Hindsight Bride - A Wedding Feature

They say that hindsight is 20/20.  

Images from Visio Photography as seen on Hindsight Bride

It's the reason I spent hours (upon hours) researching real life weddings.  I learned so much from other brides while planning my own wedding.  I had the benefit of their experiences to help shape my own.    Advice from past brides was so incredibly helpful.  

I'm honored to have our special day featured in a wonderful wedding blog, Hindsight Bride.   Christie O, a past bride herself, has an eye for selecting gorgeous weddings, many with a mountain style or inspiration.  

If you've been following along with us here on Vita Nostra, you know that our wedding was set in the beautiful mountain setting of Asheville, North Carolina at the Biltmore.   While not your typical mountain setting, the Biltmore brought an added European elegance and a stunning fall backdrop.   It is a magical location, captured by our amazing photography team at Visio Photography.

I wish I had known about Hindsight Bride while I was planning my wedding.    The site is full of great advice from past brides and all kinds of wedding goodness, all with a mountain twist!

I'd love for you to check out the feature... it is full of my personal hindsight advice and lots of great eye candy!  

Past Brides - What is your best advice/lessons learned for anyone who may be currently planning their wedding?

Our Italian Wedding Dinner Menu

Italian Baked Alaska.   Image by Visio Photography

So I know what you are thinking.   Italian wedding dinner with french inspired decor?   Really?

For us, it makes perfect sense.    We love to travel and having spent time together in Paris and Rome, John and I wanted to incorporate some of favorite travel memories into our wedding day.  

I knew from day one that the food had to be Italian.    We were engaged in Rome a year ago this month following a very memorable meal starting with my favorite carbonara.   Italy holds a special place in my heart for many reasons and I wanted my dinner to reflect this.  

And the thing about weddings is, it should really be all about the two of you and what you love.   It may not make sense to the outside world, but if it makes sense and feels special to you, then there's really no need to explain.  

Formal Italian Wedding Dinner.    Image by Visio Photography. 

Our wedding dinner was truly an experience.   White gloved, synchronized service by the team at the Biltmore.   The food, the setting, the entire night, was just the elegant and intimate evening I had always imagined.  

Italian wedding dinners are long drawn out affairs by their very nature.   Multiple courses, one followed by another.   We definitely warned our guests to arrive hungry!

Our Wedding Menu

First Course

Italian Wedding Soup with Biltmore Beef Meatballs, Kale, Pearl Pasta and Herbs

Second Course

Spinach, Red Onion, Pine Nut and Goat Cheese Salad with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

Focaccia

Third Course

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara with Cracked Black Pepper, Parmesan and Pancetta

Fourth Course

Veal Osso Bucco, Braised Veal Shanks, Gremolata, Creamy Polenta, Haricot Vert

Dessert

Italian Baked Alaska, Espresso Gelato, Marsala Ice Cream, Lady Finger Cake, Toasted Meringue, Raspberry and Chocolate Sauce

The dessert was a special dessert created for us by the Biltmore team.    They truly brought the concept of Italian and Baked Alaska to life.    I'm looking forward to trying to recreate some of the other dishes at home.     Been working on the Italian Wedding Soup and Carbonara recipes, but might need a little more experience before I tackle that Baked Alaska.  

When planning your wedding menu, did you incorporate any special dishes unique to you or your family?   Any favorites that you've been able to recreate at home?    I'd love for you to link up any recipes you have in the comments below!

Italian Wedding Soup

Fun Fact 1:  The Biltmore Estate in Asheville has a Farm to Table Program allowing their chefs to take advantage of the estates gardens and pastures while preparing the menus for each of the on site restaurants.

Fun Fact 2:   This program allowed us to have some really neat things, like Biltmore Beef meatballs in the Italian Wedding Soup we selected for our final menu.   Yes, the cows were actually 'grown' on site.   Cool.

Fun Fact 3:   We love Italian Wedding Soup.

