Windsor & Carder

September 30 - October 1, 2022. Asheville, North Carolina

See Photos!

We Had a Wedding Celebration!

And, we had a blast. We want to express our sincere thank you to each and every one of you. We are so grateful to all of you who were able to make the trip to Asheville to celebrate together, and also to all of you who endured travel cancelations, were battened down riding out the hurricane, or who couldn't make it for any other reason.

Of course, the weekend ended up looking quite a bit different than we had initially planned. Thanks to the support and adaptability of so many of you and our team of vendors, what actually transpired surpassed our wildest dreams. It meant so much to us to weather the storm together. As our dear friend and ceremony officiant Arianne kept reminding us, “we won’t be happy because it’s perfect, it will be perfect because we’re happy.” We still can't stop smiling from all the joy. And, we had so much fun dancing with you :)

We have compiled some favorite pictures from the weekend here. These are memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

We are also especially grateful to everyone who made a gift in our honor to the nonprofit organizations on our wedding registry. We have matched all of your donations to triple this giving in honor of our gratitude for all of you.

We're sharing below an excerpt from some words we shared at the ceremony:

"A phrase we often say to each other is "now and forever." It reminds us that all we are promised is this moment right here, the past that has brought us here, and the hope for what’s to come. It reminds us that we are living in the present. That we are choosing our love and our life with each other with each moment, and that we look forward with hope for the future… It was through a season of personal loss that we were reminded that love is really what matters at the core of it all. We entered 2022 with a renewed desire to both be married, and to hold close and celebrate those we love most… We truly believe we are a sum of our experiences and the people around us. You are people who have informed us and shaped us and loved us and held us through our lives to this moment so far, and will in so many ways beyond it. So, we are so, so glad you're here. Today, and always."

We are grateful to be surrounded by the love of this incredible community.

All our love,
Anna and Rich

Readings


I Am So Glad You’re Here by Nikita Gill

I think people are so beautiful
When their eyes light up and they say sincerely,
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
In other words,
You bring joy to my life.
You bring relief in rooms
I am struggling in.
You bring me hope
When I need it most.
You make the world a little bit easier to live in.
Thank you for existing.
I love you for making me feel better.
I’m so glad you’re here.


Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be.
We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world.
It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.


Remember by Joy Harjo

Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the strongest point of time. Remember sundown and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath. You are evidence of her life, and her mother's, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth, brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people are you.
Remember you are this universe and this universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.

Weekend Info (For Posterity)

Please see below for new details as we have moved things around to hopefully provide a better experience in light of Hurricane Ian, including the ceremony being moved to Friday, and the reception venue changing.

Lady Luck Gardens, the venue for the ceremony and where we initially hoped to host the reception, describes themselves as "a place in space, where people can connect with nature, build community, and celebrate life." They hope to engage with people who have "heart and kindness, with a deep love for the Earth, healing, and respect for people of all walks of life." We felt this mission captured so much of our purpose for gathering with you all.

Thank you for being a part of our community. We love you and hope to celebrate together with you, whether at the wedding this fall or another time.

groom

Richard Carder

groom

Anna Windsor

Ceremony

Friday, September 30th
3:00-4:00pm

The wedding ceremony will be held at Lady Luck Gardens in Leicester, North Carolina. Transportation will be provided from the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 1:30pm (more details in the transport section below). The ceremony starts at 3pm; the bus will return to the Crowne Plaza after the ceremony, and should have everyone back to the hotel before 5pm.

55 Lanzi Ledge Rd, Leicester, NC 28748

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Welcome Party

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Friday, September 30th
8:30-11:00pm

We invite all to join us for a welcome party featuring live music and fun at Cellarest Beer Project in West Asheville.

395 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806

Reception

Saturday, October 1st
4:30-10:00pm

We’ve moved the reception to a new venue: Cursus Keme. The plan for the evening remains mostly the same despite the venue change: We’ll start with a cocktail hour with live music at 4:30, a mini ceremony at 5:45, dinner will follow at around 6pm, we’ll have some toasts, and then a dance party commences until closing at 10pm.

