Jess and Aaron's Real Western North Carolina Wedding
I am so pleased to bring you Jess and Aaron's DIY mountain wedding at Cataloochee Ranch, captured by Torrence Photography. It is the absolute epitome of rustic, mountain, DIY charm. The bride groom and family all worked together to make this wedding happen. The make-do culture has a long history in the southern mountains, where steep terrain and sparse population made it difficult to move goods in and out of the region. This wedding definately captured the spirit of community, family, and fun in the southern mountains. Enjoy!
{All images are provided by Torrence Photography}
The couple exchanged vows on a beautiful panoramic view of the mountains on family property. Family friends–owners of Cataloochee Ranch–offered up their home and backyard for the intimate reception. There are so many details of this wedding that warm my heart. Jess and Aaron's wedding was truly a community celebration and a family event. An aunt made the wedding cake, the bride picked wild flowers for her bouquet, and they enjoyed a potluck buffet. Oh, and the brides brother photographed the wedding ;-)
My favorite parts of this wedding are the many details that invoke traditional Appalachian mountain culture. Numerous oldtime and bluegrass musicians provided live music throughout. Real moonshine from a local Haywood County moonshiner provided the kick in Cataloochee Punch, a lemonade-based signature drink. And they didn't let a little rain get them down. (Summer in western North Carolina brings rain almost every day.) Instead they kicked up their heels and enjoyed dancing in it!
I love that the couple didn't overly decorate. The amazing beauty of the Smoky Mountains and the rustic charm of Cataloochee Ranch was decoration enough. A few wild flowers here and there offered the perfect, understated touch for this real mountain wedding.
What a sweet way to end a wonderful wedding in the mountains: the bride and groom ride of on horseback. A very hearty thanks to Stephen and Claire of Torrence Photography for letting me share this wonderful wedding.
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about me
- My name is Christie. I love all things wedding, but especially DIY style, and mountain inspiration. I currently live in western North Carolina, but grew up in the Berkshires, spent some time in Colorado, and lived most of my adult life in the Sierra Nevada. I am a mountain girl at heart and this blog is especially dedicated to DIY, mountain brides. I also love emails! If you have questions or comments about DIY mountain style, feel free to email me at hindsightbride {at} gmail {dot} com
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Wedding Club, Christie. Christie said: Real Rustic DIY Mountain Wedding at Cataloochee Ranch http://bit.ly/cZ7l6q [...]
By Tweets that mention Real Rustic DIY Mountain Wedding at Cataloochee Ranch -- Topsy.com on 07.21.10 10:12 am | Permalink
This is elegant, beautiful & simple :-) Great 1st real wedding – congrats :-) x x x
By Lou ~ Whimsical Wondeland Weddings on 07.21.10 11:08 am | Permalink
Congrats on your first real wedding. I love it! Especially the last pic, and the one of them kissing in the rain! Great job of capturing the sense of place.
By Gaby - Cap Classique on 07.21.10 11:33 am | Permalink
I visited the Cataloochee Ranch website and the place is so beautiful. I've never been to Maggie Valley or the Appalachian mountains, one day I will because my wife and her family love Andy Griffith! Maybe we can swing by and visit Cataloochee Ranch too!
By Wedding Resource on 07.21.10 2:54 pm | Permalink
Thank you so very much Gaby, Lou, and Kendall! I love it that you don’t always have to do much to have a beautiful, heartfelt, charming wedding.
By Hindsight Bride on 07.22.10 6:36 am | Permalink
Lovely blog on your first wedding, woo hoo! Torrence, what a spectacular job! So happy to have such talent in the Palettes of Perfection Event Planning Studio. Riding horses through the mist in bliss on your wedding day…totally priceless!
By Amanda on 07.22.10 11:06 am | Permalink
Thank you Christy for posting this wonderful story which not only highlights this heartfelt wedding, but also let's us all experience the breathtaking Cataloochee Ranch.
By ...just simply delicious, Cakes, Desserts and Confections on 07.22.10 11:12 am | Permalink
Yes, it sure is a beautiful area!
By Hindsight Bride on 07.22.10 11:42 am | Permalink
Amazingly beautiful! I love that the photog captured all the details.
By Amber V on 07.22.10 5:25 pm | Permalink
It’s further proof that a good photographer can capture all of the most precious moments of a DIY budget wedding! But of course you already know that Amber V ;-)
By Hindsight Bride on 07.22.10 7:00 pm | Permalink
[...] Hindsightbride covered a real rustic DIY Mountain Wedding held here. The bride, groom and their family all came [...]
By DIY weddding at Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley, NC - Hindsightbride - Torrence Photography on 07.26.10 4:31 pm | Permalink
[...] were honored to be featured on The Hindsight Bride. This is an amazing resource to all of you brides who are in the midst of all of the wonderful [...]
By The Hindsight Bride Feature! » Torrence Photography on 07.30.10 12:31 am | Permalink