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A Grand Entrance | Kati & Russ
Kati and Russ’ wedding on October 20, 2018 had the most heartfelt ceremony that we’ve ever experienced at Keswick Vineyards. While we’ve seen a range of ceremonies that varied in religions, time, and style, we thought that Kati and Russ’ ceremony was, by far, the best one for a number of reasons. In other words, their ceremony absolutely made their wedding!
The commencement of the ceremony was, particularly, breathtaking! Kati arrived with her father in a vintage car up Keswick Vineyards’ main driveway. While guests waited for the wedding to commence in their seats, you could hear the crunching of the gravel while Kati and her father drove up. As soon as she got out of the car, a horn was played to signify the Bride’s arrival. If you’ve never experienced a grand entrance before, this was it!
What made the ceremony the most meaningful, though, was the fact that Russ’ professor, Dr. Kevin, in a way, “officiated” the wedding. Knowing that it was going to be a long ceremony, he asked the wedding party to take a seat, while he and Kati and Russ remained standing. In a “classroom-like” way, he asked his “students” questions about the significance of marriage to which they each answered correctly to his questions.
Dr. Kevin also went into the background of Kati and Russ and, with Kati and her family being from Bulgaria, touched on how they immigrated to the United States. Kati’s father moved to the United States seven years prior to the remainder of his family moving in order to create a better life for their family. We thought it was sweet to hear that the way that Kati learned English was by reading a personal favorite, Harry Potter, and translating the words as she read through the book.
If Kati’s family never moved to the United States, then Kati and Russ would never have met and began this beautiful love story! When touring Keswick Vineyards, Kati and Russ gave us a little insight to the start of their relationship. While at a bar in Washington D.C., Kati slipped Russ a note on the back of a receipt that said, “I just saw you and I know this is crazy but here is my number so call me maybe? -K.” I’m sure that everyone could guess what their song was played based upon this story! Not only was that incorporated into the night, but they also had the note framed on their gift table for guests to see while signing their guest book.
The wedding was such a beautiful one and we were so elated to host Kati and Russ’ beautiful wedding at Keswick Vineyards. Congratulations to you two! We hope that you enjoy Paris!
Thank you to the following vendors for all of their hard work:
Event Planner: Logan Powell with Blue Ridge AV and Lighting, Officiant: Reverend Dr. Kendra Dean and Dr. Kevin, Caterer: Pumpernickel Pickle, Desserts: Commonwealth Cakes, DJ: Andy Wilfong with Party Masters, Photographer: Bethany Snyder, Hair and Makeup: Glo-Out Glamour Bar, Florist: Proper Petal, Transportation: James Limousine and Albemarle Limousine, Rentals: MS Events, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.
Outdoor Options | Caitlin & Brooks
Couples predominately come to Keswick Vineyards because of the natural, picturesque views. The beautiful oak trees that are over 300-years-old, the abundance of the vineyard, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background makes for picture-perfect scenery. When you think of a simply natural and beautiful setting, this is it! With outdoor settings, though, comes outdoor options! Caitlin and Brooks, who had their wedding here on September 2, 2018, was a couple that used every aspect of the natural, outdoor setting to their advantage. We loved their various, fun outdoor options and can’t wait to share it with our readers!
One thing that we recommend to our couples is to use place cards that have some weight to them. With the nice breeze that you get for being in a mountainous region, sometimes the cards cannot withstand it and, therefore, do not stay in place. Caitlin and Brooks created a window frame and wrote each table and guests’ name on it. They leaned the beautiful window frame against one of our wine barrels and placed it on the side of the stairs so that guests could see where they were to be seated. Having such a sturdy, decorative piece was ingenious! We also loved the touch of greenery and florals that made the sign really “pop!”
Amongst this sign was also a bar sign with all of the alcoholic beverages being served. Caitlin and Brooks, again, used a window frame so that guests knew exactly what was on the menu for their drink options of the day. We thought that having the bar sign rest upon an easel, opposed to on the bar, was a great way to make a simple sign more of a decorative piece that could withstand the breeze that we receive.
Our favorite “outdoor option,” though, was the Carpe Donut truck! With transitioning into fall, it’s a great option to have apple cider donuts in lieu of a cake. Guests love to go up to the truck, order their dessert, and mingle amongst other guests outside. It’s also a great option to have for coffee so that the tent space can be maximized for other things. I know that I am not speaking for myself when I say that we could never get tired of Carpe Donuts!
The remainder of the night was spent snacking on some fall-themed donuts and dancing the night away with all attention on Caitlin and Brooks. Congratulations to the happy couple!
