Nicole Ogburn and Jay Frazier

In autumn, Mount Pisgah glows with gold, scarlet, and orange leaves of hickory and oak forests. On the horizon, the peaks fade into a characteristic blue haze that gives the mountains their name—Blue Ridge. Just a few miles from the vibrant city of Asheville, North Carolina, and the historic Biltmore Estate, Mount Pisgah is accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and offers the kind of heady, breathtaking views that never fail to turn ordinary afternoon hike into a nearly spiritual experience.  

Nichole Ogburn spent most of her life in Memphis, but in the last few years she forged a special connection to Asheville, where her best friend Allison lives. As a professional photographer, the surrounding mountains and laid-back, artistic community play no small role in Nichole’s attraction to the area. North Carolina had been calling to her for some time before she met Jay Frazier in 2009. The two met through mutual friends, and for the first year of their acquaintance, their relationship was wholly platonic and their time together was limited to occasional group outings.

It had been some time since Jay had seen Nichole when he ran into her at a Memphis Tigers game in 2010. Perhaps absence had warmed their hearts, or perhaps Nichole’s riveting dark eyes and easygoing smile suddenly sparked something for the handsome young man. “When we saw each other that day, something was different,” Nichole remembers. “After two weeks of dating, we both knew that we were for each other.” To the unfamiliar observer, their romance seems fast paced, but to the two self-aware young professionals, their quick judgment was a product of the wisdom that comes with experience. “We had both been in relationships that hadn’t worked, so when we saw the way that we were interacting, we absolutely knew that something was different,” Nichole explains.  

Weeks turned into months, and the two began talking seriously about spending their lives together. “Aside from being a sweet and beautiful girl, Nichole is the kindest person I know,” Jay effuses. “She has the most amazing way of seeing the good in every situation. She is also incredible with children; when I saw how she was around them, I was sold.” The fair-haired Jay has a magnetic smile that looks as if he’s in mid laugh—and according to Nichole, he usually is. “Jay is so accepting of who I am. We had a lot of laughter and happiness instantly,” she shares.

The final sign that Nichole and Jay should take the next step was a shared dream—“I had always wanted to move to Asheville, and Jay wanted to as well. We talked about it, and decided to just do it!” she shares. Jay, a landscaping and irrigation professional, landed a job earlier this fall and planned to move a few weeks before his girlfriend. The two had talked about marriage, even going so far as to discuss their plans with their overwhelmingly supportive families. Their low-key but strong confidence in their relationship, and their focus on the upcoming move gave Nichole the sense that a proposal would wait until later. Jay, however, had already purchased a ring. With the box burning quietly in his pocket, he waited a few days for the right moment.

The night before Jay departed for Asheville, the two enjoyed a dinner in East Memphis. On their drive home, he impulsively took a detour through Overton Park. “I pulled over and asked her to go on a walk with me. Then I just did it,” he recalls with fondness. “We had spent so much time there and had really made all of our important decisions while hanging out in the park.” Near the end of their walk, he stopped suddenly and dropped to one knee. He explained that he didn’t want to leave Nichole without asking her to marry him, and that he wanted to spend his whole life with her. “I was so excited!” says Nichole. “As much as I was expecting it at some point, I was still surprised.” 

When it came to wedding planning, Nichole had plenty of ideas. As a part of the talented Ramblin’ Rose Photography team for the last four years, she had photographed hundreds of weddings of all types, sizes and styles. Nichole admits that she loves the big church weddings and glamorous parties she has had the privilege of documenting, but for her own special day, she yearned for something different that her and fiancé would plan together. “Jay and I made a very conscious decision to have a small, simple wedding,” Nichole explains. They both loved the idea of a stripped-down, meaningful ceremony in the mountains near their new home. Nichole moved to Asheville a few weeks after Jay, and the two went exploring. They discovered a perfect overlook point on Mount Pisgah along the Blue Ridge Parkway with an incomparable view. 

The bride and groom are very close to their family and friends, but decided that this day should just be about the two of them—and because of their closeness, their families and friends understood where they were coming from. “We wanted to focus solely on each other as we started our new life together,” Nichole explains.

On October 27, 2011, Nichole donned a strapless, white chiffon gown, her dark brunette hair in a loose updo. She wore her mother’s veil and accented her white gown with turquoise earrings and bracelets. Angela Dacus of Southern Event Planners created a unique “bouquet” crafted of multi-colored jeweled broaches given to the bride by her friends. Jay wore a fresh black suit, white shirt, and dapper purple tie. “The highlight of my day was seeing how amazing she looked when we saw each other for the first time, before we drove up to the ceremony. I will never forget how pretty she was,” he shares. Reverend Larry Anderson officiated as the two offered vows that they had written themselves. The only others in attendance were Nichole’s best friend Allison Johnston and Allison’s fiancé, Franco Donohue. Nichole’s employer and friend, Kim Miller, photographed the day and was accompanied by her own fiancé, Erik Bonten. 

After the ceremony, all three couples headed back into Asheville for a relaxed dinner at Storm Rum Bar and Bistro. They enjoyed steamed mussels, steak, champagne and a cake topped with a bluebird bride and groom. Nichole designed the tables’ centerpieces with vintage finds from antique stores. We just hung out, laughed, talked, and took pictures,” Nichole recalls. 

The photographer will be starting her own studio in Asheville while Jay will exercise his own creativity with continued work in landscaping. For now, they are enjoying their new city—which they are in love with. “It’s a slower pace of life, and everyone is accepting of everyone else’s eclectic tastes and beliefs. We are both artistic people, so we fit in,” Nichole elaborates.

When looking back on their big day, the two are happy they chose a personal, non-traditional wedding. “The ceremony was my favorite part. The vows, the amazing view…it was just about him and me. We laughed and cried together,” Nichole recalls. Jay and I have said we would do the whole day over a million times.”

Bridal Attire:  J. Crew 

Bridal Hair Stylist:
Amanda at The Secret Spa

Bridal Hair Piece: Anthropologie

Bridal Makeup Stylist:
Wendy Ballance at Blush Ceremony 

Venue:
Blue Ridge Parkway, Mt. Pisgah 

Cake: Short Street Cakes 

Cake Topper: Indigo Twin Weddings Etsy Shop

Florist: Angela Dacus,
Southern Event Planners 

Groom Attire:
Men’s Warehouse and JoS. A. Bank  

Jewelry: Stella & Dot 

Officiant: Rev. Larry Anderson 

Photographer: Ramblin’ Rose Photography, Kim Miller 

Reception Venue:
Storm Rum Bar and Bistro