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Wedding Days BLACK MOUNTAIN NEWS • WWW.BLACKMOUNTAINNEWS.COM
B THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • PAGE B1
Saying ‘I do’ ...
BLACK MOUNTAIN-STYLE
By Babara Hootman Staff Writer
Julie and Chris Moore planned their wedding using as many local vendors as possible. “We love this community, and we wanted a lot of community involvement in our wedding,” Julie said. “I planned the wedding, and it took about a year to get it together.” The Moores are originally from Fort Smith, Ark. Julie came to the area in 1994, and never wanted to leave. She came to the Montreat Youth Conferences from 1994-1996, and worked as staff during her last summer. After college graduation she got a job teaching school at Forest Hill Elementary School in Morganton. Then she moved to Johnston Elementary School in West Asheville. She wanted a home and job in the mountains, and is delighted that she and her husband now live in Black Mountain. “We had a long distance romance only for one year, and then Chris joined me in Black Mountain,” Julie said. She planned her wedding around simplicity. The outside wedding was held at Lake Eden. “I grew up going to LEAF, and knew I wanted to be married at Lake Eden,” Julie said. “We held the rehearsal dinner at the Swannanoa Holiday Inn, with Black Mountain’s Brown Bag Gourmet catering it. Urban Flower Girl handled the special wedding flowers, and Rhodo Creations in Black Mountain furnished the cross and arbor. Julie chose to order her J. Crew wedding gown online. “After it arrived, I had it tailored to suit me,” she said. “I liked the dress because it was a three dimensional flo-
Lydiah Moore was not your usual flower girl. She carried an unusual sign, and was a show stealer.
Julie and Chris Moore enjoy a light moment as he carries her across one of the bridges at Lake Eden, where their wedding was held outside. PHOTOS BY SUNDAY GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY
ral lace. The alterations were done locally, so my dress was reworked and I think took on a local touch, and suited
me perfectly.” The Moores chose to select their rings from Grace Jewelers in Black
Mountain. “It wasn’t just the original rings that drew us to Grace, but their advice and how they will help maintain our rings over the years,” Julie said. “We chose Caribbean type shirts and khaki pants for Chris and his groomsman, Stacey Vann, his best childhood friend from Arkansas,” Julie said. The theme of the Moores’ wedding was sweet tea and lemonade. “We had jars of sweet tea and lemonade all around where the ceremony was See SAYING, Page B2
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PAGE B2 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
BLACK MOUNTAIN NEWS • WWW.BLACKMOUNTAINNEWS.COM
Wedding Days
Something old,
SOMETHING NEW, something borrowed,
SOMETHING BLUE
By Barbara Hootman Staff Writer
Ashley Elizabeth Bucy and Jordan Bennett Dropkin married on May 6, 2012. Their wedding put the emphasis on family. “It took the entire time from the announcement of the engagement to the wedding day to prepare the wedding,” Lenna Bucy, mother of the bride, said. “My role was being mama. I helped it happen. Ashley came up with the ideas, and I helped her implement them.” Ashley remembers Jordan proposing. “Jordan proposed on February 26,” she said. “We went for a hike on Rattlesnake Lodge Trail on the Parkway and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, giving me his grandmother’s engagement ring. He had planned the rest of the day for us at the Bohemian Hotel in Biltmore in Asheville. I had a hot stone massage and then we had a wonderful dinner at the Red Stag Lounge.” Finding the right wedding dress was elusive at first. “I wanted a 1950s Audrey Hepburn ‘Funny Face’ wedding dress,” Ashley said. “I found several on Esty and eBay and ended up buying one on eBay for $64. It was peach with a floral decal on the bodice and a puffy tulle skirt. It was beautiful, but not formal enough for a wedding. I ended up wearing it for the rehearsal dinner. I kept looking for the dress, and was getting worried that I would not find one in time. “One day I was in town visiting my grandma talking about the dress trouble. My mom asked Gigi, that’s what we call our grandma, when did she and my grandfather get married. It was 1952. Mom ask if she still had her wedding dress. It was in the bottom dresser drawer in a bag. I tried it on and it was as if it was made for me. It was a little out of date, and in not so good shape, having been not stored properly, but definitely worth looking into. “We took it to Tula’s Threads in Swannanoa and throughout several trips home and numerous fittings we created the most perfect, unique dress of my dreams. My aunt on my mother’s side gave me her veil to use. It had a loopy structured bow as the head piece, and long beautiful lace. Instead of using the veil as a veil, we had Tula attach it to the back waist of the dress so it flowed over the back of the dress to the ground, and the rest of the dress was three quarters length.” Tula Cook is a well-known professional seamstress in the Valley. She was amazed at the antique dress and the final product. “It was definitely a challenge, but the final results were truly well worth all that all of us went through,” Cook said.
