The Aftermath

Hi friends!

So the dust has settled and Birch the dog is no longer quite as confused as to what's going on (by the end of May he was permanently Concerned with the level of activity going on). Life is busily rearranging itself into new places in Durham, and we are looking back on May 30 with so much gratitude and joy (and, every now and then, disbelief- as in "wait. did that happen?") Thank you all so very much for being a part of the day and a part of our lives...and we're only just beginning.

The wedding was beyond words, and it was amazing to be surrounded by so many people we love all at the same time! It was such a whirlwind and so, so much fun...And a big special thanks to two people, both longtime and dear friends of the Whites... Starr Teel, the genius behind the fabulous food, and Larry Clouse, the genius behind the camera. If anyone would like to check out the professional shots you can see them and Larry's other work (some great sports photography- Teva Mountain Games, bike races, etc) on this site:

http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/larryclouse

Go to the "galleries" section and click on "Clay and Emily's wedding". You can also order shots on this site- and there are some great ones of y'all gettin' down...

We got back from our amazing honeymoon in Costa Rica in mid-June and, since things had been so slow for 10 days, decided to pick up the pace and move to Durham July 1. Since then we've been settling in, meeting new friends and neighbors, and working hard- Clay on the curriculum for his class and Emily with prerequisite assignments for UNC's Masters in Social Work program. We've both spent lots of quality face time with the computer, indoors- which, turns out, in Durham is preferable during the summer. Our first day here we turned the AC on and just sat there in front of it...Birch was, once again, Confused... and Hot. But we're getting used to it and learning new things about Durham every day- it's a great town with lots to do, and we're just a few minutes' walk from downtown and from Duke. While we miss Asheville, Durham is going to be a good fit for us, and we are, one day at a time, settling in. Yesterday Emily didn't get lost once, and that is a sure sign. There is also a Ben and Jerry's a very short walk away, which has eased the pain of transition quite considerably.

So, in the midst of all this change, you all remain constant- as friends, as family, as those we love and who shared a really huge day with us. While neither of us claim to be the very best at keeping in touch, it is so, so important to each of us to have you in our lives, no matter how great the physical distance between us might be. And so we hope to talk with you, share with you, email or write or talk on the phone with you, any chance that we may get. Here is our new address, and don't hesitate to give us a ring anytime. Please know that our door is always open. We'll crank the AC and have a good time.

830 B Wilkerson Avenue
Durham, NC 27701

Thanks and so much love to you,
Clay and Emily

More Good Things to Know

As the days get closer to the 30th and the RSVPs roll in, we are reminded again and again of how lucky we are to have all of you involved in our wedding and in our lives. A few other reasons to celebrate...Emily has been accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill's Social Work graduate program, and Clay has been offered a job teaching 8th grade Research, Technology, International Relations, and Current Events at Voyager Academy, a charter school in Durham, NC (he accepted)! A move to Chapel Hill is likely for July...we'll keep you all posted with the details when we know them. For now, though, we are just resting in a place of thanks to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts during these months of waiting, hoping, and nail biting. We have felt your support in ways we don't even understand- thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now some more wedding rambling...directions to the farm have been posted a little further down the blog...keep reading for these as well as for hotel info, facts about the farm, and a few more musings. The ceremony will start at 6 (or as close to 6 as we can...) While the time may indicate a more formal event, our priority is making sure everyone is comfortable wandering around on a working farm. Garden party-style attire and flip flops are 100 percent acceptable. In fact, they are encouraged! As the ceremony will be on a grassy lawn, and the pathways around the farm are rocky and uneven, we recommend against wearing high heels. Flats, sandals, bare feet- all are fine. May nights in the mountains can still get a little chilly, and a warm layer would be a good idea as well.

Our greatest wish is to create a comfortable, relaxed, and fun space in which we celebrate our marriage and honor the gathering of family and friends. We hope that this weekend embodies that vision for you, and we can't wait to see you there.
Love,
e and c

Directions

Directions to Wedding Site at Ager’s Farm


From Asheville - Tunnel Rd. (Country Inns & Suites, Days Inn):

From hotel parking, turn right onto Tunnel Rd. / US-70, 0.1 mi.
Slight left at Tunnel Rd. / US-70, 0.2 mi.
Slight right toward I-240-E, 0.1 mi.
Turn right to merge onto I-240-E, 1.6 mi.
Take Exit 9 for US-74- / Blue Ridge Pkwy toward I-40-W / Knoxville, 0.2 mi.
Keep left at the fork to continue toward US-74
Merge onto US-74, travel 9.3 mi. through Fairview
(As road becomes winding, watch for wedding sign on right)
Turn right into Ager Farm


From Asheville / Biltmore area - US-25 / Hendersonville Rd. (Doubletree Hotel):

From hotel parking, turn right onto US-25-S / Hendersonville Rd., 0.4 mi.
Turn right onto I-40-East toward Black Mountain
Take Exit 53A onto US-74, travel approximately 10 mi. through Fairview
(As road becomes winding, watch for wedding sign on right)
Turn right into Ager Farm


From Greenville, SC:

Take US-25-N , cross into North Carolina, travel 8.8 mi.
Merge onto I-26-W toward Asheville, travel approximately 24 mi.
Exit right onto I-40-East, travel approximately 7 mi.
Take Exit 53A onto US-74, travel approximately 10 mi. through Fairview
(As road becomes winding, watch for wedding sign on right)
Turn right into Ager Farm


See you there!

