When you plan an Asheville wedding , you can pretty much guarantee to have a NO guarantee on the weather. THUS, why we loved, loved, loved Stefanie’s positive view with the “on and off and on and off” rain on her wedding day at The Ridge! She called the clouds on the mountains “lingerie on the mountains” and thought it was most lovely! We couldn’t agree more.

This was our very first wedding at the Ridge and we could not be more happy with how this day turned out. Stefanie picked her dress well and it was if she chose it to match those clouds on the mountains!

Stefanie, you are BEAUTIFUL!

Now, let’s back up to a bit earlier. These precious girls were SO into this wedding. They were super excited for Stefanie and Darren and were very helpful.
All I can say is Darren knows how to rock a GQ look! So handsome! Also shout out to the dynamic duo of Jenn and Kiersa with Events by Kiersa. They helped plan and navigate this day perfectly!

Yes, that is wood on the inside of his wedding band!

First look was JUST before the rain set in and it was perfect.

Stefanie and Darren had been together 13 years and were super excited for this next step in their story. Their excitement was contagious.



Shout out to Pop of Color for their mad makeup and hair skills!


Just before the ceremony there was a downpour! Shout out to The Ridge for the way they handled this. They had umbrellas and covered golf carts ready for everyone!


Everyone seemed to be in such a cheerful mood despite the rain!

Let the ceremony begin!



We love capturing the little details of a wedding. Like the hands, the flowers and the onlookers.





Yes!! Congrats Stefanie and Darren!



Stefanie called it beforehand when she said “I’m going to get a rainbow today.”  And so she did.

Cocktail hour was at the brand spankin’ new Chateau! We attended the grand opening of this awesome space so we were excited to get to photograph a wedding here.






Sisters.


Onward to Rhubarb in downtown Asheville!

Blue Ridge Blooms nailed the floral! We loved it!


Is anyone else in love with this cake display?  The RHU made all of these cakes in various flavors!


Since this was a wedding with only about 24 guest we loved how intimate everything was. They did a “family style” dinner and passed the food down their long farm table.

The toast were especially good at this wedding. SO many smiles and sweet words. A few funny stories too!




Stefanie’s “neighborhood dad” attended the wedding. Since it was also his birthday they threw a surprise for him. Everyone quickly popped on birthday hats and sang happy birthday to him. Then they surprised him with an ice cream bar from The Hop!

Michael and I may or may not have indulged in this amazing ice cream bar. It was served along side their cake!

Congrats Stefanie and Darren!! We are so excited you allowed us to share in your amazing day!

These professionals made this day happen!
Wedding coordinator – Events by Kiersa
Venue coordinator – Elizabeth Westridge with The Ridge
Where you purchased your dress – BHLDN
Makeup artist – Pop of Color
Hair designer – Pop of Color
Floral designer – Blue Ridge Blooms
Caterer – Rhubarb
Officiant – Rodney McClain, Asheville Marriages
Cake designer – The RHU
Ice Cream Bar – The Hop
Rental company – East West Vintage Rentals
Limo or car service – Emma Bus Line

We interviewed Stefanie and Darren and here is what they had to say about themselves and their big day!

A bit about Stefanie:
Stefanie is kind and outgoing. She has a way of making friends with just about everyone she meets and is the reason why we met and developed our neighborhood family. Stefanie is slightly cool, by hanging out with Darren for 13 years some of his coolness has rubbed off on her. She has become a foodie and beer snob because of Darren. Her hobbies including baking, shopping (mostly online), and decorating/planning things. She does have a sense of humor, is intelligent, and has a big heart.

A bit about Darren:
Darren is way cooler than Stefanie is. He knows good music, beverages, food, and makes sure he stays up on current events. He has lots of hobbies including brewing beer (which he excels at), gardening, and cooking to name a few. He also has a wicked sense of humor and you must have one too if you want to spend time with him. Darren is intelligent, kind, generous, and loving.

How did you meet?
We had a chance meeting at a hospital we both happened to be working there at the time. Both of us were in pharmacy school, Darren happened to be doing a rotation at the hospital Stefanie was interning at. When he first met Stefanie, she was working in the IV room and was wearing no make up, had on a giant yellow gown, shoe covers and a very attractive bouffant cap. Darren later commented that if she could look good in that, she could look good in anything.

Describe your first date?
Our first date was at a tapas restaurant in Boston, where we lived at that time. Darren wanted to see how adventurous with food Stefanie could be.

How long have you been together?
A short 13 years

What are your favorite hobbies and activities to do as a couple?
Cooking and eating. Trying out new restaurants, cocktails, wines and beers. We’ve learned that we like to take active vacations together where we are out in nature.

Who popped the question and HOW?
Darren did. We were hiking in Estes Park, Colorado. We arrived at emerald pool and found a rocky outcropping all to ourselves. This is where Darren asked Stefanie to marry him.

Why did you pick The Ridge and Rhubarb as your venues?
The number one priority of our wedding was good food, so we chose Rhubarb first. We had never been but heard good things, their menu looked fantastic, and you usually can’t go wrong with a James Beard nominated chef. We weren’t disappointed. For our ceremony we knew we wanted to get married some place outside with a good view. When researching this online “The Ridge” kept popping up with these criteria. So when our wedding planners suggested it, we knew it was the place.

What adjective best describes your spouse on your wedding day?
Stefanie: Calm and collected – even when it torrentially down poured during the ceremony she went with it
Darren: Calm – no cold feet on his part

What tangible detail of your wedding day did you love the most? (Cake, dress, special item?)
It wasn’t on the wedding day but the item that truly set the tone for the wedding day was our custom invitation. We had an artist do a rendering of us (bride, groom and our dog) with a mountain back drop. It will definitely be framed and admired for years to come.

On the wedding day the most tangible thing was the rain, though we were lucky it stopped right after the ceremony and we will always remember the rainbow that appeared.

How many guests attended the wedding?
24

What did you and your guests eat at the reception?
Lots of delicious food:
Cocktail hour: passed hors d’oeuvres of strawberry, goat cheese crostini, crab cakes, and black bean cakes
A delicious charcuterie board greeted the guests on arrival at rhubarb followed by a salad and grilled shrimp

Entrees were: Cauliflower steaks, chicken and dumplings, and smoked beef roast with sides of smashed potatoes, kale, and Asparagus. Everything was served family style.

What was the flavor of your wedding cake?
We had 3 small cakes: funfetti cake with vanilla frosting, coconut with vanilla frosting and salted caramel, and Hefeweizen cake with lemon curd and citrus frosting.
We also had an ice cream sundae bar from The Hop to celebrate our friends birthday.

What is the one of the funniest things that happened on your wedding day?

The groomsWOMAN walking in on the father of the groom in the bathroom before the ceremony.

What was your first dance song and why did you pick it?
We did not have a first dance. However, there was one song we had our acoustic guitar player that had significant meaning to both of us and that was Eric Clapton’s “Layla.” We named our dog after this song so it holds a special place in both of our hearts.

What stood out to you the most when you think of your wedding?
It was a great time, the whole day and night. The things we will always remember from that day are the rain and how great it was to have the people we love and care about the most in one place.

What is on your “bucket list” to do together as a married couple?
We would love to travel more and are very much looking forward to our honeymoon where we will adventure through New Zealand. We also hope to one day have a family with both a 2 legged child or children and 4 legged children.