These two cuties are MARRIED! They had the most beautiful summer wedding at Hawkesdene near Asheville, NC a few weeks ago.
From Kristin’s gorgeous wedding dress to a perfect mountain top sunset, it was an amazing day! Kristin and Adam are one of those couples that are truly amazing together. They are kind, joyful, grateful, and totally and effortlessly in love. Every decision and every move was made with grace and care for one another. Every couple is happy, but there is something extra special about these big beautiful smiles! Throughout their wedding day, I loved seeing the love they have for one another, and their family and friends.
As Kristin got ready with her girls and mother, everyone was in the moment, sharing stories, and showing the deep support they have for these two. At Kristin’s first look with her father, there was such emotion and support that I felt extremely warm and fuzzy inside, (and if you know me well, you know I’m not a softie!)
During their reception, the toasts given by their matron of honor and best man were heartfelt, touching, and brought many people in attendance to tears. This couple has such an amazing group of people around them and I loved witnessing it all!
Near the end of the day, we headed up to Hawkes Nest for sunset wedding photos. Since Hawkesdene owns this mountain top, we had the place to ourselves like usual. It’s always beautiful up there with long range mountain views and complete peace. Kristin and Adam popped open a bottle of champagne and toasted to their future as they watched the sun set.
How did you meet?
We both went to college at UW-Platteville in Wisconsin. We never talked throughout college but reconnected after we both graduated in 2013.
What is your proposal story?
During the Pandemic, we just bought our first house. The day after we moved in, he invited our friends and family to celebrate us closing on our house. Little did I know, there was more to it than that. He made me a special video with pictures of us throughout dating and put flower petals and candles lining our hallway and leading outside. When we got outside all of our friends and family were there and he proposed on our front porch.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding
Our vision was a small, outdoor destination wedding. We found the perfect venue tucked back inside of the forest. There was so much greenery around and tons of plants/flowers everywhere. I picked a maroon/pink color for the bridesmaids to make their dresses pop off of the greenery in the background. We went for a simple/ classic table setting design with lots of candles and flowers on each table. We almost had to get a tent based on what the forecast said, but we took a chance to say no to a tent and had the most perfect day. It wasn’t too humid or hot, even in July. Everything was perfect!
Tell us about your attire choices.
I found my wedding dress on vacation in Florida. It took me 3 trips to the same boutique to really decide on the perfect dress! Once I found the one, it really made our trip perfect! It was hard to decide on a color for the bridesmaids dresses. It took a lot of color samples to find the perfect one, desert rose. The men’s tux’s were a simple charcoal gray with the same color bow tie as the bridesmaids. I wanted a clean, simple look. Nothing over the top.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
The most important thing to us was having a smaller destination wedding. We had roughly 50 people there and it was the perfect amount of people. We had time to talk with everyone and spend quality time with each friend and family that showed up. We were so grateful to everyone who traveled to spend the week with us.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Adam’s favorite part was seeing me walk down the aisle. I really enjoyed my first look with my dad and then with Adam, and the last one with my bridesmaids. They were each special moments, filled with raw emotion. I also enjoyed having our friends and family at our venue 2 days before our wedding. It gave us a chance to catch up with everyone beforehand instead of having the wedding and talking with everyone that same day. Lastly, we both enjoyed going to the top of the Hawks Nest and viewing the mountains from atop. This gave us a moment to take a minute for ourselves and reflect on how perfect our day was. It was a special moment for Adam and I as we watched the sunset.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
I kept the flowers simple. Different types of white flowers with greenery surrounding them. The men had white boutonnieres. Our table flowers were greenery with intertwined shades of pink flowers to match the bridesmaid dresses.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
Our wedding cake was very simple with a beautiful flower on top. The cake was only meant for Adam and I to cut. We got to enjoy our cake together and reminisced on our perfect day.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
The only personal details we added were 3 pictures from our engagement session. They were set on a table near the dance floor.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Stick to your budget, cut things out that aren’t necessary. You don’t want to start marriage off in debt.
Make sure you are planning your wedding for you and your spouse. Do what is best for you. Don’t let any pressure from friends or family discourage you into making decisions that are right for you.
Have fun! Make sure you take some time for yourself during the planning process. It can be overwhelming but do the most important things first and work your way down the list.