Our Wedding Blog

Keswick 11/9/19 Keswick 11/9/19

A Wedding that Warms the Heart | Kate & Don

On a cool, crisp day, Don and Kate said their “I Do’s” to one another at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, November 9th. The air was a little chillier than normal, but that didn’t damper the warmth and love of this wedding. For their ceremony, they chose one of our popular locations that really shows off the fall colors and landscaping! It is our classic fountain ceremony set up that highlights the symmetry of the fountain and the wedding party, but from an angle that gives guests a wonderful panoramic view of all that the Keswick Vineyards estate grounds has to offer. Accented by some wine barrels with florals and the Blue Ridge Mountains rising behind; it was a STUNNING ceremony.

Immediately after the ceremony guests headed to cocktail hour where they found luxuries furniture set up like you would find in your living room but outside! Guests really got comfortable while they had a drink, something to eat and took in the gorgeous outdoor views that Virginia offers like nowhere else. That view of the vineyard and mountains never gets old! While Don & Kate’s guest enjoyed music being performed by musician Peter Richardson, they, along with their wedding party, took off for some photos. What a beautiful couple these two made and I just love Kate’s bouquet; you can’t go wrong with a classic combination of gray and burgundy. It’s great for the guys too.

The décor of the tent combined a long, rectangular head table for the wedding party while guests were seated at round tables. The head table had dark blue napkins while the guest tables had cream colored napkins. Both had such a rich look with the gold chargers and blue table linens. What a statement for guests to see as they entered the heated Aurora tent draped with bistro lighting. Also, pre-set salads were waiting for guests to immediately enjoy. I love when weddings do this so if there is a delay for any reason with the couple entering the reception (which can happen often, usually because they want more photos!), hungry guests can begin to eat and won’t even realize there is a delay happening! Win-win.

Not only did the table settings stand out, but guests couldn’t help noticing the delicious and tempting dessert table just waiting for them to try. On top of that, with another “living room” set up under the tent, I can’t think of a better way to sit back and enjoy a wedding. Hats off to Don & Kate for making their wedding one that their guest will talk about and remember for years to come.

Special thanks to the following vendors for their professional skills at making this dream wedding a reality:

Wedding Planning by A Southern Soiree
Catering by Goodrich Gourmet
Reception Music by Sound Enforcement, DJ TD Layman
Ceremony and Cocktail Music by Peter Richardson
Photography by Hailey Pierce to see her photos from this wedding, check out her blog here!
(The photos in this blog were taken by owner of Keswick Vineyards, Cindy Schornberg)
Videography by Wrinkled Blanket Media
Cake by Cakes by Rachel
Florals by Olivera Floral Design
Ceremony by Kevin Holland
Hair and Makeup by Charlottesville Makeup Artist, Anne Kibler
Transportation by A&A Limo
Rentals by MS Events and Paisley & Jade
Bistro lighting by Skyline Tent Company

Keswick 11/3/19 Keswick 11/3/19

A Family Affair | Brian & Mark

Well, November 3rd, 2019 was a very special wedding at Keswick Vineyards. Our very own Brian Schornberg got married!!! Brian is my right-hand man when it comes to weddings. We have worked side by side for over 8 years doing weddings at Keswick Vineyards. Obviously, our relationship goes deeper than just working together, for we are family. So, for this wedding, we got to experience what it is like to be the groom and a parent. Warning….this is going to be a long blog so grab a coffee or a glass of wine!

Having hosted more then 400 weddings at Keswick Vineyards, Brian had plenty of ideas of how he envisioned their wedding starting with the ceremony. Earlier this year we saw a couple who entered their ceremony by walking in together. They walked around our fountain and were then married in the middle of our main estate driveway. Brian and I really liked how that looked and decided that this would be the perfect entrance for them (with a few adjustments).

It was then decided that Brian’s parents and wedding party would go around the fountain on the right side and Mark’s parents and wedding party would go around the left of the fountain. The entire wedding party walked individually and would zig-zag from right side to left side of fountain and then finding their way to the alter. It was a great way for guest to see who in the wedding party was on Brian or Mark’s side. Another visual aide that I simply LOVED and have never seen before was how Brian and Mark wore different styles of ties and then had each of their groomsmen wear that style. So again, it let people throughout the wedding night remember who they were connected to since you had groomsmen and bridesmaids on both sides.

Topping off the ceremony had to be their officiant, our very own Winemaker and Brother-in-law to Brian, Stephen. I have to say, Stephen is the best officiant I have ever seen. I’ve been fortunately enough to witness him marrying about 4 couples now and he never disappoints. With his South African accent and good looks, he has a way of captivating the audience. Stephen would tell personal stories of how Brian and Mark met, to adding a touch of humor, to the serious business of their wedding vows. Thank you, Stephen, for doing such an amazing job personalizing this ceremony. You’re the best!

