Our Wedding Blog

Keswick 5/19/18 Keswick 5/19/18

Mais and Ben's "Royal" Wedding | Mais & Ben

Congratulations to Mais & Ben who were married at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, May 19th. Mais & Ben’s wedding had such an elegant feel to it with the bridesmaids in their pale grey dresses, holding their bouquet full of greenery, and the groomsmen matching Ben in their black tuxedos. Ben looked extremely dapper in his black tuxedo, but Mais, obviously, stole the show! All eyes were on her the entire night. She looked absolutely stunning in her strapless, lace dress.

Mais and Ben decided to have their ceremony in front of Keswick Vineyards fountain, with the Blue Ridge Mountains and vineyards as their background. Mais looked beautiful as she made her entrance escorted by her mother and father. Nowadays, you see a lot of mixing of men and women in the bridal party. Instead of having a “best man,” Ben had a “best woman,” who was his sister. Alike the groomsmen, she wore black, but she wore a chiffon dress similar to the bridesmaids. Although people are straying further away from “traditional” weddings, we love all of the fresh and contemporary ideas!

Walking into the reception felt as if you were entering a forest. The centerpieces, rather than being composed of all flowers, had cherry blossom branches. The cherry blossom branches had a slight bud break, while white roses and other pieces of greenery comprised the centerpiece. This look was carried over onto their cake with a large sugar magnolia flower on it. I swear those sugar flowers looked so real that I had to touch them to confirm they were made of sugar versus the real thing. Amazing work by their baker!

Mais had family that travelled across the Pacific Ocean, all the way from Yemen! With having a globe for guests to sign and a vintage suitcase to hold envelopes in, Ben and Mais did a great job of reflecting the travels that everyone took to be at their wedding. We also really liked the idea of using wine bottles to have each table number and guest seating information on. Very simple yet a great way to add a little flavor of a winery to the reception.

Check out Mais and Ben's wedding video by Gardenia !

Check out Kate Greer's photography from their wedding in her blog.

Thank you to all of the following vendors for their hard work:

Event Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Caterer: The Local, Photographer: Kate Greer Photography, Videographer: Gardenia Weddings, Pastry Chef: Passionflower Cakes, Florist: The Faded Poppy, DJ: T.D. Layman of Sound Enforcement, Musicians: The Madison Trio, Hair and Makeup: Kate Newman, Officiant: Claire Frances, Transportation: Camryn Limousine, Rentals: MS Events, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

The photos in this blog were taken by Cindy Schornberg. To see Kate Greer's Photography see the link above.

Keswick 5/12/18 Keswick 5/12/18

The Unbreakable Vow | Jen & Dan

Jen and Dan’s wedding at Keswick Vineyards on May 12, 2018 was one that was so stunning and had guests raving about how beautiful it was as soon as they entered through the carport and out to the ceremony. For a May wedding, it was a little hotter than usual, but everything turned out to be perfect. Firstly, there was flowers placed everywhere! As soon as guests walked through the carport area, there was a large arrangement on the gift table and as they approached the ceremony space, you could see all the stunning roses and greenery that adorned the rustic arbor. You could also catch a glimpse of the cocktail hour area, where the cocktail tables were wrapped up in greenery. We loved the entire setup of Jen and Dan’s wedding and were obsessed with how romantic everything looked!

The best part of the day, though, was, hands-down, the ceremony. The Bloom Trio played soft melodies, while everyone was waiting in anticipation for the wedding party to enter. As soon as the officiant, Cory Newell, entered the top of the aisle, the fountain shut off, signaling that the wedding party was about to enter. Dan and his groomsmen looked so handsome, while Jen, in her beautiful, beaded gown, was so stunning along with all of her bridesmaids. Pastor Corey gave us a background of Jen and Dan’s life together and how Dan proposed to Jen. He told us that, like true Harry Potter fans, Dan called Jen upstairs to a room in their home, where he opened Harry Potter to the chapter entitled “The Unbreakable Vow.” When Jen found Dan upstairs in the house that they were about to move out of, she found him kneeling and asked Jen to marry him. While the entire ceremony was so sweet, the most touching part was the vows that Dan and Jen wrote to each other. Both of them gave the crowd insight to how much they really loved each other and how much they have been through together to get to where they are now. You could just hear the sniffling of all the guests and I was, quite literally, balling my eyes out. It was such an endearing moment for everyone!

