Southern Weddings

Sorry for the delay this morning, friends! It is our last day with V6 before sending her (yes, we call it a her) off to the printers, and good gracious y’all, she is a beauty! Have you placed your preorder yet?

As a new North Carolina resident, I can attest to the fact that this state is easy to fall in love with. Kortney and Kyle met shortly after Kortney moved to North Carolina herself, and after many porch-sittin’ dates and a romantic Christmas morning proposal, they were married in one of the prettiest parts of beautiful NC. The views from their mountain venue take my breath away! Even more breathtaking? The love Kortney and Kyle clearly have for each other–Kortney even says that the hardest part of wedding planning was waiting to marry the love of her life. So sweet!

Thank you kindly to Ivan & Louise for sharing Kortney and Kyle’s wedding with us!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I had just moved to Charlotte, North Carolina from Bloomington, Indiana. It was my first full weekend in Charlotte, living in a new place for the first time by myself. I was visiting a church on Sunday, and when I stepped through the doorway of the church, Kyle was the first person I laid eyes on. It truly was a “love at first sight” moment–he made me feel calm in the midst of being surrounded by the unfamiliar, without even saying a word to me. There was something special about this guy. It only took him four weeks to notice me at church! But when he did, he made a point to cut me off during my race for the door and introduce himself. After finding out how much we had in common, including our visions for church planting and our affinity for craft beer, we spent night after night porch-sitting on rocking chairs together at my Uptown townhome, overlooking the Charlotte cityscape. I fell in love porch-sitting with this man whose love for the Lord and calm, caring personality made me feel more comfortable than I’d ever felt before.

Finding my dress was a breeze! I am pretty particular when it comes to my taste and style, so I knew what I was looking for. I described my hope for a classic, yet simple, look and feel, with an empire waist and a sweetheart neckline. The consultant brought out four dresses and the third time was the charm. I put on the gown, my hands found their way to the pockets, and I was sold! My best friends’ tears helped seal the deal, too.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to forgo a first look for the chance to capture our pure, raw emotions of walking down the aisle and meeting one another at the altar to become husband and wife in front of everyone we love. We wanted to share in the moment with our closest friends and family and I am so glad we did.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Kyle adapted a classic set of vows to fit our style and commitment. They were beautiful. They displayed our promise to live as positive examples of Christ and to stay grounded in the Word of God. Our relationship wouldn’t exist if not for the work of Christ in our lives; He brought us together.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? Hebrews 10:23-25: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Two weeks before our wedding, we picked this as our family verse to live and love by.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The stream! It was so much fun throwing our shoes off and dipping our feet into the cold river to snap a few unique shots. We love being outside, especially near water. During our first visit to the venue, we passed the stream on our way in and I was sold at that moment. The scenic drive through the woods, up the stream and through the mountains, was a fairy tale.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Besides the pimento cheese, sweet tea, and barn reception, our wedding took place in the gorgeous mountains of Western North Carolina beside the Blue Ridge Parkway. It truly a Southern wedding dream, complete with a parasol!

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t try to do it alone. I hosted a fun decor-craft party, complete with snacks, Izze’s and music. As long as you make it fun and not too long or complicated, people will be more than willing to help. People are excited to be a part of your special day and need creativity in their lives. Involve others and your day will be elevated from a so-so event to your dream wedding affair, I promise!

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our cake was a very special part of our day. Kyle’s grandmother has been baking wedding cakes for her whole life. She has made everyone’s cake in the family, and throughout the years, has never lost her touch. She baked us a delicious white wedding cake with simple lily of the valley icing accents, topped with a festive mini fringe bunting to tie in our theme.

Tell us all about the proposal! Kyle proposed on Christmas morning of 2012. We have been keeping a journal since the day we started dating that we pass back and forth to each other, in which we record every funny moment, road trip, struggle, and happiness. He wrapped the journal as the last gift under the tree. I started getting suspicious when my family was waiting around the gift instead of rushing to the kitchen for breakfast casserole. He had written me a beautiful letter in the notebook, and when I turned the page, I immediately started that silent-happy-cry, because a ring was tied to the notebook binding on the next page. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was intimate and simple, exactly what I had always hoped for.
When did y’all get married? August 2, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 130
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. I walked down the aisle to “Beautiful, Scandalous Night.” The words were perfect for a Christ-centered, mountainside ceremony, and put to words exactly what was happening in that moment. We believe that marriage is the closest thing we’ll experience to a relationship with Christ, and we got married under a beautiful oak tree. The chorus says: “At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree, On that beautiful, scandalous night, you and me were atoned by His blood and forever washed white, on that beautiful, scandalous night.” We exited the ceremony to an upbeat tempo of Amazing Grace, to celebrate the joyful occasion of beginning a grace-filled life together. We absolutely love the Avett Brothers and know that they frequently visit Asheville, NC, near our wedding venue, so the perfect first dance song was “Swept Away.”
Describe your wedding flowers. I had a vision for simple and soft florals. My bouquet was a beautiful mix of white and blush pink hydrangea, pale pink lisianthus, and blush pink roses, accented with lambs ear, succulents, and eucalyptus foliage. The stems were wrapped with a band of natural twine. The ceremony aisle was lined with large galvanized buckets filled with a cloud of baby’s breath, personalized with our parents’ wedding dates and our wedding date. The centerpieces were self-assembled with an assortment of whiskey and wine bottles, and were filled with baby’s breath and pink hydrangea.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! Borrowed: The beautiful necklace with diamonds from my grandmother’s engagement ring. Blue: I sewed our initials in blue thread into the inside of my dress. Old: Kyle’s grandmothers lavalier that her mother wore on her wedding day. New: My feather hair piece. Every girl needs to have feathers in her hair at some point in her life!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge was waiting–waiting on marrying the man of my dreams was tough! But I had a lot of planning, details, and showers to get me through it! ;)
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? So many different people came together to help us plan the perfect day. Truly, our day would not have been the same without our loving families, friends, and community. By far, they were the highlight of our day. Also, I loved our giant 36″ balloons tied with handmade tissue paper fringe! They were so fun, and a little violent when the wind caught them, but they brought that extra special touch to our ceremony and photos. Just make sure you have a minivan to haul them in!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment was walking down the aisle to my future husband, surrounded by people we love and that love us. It was very simple and laid back, yet elegant. I felt like a princess because of the love that I felt walking down that aisle–by everyone sitting in the crowd, by our bridal party, by my husband, teary-eyed, ready to make me his wife.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We plan to make life as much of an adventure as we can, to laugh a lot, to pray a lot, to dance a lot in the living room, and to eat frozen pizza a lot during these first couple years. We can’t wait!

Photographer: Ivan & Louise / Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Fields of Blackberry Cove / Florist: Blossoms at Biltmore Park / Wedding Cake: Roberta Holtzhower / Caterer: Caroline Allured Catering and Kim Aasland / Special Details: Jessee Nevins of Quaintly Uncommon / Bride’s Gown: “Strapless Shantung Taffeta Sweetheart Ball Gown” from David’s Bridal / Big Fringe Garland Paper: Carte Fine / Bride’s Earrings and Gold Bracelet: Anthropologie / Feather Hairpiece: Etsy / Hair Stylist: Lola Salon and Gallery / Bride’s Shoes: Julie’s Boutique / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Drifting in Pink” from ModCloth / Men’s Attire: J.Crew /  Men’s Suspenders: Etsy / Men’s Shoes: Aldo / Craft Beer: Greenman Brewery

Written with love by Lisa