Month: May 2024

Abby Conley & Kalan Patel

October 6, 2023, at Keswick Vineyards

Photography by Meredith Coe Photography

Abby’s passion for interior design gave her an advantage when it came time for her and her then-fiancé to plan their Keswick Vineyards wedding: She simply drew on her own aesthetic. 

“I aimed for an elegant, timeless wedding with organic textures and colors,” she says. That meant a palette of white, brown, and green, manifesting everywhere from vintage Turkish vessels at the altar to an ethereal hanging installation in the reception tent to the wedding party’s attire.

Keswick Vineyards provided a timeless setting for the festivities, echoing the romantic setting of Kalan’s proposal in Aix en Provence, France, and offering the backdrop for all of the couple’s favorite moments: having a first look and exchanging vows privately, sipping mezcal margaritas with guests during cocktail hour, taking tequila shots at the behest of the couple’s parents.

And since the wedding? The couple is enjoying their new life together. 

“Kalan and I have always made a great team, but getting married has strengthened our partnership in surprising ways,” Abby says. “Despite my inherent independence, I’ve come to appreciate the profound value of relying on one’s partner and confronting life’s trials together.” 

Good eats

C&O created a menu that combined vegetarian items like mushroom ravioli with chicken, beef tenderloin, and halibut entrées. 

All in one

Not only did Keswick remind them of where they got engaged in France, the couple liked how all of the events—ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception—could be in the same location, making it easier for guests.

Signs point to yes

The bride worked with an Australian designer to create signature cocktail signage—drink illustrations with a limewash background—that tied closely in design to the food menus. 

Wild times

The couple, who met through a mutual connection while Abby was on a trip to Los Angeles, spent their honeymoon on safari, visiting South Africa and Seychelles.

 The fine details

Event planner Kelsey Mayo Ros (Donovan Groves Events) Officiant Dr. Joel Jenkins Catering C&O Flowers Steelcut Flower Co. Cake Cakes by Rachel Music Valente Haynes from AstroDJ Bride’s attire Huntleigh Dress from Jane Hill Bridal shoes Khaite Groom’s attire Black Tux Groomsmen’s attire Black Tux Bridesmaids’ dresses Various Rings Blue Nile (engagement ring and groom’s band), Ring Concierge (bride’s wedding band) Hair and makeup Avenue42 iPhone pictures/videos Follow the Bride Custom bar Happily Ever After Rentals Custom outfit-change skirt CassB By Designm Outfit-change top Loho Bride (Alex Perry) Alterations Mara Toonyan Cocktail signage Paige Tuzee

Mackenzie Blair FitzGerald & Colin Jones

June 24, 2023, at Boar’s Head Inn

Photography by Jen Fariello

With a “summer celebration” theme in mind, colorful flowers were the key, says Blair. Washington, D.C.-based floral company Darling & Daughters took on the task, arranging bountiful bouquets that mixed flowers of yellow, pink, purple, and blue. Not to mention creating two overlapping arches arranged with bright blooms and romantic greenery. 

“The flowers were the showstopper,” Blair says. “Colorful, vibrant, plentiful.” And, for the bride in particular, they were an ode to her grandmother Gogo, who loved crafting arrangements for her home.

The couple agrees, though, that the best part of the day was catching each other’s eyes while Blair walked down the aisle. That, and what came after. 

“Right after I married Blair,” Colin says of his favorite moment. “I was so happy I finally got to call her my wife.” 

Dinner bell

The Boar’s Head offered up a menu of Southern fare—ham and pimento cheese biscuits, Chesapeake crab cakes, local greens, molasses salmon, succotash, and Southern smashed potatoes. 

The answer

The couple met at a bar in High Point, North Carolina, while they were in college. It was trivia night and they ended up on the same team. They dated for five years before getting married.

Mais oui!

For their honeymoon, Blair and Colin traveled first to Paris, then to Budapest for a cruise up the Danube River.

