Beautiful Veritas Vineyard in May

Last Saturday I had my first Veritas Vineyard wedding of the year and, as always, it was a beautiful event. Stacey and Adam had a bit of a windy day for their ceremony and the bride's veil would not stay out of her face... so about halfway thru the ceremony it occurred to me that if Adam and Stacey switched places that the wind would blow her veil away from her (wish I'd thought of that sooner!). So, much to their guests delight everyone switched sides and we continued the ceremony without a hitch! It's those funny and unexpected little moments that make the best memories!

Hopefully my photos here will give you just a small feel for how beautiful everything was at the Vineyard last weekend and how happy Adam and Stacey were! After an hour-long cocktail hour in the tasting room and on the decks all of the guests were invited into the Veritas ballroom for an evening of wonderful food, music and fun. As always, Chris Hurley, was there to make sure that every little detail was handled without a problem... I don't know how she does it!

Holland Photo Arts' Blog

About a month ago my colleagues, Bill and Ann Holland of Holland Photo Arts kindly asked me if I would "mind" if they did a post about my Wedding Officiant work on their blog... I was so flattered and said, "of course!" Feel free to check out their very nice post along with some of their beautiful photos of two beautiful wedding that we did together. And, while you're there please look at Bill and Ann's beautiful wedding photography work on their website. Enjoy!

The Event Company & The Clifton Inn

Yikes... I'm a week behind with posting about my weddings but I didn't want to leave out this beautiful event from last Saturday! Kristin & Brian truly had the wedding of their dreams and The Event Company put it all together... amazing! I'm posting more photos than I usually do for a wedding but in this case I just couldn't leave any of these out. What I loved the most was the incredible attention to detail and so I'm including photos of a few of the many unique touches that I enjoyed.

As far as I could tell JF, Jessica and Sheila from The Event Company went all out to make this event a perfect realization of Kristin and Brian's vision for their wedding day and probably made it even better than they could have imagined. They took the Clifton Inn as their beautiful backdrop and, without taking away from the already spectacular setting, created beauty everywhere... from the farm table altar to the wheatgrass display of seating cards to the rope swing hanging from a huge tree in the front with photos and flowers for the guests to enjoy.

Speaking personally about Brian and Kristin's ceremony I would have to say that it was one of my favorites ever... and I've had the privilege of creating and performing hundreds. The choices they made combined with their solid connection to each other and to me during the ceremony made it an uplifting experience for all of their guests. One family friend said to me afterwards that he felt as though the ceremony had been a gift to everyone there. Made my heart sing!

Another wonderful aspect of being a part of a wedding that is planned by The Event Company is how easy they make my job. JF did such an amazing job facilitating the rehearsal that I wish he was at all of my weddings! Sheila was always there to tell me when to walk and where to stand and Jessica seemed to be everywhere at once making sure that every detail ran smoothly. So, needless to say if you are looking for someone to help you plan your wedding I would highly recommend that you contact JF, Jessica and Sheila at The Event Company. Visit their website or give them a call at 434-974-6500.

Two Amazing Guitarists

I had the privilege of hearing and watching both of these amazing guitarists play for two different weddings this past weekend. They are both extremely talented with extensive experience and are wonderful additions to any wedding!

Peter Richardson, with whom I have done several weddings in years past, has a vast repertoire of classical, jazz, folk, flamenco and more. If you visit his page here you can hear samples of his beautiful music as well as read rave reviews from couples who've had him play for their weddings. Peter also has a music school in Charlottesville where you can learn pretty much any instrument you can think of. If you would like beautiful guitar music at your wedding visit Peter's page here or give Peter a call: 434-293-4017

The second guitarist I had the opportunity to meet and hear this weekend was Rafael Scarfullery. Although I knew of Rafael this was the first wedding we'd done together. Rafael's classical guitar is absolutely amazing. Although I am not well versed in classical guitar music I can see from his website that he is very experienced and has a vast repertoire. You can find out lots more about Rafael and hear his music at his website and call him at: 434-851-0674.