Thank you to the following vendors for all of their hard work:
Event Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Caterer: Harvest Moon, Florist: Amanda Burnette, Officiant: Mary Schmotzer, DJ: John Garland, Desserts: Carpe Donut, Musicians: The Bloom Trio, Photographer: Jen Fariello, Hair and Makeup Artist: Top Knot and Rouge 9, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company, Rentals: La Tavola and Harvest Moon.
A Charitable Couple | Kristen & James
Keswick Vineyards, yet again, had another perfect wedding day! Kristen and James, who got married at Keswick Vineyards on August 25th, 2018, had another beautiful day with flawless weather. With their very natural color theme of greens, whites, and gold that they had, everything seemed so natural and timeless.
Kristen and James’ guest table were so simple, yet elegant with the hints of whites and greens with their floral arrangements. Our particularly favorite piece on the guest table, though, was the canvas that they had as their guest book. On it were the states of Virginia and New Hampshire, which was representative of where the couple was originally from. We thought that was a great way to incorporate a little piece of “home” that the couple could use to decorate their house together.
The most meaningful part of the day, though, was what the couple did for a charitable cause. Rather than providing gifts for everyone, they donated a portion of money to an organization for cancer patients, being that their family was affected by this tragedy. It was so heartwarming to hear what they had done, and everyone greatly appreciated their thoughtfulness.
Congratulations to the happy couple! We hope that your life continues to be filled with as much love and compassion that you portrayed to your guests during your wedding.
Thank you to the following vendors for all of their hard work:
Event Planner and Florist: Marylee Marmer Events, Caterer: Goodrich Gourmet, Officiant: Kevin Dadoly, Desserts: Sweethaus, DJ: Dennis Payne, Photographer and Videographer: Cortese Photography and Film, Hair and Makeup: Taylor Dadoly, Transportation: Easy Riders Bus Company.
The Fairy Tale Wedding | Lauren & Scotty
Many couples dream for years about how their wedding will be one day. I know that I certainly have and have a perfectly tailored Pinterest board to prove it! With that being said, a girl can dream, but the chances of my future wedding turning into my dream wedding seem pretty slim. Lauren and Scotty’s wedding on August 11, 2018 at Keswick Vineyards was, in essence, a fairytale wedding and I’m sure that the way that they envisioned their wedding was brought to life. In other words, their wedding was picture-perfect!
Lauren looked absolutely stunning in her, not one, but two wedding dresses of the day! The first was so elegant and reminded me of something only a royal would wear. In the cream-colored off-the-shoulder dress that was adorned with lace flowers and her cathedral-length veil, she could not have looked more put-together. Her second dress of the day was all white with lacing over the top of the dress. She looked absolutely divine in her “evening gown.” If her outfits changes don’t scream “princess,” I don’t know what does!
What is a princess without her royal court, though? Lauren had five cute flower girls that alerted the crowd to get ready for Lauren’s entrance. The large group of children reminded us of something that you would only see in a royal wedding! Not only were there flower girls, though, there were also three rings bearers, or should I say, “ring security.” They made quite the entrance when the officiant asked where the ring bearers were. In their sunglasses and briefcases, they trotted down the aisle to the quartet of strings playing “Mission Impossible.” The guests were laughing so hard—it was quite the entrance!
Not only was the ceremony full of energy because of the entrances of the flower girls, ring bearers, and of course, Lauren, but Maggie Smith-Kuhn painted the ceremony right as it was happening! Guests “oooh-ed” and “ahhh-ed” at how incredible the painting was and how it really captured Lauren and her “prince-charming” as they exited their ceremony. We thought that the painting was a great way to capture this special moment that the couple would remember for days and days to come.
The magic didn’t stop at the ceremony, though! With the glowing chandelier that was placed directly over the dance floor, Lauren and Scotty commenced the night by partaking in their first dance as “Mr.” and “Mrs.” Guests were also able to enjoy their four-tier cake adorned with roses along the side as the night came to an end.
Like any fairytale wedding, Lauren and Scotty, of course, departed in their magical carriage (or for us simple folk, what is known as a 1950 Bentley). As guests lined up for the sparkler departure leading up to Lauren and Scotty’s carriage, goodbyes and cheers were heard as the couple left for their trip to Bali. The night was absolutely magical, to say the least. Congratulations, Lauren and Scotty! We hope that the rest of your lives are as “magical” as this night was!
Thank you to the following vendors for all of their hard work:
Event Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Caterer: C & O, Photographer: Rebecca Keeling, Florist: The Proper Petal, Officiant: Russel Dalferes, Cake: Cakes by Rachel, DJ: Derek Tobler, Musicians: Plum Blossom String Quartet, Painter: Maggie Smith Kuhn, Hair and Makeup Artist: J.S. Bridal, Transportation: Easy Riders Bus Company & First Class Limo, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.
