin Gonzalez • Rings: Jason Janow @ Janow Metalsmithing

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Melissa and Devin

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rom the first time I met Melissa there was a connection.

Not a romantic one, (we were both in relationships at the time) but a spiritual connection. I could tell that her heart was connected to God and that she had the love for Him that I had. She spoke of God and encouraged me, and we connected.

A couple years later the connection happened again, but this time we were both single. I went to Collegedale for Summer Salt evangelistic training and we had breakfast together, and then lunch, and we spent most of the day together. She was the woman I had been looking for. Her heart was pure and she was compassionate, and thoughtful, smart, and Godly, and beautiful.

We had great conversations all day. The problem was that she lived three hours away from me. I had decided not to pursue the relationship. I did not want a long-distance relationship. When I got back home however, I received a text from her asking if I had a safe trip. This resulted in periodic texts back and forth. I finally gained the courage to ask her if I could call her, she said sure. The phone call was an hour-long rejection. She said she was flattered and honored, but that she was not interested in a relationship.

The next month or so was confusing to say the least. We talked a lot. We had the deepest and best conversations I have ever had in my life. We talked about God a lot and my affections for her grew, and her affections for me grew too. I knew at that point that I wanted to marry her. I went to visit her because her aunt, cousin,

and grandpa were in town. I really owe a lot to her aunt and cousin, they convinced her to give me a chance.

A week after that she came to visit me. We went whitewater rafting on the Nantahala river with a group of friends and at the end of the day Melissa and I stayed a little longer and sat by the river.

On that day, August 28, 2016, I asked/told her that she was “my girl." We were in a long-distance relationship.

The distance helped us to grow in the right ways. We developed a depth of relationship and an understanding of each other. I grew to love the sound of her voice and the heart and mind behind the words. She is brilliant and deep and she gave perspective on the heart of God and many other things. We talked every night, and saw each other almost every weekend. Long-distance was worth it.

We soon began discussing ways to spend more time together.

We knew that one of us was going to have to move. We decided that she would move to Asheville and I am thankful for her doing that. We got engaged to be married on August 4, 2017 (best birthday ever!), and we have grown to know and understand each other more and more, with a different kind of depth now that we get to see each other every day and we get to work together.

Our love is growing and I still know that she is the one I want to marry and spend my life with. God has been such a big part of this journey, we can see how he led us together and how He is continuing to guide us day by day. I am excited to see what the future holds!

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 I teared up when my wedding day coordinator and

longtime friend Katie brought the whole wedding party pastries for breakfast in a beautiful tiered display. It was so thoughtful since we all had to be there so early (the wedding started at 11:30am).

2 My longtime hairdresser Keya got up at 3am to drive 3.5 hours from Chattanooga to Asheville to do my hair for me.

3 Standing by myself for a few minutes, hidden from

view, waiting for Devin to walk the parents in, and the rest of the bridal party to go in. I could hear everyone, but they couldn't see me, and it was nice to stop and have a personal alone moment to reflect on what was happening and...

4 How everyone was there. Family and friends, from

both Devin's side and my side, all together in one place at one time, for us. It was a really beautiful feeling.

5 My maids of honor (my twin cousins from California)

gave an amazing speech at the reception about how they were there sitting by the pool with me the first time Devin texted me, which was "Happy Birthday." I laughed AND cried within the span of 3 minutes during the speech. (Unfortunately, no one recorded it!)

Bride: Melissa Kristen Lechler • Groom: Devin Nickless Suarez Photographer: Inspired Life Photography • Venue/catering: Lake Junaluska Conference Center • Rings: Keri Hollifield at Earth Star Studio Dress: David's Bridal • Cake: Sweet Promises Wedding Cakes • Hair: Keya Trent with Hairbenders International Salon in Chattanooga, TN Flowers: Merrimon Florist • Makeup: Bethany Johnson • Day-of Coordinator: Katie Anderson

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Mary and Kelvin

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f you want to get technical our parents lived in the same neighborhood, and Kelvin saw me for the first time while waiting for the school bus. I believe I was in 6th or 7th grade at the time. It's funny when we talk about it now because we both thought the other was cute, but he was too nervous to say anything and I was too shy to ask him to move his backpack to try and sit next to him on the bus. Fast forward a couple of years to high school and we met again through friends.

