Month: July 2018

Categories
Arts

Taking the lead: Fallout is an MI franchise standout

Tom Cruise continues to rule the action hero genre as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible: Fallout. UNIVERSAL PICTURES

For a series where every installment feels more like a product of inevitability than inspiration, credit is due to the Mission: Impossible series for its commitment to one-upping itself. If the cost of entry is an insane Tom Cruise stunt show every few years that’s punctuated with some spy silliness and a couple of laughs, and an overlong and instantly forgettable plot, then the world is getting a good deal out of this franchise.

In Fallout, megaspy and compulsive risk-taker Ethan Hunt (Cruise) must track down a trio of nuclear devices before they fall into the hands of the anarchist terror network The Apostles, which is dedicated to achieving lasting peace in the wake of unthinkable calamity. The devices are only up for grabs in the first place because Hunt chose to rescue Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) instead of fleeing with them during a botched operation, so he is assigned August Walker (Henry Cavill) as a partner to ensure the mission is done by the books—and at the expense of human life if necessary.

From there go the plot twists you’ve been expecting—a preposterous amount of double crosses and double-double crosses, then on to a big reveal where the biggest surprise is that writer-director Christopher McQuarrie seems to think we hadn’t already figured it out. In any case, all of these meanders exist to build tension for the barnburner of a finale, and boy does Fallout deliver. Where Rogue Nation frontloaded its major death- defying spectacle, Fallout contains several breathless chases and fights that would have been the highlight of most other movies, topping it all off with a gambit truly worthy of the moniker Impossible.

There are many ways Fallout is superior to those that came before it: dialogue, use of space, establishment of stakes, interesting new characters and effective use of existing ones. But what really sets it apart is how it values suspense over intrigue. Anybody can lie to an audience about a character’s true motivation in an attempt to shock it later, but it takes real skill to show the viewers what’s going to happen and still keep them invested in how it goes down. Hunt needs to get in that room, there’s no question he’s going to make it into that helicopter, but it takes serious skill to make us want to watch anyway.

It’s also a pleasant surprise that this may be the best acted film of the series. Cruise’s performance shows Hunt weighed down by a lifetime of fighting, cursed by the knowledge that to quit may mean the end of the world. Alec Baldwin is a cut above the self- parody we have come to expect; Simon Pegg still quips but his humor is a more integrated part of his personality than before; and even Angela Bassett’s walk-on role is memorably complex. The odd one out here is Cavill, whose limp line readings drain his character of all mystery. He and his mustache have quite the screen presence, but a character actor he is not.

In the grand ranking of enormous blockbuster sequels, M:I lands somewhere below Fast & Furious for pure fun, way above Jurassic World for understanding its own franchise’s history, and is about even with good-but-not-great Marvel movies in terms of narrative cohesion and overall quality. Though if future movies expand on the best parts of Fallout and move past flaws (too many masks, outcomes that could not possibly have been planned for), we may end up with something truly special.

Mission Impossible: Fallout

PG-13, 147 minutes; Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Regal Stonefield 14
and IMAX, Violet Crown Cinema

Playing this week z Alamo Drafthouse Cinema 377 Merchant Walk Sq., 326-5056 z Ant-man and The Wasp, Christopher Robin, Eighth Grade, The Equalizer 2, Hotel Transylvania 3, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again z Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX The Shops at Stonefield, 244-3213 z Blindspotting, The Equalizer 2, The First Purge, Hotel Transylvania 3, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Skyscraper, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Unfriended: Dark Web z Violet Crown Cinema 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall, 529-3000 z Blindspotting, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, Eighth Grade, The Equalizer 2, Leave No Trace, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Skyscraper, Sorry to Bother You, Three Identical Strangers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Categories
News

Mike Murphy named interim city manager

City Council chose Assistant City Manager Mike Murphy to sit in the interim manager hot seat by a 3-0 vote. photo eze amos

After more than a week of heated exchanges between city councilors and Mayor Nikuyah Walker over the hiring of an interim city manager,  there was 10 minutes of public notice before a 3-0 vote in closed session at 1:15pm resulted in Assistant City Manager Mike Murphy taking the job effective 5pm today, just hours before City Manager Maurice Jones cleaned out his desk.

Councilors Wes Bellamy, Kathy Galvin and Mike Signer formed the quorum to give Murphy the thumbs up. Mayor Nikuyah Walker and Vice-Mayor Heather Hill were out of town, according to city spokesman Brian Wheeler.

