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

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.

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!

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.

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!