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!

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.

Everyday I hear from the couples I work with what a daunting and time-consuming task wedding planning can be. The many details, choices and decisions can be overwhelming. If you are feeling this way you might consider getting some help and the first person that comes to mind for me is Jennifer Carroll.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Jennifer and her wonderful staff on several weddings and am looking forward to those we will be doing together in the coming season. Jenn is a complete professional with years of experience and a true gift for creating strikingly beautiful, unique and memorable wedding experiences for the couples she works with. In my capacity as Wedding Minister she unfailingly makes my job a complete joy, working closely with me so that the rehearsal and ceremony come off without a hitch. A real plus is that she has a wonderful sense of humor which is so important!

My words can not do justice to Jenn’s magic so please visit her website so that you can see the many wonderful photos of weddings that she has planned as well as detailed information about her services and products.

Jennifer offers many levels of service to couples… everything from her Complete Wedding Planning package (Peony) all the way to Day-Of (Hydrangea) and A la Carte services.

If you're just not sure that hiring a wedding planner is right for you her FAQ page may be helpful in deciding... but if you're considering this option at all my best recommendation is that you simply pick up the phone and give her a call, you'll be glad you did. You can reach Jennifer at 434-823-7607.

With Valentine's Day coming up tomorrow I thought I'd share some great articles and resources I've come across on how to make more conscious choices in your giving.

This year I received my Valentine's Day surprise a little early: On Monday an envelope arrived addressed to my husband. It said "Thank you for Adopting a Manatee"... it was a give-away and, of course, I couldn't wait 'til Thursday to open it. Sure enough my funny and thoughtful honey had adopted a Manatee for me for Valentine's Day. I guess he has finally figured out that I'm just not a flowers and chocolates kind of girl! If you want to know more about this wonderful Valentine's Day option visit the Save the Manatee website. In addition to info. and a photo of my new adoptee, "Howie", I got 2 very sweet little plush manatees to remind me of my new status as adoptive manatee mom.

So... back to the resources I have for you...

• Have a Heart: How to have a Valentine's Day with a Conscience
• Valentine's Day Gift Guide: giving greener love
• Have a Green Valentine's Day
• Red is Out, Go Green this Valentine' Day
• Love me, Love the Earth

I wish you a peaceful, loving and green day of love!

Although Stonefire Station in Barboursville (about 15 miles North of Charlottesville) has been holding events for a couple of years now this past Sunday was my first wedding there. Stonefire Station is a unique venue in the area as far as I know. It was built specifically for events of all kinds and was, obviously, designed taking into consideration what would be needed to accommodate every kind of gathering. In a way this venue is something of a blank slate that could probably be decorated to just about any imaginable style or taste from extremely formal to completely relaxed and informal. Their website provides all the details, floorplans and lots of photos of the venue.

Allison and Tim's wedding was held indoors at Stonefire Station although it is clear that a warmer-weather event would be able to take advantage of the lovely Southwestern-style outdoor patio areas all along one side of the building. Their wedding also was unique in that there was a complete power outage due to high winds so this made everything (music, food, etc.) an extra challenge for everyone. Nevertheless, everyone kept a very positive attitude and had a wonderful time in the candlelit ballroom.

Tim and Allison made their wedding extremely child-friendly as you can see from this photo of the tables they provided in the midst of the ballroom for their youngest friends and family.

Contact Stonefire Station at (540) 832-0089 for more information.

When I arrived at last Sunday's Bridal Faire I was happy to see one of my favorite photographers, Allegra, had a booth. Over the last couple of years I've had the privilege of finding myself at several weddings that Allegra was shooting and getting to know her a bit has been a joy.

I encourage you to visit Allegra's website to see her beautiful pictures and learn more about her interesting background and extensive experience.

These photos are from 2 weddings that I performed and Allegra photographed just this past fall, one at the Clifton Inn in October and the other at the UVA Chapel in December (see my post) Allegra was kind enough to send me most of these photos and there are one or two I snatched off of her blog (she said I could) to show you how incredibly talented she is. You can contact Allegra at 434-384-0138. Enjoy!

Maliha Creations
Anita of Maliha Creations brought a sampling of her incredible cakes to the Bridal Show this past Sunday. I quite literally couldn't take my eyes off of them! I think of myself as a relatively creative (crafty) person but, honestly, I can't even fathom how she makes these spectacular creations. And guess what? They're not only beautiful their delicious... so to my way of thinking that makes them perfect!

The other bonus you get from Anita is her warm personality and beautiful smile... so, if you are in the market for a wedding cake, a groom's cake... or a cake for any other occasion I would not hesitate to invite you to contact Anita. Oh, and be sure to look at her website too because there is a gallery of photos of cakes she has created and, my favorite part is her "About" page where she divulges her inspiration for her work.

Anita's homepage says "if you can dream it, we can create it," and you know, I don't think that's even the slightest exaggeration!

Contact Anita at: 434-973-3183 or anita@malihacreations.com

I hope that you were able to make it to the Bridal Style Show at Farmington Country Club this past Sunday (27th) but if you weren't I will be doing a series of posts to highlight some of the many wonderful vendors that were there. As always, Susan Sorbello, the brains and talent behind this yearly event, did an incredible job producing a truly high quality event. I encourage you to visit her wonderful shop: West Main Bridal and Couture at 500 West Main St., Charlottesville 22902 or call her at (434)979-5683. Since bridal fashion is not my area of expertise I hope to have Susan provide me with some useful information about the wonderful dresses and designers that you will find at her shop and share that info. with you here on the blog a little further down the road. Thanks Susan, and staff, for another wonderful annual show!

