The White Crow

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Welcome Party

We’d&nbsp;love&nbsp;to&nbsp;kick&nbsp;off&nbsp;the&nbsp;weekend&nbsp;with&nbsp;you! Join&nbsp;us&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;evening&nbsp;from 6:30&nbsp;PM – 9:00&nbsp;PM&nbsp;at&nbsp;our&nbsp;venue&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;casual&nbsp;welcome&nbsp;party. If&nbsp;you're&nbsp;arriving&nbsp;on&nbsp;Friday,&nbsp;this&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;great&nbsp;chance&nbsp;for&nbsp;us&nbsp;to&nbsp;say&nbsp;hello&nbsp;and&nbsp;spend&nbsp;time&nbsp;together&nbsp;before&nbsp;the&nbsp;big&nbsp;day.&nbsp;Whether&nbsp;you&nbsp;stop&nbsp;by&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;minutes&nbsp;or&nbsp;stay&nbsp;the&nbsp;whole&nbsp;time,&nbsp;we’ll&nbsp;be&nbsp;so&nbsp;happy&nbsp;to&nbsp;see&nbsp;you! We’ll&nbsp;have&nbsp;beer,&nbsp;seltzers,&nbsp;light&nbsp;snacks,&nbsp;and&nbsp;desserts—but&nbsp;please&nbsp;eat&nbsp;dinner&nbsp;beforehand,&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;full&nbsp;meal&nbsp;will&nbsp;not&nbsp;be&nbsp;served.

Our Wedding

I&nbsp;had&nbsp;just&nbsp;moved&nbsp;to&nbsp;Northern&nbsp;Virginia&nbsp;and&nbsp;was&nbsp;settling&nbsp;into&nbsp;a&nbsp;new&nbsp;job,&nbsp;looking&nbsp;for&nbsp;direction&nbsp;in&nbsp;both&nbsp;my&nbsp;career&nbsp;and&nbsp;my&nbsp;life.&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;colleague&nbsp;to&nbsp;talk&nbsp;about&nbsp;professional&nbsp;development. What books&nbsp;to&nbsp;read,&nbsp;courses&nbsp;to&nbsp;take,&nbsp;how&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;more&nbsp;involved, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;we&nbsp;even&nbsp;got&nbsp;started,&nbsp;she&nbsp;hit&nbsp;me&nbsp;with: “Okay,&nbsp;you&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;have&nbsp;to&nbsp;answer&nbsp;this...&nbsp;but&nbsp;are&nbsp;you&nbsp;single&nbsp;and&nbsp;looking?” She&nbsp;then&nbsp;proceeded&nbsp;to&nbsp;tell&nbsp;me&nbsp;about&nbsp;this&nbsp;guy&nbsp;Craig, who worked with her husband. She told me&nbsp;he&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;DC&nbsp;firefighter,&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;car,&nbsp;a&nbsp;truck,&nbsp;a&nbsp;motorcycle,&nbsp;and&nbsp;some&nbsp;rental&nbsp;properties.&nbsp;More&nbsp;importantly,&nbsp;she&nbsp;said&nbsp;he&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;good&nbsp;head&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;shoulders.&nbsp;Naturally,&nbsp;I&nbsp;asked&nbsp;the&nbsp;important&nbsp;question: “How&nbsp;old&nbsp;is&nbsp;he?”