Real Charlottesville wedding: Ruth & Dan

Ruth Martin & Dan McDonald September 18, 2016, at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Photography by Jen Fariello With the views from Pippin Hill as the backdrop, Ruth and Dan knew they wanted to keep the rest of the wedding simple and romantic. That meant lush greenery, white hydrangeas and tons of candles. The bridesmaids […]

Real Charlottesville wedding: Chris & Michael

Christopher Matvey & Michael O’Connor July 30, 2016, at Veritas Vineyard & Winery Photography by Tom Daly Classic, elegant and timeless: That was the goal of the wedding. So Christopher and Michael chose a white and gold color scheme with black accents. Inspired by The Great Gatsby movie, the couple asked Blue Ridge Floral Design for […]

Real Charlottesville wedding: Katie & Halston

Katie Brazeal & Halston Kirkpatrick July 2, 2016, at Blue Ridge Farm Photography by Jen Fariello Once they decided on a location and date, they fully embraced the “summer” theme: “Blue was a defining color,” Katie says. “We created an atmosphere that was more on the informal side, while still being very wedding-appropriate. And we […]

Illuminate me: Use lighting to change your space

“Rustic elegance,” says Blue Ridge AV & Lighting’s Bill Randall, is the style Charlottesville couples are most interested in right now. But how does that translate to lighting? And what if you want a lighting feature but don’t want it to overwhelm your overall aesthetic? We asked Randall to give us three ideas. 1. Café/bistro […]

Hunt and gather: Set the scene with an artful arrangement

Coco Chanel supposedly once said that, before leaving the house, one should look in the mirror and take off a piece of jewelry. The same goes for the house itself, says designer Jan Roden, when it comes to vignetting. “What I would call vignetting,” she says, “is good accessorizing. Accessories can be anything from a […]

The last bite: Split decision

It may not look like anything fancy, but the old-school banana split at Chandler’s Ice Cream (that throwback soft-serve stand by the Tractor Supply store on River Road) is a summertime must-have. Served in a styrofoam container, it’s two bananas, split down the middle and piled high with ice cream, whipped cream, walnuts, pineapple and […]