Council had been threatening to name the interim city manager since last week, after the candidate who had been offered the job, Sidney Zemp, withdrew from consideration, listing Walker’s “contrived” controversy over how his name entered the process, “questionable motivations” and flaunting of  state statutes on hiring practices. Both Murphy and the other assistant city manager, Leslie Beauregard, were interviewed for the position.

It’s unclear whether all five councilors would have voted to appoint Murphy had they all been there. “Who knows?” asks Galvin. “We needed three bodies to vote and we got a quorum.”

Says Galvin, “It was really important to have someone here before Maurice left today.” With the upcoming August 12 anniversary, “now we have all the bases covered.” The police and fire chiefs report to the city manager. “It’s a relief,” she says. “We’re very thrilled he took the job.”

Walker, reached out of town, says she still has concerns. “The hiccup was in the contract negotiations,” she says. “When Maurice was interim city manager he didn’t have a contract.” And a one-year contract Zemp requested was a concern to her, Walker revealed in a Facebook Live.

Murphy, she says, “should be able to keep things afloat until we get a permanent city manager.”

Hill says that had she been in town, she would have supported Murphy’s appointment.

Before taking the assistant city manager job in 2015, Murphy was director of human development.

When asked if he was surprised to be named to the job after so much public council bickering, Murphy said, “I’ve been here 24 years. Nothing surprises me.”

Council announced May 25 it would not renew Jones’ contract. He has taken a job as town manager in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

 

 

Categories
News

Leaky-gate, part 2: RWSA responds to cover-up accusations

The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority declared a drought and imposed mandatory water restrictions when the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, pictured full here, lost millions of gallons of water last fall. Most of that water loss could have been prevented. Photo by Skyclad AERIAL

It was late June when a whistleblower, who recently resigned from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority to protest an $80-million water pipeline it wants to build between two reservoirs, went before its board of directors to denounce it.

Rich Gullick, the authority’s former director of operations, handed over several pages of in-depth analysis on why he believes the pipeline isn’t needed, and criticized the authority for attributing millions of gallons of water loss and mandatory water restrictions to a drought last fall, when two leaky gates were the culprit.

A month later, at the board’s July 24 meeting, RWSA Executive Director Bill Mawyer took the chance to respond to Gullick’s comments—in the form of a five-page public letter.

“We’ve always been upfront with that data to anyone and everyone who asked,” Mawyer told the board, adding that Gullick’s use of the words “misinformation, cover-up and conspiracy” were concerning.

Mawyer said the purpose of the pipeline project from the South Fork Rivanna to the Ragged Mountain reservoirs, which was included in a community water supply plan created between 2002 and 2012, is to ensure that the local urban area has an adequate supply of water for the next 50 years, including “during extreme drought conditions” like those in 2002, the worst drought on record, when mandatory water restrictions then included no outside irrigation, closed car washes and restaurants serving food on paper plates.

As for the water supply plan, “This was a well-vetted plan for 10 years,” Mawyer told the board. “This was not a 30-minute discussion someone had at a social event.” He did not mention that the plan was highly controversial then, and even today, many question the need for the pipeline.

Gullick, who has created the website cvillesensiblewaterplan.org for his extensive data on the pipeline, says Mawyer’s five-page response made him queasy.

“It actually churns my stomach to read this many misleading and false statements,” he says. “It sounds good on the surface, I’m sure, to a lot of people, but boy is it not.”

Perhaps his most compelling evidence against the pipeline is that projected demand for water has significantly decreased since the community water supply plan was created.

Local conservation efforts and plumbing improvements have caused a decrease in water demand since 2000, and the demand is now the same as it was in 1985, says Gullick.

The RWSA, however, has recognized this and is currently spearheading a new study to determine water demand, which will be completed in 2020. With current projections, Gullick says the pipeline won’t be needed until at least 2062. Even using the same rate predicted in 2004, the former employee says it will be 2048 before water demand meets the estimated safe yield, which is the maximum withdrawal rate available from the water supply to withstand the worst drought on record.

In Gullick’s original comments to the board, he said this could be met by filling the Ragged Mountain Reservoir its final 12 feet, and building the pipeline later when demand actually increases, but as Mawyer said in his response, “contractually, we cannot do that.”

The RWSA has an agreement with the city and the Albemarle County Service Authority to raise the Ragged Mountain Reservoir its final 12 feet only when demand reaches 85 percent of the water supply, which hasn’t happened, says Mawyer.

