Originally from Vermont, Amanda moved to Raleigh in 2010. Shortly after her move, she met her now husband, Aaron. The couple were married nearly eight years later in May of this past year – but it was well worth the wait! As an adventurous, beer drinking, outdoor loving couple, the day screamed “Amanda and Aaron.”  Any wedding with the words hammock, beer and food truck is a recipe for a good time!

The two started dating in October of 2010 and with a blink of an eye they bought a house together, rescued two beagles (in addition to Amanda’s two cats) and bought a guinea pig. After letting things settle down – for six years (!) – Aaron finally planned the perfect proposal.

Imagine the love of your life down on one knee holding out a custom designed engagement ring with the sun setting on a lake behind him. Could it be more perfect? Amanda was completely surprised and the cherry on top of the cake was that it was at her “happy place,” Vermont’s Lake Champlain.

The couple knew that a personal and heartfelt ceremony was their first priority for their wedding. They lined up the bride’s good friend to officiate and wrote their own vows. What they didn’t plan for was the rain. It poured all day, but they didn’t let that rain (pun intended!) on their parade. As planned, they had their ceremony outside and the rain didn’t matter one bit – the guests were wet from the rain and from the tears!

The couple was married underneath a large arch covered with vines and ivy. A true testament to their love of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian Mountains and beyond. The bridesmaid’s flower crowns and bouquets flowing with complimenting greenery tied it all together. The dusty miller in the bouquets matched the cascading bouquet ribbons and brought together the dusty blue palette of the mismatched bridesmaid’s dresses. The whole look was dreamy, bringing together the perfect mix of boho and garden, planned with the guidance of Beauty & the Budget Events.

Speaking of dreamy, the bride’s dress was just that. Amanda found the Stella York strapless trumpet gown in Vermont and it was a perfect match for her wedding. The sweetheart neckline, lace and tulle all combined into one stunning piece.

The groom wore a dusty navy-blue suit and vest from Next paired with brown shoes. The groomsmen opted for a similar look, but their suits were slightly darker, and they went sans jacket. It was classically informal.

After the ceremony, guests were greeted by the cutest “Cocktail Hour To-Do List,” and they got started on the fun immediately! As the sign directed, they grabbed a beer and explored the park – two of the couple’s favorite things to do, after all! This beer loving couple even had friends and family transport beer down to bring a little Vermont to this North Carolina wedding!

“We had some very elusive beers brought down by friends and family in Vermont that delighted all the beer snobs we invited to the wedding,” said the bride. “Heady Topper and Focal Banger by Alchemist, Some Hill Farmstead IPAs in cans, and Lawson's Sip of Sunshine and Super Session!”

The beer was displayed in the cutest way possible. Guests were able to select their own beverages from an ice filled canoe… another perfect ode to the outdoors!

Next on the list was to swing in the hammock and enjoy lawn games, which all the guests did – who wouldn’t?! They even incorporated a game called “coasters,” printed on coaster sets on with a personalized “wedding logo.” The same logo was printed on to mugs set at each place setting for guests to take home with them.

“The ‘wedding logo’ seen on the mugs [wedding favor] and elsewhere was designed by the groom,” explained their photographer, Krista. “The logo includes a heart, hops, mountains, and the resources from the couple’s favorite board game, Settlers of Catan.”

The reception tent had the same boho, garden outdoorsy vibe as the ceremony and tied together all the dusty blues. They even found the perfect way to tie in their love of beer, aside from the actual beer. All the centerpieces, and even the bride’s bouquet, had hops incorporated into them! The centerpieces, which sat inside beautiful weathered wooden boxes, were also full of large white roses and hydrangeas and of course, more greenery.

A farm table served as the king’s table and had a dusty blue table runner and matching weathered wooden floral boxes. Everything was perfectly tied together by the navy-blue napkin with a program tucked inside and topped with greenery – rosemary for the guest’s tables and large green leaves for the king’s table.

The evening continued with the couple’s grand entrance where they walked in together… with their beers! It was even more fitting that the groom’s beer was called “Trophy Husband.” Then food truck dinner service began followed by dancing to live music underneath the tent lit by market lights. Dances were had, speeches were given, and cake was cut! The four-tiered cake was perfectly simple. The horizontal texture of the icing and small cluster of flowers was all it needed. 

The newlyweds danced the night away and even snuck in a hammock swing or two. As if this wedding couldn’t get any better, the couple did a smoke bomb exit. If these aren’t some of the coolest grand exit pictures ever, we don’t know what is! Holding their own smoke bombs, the couple rode off on their first night as husband and wife in a pedicab.

“They went for a beer-centric, boho, garden extravaganza,” said Krista. “Live music, food trucks, and a canoe full of beer set the tone for an incredible evening of dancing and lawn games and hammock swinging.”

And that’s exactly what Amanda and Aaron got. 

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