I am so excited to blog this wedding…Katie and Ryan are an amazing couple, and I feel blessed to have been able to get to know them and to share in all the planning of their special day.  Katie and Ryan have been together for over 10 years, so needless to say, they are perfect for each other.  They are both spunky, fun, and full of joy.  I adore them!  New Year’s Eve was a perfect time for this couple to get married, and what a party it was!  The ceremony and reception were held under the veranda at the Lioncrest on the Biltmore Estate, and it was magical. Tracy Turpen Photography did a brilliant job capturing Katie and Ryan’s wedding day, and it was a delight to work with them.  The pictures are so good, that I could not narrow them down so prepare yourself to look at lots and lots of photographs!  Enjoy!

Ryan waiting to see his bride for their ‘first look’

Floral by The Purple Iris…perfect!

Lighting by Get Lit

Calligraphy by Sarah Hanna

Nothing better than getting a hug from a bride after she sees her vision come to life!

Ryan’s sweet parents…

All the men got down on their knees and sang to the lovely Katie…so fun!

Not only was this a celebration of Katie and Ryan’s marriage, but also the guests were able to ring in the new year together.  So, what do you need?  A television to watch the countdown in the Big Apple!

Happy New Year!!!

And now for the gorgeous, classy, enchanting wedding at the Lioncrest on The Biltmore Estate.  Lauren could not have looked more beautiful…

Thank you, again, Woodward + Rick, for the amazing photographs!

The fabulous, Blush by Wendy, doing makeup!

Stunning floral by The Bloom Room

Ice Bar by Masterpiece Ice…wow!

Lighting by Get Lit

I love that you can see both moms looking on…perfect picture, Brian and Gry!

The band, Liquid Pleasure, kept everyone on the dance floor!

Fun times with the Smoochbooth (and the props!)   

Lauren, Chad, Brian and Gry, and me!

I love love love Lauren and Chad and their families!  We got so close during the planning, and I am so sad that the weekend has passed…but, I am very happy that they are newlyweds! Lauren and Chad planned their rehearsal dinner at the Deerpark on the Biltmore Estate.  Chad played baseball for the North Carolina Tarheels (and Lauren attended his rival, NC State), so the ‘theme’ was all about baseball!  So fun…

Check out these fabulous pictures by Woodward + Rick!

They showed their guests a slideshow…you can see by the reactions how much fun it was to watch!

Thank you to Derek and Galin, with Two Ring Studios, for letting me ‘steal’ a few pictures of Sara and Ben’s engagement shoot.    I just adore Sara and Ben, and I am excited for their wedding that will be happening at the Deerpark, on The Biltmore Estate, in August.  It will be a spectacular day, I just know it!  Beautiful pictures of a precious couple…

I love fall weddings, and this one was no exception.  Anna and Lee’s much anticipated day was simply perfect, and I loved seeing them so happy.  They were fortunate to have an incredible photographer, Abigail Seymour, capturing the day, and their pictures are fabulous!  The ceremony took place out on the terrace of the Lioncrest, located on the historic Biltmore Estate.  As guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres upstairs in the ballroom, the terrace was transformed into their dinner reception.  It was a fun and magical night for all, and I was so happy to be a part!

I just love it when daddy's first see their little girls...

Flowers by The Bloom Room

Anna did all the calligraphy...so talented!

Petals to Toss!

I want to thank, Parker Pfister, for these beautiful photographs of my sweet baby girl.   She was very happy to model for you, as long as mommy had crackers!    I will always treasure these…

She was not happy that I took her out of the box…. 