However, Gullick points out that at the April 4 board meeting, when Mawyer also said this, board member Liz Palmer corrected him. “If the city and county would like to fill the entire Ragged Mountain Reservoir, we agree, it could start tomorrow,” she said. Responded Mawyer, “True.”

The executive director also said in his response that last fall’s water restrictions were mandated in October “as the result of rapid decline in the [South Fork Rivanna Reservoir] water level from September 17-October 3.”

Gullick says Mawyer “cherry picked” that data.

From September 17 to October 3, the stored volume in the reservoir dropped 260 million gallons, but according to Gullick, nearly 230 million gallons were lost from August 3 to September 17, which was 46 percent of the total 490 million gallon decrease from August 3 to October 3 that the report didn’t mention.

“There was a slightly sharper drop in reservoir level in late September and early October because there was no rain then to help compensate for the leaking gates,” Gullick says. He notes similar periods of no rain from 2014 to 2016, which caused no problem with the reservoir level.

If there’s still any question, Mawyer said those “drought watch conditions” last fall were imposed for something that was “technically not a drought.”

Categories
Arts

David Cross’ cringe-worthy, cutting-edge humor

David Cross is infamous for his no-holds-barred style of comedy, which can provoke as many gasps as it does guffaws. He performs at The Paramount Theater this Friday. Courtesy of Just For Laughs.

In stressful times, as the current American climate could be labeled, many people seek out comedy as a means of release. David Cross might seem like he fits that bill, but only if you can handle some seriously jarring jokes. Known for his “Arrested Development” role as the bumbling Tobias Fünke, his standup routine is almost unrecognizable by comparison. The real-life Cross is searing, sharp-edged and often shocking. Just a few minutes of his humor makes you wonder, is anything off-limits? Cross spoke to C-VILLE by phone to answer this question (kind of) and several others about his tactics, politics and singular style.

C-VILLE Weekly: This is all on the record unless you say otherwise, in which case we can strike it.

DC: Okay.

I wanted to ask you about—

I refuse to answer that question. This interview is over.

I didn’t get very far, did I? Come on, just one question.

Alright, you can ask me one.

When you announced the Charlottesville show on your Facebook page, you said, ‘Despite Mayor Nikuyah Walker’s doing her best to keep me out, I’m coming!’ That confused some people here. Can you explain what you meant?

It was just a joke. I use the same thing for every city or town. I just used the mayor that was applicable for that. There are no mayors in the United States or Canada who have tried to prevent me from doing a standup show.

Not yet, anyways.

Not yet.

Do you have any specific Charlottesville material planned, considering our recent history?

I don’t, but I imagine I’ll touch on it. I don’t have anything specific that has occurred to me yet. As of now, no. But that’s not to say it won’t be addressed.

Your style of comedy provokes some people, to say the least. Are there any topics that remain taboo, that you are unwilling to joke about?

I won’t talk about John Deere products for personal reasons, and also the difference between whoever and whomever. Those are just two topics that are too taboo for me.

You’ve gotten walkouts for your comedy before. What are some of the most extreme reactions you’ve gotten to some of your jokes? Anything threatening?

Nothing really dangerous, I wouldn’t say. A long time ago, I had this guy stand up and do a pounding-his-fist-into-his-hand kind of motion, one that denotes he wants to fight me. But nothing on this tour. I’ve had a couple people leave, but not vocally get upset. Last time, people got really upset, but no one is getting that upset on this tour. It’s different material, and we’re in a different place.

Would you say that this material is different in tone than “Making America Great Again?”

I wouldn’t say very different. It still follows the same formula I apply to all sets when I tour. I try to mix it up. Roughly a third of the set is jokes. They’re just jokey jokes—it doesn’t matter what your politics are, anybody can like them. Roughly a third is anecdotal stuff—just stories that happened to me, whatever. And then roughly a third is political, topical, current events, religious material, stuff like that. The formula is the same, but all the material is different.

Can you talk a little about your work in Sorry to Bother You, as Cassius Green’s white voice? I’m curious to know how you landed a role like that.

Boots [Riley] and I became friendly when we did a benefit together back in 2001 or 2002. He asked me at some point if he could show me a script he’d been working on. ‘I’d like you to take a look at it, just tell me what you think.’ I said sure, not really expecting very much, because he’d never written a script before. So he sent it to me—this is like eight years ago—and it was fucking great, just really funny. His ear for dialogue is great, and his sensibilities. I was blown away by it, and told him so. He asked me if I ever wanted to do anything for it and I said sure.

