Posts Tagged: high country weddings
a church wedding …… literally
Before even stepping foot where the bride, bridesmaids and others were gathered, I heard Adrian’s infectious laugh and knew it was going to be a great day and all was ok. She was back. What a joy it was to watch and photograph all that excitement rolled into one tiny, beautiful bride. Throughout the ceremony she literally bounced with joy, giddy and eager to say her vows.
During the days leading up to her wedding day, when I spoke to Adrian she didn’t sound like her usual bubbly self. The typical wedding stress had gotten even to her. I was worried she had lost sight of what the day was all about and was letting the details and responsibility of pulling everything together take over her thoughts. Fortunately, the good juju won the day.
Not even one month ago, Adrian Bridges and Banks Church married each other at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, in Wilkesboro, NC. It was the southern, summer wedding some brides dream about and between the tender moments at the ceremony, the beautiful views at Camp Harrison at Herring Ridge where they had their reception, it was pretty sweet all around.
The groom is someone we’ve known for years and he’s way more comfortable in small groups than in crowds. In intimate settings, he’ll share stories of his farm, about his childhood and friends and latest adventures. Having all eyes on him on his wedding day was not optimal, to say the least. The shift in his posture and mood was remarkable though when he saw Adrian. No one else was there once she was by his side.
When asked about the best moments from their wedding, they told us that one was when everyone surrounded them and prayed for their marriage. Honestly, it was pretty amazing to watch. Both families and the entire wedding party joined at the altar, laid hands on Adrian and Banks and prayed for them. The entire congregation held hands and crossed the aisles to join in prayer as well. It’s something we don’t see often and was humbling and powerful and incredibly moving. We talk about corporate prayer, when whole communities come together. The couple’s “community” came together to pray just for them.
Mountain weddings are beautiful and so are mountain receptions. God bless gorgeous scenery and perfect weather. Pixels “does” rain, but it’s pretty fab when we can send our couple in any direction and get something memorable and lovely in our lenses.
Adrian and Banks told us that their favorite moments from the reception were the dancing and chatter with friends and family, the beautiful views at Herring Ridge and the ribbon wands everyone waved when they left for their honeymoon. It’s hard to describe other than to say there was just so much joy that day.
We hope all brides and grooms can have this kind of love for each other, have those who support them want nothing but cohesion, a Christ-centered marriage and success as a couple. They’ve started out well. Here’s to the next 50 years.
For those of you interested in details from the Bridges-Church wedding, the flowers were from Eden House, Adrian’s dress was from Did Someone Say Party; makeup was provided by Sharla Bance and the videography was captured by Hill City Productions.
We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs babies and kids, engagements and weddings, brides and special events and portraits of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.
Mountain Wedding combines rustic, stylish, Jewish and traditional elements
The only minor thing about Katie and Josh’s October wedding was their now-shared surname. Katie Muskal wore her mother’s wedding gown when she walked down the aisle to marry her groom, Josh Minor. The gown was reworked and tailored to suit her style, but kept the elements that reminded her of her mom and bonded them that day. And that’s only the beginning….
The bride told us that she, “wanted to create a casual, rustic but chic, festive atmosphere where everyone could be comfortable and have a good time. And of course, we wanted it to be in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains!”
Katie is a native of Pennsylvania, but as an Appalachian State alum, she got the mountain bug and fell in love with our Blue Ridge …… and fell even further for a NC boy – Josh. “After dating a few months, we spent an amazing weekend deep in the mountains while attending a football game. I can honestly say that the beautiful scenery helped us fall in love more and more each day. For our wedding, I wanted to recreate that feeling of love we experienced on that trip.”
There is something about an outdoor wedding that is both challenging and adventurous and so deeply cool. Everyone is surrounded by mother nature, we’re all under the sky, there is tender ambient noise, and the trees and flowers and the rest of nature become attendees.
A little shout out: this couple worked with the amazing talent of Buddy Fore and his efforts tend to result in the most beautiful and well-organized weddings. Just look at his table arrangements!! Also, look for him in the 2016 issue of High Country Wedding Guide.
There was no shortage of details that spoke to autumn and tradition. The bride’s Jewish upbringing was celebrated with a “chuppah” made of antique cloth from both the bride’s and groom’s grandmothers. They celebrated with a “breaking of the glass” ceremony, and later the “hora” chair dance at the reception. Finally, the centerpieces and decorations on the head table were from the bride’s grandmother, who passed away last year.
We love the Blue Ridge Mountain Club! It couldn’t be more picturesque and it, along with the fog and rain in the morning followed by a starry night, allowed us to get gorgeous photos of this glorious couple and the many people people who came from hither and yon to be there to celebrate with them.
This reception had the highest energy we’ve seen and photographed all year. The dance floor never cleared thanks to DJ Erok, whom we would highly recommend. Ages young and old partied well into the night. We loved that when they did need a break, the outdoor fire-pit was close by and the stars were out.