We continued to talk briefly in between classes but we were both seeing other people then. Kelvin says when I left for college is when he really started to fall for me. We would stay up late texting and msn messaging each other even when we both had tests the next day. My sophomore year in college I was on the dance team and he surprised me for our first home game performance and that's when I knew he was it for me, this was back in 20102011. We were long distance for the first couple years of our relationship, but it was worth it! After he graduated from The University of Tennessee in 2013 he moved to Charlotte NC, and I followed in the fall of 2014.

How He Asked: The both of us are huge goof balls and love making the other laugh! We joke around with each other all the time. I had been teasing him for about 8 months about getting engaged (some of our other friends were getting engaged and teasing us having been together so long) so I playfully poked the bear. Kelvin would joke back that he would propose with a bubble gum machine ring if I kept asking. Now if you also know us you'll know that 95% of the time we are late to everything.

Kelvin had this whole plan of getting up early and going for a hike on Crowders Mountain where he would fake some knee pain and then propose. I, however, had other unintentional plans. Not only

was I late, but then we couldn't find parking, so I suggested we just go home and try again later in the day. Kelvin was mad the entire way home and I just couldn't figure out why. Fast forward to that night and we decided on dessert only at The Melting Pot. A little more than half way through he said he wanted to talk, and just takes the box from his pocket and just sets it on the table. I immediately started crying hysterically, and then he opened the box and my crying turned into laughter. You guessed it, a plastic bubble gum machine ring was inside. I couldn't say anything I was crying and laughing so hard, so he pulls out another plastic ring from his pocket and says "How about now? I got you two!" I nodded and Kelvin told me, "Just for the record you said yes to a plastic ring." Then he pulled the real ring out and I continued to cry.

Our Wedding Day: We were married on January 6th 2018 in Asheville, NC. It was absolutely freezing (talking 12 degrees) but somehow I think it helped calm my nerves. Asheville was "middle ground" between the life we had built in Charlotte, and the family and friends still back home in TN. From the very moment we pulled up to The Century Room I was sold, the location was perfect and the architecture of the building provided a modern yet rustic feel that we were going for. our color scheme was wine/ burgundy, navy, and gold with taupe and dark green accents.

We were really going for a romantic woodsy feel but still wanted to be inside. The exposed brick and oversized wooden beams overhead with lights strung throughout were simply stunning.

We chose simple yet elegant decorations with lanterns and floral centerpieces. our guestbook was a world map with our last name at the bottom, something to hang up on display in our home and always remember the best people. Being the middle of winter the slightly darker tones pulled together beautifully.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Our most favorite is honestly a tie. We wrote our own vows,

which was Kelvin's idea, and it really surprised me in the best way.

It ties with our "unity painting." Instead of taking turns pouring sand into a single container we painted instead. I had navy paint and Kelvin had burgundy. We each painted different strokes but met in the middle, joining the colors to make a new one.

2 My Aunt Gab and my MOH Kerstin stepped up to the plate and

let me borrow charms from each of their Pandora bracelets when my "something borrowed, something old" plans fell through.

3 Kelvin's brother Jeremy gave a mic-drop best man speech. It

was absolutely hilarious but so heartfelt and sweet at the same time. We will always remember that and laugh.

4 Kelvin dancing with his mom; he said his mom looked so happy and that’s all he could ask for.

5 All of our closest family and friends being together in the same

place all at once! That’s something that will never happen again so getting to spend time and dance the night away with all of them is a precious memory to us.

