Our Wedding Blog

 
 
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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.

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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.

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Explosion of Fall Colors | Kristin & Dan

I don’t think that I’ve ever seen one wedding embody the fall look to the extent that this November 3rd wedding did at Keswick Vineyards! The foliage colors were in full effect, which is what this couple wanted. Kristin and Dan searched for wedding venues near and far in order to find a venue that had the perfect fall look that they desired. After touring Keswick Vineyards, they decided that it had everything that they desired and more for their dream wedding.

While touring Keswick Vineyards last November, Kristin and Dan saw all the vibrant, fall colors that encumbered the property but particularly fell in love with our maple tree in front of the Estate that was full of golden colors. It was at that moment that they decided that that tree HAD to be the backdrop for their ceremony. So, a year later, that is exactly what they did.  They chose a beautiful location that focused on that bright, golden maple tree with the sparkling splash of water from the fountain.  With their fascination with trees, it was only natural for them to have a tree print customized for guests to sign versus a tradition guest book.  

As Kristin walked down the aisle with the golden, maple tree in the background, guests were in absolute awe of how stunning she looked. We thought that she resembled a Grace Kelley with her hair pulled back in a low bun and her modest, timeless dress. We couldn’t stop talking about how classic Kristin appeared to be!

With having a smaller wedding, Kristin and Dan decided that they wanted to divide our sailcloth tent into two separate spaces. On one side of the tent it was set up for the reception.  With pale pink color linens and greenery going up the wooden center poles of the tent, a classic feel was created. The other side of the tent was designed to have a lounge feel.  The bar along with some couches, chairs and tables allowed guests to casually mingle amongst one another while watching others dance the night away.

Congratulations to Kristin and Dan!

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

Wedding Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Officiant: John Macy, Caterer: Harvest Moon, Desserts: Sweethaus, DJ: Bob Mednikov, Photographer and Videographer: Victoria Heer and Kramer, Hair and Makeup Artist: Lucie Pellegrino and Charlottesville Makeup Artist, Florist: Hedge Fine Blooms, Transportation: Blue Ridge Tours, Rentals: MS Events, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

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A Twist in Time | Michelle & Michael

Michelle & Michael, like any newly engaged couple, immediately started to plan their wedding.  They knew they wanted to get married near Charlottesville in a tented venue.  They finally had chosen their venue and began the process of putting together their “dream team” of vendors when disaster happen.  Unfortunately, their original venue caught on fire and was no longer able to host their wedding.  How could this happen?  Only months before their wedding day?  I’m sure every bride can imagine the devastation Michelle must have been feeling.  But, sometimes in life, we are given obstacles that we have to deal with and that is exactly what Michelle & Michael did.

Keswick Vineyards, they found, was an even better choice to host their wedding at.  Being that Keswick Vineyards allow you to bring outside vendors the transition was pretty easy.  Michelle & Michael basically just had to change the location of their wedding but was able to keep the rest of their “dream team”.  I’m sure being able to do that helped alleviate some of the stress.

Their November 2nd wedding day started off just picture perfect.  The fall colors were at their peak providing a breath-taking backdrop.  Unfortunately, as the day progressed, the skies clouded up and brought some rain.  But once again, this twist to their wedding didn’t faze them at all.  They actually embraced the rain and had fun with it.  They focused on what was most important, the two of them, and the fact that they were getting married.  Everything else was secondary.  Having that attitude is critical when you are thinking of doing an outdoor wedding because you just never know what Mother Nature will provide that day. 

Keswick Vineyards has a beautiful sailcloth tent that provides the perfect cover for having to do a rain plan.  As you can see by the photos, one end of the tent is set up for the ceremony which still provides the vineyard/mountain backdrop for guests to admire.  Once the ceremony is over, those chairs are removed, and tables are moved to their reception location and the rest of the evening goes as planned.

One idea that Michelle & Michael did for their wedding I have to share.  As guests made their way to the bar after the ceremony, there was a table with wine glasses and markers on it.  Guests were instructed to take a glass which would become their party favor and decorate it however they would like to.  This would be the glass they would continue to use throughout the evening.  This is such a cute idea that serves two purposes:  a party favor and a cost saver on rentals.  Love it!

While decorating wine glasses was a fun idea for guests, guests absolutely adored the intricate groom’s cake that displayed how Michelle and Mike got engaged. While on a scuba diving trip, Mike proposed to Michelle underwater, which the cake resembled to a “T.” You don’t see groom’s cakes often, so we thought this was a nice little surprise for Mike from his Bride. 

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

Wedding Planner: 3 Tier Event Planning, Officiant: Lisa Rogers, Caterer: Hank’s Smokehouse, Desserts: Passionflower Cakes, DJ: TD Layman, Musician: Eve Waters, Photographer: Lauren Paige, Photobooth: Silly Shotz Photobooth, Hair and Makeup: Brideface Richmond, Florist: Hedge Fine Blooms, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company, Rentals: MS Events.

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