Paige Sanford & Cole Columbus September 26, 2020, at the bride’s parents’ home Pre-pandemic, Paige and Cole had planned a fancy, 250-person black-tie wedding, with tuxedos, floor-length gowns, a large band from Atlanta, and food stations (“so people could eat but also keep partying!” Paige says). But, after mailing their save the dates in March […]
Paige Sanford & Cole Columbus September 26, 2020, at the bride’s parents’ home Pre-pandemic, Paige and Cole had planned a fancy, 250-person black-tie wedding, with tuxedos, floor-length gowns, a large band from Atlanta, and food stations (“so people could eat but also keep partying!” Paige says). But, after mailing their save the dates in March […]
Emily Zhang & Qiang Zhong August 8, 2020, at Waterperry Farm Talk about last-minute decisions: With only a week to go before their planned ceremony, Emily and Qiang still didn’t have a venue. Enter Waterperry Farm, the romantic Free Union gardens and the only spot with the couple’s chosen date still available. “It was so gorgeous and […]
The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to reassess many things about our lives, including how we celebrate milestones. Many couples who always assumed they’d have a big wedding with 100 or 200 guests—or even more—have put the brakes on those plans. And just like the idea of working from home, the trend toward small and […]
Big weddings are so 2019. All you need for a great reception is enough room for those you truly love—sorry weird college roommates and mom’s bridge group—a dance floor, and gourmet sustenance. “I think smaller venues are going to be very popular in the coming year,” says Patrick McClure of Downtown Mall event space Penny […]
When The Wool Factory opened its doors to the public last July, it brought a new kind of venue to the Charlottesville wedding scene, says sales director Claire Macfarlan. “Charlottesville is very well known for barns and vineyards,” she says, “but we don’t have a lot of industrial spaces.” As a renovated textile mill that […]
After getting engaged in July, Eliza Strickland and Allen Peacock knew right away they were ready to get married—and they didn’t want to postpone plans due to COVID restrictions. So Strickland asked a close friend, Sally Branch, to help her create an intimate wedding. “We knew we wanted to keep all the traditional elements of […]
In some ways, launching a business after a global pandemic began was fortuitous for Cake Bloom’s Susan Sweeney. With couples downsizing their weddings, that meant downsizing the cake, too—just the kind of thing Sweeney specializes in. Cake Bloom, a botanical cake bakery, incorporates greenery and florals into each design. And what’s more, her cakes are […]
Rachel Baltes & Jay Gaffney October 26, 2019 Streamlined and neutral was the order of the day for Rachel and Jay, who envisioned a classic look for their wedding. That meant the groomsmen wore tuxes, the bridesmaids wore taupe chiffon dresses, and the bride herself was outfitted in a clean-lined dress with a fitted skirt […]
Julia Roberts & Mechelle Marchant April 27, 2019 “Our first priority was to throw a party,” says Mechelle. “Our second priority was to plan a wedding.” Mechelle and her fiancé, Julia, knew they’d have guests flying in from all over the United States, plus the U.K., Switzerland, and Kenya. They wanted the wedding to serve […]
Jamie Richman & Charles Baldwin September 14, 2019 There are so many wedding-day moments to anticipate before the big day approaches: saying “I do,” the first kiss, feeding each other a slice of cake. For Jamie, that moment was the first look. “That morning I was feeling so anxious and just wanted to be with […]