Sarai Alvarez & Cristhian Perez August 9, 2020, at Common House Charlottesville had always held a special place in the hearts of Sarai and Cristhian: After meeting at George Mason University, Sarai began working as a researcher at UVA. Cristhian would drive the four hours from his hometown to visit, and together they’d explore the town, visiting […]
Anna Mullally & Cole Heckel August 22, 2020, at The Clifton Anna has always loved the movie Pride & Prejudice, so she knew when it came time to start planning her wedding, that would be the jumping-off point. “The antique, romantic elegance without seeming too cliché was the ultimate goal,” she says. “I wanted everything […]
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 […]