I am happy to announce that this blog has moved and officially taken up residence on my very own domain: http://www.charlottesvilleweddingblog.com.  Please visit the NEW Charlottesville Wedding Blog ... it has a new look and new features and I have great plans for it's future :-). 

This new blog has been in the works for weeks and today my wonderful blog-tech guy,  Joel, moved the content over so that's it... this blog is officially ended and the new one has begun... see you over there and don't forget to subscribe or re-subscribe at the new Charlottesville Wedding Blog when you get there!

Blessings,
Claire

Last weekend I had the pleasure of working with Sue Taylor (violin) and Jennifer Hall (harp), A Touch of Class,  again up at Wintergreen Resort. As always, their music was absolutely beautiful as it floated on the breeze providing a wonderful backdrop to the day.  Jennifer & Sue are both accomplished musicians with lots of wedding experience, so working with them is always a pleasure.



If  you would like to contact them to find out if this duet is available for your date feel free to contact Sue by e-mail or telephone: 540-942-3970.  As you will discover on her website, Sue is available as a soloist and also often plays with other musicians in various configurations including a string quartet.  I recommend Sue and Jennifer without hesitation!

If you'd like to find out about the possibilities for your wedding at Wintergreen Resort feel free to contact Catherine Pearce at 800-273-3390 to find out what's available.

Congratulations to Katie and Bob!

On June 1 I wrote a post about Amber and Charlie's University of Virginia Garden wedding.  One thing I didn't share with you was the Photo Booth they had at their reception... this was a first for me!



Amber and Charlie's guests had a great time climbing into the booth... individuals, couples and some groups of 3 or more... to have their black and white photos snapped.  Here you can see a picture of the bride and groom with their newly-snapped pics in a great photo by Meg Runion.



Next to the booth was a table and scrap book so that everyone could leave their pictures with some words of congratulations alongside... isn't this a fun idea?

I know this is slightly off topic, but I've been wanting to share this with you ... this summer I had the privilege of creating and performing a Baby Blessing ceremony for the 6-month old son of a wonderful couple that I married a couple of years ago. Christine, Reed, Baby Elijah and about 15 friends and family gathered together at a shady spot, near the creek, on Reed & Christine's Albemarle County property to welcome Elijah to the family, to the community and to life.



After smudging ourselves with burning sage we shared prayers, blessings, poetry and heartfelt personal messages with each other and with Elijah. Reed and Christine each vowed to always be there to love and support Elijah as he grows into his future. Finally, we performed a little water blessing, anointing Elijah's hands, feet and head, using the same copper pitcher from Reed's family that we'd used in their wedding ceremony.



Baby Elijah cooed, smiled and wiggled his way through the ceremony and there was laughter and tears all around... all in all a blessing to everyone in attendance. What a wonderful way to welcome and bless a new life!

A couple of weeks ago the New York Times Sunday Travel section (June 22, 2008) ran this wonderful article by Jennifer Conlin  Please check it out for great information and resources to help you plan an eco-friendly honeymoon and you'll also find some good ideas for offsetting the impact for those who already have a more traditional trip planned.  Green travel aka eco-tourism is a trend on the rise and for good reason.  I'm so glad to see it getting high-profile attention in the New York Times. 

Graphic credit: Leif Parsons

If you would like to contact Pamela about your wedding date you are welcome to e-mail her at: pamelalepold@verizon.net or give her a call at 703-624-2159.

Elizabeth Brightbill and Andrew Gabbert, also known as Terra Voce, played for Cortney & Stephen's wedding ceremony and cocktail hour (see 7/4 post) at the Boar's Head Inn a couple of Wednesdays ago.  Although I've known Elizabeth and Andrew for a couple of years now this was our first wedding together.  Based on their remarkable abilities and broad repertoire it is no wonder that they stay busy performing and teaching all around the US... their music is so beautiful!



If you'd like to hear some clips from their repertoire please go here and if you'd like to find out if Terra Voce might be available for your wedding date e-mail them at info@terravoce.com or give them a call at 434-823-7652.



You might also enjoy watching them play at the Kennedy Center last October here.   Enjoy!

Cortney and Stephen got married on Wednesday at the Boar's Head Inn.  Keeping it simple and as stress-free as possible while having a meaningful experience with the highest quality services was top priority for this busy couple (she's a doctor and he's an engineer).



Their Weekday Wedding package included everything they needed and wanted for their small (15 guests) weekday event: professional photography, accommodations, a cocktail hour and dinner for their guests, a beautiful ceremony under the willow tree, live music by Terra Voce (a cello and flute duet) and more. 



It was a lovely day for Stephen and Cortney and their family and friends... congratulations on your new marriage!



If you would like to consider a small weekday wedding package visit The Weekday Wedding Company of Central Virginia or call me at 434-296-9885.

Yes, I have definitely been delinquent and have let a few of my beautiful brides and grooms slip through the blogging cracks... (as I write I'm sitting in a coffee shop on 86th Street in Manhattan so you can see I really am making an effort to catch up! :-) ) These photos are of 3 June couples that I haven't written about yet... certainly no reflection on these amazing people... but June can get a bit overwhelming at times!

The first photo is of Mary & Jorge. Mary and Jorge were married at Veritas Vineyard in the company of friends and family from near and far. As you can see Veritas (in Afton) provided a lovely backdrop of rolling hills and vineyards... there's no place prettier!

The second photo is of Katie and Jeff who also chose to have their wedding at Veritas... I've been so blessed this season to have had several ceremonies at this fabulous winery venue.

Lastly are Brenn and Kevin who held their ceremony at the Ivy Creek United Methodist Church in Albemarle County. Brenn had grown up in this Church and so having their wedding there was especially meaningful to them. Kevin and Brenn included 15 of their family and friends in their Ceremony with lots of readings and music... it was a wonderful day and I felt so honored to officiate their unique ceremony.