1. Real Weddings

A Rustic Vintage-Inspired Wedding at Sawyer Family Farmstead in Glenville, North Carolina

Christine Mondou, 25, a Biology student and Nathan Winrich, 24, a financial advisor at Edward Jones, met through a common interest — fencing. The pair

Christine Mondou, 25, a Biology student and Nathan Winrich, 24, a financial advisor at Edward Jones, met through a common interest — fencing. The pair were members of the Appalachian State University fencing club throughout college. And while it all started with a few high fives and casual conversation, the relationship quickly turned into more, Nathan proposing just a few years later over a casual dinner at home. For their wedding, the couple hoped to create an event with a fun, lively atmosphere and a rustic design aesthetic with vintage undertones. They chose a spring-inspired color palette of white, purple and blue and flowers that highlighted the season like tulips, freesias and sweet peas. Wooden accents were scattered throughout the day to play up the rustic aesthetic the couple hope to achieve, from wine barrel flower pedestals at the ceremony to the wooden plaque guestbook. The Sawyer Family Farmstead was the perfect setting for the affair, with an outdoor ceremony overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and the surrounding Christmas tree farm to kick off the day, followed by a reception at the Farmstead Pavilion for a night filled with dinner and dancing. They chose a contradance style (a type of dance similar to square-dancing) for the event, complete with a live band to get guests up and dancing. The band played lively renditions of music from the 1920s through the 1940s from cocktail hour straight through until the very last dance. Christine and Nathan also had a fire pit set up where guests could relax, chat, make S'mores and rest up before hitting the dance floor again.

The ceremony aisle were lined with black shepherd's hooks displaying bright purple and white tulips, freesia and sweet peas arranged in Mason Jars.
Purple Spring Tuilips in Rustic Stone Urns
When the guests arrived to the wedding, they were transported up the mountain to the ceremony site on by a wagon pulled by a large red tractor.
Christine made a grand entrance to the ceremony, arriving in a classic white horse-drawn carriage that tied into the vintage undertone of the day.
The ceremony took place outdoors underneath on a knoll at the Sawyer Family Farmstead surrounded by Christmas trees, grapevines and blueberry bushes. Spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Glenville created the perfect backdrop for the couple to say their "I do's."
The couple pointed their guests in the direction of the reception with rustic wood signs. Guests passed beneath a wooden arch and followed a quaint path through the woods.
Ivory lanterns, bunches of fresh purple and white flowers and wood accents were arranged at the centers of each reception table to give them room a romantic, rustic look.
Mr. and Mrs. Reception Chair Signs
High Non-Floral Reception Centerpieces
Christine and Nathan decided to skip the traditional guestbook, opting instead to have their guests write their well wishes on a hand-carved wooden plaque.
The couple's three-tier fondant cake was decorated with ribbons in a deep shade of purple and a cascade of blue sugar flowers. The layers alternated between lemon and strawberry pound cake.
Bride and Groom Dancing
Christine loved contradancing (a type of folk dance similar to square dancing popular in the mountains of North Carolina) back in college and thought it would be fun to incorporate it into the reception. The folksy style of the dance was a perfect fit for the rustic setting and got all the guests up out of their seats and onto the dance floor.