With the start of November, my mind is already on the holidays ahead of us, so I was especially merry when this Rustic Christmas Wedding in the Mountains popped up! Kristi Cswaykus helped plan this gorgeously warm celebration last December, filled with twinkling fairy lights, rustic mountain details like moss & pinecones, and festive nods to Christmas (without becoming too Santa Claus-y). It may seem too soon to start thinking about Christmas, but for those with winter weddings coming up (or those who just love the holidays as much as I do), this dose of inspiration is right on time!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Cranberry studded red bouquet & a beautiful bridal lace dress with a beaded belt + red bridesmaid’s gowns
• Simple white swirl & flower decorated cake, an ice cream cart & holly berry garnished red mason jar drinks
• Pinecone place card holders, romantic candlelit lanterns + white & green floral bride & groom chair decor
• A glowing Christmas tree backdrop, bell adorned ceremony programs & sparkler tunnel

PARTY DETAILS as told by Kristi…

Trisha and Alan met while working in Florida during the winter months with their equestrian related careers. Alan was based in Kentucky working with race horses and Trisha was in Tennessee where she spent most of the year traveling to popular equestrian events selling equine pharmaceuticals & products. It isn’t easy to find someone that shares your passion for horses (and the same crazy travel schedule); therefore Trisha & Alan knew they had something special very quickly. Alan proposed while on a Caribbean cruise and then began the tricky business of planning a wedding for two people that traveled a lot, came from two different states, had friends & family scattered all over the country and wanted an intimate destination wedding with all their family & friends fit somewhere during their busy work schedules.

Trisha immediately enlisted the help of her sister Kristi who loved to plan events and parties. The biggest challenge was choosing a memorable location that enabled a large amount of family & friends to attend relatively easily while offering enough activities to make the trip worthwhile. This was found only a few hours from Atlanta, GA at The Old Edwards Inn in the charming resort town of Highlands, NC.

Since the wedding was to take place in December, the bride wanted to incorporate some Christmas spirit into various activities and wedding décor, so there was a gingerbread house making activity for the youngest wedding guests on the day of the wedding, jingle bells tied to the ceremony programs, pine cones for table card holders, and Christmas and lighted trees throughout the ceremony & reception venues. The rustic beauty of the mountains was brought into the ceremony and reception sites with the stone fireplaces and wood, yet softened using candles, lanterns, greenery, white flowers and gentle white lights to give the barn and adjacent reception hall an intimate ambiance.

The couple didn’t want to forget the horses that brought them together, so the tables were named after race tracks and race horses with special meaning for the bride and groom. After enjoying the music of a string quartet playing classical and Christmas music during the ceremony and cocktail hour, the bride and groom danced the night away with their guests before treating them to delicious wedding cake and an ice cream cart. A great time was had by all at this truly memorable mountain Christmas wedding.