Years and years and years went by. Sometimes it’ll take eight years to make a movie. And then he said, ‘Hey, I’m doing it. Do you want to be one of the white voices?’ And I said sure. …Not the most thrilling story.

Have you ever been told you have a distinctive white voice?

I don’t think so. … obviously, the voice in Sorry to Bother You isn’t the voice I’m using now. There’s a little bit of an affectation. You pitch it up a little bit, you add a little sparkly, golly-gee type stuff, y’know? And that becomes the white voice. It’s not how I speak normally.

Did you have to give any refunds to Trump supporters confused by your “Making America Great Again” tour?

[Laughs] No refunds. I had already been doing stand-up for about 45 minutes before I brought up Trump, so I would only refund them 25 percent of their money anyway.

Cross performs at The Paramount Theater on August 3.

 

David Cross is infamous for his no-holds-barred style of comedy, which can provoke as many gasps as it does guffaws. He performs at The Paramount Theater this Friday.

Categories
Living

Breathing easier: Getting through reverse sneezing

Your pooch may look frightfully stressed when reverse sneezing occurs, but most cases are temporary. file photo

Anything that looks this terrifying must be an emergency. The poor dog is standing with her legs braced and head thrust forward, and the corners of her mouth are pulled taught in a frightening grimace. Her belly contracts and her ribcage tenses in powerful bursts, and a thundering snort marks each strained breath. She’s distressed, and it feels like it’s gone on far too long. You reach for the phone and before you can dial your vet, it’s over. She wags her tail and goes about her day.

Alarming as it might appear at the time, this describes a typical bout of reverse sneezing, and it is simply an attempt to alleviate some kind of discomfort in the rear of the nasal cavity. In much the same way that a regular sneeze tries to blow an irritant out of the nose with an explosive burst of air, reverse sneezing attempts to suck an irritant back into the throat so it can be swallowed or spit out.

In most cases, the cause of irritation is minor and temporary. Perhaps a bit of dust or a blade of grass from the yard got stuck in the wrong place. If so, you may see a few episodes before it clears up for good. If allergies are responsible, you might see a pattern of symptoms occurring only in certain months. But so long as symptoms are sporadic, there isn’t any cause for alarm.

If reverse sneezing is observed frequently over a long period, however, it could indicate that more is going on. Brachycephalic breeds (like pugs, bulldogs and others with scrunched-up faces) can develop reverse sneezing because their soft palate is too long and hangs in the way. Nasal mites (yeah, that’s really a thing) are another potential cause and stubborn cases of reverse sneezing might be treated just to see what happens. And rarely, tumors and polyps in the nasal passageway can be responsible, but these may require advanced imaging like CT scans to locate.

Regardless of the cause, there isn’t much to do during a bout of reverse sneezing. It will stop on its own once the irritation is cleared. I’ve seen all sorts of suggested remedies. Some people recommend covering one or both nostrils, blowing gently in the dog’s nose or stroking the throat. I don’t know of any evidence that these methods help, but since the problem is self-limiting, I suspect that nearly any action can be misinterpreted as effective. Most episodes are finished in a few minutes no matter what you decide to do. My preference is to leave them alone. Getting in the dog’s face may add a new irritation while they try to manage the first one.

Thankfully, reverse sneezing is one of those things that looks far worse than it is. While some cases eventually warrant a deeper look, most of them blow over in a hurry, and you and your dog can both breathe a sigh of relief.

Dr. Mike Fietz is a small animal veterinarian at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2003 and has lived in Charlottesville since.

Categories
Magazines Weddings

All in: A community of love buoys a big day

Amateur astronomers (and the couple’s photographers) Ryan and Rach found out the Milky Way would be directly over the reception on the wedding night. Once the stars were out, they pulled Patrick and Elliott to the hillside for a few pictures beneath a sparkly sky.  

Patrick McGettigan & Elliott Glass

September 23, 2017, at Grace Estate Winery

Photographs by Ryan & Rach Photography

Throughout the night, Patrick and Elliott kept hearing from guests that the love and positivity in the tent was palpable. That was all the affirmation they needed.

“From the very beginning,” Patrick says, “our focus had been on celebrating love, celebrating our families and celebrating with each other.”

