Month: January 2020

Rachel Baltes & Jay Gaffney

October 26, 2019

---

Streamlined and neutral was the order of the day for Rachel and Jay, who envisioned a classic look for their wedding. That meant the groomsmen wore tuxes, the bridesmaids wore taupe chiffon dresses, and the bride herself was outfitted in a clean-lined dress with a fitted skirt and long train. The décor, Rachel notes, followed suit with similar tones and shapes.

“Early Mountain is already beautiful as it is and really didn’t need all too much to dress it up,” she says. “We stayed with the neutral colors and brightened things up with the florals.”

There was one pop of unexpected color in the palette: the blue ribbon of Rachel’s bouquet, which was strips from one of her late father’s most-worn shirts.

“Looking back at each of the photos it is so special that he is part of each of them,” Rachel says. In fact, Rachel is most fond of the details they were able to incorporate to honor her dad, like the lantern she and her brother lit before he walked her down the aisle, which they placed in a seat next to their mom.

“My favorite moment from the wedding was when my brother was walking me down the aisle towards my groom,” Rachel says. “I was overjoyed that our day was finally here.”

---

Special touches

Though the bride wasn’t able to take on too much, DIY-wise, her friends and family stepped in: The matron of honor designed the couple’s save-the-dates, a bridesmaid helped with other paper goods and signage, the maid of honor crafted jewelry for the day,
and Rachel’s mom fashioned Early Mountain corks into stands for signs.

Flower power

The couple’s florist, Lauren Thompson of Bloom Charlottesville, helped create the perfect arrangements for their fall wedding, with plenty of greenery, and flowers in shades of burgundy, soft pinks, and whites.

Pass it on

Because Jay’s family has always eaten family-style, it was important to the couple that they mimic that tradition with their menu of comfort foods. “We were thankful to be in a room with the people most dear to us enjoying a meal together,” Rachel says.

Formally yours

Both Jay and Rachel grew up in Charlottesville, but they didn’t meet until Jay came to the Covenant School during Rachel’s senior year. Then, while at college, she was in need of a date to a formal dance and her brother suggested she take his best friend, Jay. “We hit it off that night and Jay still comments on the way his hands were shaking when he was tying his tie.” They began dating a few months later and, four years after that, they were engaged.

The details

Ceremony and reception venue: Early Mountain Vineyards Day of coordinator: Emily Holter (The Local Catering) Officiant: Ken Elzinga Catering: The Local Catering Flowers: Bloom Charlottesville Cupcakes: Victoria Clement Music: Queen City Band (Sam Hill Entertainment) Bride’s attire: Sarah Seven from Lovely Bride DC Shoes: Cole Haan Bride’s jewelry: Emily Warden Designs Groom’s attire: JoS. A. Bank Groomsmen’s attire: JoS. A. Bank Bridesmaids’ dresses: Birdy Grey Bridesmaids’ jewelry: Emily Warden Designs Rings: Fink’s Jewelers Hair: Moxie Hair Lounge Makeup: Rouge 9

Julia Roberts & Mechelle Marchant

April 27, 2019

---

“Our first priority was to throw a party,” says Mechelle. “Our second priority was to plan a wedding.” Mechelle and her fiancé, Julia, knew they’d have guests flying in from all over the United States, plus the U.K., Switzerland, and Kenya. They wanted the wedding to serve as a thank you to their friends and family for traveling and supporting them.

“It was so important to us that our guests enjoy themselves and have time to catch up with each other throughout the weekend,” Mechelle says.

And speaking of time, the brides were able to catch a few minutes to themselves post-nuptials, as well. One of their favorite moments from the day came after they cut the cake and before the dance party began inside.

“Somehow we were able to slip back inside the empty Granary unnoticed and found the DJ had started up the music,” says Mechelle. “We got to dance by ourselves in the middle of the dance floor and really take in the beauty of the room that we’d helped to create.”

---

Take your places

Because the wedding was in April, Mechelle and Julia decided to use cherry blossoms as the main flower in their arrangements and décor. Each place-setting—custom-made blush chargers with gold-rimmed white dinner plates and gold flatware with black-dipped handles—was adorned with a cherry blossom sprig.

Good eats

On the evening’s menu was roasted beef tenderloin, Chesapeake Bay crab cakes, a hydroponic tomato salad, and—guests’ favorite—miniature taco canapés. “The food from Pippin Hill is just unparalleled,” Mechelle says. To end the night, the couple set up a sundae bar and a s’mores station (in addition to their two-flavor cake!).

Precious moment

“Growing up, my mom always had a fire going in the backyard and my family spent a lot of time sitting around it together. Having the fire pit at the wedding meant bringing a bit of home with me on that day,” Mechelle says.    

In bloom

The soft palette of blush, ivory, peach, coral, and cream played up the romance in everything from the altar to the table arrangements.

