Jennifer Rose & Rob Valentine
October 16, 2021, at Farmington Country Club
It would take Jennifer and Rob 15 years of dating off and on (plus a global pandemic!)—from the start of high school to after Jennifer finished her MBA—for the stars to finally align for them. In 2019, Jennifer had accepted a consulting job in Atlanta, and Rob was working a real estate private equity job in Richmond. They were dating, but it was long-distance.
“Sure enough, the pandemic hit and we were allowed to work remotely,” Jennifer says. “I came to Richmond to work for a few weeks, and never left.” They were engaged a few weeks later at his family’s mountain property, a place that held a special place in their hearts and their shared history.
When the journey is that long and winding, the destination often feels that much sweeter—so the couple did it up right, aiming for a celebration that felt “fun, welcoming, bright, upbeat, surprising, and vibrant,” Jennifer says.
They started with the paper suite—a custom collection of save the dates, formal invitations, and a personalized crest the couple used throughout the décor, from napkins to favor tags. From there, they focused on décor and florals.
Floral Images Design Studio took inspiration from the St. Frank Frazada textiles used as table linens, incorporating dahlias and other colorful flowers in each arrangement, from the tables and the bouquet to petals held in sheet music to be tossed after the couple said, “I do.”
“Everyone tossed the petals and some of our friends fired off confetti canons,” Jennifer says. “In this insane moment of love and celebration, I tossed my head back and looked at the sky and drank it all in. It was the closest to pure bliss I have ever been.”
Part II
While the mountain property was at the top of their list for a wedding venue, it would have proven difficult to have the entire event there. Instead, they decided to hold a small ceremony on the mountain and host the celebration at Farmington Country Club. “It turned out perfectly with the Blue Ridge Mountains as the perfect backdrop,” says the bride.
Creative touch
They thought of everything: At cocktail hour, they offered guests palomas with “J <3 R” branded into the orange peel garnish, a nod to the neon “J <3 R” sign behind the martini bar.
Say cheese
The couple didn’t want a seated dinner, so Farmington offered fresh pasta dishes made in a Parmesan round. “It was a crowd-pleaser for sure,” Jennifer says.
Mini moon
Awaiting their big honeymoon to South Africa this summer, the couple took a small trip to Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos following their wedding.
The details
Photo: Sarah Cramer Shields Event planner: Dickie Morris of Just A Little Ditty Officiant: Bahlmann Abbot (Rob’s uncle) Catering: Harvest Moon (ceremony); Farmington Country Club (reception) Flowers: Floral Image Design Studio Cake: Farmington Country Club Music: Horizon from Sam Hill Entertainment Paper suite: Kathryn Leonard of Dear Kathy Bride’s attire: Custom Groom’s attire: Custom Alton Lane Hair and makeup: Stephanie Parker (makeup), Fielding Pierce Biggs of Moxie (hair) Videographer: Silver Streak Media