The fine details

Event planner Pamela Barefoot Events Ceremony and reception venue Boars Head Inn Officiant Rev. Robert J. Robertson III Catering Boars Head Inn Flowers Darling and Daughters Cake Cakes by Rachel Music Melodious Strings (ceremony), East Coast Entertainment (reception) Bride’s attire Monique Lhuillier from Carine’s Bridal Shoes Loeffler Randall Groom’s attire Jos. A. Bank Groomsmen’s attire Jos. A. Bank Bridesmaids’ dresses Bella Brides Rings Jamie Grasso JG Jewelry Hair Top Knot Studio Makeup Rouge 9 Videographer Yeattes Productions Paper goods Paper Refinery Rentals Something Vintage, BBJ La Tavola, Gibson Rental, Lola Valentina, Emerson James, Maison de Carine, Stradley Davidson Linen Collective, The Lighting and Sound Company, Nüage Designs

Patricia Dunbar & Isi Azeke

July 30, 2023, at The Bradbury

Photography by Carrie Coleman Photography

With an elegant backdrop like The Bradbury, Patricia didn’t feel the need to include too many embellishments in her and Isi’s summer wedding. She left the flowers up to Tourterelle, only giving a direction for neutral colors; the bridesmaids wore pale pink one-shoulder gowns; and Patricia chose warm tones for décor, with gray tablecloths and shimmering candles. “I felt this was timeless and easy to match,” she says. 

The unfettered scheme set the scene for a beautiful brunch wedding, where each guest—from Isi’s Nigerian side and Patricia’s Jamaican—could enjoy “good food, company, and music,” says Patricia. Plus, she notes, everyone seemed to enjoy the money spray—a Nigerian wedding tradition during which guests shower the couple with more and more cash the longer they dance. It symbolizes showering the couple with blessings. It must have worked. 

“[I love] learning new things about each other and growing together,” the bride says. “Having someone to share all the large and small joys from day to day and all the accomplishment and disappointments along the way.”

Love in lockdown

The couple met online in April 2020 during the height of COVID. Their first date was that May, and they dated long-distance for two and a half years before getting engaged in Paris in November 2022. 

Let’s go

Patricia and Isi are planning a trip to Croatia in May 2024 for their honeymoon.

The fine details

Event planner Sarah Fay Waller (Day By Fay) Officiant Quentin Washington Catering Harvest Moon Catering Flowers Tourterelle Floral Design Cake Cake Bloom Music Wemi-Mo Bride’s attire Ava Laurenne (Fredericksburg) Shoes Badgley Mischka Groom’s attire Custom by Commonwealth Proper Groomsmen’s attire Suit Supply Bridesmaids’ dresses FancyVestido Rings Jared (groom), Mark Pallanche (bride) Makeup Rouge 9 Videographer CY Wedding Films

Kelly Moses & Emily Lentz

June 17, 2023, at The Clifton

Photography by Nicole Clarey Photography

Once Kelly and Emily fell in love with The Clifton for their early summer wedding, it felt like a no-brainer to make it black tie. “Black tie attire just says ‘wedding’ to us,” Emily says. “And what other time are you able to throw a black tie affair?” 

They leaned into the venue’s color palette, requesting elegant white and green florals from the bouquets to the magnolia leaf place settings to the hanging installation above the head table.

In all, it was a truly elegant affair—with some seriously fun moments. 

“The reception was such a fun time,” says Emily. “We are the couple that is always on the dance floor and that’s where we were most of the night. At one point…Kelly’s cousin’s husband and I were voguing on the dance floor. Everyone kept asking if we choreographed the dance.” 

For all of their planning, Emily credits their guests with its success. 

“Our wedding was full of love, dancing, great music,” she says. “All of our incredible friends and family really made the wedding as special as it was.”

Good times

The couple’s “goodest boy,” their dog Banks, got in on the big-day action, following Kelly out to the location of their first look. “Having all of us there was very special,” Emily says. “He had lots of cute moments with us throughout the day.” 

Special moments

As they were getting ready to walk down the aisle, Emily’s father (who has since passed) confessed: “I’m getting nervous now!” “You can’t be nervous, I’m nervous!” Emily replied. 

What’s the buzz? 

“Kelly will say that she saw me from across a bar and sent me a drink but that’s not true!” Emily says. The couple, who dated for three years before getting married, met on Bumble. Kelly sent the first message, “but I made the first move and asked Kelly to go out for drinks.” 

Trip of a lifetime 

The couple combined both of their vacay personalities (adventurous and relaxed) to create the perfect getaway. They started on the beach in Bali, Indonesia, traveled to Sydney, Australia, and the Gold Coast, wine-tasted in the north and south of New Zealand, then finished in a bungalow in Bora Bora. 