Wedding in a Field

Diana and Tom had their wedding last Saturday morning out in Albemarle County on Diana's family's land... literally right out in a field, it was very green, lush and scenic! The land had a natural slope that provided a mini-amphitheater feel to it and the groom had the chairs set up in curved rows so that everyone felt tucked in and included.

Diana and Tom included a couple of unique additions to their ceremony including the calling of the directions, in the Native American tradition, and a modified Handfasting ritual, both of which were meaningful and especially appropriate to the setting.

One of my own favorite parts of the day was the couple's beautiful dog, Elsa, with her lovely flower collar created especially for the occasion! Billy Hunt was their photographer and as soon as I have some of his photos to share I'll post them here.

Diana and Tom have known each other since childhood and having many of their family and mutual long-time friends in attendance was especially sweet for them... many blessings to both of you!

Thursday at the Clifton Inn

Kim and Shaun got married yesterday at the lovely Clifton Inn. Just the two of them and it was so sweet! I've been to the Clifton Inn at all times of the year but I have to say that yesterday it was more beautiful than I've ever seen it... absolutely everything was in bloom: climbing clematis, iris, peonies and lots of other things I couldn't identify.

The most touching part of Shaun and Kim's ceremony was reading the letter that Kim's parents wrote to them and sent from Australia for me to share with them on their wedding day. Such a special touch... and Kim's Dad is a wonderful writer! Half way through the ceremony it started to rain so we all ran for cover and finished the ceremony up on the front porch of the Inn. It's always those unexpected moments that are the most memorable!

Despite choosing to have a wedding without guests Shaun and Kim had all of the wonderful extras to make their day special: an amazing photographer: Jen Fariello whose beautiful photos you see here; Jill and Tim Rose captured the ceremony on video; Jen of Elan On-Site Salon Services helped Kim get her hair and makeup just right; Wayla Chambo and Wes Swing provided beautiful flute and cello music and Melissa of the Clifton Inn, as always, made sure every detail was in place.

We all agreed that there's something really special about these small weekday weddings... if you have an interest in a small affair like this one please consider checking out the Weekday Wedding Company.

Thanks to everyone who made yesterday's wedding so wonderful and many blessings to both of you Kim and Shaun!

ALL PHOTOS BY JEN FARIELLO:

UVA Chapel in May

Well, of course I've written a fair number of posts highlighting the University of Virginia Chapel but it never fails to be a wonderful venue... especially full of meaning for the couples who choose to marry there often because the University was where they first met.

Last weekend this beautiful couple, Lauren and Aprotim, were married at the Chapel. Their ceremony included 2 simple rituals to honor their cultural and religious backgrounds. To honor Aprotim's family's tradition the couple exchanged beautiful flower garlands which, in India, signify not only a formal greeting but also respect and acceptance.

Later in the ceremony, to honor Lauren's background, a Unity Candle ceremony was performed symbolizing these two unique individuals now joining to create a marriage partnership... the entire ceremony was very special and lovely. Lauren's bridesmaids wore red dresses which with bright bouquets which complemented the garlands and really lit up the Chapel.

I was happy to find that DJ Derek Tobler was present to handle the music and microphone, Jason and Tammy Keefer took pictures (can't wait to see them!) and Karen, from Hedge was the creator of the beautiful bouquets and garlands. Thanks to everyone for their great work and best of luck to you Lauren and Aprotim!

Meg Runion of Rob Garland Photographers

In my post on Friday I told you about the beautiful little weekday wedding that I performed up at Ash Lawn-Highland last Wednesday. Today I am happy to share with you 8 of the amazing photographs that Meg Runion of Rob Garland Photographers took that day. I've been so fortunate to have Meg shoot almost all of my weekday ceremonies. I've never met a photographer (and I've met lots!) who enjoys what she does more than Meg. Meg's photos don't need any narration.... the pictures say it all...









You can contact Meg at 434-293-3332 and be sure to visit her blog to see lots more of her beautiful work.

