Lily & Reid’s Wedding at White Crow Wedding and Event Venue in Banner Elk, North Carolina took place on June 3rd, 2023. The Whole Shebang was honored to be a part of their day as their wedding planning team and we are thrilled to share all about their story and wedding celebration.

Their Story:

Lily and Reid met at a restaurant in Charlotte, NC. They were both living in the big city but discovered they had a mutual love of the mountains. Lily and Reid also found that they shared a passion for the outdoors, being close to family, and had similar tastes in humor.

As they began dating, their busy schedules kept them from seeing each other often for the first few months despite living 5 minutes away from each other! Lily’s work schedule during the busy season as a public accountant was demanding. After the busy season, they began to travel together and spend more time in the mountains. Reid moved back to his hometown in the mountains, Morganton, NC, and later in the year, Lily joined him.

Reid loves to snowboard but Lily had never tried it. Coincidentally, Reid bought her a brand new snowboard for her birthday which conveniently provided the perfect opportunity for her to try it (Lily said: “Wow, honey, how did you know I wanted one so bad?! Haha”) Luckily, she ended up loving the sport which brought yet another way for them to spend time together.

From the mountains of NC to Salt Lake City, Utah they traveled with their new combined love of the winter sport. On that very trip to Salt Lake City in February of 2022, a plan unbeknownst to Lily was set into motion. On their second day, as they headed up the mountain, Reid told Lily they would stop for a picture with the group they were traveling with.

Lily had no idea what he really had in mind. Afterward, she recalled how she noticed Reid wore nicer clothes than a day on the mountain would usually bring. She also thought he may have been just a little nervous as he had enjoyed an Irish coffee or two that morning, but other than that, she was unaware of what was to come.

They stopped in Big Cottonwood Canyon at a beautiful scenic viewpoint. As they were taking in the view, he pulled her over for a quick photo and then dropped down to one knee to ask her to marry him. She was thrilled to say yes! They celebrated the whole day and popped champagne together.

The rest of the trip was amazing [despite a fractured hip the next day on one of their last snowboard runs – eek! – but Lily shared that Reid handled it so well even with the pain].

The remainder of their engagement included celebrating with family and friends and a joint bachelor and bachelorette party in St. Augustine, Florida. Lily noted the combined pre-wedding celebration was so fun and the perfect way for their wedding party to get to know each other prior to their wedding day.

Musings from Wedding Planning:

Favorites:

Picking out all of the decor, colors, and other visual details! Lily noted it was so fun to brainstorm ways to elevate your day that speak to you and are also enjoyable for you and your guests. Reid specifically enjoyed the conversations surrounding their reception menu. Lily also mentioned that picking out her wedding dress with her Mom and Mother-In-Law was a favorite part of planning for her.

One thing Lily shared, was that she and Reid did a great job overall of planning their wedding together. She mentioned she does not see couples planning together as often these days. Even when she was reaching out to and booking vendors, she always went to Reid to ensure that his opinions and preferences were included.

Lessons Learned:

Lily shared, “Weddings are more expensive than you think, especially nowadays! I also didn’t realize half of the details that a couple needs to think about when planning. We hosted a relatively larger wedding [approximately 200 guests], so for bigger events like ours, there are so many things to think through! The amount of times I answered “I didn’t even think of that” when asked a question during the planning process was…a lot.”

Things that didn’t go as planned:

As Lily reflected on their wedding day, one thing that was surprising and not at all in the timeline was when it rained right as the ceremony was set to start. We ended up delaying the ceremony for about 30 minutes as a result, but then they were able to get back outside and avoid the rain.

Lily shared that in the moment, it was difficult to know what to do, but she felt lucky to have multiple people around to provide guidance.

Another unexpected challenge was a cancellation from their DJ a month before the wedding. Luckily, they were able to book another DJ quickly but she was definitely still left with the “what just happened” feeling.

Advice to couples who are currently planning their wedding celebration:

Don’t become obsessed. It is so easy to accidentally spend countless hours going over details that aren’t really a big deal in the long run. [Easier said than done, she notes!]

Favorite Memories of their Wedding Day:

The ceremony. Lily shared that walking down the aisle and standing there with Reid knowing their friends and family were there to support them was so special.
Walking around the venue around 2 pm and seeing the floral arrangements set up in the reception space for the first time. She said it literally took her breath away!
Her veil. She stated that she took a risk having some color in it, but it selfishly ended up being one of her favorite features of the whole day.

Special Details and Notes from their Day:

Lily shared that some of the most special details of their day were those that represented people around them. Lily lost her older sister when she was very young, so she got her and her mom matching bracelets with her name inscribed on the inside. She said it was a secret and special way to have her with us on her wedding day.

Reid had a ring made with the end of a rifle shell from his recently deceased grandfather’s 21-gun salute. He wore it on his right hand for the day.

They also used a family heirloom on their wedding day; a special tablecloth that has been in their family for generations. They used it on the dessert table and notated it with a sign. These special details were cherished by Lily and Reid and so many of those around them.

Vendor Shoutouts:

From Lily, “Yes yes YES! We were blown away by the talent of all our vendors. Want to specifically call our Flightless Bird Photography, April Flowers, Shear Shakti, Reid’s Catering, The Festive Elk, DJ Brandon Alley from Bunn DJ Company (yes, he’s the one that came in to save the day and not the one that canceled on us), Faith Church Violin, Kim Bentley with Love and Wisdom Officiants, and of course The Whole Shebang. That’s pretty much all of our vendors, but we were that impressed with every. single. one.”