We welcome Monday mornings with open, inspired arms at SMP. We raise our coffee mugs to the morning most dread because even though weekends are glorious in their own right, Mondays are when we get to start unveiling another week of prettiness. Well, when we have a rainy day soiree as sweet as this one captured by Elisa B Photography waiting in the wings all weekend, Monday morning could not come fast enough. Thankfully the moment has arrived to uncover all the charm, so join us in toasting to a full gallery that is just as lovely as they come! Cheers!
From the Bride… Wedding inspiration comes from so many sources, but my source was a little bit atypical: a Pantone color chart. My inspiration was a beautiful, rich blue-green color. I stumbled upon some thick grosgrain ribbon that matched our color exactly and carried swatches of it around for months as we planned. The wedding consultants at J.Crew headquarters an hour away helped me find discontinued bridesmaid dresses that matched the color, and a tip from another bride led me to linens that also matched. As a design and home improvement blogger, my tools of choice are paint fan decks and my orbital sander. I never thought of myself as “crafty” and wasn’t sure my skills would translate to DIY projects for our wedding. My first few projects, which wound up not being used on our wedding day, were done while consulting detailed blog tutorials. In time, I got more comfortable with creating my own projects. My favorite details were ones that served as a nod to my love of design. I used an upholstery fabric called Vintage Plumes by Robert Allen for Dwell Studio on our escort card board, and the cards were hung from decorative, antiqued brass upholstery tacks, which are used to create nailhead trim on furniture. My good friend Michelle Duncan, who owns a handbag company called Elle & Anne, designed beautiful fabric clutches for each of my bridesmaids using the same upholstery fabric I had used on our escort card board.
We joke that we booked the venue that didn’t exist. Four years working for a start-up allow me to be comfortable with things that lack a track record but have great potential. When we first visited our venue, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, it consisted of some wood framing on a dirt hill. We heard that many people couldn’t buy into the project, but I was intrigued by the plans. Marc’s familiarity with the venue’s executive chef solidified our decision to sign with them. There were many questions that couldn’t be answered about how the venue would operate, and there were some surprises along the way, but in the end, the wood framing and red dirt gave way to a gorgeous vineyard that is one of the most stunning venues in our region.
The weather on our wedding day makes me feel connected to every other rainy day bride. One of my biggest wishes was to have our ceremony outside with the Blue Ridge Mountains behind us. I became convinced we’d need to use our rain plan as early as a week before our wedding. People repeatedly told me that the the weather reports were wrong, and we’d have a sunny day and the outdoor ceremony we wanted. When the rain started coming down on the morning of our wedding, I immediately received lovely email messages from women in my life who were married on rainy days. They mentioned being married for 26, 38 and 40 years. Thinking of those messages as the rain (and at one point hail) fell helped me remember what was really important about our day.We didn’t get to have our ceremony outside, and we didn’t get pictures of us frolicking in the vineyard, but we a charming ceremony and a fantastic celebration with our friends and family.
Wedding Photography: Elisa B Photography / Wedding Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia / Day of Coordination: Amanda Gray of Ashley Baber Weddings / Floral Design: Southern Blooms by Pat’s Floral Designs / Wedding Cake: Anita Gupta of Maliha Creations / Wedding Invitations: Minted / Save-the-Dates: The Happy Envelope / Other Paper Goods: DIY / Ceremony + Cocktail Music: William Walter + Tucker Collins / Reception Music: Derek Tobler / Lighting + AV: Christopher Lawson / Transportation: Albemarle Limousine / Favors: Jonathan McIntire / Cake Forks: LoreleiVella / Guest Book Poster: Tasha Montgomery of AmpersandInk / Dress Paintings: Lara Harris of Studio Lara / Parents’ Handkerchiefs: Designs by Gloria / Bridesmaids’ Hangers: Wires by LilaFrances + DIY Construction / Ring Bearer Flags, Flower Girl’s Corsage + Boutonnieres: DIY / Corn Hole Boards: Corn Chucker + Painted by the Bride / Birdhouse: Clegg Farm Creations / Wedding Dress: Jorge Manuel “Star” / Bride’s Veil: Jorge Manuel / Bride’s Ceremony Shoes: Nina / Bride’s Ceremony Earrings: J.Crew / Bride’s Reception Dress: Amsale / Bride’s Reception Shoes: Bibi Lou via BHLDN / Bride’s Reception Hair Band: Acute Designs / Bride’s Reception Earrings: Adriana Orsini via Saks Fifth Avenue / Bride’s Bracelet: Tejani / Hair + Makeup: Jeanne Cusick / Bridal Party Robes: Pottery Barn / Bridal Party Clutches: Elle & Anne / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Flower Girl’s Dress: David’s Bridal / Men’s Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse