Carie and Blake: An Intimate Vineyard Wedding in the North Carolina Mountains
Weddings in the mountains of North Carolina are stunning at any time of the year but there is something magical about them during the last few moments of summer. As the heat starts to fade and the hint of a cool autumn breeze blows through, the golden light of fall starts to shine. This is an incredible time for a wedding and no venue showcases it better than Serre Vineyards.
Serre Vineyards is a venue that really does hold a special place in my heart. Nestled into the mountains around Mt. Airy, they boast incredible outdoor spaces that are begging to be the backdrop of wedding photos. The cabin that they have on sight that couples can get ready in has huge windows that let natural light flow through, an outdoor tub perfect for stargazing baths, and beautiful decor that is stylish without detracting from photos (something that can be hard to find).
Carie and Blake took full advantage of the beauty of this venue for their intimate wedding. Every detail that Carie painstakingly planned was flawless. From her flowers to the gorgeous tablescape, everything was striking.
We started our day in the early afternoon with Carie and her sisters getting ready in the on-site cabin. Everything was going according to Carie’s perfectly time-out plan, until we got a call that, somehow, Blake had brought two different shoes. Immediately, Meghan, Carie and Blake’s amazing wedding planner from Adoria Events, jumped into action, tracking down a shoe store an hour away (because we were up in the mountains and there wasn’t anything any closer) and sent one of her assistants on a shoe buying mission. After several phone calls and pictures of different options were examined, the perfect replacement shoes were picked and we were back on track.
While that mini-drama was unfolding, Carie finished up her makeup, stepped into her dress, and was ready to have a heartwarming first look with her dad and then take photos with her family. One of the many, many reasons that I love intimate weddings is because they allow for more flexibility with schedules. Being able to take photos with Carie’s family before the wedding meant that we were able to leave more time to celebrate and party after the ceremony. We also decided to take a few bridal portraits during this time. Carie really wanted to make sure that the flow and shape of her dress were highlighted so we had a ton of fun playing around with movement during these photos.
Carie and Blake had also decided that they wanted to exchange private letters and gifts with each other before the ceremony. This is a really beautiful way of bringing intentionality to a wedding day. Sometimes these days can feel like moving through a schedule but, taking little moments like this, helps to slow the day down and remind you of the reasons that you are there; to celebrate that fact that you get to spend the rest of your life with your favorite person.
The ceremony was sweet and authentic with just Carie and Blake standing under an altar that framed them in the mountains. Carie’s father performed the ceremony and, after short, intimate vows, he declared them husband and wife.
While the guests enjoyed an entire charcuterie table, Carie, Blake and I snuck away to explore the property and take some sunset couples portraits. They played around in the flowers, walked under perfect arches of trees, and strolled through the vineyard’s rolling hills.
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