Bride: Mary Elaine Baldwin • Groom: Kelvin Paul Daniel Barner Photographer: JCM Photography • Venue/catering: The Century Room/Packs Tavern • Planning/flowers: Michelle LaCosse at Party Envy Cake: Sweet Promises • Hair/makeup: Bride's Best Friend • DJ: Eric Everett at Asheville Party/Zowie Entertainment Videography: John Appleton Weddings • Wedding Gown: Wildflower Bridal-Asheville • Rings: His: Blue Nile. Hers: Blue Nile and Kays.

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20 | 2018 Fall / Winter I Do!

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2018 Fall / Winter I Do! | 21

5 Fall Wedding Flower Trends To Look For our craft beer scene. Beer is everywhere in Asheville, and it’s even made its way into wedding bouquets. Kristi says they just did a wedding at a brewery, and the guys used hops in their boutonnières.

Hops are a great way to add texture and personality to flower arrangements.

Feathers, moss, twigs, fern curls, eucalyptus, and lemon leaf are also showing up in wedding flowers this season according to Kristi. Wedding Wire boldly claims “moss is the new greenery.”

Expect to see this texture all over the place within the next year.

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all is peak wedding season in Western North Carolina.

With the rise of destination weddings, couples have started coming from all over the US to take advantage of Asheville’s nice weather and mountain views.

From a 2016 Knot Survey, couples spend an average of $2,220 on flowers and decor in North Carolina. Everyone knows that the flowers set the tone for a wedding, and Fall is the perfect time to play around with color and texture. From copper tones to wreaths and hoops, these are some of the top Fall flower trends to look out for.

• Lots of Color. While greenery is still having a moment in the wedding world, more and more couples are opting for color, the more the merrier. According to Kristi Ball-Mayrand of Stargazers Designs in Leicester, two of the big colors this fall will be butterscotch and mustard yellow. of course, reds, golds and oranges will always be go-tos this time of year. Pantone's color of the year for 2018 is Ultra violet, so Wedding Wire says look out for moody color pallets, especially coming into the colder months.

• Texture. Besides the views, another big draw for Asheville is

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• Organic. one of Kristi’s favorite trends is organic, natural-looking bouquets. Having your bouquet arranged in a cascade design is a great way to give your wedding look a natural, boho vibe.

Boho has been big for several years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Foraging some or all of your flowers is also a great way to get an organic arrangement that won’t break the bank.

• Copper and Rust. Rust and Copper accents add a warm, vintage feel to flower arrangements. Copper has been popping up all over weddings from the invitations to chargers to Moscow Mule mugs. Copper or rust colored vases are a great way to incorporate this trend in your flower arrangements. or you could combine two trends with flowers attached to a copper hoop (checkout our next trend) for a very of-the-moment bridesmaids bouquet or backdrop.

• Wreaths and Hoops. Flower crowns have been a big trend for a while, but according to Martha Stewart Weddings and Wedding Wire, wreaths and hoops are being used for more than just hair accessories this year. Couples are using wreaths for ceremony backdrops, bridesmaid bouquets, and even as welcome gifts for out of town guests.

Stargazers Designs by

Contact Kristi Ball-Mayrand at calling 828-254-3621 or online at ashevillewed.com.

Anna and Chad

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had and Anna’s story all began over none the less (and not too surprising if you know Chad) the Atlanta Braves! Chad was back home after he had been away at college and Anna and her family were getting ready to head down to Atlanta to see the Braves play some ball. During most of the game, Anna was on the phone with Chad (he was SO wishing he was at that game ) and he was giving her all the extra knowledge she needed about the players.

They realized how much they had in common (aside from their love for the Braves) and how easy it was for the both of them to talk about just anything and everything, like they had forever known each other!

This realization led the couple to spending much time together and having an absolute blast together, whether they were just sitting on a bank fishing, or having dinner and movie date nights together! The couple love their Lord and Savior and truly believe that if He is put first in their relationship, they can accomplish great things!

