A Family Affair | Brian & Mark
Well, November 3rd, 2019 was a very special wedding at Keswick Vineyards. Our very own Brian Schornberg got married!!! Brian is my right-hand man when it comes to weddings. We have worked side by side for over 8 years doing weddings at Keswick Vineyards. Obviously, our relationship goes deeper than just working together, for we are family. So, for this wedding, we got to experience what it is like to be the groom and a parent. Warning….this is going to be a long blog so grab a coffee or a glass of wine!
Having hosted more then 400 weddings at Keswick Vineyards, Brian had plenty of ideas of how he envisioned their wedding starting with the ceremony. Earlier this year we saw a couple who entered their ceremony by walking in together. They walked around our fountain and were then married in the middle of our main estate driveway. Brian and I really liked how that looked and decided that this would be the perfect entrance for them (with a few adjustments).
It was then decided that Brian’s parents and wedding party would go around the fountain on the right side and Mark’s parents and wedding party would go around the left of the fountain. The entire wedding party walked individually and would zig-zag from right side to left side of fountain and then finding their way to the alter. It was a great way for guest to see who in the wedding party was on Brian or Mark’s side. Another visual aide that I simply LOVED and have never seen before was how Brian and Mark wore different styles of ties and then had each of their groomsmen wear that style. So again, it let people throughout the wedding night remember who they were connected to since you had groomsmen and bridesmaids on both sides.
Topping off the ceremony had to be their officiant, our very own Winemaker and Brother-in-law to Brian, Stephen. I have to say, Stephen is the best officiant I have ever seen. I’ve been fortunately enough to witness him marrying about 4 couples now and he never disappoints. With his South African accent and good looks, he has a way of captivating the audience. Stephen would tell personal stories of how Brian and Mark met, to adding a touch of humor, to the serious business of their wedding vows. Thank you, Stephen, for doing such an amazing job personalizing this ceremony. You’re the best!
These photos were taken by Sam Hurd Photography
After the ceremony guests enjoyed some delicious appetizers prepared by The Catering Outfit. Cocktail hour was held under our 300+ year old historic oak tree. With daylight savings happening that day, it was dark by 6:00pm. No worries. Hang some bistro lights and you have a beautiful, ambient glow above your guest as they sip Keswick Vineyards award winning wines.
Displayed in the cocktail lawn near the entrance to the tent, an old, antique door that once hung inside Edgewood Estate was used to hang metal keys that had each guests name on it along with what table they were sitting at. Not only did this provide vital information to the guest, it also was a perfect souvenir for guest to keep to forever remember this special day.
Now look at the tent. How amazing does it look? I just loved the colors that Brian & Mark chose. Dublin gray tablecloths with rust colored napkins! Matching those colors were copper colored vases, chargers and silverware. The simplicity of small vases going down the head table with a variety of fall color greenery looked so elegant. Amy Webb, Owner of Blue Ridge Florals, did an amazing job with florals and brought their vision to life so thank you Amy! You’re the best!!!
With Keswick Vineyards being Brian’s family business, he wanted to make his wedding reception look a little different then all the weddings we have here. So, versus using our Chiavari chairs, he rented cross back chairs. I’ve got to say, that little change did make a huge visual difference from what we are used to seeing so this little change made Brian’s wedding feel different which was important to him. And one other rental that really stood out was the wood bars from MS Events. Just look how amazing the tables look with that bar! Brian and Mark really had a great eye when they decided how to decorate their reception. Intermixing round and rectangular tables are a look I highly recommend. MS Events has so many wonderful rentals that couples can achieve any look they can imagine so thank you MS Events for nailing it!!!
Now, not only did Brian have his Brother-in-law play such an important role for his wedding, but his sister Kathy has an amazing talent of making the most delicious desserts that no one could resist the tasty treats she made! You know that those desserts were so full of love which made every bite that much better! Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your baking talent!!!
And since we are talking family, just look at those beautiful flower girls! Brian had his nieces, Tigerlilly and Aria, do the honors. It was so beautiful to see the pride these girls had being part of Brian & Mark’s big day. And speaking of pride, I guess you can’t have a gay wedding without at least one rainbow sign, right? Thank you to Brian’s other sister, Kris, for his artistry.
Food is such an important part of a wedding and The Catering Outfit did an amazing job pleasing everyone’s tummies! Brian and Mark chose family style which was perfect for this group. Catering will bring large platters of food to be passed around at each individual table allowing everyone to take as much or little of each item. And, if the platters run out, catering will come and replenish them for those who just can’t get enough. Thank you to The Catering Outfit, for doing such an amazing job with everything that night. The success of that night couldn’t have happened without all your help, especially Courtney! Thank you!!!!
Another special touch that was at each plate setting was a small bottle of hot sauce. This was no ordinary hot sauce. This is a hot sauce made by Mark and his family. Just another example of how “family” was intertwined in this marriage.
And now that everyone had full tummies, it was time to party, and this was one group that kept the dance floor hopping all night long! Under the expertise of DJ Frank Smith, he knew exactly what type of music to play to keep that party going. We did have to take a little break to catch our breath (and get a drink) which was the perfect time for Brian & Mark to do the “shoe” game. During this game, the DJ will ask the couple different questions like, “Who said I love you first?” and the couple has to raise the shoe of who they think said that. In this case, instead of shoes, Mark & Brian held paddles to distinguish their answer. As you can see by this photo, this game is a crowd pleaser.
A special shout out also has to go to Ryan who works the weddings with Brian and I. He was given the reins to take over as the day of coordinator and did a fantastic job. It was awesome to have the three of us on the dance floor having fun since normally the only time we are on a dance floor during a wedding is to clean up broken glass!
Finishing off the night, the couple did a sparkler departure. What a beautiful day/night this was for all! Congratulations to Brian & Mark and welcome to our family!
Thank you again to all of these incredible people who helped make this dream wedding come true for all of us!
Wedding Planning by Keswick Vineyards
Catering by The Catering Outfit
Photography by Sam Hurd Photography (the photos in this blog, except where marked, were taken by owner of Keswick Vineyards, Cindy Schornberg)
Videography by Yeattes Productions, Mark Yeattes
Ceremony by Winemaker of Keswick Vineyards, Stephen Barnard
Ceremony Music by Triforce Quartet
Reception Music by Prime Time Event Group, DJ Frank Smith
Florals by Blue Ridge Floral Design, Amy Webb
Cake by Melissa Close-Hart of Junction
Cake-Pops by Kat Schornberg
Donut Truck by Carpe Donut
Hair and Make Up by Jeanne Cusick
Rentals by MS Events
Lighting by Skyline Tent Company