A Little Taste

I'm sure I won't completely shock you by saying that planning our wedding menu was one of the tasks in our wedding checklist that I was most looking forward to.  The menu tasting fell neatly in line right after that.  

The Chef and catering team at the Biltmore did a phenomenal job working with me to understand what I was looking for, offering amazing suggestions and then executing it wonderfully.    John and I had so much fun at the tasting.   It was one of a series of marathon wedding tasks we were checking off the list on a very memorable weekend in Asheville.

French Inspired Wedding Table and Decor

Walking into the Conservatory following cocktail hour was one of several moments in my wedding that took my breath away.   I literally shed a tear as I stood at the head of the table with John and scanned the length of the table filled with roses and twinkling with creamy candlelight.  

It was the moment when my vision for my wedding became real.  From the start of our planning, I wanted our wedding meal to be the highlight, an intimate and formal dinner party with French inspired decor filled with romance, fabulous food and our closest family.  

Image by Visio Photography

One of the reasons we chose the Conservatory at the Biltmore in Asheville as our wedding reception venue was the simple gorgeousness of the greenhouse.   The backdrop of the lush greenery provided just the right amount of natural elegance for our wedding dinner.

Image by Visio Photography

Our wedding colors were champagne, blush, ivory and gold.    Hundreds of roses in muted shades in square vases ran down the length of the central table draped with with champagne and ivory linens and set with gold rimmed place settings.  We chose simple ivory candles intermingled among the roses.  Menus and place cards in the same soft color scheme.   (If you are in North Carolina, both Salutations and Laura at Yellow House Calligraphy were a dream to work with.  All flowers by Blossoms at Biltmore Park.)

Everyone says that your wedding day goes by so fast.   They are right, of course.   So you try and take moments to breathe it all in and mentally capture images to carry with you after it is all over.     Looking around at my new husband and family laughing and having fun in this gorgeous setting is a memory I will have for a lifetime.  

Image by Visio Photography

I'd love to hear about your wedding and from those of you that may be in the midst of planning now.   What moments in your wedding took your breath away?    What was or is your vision of your wedding day?

Wedding Ceremony - Butterfly Garden Biltmore Estate

Our ceremony location, the Butterfly Garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.    A beautiful late afternoon in October.    We were so incredibly lucky with the weather that weekend.   In my pre-wedding weather stalking, there were constant reports of snow, rain and ice storms, none of which transpired!    We did prepare by stocking up on last minute blankets for our guests which we didn't need either, but better to be prepared than not!

I asked my dad and my brother to walk me down the aisle.    Partially due to the stairs and the four inch heels, but mostly because I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.    

Finally!

Photography by Visio Photography

Our Wedding - The Getaway Car

A few more of our favorite wedding images by Visio Photography ... on our way to the the ceremony location at the Biltmore in our getaway car, the personal vehicle of Dan McIntyre in Asheville.   (Isn't it beautiful?)  

For what its worth, the car wasn't my idea, but I was so very happy that we chose it as we had so much fun driving around Asheville with Dan both before and after the wedding.   (It is too bad I can't show you the 'after' images as this part was especially fun!)   Thanks to Emily at Occasions by Emily for the recommendation and to Dan for sharing his first love with us!  

Farewell to Fall

Certainly was a memorable fall!    While the calendar still technically says autumn, the weather in North Carolina and many other areas of the country indicates that winter has arrived.     Thought I'd keep it simple today and share a few images from some of our most special (non wedding related) fall moments.

Farewell to Fall!   Welcome to Winter!

Wedding Planning Weekend, Butterfly Garden, Asheville, NC

Fearrington House, North Carolina (check out that squirrel going after that wine on the last chair!)

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Fearrington House, North Carolina (my favorite striped cows!)

Fearrington House, North Carolina

Can't forget Thanksgiving Dinner!

Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina

Grove Park Inn, Asheville,  North Carolina

What is your favorite fall memory?