Autumn and Evan tied the knot in front of friends and family at Harman’s Luxury Cabins for a day that was inherently “them.”
Autumn Lee Fleming & Evan Scott Stanley
Cabins | 06.03.23
PHOTOGRAPHED BY amberlee christey photography
WRITTEN BY julie perine
Asking for Autumn Fleming’s hand in marriage is a moment forever seared into Evan Staley’s mind. “I was more nervous then than I had ever been kicking in front of 100,000 people,” said the former West Virginia University Mountaineers Football kicker. Thankfully, he scored. “I stumbled around and finally asked her dad if I could marry his youngest daughter, to which he first gave me a hard time to be funny, but finally said yes.”
It had been about a four-year courtship, one that started in a WVU chemistry class. “I was getting ready to take a test when in walked Autumn, and I thought to myself, ‘That is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.’”
When he eventually asked Autumn on a date, it was game on. They discovered they shared interests and had similar upbringings—she in Winchester, Virginia, and he less than an hour away in Romney. “I knew from the beginning that God had put us together for a reason,” Evan says. “As our relationship grew, we were the perfect fit for each other, and I knew we would get married one day.”
a perfect proposal
As Autumn worked her way through undergrad and pharmacy school and Evan earned his bachelor’s degree and then a master’s in safety engineering and continued his college football career, they enjoyed shared outdoor interests, including fly fishing and hunting. They faced their share of trials, and their families began to merge. “It was the point when his family became my family that I realized how well we fit together, knowing I not only couldn’t live without him, but his family, too,” Autumn says.
As 2021 rolled around, Evan began creating an engagement ring at Anderson’s Corner, a hometown jewelry store that had served three generations of the Staley family. The ring featured an elongated cushion-cut diamond cut during the 1800s in Argentina, where the couple had visited.
The proposal—which took place in October of that year at his family’s river cabin—was just as special. “It was the first place I told Evan I loved him,” Autumn says. Both families were waiting to celebrate with the newly engaged couple.
saying “i do”
Autumn and Evan decided on a 2023 wedding at Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins, a place the Flemings had frequented and fished most of Autumn’s life and where both families had in recent years celebrated New Year’s. “Not only is Harman’s a special place for our families, but we wanted a ceremony backdrop to take our guests’ breath away,” Autumn says.
Save-the-dates were sent to 300-plus guests as the couple ironed out the details of their big day. On a shopping trip to Pittsburgh, Autumn—accompanied by family and future family members—said yes to Evelyn Bridal’s “Flora,” an ivory sheath gown with corset boning, lace flowers, and chapel-length tulle train.
Both families dove deep into wedding plans, fine-tuning the menu, the outdoor rehearsal dinner, and the tented reception, all on the grounds of Harman’s. On June 3, 2023, the anticipated event took place along the North Fork River beneath picturesque rock cliffs. Autumn arrived on her dad’s arm. With hands joined, Autumn and Evan exchanged vows and rings, pledging their eternal love. “Seeing him get all choked up made the moment so perfect to me,” Autumn says. “I have only seen Evan get emotional a handful of times, so this was so meaningful.” After their introduction as husband and wife, the Staleys exited to “All Your’n” by Tyler Childers, stopping for a dip and kiss that brought cheers from family and friends. But the fun had just begun. Guests walked via a lighted pathway to the reception site, where a festive atmosphere with finger foods, cocktails, and music awaited.
The wedding party arrived, treating guests to some clever entrances. Traditional toasts were followed by the couple’s first dance to a stripped version of “Long Haul” by Ian Munsick. Autumn and her dad danced to “God Bless the Boy,” and Evan and his mom danced to “Her Little Man.” A surprise mother/daughter dance followed. “My mom was so surprised and happy that it was a highlight of my day,” Autumn says.
One of Evan’s takeaway moments was watching his bride catch a beautiful rainbow trout just minutes after they said their “I do’s” before enjoying dinner with guests. After cutting the cake, the couple was whisked away by their photographer to take pictures on an on-site bridge. “The pictures looked edited like stars all around us, when in reality it was mayflies, which was fitting because they are commonly used when fly fishing,” Autumn says.
The couple danced the night away with party guests until the clock struck midnight and a sudden rainstorm sent everyone to the comfort of the beautiful log cabins they had booked for the weekend. “It was the biggest blessing to have our wedding at a place so unique to us and to share it with all of our family and friends.”
BRIDE’S PARENTS
Michelle & Curtis Fleming
GROOM’S PARENTS
Laura & Scott Staley
BRIDE’S GOWN
Luxe Redux Bridal, Pittsburgh, PA
BRIDESMAIDS’ ATTIRE
David’s Bridal, Pittsburgh, PA
GROOM’S AND GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE
Daniel’s of Morgantown, Morgantown
RINGS
ENTERTAINMENT
Ryan Baker, Suit and Tie Entertainment, Charles Town
PLANNER/COORDINATOR
Ashley Brosh-Anderson, Petersburg
FLOWERS
Nikki Casuccio, Fairmont
CAKE
Tammy Alkire, Romney
CATERER
Dwayne Propst, Puttin’ on the Ritz, Franklin
RENTALS
Shenandoah Rentals, Toms Brook, VA
LOCATION
Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins, Cabins
LINENS
J.R. Murray, Digital Illusion, Petersburg
VIDEOGRAPHER