Whitney and Sam were married at Diana, one of our favorite spots on the Biltmore Estate! The fall color was peak and the sun was out to keep us warm!
This was our first event with the fabulous planner, Kiersa Holy. We were so excited to FINALLY get to hang out with her and see her creativity come alive. We have known her for some time and met because we are both a part of StudioWed.
Whitney said she wanted her theme to be “Downton Abbey meets Gatsby.” I would say they nailed it!
One of my personal favorite details from the big day was this aisle!! Shout out to Blossoms of Biltmore Park for their fantastic floral!
Here is a bit more from Whitney and Sam on themselves and their special day!
How long have you been together? We were an “unofficial” couple for three years, because Sam was too nervous to ask me out on a date. But people always assumed that we were actually dating. We started officially dating in January 2014, and the rest is history! It is crazy to us that we have known each other for nearly seven years!
What are your favorite hobbies and activities to do as a couple? We LOVE to dive with sharks and explore every waterfall. Our favorite non-adventure hobby is to watch CNN, eat too much Marco’s Pizza and devour all Ultimate Ice Cream flavors. Haha!
Who popped the question and HOW? Sam proposed on February 27, 2015. He surprised me with a weekend trip to Orange Beach, AL and dropped to one knee under the most GORGEOUS ocean sunset I have ever seen!! My engagement ring is a 1920s antique piece that I lovely named Miss Eleanor.
Why did you pick Asheville and Diana at Biltmore Estate? My family and I have been visiting the Biltmore since my childhood. Mom always mentions how I said one Christmas, “Mom, I’m going to get married at the Biltmore one day.” Asheville had received the most snow in a decade that Christmas, so I guess the Biltmore filled my imagination with Disney fairytales! We chose the Diana at Biltmore, because the view is unmatched. The row of autumn trees, the Biltmore itself, the mountains, the Diana statue – everything was simply perfect.
What adjective best describes your spouse on your wedding day? Sam was the epitome of calm, cool and collected. Everyone says that he was chilling in his room eating quesadillas, while I was about to be physically ill from nerves!
What tangible detail of your wedding day did you love the most?Whitney here… Growing up, Dad would leave post-it notes everywhere. That was his thing. He passed away in December 2012, so Mom attached inside my wedding dress skirt a note that he had written me years ago. I will treasure that gesture forever and ever.
How many guests attended the wedding? Around 50. We wanted to keep the wedding as intimate as possible, so only family and super close friends were invited. The wedding theme was Great Gatsby meets Downton Abbey, and all of the guests dressed in fabulous 1920s attire. It was too much fun!!!!!
What did you and your guests eat at the reception? We had an incredible multi-course meal crafted by Chef Alex. The main entrees were grouper and bacon-wrapped venison with seasonal veggies. The dessert was obviously wedding cake, and the after party snacks were the most delicious graham cracker smores and habanero chicken and waffles!!
What was the flavor of your wedding cake? The wedding cake was red velvet, and the groom’s cake was pumpkin. Both were incredible!! We dream about eating them often.
What was your first dance song and why did you pick it? Our first dance was to Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful”. Although, it was the main song of The Great Gatsby soundtrack, the lyrics are what touched us most – “Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love me when I’ve got nothing but my aching soul? I know you will, I know you will.” To us, that is the epitome of marriage!
What stood out to you the most when you think of your wedding? I absolutely love fireworks. We have watched them on the beach for all major holidays. I even dreamed of fireworks during my proposal and was admittedly heartbroken when that did not happen. So, Mom gifted us with a fireworks show during our reception. It was literally the most magical and stunning moment of my life. Only us and Mom knew that there would be a fireworks show, so it was priceless to see the looks of our guests when the first sparks illuminated in the sky over the Biltmore house.
What is on your “bucket list” to do together as a married couple? Once we purchase our first home in Asheville, we are going to do a “world tour”. Instead of a wedding book, we had our guests initial on a vintage globe over the country they would most love to visit. Our goal is to enjoy every one of those countries before our 5th anniversary!
It was peak week here in the Mountains of WNC. The wedding party got ready at the Inn at Biltmore. Check out those views!
Whitney’s dad has passed away. Whitney wanted to include him in on her wedding day so she had her bouquet wrapped in his neck tie. Her mom also surprised her by pinning a hand written note in her dress from her dad. I may have teared up when I saw that one. I love how they included him in their day.
Sam’s gift to Whitney brought on some beautiful emotion as well.
Kristen from Blush Asheville rocked the makeup. She and I both love it when a bride sits down and says “Put on as much makeup as you can!” She wanted a Gatsby/1920’s look and Kristen did a fabulous job!
Sweet little wedding baby and her beautiful momma!
Selfie moment! Shout out to Lola Salon for the fabulous hair and Blush Asheville for all 3 girl’s makeup!
After the first look moment. LOVE the back of her dress!
To the ceremony!
For dad.
Whitney’s arrival on a horse and carriage!
To the reception!
Shout out to Classic Event Rental for their lovely tent, chandeliers, and furniture! Their tent up at Diana is killer!
Loved their Gatsby themed cake by the fabulous pastry chef at Biltmore.
The Groom’s cake!
They had their guests sign post cards of Biltmore with well wishes. What a unique detail!
We also really loved all their Gatsby themed signs by Baggie Goose. They even had one in the lady’s “powder room!”
The Pamela Jones band entertained us during cocktail hour and dinner.
First Dance!
I loved how many of the guests got into the theme of the wedding. Everyone looked fabulous!
Toasts!
Bright Light DJ kept that dance floor hoping!
I snuck back out to the ceremony site to capture some night shots.
I love it when the couple surprises their guests with a firework show! It was one of the best I have ever seen at Biltmore!
The day after their wedding we did a “Rock the Frock” around the property. This was a chance for Whitney and Sam to get dressed back up in their wedding attire and take advantage of more photography. The Biltmore property is so massive that it is almost impossible capture all the cool locations in one day.
Shout out to Lola Salon for Whitney’s hair and makeup on this day!
This brilliant tree!!
And a field of corn!
Shout out to these wedding professionals who pulled off this awesome wedding celebration!
Venue – Diana at Biltmore Estate
Wedding coordinator – Kiersa Holy with Events by Kiersa
Venue coordinator – Melissa Jones
Dress Designer – Wedding Dress – a custom Sherri Hill Couture,
Makeup artist – Kristen with Blush Asheville
Hair designer – Liz with Lola Salon
Floral designer – Blossoms of Biltmore Park
Caterer – Biltmore
DJ – Bright Light DJ
Band – Pamela Jones Band
Minister or officiant – Brother Larry Hudson
Signage and Invitations – Baggie Goose
Cake designer – Biltmore
Limo or car service – Elite Limo
Videographer – Timm Young with Timm Young Films
Rental – Classic Event Rental
To view more of our portfolio check out our website!–> Biltmore Wedding Photographer