Katie asked if it might be possible for us to thank her parents – David and Tracy Muskal, for giving them an amazing wedding and to thank everyone else who came to celebrate with them. Of course we can: THANK YOU SO MUCH!
From Ryan and myself, we’d like to thank Katie & Josh for allowing us to be a witness to their special day. Good Luck, you two! We love you!
amy & tom | nc mountain destination wedding | pixels on paper | blowing rock wedding photographers
When you start off the summer with one of the rainiest seasons in quite a long time, any wedding couple begins to be concerned that their day would fall on one of those wet days. Amy and Tom were very fortunate to have a clear NC mountain day to celebrate their wedding in Boone, NC, the heart of the high country. Even in the beginning of August, the temperature was just right for what was to be a day full of family and friends from literally all over the world celebrating their love. This couple resides in Washington DC but planned a NC mountain destination wedding in Boone and Blowing Rock NC, where Amy spent years growing up and her parents still live. Amy enlisted the help of a wedding planner and designer, our dear friend and incredible talent Melissa Riley of Day of Your Dreams. Even if your not making wedding plans long distance, we highly recommend Melissa. Her help is essential and her creations beautiful.
The ceremony was held at Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, NC. A very special touch before the start of the ceremony, was Amy’s mom playing several songs on her flute as guests were being seated. She has such an amazing talent and contributed it for a moment that will forever be engrained in our minds. Family was also a big part of the wedding party itself. Tom’s oldest son and brother, along with Amy’s brother, were groomsmen, and Tom’s two youngest sons were ring bearers, carefully carrying the rings down the aisle in bird’s nests.
One moment from the ceremony itself that we will never forget, was when the pastors (one of them being Amy’s pastor growing up) called Tom’s boys up to the altar to make them part of the marriage celebration. Amy, Tom and all three boys held hands and made promises to each other to become one family, promising to love and care for each other.
After all of the post ceremony photos were complete at the church, the wedding party drove over to Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, NC. We gathered the wedding party to do a few more photos before the party began. Melissa did an exceptional job designing and setting up the reception just outside the main lodge. A large white tent was set, with some amazing hanging floral arrangements provided by Bless Your Heart floral designs. If you’ve never seen the incredible floral artistry by Sherry of Bless Your Heart, it’s a sight to behold. It was wedding photographer’s dream come true to photograph this family-oriented couple’s wedding and the beauty that surrounded them in all the amazing details.
Because kids are such an important part of Tom & Amy’s life they wanted a kid-friendly wedding and wedding reception. There was a separate tent beside the main tent just for the kids! They had their own menu for dinner, had lawn games and paddle boats to take out on the lake (both for the young, and the young at heart.) Plenty of activities kept the kids entertained and having as much (if not more) fun than the adults.
The reception band, Hipshack, played all night and the guests really seemed to enjoy themselves out on the dance floor. It really was a great party that everyone will surely remember. Congratulations to Amy, Tom and the new family!
Wedding Venue: Grace Lutheran Church, Boone, NC
Reception Venue: Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock, NC
Wedding Photography: Pixels On Paper
Wedding Planner: Day Of Your Dreams
Wedding Gown & Veil: Did Someone Say Party
Flowers: Bless Your Heart
Rentals: Boone Rent All
Entertainment: Hipshack Band
Gifts/Favors: Candy Bar from Mast General Store, Boone NC
Want to learn more about our husband and wife team providing wedding photography packages and portrait photography in the NC Mountains, Wilkesboro NC and the NC High Country and packages for NC Mountain destination wedding photographers? Call 336-990-0080, visit our website www.pixelsonpaper.net or send us and email at mail@pixelsonpaper.net for more information.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2013 Pixels On Paper. Pixels On Paper Photography Hendersonville NC Wedding, Asheville Wedding Photography, NC Mountain Weddings, NC Mountain Destination Wedding Photography, NC Mountain Wedding Photographer, Boone Wedding and Portrait Photographers, Boone Wedding Photography, Boone Wedding Photographers, High Country Wedding Photographers, NC Wedding Photographers, Charlotte Wedding Photographers. Husband and wife team providing creative photography for weddings and portraits in NC, specializing in the NC High Country, Charlotte, and NC Mountain Destination Weddings.
kristy & trey | nc mountain high country wedding | pixels on paper | boone wedding photographers
We have been blessed this year to have some amazing clients and stunning locations for NC mountain portraits and high country weddings. A couple of examples include Kristy Brown and Trey Bryan’s engagement photos at the Pixels On Paper photo studio, as well as Kristy’s bridal portraits on one of her family’s farms.
This streak continued with Kristy and Trey’s wedding just outside Boone, NC this summer. Although the weather was a tad iffy the day of the ceremony, we were able to catch the breaks in the drizzle to run out and knock out some stunning outdoor photos.
