A Romantic Flower-Forward Virginia Wedding at Estate at River Run

Melissa Hammam
July 12, 2023
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, Seasonal Wedding Trend, Spring, The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

The wedding colors were pale pink, lavender, white, and pale blue.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

Caroline and Ryan knew that when they got engaged, they wanted their wedding to be anything but traditional. They desired their guests to experience an interactive, luxurious, gala-styled wedding inspired by the TV show, Bridgerton. After touring the Estate at River Run, they knew it was the perfect place to make all their Bridgerton dreams come true. After booking their venue, it became apparent to Caroline and Ryan that they needed the expertise of a seasoned designer and wedding planner to bring their wedding dreams to life. They chose to work with Amy Polezhaev of Amy Marie Events. Amy and her team began designing every detail of the wedding, from the furniture, flatware, menu, signage, and florals. The detail was carefully curated with the bride and groom’s taste and desires in mind. Amy and her team directed Caroline and Ryan to the perfect vendors to bring each design element to life. From the caricature artist (one of their first dates) to the hand-made chocolate tasting room, Italian coffee cart, pool-side cocktails, and the night ending with a jazz-inspired reception with music provided by one of Virginia’s finest jazz bands, Good Shot Judy.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Ryan proposed to Caroline on December 18, 2021. It was very important to Ryan that the proposal be a surprise. Since he suspected Caroline might expect he would propose during the holiday season, he spent the two weekends prior to the proposal taking her to places she would guess he might propose and then….. not proposing. On the day of the actual proposal, Ryan took Caroline to dinner at one of their favorite date places, The Lobby Bar, in the Quirk Hotel. After dinner, he suggested they drive around The Fan in Richmond and look at Christmas lights before going to their favorite dessert spot, Shyndigz. Caroline kept wanting to stop and look at more and more Christmas lights and almost suggested they skip dessert and head home. Fortunately, she didn’t because two of their friends had set up a table at Shyndigz for Ryan’s proposal with fairy lights, a bottle of champagne, and Caroline’s favorite cake (Blackberry Lime) that read, “Caroline, will you marry me?”. When Caroline and Ryan finally arrived at Shyndigz, Ryan pointed to the lit-up table and said they should go check it out and see what the cake said. Caroline was so completely caught off guard and surprised that she initially didn’t even understand the proposal was for her! After she quickly figured out it was, Ryan got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Of course, the answer was yes!

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

The bride wore two dresses for her wedding day. For her ceremony dress, the bride wore a ballgown from Maggie Sottero Designs & Midgley for a romantic, fairy-tale look. Before the choreographed first dance, the bride changed into her second dress from Watters Designs, a lightweight, tea-length gown perfect for dancing.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]The bridesmaids wore dresses in the style of their choice, in the colors dusty rose, vintage mauve, and dusk, from Azazie. [/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

The groom wore a slim fit, peak lapel tuxedo in black from Generation Tux for a classic, timeless look.

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Being a “foodie” couple, the bride and groom wanted their guests to experience a sophisticated yet warm and welcoming menu. Rather than a seated dinner, they envisioned guests mingling and exploring the various floors and ballrooms of the estate while getting to taste foods that they both loved. They chose to work with Everyday Gourmet, a catering company in Richmond, Virginia, that created an exquisite menu that was prepared freshly for each guest by a chef that boasted Lobster Mac and Cheese, Lemon Oregano Chicken, and Seared Red Snapper Puttanesca. The stunning fireplace mantels and antique sideboards were decorated with freshly made macarons by Brick House Bakery and dainty bite-sized desserts by Louisa’s Homemades. The couple even hired a local chocolatier to create the most delicious chocolates made with the finest ingredients imported from France.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Caroline and Ryan dreamt of the Estate at River Run being covered with lush florals and cozy sitting areas. So, when they met with their floral and event designer, Amy Polezhaev of Amy Marie Events they all began dreaming of a design that would utilize every area of the Estate and create statement pieces that would highlight the beautiful springs that occur in Virginia. Amy knew immediately that in order to have the freshest and most spectacular florals, she would purchase almost all of the flowers locally from small floral farms and co-ops like Wind Haven Floral Farm and River City Exchange, both located in the capital of Virginia. She designed every estate area with the room’s aesthetic in mind to highlight the already beautiful and charming estate. Particularly in the Wedgewood Ballroom, the Estate’s premier Ballroom, she and her team covered the balcony overlooking the ballroom with cascading wisteria to complement the bride and groom’s private dinner table below. On the lower terrace, she designed tables and a center bar covered in billowing florals and candlelight to keep guests coming back to the area throughout the evening. Each floral centerpiece, bud vase, and ceremony ground florals were filled with Caroline and Ryan’s favorite flower, Ranunculus.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

The wedding cake was made by Louisa’s Homemades. The bride and groom love citrus-flavored desserts, so the wedding cake was a lemon sponge cake with raspberry filling and lemon buttercream. The cake was three-tiered and decorated with smooth white buttercream, blush pink, lavender cascading sugar flowers, and white sugar pearls. The cake was elegantly displayed at the reception, surrounded by a lush wreath of spring flowers.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

The couple chose to display the blending of their two families by incorporating a unique moment within their wedding ceremony. Both the bride and groom’s families gifted one another a bottle of wine before the wedding ceremony. During the wedding ceremony, each family partook in the gifted bottle of wine together as one united family. It was a unique and memorable moment for each family and the bride and groom to display the love, generosity, and blending of their two families.

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

The bride and groom have two very loved, Flemish giant rabbits named Ciri and Henry that they wanted to incorporate into their wedding reception and decor. To do this, they included sketches of their rabbits in their bar signage and for the guest book, and guests were invited to sign a beautiful coffee table book of rabbit illustrations. Signature drinks were also named after their beloved bunnies. Guests were greeted with a large champagne wall, wallpapered in a beautiful floral wallpaper, where they were encouraged to sign the guest book and grab a glass of champagne to enjoy as they walked down the path to the ceremony site. Once guests arrived at the terrace, they checked in and were given their ceremony seating assignment.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

The couple both wore accessories as part of their wedding attire to pay homage to loved ones who couldn’t attend the wedding. The bride wore a dinner ring, a gift from her grandmother that once belonged to her great-grandmother. The groom wore a watch that belonged to his father.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]

Ryan and Caroline’s first vacation away together was in 2018 to Norway and Iceland. While enjoying the last night of their vacation in Iceland, the couple watched the northern lights and fell even more in love while dancing alone in their Airbnb cabin. To honor this special moment, the bride walked down the aisle to the song Staralfur by Sigur Ros, performed by a live string trio headed by Treesa Gold.

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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