The fine details

Event planner Kerri Johnson (Elle Loren & Co.) Officiant Emily’s best friend Catering The Clifton Flowers Tori Hardy  Cake Maliha Creations Music The Masters of the Ceremony (DJ Adolphus Louis Maples) Brides’ attire BHLDN (Kelly), Noemi gown from Sarah Seven (Emily) Bridesmaids’ dresses Birdie Grey Rings Blue Nile (wedding bands), L. Priori Jewelry (Kelly’s engagement ring), Yadav Jewelry (Emily’s engagement ring) Hair and makeup Emily Tucker of Emily Artistry Videographer Altamira Film Co.

Ashton Mann &  Jack Neary

August 5, 2023, at Veritas Vineyards

Photography by Danielle J. Norton Photography

Inspired by their vineyard venue, Ashton and Jack decided to create a colorful garden party-themed wedding—with an abundance of florals.

“We wanted to incorporate color and florals wherever we could to create a welcoming and fun environment. We had such a hard time narrowing down what color florals we wanted to go with,” says the bride. “So we just decided to go with them all!” Steelcut Flower Co. put together bountiful bouquets in pinks, oranges, purples, and blues, and created a flower cross at the end of the aisle, which ended up being one of the couple’s favorite details from the day. 

Among their favorite moments? When Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” started playing while they were on the dance floor. “Everyone was singing it at the top of their lungs,” Ashton says. As for Jack, listening to his great-uncle Tom, their wedding officiant, deliver a homily about marriage. 

“He talked about how sweet marriage is and what a gift it can be to share life with someone,” he says. “Getting to stand by Ashton and hear that beautiful message reminded me how special it was to get to marry my best friend and get to spend the rest of my life with her.”

Belly up

The couple created the Jack & Ashton Bar, an outdoor spot for guests to relax and enjoy a cigar (Ashton was named after a cigar brand) and a sip of Jack Daniels. 

Southern eats

Veritas’ Southern-inspired menu appealed to the couple. They had the most fun picking out appetizers for cocktail hour—Virginia ham biscuits with apple butter, buttermilk fried chicken with spicy ranch, fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and green onions.

Crossing paths

Both University of Virginia alums,
Ashton and Jack were in the same friend group, lived next door to each other,
and were involved in the same college ministry group before they started dating in February 2020.

Bring the fun

Now that they’re married, the couple says they’re enjoying everyday life. “Even mundane tasks and errands can be joyful and filled with laughter,” says Ashton.

The fine details

Event planner Emily King (Just a Little Ditty) Officiant The groom’s great-uncle Catering Veritas Vineyards Flowers Steelcut Flower Co. Cake Cake Bloom Music Morwenna & Jay (ceremony); DJ Derek Tobler (reception) Bride’s attire Suzanne Neville from Zoya’s Atelier Shoes ALOHAS Groom’s attire Ralph Lauren Groomsmen’s attire Vera Wang Bridesmaids’ dresses Birdy Grey Rings Brilliant Earth Hair and makeup Avenue 42 Videographer Travel House Films Rentals Emerson James, BBJ La Tavola, Argent Events Ice cream truck Rookie’s Paper suite Rock Paper Scissors Calligrapher Calligraphy by Carole Transportation Albemarle Limousine

We already know that when it comes to attire, décor, and florals, personalization is the name if you want to make your big day your own. But your dinner menu and dessert offer myriad opportunities to customize, too, says two local vendors. Below, The Catering Outfit’s Courtney Hildebrand and Commonwealth Cake Company’s Tiffany Rosales share some insight into what couples are asking for this season.—CH

Dinner

Customization

“Menus tailored to the couple’s preferences, dietary restrictions, or cultural backgrounds are very much in demand,” Hildebrand says. “Interactive food stations or DIY food bars where guests can customize their dishes according to their tastes have been trending for a lot of our menus this year.” 

Interactive experiences

Speaking of which… Couples looking to keep guests engaged or entertained are opting for live food experiences. “We are doing a lot of weddings that have cooking stations, chef demonstrations, or tasting menus where the guests can interact with the chefs and learn about the dishes being served.”

Sustainability

With growing environmental awareness, eco-friendly catering options are top of mind, including locally sourced ingredients, zero-waste practices, compostable or reusable tableware, and plant-based menu options, Hildebrand says.

Fusion cuisine

“Mixing and matching cuisines creates a unique dining experience that reflects the couple’s backgrounds and interests,” she says. This year alone, The Catering Outfit has served a Vietnamese and French-inspired family-style menu, a Southern and Asian fusion buffet, as well as a stationed-style menu with Virginia- and India-themed items. 

