Let’s admit it, 2020 has been a bit unexpected. Okay, for most of us, it has been very unexpected. Despite all of the surprising twists and turns, we have admired the resilience with which our couples have embraced the changes and found ways to celebrate their love while making their wedding days truly special. In the midst of all the changes, we have gotten a chance to work with so many wonderful couples that we may not have otherwise had the chance to meet. One of these couples is Jenn and Bobby! Jenn and Bobby had originally planned on hosting a big wedding for their friends and family in the gorgeous mountains of Colorado. However, as with many other couples, their wedding plans needed to be adjusted once the COVID restrictions were set into place. So, they found the next best thing for their wedding day, a private property in Asheville overlooking the beautiful, stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. Changing their wedding plans was hard, but they loved still being able to find a way to have a mountain top wedding!

Once they decided that Asheville was the city for them, their hunt began for a wedding planner, and that’s how they found our fearless leader, Nikki! Nikki worked with the couple for weeks to turn a blank canvas of mountain top property into the perfect setting for Jenn and Bobby’s special day! We planned every little detail - the tent, the dance floor, the catering company’s source of water and power, the deliveries, the back up rain plan, and even the generators. Seriously, there wasn’t a single detail we hadn’t thought about.

We were all set for their intimate July wedding day. Jenn and her girls started getting ready in the sweetest tree house air bnb - this was a first for us and we loved it! While AnaRie worked its magic with the girls, Bobby and his friends began preparing for the big day in a fun rental house in Asheville! We had all their guests park at a local brewery so we could shuttle them to the wedding site as there was no room for parking. Everything was in place. Nothing could surprise us, right? Well, as to be expected from 2020, once we thought we were in the clear, a new adventure began for us! And, Gillespie Photography captured every exciting moment of it!

Once we finished setting up the wedding site, it started pouring. And while the rain was nothing we hadn’t faced before, we didn’t realize what challenges it would bring with it later. Once the rain settled, we awaited the arrival of Bobby and his groomsmen. Well, there was a slight problem. There was only one one-way road that lead to and away from the property. To clarify, there was only one one-way dirt road that lead to and away from the property. What happens when you mix rain and dirt? It creates mud. What happens when a muddy road gets covered in rain? It gets washed out. And any vehicle that’s not suited for an adventure session gets stuck in the mud. This is exactly what happened to the van that was bringing Bobby and his groomsmen up to the wedding site! Even though they were stuck in the rain, it didn’t stop them from having a wonderful time. Bobby clearly chose the right men to be his groomsmen because every single groomsman stripped down to his underwear and decided to push the van up the hill. If you don’t believe us, we’ve got pictures to prove it!

Finally, after having pushed the van up quiet a few ways, it stopped raining and the guys decided to hike up the rest of the mountain road to get to the wedding site. Once at the top, we got them hydrated (with only water of course), cleaned up and ready for pictures.

While Bobby and the guys were getting changed and ready, Jenn and her bridesmaids were having a whole separate adventure. Once they realized that the road was washed out and their vehicle would get stuck, the girls decided to stop at a grocery store while they figured out what needed to be done next. While waiting to come up with a plan, one of the bridesmaids spotted a tow truck and begged the driver to help them out. And he agreed! Jenn and her gal pals rode a tow truck as far up the mountain road as it could go before eventually having to call it quits. Jenn decided she had to meet Bobby. It was their wedding day and she had to see him as soon as she could. So, the girls took off their shoes, grabbed a hold of their dresses and started hiking! All the while keeping their spirits high and smiling through the whole thing!

Once at the top, the girls got cleaned up and refreshed as they waited for Jenn and Bobby to see each other for their first look. Even though it had already been an incredible day already, Jenn and Bobby were so thrilled that it was their wedding day, nothing would stop them from having a joyous day. And, we loved that!

After the almost newlyweds shared their first look we got started with some amazing bridal party portraits!

The guests slowly started making their way up the mountain as they got shuttled in a four wheel drive car five at a time by the property owner, John. Everyone was so thrilled to see each other and the moment was filled with love and happiness as friends and family embraced each other and the happy couple eager to be a part of their incredible day.

Once at the top, guests were greeted with an amazing welcome table display complete with vintage suitcases from East West Vintage Rentals and a guest globe for friends and family to sign. After everyone was seated, we gave all the guests an option to leave after the ceremony while it was still light out as the road would be much more treacherous at night or to stay until the end of the reception. Nobody left. Everyone decided they wanted to be a part of this amazing couple’s wedding day as long as they possibly could. It was a perfect moment.

As the sun set over the Blue Ridge Mountains, we were able to catch the last light and start the ceremony. Jenn and Bobby shared some beautiful words and promised each other a lifetime of love and commitment. They did this with a gorgeous view of the mountains behind them and a stunning ceremony setup done by Vintage Indigo and Fern and Flora. Once they said their “I Do’s”, shared their first kiss as husband and wife and were pronounced, the couple walked, no- actually they danced, down the aisle with the biggest smiles on their faces! All the hard work and all the changing of plans was worth it if not for this moment alone. Jenn and Bobby were finally married and their closest friends and family got to be a part of it!

The ceremony was stunning, but the reception was just as beautiful! The reception space was set with some gorgeous farm tables adorned with romantic taper candles in all of the fun summer colors, amazing, colorful and unique shot glasses for a Croatian dinner toast provided by the bride’s mother and an elegant place setting finished with magnolia leaf place cards. Guests also got to enjoy a charming mobile bar provided by Wet Your Whistle while enjoying some delicious signature cocktails served up by Cask and Canter’s amazing bartending team!

After a delicious dinner catered by Smash and incredible toasts from Jenn and Bobby’s closest friends and family, everyone danced the night away as DJ Robby played only the greatest of songs and guests enjoyed some tasty desserts made by 50Fifty.

This wedding day was definitely one we won’t forget, but despite the difficulties, we loved seeing Jenn and Bobby come together with their friends and family to celebrate their love and make their wedding day special and joyous.