Brooke and Kayla's Wedding at Overlook Barn

October 14, 2022Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful”

— Mae West

Rainbow everything! Donuts, shoes, purses, flags and explosives! Give me alllll the color!

I have had the pleasure of getting to know these two babes over the past year with two different surprise proposals and have been anticipating this happy day from the beginning! That excitement amplified tenfold when I walked into Overlook Barn and Megan, the coordinator handed me a box labeled ‘explosives’ that she was instructed to “give to Cynthia, she’ll know what to do.” Bring it on.

I started reading the instructions and these simple "smoke bombs” made it seem like we were about to go to war. We apparently needed gloves, face masks, fire extinguishers and the fire department on stand by just in case. Luckily we had just that! Half the fire department was, in fact, in attendance as guests and we had a whole crew of vendors and wedding party at the ready to make this magic happen. I don’t think one single person was upset about it. ;)

Que the tears! Little Dexter has been a part of their journey together from the beginning and always wants to be included when rings or other gifts are being exchanged. So they gave him a promise ring to wear around his neck during the ceremony and promised to raise him with all the love they possess. The entire crowd began weeping of course. These three are surrounded by love on all sides and you could feel it as they greeted each guest and relived all their happy memories together.

We originally planned to sneak them out of the reception after all the “important” moments like the first dance and cake cutting to do these smoke bomb photos. Brooke and Kayla knew these colorful bombs might not go as planned and their beautiful white attire might not be white afterwards. However I realized the sun was “setting” earlier behind the mountain than we anticipated and we needed to squeeze in this moment before they started the reception so we could get that incredible glowy sunset light. They didn’t pause for a second, they just said they trusted me, grabbed their flag and we went for it! These are now possibly my favorite photos ever! So grateful for the whole wedding party and The Elegant Event and Overlook Barn crew who jumped at the chance to make these rainbow dreams come true!

I would not have missed this day for the world! Thank you so much for including us!! Love you guys!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Coordinator: Megan Drake at The Elegant Event

Venue : Overlook Barn

Dress - Madi Lane from One Bridal

Make Up: Sharla Bance

Hair: Allie Oliver with Battle Born Beauty

Florist: Bouquet Florist Boone

Attire: One Bridal and White House Black Market

Officiant: Rev. Dr. Gregory Possman High Country Ministers

Live Music: Hope Griffin

DJ: Chad at Millennium Entertainment

Video: Trent at TW Productions

Catering: The Smoke Pit

Cake: Sassy Cat Bakery and Local Lion

Rentals- Dinnerware/cups/sweetheart table: Miss Match Rentals

Arbor: The Summit Woodworks

Beer Trailer: Happy Trailers

Nikki and Jake's Wedding at Eagle’s Nest

October 3, 2022Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

I had the wonderful and unexpected opportunity to meet two incredible families at a pool party this summer while hanging out with Anthony’s family. In between cocktails, chats about clean eating and photos of bear cubs they discovered I was a wedding photographer, and I discovered they were in need of one…soon…like in 3 months!

Nikki and I started chatting all things details and as soon as she mentioned her date my excitement turned to dismay! With a dozen weddings already booked in September/October, I just knew I would be unavailable for their date…until she mentioned it’d be on a Thursday! Queue the dance party! I knew 4 weddings in an 8 day period would be pushing it, even for me, but I couldn’t let this sweet new friend down. We got right to work!

We weren’t able to squeeze in an engagement session before the big day, but I wasn’t worried, the way Nikki and Jake flirted at the party and spoke about each other told me everything I needed to know. Head over heels for each other and absolutely committed to each others’ families.

And let me tell you, oh my goodness, the way Jake lit up when he saw Nikki at the first look and then RAN to grab her was my favorite part of the day! He nearly tackled her to the floor in his excitement but I guarantee she would not have minded. As the stress builds on every wedding morning with various details falling apart or changing, it is always a delight to watch the weight completely dissolve as the couple hug each other for the first time. They realize instantly every anxious detail is unimportant compared to joy their other half brings.

While I’ve captured dozens of Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations, I’ve never had the honor of witnessing a Jewish Wedding Celebration. Complete with Chuppah, Ketubah, the bride’s circling of the groom and the groom’s breaking of the glass! It’s always so fun to learn new traditions.

With the hurricane threatening to wreak havoc on the High Country with heavy winds and rain all weekend, we were all nervous about the various outdoor elements of the day. However, as the forecast announced the storm had pushed back another day or so, the relief was palpable. The day began to embody a sense of astonishment and awe. Not only did the rains hold back, the blue skies were endless and the views at Eagles Nest, breathtaking.

