Caite has been at C-VILLE since 2007, when she started as a part-time proofreader. Over the last 16 years, she's held the positions of Online Editor and Special Sections Editor. Currently the Magazine Editor of C-VILLE, Caite oversees content in special issues and special publications (ABODE, Knife & Fork, C-VILLE Weddings, and Best of C-VILLE).
When Blenheim Vineyards launched Oenoverse in 2022, it envisioned an inclusive space that would pair wine and community. Since then, the wine club has hosted and promoted events that spotlight what’s cool about Virginia wine, all while making sure anyone who’s interested can be part of the conversation. After all, isn’t half of enjoying wine about bringing people together?
Pint-sized Belmont pie hole/bar Lampo took over the former Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative space earlier this year and opened Bar Baleno (Italian for flash). With room enough for 60 guests, the small event space offers Lampo’s full menu for seated dinners or cocktail parties. On Thursday evenings the bar is open to the public, and industry folks should keep watch: Baleno regularly stays open late just for waitstaff, post-service.
We’d never deny the appeal of grabbing a perfectly chilled glass of wine and parking ourselves on a patio to overlook a mountain view. But sometimes the best view is coming from … inside the house. Such is the case at Glasshouse Winery in Free Union, where you can enjoy your Brosé (a Barbera rosé, that is) in the tropical conservatory. Air-conditioned with seats in partial or full shade (i.e. your glass will be the only thing sweating), it’s a unique experience to be seated among a tangle of banana tree, birds of paradise, and fiddle leaf figs.
Jessica Carter believes that personal development should begin on the field. But not everyone has access to the kind of athletic opportunities that facilitate that kind of growth—and in fact, girls drop out of sports at double the rate boys do by age 14. So in 2020, the former Charlottesville High School JV girls basketball coach and Mary Baldwin University’s all-time leading basketball scorer founded HER Sports. An acronym for Hustle to Earn Respect, the nonprofit uses clinics, training opportunities, and partnerships with local organizations to break down the barriers that prevent girls from engaging in sports, and provide character and leadership development.
It’s always fun to see a local face on TV (remember when chef Laura Fonner won “Guy’s Grocery Games”?). This summer, it was area realtor Kara Rojer (formerly Bass), who with her now-husband Guillermo Rojer appeared on TLC’s “90-Day Fiancé,” a show in which couples with foreign fiancés who’ve applied for a Visa have 90 days to marry or break up. Rojer and her husband, who is from Venezuela, were the first couple on their season to wed, and welcomed a baby boy in November of 2022. Dreams really do come true.
We’ve all seen the pictures on Pinterest—wooden palettes with thoughtful arrangements of salami, a trail of bright dried apricots snaking its way through meat and cheese. For many of us, the art of cheeseboarding seems a little beyond our ability. How do I know which cheese to choose? Which flowers are edible? Where do I find Marcona almonds? With Peck, Cecilia Laseter aims to make it easy (as well as cheesy).
Laseter’s Charlottesville food scene roots run deep—she was in marketing and business development with Relay Foods as the company got off the ground, then moved to working in the kitchen at former West Main hot spot Zinc with Justin Hershey. But after earning her MBA from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business in Austin, a marketing gig with Whole Foods’ corporate office, and some time off to be with her first child, in 2020 she got back into the culinary world.
“I started [Peck] in Austin as a sort of Blue Apron for charcuterie boards shipped across the country, but as the pandemic hit, we quickly moved into hosting virtual charcuterie building workshops for companies with remote workers across the country.” The virtual classes are still the bread and butter (cheese and cracker?) of her business, but if you’re just one person looking to build a beautiful board, Peck is the place.
Here’s how it works: Head to peckboards.com, pick out the one that catches your eye, and hit “Add to cart.” Peck will send you everything you need (including fresh fruit and edible flowers or herbs) and provide a guide for assembly.
Laseter says she uses a specialty food distributor for most of the products, but Peck is adding more and more local flavors to the offerings, too, like honey from Sourwood Farm.
“We’ve carefully curated our cheese selections to create balance on our boards,” Laseter says. “After all, variety and balance are the key to building a beautiful board in our book.”
Still have questions? Stop by Peck’s Charlottesville outpost (at 213 E. Water St.) to talk through the right combo of cheese textures and flavors, or pick up a pre-made board.
Words by Caite Hamilton | Photography by Kir Tuben Photography
Karly Bardy & AJ Neuharth-Keusch
September 17, 2021, at Keswick Vineyards
When Karly and AJ had to switch from a Washington, D.C., wedding on New Year’s Eve to a fall wedding in Virginia due to COVID, all of the details ended up switching, too.
