An Elegant Handmade Affair in North Carolina

July 28, 2011

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Abby and Julian

DIY Wedding Projects

Some say love takes you to new heights, and when you marry in the country's highest town (elevation 5506 feet), there's no denying it. For college sweethearts Abby Fernandez and Julian Hollar, their May 28, 2011, nuptials highlighted the natural surroundings of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, with touches of their eclectic style.

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The Invitation

Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Wedding Invitations

The bride hand-painted the invitation's designs, then scanned and printed them onto card stock. The suites were tied with yarn and mailed in envelopes addressed by the bride and her friends. Each envelope featured a grouping of mismatched postage stamps.

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The Location

What Your Venue Says About Your Wedding

The Beech Alpen Inn on Beech Mountain, where the bride and her family have been vacationing since she was a small child, offered breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. "The inn is about a seven-minute drive from our house," Abby said. "It just seemed like the perfect place."

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The Bridal Look

Best Spring Wedding Bouquets

Abby, following in her mother's footsteps, wore her grandmother's wedding dress. With slight alterations, the gown (originally made in 1949) became the bride's dream dress. She accessorized it with shoes from Dyeables (embellished with DIY fabric flowers) and Mikimoto pearls given to her by Julian on their first anniversary.

Peggy Mendel of Pearl's Garden created the floral elements of the day, including the bride's bouquet of hydrangeas, roses, freesia, stock, and cotton. It was finished off with skinny picot-edged ribbons.

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Portraits

Non-Traditional Wedding Party Ideas

Portraits of the bridal party were taken before the ceremony at the top of the mountain. The spot, called "Oz," has a yellow brick road.

The bridesmaids selected their own dresses using the color palette given to them by the bride as a guide.

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A Special Gift

Gifts Your Bridesmaids Will Love

Abby made lockets for each of her attendants to show them her love, gratitude, and appreciation. Each locket read "I love you for your [attribute]." Abby selected a trait she admired in each one of the girls -- be it humor, joy, creativity, dependability, encouragement, generosity, acceptance, or strength, and included it inside.

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The Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Ideas for Your Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Like their dresses, the bridesmaids' bouquets were also unique. Though they were created with the same elements (hydrangeas, roses, stock, cotton, lavender, and variegated pittisporum leaves), the amounts varied in each bouquet.

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Seizing the Moment

A trio of bridesmaids took advantage of the natural setting.

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Portraits

Julian and his groomsmen wore light-gray suits and ties in a range of hues.

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The Boutonniere

Boutonnieres You Both Will Love

Julian wore a boutonniere with a rose, a daisy, and two sprigs of fresh lavender.

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The Ring Bearer

Ring Bearer Pillow Ideas You Can Make on Your Own

Julian's cousin, Davis, carried a ring pillow made by the bride. Abby and Julian exchanged wedding bands from R. Meyers Jewelers in Birmingham, Alabama.

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The Ceremony Decor

Wedding Arches That Will Instantly Upgrade Your Ceremony

The preexisting structure was decorated with fresh greenery and blooms.

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The Ceremony Decor

Along the aisle, shepherd's hooks held small arrangements of daisies and baby's breath.

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The Programs

Ways to Upgrade Your DIY Wedding Programs

Though it was only 72 degrees, the program fans helped to counter the sun's heat. Abby illustrated them herself and included a line from Isaiah 62:5: "As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."

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The Ceremony

Two of Abby's best friends sang as she and her father walked down the aisle.

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The Ceremony

Unexpected Wedding Ceremony Readings

During the ceremony, Abby's brother read Romans 12:9-13, and Julian's sister recited an excerpt from the book "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge: "Now -- can you see how the desires of a man's heart and the desires of a woman's heart were at least meant to fit beautifully together? A woman in the presence of a good man, a real man, loves being a woman. His strength allows her feminine heart to flourish. His pursuit draws out her beauty. And a man in the presence of a real woman loves being a man. Her beauty arouses him to play the man; it draws out his strength. She inspires him to be a hero."

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A Unique Entrance

Creative Wedding Signs

Flower girls Lauren and Claire, both cousins of the groom, carried a banner of pennant flags that read "Here Comes the Bride." Originally a garland made by bridesmaid Kate Grigsby for Abby's bridal shower, it was adapted for the ceremony by wedding planner Ashley Baber of Ashley Baber Weddings.

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The Ceremony

The bridal party encircled the couple for a moment of prayer.

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The Recessional

Recessional Songs to Close Your Ceremony on a High Note

The newlyweds walked up the aisle to "You Make My Dreams" by Hall and Oates.

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The Bridal Party

After the ceremony, the bridal party posed on picnic tables for photographer Heidi Geldhauser of Our Labor of Love.

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The Guest Book

Super Creative DIY Guest Book Ideas for Your Wedding

A friend of the couple stitched them a quilt, which was set out for guests to sign.

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The Cocktail Hour

Abby's grandmother's old croquet set was enjoyed by guests during cocktail hour.

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The Cocktail Hour

Best man Steve Baker made a corn hole game, which Abby painted.

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The Cocktail Hour

Fun Wedding Games to Keep Guests Busy

Abby drew her new last initial on each of the corn hole bags, using a large angled Sharpie marker.

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The Reception

White Wedding Centerpieces

Tables were set with natural linens and centerpieces of hydrangeas, roses, cotton, and stock. Guests dined on butternut squash soup, herb-encrusted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans almondine.

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The Favors

Wedding Favor Ideas

Lavender -- grown by Julian's father -- was packaged in sachets made by the groom's maternal grandmother, who lives in France. Ribbons printed with the couple's names and wedding date tied them closed. The sachets were placed under a handmade garland. Abby created it by covering letters with fabric remnants left over from the reception area's bunting.

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Sweet Treats

Amazing Dessert Tables

A dessert table housed a variety of confections and was decorated with another handmade garland. The backdrop was made from window curtains that had been sewn together.

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Sweet Treats

Chocolate Wedding Cake Ideas That Will Blow Your Guests' Minds

A three-tier vanilla and chocolate cake with buttercream icing was capped with a topper found on Etsy.

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Sweet Treats

Small Wedding Cakes With a Big Presence

A second single-tier cake, decorated with letters forming the couple's new monogram.

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