Elizabeth and Brian tied the knot on the vast, beautiful grounds of Early Mountain Vineyards with 20 of their loved ones. The ceremony was complete with white chairs and a floral-adorned arch. Bright pinks, oranges & yellows popped from gorgeous floral arrangements that filled both spaces of the grand event. The patio reception felt very modern with elegant ivory and gold accents filling each tablescape. Good food, drinks, and views were enjoyed by all in attendance!
How did you meet?
We have actually known each other since high school, but never dated then. We reconnected at a friend’s wedding in our thirties, and started dating a few years later.
What is your proposal story?
Brian planned to propose in a little park near our house that we both liked to sit in, but the plans got foiled by a toddler birthday party (the park was overrun by small children and families). He ended up proposing at our house on the patio – it was perfect!
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).
We both love wine and wanted a setting that was beautiful outside, and a vineyard fit the bill. We initially looked in Northern Virginia near where my parents live, but couldn’t find a venue that fit all of our needs. Brian had spent some time near Charlottesville and really liked it, so we started looking down there and when we found Early Mountain, we knew right away it was the perfect place.
Tell us about your attire choices.
The ivory color of my dress fit in perfectly with the venue, and I knew pretty quickly it was “the one.” Blue suits seemed to be a good fit for a summer wedding, and I wanted my bridesmaids to have somewhat neutral-colored dresses with the hope that maybe they would be able to use them again!
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
We wanted the wedding to be fun and to feel like “us.” COVID made us need to scrap a lot of our original plans and made planning more stressful/complicated, but ultimately, our micro-wedding was perfect and was everything we could have dreamed of!
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Our first dance felt so special. The whole world seemed to melt away and it felt like just the two of us.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
A mix of coral, peach, and pink with plenty of greenery. They were beautiful!
Tell us about your wedding cake.
This was hard because we weren’t able to do a tasting ahead of time due to COVID and the fact that we were planning from a distance. Brian doesn’t like many cake flavors, but Cakes by Rachel did a great job of guiding us through flavor profiles remotely, and we ended up with a cake we both loved, even though neither of us had tasted it before.
What did you do for favors?
My mother and mother-in-law went nuts with the favors! Because our 200 person wedding turned into a 20 person wedding, we had room in the budget for more favors. We had personalized wine bottle openers and wildflower seeds. And then we also had welcome boxes for everyone with snacks, cookies, wine charms, and beer coozies.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
My mother-in-law hand made wine charms for each welcome box. We love them!
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
I tied rings from my maternal grandmother and Brian’s maternal grandmother to the inside of my wedding dress. We also had a wine-blending ceremony as part of our wedding ceremony.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
COVID really changes what you can do, but as it turns out, having a tiny wedding is amazing and so so special. We got to spend so much more time with those that means the most to us than we would have at a larger wedding.
Why a mountain wedding? What’s your biggest piece of advice for other couples planning a mountain wedding?
The beautiful outdoors – our wedding photos are gorgeous! Choose a photographer who can make the most of a beautiful outdoor setting.