Month: January 2018

An American bride, a French groom and a love so nice, they celebrated twice. The first wedding, a springtime fête in Saint-Malo, France, was “classic Hollywood, red carpet glam,” says Arnita. The second, a mid-summer affair at Keswick Vineyards, channeled the 2017 Christian Dior bridal couture collection—“cocktail glam, sequins and luxe materials.”

“I wanted it to feel very luxurious with a laid-back atmosphere,” says the bride. That meant rich purples and pinks, peacock feather accents and, wherever possible, glitter.

Of course, planning a wedding from her home in Paris was tricky, so Arnita had friends and family scouting venues for her, with two rules: It had to be at a vineyard (with an opportunity to “venture into the vines to make them a part of our day”), and the wine selection had to be amazing. Keswick fit the bill. From there, it was just a matter of working out the details from abroad.

The bride’s mom and aunt helped finalize a menu from L’étoile Catering, and the bride discussed details with Foxtail Cottage’s Karen Thorsey via phone.

“I explained everything I loved and hated and showed her team my creative vision that she then transformed for our special day,” Arnita says.

A repurposed Dairy Queen sign signaled to guests that they’d arrived at the right place—Finnson Oaks, the bride’s childhood home. Just as it was important to include a nod to the family business (the Petersons have owned Dairy Queens since the 1950s), Laura couldn’t have seen getting married anywhere other than the house she grew up in.

“When my family moved to Staunton 30 years ago, my dad pointed at our house and said, ‘That is the house I want to live in someday,’” Laura says. “Thirteen years later, we moved there. I remember when he told me this story as a teenager and I thought, ‘I cannot get married anywhere else.’”

The couple utilized all of the property, hosting the cocktail hour in the front yard, and creating three areas in the back—a main area for tables and chairs, a koi pond and pergola where the cake was set surrounded by a fire pit and a dance floor a few steps up from the dining space.

With the setting decided, other details fell into place thanks to the couple’s innate sense of style. Laura, for instance, knew she wanted to wear dark oxblood-colored lipstick, and used that as inspiration for flowers. Stephen saw a photo of Ryan Gosling in a navy blue suit, which helped him decide what to wear. Laura’s boho dress guided the direction of the wedding’s décor, as in the plant-dyed silk ribbon that draped everywhere from the two-person swing to the front steps.

In all, Laura says they couldn’t have asked for a day that was more perfectly “them.” And, just in case you were wondering, yes, the wedding included DQ blizzards.

“We had my aunt and grandma make 150 blizzards and drive them from Winchester to the wedding and surprised my Dad with them during the reception,” Laura says.

Some DIY weddings can turn embarrassing, with an overwhelming amount of detail or disjointed aesthetic choices or—yikes!—décor slowly unraveling and coming unglued. This is none such wedding, thanks to the clear vision of the grooms, who from the start decided on a visual theme, which was simple and elegant, and committed to planning their big day on their own.

“The wedding was meant to embrace the outdoors, with the touches of white, some blues and wood accents. Earthy,” says Drake. Charles did most of the heavy lifting (“Drake supervised,” he offers) over the course of a few months—arrival kit, wedding programs, wine glass wedding favors included. The couple even handled the flowers, a mix of light blue and white hydrangeas with some white roses.

“We had 500 million boxes of flowers delivered to our hotel room,” says Drake, “which we arranged ourselves (with the help of family).”

Of course, they couldn’t control everything, and while the saying goes that April showers bring May flowers, the days leading up to their mid-May day were quite rainy, and on the Friday before the wedding, part of the road to their venue was flooded. Luckily, an hour before the ceremony, the sun came out and the outdoor wedding was clear. “We feel very lucky,” says Drake. In more ways than one, we’d imagine.

Though it wasn’t a phrase she’d ever heard before, “botanical elegance” kept ringing in the bride’s ears as she planned her big day.

