Tien & Nathan's Downtown Asheville Wedding

I met Tien at a bridal show in Atlanta where herself and her now husband Nathan live. When she told me they were planning to have a destination wedding in Asheville, NC I knew the stars had aligned as asheville is my hometown and the most recent addition to our Like the Dazzling locations! Living in Atlanta myself, the planning process was excellent being able to meet with Tien and Nathan locally anytime we needed. As it turns out, Tien and Nathan live less than 3 miles from my husband and I as well. We've even bumped into them out and about at some of our favorite local spots. It's moments like these that make Atlanta feel so intimate and one of many reasons why I love living here.

Tien and Nathan chose the most beautiful time of year to marry in the mountains of North Carolina as the foliage is stellar and the weather mild. Of course, this past fall we all experienced higher than average temperatures in October! 

I apologize for the lack of photos here, I was having difficulties getting the others to sync on here unfortunately. I will be posting some of my favorites on Instagram and Facebook in the coming weeks so be sure to follow along and check out Sarah Whitmeyer's webpage to see more of her incredible work! 

Venue: On Broadway

Catering: Celine and Company

Cake: Publix Bakery

Photography: Whitmeyer Photography

DJ: Kent Scott, Bright Light DJ

Hair: Echo Perry, Mechanika Coiffure  

Makeup: Pop of Color, Elizabeth Hayward

Flowers: Stargazer Designs

Officiant: Rev. Jack Hinson

Planning & Coordination: Like the Dazzling Weddings, Hannah Sabolik, Kimberly McArdle

Everything you need to know about Save the Dates

Do I HAVE to send a Save the Date? 

While No, Save the Dates are not a necessity, they are a preferable, courteous way to say to all of your guests "hey, we're getting married and we'd really like for you to be there, so start planning!"  If you are getting married on a holiday weekend or having a destination wedding you should without a doubt send a Save the Date to ensure your guests have adequate time to plan for travel/accommodation and to just not make other plans over the 4th of July or their Labor Day weekend. If they don't know they're invited to the wedding until a few months before the wedding, you can't necessarily blame them for not being able to afford flights because they're too expensive or maybe they decided to travel over that long weekend already. So basically, yes ... SEND THE SAVE THE DATE! 

Who do I send them to?

A Save the Date should be sent to every guest whom will be extended an invitation to the main event.

Guests over the age of 18 who are still living at home should be sent a separate save the date. 

How do I address them? 

Be as clear as possible on Save the Dates and Invitations. If you're allowing a friend a plus one, let them know when you send the Save the Date! (sidebar: try to find out their name before you send out the invitation as well) 

Save the Dates should be addressed with professional, full names and nicknames or Initials should not be used unless the envelope doesn't allow room. In that case, professional titles such as Dr., Rev. and Capt. can be used but keep guests full names. 

Write our abbreviations completely to account for Post Office Box, Lane, Southeast, Apartment, etc.

Mister and Misses however should be abbreviated as (Mr. , Mrs.) (sidebar: Ms. is used for single females over 18 and Miss if they are younger) 

Adding 'and family' can be confusing. Write out precisely who is invited to avoid an awkward conversation when RSVP's come back. 

Print return address on the back of the envelope but not names. 

What should be included on a Save the Date?

Basic information for a Save the Date should include....

 the date of the event

 location (state and city)  

personalized website addresses 

also it's great to add bride and groom names + 'invitation to follow' which my husband and I did not as you will see below. hahaha I guess we figured our names were on our website/the address so it wasn't necessary.

We gave that up for the format to look correct. You just do what you have to for the sake of 'the look' sometimes. 

Wedding Trends to look for in 2017 ..... and some you won't see

Planning a 2017 wedding? Take a look at these 'on the rise' wedding trends....

Greenery has been a huge trend that will continue into 2017, especially with Pantone's release of it's Color of the Year, Greenery! From lush loose florals, long garlands and backdrop walls, expect to see it used in new creative ways. 

Metallics. Rose Gold has been a big trend recently and while I think it will definitely stay on trend, expect more! Using metallics is a great way to give your wedding a more formal vibe while not going over the top. 

COLOR! While neutral color palettes have made a huge mark in wedding design from bridesmaids dresses to florals, I anticipate some bold colors coming into action this year in all forms. Bridesmaids dresses, flowers and accent colors for decor. Dare I say we may even see wedding dresses flaunting more color than in previous years....? 

Bye bye bouquet and garter toss! I've seen many couples opt out of the traditional garter toss and am even seeing more and more brides not throwing their bouquet! This traditional element is well on its way out.

Late night snacks will continue to be a huge bonus to weddings in 2017. What a great surprise for guests hours into drinking and dancing the night away!

Favors. Rarely do I see guests going home with favors anymore. Many a time, couples send money on things that just don't get used or often times even picked up at the end of the night, resulting in a waste of funds after already treating their guests to a great meal, wonderful entertainment and many an adult beverage. Some favors I think are fun and appreciated:

  personalized koozies will continue to decorate bars, keep drinks cold and hands warm 

late night snacks! These are essentially favors in themselves

edible favors such as cookies to go are a great way to say thank you to your guests while also providing them with a snack for their way home, yes please.  Consider getting them personalized to add another fun detail to your wedding day.