Terracotta Dreams Amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains: A Woodsy and Mountain Styled Wedding

Nestled in the heart of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Twickenham Hall provided a breathtaking backdrop for a wedding that seamlessly blended rustic charm with elegant sophistication. This special day was a celebration of love, not just between two souls, but also with nature. Every detail was thoughtfully curated to resonate with the woodsy and mountainous surroundings, creating an ambiance that felt both enchanted and intimately connected to the earth. The terracotta color theme, a nod to the natural hues of the landscape, added a warm and inviting glow to the entire event. From the delicate floral arrangements to the subtle earthy accents, Emily and Caleb’s wedding was a picturesque ode to the serene beauty of the Blue Ridge, offering a unique experience that was as unforgettable as it was beautiful.

Emily and Caleb were the product of a blind date. One of Emily’s coworkers told her, “I know the perfect guy for you!” Though a little apprehensive, a date was set, the pair hit it off, and the rest is history. Emily has always loved an over-the-top birthday celebration. Caleb took this opportunity to celebrate his girlfriend as the perfect time to conceal his plans for a marriage proposal. With the help of family and friends, Caleb planned an elaborate birthday trip to Vegas. He even hired a photographer to capture the moment, snapping photos of the couple when he got down on one knee in the middle of Fremont Street. 

With breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Caleb and Emily’s wedding beautifully captured the tone of the romantic fall season in North Carolina. Twickenham Hall’s English manor and guest house were perched in the mountains just outside of Jefferson, NC. The couple and their guests stayed on the cliffside property as fall foliage turned to golden trees. Emily designed the signage herself, including wedding programs and place cards, all of which mindfully highlighted mountains and the overall woodsy vibe. A ceremony was held on the stone patio with a full view of the mountains and valleys below. Caleb and Emily stood in front of a wooden cross altar, as the sky behind them was freckled in cheerful clouds. The reception moved to a cozy indoor space with wood-paneled walls, terracotta-toned decor, and a charming ambiance. Emily commissioned a custom bookcase to be made by a local woodworker. She then thrifted books, spray painted them, and used a vinyl machine to attach each guest’s name and table number for a DIY escort card display. 

Caleb & I met in Nashville, TN on you guessed it…a blind date. I was working for a church and one of my co-workers who I’d recently connected with said, “I know the perfect guy for you!” (Aren’t married people always trying to play match maker?? haha) She told me a little about Caleb and I was of course interested so I thought, why not sneak a peek of this fella on social media…FAIL. Caleb has literally no social media unless you consider Reddit a social media channel. So, I said a little prayer and our friend Mallory set the date up. I was downright panicked by the time we arrived at Clyde’s, which if you’ve never heard of is the PERFECT spot for a first date because they have lots of games to keep you busy. I walked in and saw Caleb dressed in what only a Southern man would on a date… a plaid shirt & Sperry shoes [insert jaw drop.] Besides his looks, what initially drew me to Caleb was how interested he was in getting to know me like my aspirations, family, and job. He was the perfect gentlemen. Long story short… a few weeks later we started dating and have been inseparable since. 

Two things everyone should know about Emily is that her birthday is an event and pictures are the most important part of any event.

I wanted the proposal to be something she would never forget, and I also wanted it to be with family and friends. I am not the best at surprises, and I knew I needed some sort of distraction otherwise she would know exactly what I was up to — so big birthday celebration was the answer. Emily loves Las Vegas, especially old Vegas. So I started planning a “birthday trip” that would change our future forever.

Vegas was booked with the help of Emily’s sister Ashley. I had a secret photographer lined up to capture our special moment. We had a game plan and everyone was in on it but Emily.

As we were all sitting at dinner I started to feel anxious. Not at all anxious about how she would answer, but anxious because I wanted it to be perfect. I couldn’t eat; all I could do was think about the ring in my pocket and whether she suspected anything.

We left dinner and walked to the middle of Fremont Street. I got the nod from Ashley that the photographer was in place and I hit a knee. I had all sorts of things I planned to say, but they all went out the window in that moment.

I don’t remember exactly what I said but I’m fairly certain it wasn’t anything as profound as what I had rehearsed. But what I do remember is her looking at me and saying yes.

Cheers and hugs from family and friends followed, and as Emily and I walked away with the photographer, all I could think about was how happy our lives will now be forever. I couldn’t be happier to have found my person in this life.

We were inspired by the amazing Fall foliage and breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We wanted our wedding to feel like the mountains in the Fall without incorporating your typical Fall decor. We leaned in on colors associated with Fall featuring terracottas, taupes, and sages. An intimate feeling was important hence the smaller guest count and coziness of Twickenham Hall. Whimsical, woodsy, and romantic are the words we complied to define our wedding day decor. Our wedding weekend theme highlighted the beautiful mountains through signage, art, and welcome bags.

Do a wedding weekend! We had the chance to spend extra time with our loved ones because we knew the wedding day would fly by!  

Wow, of course, there are so many! My first memory is also one of my favorites. My mom & I had a wonderful sleepover in Twickenham’s Versace Room the night before the wedding and I remember waking up on my wedding day calm as can be and looking over at my mom and us both smiling. – Emily

My bathtub photo shoot! The photographer & videographer had a field day shooting me in my wedding dress in this beautiful Victorian bathtub with a bottle of champagne. – Emily 

Our first touch. The lighting was perfect in Twickenham House’s backyard so they had to tie a blindfold over Caleb’s face so he couldn’t see me. They led him over until we touched hands and we had the sweetest moment before our ceremony. – Caleb & Emily

Having both my mom & dad walk me down the aisle and getting to the top of the mountain and seeing my future husband with the most breathtaking mountain backdrop behind him. – Emily

Caleb’s father, Mike doing a Bible reading during our ceremony. – Caleb & Emily

Taking communion together for the first time as husband and wife – Caleb & Emily

Seeing Emily walk down the aisle and realizing this is about to be my wife y’all! Caleb

Loved being able to go into the reception hall before anyone else and see everything transformed with our specialty details. – Caleb

The intimacy of waking up at a Twickenham and being able to have breakfast with my friends and family on my wedding day. – Caleb

All of the speciality songs!

Our first dance! Our song was Chris Stapleton’s “Joy of My Life,” but I surprised Caleb half through by playing one of his absolute favorite songs that reminds him of us, Travis Tritt’s “Love of a Woman”

I surprised my dad half way through our Father Daughter dance, Rascal Flatts “My Wish” and turned on the song we used to always sing together when I was a kid, Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl”

(I obviously like surprise songs haha!)

I also added a speciality song with my mom, Cellini Dion’s “Because You Loved Me.” 

The dancing & laughing with our closest friends and family! And we can’t forget the hilarious dance floor props – Caleb & Emily

My escort card bookcase! I found a local woodworker to craft the bookcase, but I was on my own for the rest! I thrifted the books, spray painted them with our wedding colors, and used a vinyl machine to cut out every couples name + table number.

Our mountain shaped table numbers. A friend cut and sanded the shapes then we painted the the peak + wrote the numbers.

I (Emily) created unique slideshows for both our wedding reception + each speciality dance. 

I designed our wedding day programs, table place cards, and signage.

Don’t focus in on the small stuff! I spent too much time worrying about things that didn’t really matter in the long run (place cards, wedding shoes, bridesmaid gifts, etc) 

Choose vendors that you connect with and care about you. 

Try to have most everything wrapped up two weeks before the wedding so you can do the fun stuff! Spa days and time with your fiancé