“I wanted our wedding to feel timeless and classic with subtle elements of nature,” says Laura. “It really inspired a lot of my decisions, from the décor to the signature cocktails.”

The flowers themselves, of course, were a big part of the wedding’s aesthetic. Laura describes them as “straight from the garden,” with colors like blush, sage, clementine and lavender. More florals hung on the walls and eucalyptus branches lined the farm tables. It was easy incorporating these details into their venue, too. Downtown’s Old Metropolitan Hall, an historic spot with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and sparkling chandeliers, offered an extra element of sophistication. 

“We also loved that it was still a blank canvas that we could add personalized touches to,” says Laura. “It had been my dream to get married in Charlottesville for many years, and we are so lucky that we were able to get married right in the middle of it.”

Melanie wanted to elope. Susan wanted a fairy tale. So they went for the best of both words: a wedding that struck the right balance between elegance, glam and sophistication, but that also created a festive, warm and welcoming atmosphere for guests.

In more practical terms, that meant a clean color palette—white flowers (lilies, hydrangeas, roses and orchids), white linens (with a hint of sequin sparkle) and a few gold accents. For personal touches, they added a small pineapple to one of the tables (to remind them of Maui, where they got engaged), wine glasses with the JMU emblem for the table of Melanie’s college friends. and the couple drank from a pair of Norlan whisky glasses they had recently been gifted.

And settling on the venue itself was easy to agree on—they’d spent a weekend at Veritas in 2015 and, says Susan, “fell in love with the property.”

“Its majestic views, beautiful mountains and the amazing hospitality and food at the Farmhouse. At the time, we thought this would be an awesome venue for a wedding.”

And what was their favorite moment from the day? Says Susan, “All of it!”

When it came to finding inspiration for their Virginia wedding, Rachel and Kevin looked a bit farther away than normal—nearly 3,000 miles, in fact, to California, where they’d been living for the past four years. They decided to meld the two styles, taking advantage of Virginia’s lush Blue Ridge landscape, but adding some contemporary West Elm-esque elements.

That presented itself in everything from the flowers (“a mix of favorites from Virginia, like magnolia foliage and white ranunculus, where our relationship began, and a mix of wildflower favorites from California (like the blush King Protea and white Dahlias), where we really flourished as a couple”) to the décor (“modern and structured, not draped or organic,” Rachel says).

Of course, planning a wedding in Virginia from their home in California presented some challenges, so some of their choices were dictated purely by distance. For instance, colors were kept to a minimum (black linens, white chairs) and used only as an accent in flowers and attire “to ensure the palette would match,” Rachel says. Limiting what they DIYed, the bride designed the save the date, wedding invitations, menus, programs and bar signage herself.

When it comes down to it, though, ultimately the couple wanted the day to feel true to themselves: “Wear clothes we felt great in, eat food and drink cocktails we loved and participate in a ceremony true to our values and relationship,” Rachel says. “Staying true to ourselves and what we loved (instead of what was on trend) was the best way to refocus on our direction throughout the planning process.”

“The most elegant Southern barbecue dinner party you can imagine.” That was the bride’s vision for her wedding reception from the get-go. It was important to her to incorporate her Southern roots (Allison grew up in Tennessee) wherever possible, utilizing magnolia leaves at each place setting, incorporating blackberry filling in the cake to evoke the ones she’d picked for cobbler as a young girl and homing in on a family-style menu with plenty of Southern staples (mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken, a low-country boil).

“We wanted it to feel informal, fun and celebratory,” says Joby. That aesthetic spilled over into décor, as well, with flip-flops provided for dancing, cornhole boards made by the father of the bride and plenty of nods to the couple’s alma maters, the University of Tennessee and Ohio State. And, even though the couple agreed on no DIY when they started planning, they each got plenty hands-on: Allison hand-lettered invitations, signage, escort cards and place cards at each seat; Joby created the wedding website and welcome papers.