Needless to say, Chad and Anna are now each other’s best friends and are so excited to begin their happily ever after!!! They are truly blessed and thankful for everyone sharing in this wonderful journey with them!

Colossians 3:14: “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The moment we got to feel each other’s hands without seeing each other!! Our wonderful photographer captured a perfect picture of this!

2 The moment we had our first dance! We chose a romantic song called “Fall into me” and it was like our real life fairy tale moment!

3 The ceremony was “extra” sentimental because our minister

who joined us in marriage was Chad’s sweet grandfather, Lewis Maynor!

4 Our cake cutting was so much fun, even though we didn’t get too messy it was one of our favorite moments!

5 Our sparkler departure was SO magical it topped everything off by being absolutely perfect!

Bride: Anna cordell • Groom: Chad Maynor Photographer: Tracy Waldrop Photography • Venue & Catering: 4 M Acres Events • Florist: Kaylynne’s Briar Patch Floral Cake: Debra Collazo • Dress: Once Upon a Time bridal and boutique • Rings: Reeds Jewlers • Grooms cake: Jessica Seage

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Kristen and Morgan

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State Park, which is a mountainous high elevation meadow with boulders and wild ponies. When we hiked to the top of one of the boulders with panoramic views, he made me sit down on a rock and he dropped down on one knee! It was the perfect proposal and it was so us!

Proposal: I was at WCU for graduate school and was always really stressed. For my fall break in 2016, Morgan planned a long weekend full of hiking and biking in VA and NC. We stayed at a romantic bed and breakfast and it was amazing. On a beautiful Saturday we went hiking and picnicking in Grayson Highlands

The Wedding: Morgan and I were married at Sleepy Hollow Inn and Event Center in Swannanoa, NC. We love the mountains, and the venue is a quaint and beautiful setting that allowed our families and wedding party to spend the entire weekend with us at the inn. Even though it was forecasted to rain, it was a gorgeous (although slightly warm) May afternoon. Our ceremony was set in front of a white gazebo beside a pond. Our officiant was Morgan’s brother-in-law, which made it so much more personal. After the vows, guests moved to the reception hall for appetizers before we were presented with the wedding party. Our dinner was buffet style and we had strawberry and chocolate cake. We made our own centerpieces, which included lanterns filled with river stones that we had collected, pinecones, flowers, and wood blocks my father had sliced. My father and I had also wood burned coasters and Morgan and I made trail mix that we gave as wedding favors.

The night was full of people we love and it was exactly what we wanted!

organ and I were set up together by our best friends. Melissa was my high school best friend and David was his college best friend and they were dating at WCU. For several years Melissa would tell me that she had “the perfect guy” for me and would list all of Morgan’s attributes — he loved the outdoors and hiking, he liked animals, and he was hard working. Melissa and David told Morgan all about me as well. I was in college in Chapel Hill and I had just ended a long-term relationship and Melissa took advantage of it by telling Morgan to contact me — just one day after being newly single! Before we knew it, we were constantly texting or messaging each other. Even though I had final exams in one week, we decided we needed to finally meet so we had our first date at an Italian restaurant he had made reservations for. He even made a customized playlist of all music I liked! It was awkward because he talked so softly and I had a bad habit of avoiding eye contact, but it just makes us look back on it even more fondly.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The night before the wedding at the inn. After our casual

barbeque rehearsal dinner, we had more family come over to join for games and to hang out. It was so relaxed and happy.

2 Seeing Morgan’s face for the first time when I walked down the aisle. The whole day was spent getting ready and we were both so nervous, but as soon as we saw each other, we knew everything was going to be okay. He was more teary-eyed than I was!

3 The first kiss. The preparation before the wedding and

everything after the ceremony felt like such as whirlwind, but the first kiss was the one time we felt like the world stood still.

