Harvest Moon Hootenanny | An Intimate Appalachian Wedding in Asheville, North Carolina

When I first got on the phone with Hannah and Brandon prior to booking, they emphasized multiple times how they wanted their intimate Appalachian wedding to be *ALL ABOUT THE LOVE*

I’m dubbing this one the “Harvest Moon Hootenanny; An Intimate Appalachian Wedding in Asheville, North Carolina” hahaha. The “Harvest Moon Hootenanny” was actually Hannah and Brandon’s idea. Harvest Moon 2022 is why they picked the date (paging Neil Young). When I initially asked how they envisioned the day, Hannah said she wanted it to be “super heart-centered.” Love that. They didn’t like weddings with a lot going on and so they didn’t want their wedding to be that way. All they wanted was to be fully present with each other and all of their friends and family. Hannah actually got emotional once she started talking about the idea that this may be the one and only time all of their closest friends and family will all be together in one place. She has a huge family and their friend circles are really tightly knit. It wasn’t meant to be a huge party, however, but more-so an intimate celebration with their closest of loved ones. In their wedding details questionnaire, I asked them to describe their wedding in three words and they wrote: “Fun! Casual! Intimate!”

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Farm is an educational site and working farm located just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Per the Conservancy’s website: “We have honored the land and our community by restoring 3,000 feet of a French Broad River tributary, creating a program to support new farmers, and establishing a space for environmental education” An existing structure on the farm was renovated into a versatile education center, the perfect space for an outdoor intimate wedding reception. The ceremony spot sits under a 200-year old oak tree and overlooks the rolling hills of the farm with sweeping views of the Appalachian Mountains on the horizon. A cottage next to the education center was transformed into a homey space for the couple to get ready and to mingle with their families, complete with warm touches of Southern Appalachia strewn about the house.

“The mission of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for all people to enjoy outdoor recreation in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, enduring for future generations. We achieve this through long-term conservation relationships with private landowners and public agencies and owning and managing land. We are committed to creating and supporting equitable, healthy and thriving communities for everyone in our region.”

Although the weather didn’t cooperate for a showcase of the Harvest Moon in the mountains that day, we still made the best of it and got real creative with their couples photos. My favorites are the in-camera double exposure with the mountains and the kiss between the lanterns in the dark. Other creative and unique aspects of the day included the five “bridesbabes,” the eclectic mix of thrifted chairs and glassware for the reception (and chairs for the ceremony), and the sounds of modern mountain music provided by the band, Brushfire Stankgrass. I think readers will love this wedding because of its practicality and realism. At the end of the night, it was apparent that the mission was accomplished: Hannah and Brandon’s day was seriously *ALL ABOUT THE LOVE*

What do you think of these photos from this intimate Appalachian wedding day? I’d love to know in the comment section below!

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