Still, even after all of that, their favorite moments were ones they couldn’t have planned: Allison’s face as she appeared over the ridge, the toasts from friends and family and the unexpected hot air balloon that touched down after the ceremony, providing the newlyweds with a picture-perfect moment.

My fiancé and I met at a high school dance. I was dancing on a table with girlfriends (one of whom will be my maid of honor at our wedding this May), while he stood against a wall near the room’s front door. You could say it was love at first sight.

As a lover of dance-offs, late night karaoke, the Macarena and viral YouTube videos of father-daughter dances, I have big plans for our first dance. My fiancé would rather we not do one.

Together, we visited Terry Dean’s Blue Light Ballroom for an introductory lesson with instructor Connor Jennings, and spoke with Smooth Sailing Ballroom’s owner Adam Mehring. Whether you find the prospect of planning your first dance thrilling or nerve-racking, here are a few tips to make planning and performing your first dance a ball.

Give yourself time

Jennings says that couples sometimes begin lessons two weeks before their wedding and expect to learn a choreographed dance. Mehring has instructed couples with even less time. But this isn’t ideal.

“I had people come in a day before their wedding,” Mehring says. “I had them box step in a pattern. It was doable, but not great.”

Mehring and Jennings recommend that couples budget for at least 10 private lessons, and allow more than a month to plan, learn and practice their first dance.

Learn to lead, or be led

“I saw you try to lead a few times,” Jennings tells me, and quickly proceeds to rumba, foxtrot and twirl me around the room, in an effort to show my fiancé how I could be led without knowing the next step.

For everyone in the “follower” role, even though you may have dragged your partner to dance lessons in the first place, sit back—or rather, stand tall, place your hand on your partner’s arm and smile, Jennings tells me—and let your other half lead.

Lighten up

“This is dance. We don’t want to be too serious,” Jennings says, even praising us when we visibly stumbles on a foxtrot rock turn, but keeps moving despite our wrong steps.

“We teach how to dance so that it looks natural and a lot of fun,” Mehring says. He likes to learn the “vibe” of couples’ relationships before choreographing a dance for them.

“Be willing to be wrong,” Jennings advises, and my fiancé agrees.

“I was never really much of a dancer, but I had fun and learned a lot,” he says.

Every bride and groom wants to look their best on their wedding day. But many engaged couples don’t have months to formulate a long-range diet and exercise plan (or, whoops, forgot). If you’re short on time—as in, your wedding is in a matter of weeks—but want to put your best bod forward, don’t panic: There are still some totally doable steps you can take. Read on for tips from some of Charlottesville’s top fitness experts for last-minute ways to slim down, tone up and look smokin’ hot by the time you’re standing at the altar.

Clean up your act.

Magen Caplinger, director of personal training at ACAC’s downtown location, says that “diet is 80 percent of the challenge.” She encourages brides and grooms to “consume lots of high-quality food like fruits, veggies and proteins and limit sugar intake.”

Dar Malecki, owner of MADabolic Charlottesville, agrees. “If someone has a few weeks and just wants to drop a few pounds…I would recommend a change in their nutrition immediately.” For a noticeable change within four weeks, Malecki advises folks “to ‘clean’ up their eating habits. To me, that would be to cut out all processed foods, sugars, dairy, alcohol and grains.”

Sweat. Regularly.

Focused exercise is a part of every expert’s advice. As Malecki says, “Couple your clean eating with workouts, and the results will happen in those few short weeks.”   

Deborah Barry, an instructor at Hot Yoga Charlottesville, advises brides and grooms to hit the yoga mat “for a good sweat between three and five days per week.” Coupled with a two-week whole foods detox, this plan helps “tone up and shed inflammation.”

McKinley Lee, a Pure Barre teacher, recommends the studio’s Classic barre class, which uses your body’s resistance to strengthen, tone and increase endurance and balance, as a “fun, efficient and effective way to feel confident both physically and mentally before your big day.” Lee reports visible changes within eight to 10 classes, and encourages clients “to take class at least three to four times per week to really maximize results.” 

