Southern Keswick Vineyards Wedding
There are a few things we know for sure — flowers will always be in fashion, love is by far the most important ingredient of a wedding day, and any combination of Elisa Bricker and Janie Medley Flora Design is going to knock our socks off. There’s just something about the combination of Elisa’s film images and Janie’s effortless blending of blooms that never ceases to take our breath away. Need some more convincing? Look no further than these images:
From the bride, Virginia: We were really excited to bring our loved ones back to where our story began in Charlottesville, Virginia eight years before Patrick proposed in New York City, and we fell in love with the beautiful views (and kind staff!) of Keswick Vineyards. We wanted to combine a traditional, formal wedding with personal and meaningful details in a way that would be enjoyable and memorable for our guests. We had an Episcopalian service in the oldest church in town, and a carillonneur tolled the bells as we exited to our vintage car. My gown had a rhinestone encrusted bodice and straps with a sparkly tulle skirt and bridesmaids wore long dresses. At the reception, we had a seated dinner with gold chargers and a cake topper dating back to Patrick’s grandparents’ wedding. However, we also held our rehearsal dinner and welcome party at a pub near UVA grounds, featured folksy guitar music and corn hole during cocktail hour, and enjoyed a late-night french fry bar at our reception before a departure through sparklers to the after party. I suppose our goal was a blend of fancy and fun!
Bouquet recipe: Janie used blush, pink, and ivory peonies, garden roses, astilbe, café au lait dahlias, and seeded eucalyptus.
A few adjectives that describe the look of our wedding are classic, whimsical, sentimental, fairytale, and personalized. I designed our website, save-the-dates, wedding invitations, menus, programs, cocktail napkins, favors, and hand-lettered escort cards, table numbers, various signs, etc. I am a calligrapher and illustrator, contributing designs to other weddings, so it was such a treat doing it for ours! Colors included ivory, black, a pale blush, pink, and gold.
Any advice for couples planning their weddings? I have 10 pieces of advice: 1. Truth be told, planning a wedding can feel stressful at times. We moved and I changed careers a few months before our wedding and it definitely felt like a juggling act, planning everything from a distance. My biggest advice is to always remind yourselves why you’re planning a wedding in the first place. If things are feeling overwhelming, put it all aside and go have a date night and don’t talk about the wedding. The wedding you’re planning will last one day – that’s it. The marriage you’re planning will hopefully last a lifetime. 2. Choose one design aspect to “obsess” over and don’t sweat the rest. For me, it was the paper goods. I allowed myself to spend way too much time on the design and decision process, splurging on letterpress printing methods and hand-lettering all envelopes and place cards. I completely geeked out about all of it! On the same note, I tried not to get bogged down by our other design decisions. I can see how easy it is for couples to change their mind on every detail a million times, but you’ll go crazy if you allow that! 3. If you can fit it into your budget, hire a videographer. The video content is something you’ll cherish for the rest of your lives. 4. Ladies, if your wedding shoes aren’t all that comfortable and your gown covers them, wear a different pair during the ceremony. It was the best decision I ever made. 5. When people tell you it goes by so fast, they aren’t lying. Take as many mental photographs as you can. One of my favorite mental snapshots will always be sneaking out of the rehearsal dinner to practice our first dance routine in a parking lot. 6. When guests start to arrive in town, turn your phone off and hide it in your suitcase. Others can answer questions, and you don’t need to be available to anything other than what’s going on in front of you. 7. Drink a ton of water the day of the wedding. Just do it, and thank me later. 8. Ask a relative or friend if they can save mementos that day — everything from a church program to a wine-stained cocktail napkin. You’ll be surprised what gets lost in the shuffle and it’s fun to have little pieces to hold onto. 9. If you have a small home (like we do!), register for activities once you’ve reached your max on kitchen supplies and home decor. We used Zola, and it was incredible to have a handful of date nights to look forward to after the wedding. 10. If your schedule permits, take a honeymoon directly after your wedding. I cannot fathom another time when a vacation is more needed and enjoyed!
Don’t miss the wedding film from Shaking Hands Productions!
Wedding Music:
Bridal Party Processional: Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Bride’s Processional: Pachelbel’s Canon in D
Recessional: Mendelssohn’s Wedding March
First Dances: “Bonfire Heart,” James Blunt / “A Wink And a Smile,: Harry Connick Jr. / “The Perfect Fan,” Backstreet Boys
Last Dance: “New York, New York,” Frank Sinatra
Lovely photographs