When the ceremony ended, and guests proceeded from the ceremony to cocktail hour, they saw the magnificent cheese board that Harvest Moon put together for guests to enjoy. Also, during cocktail hour, we had two of our own employees that conducted a wine tasting for guests to enjoy while they were mingling amongst themselves. Guests could enjoy four different wines that were provided from Keswick Vineyards that were picked by the couple. Our employees had so much fun describing our wines to the guests and giving the more information about Keswick Vineyards.

The lounge area that was set up in the gazebo was also available for guests to enjoy during cocktail hour. Paisley and Jade had set up a couch with a coffee table and some other pieces of lounge furniture that gave it a very bohemian feel. Along the top of the gazebo, a white drapery was hung to give it the “romantic” feel that the entirety of the wedding had.

When looking into the tent from the gazebo, you could see the chalkboard bar that a calligraphist wrote on for the couple. Across it was written “Jen and Dan, May 12, 2018,” with flowers that were placed in the corners of the bar sign. We thought that the bar was a great way to incorporate the couple’s name to make it more representative of the couple. We loved seeing all of the beautiful ideas that Jen and Dan integrated into their wedding and cannot wait to see more weddings that were as beautiful as this one. Congratulations, Jen and Dan! If the four-leaf clover that we found isn’t a testament to how your lives will be together, I don’t know what is! We hope that you enjoy your “magical” lives together!

Thank you to the following vendors for all of their hard work:

Event Planner and Florist: Honey Armstrong with Kim Moody Designs, Officiant: Cory Newell, Caterer: Harvest Moon, Wine Tasting: Keswick Vineyards, Desserts: Cakes by Rachel, DJ: Eric Herod, Musician: The Bloom Trio, Photographer: Robert Radifera, Videographer: eMotion Productions, Photobooth: Photobooth of Charlottesville, Hair and Makeup: Avenue 42, Transportation: Albemarle Limousine, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company, Rentals: Kim Moody Designs, Paisley and Jade, and Harvest Moon Catering.

Keswick 4/29/18 Keswick 4/29/18

Evviva Gli Sposi! | Nikki & Rosie

Tanti auguri per una vita felice insieme, Nikki and Rosie! Many wishes for a happy life together, Nikki and Rosie! Nikki and Rosie’s wedding day, which took place on April 29th at Keswick Vineyards, was one where we felt as if we were actually in Italy! They had family visiting all the way from around Sicily to see the beautiful matrimony of Nikki and Rosie. The entire night screamed “elegance,” and was full of dancing and laughter from the arrival of the couple until the very last song of the night.

Nikki and Rosie decided to go with the traditional custom of getting married at a Catholic Church, the Church of the Redeemer, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. When they showed up to Keswick Vineyards, we were completely taken aback by how elegant everyone looked. Nikki wore a stunning lace dress, while Rosie complemented her in an all-white suite and shoes. The bridesmaids were dazzling in a rose-gold sequined dress, while the groomsmen wore sharp black tuxedos with a pink bow tie. We were obsessed with the attire of the entire wedding party!

When guests began to show up and move to cocktail hour under our three-hundred-year-old oak tree, they would go to the “wishing well,” where they would write notes to the newly-wed couple. We also loved the incorporation of the “vineyard” aspect that was added to cocktail hour. On the gift table for Nikki and Rosie was an “N” and a “R” that was concocted of wine corks. Needless to say, Lisa did an amazing job of making Nikki and Rosie’s day absolutely special. She even went as far as saving the day when the couple’s original cake was dropped. She quickly made the call to Chandler’s Bakery, one of our local bakery’s, to make sure that the couple still had a cake for their wedding day. It was a close call, but Lisa made no hesitation in perfecting Nikki and Rosie’s wedding day.