Maymont - Richmond, VA

This past weekend I was fortunate to find myself performing a wedding ceremony for Laura and James in the Italian Garden at Maymont in Richmond. Maymont is a 100+ acre estate, garden, arboretum and Museum right in the City of Richmond. Although I haven't spent as much time as I'd like exploring all of the beautiful buildings and gardens I can say that what I have seen of Maymont is truly unique, diverse and especially amazing to find right in a large metropolitan area.

Maymont's website provides comprehensive information about it's history and facilities as well as about the property's availability for weddings and other events. Even without a detailed knowledge of Maymont's history I can tell you that it is a charming place for a wedding with many locations to choose from. As you can see here the Italian Garden is a beautiful columned site and the Japanese Garden which is just down the hill is equally attractive with a lovely waterfall and bridge that makes it unique.

So, whether you're looking for a wedding venue or just want to spend a beautiful day in the park Maymont shouldn't be missed. To inquire about the availability of your date and to set up an appointment for a walk-through please contact Maymont's rental coordinator at 804-358-7166, ext. 309 or e-mail rentals@maymont.org.

Wednesday Wedding at Ash Lawn-Highland

Ash Lawn ... again? Yes, that's right I've been spending a lot of time up there this past week. This time for a weekday wedding that was planned on very, very short notice thru my Weekday Wedding Company. Owen and Dana are from South Africa and Russia (Siberia) respectively and somehow, I'm not completely clear on this... decided to come to Central Virginia to get married! Their only guests were 3 of the the groom's family members who flew in from Cape Town for the event. Having the ceremony at 6 PM gave us the entire estate (500+ acres of rolling green beauty) pretty much all to our selves. Well, that's not entirely true... we did have to share the space with a few peacocks, sheep and cows.

Dana and Owen stood with me beneath a cascade of beautiful flowering vines for their ceremony while Meg Runion of Rob Garland Photographers took dozens of photos... she's the best, I can't wait to see them! Afterwards we walked around the property while Meg took more photos. It was just another spectacular day at Ash Lawn!

If you are interested in the possibility of a small weekday wedding as an alternative to the big weekend variety... I invite you to visit the Weekday Wedding Company of Central Virginia to discover the wonderful options.

Springtime at Ash Lawn-Highland

Brooke & Casey had their hearts set on an outdoor wedding at Ash Lawn-Highland, the historic home of James Monroe. Unfortunately one of our first warm-weather thunderstorms necessitated a change to Plan B: ceremony under the pavilion with the beautiful green countryside as a backdrop. Once the rain stopped it was truly one of the most idyllic and beautiful days in the Virginia countryside that I'd ever witnessed. And, apparently, there was even a double rainbow in the sky behind us for a good part of the ceremony... the photo here shows you what remained by the time the ceremony was over.

Another unique feature of having a wedding at Ash Lawn is that you can actually "rent" James Monroe himself (a wonderful fellow who embodies Mr. Monroe and never, ever breaks out of character) who will greet your guests, welcoming them to his home and so forth. At first the guests seem quite tentative wondering if this guy's "for real"... but then they catch on and really enjoy his presence and amazing knowledge of the life and times of James Monroe.

Casey and Brooke included a wonderful little ritual as part of their ceremony: before the ceremony began officially both the bride and groom's mothers came up front and then invited family members (that had been pre-planned) two by two to come up with a handfull of flowers to add to the bride's bouquet and say a few words about the part of the family that they were honoring. At the end, the mothers tied up the bouquet with beautiful ribbons and went out to present it to the bride before she walked down the aisle. A lovely ritual honoring family and giving the Mother's a wonderful way of participating in the ceremony.

If you would like to find out more about having your wedding at Ash Lawn-Highland give Baylor a call at 434-293-9539 and visit their website too.

Happy Earth Day: Ten Great Green Wedding Resources

For Earth Day I thought I'd celebrate by providing you with a nice list of 10 great Green Wedding resources for you to consider in planning your wedding. New sites, blogs and articles are popping up practically daily on this subject and I thought that Earth Day was a good time to share some of what I have found with my Charlottesville Weddings Blog readers.

