Our Wedding Blog

Keswick 11/10/18 Keswick 11/10/18

Jess & DJ’s Wedding Day | Jess & DJ

On Saturday, November 10th, Jess and DJ were married at Keswick Vineyards on a brisk, fall day. With the foliage colors still beaming on the mountain side, it was a must to hold their ceremony in our “fall” location which gives guests the optimal view of the Estate, fountain, vineyard and mountains. Even though the day was a little chillier then it should have been for this time of year, the sun beaming through the trees provided just enough warmth to make their ceremony picture perfect.

Since this is Keswick Vineyards 8th year doing weddings and have done over 350 weddings, it is hard for us to see something new. So, when we saw what Jess & DJ were doing for their guest book, we definitely had to share. Versus the traditional guest book, Jess & DJ had a wood blank puzzle made. Each guest would sign a puzzle piece eventually signing each piece to create a forever heirloom of their special day.

Congratulations, Jess and DJ! We hope that you enjoyed your “mini-moon” and we hope that your lives are as perfect as your wedding was!

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

Event Planner: Karissa Coffey, Caterer: Harvest Moon, Officiants: Doug White Sr. and Dave Norris, Desserts: Passionflower Cakes, DJ: Dennis Payne, Photographer: Mike Topham, Hair and Makeup Artist: Lou Stevens, Florist: Willow Branch Flowers, Transportation: James River and A & A Limo, Rentals: Harvest Moon, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 11/4/18 Keswick 11/4/18

Falling for Fall | Siobhan & Chris

On Sunday, November 4th, Siobhan and Chris were married at Keswick Vineyards. Taking full advantage of choosing this date for the prime foliage colors of fall, they naturally chose our “fall location” to say their I do’s. With so many ceremony site locations it can be hard for our couples to choose their favorite. But at this time of the year it is pretty obvious why most of our couples choose our “fall location”. We gave this location that nickname because in the fall you have a spectacular 180-degree view of an estate, fountain, vineyard and mountains all bursting with fall colors. It really is hard to fully capture this view but believe me, it is AMAZING!!!

To add to the spectacular view, Mother Nature did her part by providing them the perfect weather. Once again, doing the Southern tradition of burying a bottle of bourbon a month before their wedding date paid off. Originally Siobhan and Chris planned on mailing us their bourbon to bury for them since they are not local. When that didn’t happen, they chose to bury 2 small “airplane” size bourbon bottles in a pot that Chris’s family had received when his sister unexpectedly died. They brought that special pot with them and unearthed the bourbon and enjoyed the comfort it brought them.

Now, when you think of fall, most people think of apple cider and donuts. So, Siobhan and Chris opted for a donut food truck versus a traditional wedding cake. Guest would make their way to Carpe Donuts food truck and enjoy a freshly made, apple cider donut with the traditional cinnamon & sugar or maple-glaze on them. Nothing like the smell of fresh donuts to warm the heart.

But, if that wasn’t enough for their guests to stay warm, DJ TD Layman of Sound Enforcement got the party really going by playing the hottest hits. It was such a pleasure to see how happy Siobhan was on the dance floor with all her family and friends. She definitely had a great time and looked amazing (yes Chris, you looked very handsome too!) And then, with a bubble departure, they were off to live happily ever after.

Thank you to the following vendors for providing such exceptional service:

Event Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Caterer: Pumpernickel Pickle, Florist: The Faded Poppy, DJ: TD Layman of Sound Enforcement, Videographer: Silver Streak Weddings, Photographer: Ward Photography, Desserts: Carpe Donut, Rentals: MS Events, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 10/21/18 Keswick 10/21/18

Beautiful October | Sara & Charlie

Sara and Charlie’s October 21st wedding had all the fall feels to it! Along with the cool weather, the colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains, vineyard, and trees changed drastically to their vibrant orange, yellow, and red autumnal colors. Needless to say, we really felt the season’s tidings at this Keswick Vineyards’ wedding!

The fall colors complemented the beautiful green and white colors that Sara and Charlie’s florist (who drove all the way from North Carolina!) decked out the ceremony space with. On the wooden pergola was white drapery with a plethora of roses and other flowers adorning it. The ceremony space was absolutely romantic with the sun beaming behind Sara and Charlie, and of course, Chancey, their designated ring bearer/pup, enjoying every second of his parents’ marriage.

One of our favorite details to this wedding was the oyster bar that was setup for guests during cocktail hour! A representative from Rappahannock Oyster Company shucked three types of oysters for guests to enjoy along with their cocktails. It’s not every day that you see oyster bars at weddings!

Another item that you don’t see at very many weddings are cork place cards. Sara and Charlie wrote, in cursive, place cards for all of their guests that was attached to a wine work. On each wine work, though, was a little succulent atop it. It seems as though succulents are a trend this year, but we haven’t seen them incorporated into wine corks!

Congratulations to a sweet couple on their marriage! We hope that you two (and Chancey) enjoy your lives together!

Thank you to the following vendors for their hard work:

Wedding Planner: Hannah Dubit with Exchange Events, Officiant: Charlie White, Caterer: Exchange Events, Desserts: Sweethaus, DJ: Derek Tobler, Photographer: Lauren Rosenau, Videographer: Joy Gaba, Photobooth: Mox Box, Hair and Makeup: Gohar Beaver and Jeanne Cusick, Florist: What’s Up Buttercup, Transportation: Easy Riders, Rentals: MS Events, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company, Oyster Bar: Rappahannock Oyster Company.

Keswick 10/20/18 Keswick 10/20/18

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.