Non-traditional serving styles

Buffet, plated and family-style dining have always been very popular for weddings,
Hildebrand says, but more and more couples are exploring other options: progressive grazing stations opening at different points throughout the evening or tapas-style food bars with different types of small plates for guests to grab and enjoy during an open dining period.

Inclusivity

“A lot of our couples want to ensure that all their guests, including those who don’t drink alcohol, feel included in the celebration,” Hildebrand says. “As a result, many of our couples are incorporating zero-proof cocktails into their wedding menus, either as standalone options or as part of a broader beverage selection.”

Cake

Color

Just as we’ve started seeing more color incorporated in local weddings’ overall color schemes, so too are we seeing more color on cakes. “I’m getting lots of requests for colorful cakes,” Rosales says. “Soft, muted tones that complement their florals and reception décor, and vintage piped buttercream cakes.”

Texture

Stencils, delicate hand-cut fondant details, hand-piped buttercream petals and foliage, and ethereal wafer paper or sugar paste florals are topping Tiffany Rosales’ current list of couples’ requests. Rosales says that Charlottesville is sometimes “a little behind in the trends,” but she tries to use couples’ inspiration as a starting point and then encourage more updated options. “People don’t know what they don’t know,” she says.

Flavor

When it comes to taste, Rosales says her most requested flavor is a light, refreshing citrus cake with a lemon-flecked vanilla buttercream paired with a fruit component (“usually a tart raspberry jam and our orange honey Swiss buttercream”). 

You’ve found your life partner. You both share a love of the Blue Ridge and the outdoors, and you want to have family and friends gather and share your commitment ceremony. Enter Love Ridge Mountain Lodging. 

The name is no coincidence. The little town of Love sits astride State Route 814 (aka Love Road), close to milepost 16 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The hamlet has been here for almost 100 years, pre-dating the current wedding boom in central Virginia. But now there’s a new event venue right next door.

Love Ridge Mountain Lodging is—in the best wedding tradition—something old and something new. The site opened in the 1960s as Meadow Mountain Campground, then became Royal Oaks when cabins were added in the 1990s. Natasha Sienitsky and her husband Oliver Platts-Mills, who run Charlottesville real estate development and renovation firm 6th and Dice, took over the complex in 2022 and re-named it to fit their vision of creating an all-in-one site for getaways, events—and weddings. 

“We found this place that needed love and renovation,” recalls Sienitsky; she and her husband are both big nature and Blue Ridge fans and own a renovated cabin in the area. “It wasn’t hard to see its potential. But we needed to keep the place running, so we began renovating one building at a time.” 

The accommodation renovations are now complete. Love Ridge has 12 units available (three family houses and nine cabins) that can sleep up to 75. Or more, if you have adventurous guests—there’s also a newly refurbished, small-scale forested drive-in campground with a brand-new camphouse featuring a community kitchen, restrooms, hot showers, and two glamping bedrooms.

While Love Ridge is well suited for single, couple, or family mountain getaways, Sienitsky says they planned from the beginning to make it more workable as a single-event venue. The couple renovated the existing lodge into a 2,000 square-foot event space that can seat up to 120 guests (or handle up to 150 for a reception), with four restrooms and a catering kitchen. The adjacent 3,000 square-foot Gathering Lawn, rimmed by plantings of multi-seasonal flowering native plants, overlooks the Three Ridges Wilderness Area—making it a wonderful site for the ceremony or a post-wedding social gathering, open-air or tented to accommodate up to 200 guests.

As a fairly new event venue, Love Ridge is still developing relationships with wedding planners and a list of preferred vendors. But its owners are committed to being both flexible and helpful, and Sienitsky notes there will always be a staff person on site for events if help is needed: “We do have a great team up there.”

One added benefit: The setting is amazing for all sorts of outdoor activities. Love Ridge has its own walking trails, and the beauties of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail, Sherando Lake, and Shenandoah National Park are only a drive, hike, or bicycle ride away. Man-made entertainment is also nearby—Nelson County’s Route 151 and Wintergreen Resort, and, during evening or bad weather, the shopping, dining, museums, and theater in Waynesboro, Staunton, and Charlottesville. And after a full day, Love Ridge is also a dark skies site to enjoy from your front porch or around the fire pit.

Wedding photos can be formal or casual, posed or of the moment. Or you can step into the booth…

Kyle Kirkeide turned his own wedding guest experience into The Photobooth Company. “I went to my sister’s wedding in Florida in 2011, and they had a photo booth set up,” he recalls. “Afterwards, I started thinking about it—my wife had left her job, we had young kids. I thought it was great idea for Charlottesville—we have so many events and weddings here. I found a company to get the equipment, and started out doing events at UVA [his alma mater].” 

