A Fairytale Wedding in the North Carolina Mountains
A wedding filled was so many thoughtful and quirky touches must have an equally magical story behind it. Take a few sips of this adventure-seeking, food-obsessed, craft beer-loving couple's gorgeous Linville, North Carolina, wedding.
The love story of Kat Barnes and Tim Skeen began in the quaint town of Lexington, Virginia, home to Washington & Lee University nestled in the Shenandoah Valley. What they didnβt know in college, however, was that this school would continue to weave their paths until they would become intertwined forever. Though the pair werenβt close in college, they reconnected in 2015 at the wedding of a fellow W&L friend. After months of long-distance courting and weekend stints to different cities exploring breweries, running trails and interesting, sustainable restaurants (three mutual loves), Tim finally transplanted to New York City to be with Kat.
In December 2017, Kat and Tim got engaged in the manure shed (you read that right) at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a beautiful, highly acclaimed culinary haven about 45 minutes outside of New York City. Early into the meal, Tim and Kat were ushered across the courtyard into a private, cozy dining area (the manure shed) to have their next course, and it was there Tim dropped to one knee. As if the engagement and 28-course meal werenβt enough excitement, Tim surprised Kat by bringing her into the kitchen to meet one of her heroes, Chef Dan BarberΒ (you might know him from Chefβs Table). βWe have an engagement!β the chef announced to the kitchen staff as they banged their pots and pans.
Kat and Timβs vision was a small-town North Carolina mountain wedding, as they share an appreciation for the outdoors and wanted to be married in Katβs home state. They landed on the beautiful The Eseeola Lodge in Linville, NC, and quickly got to work with Barbara Pollygus, the venue coordinator at Eseeola and their planner, Elizabeth Hempfling. After months of thoughtful planning, family and friends bunked up in adjacent cottages, enabled their vacation auto-responses and cozied into an unforgettable weekend in the mountains.
βWe really wanted the wedding to be a reflection of us as a couple and the creative touches β the escort cards, the table cards, the craft beer bar, the bands, the guest book, the cakes and the menu β were all really fun for the two of us to collaborate on in the wedding planning process. We put our own spin on things.β Kat says.
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After snagging a beer and koozie from a canoe on the way to their seats, friends and family from near and far convened on the grass by a lake, and Kat and Tim said their vows through ear-to-ear smiles. Every touch at the outdoor wedding and open-air reception was unforgettable. The party began with an unexpected performance by an impressive Zac Brown Band (the coupleβs favorite group) cover band 21 Ride, topped off by a saxophone sit-in to Dave Matthews Bandβs βAnts Marchingβ by the brideβs brother. One huge dance party unraveled from there.
After the first of two bands wrapped up, the warmed-up crowd of 250 sat down to a family-style spread of Southern favorites: heirloom tomato and succotash, biscuits, North Carolina pulled pork, Southern fried chicken, collard greens and bowtie mac βnβ cheese generously piled onto plates. The cakes were delivered from NYC-based Momofuku Milk Bar β a favorite treat of Katβs. The hero cake was βBirthday Cake.β Other flavors included Chocolate Malt, Strawberry Lemon, Dulce de Leche and Salted Pretzel.
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After some late-night snacks of popcorn, hot dogs and fries, it was time to see the couple off. A sea of sparklers encapsulated the newlyweds and their siblings as they pedaled away in a mobile beer tavern from PubCycle in Boone, NC. In true Kat and Tim fashion, they embarked on an adventurous honeymoon over the holidays to Japan (skiing, eating, exploring) and Hawaii (relaxing, beaching, more exploring). The couple still lives in Manhattan, but Katβs strong Carolina roots and Timβs ties to Maryland might, in time, draw these two southward. Until then, we βcheers!β a craft beer or three to the Skeens.
RESOURCES
Venue: The Camp at Eseeola Lodge
Photographer: Madi Flournoy Henderson
Planner: Events by Elizabeth Ashley
Brideβs gown: Custom βEleanoraβ by Elizabeth Fillmore
Bridesmaidsβ dresses: Hunter green, an assortment, chosen by each bridesmaid
Hair: Canvas Beauty Bar
Groomβs custom suit: Knot Standard
Groomsmenβs suits: The Black Tux
Invitations & programs: Emily Mayne Studios
Menus & weekend brochure: Zoe Yarborough
Save the date artwork: Helen Robinson Art
Table cards: Collected by the bride & designed by Print Space Manhattan
Additional custom table decor: Addie Vermillion
Flowers: Callista Designs by Janna Avery
Getaway car: PubCycle Boone
Catering: The Eseeola Lodge
Music: 20 Ride & Evolution Party Band
Cake: Momofuku Milk Bar
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Zoe Yarborough
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint staff writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant of eleven years. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.