A Floral Infused Wedding at Pippin Hill Farm Complete With a Romantic Rainfall
When we were selecting our venue, we knew we wanted to choose a destination that was meaningful to us and our story, and a place that had natural beauty and romantic charm. Charlottesville, Virginia had become a favorite weekend getaway destination for us when we were dating, so when we first discovered Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, we loved the inherent beauty of its Blue Ridge Mountain backdrop, picturesque vineyards, and the combination of rustic charm, modern elegance, and garden-to-table cuisine. In terms of inspiration for design and decor, I knew I wanted to play off the venue’s elevated farmhouse decor and natural charm and have our ceremony outside so we could enjoy the views. I also envisioned a lush yet airy “garden-party chic” vibe with whimsical pops of florals and pastel colors sprinkled throughout the design vision.
Mike and I met in September of 2020 - a pandemic love story! We were set up by mutual friends and finally met when I moved back to Maryland after living in NYC for nine years. Having both grown up in the Maryland/DC area, we had tons of mutual connections and had been to so many of the same places, but somehow had never met before. Despite meeting in the middle of COVID and navigating a comedic list of pandemic dating adventures, we hit it off on our first dates and the rest is history. While we never expected a pandemic would bring us together, we found each other at the perfect time (I like to think it’s the ‘invisible string theory’ in action😉, as Taylor Swift fans might agree). Mike proposed on July 4th, 2023 while the two of us were vacationing at The Inn at Perry Cabin, in St. Michael’s, Maryland. Somehow, Mike manifested a rainbow to appear over our happy hour just before he proposed, and we were able to enjoy our engagement together at one of our favorite places before celebrating with our family and friends shortly thereafter. Ten months later, we got married on May 4, 2024, at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
- wedding gowns: ..plural! As I was dress shopping, I ended up loving two very different looks (one more romantic/airy/, and the other a bit more sleek) so ultimately I decided to build in a quick outfit change to our timeline so that I could wear both! The first dress I found at @anthropologieweddings and worked with my incredible local seamstress (Anytime Alterations in Kensington, MD) to customize this a bit more and bring my vision to life. My second dress was a beautifully designed gown by @katherintash, thanks to @carinesbridal. Note: for both looks, I ended up wearing my grandmother’s earrings, which ended up being my “something borrowed”.
I knew that I wanted my bridesmaids’ dresses to play off of our “garden-party” design vibe, and I loved the idea of having everyone wear a coordinated mix of soft, pastel-colored floral dresses that they could enjoy for years to come. I envisioned petite floral bridesmaid bouquets to complement the styled mix of green, pink, and blue floral pastel dresses, that would also tie back to my bridal bouquet and the décor accents sprinkled throughout the day.
We loved the idea of having the groomsmen wear navy blue suits with coordinating light blue ties.
Another perk of having Pippin Hill as our venue was the fact that the vineyard, garden, farm, and kitchen were all interwoven into the menu. Looking back, our “tasting” experience a few months before the wedding was definitely a highlight of the wedding planning process—the venue made it such a fun and special experience for us, and it was such a treat getting to enjoy the different local wines, cocktail options, and menu selections ahead of time with our parents two months out from the big day. Our Signature drinks included the “Marry Me Mule” and “Mrs. Marg” (a nod to our favorites), and the cocktail hour passed canapes and our seated dinner was delicious. Our only regret is not getting to enjoy the late-night snacks (freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and sliders) we had selected--only because we didn’t want to leave the dance floor.
Through beautifully crafted floral arrangements (e.g., garden roses, sweet pea, ranunculus, hellebore, Lilly of the Valley, peonies, and other local/seasonal blooms), a garden-style ceremony meadow, greenery-covered chandeliers, and complementary decor touches (e.g., pairings of classic crystal and cut glass elements paired with ceramic compotes, bud vases, and candlelight accents), our incredible florist Tupelo Floral Company and vendor team helped bring our vision to life. My bridal bouquet was also a personal favorite thanks to Shelby (@tupelo)—a lush yet airy garden-style arrangement comprised of the happiest mix of peony, sweet pea, lily of the valley, garden roses, ranunculus, and subtle greenery accents. Our fantastic photographer @Audrawrisley’ captured all of these details against during our impromptu bridesmaids’ garden party photo shoot in the greenhouse—a beautiful backdrop that, although we didn’t originally intend to use, became the most charming rain plan alternative to being outside.
We knew that we wanted a more petite wedding cake for cutting and discovered @cakebloom, the most perfect local bakery in Charlottesville, who made us a beautiful “garden party” celebration cake (think: fresh pressed florals against buttercream frosting over delicious floral confetti and rainbow carrot cakes).
Having grown up in a family of musicians, music was an important part of my vision for our wedding day and our amazing vendor team (@thebloomtrio @tapeent) helped bring this to life beautifully. We partnered with The Bloom Trio to add a beautiful musical strings element to our outdoor wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. We worked with Sam Hill Entertainment to help us find our wedding band, T.A.P.E. “The After Party Experience”, an amazing DJ + band combination that truly was an experience that did not disappoint—super engaging, tons of energy, and a nonstop set list that kept people (bride and groom included!) on the dance floor all night (understood the assignment!). They knocked it out of the park when they surprised me at the end of the night by bringing my dad (a drummer!) up on stage for a guest appearance to perform–my dad crushed it, and it was such a special moment that I’ll never forget!
Getting ready: - Bridal beauty/HMU: I couldn’t have asked for a better hair and makeup duo than @hairbyjean and @predamebeauty, and I’m so grateful that they were able to make the trip to Charlottesville to help me get ready. Having worked in the beauty industry in NYC for much of my career, I had the opportunity to work with Stefanie Syat (founder of @predamebeauty) for 5+ years and knew for years that I wanted her to do my makeup on my wedding day. Similarly, I met @hairbyjean back in 2018 and she has been cutting/styling my hair ever since I moved back to the Washington, D.C. area. Both women are incredibly talented, and calming, and I can’t recommend them enough to other brides!
