I’ve been struggling for what seems like forever to find just the right words to describe my feelings for this beautiful Blue Ridge affair, but I just keep coming up short. Problem is, I am sooo beyond obsessed with every gorgeous detail, there’s not a word in the English language that can give it justice. Not a one. So, please excuse my bumbling as I tell you that I am head over heels for the breathtaking chapel, rustic backyard reception and beyond amazing images by Amy Arrington Photography – and then prepare to fall in love with every last one. Click here for more.
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From the Bride… John-Paul and I met at a Halloween party in 2010. We were both newly divorced and struggling with that stigma. We were happy to find understanding from each other and quickly became a couple. We have worked hard to not repeat our past mistakes and make sure this marriage is our last. Although previously married, we wanted to make our commitment to each other a day we would always remember surrounded by those we love. Our wedding was in the north Georgia mountains in the town of Blue Ridge. We had had the ceremony at a rustic little chapel in the woods, Pleasant Gap Tarpley Chapel, that is only used once a year for a family reunion. It was built in the 1800s but was rebuilt in the early 1900s. We had a cocktail reception right next to the chapel in my family’s blueberry patch, and our reception was held at our second home right down a gravel road from the chapel. My family and extended family owns all the land between the chapel and our second home, and I grew up coming to these mountains and driving past the little white chapel in the woods. When I brought John-Paul to the mountains for the first time, he was completely at home, and since then, it’s been a special place for us. My parents passed away in 2007, and this was also a very special place for them, so it felt like a great way to honor both my parents and our relationship to have our wedding there. A couple of other things we did to honor my parents were that I wore my mother’s wedding veil, and we used my mother’s vintage napkins at the reception. She loved vintage linens and had over 100 white napkins.
We created most of the decor components ourselves, with lots of help from our friends and family. Our vision was rustic and simple, with neutral colors, burlap, twine and mason jars. All the pallet furniture and the popcorn cart at the cocktail reception were built by John-Paul and me, with the help of Pinterest. I made the large moss B hanging on the chapel, the burlap table runners, the mason jar table numbers, the matchbooks, the napkin rings, the signs and programs. I used my silhouette machine to make all the signs and used mostly pallet wood and frames from the thrift store that I painted and transformed. I like simplicity when it comes to flowers, so I also did the flower arrangements and bouquets. I scoured thrift stores for books about love or weddings and used those under the table number markers. We got the honey from a local beekeeper, and we’ve gotten so many compliments since the wedding about how amazing it is.
The day was exactly what we wanted. Everything was perfect and reflected “us.” The one funny incident, which you will see in the pictures, is that while I was waiting to walk down the aisle, I was standing over a yellow jackets’ nest. As I started down the aisle, my uncle jerked me back and started trying to release the 20 yellow jackets that were caught between my dress and the lace overlay. Thankfully, they were not against my skin and no one got stung. It at least kept me from crying down the aisle. John-Paul’s daughter, and now my stepdaughter, Kaila, was our flower girl. We had a special place for the kids to eat and play until the dancing started, and they all had a blast, as you will see in the pictures.
Wedding Photography: Amy Arrington Photography / Ceremony: Pleasant Gap Tarpley Chapel in Blue Ridge, Georgia / Reception: The Home of the Bride & Groom in Blue Ridge, Georgia / Floral Design: The Flower Garden / Wedding Dress: Galina / Catering + Wedding Cakes: In Sister’s Kitchen
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