Get ready to celebrate the Higgins-Quade wedding day!

I know a lot have been asking. We got confirmation today that the official invites will be in the mail this week, so hopefully you all will be getting them by next Wednesday at the latest.

We're just about a month away, and can't wait to celebrate with y'all. Wanted to give you a preview of the food that will be served, courtesy of the amazingly talented Chef Paul. We hope you like it as much as we did at the tasting: -Appetizers- Brisket Mac n' Cheese Bites Honey Spiced Strawberry Crostini Crab Stuffed Mushrooms -Main Dish- Tuscan Style Arctic Salmon Carrots Dauphinoise Potatoes -Dessert- Cupcakes - 3 flavors to choose from The dinner will be served family style, which will help everyone feel right at home passing the plates.

It's hard to believe we're fast approaching our original wedding day, 30 May 2021. We thought we were getting a head start by planning our wedding so early. Little did we know that we'd be looking at delaying another year due to the pandemic. There are so many things to be thankful for. First, we and our family/friends are healthy and well, next, our amazing planner and vendors have truly gone above and beyond in helping us reschedule our big day, we both have been vaccinated along with our families...I could go on and on. All that to say, it's been a crazy time, and we can't wait to celebrate with all of you next year, for countless reasons: to celebrate our union, to celebrate our friends and family, and to celebrate the hard work that everyone put into making this an amazing wedding. We look forward to seeing you all there.

I (Dustin) asked James to marry me on 1 September 2019. I had known I was going to propose since the spring (around May timeline). For those who know me, I'm a planner. The first task was to decide on a ring. My cousin (and groomsman) Damon, had introduced me to the claddagh back in my college years. The claddagh is an irish ring, with a crowned heart held between two hands. If you wear it on your right with heart pointing out: you're single, pointing in: you're dating someone, left hand pointing out: engaged, pointing in: married. I began researching jewelers and came across Hurdle's, a jeweler located on Pearl Street in Boulder, that was family owned, and carried men's claddagh rings, that could be customized. I still remember walking outside Hurdle's for a solid 10 mins, my heart racing. I'd go to one shop, look around, walk by Hurdle's, and go to another shop. Taking a deep breath, I finally stepped inside. The lady at the counter was super helpful, even though I'm sure I was talking a mile a minute. I think I had the rings picked out and ordered in about 30 mins, and was told it would take a little over a month for them to get there. The next challenge was keeping it a secret from James. I hid the receipt at my work desk up in Boulder, telling on a few people of what I had done. It was the end of June when they finally called. I left the office, signalling to the goddesses I work with (Karen and Deb) that I was on my way to pick up the goods. They gave me their blessings and I was off. I got back to the office and immediately put mine on. It was a new feeling, having a heavy ring on my left hand. I kept the rings in my desk throughout the summer, always wearing mine while I was in the office, Counting down the days til September,

September 1st was ideal for proposing. For one, it's easy to remember, for another, it was on a Sunday in 2019. I knew that I wanted to propose on a hike. I love the mountains, and it just seemed right to do it outside. The question was, "Which trail should we hike?" I emailed Rocky Mountain National Park for suggestions, and from their response, was thinking about Emerald Lake, a 3 mi hike. Another possibility was Blue Lake up in Nederland. I seemed to recall it was around a 3 mile hike round trip, and wasn't too bad. Mid August rolled around and I felt like being spontaneous. I called off work and convinced James to take a personal day. We were going to have an adventure and hike the Blue Lake trail. Had I been paying attention to omens, I may have reconsidered this spontaneous spirit that had overtaken me. From the onset of the trip, we faced challenges. We got to Boulder and discovered the main road going up to Nederland was closed due to a rock slide. "No problem", I said, "We'll just find an alternate route. It'll be a scenic trip." The "scenic trip" ended up taking an extra 2 hours that involved parts of the road being only gravel with about a 70 degree incline. (side note) James doesn't do well on mountain roads without guard rails. Thankfully, we navigated our way to the trailhead without too much incident (minus the delay), and get ready to hike. Upon reaching the sign, we discovered I was in error...it wasn't a 3 mile round trip hike, but rather a 6 mile round trip hike. Still we persisted. In all honesty, the going up wasn't that bad at all. There were amazing views, and some chance sightings of moose. The trip down was...challenging. By the time we reached the truck, James had rolled his ankle and pronounced he was done with hiking. By the time we reached Nederland to eat, he had cooled down and said, "Let's do like a mile long hike next time." I had about two weeks to find a mile long hike...

Undeterred by the Blue Lake Incident, I renewed my search for a new trail to hike. Thankfully Boulder has a lot of hikes that are much more reasonable, as far as distance goes. Boulder Canyon Trail has some great views, and it was about a mile round trip. It was perfect...and also close by. The appointed day arrived. I had put the ring boxes in the front pouch of the hiking back pack, along with necessary hiking snacks/water/etc. I was consumed with thoughts of where on the trail I'd ask James. At this point, we should take a brief break to explain to the reader that I am not one to pay attention to detail, whereas James will notice the smallest of details...and obsess over them. Keep that in mind as I continue. As usual, I'm ready early and James is taking his time. I called upstairs hurry him, since I'd also made brunch plans with our friends, Brooke and Liz. Down he trots from the stairs, his eyes resting on the backpack...a smile started growing on his face, he pointed to the front pouch, asking, "What's that?" I'm not one to think on my feet, so at that point, I got on one knee, took out the ring, and asked James to marry me. His smile grew even wider, and he said yes (whew), and then said, "Why did you put it in the front pouch like that???" In fairness, it was a misstep on my part, but again, I'm not one to pay attention to detail. As they say, all's well that ends well. Maybe it was my subconscious, wanting me to propose in private, that led me to put the rings in the front pouch. Maybe James just happened to be extra alert that day. Regardless, the day ended with us engaged! And we did still go on that hike.

Folks, we can’t wait to celebrate with y’all this afternoon and evening! Wanted to move the main details to the top: Ceremony starts around 4pm at the Ridge (389 Upper Thomas Branch Rd, Marshall, NC) With the weather forecast saying it’ll like rain, we decided to move the ceremony inside to the chateau on the property. A Champaign and Lemonade social hour will follow the ceremony, and the true celebrity of the day, Winston, will make a dramatic appearance (I’m sure). Reception will begin a little after 6pm at the Venue in downtown Asheville (21 N Market St, Asheville, NC). The wedding party should arrive around 630p. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us through the planning, the preparation, and on this day. For those who can’t be here, we understand, and still feel your love from afar. Now let’s get our dancing shoes loosened up and have a great time!