You'll find lots of great ideas.... large and small ... to make your wedding day a little bit lighter on our beautiful planet. Enjoy! and ... Happy Earth Day!

• Real Green Weddings: see what inspiring couples have done to green their big day!
• Eco Chic Weddings: beauty * body * being
  
• Married to Green: weekly ideas to greenify your wedding
• Green Weddings: Giant Love... Tiny Footprint
• Indie Wedding Guide: a guide to recycling, reusing & reducing for today's weddings
• Eco-friendly Wedding Dresses (article)
• Ethical Weddings: give everyone something to celebrate
  
• Portovert: The Gateway to Greener Weddings
• How to Green Your Wedding (article)
• Something old, something new, something borrowed, something... green? Plan your wedding with the environment in mind (article)
  

Clover Forest Plantation

It never ceases to amaze me that there are always more incredibly beautiful places in Virginia that I haven't seen yet. This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating for the first time at the Clover Forest Plantation in rural Goochland County (about 50 miles West and South of Charlottesville). According to their website it is "a private, family owned James River plantation ... that has been lovingly, accurately and painstakingly restored and preserved..." The property consists of beautifully landscaped grounds, a private lake and federal period mansion. Both the grounds and the buildings lend themselves perfectly to wedding celebrations and Jenny and Mike's wedding this past Saturday took full advantage of the green beauty of Central Virginia in the Springtime.

Jenny and Mike's very personal and sweet ceremony was held behind the Clover Forest mansion overlooking the lake with a spectacular backdrop of springtime green. The plantation's simple white archway that marks the ceremony spot creates a wonderful feeling for a ceremony. Jenny and Mike kept with the green color theme in all of their choices including Jenny's bridesmaid's dress and the white and green sand that they poured for their sand ceremony.

Although I didn't stay for dinner the tent and simple decor they'd chosen made the most of the already spectacular surroundings. The Clover Forest website says that they also have a full catering department led by professional Chef Michael Fischer which I see as a wonderful plus for this location.

If you'd like to give the Clover Forest Plantation a call you can reach them Tuesday thru Thursday at 804-457-3535 x288.

Green Wedding Tip: Gift Registry Alternative

Changing the Present: Changing the World, One Gift at a Time

With April being Earth Day month, I will be posting several tips throughout the month on how you can create a greener, more eco-friendly event... here's a great one to start with:

At Changing The Present brides and grooms can create an incredible wedding registry allowing their guests to choose from over 1,000 donation gift opportunities... everything from adopting a tiger, educating a girl, providing clean water to an African community to sponsoring a chimp or clearing land mines. Just about any cause that is near and dear to your hearts can be benefited by creating your wedding registry at Changing the Present.

Give it some thought... what a wonderful way to start your new life together!

Blessings,
Claire

Jason Keefer : Fine Art Wedding Photo-Documentarist

Jason Keefer is an extraordinary photographer. The photos here are of 2 weddings that we both worked at last summer: Wren and Rocky's (1st & 3rd photos) which was held at a beautiful family property in Albemarle County (great car, isn't it?) and Rae and Brad (2nd photo) at the Clifton Inn (in the rain with bagpipes, no less!). Jason and his wonderful wife, Tammy, who works with him, shot both of these weddings and truly captured the heart of both of them.

I discovered today that if you go to Jason's website he gives you the opportunity to look at the entire wedding albums for some of his weddings with an incredible musical background. In fact, as of this moment, both of these wedding albums are available to check out in full along with a few others... and I encourage you to do so... they are magnificent, brought tears to my eyes!

Jason has a wonderful definition of "documentarist" on his site that articulates his style so well: a writer, photographer or other artist whose work constitutes a document or documentary of an aspect of life. Giving yourself the gift of having your wedding day documented in this way, by photographers who have the skill and sensitivity to capture these precious moments, is something you will always treasure.

I know that Jason has very few dates left for 2008 so if you haven't found a great photographer for your wedding yet I encourage you to get in touch with him today.