Sentimental journey

The artwork on the couple’s invitation suite incorporated landmarks from their journey as a couple—meeting in Austin, Texas, spending a year in Oslo, Norway, and getting married at Pippin Hill. The custom design from Rock Paper Scissors even made its way onto coffee mug favors at the wedding.

School daze

The couple met while in graduate school in Austin, Texas, and dated four years before getting married.

The details

Ceremony and reception venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Event planner: Just a Little Ditty Officiant: Anisa Mechler (friend) Catering: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Cake: Maliha Creations Flowers: Southern Blooms Dessert: Crozet Creamery Music: Melodious Strings (ceremony), DJ Derek Tobler (reception) Brides’ attire: Monique Lhuillier (Mechelle), Essence of Australia (Julia) Shoes: Stuart Weitzman (Mechelle), her mother’s wedding shoes (Julia) Bridal party attire: Jenny Yoo Rings: Tiffany & Co. Hair and makeup: Avenue 42 Stylist: Madly Bride Videographer: Monachetti Weddings Invitations: Rock Paper Scissors Rentals: Paisley & Jade, Emerson James, Festive Fare Lighting: Blue Ridge Event Production Transportation: James Limo 

Jamie Richman & Charles Baldwin

September 14, 2019

---

There are so many wedding-day moments to anticipate before the big day approaches: saying “I do,” the first kiss, feeding each other a slice of cake. For Jamie, that moment was the first look.

“That morning I was feeling so anxious and just wanted to be with Charles and have everything get started,” she says. “When the time came, Charles turned around and looked at me, with the happiest expression, and shouted, ‘We’re getting married today!’ After that, all my anxiety was replaced with excitement.”

And the excitement continued throughout the evening, from the vows to Charles’ most-anticipated moment, dancing the Hora.

“Being surrounded by so many of our friends and family joining hands and dancing around us was an incredible experience and moment I’ll always remember fondly,” he says. He adds, “While Jamie won’t admit it, I know that secretly her favorite moment was at the end of the dance party when I did the worm down the Soul Train line.”

---

Set the scene

Jamie says the venue helped guide their vision for the wedding. Since Farmington makes such a statement on its own, they felt more compelled to play up their wedding season, rather than location. Navy blue accents complemented the country club’s timelessness—and the bride’s dress, which had gold accents. “I didn’t want to do anything else too bold that could clash with it,” Jamie says.

You’re invited

The invitations ended up being a special element for Jamie. Simple and classic, with navy blue letterpress and reflective of Farmington’s traditional vibes, “They were the first tangible piece of the wedding,” she says. “In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I left an invitation out so I could see it and smile.”

Petal control

The couple left a lot of the decisions about flowers up to their florist, with one exception: the boutonnières. “I asked for the florist to incorporate greenery and seasonal flowers to give it more of a fall twist,” Jamie says.

Meet cute

Jamie and Charles met at a bar in Washington, D.C. Jamie was celebrating her best friend’s birthday and Charles had come out to cheer up a friend going through a break-up. After seeing his friend start talking to “the only cute girl in the bar” (who happened to be Jamie), he decided to leave. “Wait!” Jamie said to him. “You can’t leave; you haven’t even told me your name yet.” Suffice it to say, Charles ended up staying out a bit longer than intended.

The details

Ceremony and reception venue: Farmington Country Club Event planner: Emily Finn (Farmington Country Club) Officiant: Rabbi Vanessa Ochs Catering: Farmington Country Club Flowers: Blue Ridge Floral Design Cake: Farmington Country Club Music: Morwenna Lasko & Jay Pun (ceremony and cocktail); Ten Spot (reception) Bride’s attire: Dear Heart (Lovely Bride) Shoes: Imagine Vince Camuto Groom’s attire: Hugo Boss Groomsmen’s attire: Various Bridesmaids’ dresses: Amsale Rings: Brilliant Earth Hair and makeup: Moxie Hair & Body Lounge Transportation: Crozet Trolley Co. Stationary: Rock Paper Scissors Calligrapher: Queen Street Calligraphy Photo booth: Photo Booth of Charlottesville

Shante Lane & Asteway Tamerat

August 30, 2019

---

A multicultural wedding presents its own set of challenges—incorporating all the customs into one day means both parties end up making a few compromises. But for AJ, who is from Ethiopia, and Shante, representing both cultures made their special day even more special.

Table numbers were written in English and Amharic, a chair was draped with a traditional Ethiopian scarf to represent AJ’s mother and sister, who were unable to attend the wedding, and they served Ethiopian coffee—a staple at traditional Ethiopian weddings—to their guests. Plus, the couple donned Kabas, Ethiopian robes worn at weddings, to their reception.

