What a wonderful day! It may be rainy and dreary outside but Verge Events spent the day listening to Bernadette Coveney Smith speak at NACE (National Association for Catering and Events) hosted in The Venue in downtown Asheville.

Bernadette is the founder of 14 stories, a wedding planning firm that specializes in planning gay and lesbian weddings. She has authored several books on LGBT wedding planning, has been featured on the Today Show, CNN and The New York Times, and today we were lucky enough to have her in Asheville for her talk “Love is Love” where she covered the importance of including the LGBT community in the way we talk about and market weddings.

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Bernadette Coveney Smiths book – “The Business of Gay Weddings”

 

The wedding industry has historically been very heterosexual and it is time we evolve consciously to be all inclusive, not just in the way we talk about weddings but in the way that we think about weddings too. And if there is one thing that Asheville is it is all-inclusive! I know that’s one of the reasons I moved here.

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The set up at The Venue before guests arrived

As you know North Carolina stepped into the arena of marriage equality on October 10th of last year. Our first same-sex couple showed up on our doorstep on November 5th, it also happened to be the fastest wedding we have ever organized! Walter and Emmanuel had driven from Georgia that day, picked up their marriage license and were looking to be married as soon as possible. Verge made a couple of quick phone calls, Officiant Howard Hanger drove right over, we set them up in our upstairs studio, and Kai Schmoll from Blue Ridge Staffing and our very own Stephanie Douglas acted as the witnesses.

 

At Verge Events we fully support marriage equality, over the years we have seen many couples walk down the aisle and make the vows associated with marriage. We know that “Love is Love” and are excited for the important steps that North Carolina has taken to recognize this sentiment too. It has opened the doors to allow us to fully embrace our titles as WEDDING planners and designers, meaning ALL weddings regardless of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin and whatever else you assholes out there want to discriminate against people for!

 

xoxo

Sarah

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Last week we got a wonderful surprise from Samantha at Old South Vintage Rentals, three beautiful pieces of lounge furniture named after the Verge Planning and Design team! Can we take them home?

Meet Nicole:

From Old South Vintage Rentals

From Old South Vintage Rentals

 

And Stephanie:

From Old South Vintage Rentals

From Old South Vintage Rentals

And Sarah:

From Old South Vintage Rentals

From Old South Vintage Rentals

Old South Vintage Rentals have been incredible partners with us. At Verge we plan weddings but we also have an incredible in house designer, Nicole Riley so we’re on the phone with Samantha a lot! Samantha and Cody have curated an absolutely beautiful collection of vintage seating, lounge and accent items that really elevate the overall feeling at our weddings. Not to mention the fact that they are two of the loveliest, positive people we work with. It is so apparent that they love what they do and really have a passion for it.

Companies like Old South Vintage Rentals can make all the difference at your wedding. A reception is beautiful with floral and linens but it’s the little details that contribute in bringing the atmosphere and ambiance of your wedding to the next level.

That’s all the fun stuff anyway right? It’s what makes your event unique and personal. It has inspired me to start working on a series of blog posts that cover the details, lounges, lighting, accessories, etc. Stay tuned. And if you just cannot wait and are dying to look at fun lounge furniture, lighting and accessories head on over to Old South Vintage Rentals and peruse their magical warehouse of wonders.

 

Xoxo

Sarah

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What do you get when you combine a Persian groom and a Southern bride? A whole lot of people who know how to boggy, and one classy affair!

We knew when we met Rachael that her attention to detail and organizational skills would make us the perfect Asheville wedding planners for her! If there is one thing we love it’s a good spreadsheet (or five, or six). A lot of brides come to us with no idea of where to start or how they envision their day, and that’s ok! I mean, that is what we are here for. But when a bride comes to us with and knows what she wants and how she wants it, it is our pleasure to roll up our sleeves and get to work to make that plan a reality!

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Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photography

Rachael and Sal were married at the Grove Park Inn on an absolutely crystal clear day in November. The ceremony was a perfect marriage (waaaaah waaaaaah, you can only use that pun once!) between a traditional Persian ceremony and a traditional Christian ceremony. The grooms mother Mrs. Tadjalli provided all of the items for the Persian wedding spread, it was an absolutely stunning array. And all of those beautiful sweets and pastries? She made them herself!