Good Things to Know

Accommodations:

We have reserved blocks of rooms at several Asheville hotels for the weekend of the 29th and 30th. To receive a group rate and ensure that a space is reserved for you, please contact these hotels by April 29 and request a room in the White-Wooldridge wedding block:

Doubletree Biltmore Hotel
115 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803
828-274-1800
www.doubletree.com

Country Inn & Suites
199 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805
828-254-4311
www.countryinns.com/ashevillenc_tunnel

Days Inn
201 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805
828-252-4000
(Blocked reservations may not be made online)

These hotels are located on the east side of Asheville and have the most direct access to the farm. Downtown Asheville has some beautiful bed and breakfasts and great hotels, however, and if you prefer to stay in one we recemmend visiting these websites:
http://www.ashevillebba.com/

http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/asheville-north-carolina.html

A few other downtown hotels...
The Renaissance
31 Woodfin Street
Asheville, NC 28801
800-359-7951
www.marriott.com

Haywood Park Hotel
1 Battery Park Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
www.haywoodpark.com

Cabins, lofts, and mountain houses are all available in and around Asheville as well. Just google the type of place you're looking for and you're sure to find a large assortment for your family or group of friends.
Whatever you do, we recommend that you take advantage a few of the wonderful things Asheville has to offer while you're in town. We're so very proud to call it our home and will be posting a few of our favorite things shortly...til then, take care and we'll see you soon!

The Farm

Our wedding will take place on a fifth-generation family farm in Fairview, North Carolina, located approximately 12 miles outside of Asheville. The Ager family owns 90 acres of farmland that has produced apples, dairy cows, corn, tobacco, hens, raspberries, and more. We know the Agers through a few connections; several friends have interned and lived on their produce farm, Flying Cloud, and Emily has spent a few afternoons in the dirt picking vegetables and riding horses. Flying Cloud Farm is 11 acres of organically grown vegetables, fruit, and flowers, most of which are sold to local markets and through CSA (Community Supported Agriculture- a wonderful way to support local farmers and have fresh local produce delivered to your house...well worth checking out!). Hickory Nut Gap Farm, just down the road and also maintained by the Agers, raises most of the local free-range meat that you'll find in many of Asheville's amazing restaurants.

Our ceremony will be on the front lawn of what's known informally as "the big house" and officially as Sherrill's Inn. This beautiful house was built in 1834 and was used as a stopover for stagecoach travelers and hog drivers who were taking their livestock to markets. Today it is no longer an inn but is home to the family of John and Annie Ager, who have so graciously allowed us to celebrate our wedding there. The Agers have 24 horses, 600 laying hens, and 10 acres of apples, and host summer camps and riding lessons as well.
The farm is a beautiful maze of boxwoods, apple trees, and winding stone walkways. We encourage you to wander, to explore, to get a little lost, and to make yourselves at home.
Sherrill's Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the whole story and some beautiful pictures of all the properties, click on the links below:

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/asheville/she.htm
http://www.hickorynutgapfarm.com/Farm_Family.html
http://www.flyingcloudfarm.net/

Registry

We are so grateful to the family and friends who will be travelling from far and wide to spend our wedding day with us. To have those we love with us as we begin this adventure is by far our greatest wish and the most valuable gift we can ask for.
As we have both lived on our own for a few years, we already have several of the items that are considered typical newlywed gifts. However, in recognizing both the tradition that commemorates a marriage with gifts as well as the logic behind a gift registry, here are a few ideas:

- Gift cards to World Market
While World Market doesn't offer a gift registry, they do have gift cards that can be purchased in stores or online at http://www.worldmarket.com/home.jsp . Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "gift cards" to get started. A move is likely for us this summer and using these cards, which don't expire, will be a fun way to settle gradually into our new home.

- Registries
We have created gift registries at Crate & Barrel and Target. To shop online, go to the following sites and look for gift registries under Emily White or Clay Wooldridge.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/Gift-Registry/Guest/FindRegistry.aspx

http://www.target.com/registry

You, as our community of family and friends, have gotten us this far with gifts of friendship, support, and shared space. Your presence at and participation in our wedding will be an enormous blessing in itself.
Thank you, and much love to you all. See you in the spring!
em and clay

Welcome family and friends!
We're getting married! Yahoo!!!
As each of you has played an important part in our lives, we've created this space to share some pieces of ourselves and our wedding with you. Since it's still a little early in the game (according to us...a wedding planner might call us hopelessly behind) there are still plenty of details yet to come,but we'll keep you updated as the plans come together.
Our wedding will be on a working farm just outside of Asheville, NC on May 30. The Ager family owns several farms in the area, including Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a major supplier of organic and free-range meat in western North Carolina. They also grow produce and wildflowers, and you'll find chickens, horses, dogs, cats, kids, and friends wandering around the farm most days. They have been so kind to let us use their farmhouse and apple orchard for the ceremony and reception, and we're pretty sure you'll fall in love with their property as we have!
We'll be posting details on hotels, dress, the party, what to do in Asheville, and anything else we can think of that could come in handy soon, so stay tuned! Please feel free to contact us with any questions as well...Happy Holidays, and much love to you all!
em and clay