Our Wedding Blog

Keswick 5/6/18 Keswick 5/6/18

Sunset Skies and Sweet Goodbye’s | Stephanie & Will

Stephanie and Will’s wedding on May 6, 2018 at Keswick Vineyards was nothing short of exciting! The bridal party and mothers of Stephanie and Will showed up at noon to get ready for their wedding day, while waiting in anticipation for guests to arrive and for the ceremony to commence. Will, his groomsmen, and Stephanie and Will’s fathers were busy playing a game of pool while the ladies were getting ready. You could just tell how excited everyone was for Stephanie and Will’s special day!

Up until about an hour prior to the ceremony, we were watching the weather forecast because of the threat of rain. Luckily, we made the call to go forward with an outdoor ceremony and we are happy to say that it was the right one! We always tell our couples that the Blue Ridge Mountains really work wonders for our couples on their wedding day, and that it did! The weather turned out to be stunning for Stephanie and Will’s wedding. They decided to have their ceremony directly in front of the fountain so that the lush vineyard and fountain was their backdrop. When Brian Purcell, the officiant, pronounced Will and Stephanie, husband and wife, and said, “you may now kiss your bride,” Will went in for the kiss and the fountain turned on as if fireworks were going off! It was a memorable moment and we were so happy that Mother Nature decided to cooperate with us and that our “magical mountains” worked to our advantage once again!

When Stephanie and Will walked out from their ceremony, you could catch a glimpse of the sparkling shoes that Stephanie was wearing. Stephanie showed us afterwards that they actually were not heels—they were Kate Spade Keds that just glistened when the light hit them! They were such beautiful shoes and we loved the idea of brides wearing dressy, but also, cute and comfortable shoes. We have a lot of “firsts” at Keswick Vineyards, and wearing Kate Spade Keds was one of them!

Sunset photos are an absolute must with how stunning the mountains and vineyards are in the background. Robert Radifera was able to take some beautiful sunset photos with Stephanie and Will’s clear umbrellas held above them as they were kissing. It was such a beautiful photo and we were completely elated that Robert shared it with all of us! We love how Robert always shares his images with the couple; you can tell how much the couple adores being able to see their pictures directly after they are taken!

The remainder of the night was spent smoking cigars, dancing, and enjoying the beautiful cake that Sweethaus made for the couple. Everyone said their goodbyes to Stephanie and Will as they drove off to relax after a long wedding day. It was such a magical night and we were so happy with how everything turned out. Congrats, Stephanie and Will!

Thank you to the following vendors for all their hard work:

Event Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Caterer: Goodrich Gourmet, Photographer: Robert Radifera, Pastry Chef: Sweethaus, Florist: Barnswallow Blooms, Officiant: Brian Purcell, Makeup: Jenna Balser and Charlottesville Makeup Artist, Hair: Kendra Holcomb, Transportation: Albemarle Limousine, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 5/5/18 Keswick 5/5/18

Cinco de Kentucky Derby | Rebecca & Jesse

What an eventful weekend we had! Rebecca and Jesse, who got married at Keswick Vineyards on the 5th of May, 2018, incorporated so many fun and new ideas into their wedding day! They decided to get married near the vineyard where our beautiful wooden pergola was adorned with blue and white hydrangeas. A tradition that we had yet to see this wedding season was the wine box ritual, which the couple also incorporated into their wedding day. Rebecca and Jesse wrote letters to each other prior to their ceremony and placed them in the “time capsule” wine box. Along with the letters was a bottle of wine that they will open a year from their wedding day. With so many couples saving the top layer of their cake to enjoy a year from their wedding day, we thought that this was such a refreshing idea that other couples might, also, enjoy.

While the day was obviously all about Rebecca and Jesse, they also made sure that their guests didn’t forget that it was also the Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby Races! They ensured to incorporate both “holidays” into one day by serving both a mint julep and a margarita to their guests during cocktail hour and the reception. Goodrich Gourmet even had an immaculate tray of mint juleps and margaritas waiting for the couple as soon as they finished with their ceremony! After all, you can’t celebrate the Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby without a margarita and mint julep!

