1 Blue Ridge BRIDE2015

11

Blue Ridgepresented by The Mountaineer

BRIDE

2015

Finding thePerfect Dress9

DIY Wedding12

WNC Venues14

2

Blue Ridge BRIDEPRESIDENT & PUBLISHERJonathan Key jkey@themountaineer.com

EDITORVicki Hyattvhyatt@themountaineer.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING DIRECTORSusan DuFoursdufour@themountaineer.com

EDITORIAL STAFFDeeAnna Wilkerson

ADVERTISING SALESJennifer AllenSherri RogersLori Gilbert

GRAPHIC DESIGNCynthia RyonMatthew PerusiSarah Morris

Blue Ridge Bride is published by:Mountaineer Publishing Company220 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786(828) 452-0661www.themountaineer.com

ON THE COVER:

Phil + Kristen Photography

Pictured: Brad and Rebekah Goforth

facebook.com/BlueRidgeBridalEvent

Kelly Morgan PhotographyRings

Dresses pg 9

Photo by Debi HallCakes pg 10

pg 5

Dwayne Schmidt Photography Beth Brown PhotographyBouquets pg 15

3 Blue Ridge BRIDE2015

336 Rockwood Rd. ARden, nc | 828-483-6191Hwy 26, AiRpoRt Rd towARd AsHeville, 2nd ligHt

tAke A left.

Bridal Gowns | Bridesmaid Dresses | Tuxedos | Accessories | Social Occasions

info@themarriagevine.com www.themarriagevine.com

91347

Kelly Morgan Photography

Beth Brown Photography

4

91350

A gallery specializing in fine handcrafted pendants, rings, earrings, limited edition watches and more. On-site custom design and repair. Featuring award-winning artists from the

Great Smoky Mountains and from across the country.

80 North Main Street828-456-2260

Monday-Saturday 10am 5:30pmSunday 1pm 4pm (Seasonal)

www.jewelersworkbench.us91346

appalachianfarmweddings.com | 828.400.9800

Weddings & Events Large & Small Events Many Venue Sites

91353

Carolyn Lima

Maggie Valley, NC828-926-3541

CCMaggieValley@aol.com

Creekside CreationsCakes and Cookies for Special Occasions

Mention this ad and receive 10% of your wedding cake order!91348

The planning aspect of a wedding can be the most exciting and fun-filled part of this journey, but it can also be very stressful. From the venue to the photos to the cake and all the little details in between, it can become overwhelming quick-ly.

The goal of this magazine is to provide you with resources to help mark some of the biggest items off that long wedding to-do list. Within these pages youll find advice from wedding professionals and from brides just like you. There are also plenty of photos and unique ideas that are sure to inspire you to create the perfect wedding day.

Youve already made the most important de-cision youve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. All the other de-tails will fall into place with a lot of love and a little help from Blue Ridge Bride.

Happy planning,DeeAnna Wilkerson

ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT

CongratulationsPhoto by Fox and Owl Studio

5 Blue Ridge BRIDE2015

When it comes to weddings, Maggie Valley Club & Resort is the perfect wedding venue in WNC. The

pristine fairways of the course offer stunning views while the beautiful Smoky Mountains provide a dazzling

backdrop, making yours a truly enchanting ceremony.

1819 Country Club Drive Maggie Valley, NC (800) 438-3861

www.MaggieValleyClub.com91343

First comes love then comes marriage. But somewhere in between, theres almost always a beautiful shiny ring and a special moment sealing the promise to stay together forever.

Its understandable that shopping for the perfect engagement ring is a daunting, even stressful task for your guy. Tammy Moseley, manager of John Laughter Jewelry in Waynes-ville, gives her suggestions on the dos and donts of engagement and wedding ring shopping.

Even if the engagement ring is already on your finger, these tips can also apply to the hunt for the perfect wedding bands for both husband and wife.

Over the last 30 years, the main point I try to stress to men when making that big pur-chase is that the engagement ring be some-thing they can be proud of, and one that will make their fianc proud to wear, Moseley

said. This is one of the three biggest purchas-es they will ever make, and the only one they will still be looking at in say 20, 30, even 50 years.

DO set a realistic budget Instead of going with something that will break the bank, find a ring with longevity.

DONT be a cheapskate With a budget in mind, you dont have to settle on the first cheap ring you find. Your fianc does not want to hear that you got a great deal on the Internet. She does want to hear that you hand-picked her engagement ring just for her.