&nbsp;Then&nbsp;she&nbsp;showed&nbsp;me&nbsp;his&nbsp;picture,&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;said, “I’d&nbsp;like&nbsp;to&nbsp;meet&nbsp;him.” After&nbsp;months&nbsp;of&nbsp;waiting&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;guys&nbsp;to&nbsp;actually&nbsp;set&nbsp;something&nbsp;up,&nbsp;I&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to&nbsp;take&nbsp;matters&nbsp;into&nbsp;my&nbsp;own&nbsp;hands and sent&nbsp;Craig&nbsp;a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;friend&nbsp;request. I&nbsp;was&nbsp;tired&nbsp;of&nbsp;waiting.&nbsp;Later,&nbsp;I&nbsp;found&nbsp;out&nbsp;he&nbsp;almost&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;accept&nbsp;it&nbsp;because&nbsp;my&nbsp;profile&nbsp;looked&nbsp;like&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;no&nbsp;friends,&nbsp;and&nbsp;he&nbsp;thought&nbsp;I&nbsp;might&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;catfish. Eventually,&nbsp;we&nbsp;locked&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;double&nbsp;date&nbsp;at&nbsp;a&nbsp;brewery&nbsp;for&nbsp;July 5, 2021.&nbsp;I&nbsp;arrived&nbsp;early (as&nbsp;always)&nbsp;and&nbsp;backed&nbsp;into&nbsp;my&nbsp;parking&nbsp;spot&nbsp;for&nbsp;an&nbsp;easy&nbsp;getaway&nbsp;just&nbsp;in&nbsp;case&nbsp;it&nbsp;went&nbsp;sideways.&nbsp;I&nbsp;had,&nbsp;of&nbsp;course,&nbsp;done&nbsp;my&nbsp;FBI-level&nbsp;research&nbsp;and&nbsp;knew&nbsp;what&nbsp;Craig’s&nbsp;vehicles&nbsp;looked&nbsp;like.&nbsp;I&nbsp;saw&nbsp;him&nbsp;pull&nbsp;in,&nbsp;right&nbsp;on&nbsp;time,&nbsp;and&nbsp;he&nbsp;backed&nbsp;into&nbsp;his&nbsp;spot&nbsp;too (a&nbsp;strong&nbsp;first impression). Melissa&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jamie (our&nbsp;mutual&nbsp;friends)&nbsp;were&nbsp;running&nbsp;late,&nbsp;and I&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;moment&nbsp;of&nbsp;panic&nbsp;thinking&nbsp;this&nbsp;was&nbsp;going&nbsp;to&nbsp;turn&nbsp;into&nbsp;a&nbsp;solo&nbsp;date.&nbsp;So&nbsp;I&nbsp;took&nbsp;the&nbsp;bull&nbsp;by&nbsp;the&nbsp;horns (again) and&nbsp;introduced&nbsp;myself.&nbsp;We&nbsp;headed&nbsp;inside&nbsp;and&nbsp;ended&nbsp;up&nbsp;having&nbsp;a&nbsp;great&nbsp;time. When&nbsp;the&nbsp;night&nbsp;ended,&nbsp;Craig&nbsp;walked&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;car&nbsp;and&nbsp;casually&nbsp;said, “text&nbsp;me&nbsp;when&nbsp;you&nbsp;get&nbsp;home.”&nbsp;His&nbsp;smooth&nbsp;way&nbsp;of&nbsp;getting&nbsp;my&nbsp;number. I&nbsp;texted&nbsp;Melissa&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;after&nbsp;and&nbsp;said, “Don’t&nbsp;forget&nbsp;to&nbsp;pencil&nbsp;me&nbsp;in&nbsp;your&nbsp;Erin&nbsp;Condren&nbsp;planner&nbsp;for&nbsp;NYE 2024.”&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;a&nbsp;gut&nbsp;feeling&nbsp;that&nbsp;night, Craig&nbsp;was&nbsp;going&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;my&nbsp;person. Turns&nbsp;out,&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;right.&nbsp;He’s&nbsp;everything&nbsp;I&nbsp;prayed&nbsp;for&nbsp;and&nbsp;more.

