Rustic Elegance at Old Edwards Inn

This gorgeous soiree right here, it’s proof that when Asheville Event Co.Floressence Flowers and Natalie Watson combine forces, wedding magic happens. There are too many things that I love about this day, my list would keep you here forever. But just to name a few… this garland, this game and this perfect bouquet. Bam, 1-2-3 and I’m head over heels. Plus, there’s more (yes, more!) waiting in the full gallery.

Colors
Styles
Rustic

From the beautiful Bride…When Bao and I first got engaged, we knew we wanted to be married in our home state of North Carolina. We live near Washington, D.C. and we knew that planning a wedding long distance could be difficult. I was also about to begin an accelerated nursing degree program, so my mom suggested that we hire a local wedding planner (mom’s always know best!). Melissa at Asheville Event Company made wedding planning so easy. She really listened to all of our wants and needs and came to the table with great ideas.

The minute I stepped into the Farm at Old Edwards Inn, I loved it (and luckily Bao did too once he was able to see it in person). I looked at 13 different venues in the mountains but none came close to Old Edwards Inn. Bao and I really love good food and a rustic feel so the venue was perfect. Chef Klapdohr worked with us to make a seasonal menu that our guests ended up raving about. The floral arrangements were also a big part of our wedding. Bao has a green thumb and loves succulents; I thought pinks and peaches would complement the scenery at The Farm. Our florist, Eatherley, was absolutely amazing. I was blown away by the floral arrangements, the bouquets, and the succulent wall. The most difficult part of wedding planning for me was picking out my dress. I was pretty indecisive on the matter and eventually ended up going with a dress that I knew I would feel comfortable in. I loved having straps on the dress so that I didn’t have to readjust all night. I also had the seamstress modernize my mom’s veil so that I could wear it on the wedding day. It was really special to me and it ended up matching my dress almost perfectly. The day of the wedding was a blur so we were really glad to have great photographers there to capture the memories for us! They were so easy and fun to work with and were the first vendors we chose in the entire process – once I saw their portfolio online I was sold. Bao and I are so happy to have such beautiful photographs of the decor, our wedding party, and our friends and family.

All in all our wedding was pretty close to perfect. The day was beautiful, the food was fantastic, the bluegrass band was a hit, and our guests had a great time. Our families and the bridal party helped us every step of the way which made the process almost stress-free. I cannot even put into words how thankful I am for their support!

From Melissa Porter, the event coordinator at Asheville Event CoCaroline and Bao are such a special couple and they were so laid back about planning their wedding. They were always focused on their loved ones, friends and guests. They wanted a weekend where their guests felt comfortable and had a wonderful time. I love how they incorporated things that were most important to them in their day. Caroline and Bao loved all kinds of beer from local beer to less known breweries and they shared that with their guests with handmade wood beer flights featuring a variety of ales that were passed during cocktail hour. I also loved their guest book! Guests wrote their well wishes on Jenga pieces (their favorite game) and even got to participate in large format Jenga which Bao built and brought to the cocktail hour. One of my favorite ideas was the succulent wall designed by Florresence Flowers – it was used as the stunning backdrop to the ceremony, as a beautiful escort card display and then as the back drop to the super-fun photo booth! Using the backdrop for 3 different areas of the ceremony and reception was a perfect way to reuse decor. Rustic farm tables combined with stunning peach and white floral centerpieces and cafe string lighting completed a beautiful look in the barn at Old Edwards Inn.

Photography: Natalie Watson | Event Planning: Asheville Event Co. | Floral Design: Floressence Flowers | Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau | Cake: Tiffany's Baking Co. | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Officiant: Darr Conradson | Venue: The Old Edwards Inn And Spa | Cafe String Lights: Professional Party Rentals | Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: Unspoken Tradition | Photo Booth: The Photo Blaster | Reception Music: Split Second Sound