These photos were taken by Sam Hurd Photography

After the ceremony guests enjoyed some delicious appetizers prepared by The Catering Outfit. Cocktail hour was held under our 300+ year old historic oak tree. With daylight savings happening that day, it was dark by 6:00pm. No worries. Hang some bistro lights and you have a beautiful, ambient glow above your guest as they sip Keswick Vineyards award winning wines.

Displayed in the cocktail lawn near the entrance to the tent, an old, antique door that once hung inside Edgewood Estate was used to hang metal keys that had each guests name on it along with what table they were sitting at. Not only did this provide vital information to the guest, it also was a perfect souvenir for guest to keep to forever remember this special day.

Now look at the tent. How amazing does it look? I just loved the colors that Brian & Mark chose. Dublin gray tablecloths with rust colored napkins! Matching those colors were copper colored vases, chargers and silverware. The simplicity of small vases going down the head table with a variety of fall color greenery looked so elegant. Amy Webb, Owner of Blue Ridge Florals, did an amazing job with florals and brought their vision to life so thank you Amy! You’re the best!!!

With Keswick Vineyards being Brian’s family business, he wanted to make his wedding reception look a little different then all the weddings we have here. So, versus using our Chiavari chairs, he rented cross back chairs. I’ve got to say, that little change did make a huge visual difference from what we are used to seeing so this little change made Brian’s wedding feel different which was important to him. And one other rental that really stood out was the wood bars from MS Events. Just look how amazing the tables look with that bar! Brian and Mark really had a great eye when they decided how to decorate their reception. Intermixing round and rectangular tables are a look I highly recommend. MS Events has so many wonderful rentals that couples can achieve any look they can imagine so thank you MS Events for nailing it!!!

Now, not only did Brian have his Brother-in-law play such an important role for his wedding, but his sister Kathy has an amazing talent of making the most delicious desserts that no one could resist the tasty treats she made! You know that those desserts were so full of love which made every bite that much better! Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your baking talent!!!

And since we are talking family, just look at those beautiful flower girls! Brian had his nieces, Tigerlilly and Aria, do the honors. It was so beautiful to see the pride these girls had being part of Brian & Mark’s big day. And speaking of pride, I guess you can’t have a gay wedding without at least one rainbow sign, right? Thank you to Brian’s other sister, Kris, for his artistry.

Food is such an important part of a wedding and The Catering Outfit did an amazing job pleasing everyone’s tummies! Brian and Mark chose family style which was perfect for this group. Catering will bring large platters of food to be passed around at each individual table allowing everyone to take as much or little of each item. And, if the platters run out, catering will come and replenish them for those who just can’t get enough. Thank you to The Catering Outfit, for doing such an amazing job with everything that night. The success of that night couldn’t have happened without all your help, especially Courtney! Thank you!!!!

Another special touch that was at each plate setting was a small bottle of hot sauce. This was no ordinary hot sauce. This is a hot sauce made by Mark and his family. Just another example of how “family” was intertwined in this marriage.

And now that everyone had full tummies, it was time to party, and this was one group that kept the dance floor hopping all night long! Under the expertise of DJ Frank Smith, he knew exactly what type of music to play to keep that party going. We did have to take a little break to catch our breath (and get a drink) which was the perfect time for Brian & Mark to do the “shoe” game. During this game, the DJ will ask the couple different questions like, “Who said I love you first?” and the couple has to raise the shoe of who they think said that. In this case, instead of shoes, Mark & Brian held paddles to distinguish their answer. As you can see by this photo, this game is a crowd pleaser.

A special shout out also has to go to Ryan who works the weddings with Brian and I. He was given the reins to take over as the day of coordinator and did a fantastic job. It was awesome to have the three of us on the dance floor having fun since normally the only time we are on a dance floor during a wedding is to clean up broken glass!

Finishing off the night, the couple did a sparkler departure. What a beautiful day/night this was for all! Congratulations to Brian & Mark and welcome to our family!

Thank you again to all of these incredible people who helped make this dream wedding come true for all of us!

Wedding Planning by Keswick Vineyards
Catering by The Catering Outfit
Photography by Sam Hurd Photography (the photos in this blog, except where marked, were taken by owner of Keswick Vineyards, Cindy Schornberg)
Videography by Yeattes Productions, Mark Yeattes
Ceremony by Winemaker of Keswick Vineyards, Stephen Barnard
Ceremony Music by Triforce Quartet
Reception Music by Prime Time Event Group, DJ Frank Smith
Florals by Blue Ridge Floral Design, Amy Webb
Cake by Melissa Close-Hart of Junction
Cake-Pops by Kat Schornberg
Donut Truck by Carpe Donut
Hair and Make Up by Jeanne Cusick
Rentals by MS Events
Lighting by Skyline Tent Company

Keswick 11/2/19 Keswick 11/2/19

When Fall Details Come Alive! | Jessica & Darron

I know we say this a lot but it’s true, some of the nicest couples get married at Keswick Vineyards. Jessica and Darron are one of them who on Saturday, November 2nd, were married at Keswick Vineyards. And, just like many of our couples, buried a bottle of bourbon to ward off any rain. Once again, it worked!