Hydrate.

Barry recommends drinking lemon water “all day long,” and Caplinger suggests intaking at least half your body weight in ounces. Drinking lots of water not only helps you differentiate between hunger and thirst, but being properly hydrated also helps your skin look nice. Says OrangeTheory instructor Emily MacDonnell, “Hello, wedding-day glow!”

Vary your workout.

When it comes to both diet and exercise, quality is more important than quantity. In other words, you don’t need hours of activity, just focused work. Caplinger recommends combining cardio and strength exercises in a circuit-style workout with bouts of high intensity.

Lee praises Pure Barre’s technique, which uses small, isometric muscle contractions to target specific muscle groups—arms, thighs, seat and abs—as a great way to fast-track definition in those body parts most on display on your wedding day.

Don’t stress.

Experts also recommend keeping stress levels as low as possible, which includes remembering the importance of good nutrition when feeling overwhelmed. “Eat the right foods, but eat!” says MacDonnell. “It’s tempting to want to skip meals when the big day is getting closer… But not eating will actually slow your metabolism and cause cravings for high-fat and high-carb foods.”

So there you have it: With some clean eating, a few focused workouts per week and lots of water, your altar-ready fitness goals can still be achieved. But remember: How you look is by no means what you should be sweating during this incredible occasion. After all, as Barry reminds all brides and grooms, “the important thing is that you end up married at the end of the day.”

With beckoning natural scenery, a cosmopolitan downtown and scads of wineries and breweries that make having a good time practically impossible to avoid, Charlottesville is perfect for bachelors and bachelorettes looking to blow off some steam pre-nuptials. But the area also offers group fun options that are more creative than your standard drink-eat-drink rinse and repeat. Read on for a few out-of-the-box ideas for your ultimate Charlottesville party weekend.

For the bachelors:

Drop me in the water

Take advantage of this town’s great outdoors by playing in its beautiful rivers, which are perfect for canoeing, kayaking or lazily floating downstream in an inner tube. Find adventure on the water by booking a partial day or overnight trip with local outfitters James River Runners in Scottsville or Rivanna River Company in Charlottesville.

Bounce it out

Honestly, what could be more fun than hurling yourself around a trampoline room with all your dudes? Head to Jump to let loose on more than 8,000 square feet of bouncy surfaces, including angled wall trampolines, a foam pit, a Ninja Warrior Course, two basketball goals and a dodgeball court. Your inner 10-year-old will thank you.

Musical musings

Charlottesville is a live-music mecca, attracting big-name headliners while fostering local talent of all genres. Make a night of concert-hopping by checking out the tunes at several downtown venues: Start with bigger names at the Jefferson Theater, followed by the eclectic lineup at the Southern Café & Music Hall and end at old-school Miller’s for late-night pub grub and live performances.

For the bachelorettes:

Mansion staycation

Rent a gorgeous countryside estate and pretend you’re part of the 1 percent with a luxe staycation. Stunning estate homes are available for weekend rentals through Stay Charlottesville; stock up on fancy cheeses and beaucoup bubbly at Feast! and hang out poolside nibbling grapes and Gouda like you’re vacationing in Saint Tropez.

Hooch on horseback (above)

You’ve heard of winery tours by bus, by trolley, even by bike. But to really visit the vineyards in style, schedule a wine tasting tour on horseback with Rebel’s Run @ Afton Mountain, where you can embark on a guided trail ride through the lush, wine-growing countryside, stopping to sip vino en route. Now that’s a horse of a different color.

Take to the air

Looking for a group movement lesson that’s a little more sophisticated than sextastic? Lower inhibitions and raise spirits, literally, by scheduling a private class in aerialist arts at The Phoenix Dance Studio, where you can try your hand (er, leg? torso?) at the lyra, aka an aerial hoop, and writhe around in silks suspended from the ceiling.