While spring, summer, and fall are the most popular seasons for Charlottesville nuptials, winter weddings can be especially romantic. But scheduling your celebration for the time between Thanksgiving and Easter requires planning around several facts of life.
First and foremost is weather, and in central Virginia, that can be tricky. Any particular winter day can be clear blue sky, cloudy gray, raining, snowing, sleeting—or all of these. This is a factor in location (not the best time to be wed on Old Rag, for instance); travel (if your guests are coming some distance, count on delays); transportation (rural back roads can be a challenge in bad weather, so perhaps all the wedding events should be at one venue or close together). And if one of the couple’s family is all coming from Florida, they may benefit from wardrobe advice.
Another factor: It’s a wonderful idea to have your celebration geared to the late-year holidays, but make sure you have touched bases early on to accommodate the family plans of the bridal party and your guests.
On the bright side, Charlottesville has several outstanding winter wedding venues. Marilyn Speight of Just a Little Ditty describes the perfect candidate as offering “sweeping outdoor views with the creature comforts of climate control indoors.” An informal poll of Speight and other local wedding planners brought up a range of possibilities.
At King Family Vineyards, Hannah Dubit of Hannah Rose Event Design envisions “a great cozy ceremony in front of the fireplace—with cocktail hour indoors or outdoors and then flipped for the reception.” Sarah Fay Waller of Day by Fay also mentions the venue’s large stone fireplace and adds, “If you’re lucky enough to have snow on or around your wedding weekend, the view of the property with the horses, and the mountain covered in soft snow, is truly beautiful.”
Early Mountain Vineyards gets the thumbs up for its gorgeous setting and large and flexible indoor spaces. Dubit notes its event hall can accommodate the ceremony, then be re-set for the reception or dinner while guests gather for cocktails in the wood-vaulted tasting room. Waller says, “Lots of candlelight and the warmth of the dual fireplaces is so grand, and welcomed in the middle of the coldest season.”
Several planners cited Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards. One advantage, according to Waller: “A ceremony can be held on the enclosed veranda, still giving it an al fresco feel while you’re kept warm and cozy.” Mary Andrews of Mary Elizabeth Events mentions both the enclosed veranda and the in-house catering that “offers seasonal menus that will be a perfect fit for your celebration.”
If you’re seeking vineyard alternatives, Keswick Hall has the added benefit of offering accommodations. Speight calls out Keswick’s “gorgeous interiors and ample rooms to handle all sorts of wedding-related functions—and with modern amenities like a heated pool and spa, you can enjoy the resort while preparing for (or recovering from) the celebration.”
Andrews mentions two in-town possibilities. The Bradbury, on the Downtown Mall, which “has abundant personality and works with all sorts of color palettes. With wide pillars throughout, cozy banquettes, a bank vault you and your guests can walk into, and a hidden mezzanine above, this venue is full of surprises.” And the event space at The Wool Factory (appropriate name for a winter celebration!), has large windows facing the Rivanna that provide lots of natural light, and outdoor spaces available—if the weather cooperates.
