Nicole + JD
March 2013
Valle Crucis, North Carolina
The wedding guest list for this Smoky Mountain elopement was straightforward: The bride, the groom, their parents, and their 16 week-old baby girl. It was as simple and straight forward as Nicole’s bouquet is beautiful. Be sure to scroll down for the bride’s best Hindsight Wedding Advice…
Why a Mountain Elopement?
Jeremiah and I wanted the wedding to be about us. We didn’t want to have to worry about planning a wedding for everyone else. We have been together for 6 years before we got married and have a gorgeous baby girl who was 16 weeks old at the time. We were going to do a “real” elopement but I wanted our baby there so we asked our parents to join in the festivities. It ended up working out perfect. We wanted it to be about us and our family.
Where did you find your inspiration?
Our inspiration came solely for our love of the mountains and our skiing. We visit the Banner Elk area at least 5 times during the ski season. We love to do thing outdoors together and we couldn’t think of a better or more beautiful place to take our vows together.
What were some personal details you incorporated?
Personal details that we incorporated were our vows and having our family there for our big day. It was a very small wedding (or a large elopement if you will) and just having our families there was our personal touch.
Your favorite moment of the day.
My favorite moment was actually captured in a picture. There was a candid moment that I passed our baby girl off to her daddy so I could get some solo pictures taken. She was asleep and grabbed a hold of her daddy’s jacket with one had and would not let go. Luckily Heather Barr (our photographer) was ready! The picture melts my heart every time I look at it. My other favorite part was being with our families. We live in North Carolina and so do my parents, but JD is from Texas so his parents were able to make it. Our families had a great time getting to know each other and could not have been more excited for us to finally consummate our marriage.
Things you’re glad you did.
- FINALLY GOT MARRIED :-)
- Made it about us and not the hundreds of attendees
- Picked a beautiful place that was outside and meaningful to us
Anything you wish you hadn’t done?
Sometimes I wish that my brother and new sister in-law and JD’s brothers and their wives were there. But ultimately I am so happy with how EVERYTHING turned out! Thanks a lot to Revival Photography and Mast Farm Inn in Valle Crusis for all of your hard work and making our day a real treat!
What was the best piece of wedding advice you got?
If you are not convinced you want to have a huge wedding (and you know in your heart if you are) elope or have a small wedding with just relatives. And the best advice I can give you is to ENJOY YOUR WEDDING! Other than having a child it is the most special day of your life!
What piece of wedding planing advice do you wish you followed?
I let my husband plan our wedding. Scary I know but he is such a good planer and I am not. I would have liked to help but I am not good with that kind of stuff.
Anything you wish you hadn’t worried about?
I didn’t have to worry. JD is great with getting things set up and The Mast Farm Inn had EVERYTHING ready to go. They were great! Oh, and I was worried about how our families were going to get along. They did great!
How did you choose your vendors?
We shopped online and found the perfect place for us. The Mast Farm Inn and they provided a link to check out Revival Photography and we fell in love with their style. We couldn’t be happier!
What is your very best advice to other mountain brides?
If you love the mountains, HAVE YOUR WEDDING THERE! Its not as popular as beach weddings. Plus the mountains are beautiful all year around!
Banner Elk Elopement Vendors
- Photographer: Revival Photography
- Venue: Mast Farm Inn