Because of the current ban on large gatherings, many couples are considering eloping to the mountains in one of our many forests and parks, with a few family members and friends. Here's the 411 on that. The mountains are not as wild and free as you might suppose. Most of these places do require a permit. (A lot of people try to sneak in and do a quick wedding without a permit, but park rangers are actively patrolling to disburse groups, and there are fines for having events without permits.) Federal parks are stricter than the state parks, especially where alcohol is concerned. Local elopement companies may be able to help you find the perfect spot, but there are also restrictions on elopement companies and professional photographers doing business on public lands. Even with a permit, you do not have exclusive use of the area, so motorcyclists, tourists and other groups will be around. Some popular locations, such as Max Patch, Black Balsam, Craggy Gardens, and Looking Glass Falls, are prohibiting groups due to overuse. And the Covid-19 pandemic has brought a slew of restrictions and closings. Check before you go to assure that your chosen location is not closed due to local or state restrictions, snow/storm damage, or maintenance. Group limits and social distancing rules still apply, even in nature. 

A few tips for planning your outdoor, mountain wedding in 2020 Pick 2-3 places, and be ready to move to one of your backups if your first choice is overcrowded, or if it starts to rain. Be warned that motorcycle and vehicle noise are particularly troublesome at overlooks and spots close to the road. Sites further away are quieter, though they may require a hike. Check the internet for information about the trail and its difficulty (one we like is https://www.alltrails.com.) Email everyone involved beforehand with the timeline, directions, the back up plans, and the post-ceremony meetup location. Instruct guests to print these out since cell phone service is spotty at best. Tell them to proceed to the trail and start hiking as soon as they get there, so there is no gathering in the parking area, and to leave for the rendezvous point as soon as photos are done. You may find restrooms are closed, so go before you go. Needless to say, hiking boots are recommended over heels. (You can put those on once you get there.) And watch out for bugs and bears! (Read more about that and other unique aspects of getting married in W.N.C. here. ) 

Here is a list of the best places for eloping in the Western North Carolina mountains.

National Parks (National Park Service)

Appalachian Trail 
Appalachian National Scenic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)

Blue Ridge Parkway 
You can read information about the process of getting a permit to have a wedding on Parkway lands here: Wedding Permits - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service). 

Carl Sandburg Home
Permits & Reservations - Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (National Park Service)
Cades Cove Chapels, Cataloochee Chapel, Clingman's Dome, Newfound Gap
Please call (828) 497-1930 for permit information

National Forests (US Forest Service)
Appalachian Mountains
Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls
Flat Top Mountain
Hot Springs, Lovers Leap
Pisgah National Forest, Big Ivy
Nantahala National Forest
Roan Mountain (Currently closed)
Shining Rock Wilderness
Whiteside Mountain
National Forests in North Carolina - Event/Commercial Permits

State Forests and Parks (State Forest Service and NC Division of Parks and Recreation)

Chimney Rock, Rumbling Bald, Eagle Rock (Chimney Rock, Lake Lure)
Gorges State Park (Brevard/Sapphire)
Mount Mitchell
https://files.nc.gov/ncparks/north-carolina-state-parks-special-activity-permit.pdf

Dupont National Forest-Currently closed to groups
https://www.dupontstaterecreationalforest.com/Pages/FacilitiesAndPermits.aspx

Grandfather Mountain (a privately-owned attraction near Linville)
Weddings | GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN : Wonders Never Cease

So many brides today are opting to DIY (Do-It-Yourself) at least part of their wedding -- whether it's flowers, decorations, favors, or accessories. And there are so many great ideas out there!  Check any wedding magazine, website, blog, or Pinterest. It all looks soooo easy! And I’m all for it. It lends a true, personal touch to your event, and it can be a fun project for you and your fiancé or friends to bond over. Might even save a little money. But as the person who usually ends up setting up these DIY creations, let me share a few words of advice.

Keep it Minimal Every bride starts off saying, “We're going to keep it simple.” Nine months later, they’ve got 20 things to set up on each and every table. Consider that it takes 3 to 5 minutes to set each element. So for table runner, centerpiece, and candles, that's 12 to 15 minutes per table. If you've got 20 tables, that's going to take a while. Once you’ve found a great idea, check the wedding boards on The Knot or search wedding blogs to see if someone else has done it and read their advice. Send a message to that Pinterest user to get more information. Email the product seller and get specifics about equipment required and set up instructions. Just remember, that the more you add, the more help will be required.

