Christine & Justin Wedding
Christine & Justin - September 27, 2025
Venue: Appalachian View
Coordination: Wooded Wilds Events
Photography: Jenni Chandler Photography
Cake: Stickboy Bakery
Catering: Casa Rustica
Beauty: Blue Ridge Beauty / Aesthetics by Hannah
DJ: Ultimate Sound DJ
Rentals: Charmed Settings & Co.
Florals: Mountain Vision Florist
My first rain plan wedding…
It only took long enough. After 2.5 years of coordinating weddings, I finally tossed in the towel and told mother nature “Fine! You win!”. An hour before the ceremony, I ended up calling it. I hauled about 549 pumpkins from the outdoor ceremony set-up in the pouring rain and brought them all inside while laughing maniacally to myself. I was finally moving forward with a rain plan for the first time in my wedding planning career.
Christine and Justin handled it like absolute champs. At that point, I knew all they wanted to do was get married to each other. And the funniest part of all? As soon as the ceremony began, the rain slowed down to a drizzle and by the end of the ceremony, the sun came out. I ran over to the main event space with my assistant, and we began frantically moving cocktail hour tables back outside so people can enjoy the sunshine.
I feel like Mother Nature decided to bless their positive attitudes not just with one rainbow, but two throughout the evening and then the most MAGICAL golden hour session! Jenny Chandler blew these portraits out of the water. I literally gasped out loud as I scrolled through their gallery at these photos.
As I reflected back on this beautiful rainy autumn day, I can’t help but remember all the laughter that these two had. Not just with each other but with their friends and family. It’s what stands out to me the most when I think back on Justin and Christine’s wedding. I remember having a BLAST while working alongside these newlyweds and their loved ones. I was smiling throughout the entire day despite the pouring rain and the weather not cooperating. This was probably my all-time favorite wedding I got to coordinate this year, and they were the number one reason why.
I actually had some connections with Justin and Christine beforehand through the bride’s twin sister, April! I used to take her cycling classes at the Watauga rec center back in 2021 when I first moved to Boone and then by chance, years later, her twin found me and hired me as their planner. And then Justin’s uncle was actually the one who designed and built the venue, Appalachian View! There were so many connections, and I couldn’t help but think this was exactly how it was all meant to be.
We had a dream team of vendors on their wedding day. We had Mason with Ultimate Sound DJ in charge of the tunes, Casa Rustica made the most delicious dinner and beautiful charcuterie spread, Charmed Settings & Co. provided the perfect rentals that tied the fall aesthetic into their wedding vision seamlessly. Stick Boy baked our couples wedding cake, and Mountain Vision Florists nailed it on the flowers.
We all agreed this was the best the venue has looked BY FAR and it was all because of our beautiful bride’s vision. I can’t help but mention the incredibly hard work on their behalf as well as all their helpers (bridal party, family members, vendors) to make it happen. It looked like fall had barfed all over their wedding day in the best way possible. They wanted an Autumn wedding, well they got one!
At the end of the night, we passed out all 549 pumpkins as well as about 1,000 flowers for our wedding guests to take home. Not to mention the hundreds of the homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies Christine’s Uncle made from scratch. It truly takes a village to pull off a wedding day, and this couple had the best team supporting them.
I mean this when I say I always start my wedding days with a prayer…as well as a giant cup of coffee. On my drive to whatever venue I am heading to, I turn down the music and first and foremost, I ask God to bless my couples with a long, happy, and wonderful marriage. And then I ask for strength and the skillset to give them the wedding day of their dreams, so that they can soak up every moment with their loved ones and be fully present on the best day of their lives.
And then at the end of the day, I kick my shoes off and thank God for the opportunity to allow myself to do this kind of work. To be able to be a witness to beautiful love over and over again, and I thank God for the constant reminder of the love that I am surrounded with in my life. Sorry to get all sentimental…but it’s the truth. I am truly SO grateful to be able to do what I do. It’s an honor for me to be able to play such a small but important role in my couples wedding day and I want to thank all of you who put your faith and trust in me to be able to do what I do best.
