Intimate Micro Wedding at an AIRBNB in the Mountains of North Carolina

Courtney and Josh’s vision for their day was An elopement style/micro wedding.

“Where EVERY single detail was a deliberate choice that sparked joy, love and connection.”

Why did you choose your venue?

We wanted a secluded home to stay in that would accommodate our close friends and family. We also wanted to be Wed outdoors on the grounds and to have the reception there too. All while being gorgeous and having great energy as well as open enough floor plan to feel connected as we gathered and some secluded spots to have privacy for us as a couple and our wedding parties to get ready in. We wanted a picturesque backdrop for all our photographs, being surrounded by beautiful nature was a must. We didn’t want to work hard to create that look so choosing a place that already expressed nature’s beauty inside and out was also a must. We needed the home to allow events, dogs, and outside guests.

What was your vision for your wedding?

An elopement style/micro wedding. Where EVERY single detail was a deliberate choice that sparked joy, love and connection. To have this be a very spiritually centered meaningful day and Union. To have earth’s beauty reflected in the entire day, inside and outside and in the details. To connect as a couple to each other, our families and ALL of our guests. We wanted to Feel and Experience every moment fully! To be present and aware. We also wanted everyone who attended to feel valued and chosen to be a part of our special day.

A wedding that was truly OURS. Without traditions that don’t resonate with us or obligatory invites, tasks, purchases or decor.

Everything truly represented us as a couple, nothing more or less!

What advise do you have for couples currently planning their own wedding?

Sit down alone as a couple, wipe the slate clean of what people say weddings are and what others value about the day. Look for yourselves at what do YOU value, what’s Most important? If you’re on a budget; what can we do without or for less to ensure we have ALL the things we value MOST? How do you want to feel that day, what will create that, what will hinder that? This was an ongoing conversation my husband and I would have. Get creative, and leave the obligations and unwanted traditions behind !!!

For instance we both LOVE food, however the thought of feeding 30-50 guests by a caterer would take funds from things more important to us, like photography! I’d always loved the thought of doing pot luck with a recipe box to add those dishes to my collection. I was concerned about requesting that for lots of reasons. I mentioned it to my groom and a couple of friends and they loved the idea. It added to the intimacy, connection, and every guest being valuable vision we had for our wedding. So much love goes into cooking and we were overwhelmed with that love the day of!! It was so delicious and exciting to experience everything my friends and family had prepared. As a result of that adjustment in the budget we were able to have the photography package we Really wanted and needed to document the entire wedding and after session for an entire lifetime!

That was so Precious and Priceless to us.

If you get stuck, find someone who can just be a sounding board and add nothing of their own opinions but rather hear what you are wanting and play that back to you. Elly and I are also life coaches and I was immensely blessed to utilize her for this as well as to hear my concerns and restore me to myself during some stressful moments.

I highly recommend this!!!

I also advise choosing one day a week to chat fully about the planning tasks. It can quickly feel like ALL conversations are about the wedding. So take notes during the week about what needs addressing this week and at the meeting what you’ll each get done to be prepared for next week’s meeting.

Remember it’s just one bite at a time so to speak. Don’t get overwhelmed, find the best place to start for you and just do one thing at a time:)

I called Elly first for her available dates and then came the guest list, venue, dress, Ect .

We planned it all in 6 months.