Keep it Light Heavy accessories like glass jars, wood discs, stones, and corn hole games are hard to transport, set up, and pack up. Consider how you're going to move these things in and out. They also require more time to set up. Make sure the venue has hand carts, and that they will allow you extra time to load in and out. If they will let you bring the heavy stuff ahead of time, even better. And if you are depending on someone who is in the wedding to do this, they are going to need time to go home and shower after. It’s hard to look you best after moving 150 bricks! Hiring some extra labor works best.

Keep It Low If you plan to make and hang banners, garlands, lanterns, or lights, be warned that these are major installations that take a lot of extra time. First, check with your venue before ordering. I can't tell you how many times brides have come with bunches of hanging items only to find that staple guns or nails are not allowed. Or there are no ladders, scissors, or hammers to be found. Perhaps the desired effect could be accomplished with something easier -- just one cluster of lanterns hung from a center chandelier, or canned lights that are easily plugged into a wall to project light or color onto the ceiling. This is one area where a rental or décor company might be the best – and safest option. Hungover groomsmen on ladders=bad idea.

DIY Flowers You went to the florist and returned with a bit of sticker shock. So you decided to do the flowers yourself. After all, there are fresh flowers available in the grocery store, the farmer’s market, even online. How hard could it be? Well, it’s not hard, if you have time. And space to work. And tools to work with. It’s not as simple as just plopping some flowers in a mason jar. The flowers need to be sorted, cut, and arranged in a pleasing way. I’ve found that it takes 15-20 minutes to do one arrangement. Bouquets and boutonnieres take even longer. Flowers are perishable, so you can’t do them too far ahead. And sometimes the beautiful pink roses you saw at Sam’s in January just aren’t there in July.  (BTW, the quality of grocery store flowers is also undependable.) Then there’s the cleanup. Who is going to remove all the water, vases, and flowers at the end of the night? That being said, it can be fun to have a flower arranging party with your girls the day before the wedding. Western North Carolina is blessed with some great cut-your-own flower farms. But if Aunt Betsy has planned a bridal shower for Friday, you may not have time to do both. You definitely won’t have time day of.  Does it really save money? Well, to be honest with you, by the time you order all the supplies (at full retail price), DIY flower projects can be costly. So be sure you are taking this on because you love, love, love the idea, and not just to save money. And consider using a florist for at least part of the décor, and DIY the rest. Most are happy to compromise.

Free Favors or Favor Free? The whole favor thing is sometimes blown out of proportion. Remember, a favor is simply a small token of thanks to the guest for coming to your wedding. It does not have to be big, or practical, or useful. It's no thanks to require your guest to carry some heavy jar, plant, or, God forbid, fish, home with them. If you must create this type or favor, don’t make one for every guest.  Wedding guests are favored out – many just won’t take them. It’s better to make simple favors, like a fabric square filled with candy, or a chocolate bar with a personalized wrapper. The time and money spent to create and set up 100 favors might be better spent on décor. Just be sure to thank your guests in person at the event, and in your thank you notes.

The Y in DIY Remember that on the day of the wedding you will be busy getting ready, getting your hair done, getting dressed, getting photos, and, hopefully, getting to hang out with your friends and family. You cannot be the You in Do-it-Yourself on the big day. Relying on family or friends to do it is not fair to them, either. You'll need a day of coordinator or a team of hired hands to do it for you.

One Last Piece of Advice My friend Beth Stickle, florist and owner of Bloomin’ Art, tells a funny story about DIY from her own wedding. She and her fiancé decided to save some money on rental costs by picking up and setting up the ceremony chairs themselves. Because they would not have time to do this the day of the wedding, they asked their friends to stay after the rehearsal to help. So they set up the folding chairs in a lovely spot by a lake and took off. Next morning they returned to find a flock of geese had enjoyed the new “roosts” overnight.  And the friends? Too hung over to make it to the early morning set up session. “So instead of spending my morning decorating for my wedding and getting dressed, I spent it cleaning goose sh** off 200 chairs. Not pretty.” Something to think about!