“Everything was white, green, and gold,” says Karly. “When we had to pivot to a fall wedding, I wanted the complete opposite.” The bride gave creative liberty to her florist, specifying she wanted tons of florals, greenery, and pattern play. Oh, and lots of candles.
What the couple ended up with was beyond their wildest dreams, and Karly says seeing the reception space after their “I dos” was her favorite moment.
“While everything was planned to a T, somehow seeing it all come together felt like a surprise,” she says. Because they had to cancel their original wedding, “it felt like such a special triumph within those first few wedded moments as husband and wife following the ceremony.”
On the menu
Guests arrived and were greeted with an Aperol Spritz. For dinner, family-style Italian cuisine from Harvest Moon created a convivial feel. Plus, the food continued late into the night, with a wall of Italian desserts. “Lots of carbs!” says the bride.
School rules
Karly and AJ met during their senior year at Radford University and were together eight years before tying the knot.
Signature moves
The bride says she and AJ incorporated lots of personal touches throughout the day to make their wedding feel more like “them,” including having the string quartet play current hits from Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, using a classic black and white dance floor, and changing outfits (both of them!) toward the end of the evening.
The details
Event planner: Rachel Rice (The One Moment Events) Officiant: Sarah Pete Catering: Harvest Moon Catering Flowers: Bee Inspired Music: Gravatt Productions (ceremony), DJ Dan Huynh (reception) Bride’s attire: Lovely Bride (first dress), Bronx and Banco (second dress) Shoes: Lulu’s Bridesmaids’ dresses: Revelry Rings: Ascot Diamonds, Cartier (bands) Hair: Claudine Fay Makeup: Makeup by Shirin Videographer: TLIC Media
Words by Caite Hamilton | Photography by Hannah Malloy Photography
Laura Muñiz & Dustin Harrell
April 30, 2022, at The Market at Grelen
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Laura knew weddings there tend to be more formal. But when it came time to plan her own big day, she and her fiancé Dustin wanted to make sure the event felt like them: fun and friendly (with a little formal thrown in).
The venue helped guide the choices they made, right down to picking their wedding planner.
“I told [them] I had a vision of a black-and-white checkered dance floor, and ’60s mod colors like fuchsia, orange, pistachio and of course black, white, and metallics,” Laura says. “The team at Grelen said, ‘You need Heather Clarke.’”
The Richmond-based planner helped the look come to life, with a retro orange TV set and matching phone booth, plus pistachio table cloths, a checkered dance floor, and a disco ball.
“I had never seen a wedding like that,” says Laura. “All the elements came together harmoniously.”
Precious moments
The couple’s favorite moments? Laura says it was the first look, a moment when they could take in the day—and one another—alone together. Dustin’s? “Our first kiss.”
Big plans
Their original Japanese honeymoon was postponed thanks to COVID, so the couple re-routed, doing a tour of Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. “In May of 2023, we are planning to go to Japan and enjoy the second part of our honeymoon,” Dustin says.
Fancy meeting you here
The couple met in 2016 through a dating app called Happn, where you cross each other’s paths. Dustin sent Laura several heart charms, and they agreed to meet at Barnes & Noble.
Crazy hour
For the “hora loca,” a Latin wedding tradition, the couple amped up the party with blow-up farm animals, guitars, and a 6′-tall alien. “It was so random,” Laura says, “and a great addition to the fun feel of the wedding.”
The details
Event planner: Heather Clarke (The Hive Wedding Collective) Officiant: Casey Dokoupil Catering: Groovin’ Gourmets Flowers: Photosynthesis Floral Design Cake: Maliha Creations Music: Hercules Entertainment Bride’s attire: Atelier Lisa Porrata (Puerto Rico) Groom’s attire: Jos. A. Bank Groomsmen’s attire: Jos. A. Bank Rings: Brilliant Earth Invitations and stationery: Fingers in Ink Hair: Samphois Vickers Makeup: Rachel Austin Boxley Videographer: Amanda Monroe Finn Linens and décor: Rent Equip Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals
Words by Caite Hamilton | Photography by Ashley Cox
Emily Zboril & Brian Moy
June 25, 2022, at The Clifton
Emily and Brian knew from the start that they wanted to create a colorful experience for their guests.
“I knew I wanted our wedding to be something we’d never seen before—a day that was completely our own,” Emily says.