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Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photography

This wedding was all about classic and romantic. The color palate was based on neutral whites, creams and gold, with pops of deep red. The flowers by Studio Flora Diva were wonderfully elegant.

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Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photography

Our favorite moments (there were so many!):

Rachael’s something blue, aren’t these shoes so much fun!?

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Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photograpny

In the theme of shoes – Rachael and Sal gifted their wedding party with his and hers matching Nike’s! You better bet these came out later in the night when the dance floor was hoppin’

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Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photograpny

Rachael’s ceremony entrance – Rachael entered the ceremony down the steps of the Grove Park Inn’s Sunset Terrace, as she made her way across the hotel to the Mountain View Terrace where the ceremony was held, all of the guests stood for her. It was such a moving moment (we all teared up!) – Hat’s off too the guests at the Grove Park Inn, your momma’s certainly raised you right!

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Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photography

The father daughter dance – Mr. Seneker is a graduate from the University of Tennessee, Rachael and all of their fellow Volunteers surprised him with a rousing rendition of “Rocky-Top” at the end of the dance.

It was a beautiful wedding and one that Verge Events was proud to be a part of!

Asheville wedding planner

Photo Credit: Joshua Kane Photography

 

Asheville Wedding Venue | Omni Grove Park Inn

Asheville Wedding Design and Planning | Verge Events

Asheville Wedding Florist | Studio Flora Diva

Asheville Linen Rentals | Nuage Designs

Asheville Wedding Rentals | Classic Event Rental

Asheville Wedding Photographer |Joshua Kane Photography

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When Pantone announced their color of the year for 2015, I have to admit I wasn’t crazy about it. But after letting it marinate for a little while (get it!?) I have to admit that I no longer have mixed feelings on Marsala, I’m lovin’ it!

I love the fact that it is red, but earthly and subdued, instead of the kind of red that takes over a party. This red is no longer swinging from the chandelier, it has classed up its act and is chillin’ by a warm fire with a hot toddy.

In English this means that as a choice for a wedding palate it is very adaptable and can be paired well with other earthy rich tones. Definitely makes for a sophisticated and classy look! It is a color fit for an Asheville wedding indeed!

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Credit: Tamera Menges Design// Ideas in Icing// Kolonel Mustard// Three Sisters// Azuree Wiitala

 

xoxo

Sarah

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One of our own is having a baby! We are so excited for the incredibly talented Wendy Ballance from Blush and her husband Matt. And besides being thrilled to add another beautiful face to our Asheville wedding family we were super stoked to do what Verge Events does best and throw a party. Check out the baby shower!!

The Grove Park Inn renovated the Country Club earlier this year and we had been itching for a chance to get our hands on the space and see what we could do! It was just as beautiful as we hoped for. The main room where the baby shower was held has the class of old school elegance but still maintains a bright and airy feel. Originally the baby shower festivities were going to be outside on the terrace, but due to a very early snowfall (Halloween, ugh.) we had the weather to compete with. Weather is one of those things that you can never predict but you can always be prepared for (check out our earlier blog post on the weather here!) and we are always prepared. Nicole whisked all of the tables inside, lit up a gorgeous warming fire and no one was the wiser. In fact I think I almost liked it more, the room added to the intimacy and warmth of the celebration.

 

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

Instead of the usual baby games, baby themed cupcakes, baby themed décor, Nicole went with a much more subdued and subtle design scheme. Baby Ballance’s nursery is nautical themed, so Nicole tied the theme into the room using navy blue linens and subtle sea-faring details throughout.

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

Nicole also really wanted to incorporate both Matt and Wendy’s favorite things into the party to truly make it a couples shower. Champagne and smore’s kits for Wendy – Can we talk about this favours basket!? Nicole found the baby pram in the back of her Grandmothers garage and filled it with “lifesaver” favours containing s’mores kits.

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

And a pimento cheese and bourbon bar for Matt, because what goes better than that! The pimento cheese was provided by Colourful Palate, which we love so much we wrote a separate blog post just on pimento cheese.

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

 

The Grove Park Inn catered the luncheon with a fantastic array of beautiful salads and sandwiches.

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

All in all it was a beautiful event to celebrate the growing Ballance family.

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Photo credit: Shoots The World

Xoxo

Sarah

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