A Rustic, Mountain Wedding at the Crest Center in Asheville, North Carolina

Bridget Oprean (26 and an independent contractor) and Robert Stewart (27 and a recreation technician for the US Forest Service) met during their freshman and sophomore years of college at Western Carolina University, where they both attended. They immediately hit it off after being introduced by a mutual friend and have been together ever since. When Robert decided to pop the question, he took Bridget back to the restaurant where they had their very first date, Sinbad’s in Bridget’s hometown of Hendersonville, NC. The restaurant had long been closed, but on the building’s front steps, Robert got down on one knee and asked Bridget to marry him. In addition to presenting Bridget with a ring, Robert incorporated an old Scottish handfasting custom into the proposal, tying a Scottish Tartan in the Royal Stewart pattern around their hands.When it came to planning their wedding, the couple planned a rustic, mountain-inspired affair in Asheville, NC, close the area where Bridget grew up. They kicked off the day with a traditional Catholic ceremony at Saint Lawrence Basilica. “I am Catholic and Rob is Agnostic. It meant a lot to me to be married in a church,” says Bridget. “I have always dreamed of being married in Saint Lawrence Basilica since I was a little girl.” The couple kept the decor to a minimum for the ceremony, adding a few arrangements of ivory blooms to the altar, so as to avoid detracting from the Basilica’s stunning mosaics, stonework and impressive gilded details. For the reception, Bridget and Rob looked to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains for inspiration. “We wanted to bring the look and feel of the forest and mountains into our decor,” says Bridget. To bring the vision to life, the couple started by choosing a the Crest Center for their venue, which not only fit with the day’s theme, but offered breathtaking views of the mountains in the distance that guests could enjoy during cocktail hour. A color palette of navy, gray, black and white was then chosen, which influenced everything from the bridesmaids’ dresses to the richly hued linens and even the wedding cake. The centerpieces played an important role in the wedding’s decor and were key in reflecting both the mountain setting and the couple themselves. Bridget and Rob gathered logs of wood from different types of trees native to North Carolina in the months leading up to the wedding, then drilled holes in half of them and gave them to the florist to use for the floral arrangements. She filled them with soft ivory blooms like roses and hydrangeas, with blue thistle and green ranunculuses adding texture and a fresh pop of color. The rest of the logs were styled with vases of fresh ivory blooms and small sage-colored lanterns, so that each table had a unique look. For a feminine touch, Bridget handmade lace votive candle holders for each table, which were also given to the guests at the end of the night.