Carlies POV

A&nbsp;while&nbsp;back,&nbsp;my&nbsp;buddy&nbsp;Jamie&nbsp;invited&nbsp;me&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;group&nbsp;brunch&nbsp;and&nbsp;mentioned&nbsp;there’d&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;girl&nbsp;there&nbsp;named&nbsp;Carlie.&nbsp;He&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;say&nbsp;much, just&nbsp;that&nbsp;she&nbsp;was&nbsp;cute&nbsp;and&nbsp;from&nbsp;North&nbsp;Carolina.&nbsp;I&nbsp;couldn’t&nbsp;make&nbsp;it&nbsp;that&nbsp;day&nbsp;and&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;think&nbsp;much&nbsp;of&nbsp;it&nbsp;afterward. Fast&nbsp;forward&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;months,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jamie&nbsp;circled&nbsp;back,&nbsp;asking&nbsp;if&nbsp;I&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to&nbsp;go&nbsp;on&nbsp;a&nbsp;double&nbsp;date&nbsp;at&nbsp;a&nbsp;brewery&nbsp;after&nbsp;the&nbsp;Fourth&nbsp;of&nbsp;July.&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;plans&nbsp;that&nbsp;weekend&nbsp;up&nbsp;in&nbsp;New&nbsp;Jersey,&nbsp;but&nbsp;figured&nbsp;I&nbsp;could&nbsp;hit&nbsp;the&nbsp;road&nbsp;early&nbsp;and&nbsp;make&nbsp;it&nbsp;in&nbsp;time.&nbsp;A&nbsp;few&nbsp;days&nbsp;before&nbsp;the&nbsp;date,&nbsp;I&nbsp;got&nbsp;a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;friend&nbsp;request&nbsp;from&nbsp;a&nbsp;girl&nbsp;who&nbsp;looked&nbsp;cute&nbsp;but&nbsp;had&nbsp;almost&nbsp;no&nbsp;friends&nbsp;on&nbsp;her&nbsp;profile&nbsp;and&nbsp;listed&nbsp;her&nbsp;hometown&nbsp;as&nbsp;somewhere&nbsp;in&nbsp;North&nbsp;Carolina.&nbsp;I&nbsp;genuinely&nbsp;thought&nbsp;it&nbsp;might&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;catfish&nbsp;situation…&nbsp;until&nbsp;I&nbsp;remembered: “Wait,&nbsp;I&nbsp;am&nbsp;supposed&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;a&nbsp;Carlie&nbsp;from&nbsp;North&nbsp;Carolina.” On&nbsp;July&nbsp;5th,&nbsp;I&nbsp;hit&nbsp;the&nbsp;road&nbsp;heading&nbsp;back&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;lake and&nbsp;ran&nbsp;into&nbsp;what&nbsp;can&nbsp;only&nbsp;be&nbsp;described&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;scene&nbsp;from&nbsp;a&nbsp;nightmare.&nbsp;A&nbsp;porta-potty&nbsp;truck&nbsp;had&nbsp;wrecked,&nbsp;the&nbsp;top&nbsp;baffle&nbsp;had&nbsp;blown,&nbsp;and...&nbsp;well,&nbsp;there&nbsp;was&nbsp;literal&nbsp;💩&nbsp;everywhere.&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;stuck&nbsp;in&nbsp;traffic,&nbsp;wondering&nbsp;if&nbsp;I&nbsp;should&nbsp;just&nbsp;cancel,&nbsp;but&nbsp;I&nbsp;knew&nbsp;I&nbsp;had&nbsp;to&nbsp;see&nbsp;this&nbsp;date&nbsp;through.&nbsp;So&nbsp;I&nbsp;kept&nbsp;going. After&nbsp;finally&nbsp;making&nbsp;it&nbsp;home,&nbsp;I&nbsp;took&nbsp;my&nbsp;car&nbsp;through&nbsp;a&nbsp;drive-thru&nbsp;car&nbsp;wash&nbsp;three&nbsp;times,&nbsp;hit&nbsp;it&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;pressure&nbsp;washer,&nbsp;and&nbsp;eventually&nbsp;gave&nbsp;up.&nbsp;That&nbsp;smell&nbsp;was&nbsp;going&nbsp;to&nbsp;have&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;a&nbsp;problem&nbsp;for "future&nbsp;Craig."&nbsp;I&nbsp;grabbed&nbsp;my&nbsp;truck&nbsp;instead&nbsp;and&nbsp;headed&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;brewery. I&nbsp;pulled&nbsp;in,&nbsp;backed&nbsp;into&nbsp;a&nbsp;spot,&nbsp;and&nbsp;cracked&nbsp;open&nbsp;a&nbsp;Red&nbsp;Bull.&nbsp;A&nbsp;few&nbsp;minutes&nbsp;later,&nbsp;I&nbsp;saw&nbsp;this&nbsp;girl&nbsp;with&nbsp;big&nbsp;sunglasses&nbsp;power-walking&nbsp;straight&nbsp;toward&nbsp;my&nbsp;truck.&nbsp;I&nbsp;tried&nbsp;to&nbsp;look&nbsp;away but&nbsp;she&nbsp;was&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;coming&nbsp;over. “Hey,&nbsp;are&nbsp;you&nbsp;Craig?&nbsp;I’m&nbsp;Carlie,”&nbsp;she&nbsp;said.&nbsp;And&nbsp;just&nbsp;like&nbsp;that,&nbsp;we&nbsp;were&nbsp;inside. Carlie&nbsp;was&nbsp;stunning. Smart,&nbsp;driven,&nbsp;funny,&nbsp;quick-witted,&nbsp;and&nbsp;had a sweet Southern&nbsp;accent.&nbsp;She&nbsp;was&nbsp;feisty&nbsp;in&nbsp;all&nbsp;the&nbsp;best&nbsp;ways.&nbsp;I&nbsp;knew&nbsp;before&nbsp;the&nbsp;afternoon&nbsp;was&nbsp;over&nbsp;that&nbsp;this&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;just&nbsp;another&nbsp;date.&nbsp;This&nbsp;was&nbsp;someone&nbsp;I&nbsp;could&nbsp;build&nbsp;something&nbsp;real&nbsp;with.&nbsp;She’s&nbsp;the&nbsp;Southern&nbsp;belle&nbsp;this&nbsp;Jersey&nbsp;boy&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;know&nbsp;he’d&nbsp;been&nbsp;waiting&nbsp;for, but&nbsp;I’m&nbsp;so&nbsp;glad&nbsp;I&nbsp;found&nbsp;her.