“Our guests loved that we honored Ethiopia in such a way,” Shante says.

The couple went minimalist on the rest of the décor, with muted tones of plum, blush, and burgundy, simple floral arrangements, and fabric draped at the altar.

---

On the vineyard

With just 85 people on their guest list, Shante and AJ were looking for a venue that would be beautiful, but intimate. Early Mountain fit the bill.

Natural accents

Urban Flora helped achieve the whimsical, romantic arrangements Shante was hoping for. “Each bouquet was uniquely arranged and no two were the same but still had continuity.”

In the family

Shante’s grandmother was the couple’s officiant and her cousin, a professional singer, performed a solo during the ceremony.

Photo finish

The couple met after Shante posted a photo on Facebook and AJ, a photographer, commented and got her attention. After AJ moved to Virginia from New Jersey, the pair started dating and were married five years later.

The details

Ceremony and reception venue: Early Mountain Vineyard Wedding designer: Andrew Roby Events Design consultant: Favored by Yodit Events and Design Day-of coordinator: Karissa Coffey Events Officiant: Rev. Julia Rogers Catering: Roadside Chive Flowers: Urban Flora Cake: Maliha Creations Music: Zandi Entertainment Bride’s attire: Maggie Sottero Shoes: Gucci Groom’s attire: The Black Tux and After Hours Groomsmen’s attire: The Black Tux Bridesmaids’ dresses: BHLDN Rings: Reeds Jewelry  Hair: Salon Ayanna and Abstract Salon of the Arts Makeup: Blush by Makki Videographer: Digital Pride Media Stationery: Charm Cat Calligraphy: Just Write Studios Soloist: Shacara Rogers Signage print: Basecamp DC

After 15 years in the business and more than 1,000 weddings under their belts, Charlottesville makeup artist Anne Kibler and her husband, Nate, who owns Photo Booth of Charlottesville, were looking to add even more to the local wedding scene.

“We wanted something that utilized our artistic and photographic experience,” Anne says. “Something unique.”

What they came up with was an idea that they’d never seen before—luxury bounce houses—and soon White Wedding Bounce House was born. Don’t be mistaken: These bounce houses aren’t the brightly colored kind you find at kids’ birthday parties. The Kiblers’ versions are classy, magical structures, with drapery, lighting, and even the ability to hang florals. In other words, “An Instagrammer’s dream,” Anne says.

With a specific vision in mind, they tried sourcing the houses in the United States, but eventually had to make a connection with a manufacturer overseas to execute their idea. They currently have three units, which allows them to do up to three weddings in a day, and Anne says that eventually they’d like to license the houses to other entrepreneurs wanting to emulate their success.

The cost of the bounce house rental is customized per couple, depending on insurance rates, location, setup time, and date, and availability of attendants. But the house might save some costs in the long run, she notes.

“It’ll be a built-in nanny service for children of all ages invited to weddings,” she says. “The kids will stay in the bounce for hours.” (Each setup includes ground anchors for safety and an attendant on site.)

“We are so excited to roll out something that has never been done in Virginia before, let alone Charlottesville,” Anne says. “This will add even more unique memories, and something fun for a couple’s special day.”

There’s no end to the ways you can distinguish your wedding from your cousin’s or your neighbor’s or your best friend from the office who, at her big day last year, hired a live petting zoo for the reception. For Matt Jernigan and Ben Hoelscher, the answer was simple: They’d release a color explosion just as they had their first kiss.

“We saw the colored smoke used for weddings, engagements, and several gender reveals while surfing Pinterest,” Jernigan says. “We ordered a total of 14 cans: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and two pink.” The pink ones were used in a practice round at their wedding rehearsal, to ensure the surprise went off without a hitch on the big day.

And it did.

Says Jernigan, “Our officiant hid the smoke cans behind the arbor and distributed them to the wedding party just before the final vows,” and a beautiful cloud of smoke billowed behind them as they walked back up the aisle as husbands. They produced the same effect with the other round of cans during afternoon pics with their wedding party.

“We loved the smoke,” Jernigan says. “It was a relatively low-cost option with a high impact. I imagine it’s one of the many reasons our guests will remember the wedding.”

Let’s not pretend that searching for your perfect dress is any easier than searching for your perfect match (because it’s not). Between silhouettes, fabric, and your budget, there’s a lot to consider before walking down the aisle looking as dazzling as the Duchess. We asked The One Bridal Salon owner Peggie Donowitz, whose store was recently listed among The Knot’s 2019 Best of Weddings winners, to give us some pointers.

To start, do your research. There are salons to meet every need, budget- and style-wise. “Do a bit of homework first. Check out salons’ websites, and see if their collections and price points match your budget,” Donowitz says. “If they don’t, consider other salons.” Once you’ve found the right one, don’t forget to read the company’s FAQs to follow their hints on what undergarments to wear and what to bring to your appointment (including pictures of dresses you like!).

