A couple that embraces color on their big day is right up our wedding alley, and this darling duo? They did just that. A crimson hued affair that’ll have you blushing, Michael and Carina Photography captured it all to share. From the bold bouquets to the bridesmaid gowns, every detail is saturated with rich tones that’ll make you totally happy. Soak up the entire soiree in The Vault!
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From Michael And Carina Photography…Crimson is such a gorgeous color for florals and bridesmaids dresses that looks beautiful all year round – not just around fall! Different red and jewel tones add an unmatched depth to bouquets and centerpieces.
Lesley and Pat’s Charlottesville wedding was lovingly accented by luscious florals and personal details. The indoor ceremony created an intimate atmosphere and as the bride entered through the overhung archway, everyone gasped.
Lesley wore a delicate Claire Pettibone dress and a subtle greenery head piece to add to the organic feel of the wedding. The mountain view backdrop helped create stunning landscape portraits.
A lavish dessert table with a variety of naked cakes and pies made it impossible to pass up dessert!
From The Bride…Pat and I met on an online dating site back in 2011. We met up for a drink one night after work, and ended up laughing and chatting for hours until the restaurant finally kicked us out. Fast-forward five years, and here we are! We have a happy little apartment together in DC, and plan to buy our own place and get a dog (or three) soon. For his proposal, Pat surprised me with a fall sunset wine festival at Mount Vernon estate. Overlooking the moonlight on the river, he pulled out the ring box (upside-down out of nerves) and asked me to marry him.
We both love nature and the outdoors, so when we saw the mountain view at King Family, we were sold. And, even though Mother Nature brought rain on our wedding day, the indoor ceremony was just as perfect. Our theme was organic, moody, bohemian spring, with a focus on natural elements like wood, flowers, and garlands (which our florist rocked). For our color palette, instead of using traditional spring pastels, we went with more grounded, autumnal tones like marsala, navy, and blackberry, with pops of lighter colors and gold accents. Pat wore a suit from Banana Republic, and his groomsmen were in navy or grey suits that they already owned, with ties we gifted them from JCrew. My bridesmaids’ dresses were from BHLDN, and I wore a dress from Claire Pettibone, which instantly became my favorite piece of clothing I will ever own.
We incorporated lots of DIY and personal touches to make the day feel like “us.” I designed the paper suite with my dad, who painted the floral images. I also hand-lettered the envelopes and seating and table cards, and Pat and I hand-made all of the signs. We glued little notes we had written to each other over the years into our guest book so guests could read some of our love notes before leaving us their own. And, we bought and compiled most of the other decor ourselves, like the lanterns, votives, cake pedestals, etc., most of which came from Target or World Market.
Family means everything to us, so we wanted to include them in our day, too. I had two little fabric hearts from my mom’s wedding dress and my dad’s old pocket square sewn into the lining of my dress. I wore a bracelet of my mom’s and a necklace that my grandmother had gifted me as a baby, and Pat carried his dad’s handkerchief. We also put out photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days, and the photos of our grandparents who have passed on sat on the front row during the ceremony so they could be with us in spirit. Finally, for our father-daughter dance, our talented band learned a lullaby my dad had written me when I was born, and played it as a surprise for him.
We asked one of Pat’s closest friends to officiate, and worked with him to create a ceremony that really reflected us as a couple. We also wrote our own vows. It was a precious moment, to be surrounded by our family and friends while we made those promises to each other. Our amazing day-of coordinator ushered us into a room right after the ceremony where we could spend a few minutes alone together taking it all in, which is one of the moments both of us most treasure from the day. And then, we had the time of our lives dancing and singing and celebrating our love with all of our favorite people.
If I could give any advice to future couples, it would be threefold: 1. have a rain plan!, 2. hire some good vendors you trust, including a fabulous day-of coordinator (I promise, it will make your life so much easier), and 3. stop, breathe, and soak it all in with your partner on your wedding day. The day flies so fast, and there are so many details to take in, but the most important detail is your love!
Photography: Michael And Carina Photography | Cinematography: Kelsey & Nate | Event Planning: Cate Liverman | Floral Design: Petal Flower Co | Wedding Dress: Claire Pettibone | Cakes: Cakes By Rachel | Invitations: DIY | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: BHLDN | Catering: The Local | Hair + Makeup: Moxie Hair & Body Lounge | Band: Bachelor Boys Band | Ties: J.Crew | Groom's Attire: Banana Republic | Venue: King Family Vineyards | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab | Hair Accessories: BHLDN
