Brown Mountain Beach Resort is by far my favorite place to photograph weddings. There are MANY reasons I continue to write love letters about this venue, but one of the main reasons I love this space so much is how versatile it is. By the end of 2024 I will have photographed 10+ weddings here, but the most impressive part is none of them have felt or looked the same. As a photographer, that means your gallery will be truly unique to you and won’t look like every other wedding you’ve seen.

Kelsey and her team work so incredibly hard to help their couples bring their dream wedding day to life by customizing their day for them and the things they love. The weddings I’ll be sharing below are barely scratching the surface on the possibilities this venue holds.

Summer Wedding Vibe: 4th of July Week

Cliff + Jenna opted to get married on July 5th making their rehearsal dinner fall on the 4th of July. Their guests were decked out in their Red, White and Blue, live music on the beach by Chatham Rabbits, and an ice cream sundae bar to kick off the festivities. I was not in attendance for this next portion, but I am told their evening ended with a movie on the beach. And that’s JUST their rehearsal dinner.

Pros and Cons of 4th of July Week Wedding at Brown Mountain Beach Resort

Pros

• ICE CREAM
• Most people already have multiple days off, making it easier for them to travel
• Ability to utilize all of the water activities available

Cons

• It is NC in July, so it will be inevitably hot and likely buggy (BUT, BMBR has plenty of fans, bug spray and tiki torches around the property to help with this)
• Some vendors may require holiday pricing, which may not fit in your budget.

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Brunch Wedding Vibe

Becca + Greg gave their guests an incredible gift: an afternoon of sunshine and water. The catch: they had to watch them get married first. They opted to have a 10am ceremony with brunch and traditional dances following. After that, everyone went back to their cabins/yurts on the property and changed into their beach wear! They spent the afternoon tubing, paddle boarding, sun bathing and maybe drinking an adult beverage or two. After the sunburns started setting in, everyone had a break and came back for dinner and the PARTY.

Pros and Cons of Brunch Weddings at Brown Mountain Beach Resort

Pros

• You get rid of the pre-ceremony anxiousness much sooner in the day
• You can get all of your formal photos out of the way early
• A gift to your guests to enjoy the property instead of wedding events all day.
• Breakfast food (!!)

Cons

• Mother Nature may have other plans
• It’s an EARLY wakeup time to start getting ready for a 10am ceremony

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Wedding Vibe: Late Summer/Early Fall

Carly + Richard opted for an early fall wedding in Mid-September (late summer if we’re being technical). This gave them ideal temperatures for all of their moments but still gave plenty of daylight for photos to happen. This day was incredibly intentional with handwritten notes to each of the groomsmen, their live band, Kind Hearted Strangers, were good friends of theirs, their dog (and star of the show) Caspian on the cufflinks and private vows in the greenhouse right after the ceremony. If you can’t tell by now, the food on a wedding day sticks with me and these two did not disappoint. They opted for tapas stations with plenty of different types of cuisine for all of their guests.

Pros and Cons of Early Fall Weddings at Brown Mountain Beach Resort

Pros

• (Likely) Perfect weather and temps for a fully outdoor day
• Harvest time for many crops meaning plenty of fresh food options from your caterers
• Perfect time for your doggo to attend. Not too hot.

Cons

• May not be warm enough to get in the water
• Trees haven’t yet changed color

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Wedding Vibe: Hurricane (Late Fall)

Emma + Kellen are obviously Mother Nature’s favorites. The day before their wedding there was a hurricane towards the coast that brought massive amounts of rain. The iconic beach that Brown Mountain Beach hosts most of their ceremonies on was completely underwater and the road to get to the venue was flooded. No way in, no way out. Cut to: the next day. The river gradually came back down leaving just the tiniest sliver of beach for just the two of them and their officiants (and me 🙂 ) to say I Do on. The staff at BMBR really outdid themselves on this one hustling to get this ceremony set up done after making a game time decision to go with the outdoor candlelit ceremony.

Totally. Worth it.

The day went off without a hitch and included multiple private moments for the couple to soak in the day including private vows in a candle lit greenhouse and a reception reveal for just the two of them before their guests came in via a traditional receiving line so they could love on each and everyone of their guests. This gave me a unique opportunity to get a candid photo of the couple with every person on their guest list.

Pros and Cons of Late Fall Weddings at Brown Mountain Beach Resort

Pros:

• Cooler weather for people who are not fans of the NC heat
• Earlier sunset for lots of candle use for a glowy warm feeling
• Coffee Mug wedding favors
• Hearty Veggies and cozy meals

Cons:

• Hurricane potential (it is hurricane season after all)
• It did turn brutally cold the following day, so your temp is a bit more unpredictable

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Wedding Vibe: Holiday Extravaganza

This was the last season on my Bingo card for BMBR Weddings and in 2023 I was able to cross it off! Gwyn + Ellis opted for lots of evergreen decor making the entire reception space smell like pine. Their signature cocktail was served in a Christmas ornament and their friends and family all made Christmas cookies for one massive spread on their dessert table. Multiple Christmas trees were placed throughout the venue and countless candles to bring that holiday magic to life. These two got lucky with some perfectly overcast skies and a fairly warm day for December giving them ideal conditions for their outdoor ceremony. The staff had blankets, handwarmers, coffee and hot chocolate ready for guests to use during the ceremony if needed. My favorite was seeing all of the grandparents snuggled up under their blankets as they waited for the ceremony to start.

Pros and Cons of Winter Weddings at Brown Mountain Beach Resort

Pros:

• Mild winter weather during the day with a bit of chill at night
• CHRISTMAS COOKIES
• Holiday decor for my holiday cheermeisters
• Cozy, textured fabrics

Cons:

• Again, unpredictable temps
• No leaves on the trees, adding color with decor is ideal

Have I sold you on a wedding day at Brown Mountain Beach Resort yet? If so, head to my contact page by clicking here to get the party started.