Traditions: old and new
Ashley’s engagement ring was Jordan’s grandmother’s ring. Ashley’s gown
Ashley Bucy's grandmother, "Gigi" Virginia Bucy, wore the wedding gown first and many decades later, Ashley had the dress tailored for her wedding.
Ashley kisses her husband, Jordan, with the help of a stool that she had kept hidden for the right moment to give the petite five foot tall bride the boost she needed. PHOTO PROVIDED BY LENNA BUCY
was her grandmother “Gigi’s” and was complimented with a lace mantilla worn by her Aunt Brenda at her wedding. Ashley’s bouquet was created with broaches from her mother, Grandmother Graepel, aunts, and friends. Her earrings were fashioned by her sister, Alicia. The needlepoint wedding announcement was originally done by her Grandmother Graepel for her Aunt Brenda. Bucy reworked it for Ashley and Jordan. The bandanas used at the reception were in memory of Ashley’s beloved dog Delilah, an English mastiff, who passed away earlier in the year. She wore bandanas reflecting the time of the year. The decorations were courtesy of J. Crew. Hidden River was the venue for the wedding. Kelly Gilles was the wedding coordinator for Hidden River. She helped with every part of the wedding, organized everything, was very prompt in communicating, and nothing was too
small or too big for her to handle. Ashley had special bouquets made for the bridesmaids from The Button Florist. The were beautiful handmade bouquet of buttons, “upcycled“ buttons, and ceramic pottery buttons. She gave them to her bridesmaids the night of the rehearsal dinner. The reception featured a cake buffet. Four different kinds of cakes from Short Street Cakes in West Asheville were served. They included banana pudding cake, Mexican chocolate cake, lavender cake, and bacon apple cake. The vows were traditional. “We did not do our own vows,” Ashley said. “We wanted short, sweet, and no religion. Jordan’s cousin, Ethan Dropkin, conducted the service. For the ‘you may now kiss the bride’ part I had a stool hidden behind a tree trunk, and Alicia brought it out. I stood on it to be level with Jordan to kiss him. The look of surprise and amusement on his and
Ashley Bucy's wedding gown was her grandmother "Gigi's" (Virginia Bucy) and was complimented with a lace mantilla veil originally worn by her Aunt Brenda.
everyone’s face was priceless.” “This wedding brought all of us closer together, because it was a family affair,” Bucy said. “The wedding was fun, and many people told us that they had never had so much fun at a wedding.” “Mom was my rock,” Ashley said. “We fought like cats and dogs sometimes, but I couldn’t ask for someone better to have helped me. She was so organized and I am not, helped with all the hands-on projects, got things done that I hadn’t even thought of. She was simply amazing. We came out closer than we have ever been, and I’m so thankful for it all. “My twin sister, Alicia, my bridesmaid, was amazing. She helped so much keeping me calm and together. She gave me a beautiful, just what I wanted, bridal shower. She played such a key role making the wedding so special. She kept me laughing the entire time, and her speech was so perfect. It was funny, and heart felt.” .