As the evening came to a close, every face exuded an expression joy, gratitude, and above all, love. You guys thank you so much for including us in your special day!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola with Jesse Roberts

Coordinator: Megan at The Elegant Event

Venue : Eagle’s Nest

Dress: Giambattista Valli

Veil: Vera Wang

Hair and Make Up: Caiti at Canvas Beauty Bar

Florist: Fuschia Moss Floral

Officiant: Rabbi Loring J. Frank

Ceremony Musicians: Dean’s Duets

Band: Cassette Rewind

Photobooth: Boone Photobooth

Catering: Reid’s Catering

Cake: Choice Cakes

Rentals: Parties Too and Classic Event Rentals

Dessert: Beth Westfall Chocolates

Shuttles: Air Haven Limo

Delina and Mike's Wedding at Overlook Barn

September 17, 2022Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

Oh my goodness, I had so much fun learning how Delina and Mike fell in love on a motorcycle trip across England, France, and Belgium. Their love of adventure made them an absolute dream couple for me! For their engagement session they brought their bike and we cruised around the parkway stopping at favorite hiking spots and making sure to capture their love of both each other and the type of adventure that brought them together in the first place.

For their honeymoon they’re taking an epic road trip across the US then hopping over to Hawaii to hike to waterfalls and get scuba certified. I must say, I’m super jealous and totally tempted to stalk behind them the whole way so I can capture every moment I love it so much!

We had a major threat of rain all day but we were all so happy it held off allowing everyone to see the beautiful mountain backdrop at Overlook Barn.

Delina chose to do a first look with her grandmother as well as Mike…and let’s just say the whole room was in tears. Just look how precious they are together.

Mike and Delina have fostered 8 dogs and over 20 kittens too young, injured or sick to stay in the shelter and that too, helped bond them early in their relationship. They're happy to report that all are living happily in their forever homes now. And they made sure to include their pups at the wedding for 15 min for a super important photo op.

Delina of course wore a gorgeous gown for most of the day, but wanted to be sure to honor her grandmother by also wearing her wedding dress for part of the reception. It was restored by Dorian at Poinsett Bride and fit her perfectly.

Between the dancing, s’mores, late night popcorn, sparklers and perfect weather, the evening was a huge success and our happy couple left feeling loved and adored.

Thank you guys for inviting us to be a part of your day!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola with Jesse Roberts

Coordinator: Johna O'Leary, Maready & Co. Events

Venue : Overlook Barn

Dress: Poinsett Bride

Suit: Hugo Boss

Rings: llyn Strong

Hair and Make Up: Bella Bridal Artistry

Florist: Thistle and Twig

Officiant: Seth Bickley

Ceremony Music: Summit Strings

DJ: Split Second Sound

Video: Honeydew Films

Photobooth: CLT Shutter Booth

Catering: Earthworks

Bartending: Black Moth Bars

Cake: Stick Boy

Rentals: Professional Party Rentals

Talia and Robbie's Wedding at Beech Mountain Club

August 9, 2022Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

“And there are those that show up in your life so unexpectedly and with gentleness, patience, love and sincerity - change the course of your life”

— Vansana Nolintha

This week shattered me.

When I say I love my job, I mean it with my whole heart.

I adore getting to go to dance parties every weekend and celebrate with new friends, old friends, forever friends and every vendor who loves their job as much as I do.

I love the adventure of traveling to new cities and new venues. I love the psychology of meeting new couples and seeing how their families fit together.

I love when they don’t realize I caught that stolen kiss from the flower girl that made them beam with laughter or that quick pep talk from grandpa that calmed their nerves just in time.

I love that I still get teary-eyed when a daddy’s girl takes her hero by the hand to walk down that sacred aisle or when the couple realizes their best day ever just ended and they just look at each other for a minute…absolutely overcome with joy from the outpouring of love their friends and family just bestowed upon them.

I love that part of my job.

And as much as I love it, it can still be easy to slip into “work mode” when I overbook myself and get 4 hours of sleep in between two back to back 14 hour weddings that are a 3 hour drive away from each other. With lack of sleep, it can be easy to feel annoyance at the little things that make a wedding day more challenging or go on auto-pilot when it comes to photoshop sessions that bleed into the morning hours.

But Lord have mercy, this was one of those weddings that will fuel my passion for this life for years to come.

If you’ve been around this past week you already know… but if you haven’t brace yourself.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage”

— Lao Tzu

Talia asked me to meet them at the hospital 10 days before the wedding to capture a quick ceremony. She didn’t think her dad would be strong enough to make it to their mountain top wedding and she wanted to honor him by coming to his room and letting him see first hand that she said her “I dos” and made it official.