4 The send-off. Since we were staying at the inn for the weekend, there wasn’t going to be a dramatic get-away after the ceremony, so we drove off to go get Cookout milkshakes! It was great to see people’s faces as we enjoyed milkshakes in my wedding dress and his tux. Someone even took a picture of us and texted it to us since we didn’t have our phones!

5 Realizing that everyone we loved was there. It is so hard to

get all of our families and friends in one place at the same time, so it was wonderful to know that we had so much love and support on our wedding day.

Bride: Kristen Lynn Howe • Groom: Morgan Shelton Photographer: Danrae Babbitt • Venue: Sleepy Hollow Inn and Event Center • Wedding Planner: Danielle Babbitt Cake: Sweet Promises Wedding Cakes • Caterer: Catering by Rosalie • DJ: Livesound Entertainment Flowers: An English Garden • Hair/makeup: Robin Davidson & Jocelyn Taylor

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Amanda and Eddie

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he story of how we met begins about 8 years ago... although we’re not 100% on the exact when and where.

We shared a few mutual friends but never made it any further than the initial introductions and randomly seeing each other at events or concerts. Flash-forward to a chilly fall night in 2016. Tuesday November 29th, to be exact. It was the Kiss Country guitar Jam at the orange Peel. That night a scheming mutual friend sparked a perfect love story.

The same story was told to us both... we just didn’t know it at the time.

“Amanda... you have got to meet this guy, Eddie! He thinks you’re beautiful and has a huge crush on you!”

“Eddie... you have got to meet my friend Amanda! She thinks you’re hot stuff and has a huge crush on you!”

As long as I live, I’ll never forget the moment when our amateur matchmaker said “there’s my friend Amanda” and pointed her out to me in the crowd. Everything stopped. The cheering crowd, the music ... time. My heart. Everything changed in that moment. I know it sounds crazy, but I swear, it’s like I had been waiting my entire life for this exact moment. I can see her face as clearly now as I did that night.

THE ENGAGEMENT: I’ve always heard, but never truly believed, that old adage, “when you meet The one, you’ll know.” Amanda turned that cliche into absolute fact. After that night in November everything just fell into place so naturally. It’s like we had known each other our entire lives. Maybe longer. Still does. I’m sure some folks will say it moved too fast, but for us it moved just like it should. I knew she was my Soulmate just as sure as the sun rises and sets. I knew. And that’s why, in August of 2017, I figured since I loved her so damn much it was time to get the state involved. I asked her to marry me.

I studied on it, stressed about it, and wrestled with HoW I was going to “pop the question.” I thought of all these grand productions, so many elaborate plans ran through my mind. But

when it happened it was anything but. That kind of thing just isn’t us. We’re both simple, very laid back people. We just don’t do grand and elaborate. So on a lazy Sunday afternoon, laid up on the couch in our PJs binge-watching “orange Is the New Black” on Netflix I got down on one knee and asked. And she said yes!

And it wasn’t between two shows ... it was mid-episode! So you KNoW I was serious about the whole thing.

Alright, I’ve gushed too much. I could talk about My Wife (I just love sayin’ that) for the rest of this issue, and the next 9 or 10. My sweet Wife ... why don’t you take over?

OUR WEDDING: Why, Husband ... I’d be delighted. The first thing y’all need to know about me, I am not one of those girls who had always dreamed of their perfect wedding or had notebooks and Pinterest boards. I am also not much of a planner, so I was thrown way out of my comfort zone. Thankfully, we’re lucky enough to know a few people and our vendors were chosen quickly and easily. From the start, we both knew our wedding and reception had to be at the Crest Center in Asheville. Eddie called his good friend, Joe Lasher, and just like that we had our date booked.

June 2nd, 2018 was, without a doubt, the best day of our lives.

