Molly & Conor | Purlear, NC

Molly and Conor were married at Wonderlust Acres, in Purlear, NC in the Summer of 2024. They are locals but also had friends and family traveling from all over the country to come help them celebrate. While their wedding was local to them, it was a beautiful destination for many of their guests. 

The Venue

Wonderlust Acres is a great wedding venue in Purlear, NC. It is conveniently located just 30 minutes from Boone and West Jefferson and easily accessible from larger cities like Winston-Salem and Charlotte. While it is a convenient location for a wedding venue, it also feels secluded and is situated on a peaceful property with a lovely stream and so much more. Some of the amenities include On-site Parking, Modern Restroom Facilities, Your Choice of Vendors, Trash and Recycling Bins, Council Ring + Three Fire Pits with Firewood, Open Meadow for Games or Picnics, Two Stocked Fishing Ponds and a Koi Pond (trout & bass), Kayaks, Lawn Games, and Picnic Tables & Grills. It is such an easy spot to host your friends and family - especially for an extended weekend wedding celebration. You can have your rehearsal dinner, welcome reception, ceremony, wedding reception, after party, and brunch all on the same property. 

There are rental homes nearby but they also have camping available  and can reasonably accommodate approximately twelve (2-4) person tents at one of their spots and approximately ten (2-4) person tents on another. Both camps include grills and picnic tables and access to bathrooms and outdoor showers at the rear of the barn. To make things even better, they also have four plus glamping sites that offer full-sized beds with a weather-protected memory foam mattress, hanging mosquito netting over the bed (BYO linens), 2 hanging hammock chairs, cooler, power outlets, fan/light, full-length retractable privacy wall wood-burning stove seating area, and Outdoor grilling areas. Last, but certainly not least, they have the sweetest farmhouse cabin as well as three other rental homes on the property. 

This venue checked all of the boxes - It is a 3,800-square-foot timber-framed barn with the potential to open up all of the doors and let the mountain breeze flow through the space. There is a prep-kitchen area that can be closed off during the reception. There are restrooms conveniently located as well as two dressing rooms for getting ready. They have tables and chairs and other rentals available. They offer multiple wedding packages and are great to work with. The property flows well and lends itself to customizing the perfect wedding experience. 

The Food & Drink

We had the pleasure of working with Frugal Gourmet Catering to provide the food for their cocktail hour, wedding dinner, and dessert. They make everything so easy by also providing place settings and other rentals as needed. Their cocktail hour appetizers included caprese skewers, apple brie quesadillas, and crab rangoons. These were displayed beautifully on a grazing table for guests to enjoy. For their wedding reception dinner, they offered chicken, salmon, rolls, a vegetable medley, salad, and mushroom risotto. There were quite a few dietary restrictions from guests, but Frugal Gourmet easily accomo dated each need graciously and respectfully. They offered a beautiful presentation and kept the buffet line moving quickly so everyone was served in a timely manner and we could keep to our wedding timeline for the evening. 

We also had High Country Barkeep provide bartending services for the evening. They offered two signature drinks. His was a Bird Dog (Bourbon + Jalapeno + Honey + Grapefruit) and hers was a Gin Fizz (Gin + Lime Juice + Rosemary Simple Syrup + Grapefruit + Soda Water). Besides the two signature drinks, they offered local beer and wine. Their team was amazing to work with and kept lines moving and people smiling all evening. 

The Logistics

Molly and Conor are deeply rooted in our community and were intent on being intentional with their planning and who they booked. They utilized local wedding vendors who were able to work closely with them to execute their dream wedding. There were certain items that they did decide to DIY, but they left the big items to the professionals. Some of their personal touches were their customized glasses for each guest that doubled as a favor. They also brought their own beautiful guest book, customized fans for the ceremony, printed seating chart and other personal items that helped tie everything together in their wedding aesthetic. One of my favorites, was their handmade table numbers from one of Molly’s favorite books.

The Design 

When it comes to the wedding design, the general wedding aesthetic that Molly and Conor based their design decisions on was organic and natural. There were pops of color from their floral arrangements to the mix match water glasses on the tables. They used a fern graphic on their printed materials and custom glasses they made for each of their guests to take home as favors. Molly thrifted the blue vases with the help some friends to add a beautiful

The Ceremony

This wedding ceremony was so sweet and emotional and everything we planned for. They decided to have a tree planting within their ceremony where they brought dirt and water from their homes and planted a tree together during the ceremony. They had the sweetest flower girls and a friend who officiated. Thankfully the weather cooperated and we were able to have their wedding ceremony outside on the lawn.

The Timing 

Their wedding week started on Wednesday with friends gathering to start assembling decor and personal items. Thursday was their wedding rehearsal and welcome reception for all guests that were in town. We also used that morning to set up some of the items they had brought and prep for their wedding day on Friday. 

Their wedding ceremony was mid afternoon and started around 4:00. We left some room for flexibility due to inclement weather. We had an extended cocktail hour that allowed them to finish up pictures that were not able to be taken before the ceremony and still enjoy some time with their friends and family. Dinner was followed with dancing and enjoying the evening together. Transportation was provided for guests to get home safely. The next morning everyone grabbed their suits and enjoyed a day of floating down the river and reminiscing about the prior days and all of the celebrations. 

The Takeaway

Booking a wedding venue that offers an extended stay can make for a relaxed feeling and vibe when you are planning your wedding - whether that is a local wedding or a destination wedding. As their wedding coordinator, I was able to offer guidance throughout the wedding planning process and then was there throughout the celebration to help make it all come together. 

The Team: 

Wedding Venue: Wanderlust Acres | @wonderlustacres

Wedding Photography: Wayfaring Wanderer | @wayfaringwanderer

Wedding Planning & Coordination: Nancy Ess Events | @nancyessevents

Wedding Florals: Noelle Rose | @noellearose

Wedding Catering & Dessert: Frugal Gourmet Catering | @frugalgourmetcatering

Wedding Bartending: High Country Barkeep | @hcbarkeep

Wedding Hair & Makeup: Shear Shakti | @shaktiweddings

Wedding Dress: Bridal Traditions | @bridaltraditions

Wedding Transportation: Airhaven | @airhavenlimo

Wedding Transportation: Van In Black