As guests were enjoying their holiday-inspired drinks during cocktail hour, they came across the corkboard seating chart that Rebecca’s mother, Kay, made. It was such an intricate and stunning piece that looked like the wine corks were interwoven. Drinking wine was definitely encouraged in order to make such a large and beautiful piece of art!

Another new idea that we loved was the use of our wine barrels with a vintage door placed upon it in the gazebo. Rebecca and Jessie used the “table” as their cupcake display and also placed a silver “R” and “J” to make the display even more alluring. Bazzle’s Bakery baked five different cupcake flavors and decided to display it in a symmetrical way that left us stunned. As you passed by the cupcake display, you could smell the aromas of key lime pie, German chocolate cake, salted caramel, raspberry, and carrot cake. Everyone couldn’t wait to get their hands on those cupcakes!

After the reception ended, everyone said their goodbyes to Rebecca and Jesse while they drove away in their getaway car. Rebecca will be graduating from UVA’s medical school, so we’re sure that her busy weekend didn’t stop at her wedding. Congrats to the happy couple and to Rebecca for graduating from UVA’s medical school!

Thank you to the following vendors for all their hard work:

Event Planner: Keswick Vineyards, Catering: Goodrich Gourmet, Makeup: Rouge 9, Hair: Top Knot, Photographer: Ward Photography, Videographer: Silver Streak Weddings, Bakery: Bazzle’s Bakery, Florist: M Henry Designs, DJ: Andy Wilfong, Officiant: Bhvani Metro, Rentals: MS Events, Transportation: Ambassador Limousine, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 4/29/18 Keswick 4/29/18

Evviva Gli Sposi! | Nikki & Rosie

Tanti auguri per una vita felice insieme, Nikki and Rosie! Many wishes for a happy life together, Nikki and Rosie! Nikki and Rosie’s wedding day, which took place on April 29th at Keswick Vineyards, was one where we felt as if we were actually in Italy! They had family visiting all the way from around Sicily to see the beautiful matrimony of Nikki and Rosie. The entire night screamed “elegance,” and was full of dancing and laughter from the arrival of the couple until the very last song of the night.

Nikki and Rosie decided to go with the traditional custom of getting married at a Catholic Church, the Church of the Redeemer, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. When they showed up to Keswick Vineyards, we were completely taken aback by how elegant everyone looked. Nikki wore a stunning lace dress, while Rosie complemented her in an all-white suite and shoes. The bridesmaids were dazzling in a rose-gold sequined dress, while the groomsmen wore sharp black tuxedos with a pink bow tie. We were obsessed with the attire of the entire wedding party!

When guests began to show up and move to cocktail hour under our three-hundred-year-old oak tree, they would go to the “wishing well,” where they would write notes to the newly-wed couple. We also loved the incorporation of the “vineyard” aspect that was added to cocktail hour. On the gift table for Nikki and Rosie was an “N” and a “R” that was concocted of wine corks. Needless to say, Lisa did an amazing job of making Nikki and Rosie’s day absolutely special. She even went as far as saving the day when the couple’s original cake was dropped. She quickly made the call to Chandler’s Bakery, one of our local bakery’s, to make sure that the couple still had a cake for their wedding day. It was a close call, but Lisa made no hesitation in perfecting Nikki and Rosie’s wedding day.

In addition to the cake, Nikki and Rosie also had a dessert table that was placed under the gazebo. The dessert table was, of course, Italian-themed with a various assortment of cookies, cannoli’s, and candies. It was hard for guests to stay away from such an appealing table!

As guests moved from cocktail hour to the reception, they were amazed by how everything was placed. The couple decided to stick with their chic setup, where the table runners and cake table matched the bridesmaid’s dress with rose-gold sequins. A particular aspect of the tent that we thought was quite endearing, though, was the fact that Rosie decided to surprise Nikki with the bistro lighting in the tent. A few days prior to the wedding, Rosie contacted our tent company, Skyline, to see whether they could accommodate to setting the bistro lights up for his bride on their special day. How sweet is that?