155 Thompson St, Asheville, North Carolina, USA, 28803

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Travel and Accommodations

We so appreciate the time and resources it will take to come to Asheville, and we completely understand if traveling to Asheville for the weekend does not make sense for you.

If you're flying in, Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) would be the most convenient, as it's only a 20 minute drive/Uber to downtown. It's a small airport, however, and may not have too many direct flights. Another option is to fly to a larger airport and rent a car, such as Charlotte (CLT - about a 2 hour drive), or Atlanta (ATL - about a 3.5 hour drive).

We have blocks at two hotels, listed below. Please use the links provided here to book to get the block rates. We tried to secure the lowest price possible for the group rates, but given the busy weekend these still ended up higher than we would have liked. At a potentially lower price point, there are also plentiful AirBnBs, VRBOs, and other hotel options in the area. We recommend booking early if you can, as it's a very popular weekend in the area.

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Crowne Plaza

The Crowne Plaza is across the river from downtown and close to West Asheville. It has a large property with ziplining, mountain bike trails, and a par 3 golf course. Buses to the wedding celebration will leave from here. You can find reviews here. The room block is $245 per night, and is available Thursday-Monday, or any combination of days within that period. Use group code WCA. Rooms must be booked by August 31 to secure this rate. Pet friendly by request.

Book Here!

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Hilton Garden Inn

The Hilton Garden Inn is a modern hotel in the east part of downtown, a short walk away from the heart of the city and many restaurants and breweries. It has a rooftop restaurant with great views of the mountains. You can find reviews here. The room block is $189 for Thursday and Sunday nights, and $399 for Friday and Saturday nights. Rooms must be booked by August 29 to secure this rate. Pet friendly by request.

Book Here!

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Wrong Way Cabins

A cabin campground located in West Asheville at the intersection of urban and the outdoors, providing a gateway to both. The property features 16 tiny A-frame cabins with all the comforts, including a private bathroom, HVAC, and high-speed WiFi. A communal River Lodge with a canteen, lounge, and event space anchors the property as a place to eat, drink, gather, and shop. We don't have a room block, and availability seems limited, but we just recently found out about these and thought they looked really cool and so wanted to include them here!

Book Here!

Transportation

For the ceremony on Friday, a school bus will provide transportation to and from Lady Luck Gardens. Please meet the bus out front of the Crowne Plaza lobby at 1:30pm (there is plenty of parking at the Crowne Plaza, and it is accessible via Uber/Lyft). It will be about a 35 minute ride to the venuw. The bus should have you back to the Crowne Plaza before 5pm.

If you decide to drive to the ceremony on Friday, please be aware that Google Maps will say you're there before you actually are. When Google says you've arrived, you'll see Lanzi Ledge Rd to the left. GO PAST IT!! There will be an unmarked paved road on the left, which is Loy Ingle. Turn left and follow this road until you come to the parking lot on the left. See the map below for more detail.

For the reception on Saturday, there will also be a school bus to provide transportation to and from Cursus Keme. Please meet the bus out front of the Crowne Plaza lobby at 3:45pm (again, there is plenty of parking at the Crowne Plaza, and it is accessible via Uber/Lyft). It will be about a 15-20 minute ride to the venue. There will be a return trip to the Crowne Plaza at 10:00pm.

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More Details

What will the Saturday wedding reception entail?

We will have transportation to and from the venue, a cocktail hour that flows into the dinner reception, and a dance party. Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and food will be provided by Jack's Mobile Bar and our caterer, King of Fire. We will have appetizers, wood-fired pizzas, salads, and desserts.

The event is semi-outside and may be partially subject to the natural elements, but will go on rain or shine. The venue does have an indoor section, where dinner will be based, and where shelter from the elements can be had throughout the night, if the storm necessitates it.

Will Hurricane Ian affect the plans?