They paid special attention to including family—the grooms’ younger sisters served as “best men,” cousins served as ushers and greeters, aunts and uncles read the prayers. Even the intercessional hymn, “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” was a favorite song of Patrick’s grandparents.

“Every part of the service was connected to someone important in our lives,” Patrick says. “It all served as a reminder that it is the people who have made our lives so blessed and wonderful to this point.”

That’s not to say they didn’t put a lot of thought into the look of the event, as well as the feel of it. The couple, who met through a mutual friend in 2013, knew from the start that they wanted a modern take on a classic Virginia wedding.

“We often said we wanted the wedding to be handsome, rather than beautiful,” Patrick says. That meant a color palette of black, cream, charcoal and green, colors they felt would pop against the backdrop of both St. Paul’s and Grace Estate.

In the end, though, it was all about the love.

Says Patrick, “September 23 was truly the best day of our lives, and it was all because of the people we were with.”

Close readings

Two couples Patrick and Elliott looked up to gave the readings. “We loved the idea of a married couple reading together, and giving us advice on our wedding day,” Patrick says.

Good thought

To save on costs, florist Lauren Thompson created nosegays (rather than full bouquets) for each of the couple’s attendants, which were later reused as décor during the reception. “It saved us from buying additional arrangements,” says Patrick, “and our attendants didn’t really want to carry the nosegays around all night anyway.”

Great sign

One of Patrick and Elliott’s favorite elements of the ceremony was their Quaker Marriage Certificate. One of the couple’s friends created a custom calligraphic design (incorporating the greens that made up the central part of their florals), and every wedding guest signed on the certificate. “In the Quaker tradition,” says Patrick, “the marriage is solemnified once every member of the community has signed, and we loved the idea of our marriage being blessed by everyone in attendance. The certificate is now framed in our living room, and makes us so happy to see the hand-written names of all of our guests.”

 

The details

Ceremony venue St. Paul’s Memorial Church Day-of coordinator Cristelle Koerper Officiant Reverend William Peyton Catering: C&O Flowers Bloom Floral Design Cake Sweethaus Music Bachelor Boys Band Grooms’ attire The Black Tux (Patrick); Generation Tux (Elliott) Rings Tiffany & Co. Wedding party hair Face Value Salon Transportation Easy Riders Bus Company Invitations Minted Event rentals MS Events

 

Categories
Magazines Weddings

Natural beauty: A verdant backdrop enhances two Hoos’ special day

Florist Rhea Calpeno incorporated greenery into a lot of the details—garlands of eucalyptus on the farm tables, greenery on the escort card frame, sprigs of rosemary at each place setting. Blue thistles added a bit of color and texture to the palette.

Sarah Peck & Jonathan Elsasser

June 3, 2017, at Panorama Farms

Photographs by The Mallorys

When planning a wedding, some people start with a beautiful linen, or a particular prop. For Sarah and Jonathan, the setting was the jumping-off point.

“We knew we wanted to showcase the beauty of Charlottesville’s outdoors,” Sarah says, “and have a wedding that matched our own style.” No better place to do that, they found, than Panorama Farms.

“We fell in love with [its] stunning views of the Blue Ridge and its rustic barn,” Sarah says. “It allowed our guests to spend a lot of time outdoors.”

The couple started the evening with a hilltop cocktail hour, then dinner under a tent outside the property’s charming barn. At the end of the night, everyone went inside for dancing.

They rounded out the natural, rustic theme with a color palette of white, gold and green, with wood accents in frames and clipboards for the food and drink menus (made by the groom!). All in all, it was just what they wanted. The couple was even able to steal a few minutes for themselves to soak it all in.

“We went up to the top of the hill at Panorama to dig up the bottle of bourbon we had buried to ward off rain,” Sarah says. “The sun was setting over the mountains as our guests ate dinner under the tent below. It was a stunning view and we were so unbelievably happy.”

 

 

Good thought

The bride had two handkerchiefs pinned into her dress: one from Jonathan’s grandmother, which she wore on her own wedding day, and one that had been passed between her best friends from college. “We’ve gotten it monogrammed with each couple’s initials before their wedding day,” Sarah says. “Each bride carries it down the aisle with her as her something borrowed.”

Carbo-load

The couple wanted a Southern-style meal, so they filled the menu with barbecue, grits, ham biscuits, chicken, cornbread and mashed potatoes. But they might have gone a little overboard. “At one point, our caterer gently told us that we had packed our menu full of carbs,” Sarah says, “which cracked us up.”