Every single vendor knocked it out of the park and everything came together beautifully! our friend Chris Richards officiated the “unplugged wedding” ceremony. During that special time, we asked our guests to put phones and cameras away so they could be fully present with us in the moment. Even Mother Nature showed up. It had rained almost nonstop for two weeks, but that day was nothing but sunshine. It was absolutely picture perfect as we said “I Do.” We laughed, cried so many happy tears, danced and even sang “The Perfect Country & Western Song!” (If you listen to Eddie’s Show, you know the one.) our special day brought together so many different people from all walks of life. Seeing everyone laughing and celebrating all those special moments with us created memories we will forever hold dear in our hearts.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The Special Dances. Our first dance was to “At Last� sang by my maid of honor, Megan Dolan...and she absolute nailed it. I shared a special dance with my dad and Eddie shared one with his mom. He said it was the first time he ever remembers dancing with her.

2 The Speeches. My brother, Ronald Lunsford Jr, gave a very

touching speech that had the whole room in tears...crying and laughing. Eddie’s best man, Justin Cole, and my maid of honor, Megan Dolan, also gave special heartfelt speeches that meant the world to us.

3 The two important leading ladies in my life. My grandmother and my niece sat beside each other in their wheelchairs holding hands during the entire ceremony. Having them both there and a part of our day was very special indeed.

4 The moment I walked down the aisle and saw Eddie. He says

this too was his favorite moment of the day. His face was priceless in that moment and something I will never forget.

5 Spending the day celebrating with loved ones ... and leaving husband and wife.

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Bride: Amanda Lunsford • Groom: Eddie Foxx Photographer: Victoria Grace Photography • Venue & Catering: Crest Center/M7 Event Solutions • Entertainment: George (DJ Doonie) Guinn Florist: Swannanoa Flower Shop • Cake & Cupcakes: a la cupcakes • Hair: Sandra Snyder @ Impressive Salon Makeup & Wedding Coordinator: Dawn Greene • Transportation: Carolina Limousine

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Amy and AJ

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A

J and I met at a house party during Labor Day weekend in 2016. AJ was with his crossfit friends, and it didn't take long for someone to ask me, "Hey, have you ever tried crossfit?" (As you might know, all crossfitters love to spread their love of crossfit). I was a runner and nowhere near interested, until AJ seemed particularly determined to get me to come to a class. As it turned out, we were living in the same apartment complex, so he asked my apartment number to come pick me up the next morning. I eventually caved. I ended up loving the class, and we got to know each other by riding to 6am workouts together and going running before work over the next several weeks. When I found out AJ actually hates waking up early, I knew he must have been interested in more than a workout buddy. He even tricked me into a few casual dates, and it didn’t take long for us to be inseparable.

While we both have dominant personalities and enjoy being in charge, we would do anything for the other's happiness.

The Proposal: In September 2017, I knew a proposal was on the horizon, because AJ is SO bad at keeping secrets. I knew he had a ring, and had asked my dad, but my only request was that the proposal itself be a surprise. One weekend, we took a trip to NYC to visit one of AJ's friends. The first day there, I took the lead on the plans for the day, which included a walk around Central Park. We passed a large pond where you could rent a row boat, and spontaneously decided to try it out. I was in heaven sitting in the boat, looking around, and taking pictures while AJ rowed (just like a scene from "The Notebook"). Then, right when the boat was in front of the Bethesda Fountain, AJ said "Well, I think this is the moment...." and I knew exactly what was happening! He had been waiting for the right moment to pop the question, and he picked the perfect time. After saying YES, AJ took me to get my nails done (for ring pics.. duh), and we got New York style pizza and Dylan's Candy to celebrate.

The wedding: It didn’t take long for us to decide that a large wedding wasn’t for us. We stopped touring venues, and instead spent a few weekends scoping out scenic overlooks in the Blue Ridge mountains. We instantly knew Wiseman’s View was the perfect location. We tied the knot on June 3rd, 2018, with about 20 of our closest friends and family surrounded by breathtaking scenery. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Afterward, we had a casual reception at a nearby cabin, complete with pizza, donuts, cornhole boards, a photo booth, and our furbaby, Lola.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 The first look. We hand wrote personalized vows to each

other, and said them in private during our first look. It was the most special moment of the day, filled with tears and laughter.