This is Keswick Vineyards 9th year of doing weddings so it doesn’t happen often when we see something new, but we did at this wedding and LOVED it! Jessica and Darron brought some lanterns that were hung above their head table. Covering the wire harness was greenery so you got this magical feeling that this floral arrangement was just floating in the air as it invisibly hung from the Aurora white tent. Then, running down the center of the head table was more greenery and lanterns. I’m not sure where or who came up with this idea, but I loved it and hope future couples duplicate it. Hard to explain the feel it gave but magical, whimsical and garden-like is what comes to my mind first.

Jessica and Darron really had some wonderful details for their wedding in addition to that lantern, floral design above their head table. For their ceremony they made an arbor and had the upper right-hand corner covered with a floral design. By just doing the upper corner allowed the fall colors of the vineyard and mountains in the background to still shine through. They also had hanging from the chairs on the aisle some floral arrangements. And lets not overlook Jessica’s dress! I just loved the back of it and the beautiful train it had.

After the ceremony, guest could make themselves comfortable by sitting in some couches and chairs from Paisley & Jade that created mini-living rooms in the outdoors. Along with the furniture was a very large mirror displaying the table assignments for their guest.

And finally, the dessert table. The simplicity of their wedding cake adored with fruit played perfectly into the fall season. And who can resist a macaroon?

Thank you, Jessica, and Darron for hosting your amazing wedding at Keswick Vineyards and thank you to the following vendors for their exceptional service:

Wedding Planner – Jaclyn Grieger of Exchange Events
Caterer - Exchange Events
DJ – Derek Tobler
Musician – The Bloom Trio
Photographer – Sarah Houston (the photos in this blog were taken by owner of Keswick Vineyards, Cindy Schornberg)
Desserts – Cakes by Rachel
Florist – Barnswallow Blooms
Officiant – Claire Frances of Sacred Grounds
Hair/Make-up – Radiant Reflections
Transportation – Cville Transportation
Rentals – MS Events, Paisley & Jade
Tent Lighting – Skyline Tent Company

Keswick 11/1/19 Keswick 11/1/19

November Weddings Begin! | Mallorie and Jake

So, November is a very special time of year in my book (you’ll understand why in a future blog post!) and it is also special for Mallorie and Jake who had their beautiful fall wedding at Keswick Vineyards on Friday, November 1st, 2019. November is a time of fall colors and feasts, wraps and warm cider, fires and more. It is the PERFECT time to get friends and family together in one place and share in each other’s happiness and enjoyment.

That was exactly the vibe when Mallorie and Jake tied the knot in our vineyard-side location where they were standing right next to the vineyards (planted 20 years ago) with their closest friends standing next to them. Their sizable wedding party was dressed to a T in a classic fall palette of blue and burgundy which beautifully matched Mallorie’s bouquet (and the bridesmaids too 😉)

After the ceremony guests were delighted with a feast prepared by L’etoile. Personally, I think it is an absolute MUST that caterers bring a tray of appetizers for the couple after the ceremony. There is a lot going on that day and very few opportunities for them to eat, so I loved it when L’etoile brought the bride and groom their own tray of delectables accompanied by two signature drinks. Meanwhile, guests helped themselves to a great stationary appetizer spread in the middle of our east lawn, with multiple tiers of apps!

The feast continued in the wonderfully decorated tent (which matched the same burgundy style of course) with a wonderful buffet spread. For dessert a wide, multi-tiered array of cupcakes with three tiers, each with its own flavor. I will never forgive myself for not trying a piece of the Bourbon Brownie Cake with Dulce de Leche and Vanilla Bean Buttercream… WHAT?! Passionflower outdid themselves on that one!

All in all, a beautiful and wonderful wedding, thanks in part to many of their amazing vendors:

Catering by L’etoile
Entertainment by TD of Sound Enforcement DJ Services
Cake by Passionflower Cakes
Florals by The Faded Poppy
Ceremony by Keith McKay
Hair and Make-up by FBJ Weddings
Transportation by Easy Rider Bus Company
Rentals by MS Events
Tent and Lighting by Skyline Tent Company

Here’s what Mallorie had to say about her wedding:

“My husband and I fell in love with this venue right away. From the incredible views, amazing staff and the best venue it made our wedding more than I could’ve hoped for. The owner and everyone who works there go above and beyond to be overly accommodating. They made planning a wedding in another state across the country very easy. They answered all my questions immediately and We’re quick to help me pick the perfect vendors. My husband and I are so happy we chose Keswick to be a part of our special day.”