Rachel & Matthew in Asheville, NC

Although Rachel and Matthew had crossed paths in college a number of times, it wasn’t until New Year’s Eve 2003 that romance finally ignited. A year later, while taking an evening stroll through the UNC campus, Matthew led Rachel to the Davie Poplar tree. Legend has it that if a couple sits together on the bench and shares a kiss, they’ll be together forever, so it was the perfect place for Matthew to pop the question. “It was so dark out that after several minutes of jumping up and down, I had to run over to a streetlight to get a glimpse of the ring,” says Rachel. The Bride Rachel Daniels The Groom Matthew Garrison The Date December 30 Since the couple both met and got engaged in late December, they had no problem setting a wedding date. “I think winter is a wonderfully romantic time,” says Rachel, who chose green and brown with cream accents as the wedding colors. They picked the Crest Center -- situated on top of Crest Mountain -- as the site for the ceremony and reception. “It’s elegant but at the same time has a wonderful rustic charm,” explains Rachel. “I was born and raised in Asheville and feel very drawn to the mountains, so we wanted the wedding to reflect this in some way.”