A decade later, Kirkeide’s idea for a side hustle now handles about 60 events a year (“roughly one a week”). About half of them are weddings.

One of the things that makes The Photobooth Company perfect for weddings, in Kirkeide’s view, is that “we customize the whole thing to what you want.” The company offers two set-up options: the traditional booth, where people go in and sit before the camera (“although our booths allow for a much closer shot”), and a more open setup with an 8’x8′ customized backdrop. 

For each “sitting,” guests get photos printed on a strip customized for the big day. The booth produces copies for the guests, and an extra one for the newlyweds. “Then we bind all the photos together into a scrapbook for the couple—many of them use also use it as a guest book and have people sign,” says Kirkeide. The couple also gets a digital version.

It’s your day, so if you want formal photos, The Photobooth can produce them. If your wedding leans more to the causal and creative, you can have that too—with a wide range of props and costume items that the company provides. “We end up doing props for most of our events,” Kirkeide says. “People like that, and it can be something that fits with your wedding theme—or it can be your university, or people’s pets.” (And, in case you’re worried about posterity, there’s a television monitor in which guests can check how they look before the camera snaps.)

What makes photo booths so popular? Kirkeide thinks part of the appeal is “a bit of nostalgia” for the days before a camera/phone in your pocket. A photo booth also provides a memento for both guests and the couple, without anyone having to worry about carrying a camera, getting everyone in the selfie, or finding someone willing to take “just one shot for us.” 

“Kids love photo booths,” Kirkeide says—a real benefit for anyone who has tried to keep youngsters entertained or get reluctant adolescents into a family photo. “And this gives guests something to do—not everyone wants to dance, so during the music they can come play around in the booth. There are always a few guests who are really enthused about it, and bring other people over.”

Pricing for a wedding is in the $800-900 range for a four-hour rental, says Kirkeide, depending on the guest count and the distance to the venue. Because it is a side business, and there are busy wedding months, Kirkeide prefers a few weeks’ notice to help in scheduling and producing custom graphics.

Then, once the big day comes, all you have to do is smile for the camera.

When it comes to weddings, sustainability is always in. Thrifting centerpieces, upcycling a secondhand gown, and asking for charitable donations in lieu of gifts (do you really need that new set of silver?) are just a few easy swaps you can make that will have the planet—and your wallet—thanking you. To help you get started, wedding planner Marilyn Speight of Just a Little Ditty shares her green tips on everything from food to flowers.­—Maeve Hayden

The big question: How can I make my wedding more eco-friendly? 

From Marilyn Speight: Sustainability is an incredibly important factor in event planning. Reducing the effect of a celebration on the environment is crucial when navigating a typically high-waste moment like a one-off party. No matter the area or scale, there are so many ways you can be sustainable that are intentional and thoughtful, while still designing a moment that meets your vision. Here are a few areas we consider when trying to make our client’s weddings and events more eco-friendly.

Food & beverage

Here, we really lean into your catering team. Focusing on local or seasonal food and beverages is huge. We’re lucky to live in the heart of Virginia wine country, so many weddings we produce are connected to or take place at vineyards. Serving wine to your guests that was created on-site is about as sustainable as you can get. 

Plated dinners require less food than a station or buffet approach. If your goal is to produce less, this is often the way to go. Sometimes, we’ve also been able to donate leftovers to homeless shelters (make sure to check your local health codes). 

Florals & décor

The majority of floral designers we work with takes great strides to source their flowers locally, which reduces travel and shipping impacts. We’ve also had couples who incorporate potted plants instead of fresh-cut blooms. From orchids to herbs, there are so many gorgeous options that can be easily reused or transplanted into soil after the shindig is over. That’s always a top goal with any floral approach—to repurpose as much as possible on-site and then give them a second life post-event. 

As for other décor, using a solid rental company is one of the No. 1 ways you can positively impact the carbon footprint of your big day. Buying 200 new chargers that you’ll use one time, versus renting that same charger from a company, is inherently sustainable. 

Gifts

Welcome or celebration gifts for your guests are one of our favorite ways to show hospitality, and be environmentally conscious. Reusable items made of quality materials go a long way. Fabric bags over paper, glass bottles over plastic, minimal packaging over all the bells and whistles. You can make a big impression on your guests while keeping your impact on nature small.