Meet and greet

Sarah and Jonathan met the spring before their first year at UVA, during Days on the Lawn. They became friends right away when they got to school that fall, and went on their first date to Hamiltons’ at First & Main followed by a walk on the Downtown Mall.

 

After the party is…

The after party, which the bride and groom wanted to be ’90s-themed, showcased White Ford Bronco, a cover band from Washington, D.C. “We passed out glowstick glasses, slap bracelets and Ring Pops to complete the ’90s theme,” Sarah says. “It was such a fun way to end the perfect day.”

 

The details

Ceremony venue UVA Chapel Event planner Adam Donovan-Groves Officiant Reverend Ann Gillespie Catering Exchange Events & Catering Flowers Photosynthesis Floral Design Cake B​ijou ​B​akery (wedding cake), S​weethaus (groom’s cake) Music T​erra ​V​oce (ceremony), Horizon (reception), White Ford Bronco (after-party) Bride’s attire Leanne Marshall Groom’s attire The Black Tux Groomsmen’s attire The Black Tux Bridesmaids’ dresses Jenny Yoo Hair and makeup Avenue 42 Calligraphy Anna Sisman

 

Categories
Magazines Weddings

Red-letter day: A bold hue brightens a memorable spring soirée

Jane Hawkins & Mike Webb

April 21, 2018, at Grace Estate Winery

Photographs by Jen Fariello

Jane and Mike knew they wanted their wedding to showcase two main components. First and foremost, the beauty of Charlottesville, which they accomplished with the venue.

“The view at Grace Estate was spectacular, and we liked the fact that it was fairly unique and hadn’t been used for many weddings previously,” Mike says. “We also felt it was a completely blank canvas with minimal rules on what we could and couldn’t do, so we liked the idea that we could make it our own and unique to us.”

Its “blank canvas” quality made it easy to accomplish the second must on their list, too: to utilize the bride’s favorite color, red.

Jane worked with Southern Blooms to create bright bouquets and establish a color palette. From there, they chose the bridesmaids’ dresses, groomsmen’s ties and, with the help of their planner, décor and table linens.

One special detail—a red wax stamp with a W on it—they picked up even before getting engaged. “I guess we thought we’d use it for Christmas cards at some point,” Mike says, “but it was a fun touch for the wedding day.”

But the most exciting addition, Mike says, was the 1957 Chevy Corvette the couple rented from turo.com. “I am a big car guy and wanted to drive my bride away in a classic car,” says Mike. The couple used it as their getaway car, driving it from the church across Beta Bridge (which his friends had painted for them) all the way to the reception.

“It gave us 30 minutes of just ‘us time,’” he says. “Our first private moments of being newlyweds.”

It’s a love story

The couple met in 2012 at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis, while Jane was completing a work-study program for the spring semester. When she moved back to Indianapolis in 2014, they reconnected and started dating. He popped the question in March 2017 on a ski trip in Vail, Colorado.

Farm to table

L’étoile helped the couple select a menu that perfectly showcased spring eats in Charlottesville: strawberry arugula salad, with chicken or salmon as the main course, plus late-night mac ‘n’ cheese snacks. “That went down very well!” Mike says.

It’s a love story

The couple met in 2012 at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis, while Jane was completing a work-study program for the spring semester. When she moved back to Indianapolis in 2014, they reconnected and started dating. He popped the question in March 2017 on a ski trip in Vail, Colorado.

The details

Ceremony venue: Westminster Presbyterian Church Event planner: Marisa Vrooman (Orpha Events) Officiant: Alex Evans (Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond) Catering: L’étoile Catering Flowers: Southern Blooms by Pat’s Floral Design Cake: Sweethaus Music: InsideOut Band (East Coast Entertainment) Bride’s attire: Anne Barge Shoes: Gianvito Rossi Groom’s attire: Ted Baker morning suit Groomsmen’s attire: Ted Baker morning suits Bridesmaids’ dresses: Badgley Mischka (Rent the Runway) Rings: James Allen (Jane), Staghead Design (Mike) Hair and makeup: Daphne Latham Videographer: Ian’s Creations

 

Categories
Magazines Weddings

Cozy cool: Details fall into place at an intimate celebration

Caitlyn Stego & John Anderson

February 18, 2018, at Kardinal Hall

Photographs by Amy Jackson

The plan was, there was no plan. A stylist by trade, Caitlyn didn’t want to overcomplicate the planning process by matching patterns and colors.

