This is a really special one, y'all.
My cousin Rebecca lives in Raleigh and went to Appalachian State. She fell hard for the mountains and has always loved animals ( I won't show you our childhood photos of wrapping each other in tissue paper while playing vet's office). We both rode horses growing up, she is an awesome wedding photographer ( The Indie Image - she is shooting ours!), and we kind of look a lot alike. She married the sweetest fella and I just knew I wanted to contribute to what was sure to be one of the best weddings I had been to. All images ( not my iphone ones, obvs) by the lovely Same Wise Floyd of Samantha Floyd Photography.
Ummm, can we just stop for a quick second and take another look at that last pic? Holy moly.
Rebecca has always been creative and not a fan of the ordinary. Her day stands out to me in so many ways! For starters, her beloved grandmother that passed away last year would often stop to pick Queen Anne's Lace from the roadside in Alabama. That delicate little flower meant something to her and we made sure to have it as an element of the day. Not to get all sappy here, but that is beauty in its purest form to me. When something, a flower, can resonate such strong memories of a person or place. Gives me chills! Rebecca made the pretty watercolor invitations herself and she married Phil on the side of a mountain (literally!) in Grayson Highlands State Park, which sits on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. The view.was.nuts. These pictures really speak for themselves.
DID I MENTION MINIATURE PONIES?! That's right - Grayson Highlands has wild miniature ponies that just wander by you as you hike. Best. Day. Ever.
Becca + Phil had their reception in "The Pony Corral", a covered shelter that family + close friends had strung lights in and decorated themselves.
A dessert table with pies and baked goods made from favorite family recipes greeted you as you entered the reception space.
We are going with a creative guestbook for our wedding and I loved what Rebecca + Phil did for theirs. They had an open bible with highlighters and a sign asking loved ones to highlight a verse special to them. Next to the bible was a barn quilt. Do you know the history of those? While the origin details of the first ones vary - folklore says these ornate Appalachian squares were signals used in the Underground Railroad suggesting a safe place or a message. These are EVERYWHERE around Grayson Highlands and the fact that they represent a refuge is pretty cool.
Mike and I drove 8 hours with the AC on full blast and our car packed to the brim with peonies. This was an experience in itself and it all worked out! We rented an Air B & B in the mountains with my family and I cannot tell you how awesome it was to design in that environment. Green EVERYWHERE. We used my Aunt Annette's beautiful blue pottery for vases. Every single element to this wedding involved family and sentiment. That is a wedding done right. This also happened to by right after we got engaged so my family surprised us with a little engagement celebration. This weekend was one for the books! Thank you to my cousin Rebecca for giving me this opportunity and to Mike for freezing your face off for hours on end.