The annual Bridal Style Show will take place this weekend at Farmington Country Club. Susan Sorbello of West Main Bridal & Couture does an excellent job of gathering a great number of quality vendors together for this show. If you register ahead of time admission is free. Enjoy!

In case you haven't seen it yet the January UNIONS wedding supplement is tucked inside this weeks edition of our weekly Cville on the stands now... It's a great source of resources and information for your Charlottesville area wedding planning so please be sure to pick up a copy.

This UNIONS issue has articles and advice on: winter wedding planning, prenuptial agreements, dress shopping and eco-wedding resources to name a few. There's even a little article called "Get me to the church on... Tuesday" that profiles my very own Weekday Wedding Company (shameless plug :-)).

Even if you're wedding is a long way off be sure to grab a copy of UNIONS, it's an invaluable resource and will make your life easier!

I want to share this great article posted today at www.readexpress.com. It has lots of great resources and ideas for planning a green wedding from Express, a free daily newspaper published by the Washington Post. This wonderful story tells of couples in the DC area who have addressed just about every aspect of wedding planning to find ways of making their big days more environmentally friendly without compromising quality and elegance.

This article addresses everything from invitations and dress-shopping to food, flowers and transportation. Although some of the resources are specific to the DC area the ideas and inspiration for an eco-friendly wedding are well worth the read. Enjoy!

After more than a year of thoughtful long-distance planning this beautiful couple were married this past weekend at the UVA Chapel after which their guests were shuttled over to Alumni Hall for a warm and welcoming cocktail hour and reception. Anyone could tell that everything chosen for this ceremony and reception was given a great deal of consideration as the choices were all elegant and unique. Everything from the garland of flowers arching over the chapel doors to the fun and unique wheatgrass table decoration at the reception was truly lovely and special.

Their ceremony too was filled with special elements... everything from the 3 movie-quote readings at the very beginning of the ceremony (my favorite was from Love Actually... the one that begins, "whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think of the arrivals gate at the airport...") to a poem that Christine had broken up into sections that she and Jeff said back and forth to each other as part of their vows. Lots of tears and laughter... what could be better?!?!

This was my first wedding reception at the Alumni Hall and I was actually surprised at how cozy and intimate this large place felt. The two large fireplaces and lots of wonderful UVA memorabilia and photos that grace the halls certainly added to the warm feeling.

Congratulations Christine and Jeff... I wish you a happy and prosperous life together... thank you for the honor of marrying you!

I'm not sure I could ... but I do know for a fact that it can be done... I saw it with my own eyes just this past weekend. And I'm not talking about a little elopement on the courthouse steps no sireee... I'm talking about a real wedding: chapel, flowers, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, live music, customized ceremony (yes, that was my part, thank you very much :-) ) including dearest friends and family and a lovely reception. Think I'm kidding?

But seriously... this amazing couple, Suzanne and Bob, live in Florida and have 5 sons between them from prior marriages. Bob went to school in Charlottesville and practiced medicine here back in the 80's so, on January 3 when some friends put the idea in his head that he and Suzanne could have their wedding at the UVA Chapel that was it! The wheels began to turn, they called the Boar's Head Inn, booked the Chapel, contacted me and everything fell into place for their wedding on the 12th. The best part was their 50 wonderful guests and 5 sons who wouldn't have missed it for anything. The loving and heartfelt toasts at their rehearsal dinner even had me and my husband in tears and we'd only met them for the first time that day!

Suzanne commented to me several times that she simply couldn't believe how easily and flawlessly everything fell into place for their plans, certainly it was meant to be. Alice Dalton at the Boar's Head worked quickly and efficiently behind the scenes to be sure things went off without a hitch, and they did... thank you Alice!

So, just in case you don't want to spend a year in the planning you now know for sure that a wedding on short notice can be done.

With Valentines' Day on the horizon I thought that this bit of info. as to the origins of this day from The History Channel would be fun to share: Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Visit the History Channel website for expanded info.

Sunday, January 27, 2008 - 2-5:30 PM
The annual Bridal Style Show will be presented by West Main Bridal & Couture at Farmington Country Club here in Charlottesville later this month. I attended last year and it was a lot of fun: great local vendors, a fashion show and yummy treats to sample.

If you register ahead of time admission is free or pay $3 at the door. For further information call: 434-979-5683 or 434-249-6060.

See you at the show!

Happy New Year!

If you've found your way to this Blog and are planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area I hope that you will find some useful information here. If you don't seem to find what you are looking for, however, it would be very helpful to me if you would let me know what would be useful to you and what kind of info. you'd like to see here. It's a work in progress and knowing what you need would be a big help.

This Blog was created to provide useful resources, ideas and advice for couples who are in the process of planning their weddings and having your suggestions and requests would be much appreciated.

Feel free to either submit a Comment to this post or e-mail me directly anytime at revclaire@sacredgroundceremonies.com

I wish you all a Joyful and Peaceful 2008!