SAYING Continued from Page B1
to take place,” Julie said. “The minister was Jim Richardson, from Black Mountain.” “I wanted to be married outside, but a storm blew up and it look like we were going to have to move inside the barn, but at the last minute it went around Lake Eden,” Julie said. “It didn’t rain on our wedding. Our reception was in the barn. We had to keep our guest list for the wedding and reception to 150 people. That helped keep the wedding small.” The reception was catered by Black Eyed Susan from Black Mountain. Julie’s Australian shepherd, Leroy, was best dog. He walked down the aisle with Chris and sat with the groomsman, Stacey. Jeff Boyd, Julie’s brother, read the poem, “Love,” by Roy Croft. Three-year-old Lydiah Moore, flower girl, carried a sign saying, “Here comes your bride.” “She was a show stopper,” Julie said. “My other flower girls were Lauren Roughley, Emma Moore, Caroline Boyd, and Carlee Boyd. They were precious. My bridesmaid was my sister, Jill Roughley, and she wore a simple green dress.” The Moores’ guest book was unusual. It was a photo booth. “People went into the booth and got dressed up,” Julie said. “It was provided by Bright Life Photography in Swannanoa. I met them on one of my visits to LEAF.” Julie and Chris were able to work within their $10,000 budget, and exceeded it by only $2,000. “The wedding was what we wanted, and we were pleased.,” Julie said. The Moores make their home in Black Mountain.
Julie and Chris Moore pose with the banner that read, "They lived happily ever after," in the barn at Lake Eden as they enjoy their reception. PHOTO BY SUNDAY GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • PAGE B3
Wedding Days
A FIESTA WEDDING Couple marry on Cinco de Mayo
By Barbara Hootman Staff writer
Jenifer Gregg and Joe Baker said their vows on Cinco de Mayo, adding a touch of festivities to the formal occasion. The couple met on Plentyoffish.com, an online dating service. They saw many similarities in each other’s profiles. She is a sound technician at Lifeway Conference Center in Ridgecrest, and when they met, Joe was a youth minister in Old Fort. “He saw that I worked at Ridgecrest and my mentor/father figure, Kevin Auman, grew up with him,” Jenifer said. “Also, Joe’s dad and mom used to work at Ridgecrest. One of their biggest attractions was their love of southern gospel music.” Joe asked Jenifer to marry him on October 1, 2011, and she immediately left for a two week missionary trip. “I had said yes before I left and started planning the wedding immediately when I got back,” Jenifer said. “I was my own wedding planner. Since both of my parents died when I was a senior in high school, Joe and I paid for our own wedding. We had a budget of $10,000 and that included the honeymoon. We stayed within our budget.” Jenifer says selecting her wedding dress was the most fun part of her wedding. “I went to David’s Bridal in Asheville, and several friends went with me,” she said. “Every dress I tried on, I didn’t like. Finally I found the right one. I really fell in love with the dress. It had a modern vintage look. My friends agreed that it was the one.” She wore blue Converse tennis shoes with the dress, because she doesn’t like heels. One of Jenifer’s favorite parts of her wedding was when Joe sang “Just a Kiss Goodnight,” to her. It was their song. The song list for the service included “River Flows In You,” by Yiriuma. The grandmothers were seated while “Arrival of the Birds,” by the Cinematic Orchestra played, and the flower girls and ring bearers walked down the aisle to “Christmas Canon Rock,” which the bride edited, by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. “You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart,” by Love Handel Phineas and Ferb, played as the couple left the chapel. “Joe sang me the song, ‘Just a Kiss,’ by Lady Antebellum, and the song we danced to at our reception, was ‘Unchained Melody,’ by The Righteous Brothers. “It took a few dates before I let him kiss me good night,” she said. Jenifer and Joe included special members of their families who had passed. “I had a picture made including my mom, dad, and grandfather,” Jenifer said. “I placed a single rose in front of the picture. On Joe’s side of the family, his sister had two little boys who died at childbirth. I used two toy dump trucks filled with flowers to remember them.” A sentimental touch to the wedding