Trouble finding your wedding style? Your colors? Your theme? No, I’m not suggesting the popular Disney movie Frozen as a theme, but movies can inspire a theme. Here's my advice. Get on Pinterest. Search on “wedding style.” Start pinning. Don’t think about it. Pin whatever jumps out at you. (Tearing photos out of wedding magazines would also work.) Something about these 3 photos really grabbed one bride.

Was it is the color? No, not crazy about yellow or coral. The style? No, not crazy about the dresses. And we’re not near a farm or beach. After pinning, take a break, step back, and look for a common denominator. Then you’ll know your style. While taking a break from looking at these photos, we were interrupted by my daughter. She and the bride got to talking about how they both loved the music from the movie Frozen.  Maybe we had the song “In Summer” in our heads, but when we went back to the montage, we realized that what these photos had in common was summer -- bright colors, casual style, and sunshine. I summed it up as "summer day." There's the theme! Doesn’t matter that it’s a fall wedding. We’re using summer colors. Dresses in blue, flowers with blues, greens, a touch of yellow. Linens in green, blue, yellow and red checked gingham (don’t want to be too matchy matchy). Invitations, favors, decorations with a subtle sun motif. Mason jars, lemonade, iced tea. See it now? No, there won’t be a first dance to “In Summer.” We don’t want to beat people over the head with the theme. But we might be humming it during our next planning session!

One thing wedding planners do for you is keep up on all the latest trends by reading wedding magazines and blogs, attending wedding shows and webinars, and networking with other wedding vendors. A lot of wedding planning sites write about the latest trends. Let me write about some new ideas I've seen in the last week that I think might become trends.

Instead of a massages on mani/pedis, how about yoga?  Your own private yoga group session, followed by a healthy brunch with hot teas,  fruit and finger sandwiches. Talk about stress relief! (Mary, www.cashiersvalleyfusion.com)

Truffles and beer? Yes! Pair your favorite seasonal brew with a custom-made chocolate truffle to match. Think pumpkin beer with chocolate pumpkin truffles. Put them at the bar instead of the favor table for a sure-fire conversation starter.
(Schocolate Artisan Truffles, www.schocolate.com)

An alternative to the photo booth – a live artist doing drawings, silhouettes, or caricatures. If the couple has one
done ahead of time, they can be turned into part of the décor, even a cake topper! (Brian Vasilik, www.weddingcaricatures.blogspot.com)

I’ve written about this before, but it’s so unique that it deserves mentioning again.  A dove release to end your ceremony or
reception instead of bubbles, birdseed, or sparklers. Trained white homing pigeons rise up, circle the crowd, and fly away. It’s spectacular. Kind of like fireworks, but much cheaper. And not to worry, these birds are pros that always get home safely. (Julia at www.ashevillewhitedovereleases.com)

Groomsmen activity instead of golf? Ziplining!  This is a popular activity in the mountains, where the views from the treetops can be spectacular. One company offers group rates and a free “Father of the Bride Zip”, because, “We figure he’s paid enough already.” (Highlands Aerial Park, www.highlandscanopytour.com)

Breakfast for dinner. Think waffle making station, omelets cooked to order, and bacon! More affordable  than the usual
dinner, and more interesting that the rubber chicken plate. (Idea from Cathy Brovet, Sales Manager at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove, www.cliffscommunities.com)

Horse-Drawn Wedding. Not a horse drawn carriage; that’s been done. I’m talking about the whole wedding taking place in a carriage while you cruise the avenues of one of our historic neighborhoods. I’ve seen weddings on boats, hot air balloons, and parade floats, but for an elopement, this seems a lot more romantic (and less dangerous!) (From www.ashevillehorseandcarriagetours.com)

Got a new idea? I'd love for you to post it as a comment. It will be interesting to look back a few years from now and see if any of these new ideas are then old hat!

Thank you to the Sawyer Family Farmstead in Glenville, NC (near Cashiers) for hosting the Blue Ridge Bride Wedding Show last Saturday from whence came many of these ideas!