This mountain lake wedding of Jesse and Allison is sure to get your swoon radar going! With the most beautiful backdrop, uber relaxed vibe, and the cutest tea length gown, it has our wedding goals sorted! Here we catch up with the couple, who’s modern love story, and amazing mountain lake wedding has us weak at the knees!
Mountain Lake Wedding – An Intimate Ceremony and Modern Love Story
How did You Meet?
“We met on a dating app. Allison was traveling for work and that meant we had to get to know each other through texts and FaceTime for a couple weeks before we finally got to meet face to face. Our very first trip together was to NYC in 2016 when the entire city shut down during the snow storm shortly after our flight landed.”
The Proposal
“Another NYC trip had Jesse planning to propose in Central Park. The Carousel plan went awry when a very large school group descended on it. The Bow Bridge plan went awry when someone else proposed on it as we approached, and the Belvedere Castle plan went awry when we discovered it was closed for maintenance. In the end it happened on the trail between the pond and 59th street, with the water and woods on one side and the towering city immediately behind us. It was a brief, completely private, moment that was perfect.”
Planning The Mountain Lake Wedding
“We knew we wanted to keep it very small, intimate, and about us and our love. As a second marriage for both of us we knew exactly what we did and didn’t want the day to focus on and it was important the primary focus be simply having a great time with our favourite people. The Location – Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia. In keeping with having a wedding that was intimate we wanted a venue that was already a meaningful part of our story. Having already stayed at the lodge numerous times, and hiked up to the peak above it, we knew it was the perfect place to bring everyone together for our wedding. The Lodge is a popular spot for weddings and the peak, Bald Knob, is a common site for pictures but we had the distinct honor of being the first full wedding ceremony to be conducted at the top.
The Dress
“Alli wanted a dress that was very much her and she thought was fitting for a summer time mountaintop wedding. She didn’t want something big and traditional, she wanted something that was somewhere between simple modern and vintage.”
The Suit
“Alli and I share an appreciation for mixing colours and textures and I knew from the beginning the look I was going for. When you have blue eyes it’s easy to default to wearing blue and I felt fairly confident it would go well with Alli’s dress, which I never saw until first looks of course.”
The Bridesmaids
“We decided that with a small intimate wedding that bridesmaids and groomsmen were too much and preferred to treat the entire small group of closest friends and family like the wedding party. The Details: Cake, Flowers etc – In keeping with the minimalist approach we skipped a lot of ornamentation and kept things simple. Framed photos of us, candles and tiered cupcake trays were the only decorations to distract guests from the beauty of the Lodge itself and the views out across the grounds.”
The Best Part of the Day
“We’re going to cheat, but answer honestly, and say the entire time from first looks to gathering around the bonfire late that night was the best part. We had an off-road caravan to get everyone to the peak, a mountaintop ceremony looking out over the Shenandoahs and into West Virginia, and a party that went late into the night. It was perfect.”
“I think we chose to keep things simple and honest to who we are as individuals and as a couple, and perhaps that’s a vintage or old fashioned approach. We both shared the view that frills and excess would distract and we applied that to everything from the venue and decorations to what we wore.”
Words of Wisdom
“Weddings are about the two people getting married and their love for one another. Don’t get lost in worrying about making everyone else happy. As they say, don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep it about you and your partner and the things & people that are special to you.”
The Team – Mountain Lake Wedding – An Intimate Ceremony and Modern Love Story
Venue and Caterers – Mountain Lake Lodge @mtnlakelodge
Florals: DIY
Photographer: Kaytlin Lane Photography @Kaytlinlanephotography
Hair: Katherine Kemper
Makeup: DIY
Dress: BHLDN @bhldn
Looking for more wedding inspiration? Check out our online magazine BOND BRIDE
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