2 My niece and nephew serving as our ring bearer and

flower girl. Emma is very neat and didn’t enjoy making a mess with flower petals (she preferred putting them back in the basket), so it took quite a while!

3 Having one of our closest friends as our officiant. She knows both of us very well, and threw in some great lines that really made our ceremony personal and also funny.

4 Stunning photos. Because our location was so breathtaking,

we had a lot of fun taking pictures while our guests headed to the ceremony. A few cliff ledges were involved, so it was thrilling, and the photos were priceless.

5 Our first dance. We danced to “I’ll Name the Dogs” by Blake Shelton. By the end of the dance, our dog Lola had run up to us, so we picked her up and all danced together as a family!

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Bride: Amy Elizabeth Hebert • Groom: Andrew Joseph LeRoy Photographer: JCM Photography • Ceremony: Wiseman’s View Reception: Linville Falls Lodge and Cottages Videography: Nine World Films • Flowers: It Can Be Arranged Hair/makeup: Rachel Howard • Catering: Mellow Mushroom Dessert: The Donut Experiment

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Samantha and Alex

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A

lex and I met shortly after I moved to North Carolina.

I was living in Hickory and he was an hour and a half away in the middle of nowhere. He worked at a brewery out there, and that’s where we had our first date. I got very lost on the way there and arrived almost two hours late. I immediately knew we’d get along when he was very flexible and cool about the whole thing. We spent almost every weekend together after that, and moved in together after a year.

We’d been dating about a year and a half when he proposed.

I’d always said that I didn’t care how he did it as long as it wasn’t in a public place and there weren’t any other people around. So he picked up some of my favorite beer and got down on one knee beside our green leather sofa (the first thing we bought together).

For our wedding we wanted to keep it simple and fun. We made some of the decorations ourselves, and the rest our awesome friends helped us with. We got married in Burnsville, where we live. The ceremony was at Sunset Gatherings. Since there’s already an amphitheater there, we didn’t have to rent seating, and the location was so pretty, we didn’t feel the need to do much decorating. We had our reception at MW Studios.

We had planned on having our reception at Homeplace Beer Co., but once we started getting RSVPs, we realized that we would be really crowded in Homeplace’s taproom. Our friends at MW Studios were nice enough to let us use their space at the last minute, and it turned out beautifully.

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Top 5 Favorite Moments: 1 Getting to the reception and being able to relax.

It was so nice to not have to worry about anything and just hang out with our guests.

2 While we were getting ready, I remembered

that I had rented a chalkboard that I forgot to do something with. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I sat down to write a simple "Welcome to Our Wedding." But I started out too big, so someone suggested that I change it to "Well, you're at the wedding." It fit with all of our other homemade things, and we had a good time laughing about it.

3 The food was a big hit. We eat Hog Hallow pizza almost every week, and it's always amazing. It was really nice to share that with all of our family and friends. And Aunt Moni's cakery did a great job with the cupcakes!

4 I loved our ceremony and vows. We kept it short and personal, and our friend who officiated did a great job.

5 Staying late at the studio and talking with friends and family that we don't get to see often. I'm so grateful for all of the people that traveled to come to the wedding, and it was nice to see everyone in one place.

Bride: Samantha Blankenship • Groom: Alex Smith Photographer: Folk & Wayfarer • Ceremony Venue: Sunset Gatherings • Reception Venue: MW Studios • Beer: Homeplace Beer Co. Catering: Hog Hallow Wood fired pizza • flowers: Yancey Florist and Gifts • cupCakes: Aunt Moni's cakery

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Sealed With A Kiss Mary & Kelvin

PHOTOGRAPHER: JMC Photography

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