DO go with your instincts If youve de-cided to spend your life with this person, you should have a good idea of the perfect ring she will love.

DONT settle for a big box jeweler This is a meaningful purchase, so you should search for a jeweler that will go the extra mile, will

still be in business next year and truly has your best interests at heart.

DO select a ring that will last An en-gagement ring must be wearable every day for years and years to come. Give thought to what she does in her daily life and talk to your jeweler for advice. They have years of knowl-edge and insight that you can use.

DONT buy a certificate DO buy a dia-mond.

DO ask questions A reputable jeweler can answer your questions so that you feel knowledgeable and comfortable with your decisions.

John Laughter Jewelry is a family-owned store that has been in business for 40 years with loca-tions on Hendersonville Road in Asheville and North Main St. in Waynesville. For more infor-mation, contact Moseley at 828-456-4778 or the Asheville store at 828-274-5769.

FINDING RINGtheGUYS GUIDE

By DeeAnna Wilkerson

6

www.laurelridgegolf.com91351

Boutique668 N. Main St. Waynesville, NCLa

Social Occasion Dresses & SeparatesMoms Cocktail Prom

Casual Day Wear & AccessoriesTux & Suit Rental or Sales

Threads Thru Time TailoringExpert Alterations

(828) 400-4129

91344

Sometimes the best weddings take hardly any effort at all. At least that was the case for Brooklyn Jamison, who met her sweetheart, Justin, in 2010.

Despite Justin being stationed in Washington in the Army, the couple continued their relationship, knowing they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. However, it was unclear when or how he would even make it home to propose.

After secretly requesting a four-day military leave, Justin surprised Brook-lyn with his arrival to North Carolina on Nov. 1, 2014 and a breathtaking proposal in the snow. The couple made plans for a simple courthouse wed-ding to take place Nov. 3, just before

&JustinBrooklynREAL BRIDES REAL ADVICE

452-0661 themountaineer.com

Once youve made it down the aisle,

put your trust in us.

We will clean and preserve your wedding gown and can

provide storage if needed

American Cleaners10 Penland Street, Canton | 648-2817

177 Waynesville Plaza, Waynesville | 452-2222

91725

7 Blue Ridge BRIDE2015

Sellars Florist

Flowers For all occasionscan be reached aFter hours

like us on Facebook

Let us help you make your day special.

98 Main St. Canton 648-7180

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm

91723

100% satisFaction guaranteed

Melodie McDanielIndependent Ambassador

#168294

828-593-9200melodiemcdaniel@gmail.com

www.melodiemcdaniel.myplexusproducts.com 89415

Twin Maples Farmhouse

828.452.7837 | 143 East Street, Waynesville, NC | www.herrenhouse.com

Let our expertise help you make your day PERFECT.

91391

Twin Maples Farmhouse in downtown Waynesville, built in 1908 is nestled on 2 acres

with a rambling steam.

It is the ideal setting for a charming southern wedding, reception or bridal shower and luncheon.

On-site lodging available.

Justin

Justin was scheduled to head back across the country to return to military duty. However, he had different plans and the entire fam-ily was involved.

The morning of the big day, Brooklyns friend Melanie took her to a scheduled hair appointment with plans to meet at the court-house at 11 a.m. But when Brooklyn thought they were stopping at Lake Junaluska for bridal photos, she quickly realized that she was walking up to her own surprise wed-ding ceremony.

Justin and our families had put together an actual wedding ceremony for us with all of our closest friends and family, Brooklyn said. I have no idea how everyone kept all these secrets from me, but all I can say is I have some of the most amazing family and friends there are, plus one amazing hus-band.

The ceremony took place at the amphithe-ater style seating area beneath the cross at Lake Junaluska in Waynesville. Navy, yel-low and red wildflowers complimented the bride's simple vintage ivory gown against the panoramic view of the lake and Blue Ridge Mountains.

A reception followed at Frog Level Brew-ing Company in Waynesville with a home-made barbecue dinner.

FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE DAYThe moment I found out we were having

an actual wedding ceremony up at the cross at Lake Junaluska instead of the courthouse. I truly had no idea they had put all this to-gether for us and was in complete shock. It was the best surprise I could have asked for. Talk about a fairytale come true!

ADVICE IM GLAD I TOOKOriginally I was just panning to wear a

basic dress (it was not an actual wedding dress) because I knew we were trying to keep things simple. My mom