You can check out his availability on his site and then give Jason & Tammy a call: 434-989-4971.

Happy wedding planning...

Blessings, Claire

Omni Richmond Hotel

This beautiful couple, Jessi and Brent, got married yesterday at Richmond's Omni Hotel. The Omni is a contemporary, luxury hotel in the historic Shockoe Slip neighborhood of Richmond. This hotel can accommodate pretty much any kind of event from small and intimate to a sit down dinner for hundreds in their ballroom.

Jessi and Brent's wedding fell somewhere in between. Their ceremony included many lovely Jewish elements including a beautiful chuppah that the bride designed herself and the traditional Seven Blessings in Hebrew and English that were offered by friends of the Groom's family. Afterwards their 130+ guests went downstairs to the Mayflower room for an evening of fun and dancing.

The Omni is a great choice if you want everything you need in one place and lots of wonderful staff to help with every detail. It is also in a great neighborhood with dozens of restaurants, bars and shops within a short walk from the front door. I spent a good part of Saturday afternoon at the Shockoe Espresso & Roastery just a block and a half down Cary St.

Jessi and Brent had an amazing surprise... just as they were lining up to walk into their reception and be announced as "Mr. & Mrs...." Richmond's Mayor (and former Governor), Doug Wilder walked up and introduced himself. Their photographer came dashing out to capture the unexpected moment. You just never know who you'll meet at the Omni!

If you think The Omni Richmond might be the place for your wedding please visit their website or give them a call at: 804-344-7000.

Jen Fariello Photography

Charlottesville certainly has it's share of wonderfully talented photographers and today I am happy to share with you another of my favorites, Jen Fariello. These two lovely brides are from a couple of weddings that Jen and I worked at together in the last 6 months, one at the University of Virginia Chapel and the other at the Boar's Head Inn.

Jen is a well-established photographer here in Charlottesville and over the years, in addition to weddings, you can find her beautiful photos sprinkled generously throughout just about every publication in the City and beyond. She is also an expert at portraits, capturing (seems to me) the heart and soul of her subjects... especially the babies that she clearly loves to photograph!

What Jen accomplishes for her wedding couples seems like magic to me ... somehow managing to be everywhere at once ... capturing those moments that would be lost forever if she hadn't been there to freeze them in time with her heart-full and beautiful photos.

I hope that you love these photographs as much as I do but please visit her website and blog to see lots more (oh, she also takes great photos of food... will make you hungry!).

If you'd like to contact Jen to see if she might be available for your date please call her at 434-963-7976 or e-mail her at jen@jenfariello.com.

Oh and as an afterthought... yes, she does take amazing color photos too, I just happened to love these 2 black and white ones!

The Jefferson Hotel - Richmond

I'd been hearing about the Jefferson Hotel for years but, until this past weekend, hadn't actually had an opportunity to see it for myself. It is unlike any other place I've every seen... "grand" doesn't even begin to accurately express what this hotel is like. From the huge semi-circular entrance to the grand stairway and stained glass ceilings it is certainly one of the most upscale and beautiful buildings I've ever seen. Every detail of this hotel was obviously given a great deal of attention.

The Jefferson was first opened in 1895, built by land developer Lewis Ginter and no expense was spared in his creation. In 1901 and again in 1944 the hotel survived fire damage and was restored along the way and even used as a movie set. In 1993 the renovation and restoration that brought the Jefferson to it's current appearance and status as a five-diamond and five-star hotel were completed. If you are interested in a more complete history of this historic location plus stories about the alligators in the fountain at The Jefferson be sure to spend a bit of time on their website's history page.

Katherine and Jason's wedding was what gave me the opportunity to spend a bit of time at The Jefferson. Their 90 guests joined them for their ceremony in the Flemish Room and then gathered together in the Rotunda Lobby (under the beautiful domed stain glass ceiling) for cocktails while the bride and groom spent some time with their photographers. Although I did not stay for the evening's dinner reception and dancing it was set up in the Empire Room and was absolutely beautiful in every detail.