“I find it more inspiring to let the pieces that you find write the style of what you’re creating, as opposed to coming up with a specific vision and trying to find the exact pieces to fit into it,” she says. “It becomes a creative process, and the end result feels more organic.”

They started with the bridesmaids’ dresses (“they were navy, so they wore navy,” Caitlyn says). The groomsmen already owned dark suits, so that’s what they wore. Caitlyn had been coveting a certain fabric at The Second Yard for more than a year, so she and John’s mom made table runners out of it, and the rest of the table décor was kept simple: just the runners and “a hodge-podge of clear glass votives and vases we filled with candles, pea gravel and air plants.”

In the end, the specific details hardly mattered—what Caitlyn and John both look back on with the most fondness is less about a what, and more about a who. Many whos.

“We tried to involve as many friends as possible in the day,” Caitlyn says. They have close personal connections to the photographers, baker, officiant and jeweler they worked with for the wedding. “Having so many special details be touched by our friends was an incredible gift.”

 

Favorite moment

“[The ceremony] was a really emotional part for me. Up to that point, I had been pretty stoic and calm, but when Micah hit the first few notes of ‘Jupiter’ [from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” suite], I had a hard time keeping it together, since it meant I was going to see Cait walk down the aisle and it was actually, finally happening,” John says.

Good thought

With little interest in a more traditional vineyard or plantation setting, Caitlyn and John had a light-bulb moment at a favorite haunt: “A few minutes after grabbing beers and ordering food [at Kardinal Hall to watch a game] we were kicking ourselves for not thinking of the place sooner. It was totally our style, had an awesome beer list and plenty of space.” Plus, she says, in a restaurant the atmosphere is already built in.

 

 

 

Easy does it

Taking a cue from John’s favorite food (sandwiches), the couple opted for a no-fuss menu of beef, chicken or mushroom sliders, plus mac ‘n’ cheese, veggies and salad for sides.

The details

Ceremony venue The Haven Officiant Winn Collier (All Souls Church) Catering Kardinal Hall Cake Arleycakes Ceremony music Micah Hunter-Chang (violin), Caroline Fernandez (piano) Reception music Spotify playlist Bride’s attire BHLDN Shoes ASOS Groom’s attire Banana Republic Bridesmaids’ dresses ASOS Rings Elaine B Jewelry

 

Categories
Magazines Weddings

Timeless love: Classic details let love shine

Photo: Michael & Carina

Floriza Hernandez & Jerome White

September 9, 2017, at Trump Winery

Photography by Michael & Carina

Men in classic black-and-white tuxes, ladies in champagne. Gilded details, from the invitations to the cake topper. A reception area with high ceilings and extravagant chandeliers. Floriza and Jerome decided early on that they wanted their wedding to be elegant and timeless, which helped them make certain decisions for the big day.

Their color palette—a mix of whites, blush and gold—was displayed everywhere, from attire to flowers.

“We wanted to keep the flowers lush and romantic,” Floriza says of her rose, hydrangea and eucalyptus arrangements. “We kept the colors with crisp whites and light mauve touches and added gray-greens for a softer touch.”

Another classic choice? The caterer.

“We would do staycations in Charlottesville and dine at C&O every time,” says Floriza. “The staff is always great and the food is just incredible.”

But the best part, the bride and groom agree, was the vows.

Says Floriza, “It was very intimate and truly felt like it was just us in that moment. We were glad to be able to share it with our closest and favorite people.”

Dignified DIY

The bride loves being creative, and felt making a few things for the wedding would add a nice touch. She ended up designing and making the invites, signage, place cards, menus, seating chart, favor boxes and cake topper.

Time for love

The couple met in high school but didn’t develop a real friendship until years later, when Jerome would travel weekly from New York to where Floriza lived in Washington, D.C. “After six years of being together,” Floriza says, “Jerome popped the question.”

The details:

Event planner Amore Events Officiant Dave Norris Catering C&O Flowers Blue Ridge Floral Cake Cakes by Rachel Music TD Layman Bride’s attire Mori Lee Shoes Jimmy Choo Groom’s attire Suitsupply and Salvatore Ferragamo Groomsmen’s attire The Black Tux Rings David Yurman Hair Timothy O’Leary Videographer NST Films Photobooth MoxBox Donut truck Carpe Donut