I loved every aspect of Stephanie and Adam’s wedding day, because it was so intimate and precious.  To me, the ceremony began back in their hotel room, as they wanted to dress each other for the most special moment of their lives.  I just know it was like time stood still for them, and you can see this in Parker Pfister’s breathtaking photographs.  After going around the spectacular grounds of the Biltmore Estate for pictures, they joined their family for their ceremony in the Champagne Cellar.  Once the ceremony ended, their guests were delighted by a winery tour and tasting while the Cellar was transformed into their dinner reception.  A wonderful day…

Blossoms did a fabulous job creating a magical atmosphere for this intimate wedding…

Parker must have said something pretty funny to us… 

So, I am so excited to be announcing this to you all!  I have recently launched a new business, The Darling Bee, along with my partner, Maura.  With nearly two decades of combined event planning and design experience, we saw a need in the industry to offer products and unique services to clients interested in customizing every occasion.  We have so many interesting items from shabby chic tables to Victorian couches in our inventory just waiting to be used to personalize your event.  Check out the website, www.thedarlingbee.com, to see some of the items we have collected for you to use.  Our inventory is constantly changing, and we would love to know if you do not see what you are looking for.  We are always happy to add to our growing collection!  The Darling Bee also offers event design and styling services for weddings, photo shoots, and any social occasion.  We are so so thrilled to share this with the world…enjoy browsing through our site!

We want to personally thank Jeremy Russell and his brilliant talent in taking incredible photographs.  We have dragged him around everywhere and taken up so much of his time, but he is always so gracious.  Also, thank you to Stacey, with The Bloom Room, for assisting in our photo shoots.  Her floral design is exquisite, and she seems to make everything she touches turn to gold! And to her daughter, Elle, for being such a great model!  You are a star in the making!    To our model couple, Lauren and Andrew, thank you for suffering through the cold weather and for being such troopers.  You are such a gorgeous couple inside and out.  Of course, I can’t thank Jacob, with DigitalChalk, enough for our adorable website.  Thank you for your patience with all of our changes and our random ideas!  Oh, and to Wendy Ballance, for doing our makeup for our pictures.  What would we do without you?  And last, but definitely not least, thank you to all my readers, brides and friends for all your support!  Having The Darling Bee as extension to my own business brings me so much joy, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Here is a sneak peek!

Gorgeous Lauren on our Victorian Couch…

Miss Elle having the best time eating ice cream on our Heart Ice Cream Parlor Chairs!  Isn’t she precious?

Calligraphy by A Fine Line Studio for the sign hanging on our Antique Door.

I am in love with this 1917 Mantel that we discovered…this would be so beautiful as a ceremony centerpiece or nestled into a lounge area.

Melissa and Bryan are such a beautiful couple.  I adored their style and attention to detail, and they chose such an amazing time of year to get married…the fall!  Their wedding took place at the historic Basilica of St. Lawrence, in downtown Asheville, NC.  Following the wedding, guests traveled to the Biltmore Estate for a sit-down dinner  and dancing at the Lioncrest.  Every detail of this wedding was so beautiful, and Woodward + Rick were the perfect photographers to have around!  Thank you to Brian and Gry for supplying me with so many photographs to show!

Lush bouquet by The Bloom Room

Bryan was on his college rowing team, as were most of his friends…thought this was a fun picture.

I think this is such an amazing picture of Melissa..she is gorgeous!

Thank you to The Bloom Room for the exquisite floral!

Cheryl and Michael had a sweet and lovely wedding at the gorgeous Cliffs Glassy Chapel, where you literally feel like you are on top of the world!  After the ceremony, the guests headed down to the Cliffs Valley Clubhouse for a heavy hors d’oeuvres reception.  Cheryl and Michael wanted a special voice to sing for them throughout the afternoon, and so they hired one of their favorite Christian Contemporary artists, Michael O’Brien.  Not only does he have an exquisite voice, but he is so incredibly humble and nice.  I know the guests enjoyed his music…I certainly did!   Cheryl and Michael seemed so happy, and Steve Brady, with Brady Photography, did a wonderful job of documenting the story of the day.

Thank you to Amy with Doston’s Flowers, for the colorful blooms!

Michael and I taking a little break from working to grab some delicious food!

Precious little Collins thought the microphone was there for her…she sang Jesus Loves Me.  So adorable.