Achieving the goal started with the flowers. Maryland-based Sophie Felts Floral Design brought in live trees for the reception area, creating a kind of enchanted forest vibe. In fact, many guests said they felt they were on a movie set (“Harry Potter, to be exact,” says Emily). From there, a floral ceremony arch featured an ombre of orange, yellow, and fuchsia, colors reflected in bouquets throughout the wedding, as well as a unique seating display of custom vases with calligraphied names of each guest.
But while the colorful details contributed to guests’ enjoyment of the day, the couple looks back on a few particular moments that have nothing to do with the details at all. Like this one:
“After we said our ‘I dos,’ our officiant asked us to turn and look at all the people who came to support us on our wedding day,” Emily says. “We felt so much love and gratitude and having a moment to acknowledge our wonderful guests was very special to us.”
All in one
Emily and Brian wanted a venue where guests could stay on the property after the big day was over. “We knew we wouldn’t want the night to end—and we really didn’t,” says Emily. “We stayed up until like 5:30am.”
Call me
Brian and Emily met at a conference for scientists. “He told me about his dissertation work and handed me his business card!” she says.
The details
Event planner: Kim Newton Weddings Catering: The Clifton Rentals: Something Vintage Linens: La Tavola Invites and paper goods: Kelsey Malie Designs Calligraphy: Leah Letters Vinyl signs: Grofik Designs Flowers: Sophie Felts Cake: Liberty Baking Co. Music: Dan Goldman Entertainment Bride’s attire: The Bridal Room Shoes: Vans (embroidered by After August Co. Groom’s attire: J.Crew Groomsmen’s attire: J.Crew Bridesmaids’ dresses: Revelry Hair: Styled for Elegance Makeup: Avenue 42 Salon Videographer: Silver Streak Media
Words by Caite Hamilton | Photography by Omar Zeta Photography
Ashlynn Manning & Kevin Teng
August 27, 2022, at Eastwood Farm & Winery
First they decided on a cross-country move from Colorado to Virginia. Then they decided to have a baby. In the spring of 2022, Kevin proposed and they decided on a small, intimate celebration over the summer before the baby’s fall arrival. But when Ashlynn’s parents revealed they’d been saving a wedding fund for the occasion, they decided to go all in.
“We figured we’d rather have the party we could plan impulsively in a couple of months, versus the party we might never have if we waited until after the baby came,” Ashlynn says.
Mia Crump of Little Acorn Events helped them achieve their east-meets-west wedding dreams, with inspiration from Kevin’s native Singapore and Ashlynn’s artist heart. (“We both felt represented by bold, vibrant colors,” Ashlynn says.)
Between the short notice, spiked airfare, and lingering COVID concerns, they ended up with a more intimate guest count after all, but it worked in their favor.
“We had a small wedding with a big wedding lineup,” Ashlynn says. “It was abundant and glorious.”
Music-makers
The couple entered their reception to Elvis’ live intro of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (better known as the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme). “Kevin really hammed it up with Elvis poses and a fierce air guitar solo in the dance, using one of our party favor parasols as a guitar,” says Ashlynn. “It was truly magical.”
Setting pretty
“I had a vision of an outdoor tent, lit up at night,” says Ashlynn. “Eastwood had the prettiest outdoor tent we could find in the area, and a gorgeous outdoor setting for the ceremony.”
Plentiful palates
L’Étoile provided a menu to accommodate vegan and gluten-free guests. Plus, sent the couple home with leftovers that froze well and lasted until their sleepless newborn days in November.
Best dress
Kevin’s aunt is a retired fashion designer in Singapore, so while the couple was visiting, she and his mother took Ashlynn to the garment district to choose materials for her dress. She would be 28 weeks pregnant at the time of their wedding, so they decided on an empire waist and silk tulle in the skirt.
It’s tradition
To honor Kevin’s Chinese heritage, the couple poured tea for their parents.
The details
Event planner: Mia Crump (Little Acorn Events) Officiant: Arehn McCarty of Soulprint Journeys Catering: L’Étoile Flowers: Good Vibes Garden Cake: Bowerbird Bakeshop Music: 2Hype Entertainment (who was able to offer karaoke!) Bride’s attire: Custom, with modifications by Yady’s Alterations Groom’s attire: Bonobo’s Bridesmaids’ dress: Anthropologie Rings: Aurum Jewelers (Iceland) Hair and makeup: A More Beautiful You Videographer: Henri Saint-Jean (Piximpress) Transportation: Easy Riders Bus Company Ceremony and cocktail hour music: Beleza