When Jessica first contacted me, planning a very small destination wedding to the love of her life, Justin, I absolutely knew we were a totally perfect match. She wanted to plan a very private, luxurious weekend retreat with their closest loved ones for a weekend of relaxation and of course, their high end micro - wedding. These two really mastered the art of how to turn a wedding into a vacation.

Emotional wedding ceremony at a private estate in North Carolina, where the bride shares a heartfelt hug with her dad before saying "I do" — 35 mm Kodak Portra 400 image of a gorgeous micro-wedding sat in the center of break taking views of the Blue Ridge, taken on a vintage Pentax K1000

High-End Micro Wedding at a Private Estate: The Ultimate All-Inclusive Elopement Alternative

J + J wanted a micro-wedding that would include all their immediate family and most special loved ones, but would also be private, fun, and done just the way they wanted it to be done. I personally love this about today’s wedding culture. I love that more people are doing exactly what they want, especially if that idea seems untraditional. They wanted to have their wedding over a long holiday weekend so that all their close family could travel in and have a beautiful all-inclusive trip out of it, as well. It was important to them that the long weekend together with both sides of the family be relaxing and fun, so that everyone in attendance enjoyed themselves as well. Now this is the best of everything. This was, all at once: a destination wedding, an all inclusive vacation for all guests, and a micro-wedding.

I don’t know about ya’ll, but if I get married again, I am doing this. I don’t have family really so let’s be friends and I’ll invite you. haha.

One of the things they really wanted to do was jump in the pool in their wedding attire. And if you know me, you know that this mountain -turned-beach-gal will NOT turn down an adventurous photo op.

The couple’s heartfelt first dance on black and white film, Kodak Tri-X 35mm film.

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They wanted an Intimate Luxury Wedding — Here’s how I helped make it happen (And Photographed it!)

I told Jessica right away that I would be happy to help with any part of the planning process and encouraged her to reach out if she needed anything, and my girl reached out for help! I legitimately love helping with this kind of thing. Some wedding vendors aren’t friendly and some aren’t into it and some are just above and beyond phenomenal, and I always want my clients to get ahold of the latter, if I have anything to do with it. So I’m always asking for personal references in places that I don’t have any vendors for my Preferred Vendor’s list. Then, if they’re great, you best believe I’m adding them to my Preferred Vendors. If you need this kind of help, just let me know!

She just needed help with finding a personal chef/ caterer for her intimate wedding.

So what did I do? I sourced all my fellow wedding vendors and asked them to tell me the best of the best in the area of Leicester, North Carolina. I sent all the options I gathered, along with contact information, to Jessica. Boom. And she didn’t have to do any of the legwork. I actually enjoy doing that stuff. Haha. And, it’s free of charge. It’s just what I do.

Huckleberry’s was their final decision, and let me tell you, OMG. Out of this world presentation AND taste. (Mind you, I’ve eaten dinner at lots and lots and lots of weddings, across the United States, and I might actually rank this place number one. Delictable. )

gorgeous presentation of the first course, mini tequilas, garnished with lime, for a luxury elopement at a mountain estate in Leicester, NC — The hostest with the mostest is the one with mini tequila bottles served with limes and straws. Photographed on Kodak Portra 400 35 mm film.

Okay YES I love shadows, I love couples, I love direct sun and I love sun flares! Photographed on Kodak Portra 400 35mm film.

Have questions? Let's chat. It's free, and I can give practical advice.

15 of the couple's most beloved family members look on as they get married in the Blue Ridge Mountains — A view of the guests in attendance at this iconic micro-wedding at a stunning AirBnb near Asheville, North Carolina. Photographed on Kodak Portraits 400 35mm film.

How to plan a Luxe yet Budget-Savvy Micro- Wedding (Like this stunning Blue Ridge Celebration!)

Y’all, these micro-weddings at beautiful local homes are taking over the wedding industry. Not only can you do every single thing exactly YOUR WAY, but you can also hire really amazing industry pros and have all the best parts of a traditional wedding, without the traditional price tag. It doesn’t have to look low budget. It can actually look LUXE af like this wedding did. You can also plan plenty of time for gorgeous portraits of your day, without the rushing around, like this couple did (they hired me for 4 hours). This wedding was total luxury in every way. But what happens is, you spend the budget you do have only on the things that matter the most to you. And, J + J spent their budget wisely.

1) Book an AirBnB or Vrbo. Make sure that the residence is wedding friendly. Some residences have strict rules about how and what kind of events can be held at the home, so be thorough about looking into what the rules are around this.

2) Prioritize that guest list. Get intentional about whom you’re inviting and how. Are they going to stay the weekend with you like Jessica + Justin’s guests did? Or are you feeling more like everyone coming for the wedding and then going home? If your guests will be going home, is there transportation available? In some remote locations, it may be easier to have guests stay. How many people should you invite, realistically, for the size of the home? Do you even want guests? This is about you and your perfect day with the love of your life. Do it exactly your way. WITHOUT GUILT. Don’t feel anything over not inviting everyone if you don’t want to. You don’t need that kind of negativity, honey.

3) Prioritize vendors. What vendors do you absolutely NEED? Which vendors can you just not live without? I am a wedding photographer, but I truly believe the most important aspect of making your wedding perfect is hiring a wedding photographer you love, whomever that may be. Do you need flowers? Floral installs can really change the vibe of a micro-wedding. Think of large floral concepts to have at the altar as the backdrop for your wedding, or floral designs to spruce up plain chair and/ or table rentals. J + J prioritized a five star, multiple course meal by a personal chef at their wedding. It was important to them that they spoil their guests and everyone have a luxurious experience. What is most important to you? Do you want a cake for cake cutting? Are there too many details to plan, and you don’t have anyone to help with logistics? Would hiring a planner a good use of your budget? Even if you decide to hire all these vendors, and really splurge, you will still be spending only a fraction of the money a traditional wedding would run you.

***What Jessica had to say about Seagle Photography, as reviewed on Google. This is a REAL review! See more reviews*** ***HERE***!

4) Think about details. Think about all the things that will make the day run smoothly. Do you need to make the day and the event run smoothly. Do you need speakers? Would you like music playing during the ceremony? Would you like the music on speakers or would you like to perhaps hire a musician of some kind? A violinist? Acoustic guitar? Pink pony club on violin? Anyone? Please? haha. Do you need to grab mics? Will everyone be able to hear your vows without a microphone? Do you want to have a private fireworks show at the end of the night to surprise your guests? What are the rules and regulations in the area around doing this? Consider all the tiny details that go into each event of the day. And again, if you need help sourcing vendors, you can ask me. If you need help figuring out regulations and getting things set up, you might need a wedding planner/ event design service. With the help of the two of those services alone, your Intimate Wedding can really go off without a hitch.

Editorial photo of the couple in the Mountains of Western North Carolina.

5) Book all the vendors. Make sure all vendors have an agreement in place to protect you. The agreement should detail things you’ve already discussed with that vendor. Don’t sign or make payment for any vendor that cannot detail their services for you in writing in some way. Also check prior client reviews of the vendor’s.

6) Get ready to celebrate YOUR LOVE on your BEST DAY!