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Not Another Rainy Day :( | Erin & Rafe
What a difference a day can make. Yesterday was a beautiful, warm fall day and then today was a cold, wet fall day. I think the temperature dropped 30 degrees overnight. But, regardless of the weather, Erin and Rafe’s love for each other was as hot as ever as they celebrated their wedding on Saturday, November 4th, at Keswick Vineyards.
Erin and Rafe chose to do a first look which I highly recommend for our fall couples. With it getting dark outside much earlier, it is nice to get some of the photos out of the way while there is plenty of daylight. Both Erin and Rafe and the rest of their wedding party were such good sports dealing with the drizzle throughout the day. For a moment, we even thought we might get a break and be able to have the ceremony outside until I took one more look at the radar. No such luck. Radar was showing that the sky would be opening up right at ceremony time and it sure did. Thankfully everyone was under the tent and we just went with our rain plan for their ceremony.
Unlike the rain plan we had to do the previous weekend in which we divided the tent with one side for ceremony and the other for the reception, this wedding we did the ceremony at the top of the dance floor. The best way to describe this rain plan is that it is like a play yet the lights don’t go down. We have our props ready to go and just move items like chairs and tables as needed as we move from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception.
It is always a relief at the end of the night to hear from the couple that despite the rain they had such a great time and their guests said it was the best wedding and the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to!
Special thanks to the following vendors for making that possible:
Wedding Planner: Dickie Morris with Just a Little Ditty, Catering: C&O Restaurant, DJ: Derek Tobler, Photographer: Kristen Finn, Hair: Brianna Adams, Make-up: Rouge 9, Florals: Chris De Jong, Transportation: Charlottesville City School buses, Rentals: Skyline Tent Company, Desserts: Rachel De Jong, Officiant: Ted Munter.
An Abundance of Luck | Gabrielle & Nicholas
Well, Gabrielle and Nicholas were very happy with the beautiful, warm fall wedding day they were given. Isn’t that the only thing a couple worries about for an all outdoor wedding? So, we thought until this day. On Friday, November 3, 2017, Gabrielle and Nicholas were married at Keswick Vineyards among thousands of lady bugs! Yes, lady bugs. It was comical with how many there were. I’ve never seen such a thing. For a few hours, they were everywhere. There was nothing anyone could do, but to embrace them and work them into their day. After all, they are good luck, right???? If so, then this couple has an abundance of good luck that will last them their life time together and beyond!
I just love how Gabrielle had 2 dresses for her wedding day. She wore a traditional wedding dress for the ceremony and for some photos. She then disappeared and did a quick change that was a surprise to Nicholas. She appeared in this beautiful, floral formal dress. I just couldn’t help but take a lot of photos of her in this dress. It was a jaw dropper!
As guests made their way to the reception they had waiting for them on their plate an antique key. This was no ordinary key. This key could be used as a bottle opener! What a cute party favor. Also, under the tent, a photo booth was waiting to capture silly photos of all the guests. Guests have so much fun doing this!
Thanks to the following vendors for being “lucky” enough to help celebrate in this special marriage!
Wedding Planner: All in Events, Officiant: Dave Norris, Caterer: Travinia Italian Kitchen, Desserts: My Tiny Bakery, DJ: T.D. Layman of Sound Enforcement, Photographer: Sarah Houston Photography, Hair & Makeup: Creative Images Hair & Makeup Artistry, Florals: Blooming Occasion, Photo Booth: The Photo Booth Company, Rentals: MS Events.
First Time for Everything | Jennifer & Dustin
Well, I knew it would happen eventually, rain. It is the one thing that anyone that is planning an outdoor wedding fears. Fortunately, Keswick Vineyards has a rain plan that works out just fine, even if you lose power!
Yes, on Sunday, October 29th, Jennifer and Dustin were married at Keswick Vineyards. Only, mother Nature did not provide them with the beautiful fall day they hoped for. Instead, it was a cold, wet and windy day. So, what do our couples do when Mother Nature doesn’t give them a beautiful day? We do our rain plan and as you can see, it is still beautiful!
Jennifer’s dad made a huppah for their ceremony. He brought the white birch used for this structure all the way from Maine. Jennifer and Dustin chose to split our Sperry tent in half providing one side for the ceremony and the other side for the reception. By doing this configuration, all the guests were able to sit comfortably under the tent facing the vineyard, essentially having the same view they would have had if the ceremony was outdoors. We removed the clear sides of the tent behind the huppah so their photos would still showcase the outdoors. Once photos were done we put the sides back on to enclose the tent and start up the heaters to keep everyone warm.
The winds that night caught everyone off guard. We knew it was going to rain all day but no one had forecasts the winds that were heading our way. Just as everyone made their way through the buffet line we lost power! This is the first time in 7 years for us to lose power in the middle of a wedding. Thankfully, we have generators! Immediately the carriage house was up and running so lights, water, toilets, etc. never really stopped. Under the tent, it took us about 5-10 minutes to get all the generators running and plugged everything into them. Once that was completed, the lights, heaters, music, etc. were back on and the wedding continued.
Sometimes when your wedding day goes like this, it is one that everyone will remember. It might not have been your “dream” wedding, but it is still your wedding. The main thing is that you are now married. Couples booking an outdoor venue must be comfortable with the fact that Mother Nature may not give them that perfect weather day and be OK with that. If not, stick to an indoor venue. But, I think you can see by my photos, that this wedding was just as beautiful and that the couple still had a wonderful time along with their guests.
Thanks to the following vendors who weathered the storm with us:
Wedding Planner & Florals: Logan Powell of Real Southern Accents, Catering: Goodrich Gourmet, Desserts: Shenandoah Sweets, DJ: Mark Allen of Class Productions DJ Service, Hair & Make-Up: Glo-out Glamour Bar, Rentals: Skyline Tent Company.
Popcorn, Anyone? | Michelle & Andy
I’m so happy to get back to Virginia after attending our son’s wedding in Michigan to witness the marriage of Michelle and Andy. On Saturday, October 28th, Michelle and Andy said, “I Do” in front of their family and friends. Once again, this couple included their dog as their ring bearer.
With Michelle and Andy both serving our military, they chose to have a POW table at their reception. For those that don’t know what that is, I will explain. A small table is set using a white linen, a dinner plate with some salt on it, a vase with a rose in it, an upside-down glass, a bible and a small plate with a lemon on it. Each of these items have a meaning. You can read about their meanings in my photo that has a frame on this table explaining it. This table is to honor military members that are no longer with us to celebrate in such occasions as a wedding. It is a reminder of the sacrifices that they have made for all of us and a way to pay respect to the fallen.
Michelle and Andy had another creative idea for their ceremony programs that I just loved! They had personalized popcorn boxes filled with popcorn on a table for guests to enjoy while waiting for the ceremony to begin. On the boxes were the detailed information about the ceremony. How cute is that?
Thanks to the following vendors for making this wedding extra special for these two:
Day of Coordinator: Keswick Vineyards, Catering by: Harvest Moon Catering, Desserts by: Paradox Pastry, DJ and Entertainer: Greg Tutwiler, Ceremony Musicians: The Madison Trio, Florals by: Foxtail Cottage Florist, Transportation by: Ambassador Limousine, Hair and Make-up by: Charlottesville Makeup Artist, Officiant: Steve Nurawski, Photographer: Zack of Bow Tie Photo.