The ceremony was held in Deep Gap, NC at Laurel Springs Baptist Church, just at the bottom of the hill from Kristy’s grandparents home. Surrounded by open fields and crazy nice views around the church, we were able to do some dramatic cloudy sky photos with the bridal party before the ceremony. Sometimes you just have to make the best of a less than desirable situation, and completely rock it out.
There weren’t many dry eyes in the church during the ceremony as the two exchanged vows and rings. It was clear to us that the newly combined families were there to support Kristy and Trey. The looks on the couples’ faces as they walked back down the aisle towards the back of the church was all smiles.
Following the post ceremony family photos, the newlyweds hopped in a perfectly restored 1966 Chevy Chevelle SS convertible, owned by Kristy’s uncle who loaned it to them to drive to the reception. Of course we HAD to have some photos with a classic car, especially with the skies we had to add to the drama, finishing up just as the rain began to fall.
The reception was held in Boone at a building owned by Kristy’s family that was at one time a car dealership. But with a lot of help from family and friends, that building was transformed into one of the best reception venues and it served its purpose well. Guests were treated to a buffet dinner and one of our favorite high country DJs, Gordon with Digital DJs, emceed the night and kept the dance floor hopping.
One last gathering of the guests happened at the end of the night as they lined up on either side of Kristy and Trey as they ran through the sparkler exit towards their new life as husband and wife. We wish them much love and happiness in their marriage!
Want to learn more about our wedding photography packages or portrait photography in Boone, Blowing Rock, Wilkesboro NC and the NC High Country or for NC Mountain destination wedding photography? Call 336-990-0080, visit our website www.pixelsonpaper.biz or send us and email at mail@pixelsonpaper.biz for more information.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2013 Pixels On Paper. Pixels On Paper Photography Wilkesboro NC Wedding, Boone NC Wedding Photographer, NC Mountain Weddings, NC Mountain Destination Wedding Photography, Ferguson NC Wedding, Wilkes NC Wedding, Blowing Rock, NC Mountain Wedding Photographer, Boone Wedding and Portrait Photographers, Boone Wedding Photography, Boone Wedding Photographers, High Country Wedding Photographers, NC Wedding Photographers. Husband and wife team providing creative photography for weddings and portraits in NC, specializing in the NC High Country, Charlotte, Destination Weddings and in the NC Mountains.
amber & clark | leatherwood mountains weddings | pixels on paper | boone wedding photographers
Wedding shows are always a lot of work for us, but it is such a rewarding experience when we get the follow up from a couple we have had a few moments to chat with in a crowded exhibit hall. We love getting the opportunity to hear a bit of a couple’s story, but let’s be honest, the shows can be overwhelming for a couple to attend and leaves very little time to get all the juicy wedding day details. So when Amber and Clark scheduled a follow up consult at our Wilkesboro photo studio after attending the ACES fall wedding show at Appalachian State University, all the hard work to participate in the show paid off.
After the show, we had the chance to meet with these Salisbury native in our Wilkesboro photo studio and learn more details about their NC mountain destination wedding at Leatherwood Mountains in Wilkes County. Their ceremony was going to be a fun filled day with lots of DIY touches and family help. Not to mention their love for all things Appalachian State University and the simple touches of ASU that would be incorporated into the outdoor wedding festivities.
The Leatherwood Mountains cabin stage was the location they chose to say their vows, with the covered pavilion for the reception. With Amber being a graduate from App State, it was certain that the black and gold colors would play a prominent role, both in the bridesmaids dresses, but also in the floral arrangements, all the way down to the tailgate style reception.
After the post-ceremony photos were complete, Amber and Clark made a grand entrance into the covered pavilion through the crowd of guests waving their black and gold streamers. Having spent a lot of time in Boone NC while at ASU for college, Amber had Woodlands BBQ cater the diner, because everyone (including Ryan) LOVES a good pig pickin’! Virtual Sounds Entertainment was on hand to make sure that this party went long into the night. With all the dancing guests and former ASU cheerleaders there was lots of dust kicked up on the dance floor!
We wish Amber and Clark all the best as they start their new life together as husband and wife!
Want to learn more about our wedding photography packages or portrait photography in Boone, Blowing Rock, Wilkesboro NC and the NC High Country or for NC Mountain destination wedding photography? Call 336-990-0080, visit our website www.pixelsonpaper.biz or send us and email at mail@pixelsonpaper.biz for more information.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2013 Pixels On Paper. Pixels On Paper Photography Wilkesboro NC Wedding, Boone NC Wedding Photographer, NC Mountain Weddings, NC Mountain Destination Wedding Photography, Ferguson NC Wedding, Wilkes NC Wedding, Blowing Rock, NC Mountain Wedding Photographer, Boone Wedding and Portrait Photographers, Boone Wedding Photography, Boone Wedding Photographers, High Country Wedding Photographers, NC Wedding Photographers. Husband and wife team providing creative photography for weddings and portraits in NC, specializing in the NC High Country, Charlotte, Destination Weddings and in the NC Mountains.