Our Wedding Blog

Keswick 10/22/16 Keswick 10/22/16

The Perfect Pick | Emily & Bryan

'Tis the season for all things festively fall! Emily and Bryan were married on Saturday, October 22nd on a perfect fall day. Fall in Virginia is such a classically beautiful time of year. The air gets to be comfortably colder, the leaves begin to change colors, and weddings for us continue to be well underway!

Emily and Bryan were the perfect pick for one another. They’ve been together for over seven years and we loved celebrating their love and enjoyed how they highlighted fall in their décor. Pumpkins became a theme here, the perfect pick for their October wedding!

Welcoming guests as they arrived at Keswick Vineyards, the couple had hand-painted white pumpkins to dress up their guestbook and gift table. More were placed in other focal areas of their cocktail hour and reception as well so that guests could continue to relish in the great fall feelings. Mini pumpkins garnished the beautiful cheese display by Roadside Chive Catering and towards the end of the night guests picked up their spiced popcorn favors in the gazebo and were “thanked” via pumpkins!

Their 4:30 PM ceremony allowed for them plenty of time to enjoy a wonderful night full of dinner and dancing. This was a big dancing crowd. One of the first comments I remember this couple making is “we’re going to need a bigger dance floor”. So what did they do? Expanded it! The made our ample dance floor even bigger so that they all had plenty of room to shake their tail feathers. After dinner, the dance floor was full all night with the help of DJ Greg Tutwiler and guests worked up an appetite. Time for dessert.

Like every good wedding should, they wanted to make sure their guests had their choice of treats! Cupcakes and cookies surrounded their wedding cake and were beautifully displayed. They had cupcakes flavored in everything from apple pie to Reese’s. The options were endless! Guests hit the dessert bar and some even headed straight back to the dance floor….cupcakes in hand.

Congratulations to Emily and Bryan. We hope you all continue to enjoy the sweet life!

Day of Coordinator, Ashley Kovach. Caterer, Roadside Chive Catering. Rentals, Beggars Banquet Rentals & Real Southern Accents. Photography, Once Like a Spark. Videographer, Delta Studio Productions. Musician, Virginia Schweninger. DJ, Greg Tutwiler. Desserts, Passionflower Cakes. Florist, Petal Flower Company. Hair and Makeup, Three Bowls of Color. Officiant, JT. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 10/21/16 Keswick 10/21/16

It Was Right From the Start! | Jennifer and Brian

It all started with a great couple. The great couple had a keen eye for architect with the bride being an Interior Designer and were swept away with Keswick Vineyard’s impressively designed aesthetics. From there, they hired a great wedding planner and entrusted their faith in both their beloved venue and their seasoned wedding planner. With that combination, they were off to a great start!

Jennifer and Brian set their date for Friday, October 21st. They traveled all the way from Boston to celebrate with their friends and family and upon first setting foot on the grounds everyone mutually agreed that the trip was well worth it. As if the scenery wasn’t already enough, Jennifer and Brian decided to add to the naturally beautiful surroundings with their florals and décor.

Their ceremony chairs were dressed with glass jars filled with Dusty Miller and succulents, their cake was topped with pale pink roses, and clusters of lush greenery were suspended over the dance floor. It was all picture perfect!

During cocktail hour they had a special treat. UVA’s own Virginia Gentlemen (a well-known a cappella group) performed a series of songs for guests. Personally being an incredibly huge fan of all things musicals and a cappella this was an absolute joy to watch! It was apparent that the guests felt the same. They circled around them all while they were singing and were in awe of their voices and how unique it was to have them perform at the wedding.

Once the Virginia Gentlemen finished their last song it was time to head to reception. The layout of the tent was one thing we really enjoyed and hope to see more of. Traditionally, head tables are in the center of the room at the top of the dance floor. With the help of their wedding planner, Adam, Jennifer and Brian decided to mix things up a bit and add a new twist. The couple sat front and center at their own sweetheart table while the head table was seated at a long stretch of farm tables down the center of the tent. How clever! It was great to have them as more of a central focus without hiding the bride and groom in the mix.

A big congratulations to our newlyweds who are by now well off and enjoying their honeymoon!

Wedding Planner, Donovan-Groves Events. Catering, Harvest Moon Catering. Photographer, Aaron Watson Photography. Rentals, MS Events. Florist, Southern Blooms. Hair & Makeup, Carolyn Thombs Makeup Artistry & Consulting. Desserts, Cakes by Rachel. Officiant, Claire Frances. DJ, JG Entertainment. Musicians, The Virginia Gentlemen. Transportation, Quick’s and Camryn Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 10/16/16 Keswick 10/16/16

Roses are Red | Andra & Colt

It’s a well-known notion that most little girls grow up fantasizing about their wedding day. During the fantasizing there are several questions that run through their minds---what dress will I wear? What castle will I get married at? What prince charming will I marry?