In addition to the cake, Nikki and Rosie also had a dessert table that was placed under the gazebo. The dessert table was, of course, Italian-themed with a various assortment of cookies, cannoli’s, and candies. It was hard for guests to stay away from such an appealing table!

As guests moved from cocktail hour to the reception, they were amazed by how everything was placed. The couple decided to stick with their chic setup, where the table runners and cake table matched the bridesmaid’s dress with rose-gold sequins. A particular aspect of the tent that we thought was quite endearing, though, was the fact that Rosie decided to surprise Nikki with the bistro lighting in the tent. A few days prior to the wedding, Rosie contacted our tent company, Skyline, to see whether they could accommodate to setting the bistro lights up for his bride on their special day. How sweet is that?

We thought that it was so nice that the reception was extremely laid back and that guests could enjoy the reception however they wanted. They, quite literally, “danced the night away,” where they would stop intermittently to eat but danced the entire night. EAT Catering, who Rosie’s family has been friends with for a while and even did another wedding for them, cooked filet mignon for the guests and made sure that the night ran flawlessly. We loved having them here for the first time and look forward to having them back again!

After a long night of dancing, everyone said their “goodbyes” with a sparkler departure as Nikki and Rosie left for their honeymoon in Paris. Congratulazion, Nikki and Rosie! Enjoy your trip to the “city of love” and we hope to see you two again soon!

Thank you to the following vendors for all their hard work:

Event Planner: Lisa Cauthorne with Engagements, Caterer: EAT Catering, Pastry Chef: Impasto Bakery, Cake: Chandler’s Bakery, DJ: Jimmy Oliver Events, Photographer: Erik Leise, Videographer: Reel Lyfe Productions, Hair & Makeup: High Tech Salon, Florist: Flowers by Zoie, Transportation: Albemarle Limousine & First Class Limo, Rentals: Classic Party Rentals of Virginia, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 9/10/16 Keswick 9/10/16

A Touch of Elegance | Sarah & Wade

The ceremony site typically used for our fall location was brought to life this weekend for Wade and Sarah’s wedding. They chose to modify our usual spot and make it their own with a view that was more angled towards the vineyard so that they could enjoy more of our sweeping mountain views. Though temperatures during the day were a bit steamy, the clouds came just in time and provided a great shade for their ceremony. Not to mention overcast skies are a photographers dream!

The bridesmaids were dressed in gorgeous, flowy plum gowns and the guys all looked very dapper in their tuxedos. The luxurious feel of it all was carried throughout the details of their wedding and we loved it! The bride’s mother and her best friend helped to make sure that the couples wedding day was perfect and just the way they envisioned it. One of the details that was important to them were the chairs. They wanted to personalize and distinguish their wedding party’s chairs for reception time. To do so, they wrapped each of their chiavari chairs in bronze satin bows. It looked beautiful! Similarly, for Wade and Sarah’s sweetheart table they jazzed up their chairs in white tulle. It brought them the perfect amount of elegance!

The night was off to a great start and after the ceremony and cocktail hour guests enjoyed a beautifully plated dinner by Roadside Chive. We love when Roadside Chive comes to cater! Not only because they do a great job and make our lives easy, but also because they treat the vendors to a special vineyard view dinner while guests are dining underneath of the Sperry tent. It’s nice to be spoiled a bit and, of course, to eat with such an amazing team of wedding professionals. Something we could definitely get use to!

Great job to everyone who made Sarah and Wade’s day so great! Catering, Roadside Chive Catering. Photographer, Robert Radifera Photography. Day of coordinator, Andrea Clay. Hair & Makeup, Cville Makeup. Florist, Barnswallow Blooms. Desserts, Mon Cheri Cakes. DJ, Bob Mednikov. Musicians, Scarfullery Music. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Caroline Winters Hazelton. Transportation, Albemarle Limousine. Rentals, MS Events.