Complete with officiant, rings, paperwork and flowers we filled his tiny hospital room with all the love we could give and the newest Mr. and Mrs. could rest, knowing dad didn’t miss a thing and the party would still go on the next weekend.

What we did not expect was her father, at peace with the love of his family, would go to heaven quietly that very night.

If ever in my life photos ever mattered. It was this moment.

I am absolutely overcome with the gravity of this “profession.”

Of course, every memory captured in time is meaningful. Every chance we get to recall a moment that made us feel the power of love is important.

But to know that you made the right choice to honor your father, even when it was hard, even when it meant you wouldn’t get the “fairytale” wedding - that is a core memory that will not only empower our beautiful couple, but will inspire countless others for the rest of time.

My words fail me now. There is only gratitude. For Talia and Robbie. For this profession. For this incredible community who rallied around them when they needed it most. For breath in my lungs to do it again tomorrow with a renewed sense of passion. For every single couple and family who has trusted me thus far. I owe you everything.

However, I know Talia wouldn’t want us to dwell in the sadness for too long. She’ll be grateful we showed up, and she’ll insist we move on to happier thoughts. So without further ado…

The “second” wedding:

It absolutely down-poured all morning. But not one well-wisher who apologized to Talia for the crummy weather could bring down her spirit. She just brushed them off with, “don’t apologize, it’s perfect.”

They chose not to do a second ceremony because they could never recreate something more perfect than the first…and they didn’t particularly want to deal with all the other “official” things like dances and cakes anyway, so they just spent the weekend enjoying their friends and family, each other, and the gift of their new life together.

Talia warned me she had a big surprise at the end of the night for Robbie (and everyone). So of course I set up my lights and got ready for the 2-3 fireworks that occasionally accompany a wedding. But none of us could have expected the Fairground style - Independence Day-sized spectacle she pulled off that night! Robbie was stunned, the guests went wild and everyone raved for days about the best ending to any wedding EVER.

You guys I cannot thank you enough for trusting me with this incredible moment in history. I adore you and cannot wait to crash your next house party!

The Vendors who made the day possible:

Photographer: Cynthia Viola

Coordinator: Elizabeth Hempfling

Venue and Catering: Beech Mountain Club

Hair: Jezabel with Mane Habit Salon

Florist: Aster Breeze Designs

Officiant: Gil Adams

Bands: If Birds Could Fly and Winston Ramble

Photobooth: Boone Photo Booth

Rentals: A Bushel and a Peck and Parties Too

Allison and Karen's Wedding at Overlook Barn

May 31, 2022Wedding PhotographyCynthia Viola

Oh my goodness. I feel like I know these two almost as much as they know each other!

I met them when Allison wanted to propose to Karen at a Treehouse AirBnb in Asheville… I was only TOO excited to drive down there first to see the space and make sure everything was perfect before their arrival. Karen’s mom and best friend were there too, to set up all the fun extras.

When I realized there was no place for me to hide in the bushes, I called Allison, on the road with Karen, and pretended to be the AirBnB host and told her “I would be there to greet them and show them the house.” She rolled with it and when they arrived, of course Karen started asking me questions about when we built the space and I made up all kinds of nonsense. Until of course we reached the bridge, when Allison knew she’d pop the question and I snagged my camera out of the bushes! Never a dull moment in the surprise wedding proposal world!

Fast forward a few months and Karen contacted me to capture HER surprise proposal to Allison at the Linville Falls Winery Christmas Tree Farm! I was so happy there were actually trees to hide behind and could not wait to pop out and show Allison I was there to capture her moment too! Her mom had set up the cutest Christmas tree in the middle of the farm with ornaments and presents, hot chocolate, and of course the ring!

The build up for this weekend made everything flow seamlessly. It didn’t matter that it rained literally 100% of the day without so much as a 5 minute break for photos. They were surrounded by their loved ones and more importantly these two love each other more than I can possibly describe.

Inside or out, their heartfelt vows had everyone (including me!) in tears so no one even noticed the weather. They had every guest fill out well wishes and place a pebble in the bag while they etched their names in their own pebbles. All piled together, every stone brought them to where they are today on their journey and will help blaze the path ahead.

There was never a moment where it wasn’t raining as least a little, so we played with umbrellas for a bit and they just decided to let the rain fall for some as well. Never without a smile on their face, and always filled with love.

That said, we still decided to meet up again over the weekend when the weather broke so they could get the mountain backdrop they were hoping for from Overlook Barn. It was no less special a couple days later, and in fact, more so because there was no wedding day pressure or timeline, just love. While I will always be sure to capture your day no matter what happens with the weather, if you have the option to meet up again the next day with better weather… it never hurts ;)