An Lively Offbeat Wedding at The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina

Rebekah Shennan, 35, a vice president, and Josh Michael, 36, a lab technician, met on Match.com and instantly had the feeling that there was something special there. After a year and a half of dating, Josh proposed at Rebekah’s family’s mountain home during a ski trip. For their wedding, the couple wanted something a little different that would really speak to their own personalities as well as their relationship. They started by choosing a totally unexpected venue to host both their ceremony and reception, The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville, an iconic concert venue and theater. “I originally looked at a lot of farms in the area,” says Rebekah, “but I felt like everyone gets married at farms. Plus, everything I looked at was very limiting in what vendors we could use.” The Orange Peel not only provided the couple with a unique backdrop for their lively affair, almost all of the rentals (tables, chairs, linens, lighting, sound, security, bartenders, etc.) were included, which made the planning process much easier and the quirky space required little decoration. For their color palette, the couple looked to their alma maters, Clemson University and Western Carolina University, both of which have purple as their school colors. Wanting to keep things as local as possible, Rebekah and Josh sourced their flowers from Your Vase or Mine, who picked the flowers right in Asheville on the day of the wedding and were then arranged by Josh’s mother and two of Rebekah’s mother’s friends. Lots of fun, interactive touches were incorporated into the day, including a drum circle, guitar guestbook, mascots and musical performances by the groom.