We thought that it was so nice that the reception was extremely laid back and that guests could enjoy the reception however they wanted. They, quite literally, “danced the night away,” where they would stop intermittently to eat but danced the entire night. EAT Catering, who Rosie’s family has been friends with for a while and even did another wedding for them, cooked filet mignon for the guests and made sure that the night ran flawlessly. We loved having them here for the first time and look forward to having them back again!

After a long night of dancing, everyone said their “goodbyes” with a sparkler departure as Nikki and Rosie left for their honeymoon in Paris. Congratulazion, Nikki and Rosie! Enjoy your trip to the “city of love” and we hope to see you two again soon!

Thank you to the following vendors for all their hard work:

Event Planner: Lisa Cauthorne with Engagements, Caterer: EAT Catering, Pastry Chef: Impasto Bakery, Cake: Chandler’s Bakery, DJ: Jimmy Oliver Events, Photographer: Erik Leise, Videographer: Reel Lyfe Productions, Hair & Makeup: High Tech Salon, Florist: Flowers by Zoie, Transportation: Albemarle Limousine & First Class Limo, Rentals: Classic Party Rentals of Virginia, Lighting: Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 4/28/18 Keswick 4/28/18

The Blessings of April | Mikaela & Josh

There’s something about spring weddings that just excites you. Mikaela and Josh’s wedding was one of those events that we were just head-over-heals in love with. To begin with, the weather was absolutely beautiful! Mikaela’s mother, Kathleen, let us know that they were extremely easy-going and the only thing that they really desired was for the weather to be perfect. Mother Nature provided exactly that! It was consistently warm throughout the day with a slight breeze that provided a refreshing air to the wedding. Needless to say, everyone was content with the outcome of the spring weather.

During Mikaela’s father’s speech, we were notified of how hard Mikaela worked to make her wedding flawless. And to say that she worked extremely hard is an understatement. Mikaela works full-time and attends graduate classes at night, but still managed to pull off an amazing wedding. She designed all the tables herself, where each table was adorned with a gray overlay and, on it, were floral wreaths with a black lantern centered in the middle. We were absolutely taken aback by the simplistic, yet beautiful, arrangements. On the guest table, lanterns and greenery was also placed to match the theme of Mikaela and Josh’s wedding. Also, on the table was a map of Charlottesville that guests signed. We thought it was such a neat idea to have a map of such significance be a memorable object. We loved all of Mikaela’s ideas and can’t wait to share them with our other couples!

Along with new beginnings of couples are also new beginnings that happen at Keswick Vineyards. Mikaela and Josh were the first to get married at our “fountain fall location.” We couldn’t have been any more thrilled to have discovered a new location for our couples to get married at. The chairs were set up with a slight curve so that all focus was on Mikaela and Josh for their ceremony. They decided to participate in the “blending of the wines” during their ceremony. On the wine barrel that was placed in the middle of the quadrant of the fountain were two wine glasses—one glass of white wine and another with red wine. Virginia, the officiant, had Mikaela and Josh drink out of each glass and then pour their wine into one glass. The “blending of the wine” into the one cup was symbolic of their future lives together, where they now live one single life that is devoid of individualism. We couldn’t have imagined a better way to start their lives off—with a representation of how they will live their lives together.

The remainder of the night was spent dancing the night away! We absolutely loved seeing everyone “getting down” on the dance floor and enjoying themselves. We hope that the rest of Mikaela and Josh’s lives are spent succumbed to this much happiness-- congratulations Mikaela and Josh!

A Special Thank You to the Following Vendors: Day of Coordinator: Keswick Vineyards, Catering: Pumpernickel Pickle, Hair & Makeup: Marci Corle, Photographer: Julie Napear, DJ: Mark Allen, Officiant: Virginia Moore, Transportation: Blue Ridge Tours.