Jenifer and Joe Baker leave the chapel wearing items to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Joe wore a large sombrero, and she wore oversize sun glasses, as did the bridesmaids. PHOTO BY MEGAN LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
Jenifer and Joe Baker, along with their wedding party, celebrate the wedding and Cinco de Mayo. PHOTO BY MEGAN LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
came with Jenifer wearing her mom’s engagement and wedding ring. Grace Jewelers in Black Mountain reset the stones for the bride. “It took Joe a three hour meeting with my Aunt Betty before she was sure we were making the right decision to marry,” Jenifer said. “He texted me and asked me to come and rescue him from Aunt Betty.” Joe’s father, the Rev. John Baker,
married his son and Jenifer. Although the wedding went as planned, the two young flower girls gave a moment of pause. “I wasn’t aware of the situation at the time so I wasn’t worried,” Jenifer said. “Both little flower girls were under the age of two, so they weren’t too sure that they wanted to walk down the aisle. In fact, one didn’t want to leave her daddy. Of course, they were show stealers, so it
didn’t really matter.” The flowers for the wedding were from It Can Be Arranged in Marion. “They were half silk and half fresh flowers,” Jenifer said. Jenifer designed and made all the invitations and programs for her wedding. The reception accommodated 70 people. “We didn’t have a traditional wedding cake,” Jenifer said. “Instead, a friend of mine made cupcakes for us. They carried out my color theme of wine-blackcream and ivory. There was a white or colored button on top of each cupcake. There was also carved beef and shrimp which is Joe’s favorite.” “I gave my bridesmaids necklaces, chocolate, and huge sunglasses to wear to celebrate Cinco de Mayo as we were leaving the chapel at Ridgecrest. Megan Bannerman Bowman, (mega nbannerman@gmail.com), a local photographer, provided the wedding pictures.
The PERFECT PLACE for a LOVE STORY to begin (right) A spectacular wedding day kiss! PHOTOS BY JON MULLEN
(far right) Megan and Andrew's wedding was held at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, with the reception following at the White Horse Black Mountain.
By Megan Bowman Special To The Black Mountain News
Black Mountain is a wonderful place to grow up, and it proved just as enjoyable to plan a wedding here. Andrew and I were married on June 9, 2012,at my home church, Black Mountain Presbyterian. This church raised me, and it seemed natural that it
should take me to this next chapter in my life. Bill and Aimee Buchanan were our pastors. They did a wonderful job personalizing the service and making the space very intimate. Precision Graphics printed our wedding invites and programs were designed by my dad, See LOVE, Page B4
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Wedding Days
LOVE
Continued from Page B3
Craig Bannerman. Our reception was held at the White Horse, just next door to the church. It provided the perfect space for our pot luck - barn dance. The main entree was provided by the Red Radish Catering Company. We all know you can’t go wrong with that decision. Our guests brought their favorite side dish along with a recipe card for us to keep. We love making the dishes and remembering what a fun
meal we all shared. The Stony Creek Boys were our band of choice, and of course, my grandfather, Glenn Bannerman, was our square dance caller! Fun was had by all, and I didn’t see a soul that could keep their feet still. Andrew’s mother, Jenny Bowman, graciously made our wedding cake. Her cake was just as wonderful as the sweet treats sold and made at the Red Rocker Inn. Flowers are a weakness of mine, and they
were high on my priority list. I first met Urban Farm Girl at the Black Mountain Tailgate Market. After seeing the beautiful flowers provided at the market week after week, I knew I had found my vendor. They did a beautiful job, as you can see! Our wedding day was an absolute blast. We might not remember every second of it, but we had the best time with our friends and family. This town is the perfect place for our love story to begin.
Megan Bowman with her bridesmaids, who are her cousins. PHOTO BY JON MULLEN