Between the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina sits a little city right in the valley and in that little city of Asheville, under the white oak trees on Church Street, you will find a charming little pub that’s adored by locals. Yes, it is a pub that is a favorite among most in a city full of beer, but there is something even more special than the wings at Foggy Mountain. It is the story of the owners Sam and Chris Kronberg. Yes, a love story and we’ll get right to the most love filled day of the story right…now.
Sam and Chris got married at Cabin Among the Oaks in Canton, NC. I, being a guest at the wedding along side my husband, can personally tell you that this venue is a very special place.There are mountain views, valleys and spaces to have different set ups for dancing, a bar, food, the ceremony and to run around and catch fireflies at night.
When you have a big celebration filled with things that meet your fancy and people you care about surrounding you, it takes some planning! We all hear this can be stressful so we asked Sam how she managed it.
“Alexandra Herman was my wedding planner (she is starting Asheville Wedding Collective this year.) She was so helpful with decision making. I was never the little girl who dreamed about her wedding, so I didn’t really have any idea as to what we were getting into. Planning is exhausting. She made sure we didn’t skip anything that we would regret later in life, and also made sure to help us save time and money on old traditions that we didn’t care much about. (Such as renting a church for the ceremony, and having people move their own chairs which saved us $800) I also didn’t have a wedding party (also saves money and people’s hurt feelings) so she had a lot more work to do without help from a wedding party.”
*pssssttt* If you are a recurring reader to the blog you will know Alexandra Herman is no stranger to Life in the AVL. We have her highlighted in this wedding series already! Click here to read about The Asheville Wedding Collective.
Sam brings up a good point when throwing a party as big as let’s say a WEDDING. Please, let’s not break the bank but let’s make it as special as possible! With good food for the guests to enjoy, drinks to be merry, places like chairs and tables to sit at and music to dance to. This can be a lot when you have many people coming to celebrate the couple. Sam and Chris’s wedding was no let down of a good time with plenty of the above-mentioned, so let me tell you some ways she pulled it off without making Chris work doubles for the next year.
- For the band- “The Paper Crowns have always been a local favorite. They even learned a few songs for us! Priced right!”
- The memory captured- “My photographer :Fox House Studios she took engagement photos, day of photos and we are also going into the woods in our wedding clothes sometime this year for an after shoot where we don’t have to worry about ruining our clothes! So excited for it.”
- The set up- “WNC Tents– Bill knows his shit, he gets it done and he doesn’t charge you an arm and a leg. He also does amazing lighting and his tents and chairs are good quality. What more could you ask for? We saved a lot of money by making our rentals minimal.
We bought bamboo plates off of Amazon and it saved us about $900. Don’t stress on table decor, nobody notices it. Keep it simple.”
A very special and unique part of this wedding was Sam’s entrance with popular local band, Empire Strikes Brass.
“They walked me down the aisle without Chris knowing! We secretly planned my entrance. Having a brass band walk me down the aisle will always be my favorite part. Not only did Chris not expect it, but they learned a song for me and hid so Chris had no idea that it was happening. I tear up just thinking about it. I was so nervous to walk down alone without a wedding party. They made my entrance unforgettable and gave an awesome vibe to start the day!”
When it was time for Sam to walk down the aisle and Empire Strikes Brass was surrounding her and her father’s walk with blaring trumpets and tubas bellowing the guests became alive with excitement and awe as we stood to welcome the entrance.
Sam leaves us with this advice for brides and grooms to be:
“Don’t stress! I was so stressed that I would have to remind myself to relax and enjoy my friends and family. Make sure the 3 days before your wedding are super organized and people know what to do. Then you can spend your time with your loved ones instead of stressing over little details.
I was amazed by how many people showed up to share our love. That made the whole day so special.
End of the day, no matter how nervous you are, ask friends and family for help! They usually want to be involved some way or another, don’t be afraid to ask.
Enjoy your planning time. I had a lot of help from my husband. I was surprised how much he had thought about the day before that happened and what was important to him.”
This advice is not only helpful to brides and grooms to be but anyone who will be attending a wedding, which I’m sure one year or the next you will be. Show up to just share in the love.
All photos by Fox House Studios except the selfie of Luciano and I featured below. This article also contains links to those businesses and services included in the post, but Life in the AVL does not receive commission. We are simply spreading the word.