It is obvious that The Jefferson hosts many weddings, everyone on their staff that I came into contact with was extremely helpful and professional and no facet of Katherine and Jason's big day was overlooked. James Harris, the Catering Manager that planned and and facilitated Jason and Katherine's wedding with them handled every detail with grace and good humor.

If you are looking for a truly one-of-a-kind venue and are want the the best of the best in an historic Virginia venue I would recommend you visit The Jefferson. And if this isn't exactly your style or in your budget I would still invite you to visit the Jefferson because it is a beautiful Virginia landmark and a place worth experiencing.

You can contact The Jefferson at 804-788-8000 or 800-424-8014.

Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm

Saturday afternoon I was privileged to marry Hilary and Michael in a heartfelt ceremony held in one of the cozy rooms at the Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm. When the ceremony began at noon the mist hung on the mountains in the background but before the ceremony was over the clouds had parted and the sun came streaming down. Hilary and Michael's ceremony was very emotional for them and full of personal touches that expressed not only their profound love for each other but also their gratitude and appreciation for their families who had traveled to share the day with them.

Hilary and Michael found me just about 6 weeks ago thru my Weekday Wedding Company and we were able to put together this lovely small wedding for them (just 16 guests) long distance via phone and e-mail. It wasn't really a "weekday wedding" but sometimes in the off-season I can make a weekday package work for a weekend day as well... luckily that was the case last weekend!

The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm is a beautiful bed and breakfast on 70 acres in Albemarle County, about 15 miles West of Charlottesville run by Innkeepers Dick and Hayden Cabell. I've had the opportunity to visit the Inn in every season and I always wish I could stay longer to explore the beautiful landscape.. there are lots of photos on their website of the rooms and property at all times of the year. If you are planning a small wedding or just want to get away and enjoy the beauty of central Virginia then this Inn is a place that you should consider. Close enough to all the great restaurants and attractions of Charlottesville but far enough out to be completely nestled into the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and make you feel like you're a million miles away.

Dick and Hayden go to great lengths to make their Inn a warm and welcoming place and to accommodate their guests' needs . When I left on Saturday afternoon to head to another wedding in Richmond they were preparing what looked like (and smelled like) an incredible meal for Hilary and Michael's family to enjoy together. Wish I could have stayed!

If you'd like to contact the Dick and Hayden at the Inn you can do so by e-mailing them at innkeeper@sugarhollow.com or calling: (434)823-7086 / toll free: 1-866-566-7388.

Thanks Dick and Hayden for all you did to make Hilary and Michael's wedding an experience I know they will treasure always!

Leap Day Wedding at Wintergreen Resort

Seems like a bit of an odd day to get married - February 29th - but certainly unique! This wonderful couple, Chris & Bill, chose to rent a lovely house at Wintergreen Resort (about 25 miles SW of Charlottesville) for the weekend and have their ceremony in front of the fireplace with just their closest family in attendance.

This was a first for me but seems like a great idea... a relaxing way to get away for a few days and enjoy the company of your nearest and dearest with lots to do right nearby: skiing & snowboarding, spa services, swimming, hiking, great restaurants and more plus lovely views and time to relax together... sounds good to me!

Chris and Bill found their rental through the very nice folks at Rentals at Wintergreen They were so patient with me when I called for driving directions directions!

Just for fun, I looked up a few facts about Leap Day on Wikipedia... here's what I found:
February 29 is a date that occurs only every four years, in years evenly divisible by 4, such as 1988, 1996, 2008 or 2016 (with the exception of century years not divisible by 400, such as 1900) for the Gregorian calendar, which is most widely used in the world today. These are called leap years, and February 29 is the 60th day of the Gregorian calendar in such a year, with 306 days remaining until the end of that year. February 29 is also known as bissextile day or Leap Day.

Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days, a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours. Every four years, an extra twenty-four hours have accumulated, so one extra day is added to that calendar to keep the count coordinated with the sun's apparent position.

I wonder if Chris and Bill will celebrate their anniversaries on Feb. 29th or March 1st in the years to come.