Yes! We've changed the day of the ceremony to Friday, and the venue for the reception to preovide a safer and more enjoyable experience given the potential rain and wind coming through this weekend. All of the above details have been updated to reflect the new plans. Please reach out if you have any questions!

We understand this may also affect travel to Asheville, espcecially for those of you coming from Florida. Please keep us posted about your plans if anything changes.

Will I be able to use Uber and Lyft to get around?

Ubers and Lyfts are plentiful in downtown and West Asheville. However, they will not be available to get home from the ceremony venue. There is neither reliable cell phone service nor a supply of rideshare vehicles there. Therefore we highly recommend that you plan to take the school bus to and from the ceremony venue, which leaves at 1:45pm from the Crowne Plaza, and will have a return trip that should get you back to the hotel by 5pm. For the Friday night welcome party, Uber and Lyft should be easy. We also think Ubers and Lyfts should be available to and from Cursus Keme on Saturdasy, though taking the transportation provided is still recommended due to potential driver shortages.

What should I wear?

We encourage you to wear what makes you happiest and most comfortable. We have called the attire "festive garden party," though it now remains to be seen if this will actually resemble such a thing. For the ceremony on Friday especially, but also for all of the evejts over the weekend, please prepare for rain, and the chance that it could be cold. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

How are you handling COVID-19?

We recognize the impacts and uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic. We encourage guests to please take a rapid COVID test before joining us. We are expecting up to 100 people, and so we understand if gatherings don't feel comfortable for you at this time. The Saturday wedding celebration will take place outdoors at Lady Luck Gardens. The Friday welcome party will take place partially indoors and outdoors at Cellarest Beer Project. Please feel free to wear masks at any time, though they will not be required.

What about mobility?

Our amazing planning team at Rising Fern Events will ensure everyone knows where to be at each point. There will be a walk of a few minutes on Friday at Lady Luck from the parking lot to the ceremony site. If you will need assistance, please let us know so we can help coordinate a car. At all event locations, there will be wheelchair accessible restrooms.

Things To Do in Asheville

Hiking and Outdoor Activities

Asheville has amazing hiking. We've put together a list of a few of our favorite hikes in the area here. There are a range of lengths and levels of difficulty represented. In addition, Asheville has great whitewater rafting, tubing, kayaking, mountain biking, or pretty much any other outdoor activity you can think of.

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Drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Another great way of seeing the mountains and the natural beauty of the area is to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's easily accessible by car from Asheville's east side. There are lots of scenic lookout points along the drive. You can also take a short detour off the parkway to drive all the way to the top of Mt Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,684 ft.

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River Arts District and West Asheville

There are lots of interesting and distinct neighboorhoods of Asheville. The River Arts District is one of our favorites, housing many studios, galleries, places to eat and drink, and live music venues. Wedge Studios alone has over 30 working studios anyone can stroll through.

We also love West Asheville, another artsy and funky part of town with great parks, boutique shops, and of course cafes and restratunts spanning the spectrum from food trucks to fine dining (Nine Mile, Jargon, and Sunny Point cafe all extra recommended).

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Downtown and South Slope

Downtown is very walkable and full of unique character. There's too much to do to list here, though one recommendation that can allow you to experience a lot in a short time is to do a food tour. We did this on one of our trips and had a great time. For mountain views while you grab a meal or a drink, check out the Montford rooftop bar or Omni Grove Hotel (a bit out of town but worth it - especially for sunset).

Just south of downtown, the South Slope Brewing District has about 10 breweries within a few blocks of one another. You can also find great local breweries in just about any area of town you're in; here are the highest rated.

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Registry

We're so grateful to have you in our lives and to celebrate with you. Your presence is truly is a present. If you feel moved to give further, we'd appreciate if you would consider donating to one of the nonprofit organizations we have gathered on our registry.

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Vendors

Below is a list of the vendors we worked with to plan and host the weekend. We're so grateful for all of them for partnering with us through thick and thin, and would highly recommend for any of your potential party planning needs in the western North Carolina area!

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We are so glad you were there!