Maggie & Brendan | Ferguson, NC

Maggie and Brendan celebrated their extended wedding weekend in the High Country of North Carolina - More specifically, the beautiful Ferguson, NC. 

The Venue

Maggie’s family have been members at Leatherwood Mountain Resort for years and Maggie has grown up visiting over vacations and spending times with family in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The venue was an obvious choice because of her family’s connections, but also because it is so versatile in its offerings. When it comes to hosting, they have multiple locations available including The Cabin Stage, The Valley Gazebo, The Hendrix Homeplace, Elk Creek Inn, The Cabin Meadow, Covered Pavilion, and the Sunrise Porch & Hemlock Stage. 

They also have numerous rentals on the mountain for wedding guests to stay so no one has to worry about transportation if they do not want to. 

The sprawling fields with horse farms and beautiful landscape, makes Leatherwood Mountain resort an incredible destination wedding venue. They are easy to work with and offer onsite catering and bartending services. 

The Food & Drink

Reid’s Catering provided the food for their cocktail hour and reception and it did not disappoint. On their website they note “Every event is unique, and our passion for food and entertaining ensures that each client and event receives unparalleled personal attention. Innovative custom menus, with emphasis on the freshest, seasonal ingredients, paired with professional, personal service place Reid’s hand-crafted foods in demand.” This was very clear and evident working alongside them. 

For cocktail hour we offered Local Country Ham + Homemade Jam + Mini Buttermilk Biscuit, Fried Chicken Skewers with Benne Seeds + Local Honey, Petite Pimento Cheese BLT with Heirloom Tomatoes + Micro Lettuce, and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce. 

Dinner was served from a beautifully set up wedding buffet that offered guests their choices of Seasonal Berries, Toasted Almonds, Pickled Red Onion Over Local Greens + Basil Vinaigrette with Feta on the Side, Coriander Rubbed Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken with Peach Molasses Reduction, Ginger-Sesame Tofu with Red Cabbage + Chili Sauce, Blistered Pattypan Squash with Tomato + Shaved Fennel and Freshly Chopped Herbs, Haricot Verts with Lemon Zest & Parmesan, REID'S Signature Macaroni + Cheese with Sharp Cheddar, and finally Homemade Focaccia Bread with Honey Sea Salt.

Dessert was another show stopper that was composed of Petite Key Lime Tart with Whipped Cream, Appalachian Stack Cake Trifle with Local Apples + Sorghum, and Chocolate Pots De Creme with Candied Pecans.

We also had a drink station set up with Hibiscus Honey Sweetened Chilled Tea with Citrus & Mint Infused Water and Locally Roasted [Bald Guy Brew] Organic Coffee. 

At the bar, they had two signature drinks (Tom Collins and Old Fashion) and an assortment of beer and wine for guests to choose from. 

The Logistics

Maggie and Brendan were planning their wedding from a distance - all the way from Philadelphia. Maggie’s mom assisted from New Jersey and her grandmother was the feet on the ground in NC. 

All of their family and friends traveled in to help them celebrate - and all rented houses on the mountain and stayed nearby. There was no worrying about wedding room blocks or wedding transportation for these smart planners. 

They booked experienced wedding vendors who had worked at the venue before so it made their planning easier. This can be especially important when planning a destination wedding from a distance.  

One of the important logistical items when setting up for their wedding was incorporating their wedding veil display. The veil Maggie wore had been worn by 13 women in her family before her. We set up tables with pictures from each of their weddings and a timeline of who wore it when. It was a touching display that we later moved to the reception space to make sure everyone had had a chance to see it. 

The Design 

Maggie and Brendan kept a pretty simple design in mind with a focus on green as their signature color. Their centerpieces were simple wooden candle holders with battery powered candles and greenery placed around. They named their tables instead of numbering them - and named them after significant mountains they had visited together. The pavilion itself has strung lights and chandeliers and an open air design. This allowed guests to take in the beautiful mountain landscape around them and enjoy the horses in the pastures surrounding us. 

The Timing 

Their wedding festivities kicked off Thursday afternoon with a casual cookout at their mountain home for immediate family who had arrived earlier. 

On Friday, they spent the day enjoying nature and then hosted a welcome reception for everyone who was attending the wedding to come enjoy some local BBQ by Brushy Mountain Smokehouse & Creamery and planned a Wedding Cookie Table: which is a Pittsburgh tradition in which guests provide cookies to share for the celebration. People showed up with the cookies too! There was live music and a bar. Brendan’s father ended the evening with a toast to thank everyone for coming and helped to ensure they had an early night. 

Finally Saturday had arrived and they were all able to hand over the reins and let Nancy Ess Events take over their set up and logistics for the day. They did decide to have a first look which allowed them to have some pictures taken at her grandmother’s cabin and then throughout the Leatherwood Mountain Resort property. They trusted their photographer who led them to the best spots based on time of day and lighting and the pictures did not disappoint. Their ceremony was hosted in front of the Hemlock Cabin and the reception was in the Riding Pavilion. Cocktail hour was followed by dinner with wedding toasts and dancing and more smiles than I had seen in one place in a long time. 

Sunday morning we all arose early and started prepping for their farewell brunch. Brushy Mountain Smokehouse & Creamery was back again to serve brunch and did an amazing job. They had an assortment of offerings with a bloody mary and mimosa bar for those who wanted to indulge. 

It was a beautiful extended wedding weekend in the Mountains of Western North Carolina. 

The Ceremony

Maggie’s aunt and grandfather officiated their ceremony. It was positioned in front of the Hemlock Cabin with their closest family and friends in attendance. It was a beautiful ceremony with live music by His & Hers Band with a musician interlude in the middle. One of my favorite moments during the ceremony was when Maggie’s aunt invited two of their attendants to stand up and pass out river stones that they had brought. It was a beautiful token for everyone to bring home and remember the day by. 

The Team: 

Wedding Photography: Water House Studios| @waterhousestudios

Wedding Coordination: Nancy Ess Events | @nancyessevents

Wedding Venue: Leatherwood Mountain Resort | @leatherwoodmountains

Wedding DJ & Entertainment: DJ Grooves | @djgrooves1

Wedding Florals: Bellas Florals | @bellasfloraldesigns_

Wedding Catering: Reid’s Catering | @reidscatering_nc

Wedding Bartending: Leatherwood Mountain Resort | @leatherwoodmountains

Wedding Hair & Makeup: Mae’s Beauty Bar & Bridal | @maesmakeovers

Wedding Rentals: The Festive Elk | @thefestiveelk

Wedding Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: His & Hers Band | @hisandhersnc