Craigs POV

Our Story

Photos

Bridal Party

Markie Cauthen

Tara Wareham

Anna Sandlin

Alexis Rodgers

Savanna Taylor

Chloe Ladd

Melissa Jewett

Payten Coker

Jessica Ruffa

Kira Olander

Elizabeth Blake Whitehead

The Groomsmen

Daniel Rae

Garret Wagner

Aric Tegtmeier

Trevor Sebring

Adam Ladd

Jamie Jewett

Zac Muller

Christopher Agbobli

James Marcucella

Crew Whitehead

Wedding Party

Flying In?

If&nbsp;you're&nbsp;traveling&nbsp;by&nbsp;air,&nbsp;here&nbsp;are&nbsp;the&nbsp;closest&nbsp;airports&nbsp;to&nbsp;Banner&nbsp;Elk,&nbsp;NC:

Tri-Cities&nbsp;Airport (TRI)&nbsp;–&nbsp;About 54&nbsp;miles&nbsp;away

Asheville&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;Airport (AVL)&nbsp;–&nbsp;About 86&nbsp;miles&nbsp;away

Charlotte&nbsp;Douglas&nbsp;International&nbsp;Airport (CLT)&nbsp;–&nbsp;About 111&nbsp;miles&nbsp;away

We&nbsp;recommend&nbsp;renting&nbsp;a&nbsp;car,&nbsp;as&nbsp;transportation&nbsp;options&nbsp;are&nbsp;limited&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;mountains.&nbsp;Safe&nbsp;travels—we&nbsp;can't&nbsp;wait&nbsp;to&nbsp;celebrate&nbsp;with&nbsp;you!

Travel

We’ve reserved room blocks at two local hotels for your convenience, and will be providing&nbsp;shuttle transportation to and from our venue&nbsp;from both hotels on the wedding day. In addition to the hotel blocks, there are plenty of beautiful&nbsp;cabins and rentals&nbsp;available nearby through Airbnb, VRBO, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blueridgerentals.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Rentals</a>. Our venue has&nbsp;limited parking (75 cars max), so we kindly encourage guests to&nbsp;carpool&nbsp;or take advantage of the transportation we’ve arranged. We want everyone to have a great time —&nbsp;safely&nbsp;— so if you plan on celebrating with a few drinks (and we hope you do!), please don’t drive.You're welcome to leave your vehicle at the venue overnight if needed — just make sure it’s picked up by&nbsp;9:00 AM on Sunday, June 14th. We can’t wait to celebrate with you in the mountains!

The Lodge at Banner Elk

Olander Wedding Party📍&nbsp;The Lodge at Banner Elk🗓️&nbsp;June 11–14, 2026 ⏱️&nbsp;About 20 minutes from the venue🔗<a href="https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/en/reservation/wGwd0o?allotment_block_code=b102335&amp;currency=usd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Book your room here</a> (Last day to book at the group rate is&nbsp;May 11, 2026)

TownePlace Suites Boone

Olander Wedding Party📍&nbsp;TownePlace Suites Boone🗓️&nbsp;June 11–14, 2026⏱️&nbsp;About 30 minutes from the venue🔗<a href="https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1749242490235&amp;key=GRP&amp;app=resvlink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Book your room here</a> (Last day to book at the group rate is&nbsp;May 11, 2026)

We hope this makes your stay in the mountains as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Accommodations

Dress Code

If you’re spending the weekend with us, there are plenty of fun spots to check out nearby. Here are a few of our recommendations: 🌄 <a href="https://grandfather.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grandfather Mountain &amp; Mile-High Swinging Bridge</a>One of the most iconic spots in the High Country! You can take an easy drive up for gorgeous views and walk across the Mile-High Swinging Bridge (it doesn't really swing anymore), or explore one of the hiking trails if you’re up for more adventure. 🐐<a href="https://applehillfarmnc.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Hill Farm</a>Enjoy a morning yoga session with baby goats! Apple Hill Farm is also home to alpacas, llamas, and donkeys, so even if yoga isn’t your thing, it’s a fun and quirky place to visit. 🍷<a href="https://www.bannerelk.com/types/wineries-and-breweries/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wineries &amp; Breweries</a>There are tons of wineries and breweries in the area! Banner Elk Winery and Grandfather Vineyard are both great places to sip wine and take in mountain views. They’re relaxed, beautiful spots to spend a couple of hours. 🌲<a href="https://www.lmc.edu/community/wildcat-lake.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wildcat Lake</a>A quiet little lake just a few minutes from town. Perfect for a walk, a quick paddle, or just enjoying some fresh mountain air in the morning! 🛍️ <a href="https://www.mastgeneralstore.com/original-store?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mast General Store</a>The Mast General Store is a fun place to wander! It’s full of old-fashioned candy, quirky finds, outdoor gear, and lots of mountain charm. For more ideas, check out these links:&nbsp;<a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Banner Elk</a>, <a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boone</a>,&nbsp;<a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">High Country</a>.

Carlie & Craig

Carlie & Craig

Travel

Flying In?