But remember: It’s okay to come to your try-on only a little bit prepared. “When a bride comes to her first appointment,” Donowitz says, “we just sit and chat for awhile.” You’ll discuss the wedding venue, your vision for the day, and what you’re picturing dress-wise. The last stop in the discussion is about budget.

“Sometimes brides don’t know what a wedding gown costs,” Donowitz says. “I often use a first appointment as an education session that will help them learn about different styles and fabrics, as well as exactly what their money will buy them.”

Don’t bring your whole entourage. Donowitz recommends including two or three key friends or family members in your shopping session—people whose opinion you trust, but who you feel comfortable contradicting (if need be).

“Some brides are better at listening to the opinions of others but knowing their own mind while others are more easily swayed by the opinions of the crowd,” Donowitz says. For her part, the salon owner always confirms, once she’s alone with the bride in the dressing room, what she really thinks of the dress. Just remember: Communicate, communicate, communicate. Says Donowitz, “Consultants really want to help a bride find their dream dress, but we can’t read minds.”

It’s the day after the wedding. You wake up next to your betrothed and your eyes wander over to your bouquet, a mess of beautiful petals you painstakingly chose with your florist only months earlier. What a shame to throw it in the trash, you think. Enter Sera Petras.

About four years ago, the Charlottesville photographer was shooting a wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, and took a few of the couple’s centerpieces home with her to photograph alongside the invitation suite. After finishing with the papers, she carefully pulled apart the bouquets and arranged a flat lay. Problem solved: That beautiful arrangement could suddenly be enjoyed for years to come.

“It’s a fun way to capture your wedding day flowers and preserve them when they look their best in a different and unique way,” Petras says. “They become fine art pieces that you can have printed and framed.”

She takes the time to arrange multiple versions and sometimes even photographs just a single bloom or a grouping of the same type of flower. Couples then order prints to hang in their first home.

Says Petras, “It’s a creative way to have more wedding photos hung in your home that don’t scream wedding.”

What would a pastry chef create if there were no rules or boundaries? That was the question facing Paradox Pastry owner Jenny Peterson ahead of her wedding to Rob Baker last spring.

“I had the basic theme in my head and then pretty much just made it up as I went,” she says. She took inspiration from a few of her favorite things—the backyard in the home the couple had built together, where the wedding would be held, and two artists she loved, Gustav Klimt and Marc Chagall.

The Paradox “sugaristas” baked the three-layer cake, then Peterson went to town.

“I painted the base of the cake in that ethereal Chagall way—dreamy and whimsical—to reflect the tree branches and sky,” she says. “Then I made ‘tiles’ out of gum paste and painted them in bright colors to represent the leaves and the flowers of the yard (à la Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’).” The final touch was flowers from the couple’s garden.

“The theme really was the backyard,” she says. “I love looking at the sky through the trees’ branches and being surrounded by all of the flowers, bushes, and trees we’ve planted since moving in.”

The resulting dessert was a beautiful departure from Charlottesville’s all-white cake trend—and that was part of the point.

“We wanted a cake that was truly original and pushed the boundaries of wedding cake design,” Peterson says. Job well done.

With so many decisions to make before your wedding comes together, where do you begin? For Hope and Mark McCutcheon, it was simple: They started with their vision.

“Our wedding was our biggest opportunity to let the people closest to us know that our marriage is more than a romantic relationship,” Hope says. “It’s more like a partnership to take on the world.” As a starting exercise, they wrote down two things they hoped their October 13 wedding would accomplish: First, it would demonstrate that patience in waiting for the right person will result in a stronger marriage. In turn, they hoped this would inspire their guests “by modeling a healthy, communication-based, no back door, faith-centered relationship,” Hope says. And second, they wanted it to be the most fun wedding their guests had ever attended.

“The nice thing about having a vision/mission is that every decision could be run through that mission when we were thinking of little personal touches (or even big ones!),” Hope says.

To the McCutcheons, that meant writing their own vows to communicate to each other and their guests how they met, fell in love, and what they were committing to each other as well as their larger community. At their reception, they had a kind of “open mic” policy, allowing anyone who felt moved to speak to do so. This resulted in a few poetry and rap performances, including from the couple themselves. “We wanted this element because these are art forms that are a part of both of our pasts. Through our art, people saw our hearts for God and for each other.”

Planning a wedding is truly an exciting time, but as Hope and Mark were aware, after the wedding comes the harder part—building a life together. They committed to a romantic relationship, but also to a partnership.

“With a partnership, you are in pursuit of a mission bigger than yourselves, bigger than your relationship,” Hope says. “The best part is that, while that was the best day to date, we know how many more days in the future will top it because of the life and lifestyle that we’re building as a team.”