Our bride, Andra, didn’t have any of those thoughts running through her head. She never was the type to day dream about her wedding day, but rather she spent her time riding horses on a farm. Though for as little day dreaming she did as a child she knew for certain one thing would 100% be a part of her wedding. Roses!

Red roses were her one non-negotiable when it came to Andra and Colt’s wedding on Sunday, October 16th. They wanted them everywhere. Throughout the planning process it became very apparent that having them at their ceremony was one of the single most important details of their wedding. The bride wanted a rose petal aisle…and boy did she get one!

They chose to get married underneath of Keswick Vineyard’s beautifully aged Oak tree. This ceremony location is perfect for intimate groups and brings a very garden like feel to any wedding. The setting of the tree was perfect for Andra and Colt and helped to beautifully showcase their rose petal aisle.

Along with horses, animals in general are a huge part of the couple’s life. They have a few horses and a lot of dogs (five to be specific). Originally, the plan was to have all five dogs walk down the aisle with each of her bridesmaids. After a little thought they decided that just one was enough, and Andra walked down the aisle with both her father and her boxer, Duke!

To capture these moments we had photographer Rob Garland on site. To set the tone of the night we had his brother, John Garland DJ’ing the party! We loved having the Garland brothers working together at Keswick Vineyards. It turns out the two have been family friends of Andra’s while growing up so it was only natural to have them be a part of her wedding day. It was made even more of a family affair by having the Garland’s parents also in attendance that day.

But what’s a party without great food? HotCakes outdid themselves with one of their signature fall treats. Their mini pumpkin muffin ham biscuits were a huge crowd pleaser during cocktail hour and made guests anxious and eager to hit the buffet line later. The night continued on and towards the end, seasonal pies were served with hot coffee and the newlyweds and their guests left happy and well fed!

Congratulations to Andra and Colt!

Day of Coordinator, Keswick Vineyards. Photography, Rob Garland Photography. Catering & Desserts, HotCakes. Rentals, MS Events. DJ, John Garland. Hair & Makeup, Sona Med Spa. Florist, Foxtail Cottage Floral. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Peter Silberblatt.

Keswick 10/15/16 Keswick 10/15/16

Nothing Like a Mother's Touch | Kenny & Molly

On Saturday, October 15th Kenny and Molly were married! Much anticipation led up to their big day and the couple and their families both came from afar to share and celebrate with them. Many months of planning went into developing the perfect plan for Kenny and Molly’s big day. In the end, it was well worth it!

Molly’s mother did the heavy lifting of the planning. Her and her husband wanted to make sure that their daughter’s wedding not only went off without a hitch but also was one that she would be proud to remember fondly for the rest of her life. Of course, every wedding at Keswick Vineyards is remembered fondly, but Molly’s mother went above and beyond to add personal touches throughout the evening that were tailored specifically for the bride and groom.

Molly loved sunflowers. It was one of the very first things I learned about her when we first met. Naturally, sunflowers became a beautiful addition to her wedding florals and were also beautifully mixed in with other flowers in her bouquet. The bright yellow provided the perfect pop to her rich navy and sage color palate.

The navy and sage worked wonderfully together on their dining tables. Navy linens were the base for guest tables with navy lace slips over ivory napkins. (A beautiful touch). At each place setting guests had several items that all served a purpose throughout the evening. The first was their name cards, which were handmade wine cork name card holders which indicated what meal they chose for dinner service. The second was a scratch off ticket that put them in the pool for winning a prize to take home with them at the end of the night! What was that prize? Keswick Vineyard’s forever famous Viognier Reserve! The last of the items placed in front of each guest was a charity donation announcement which let them know that in lieu of favors a donation has been made in their honor.

Just like Molly’s parents, Kenny’s parents wanted to make sure that they had their hand in making their son’s wedding memorable as well! If there was anything you should know about this couple, it was that they loved pie. Pie became a big focal point for their wedding. They even replaced their wedding cake with a heart shaped wedding pie! They had their big cutting pie and miniatures for their guests to enjoy with mini Ben & Jerry’s ice creams. There was something for everyone! To attract guests towards this area (though the smell naturally did the trick) Kenny’s dad handmade a “PIE” marque sign. It was well crafted and perfect for their display!

I think it’s safe to say that they will forever very fondly remember their wedding day and all of its pie eating bliss!

Day of Coordinator, Keswick Vineyards. Catering, C&O Catering. Photography, Ruby Sky Photography. Rentals, MS Events. Florist, The Faded Poppy. Desserts, Paradox Pastry and Ben & Jerry’s. Hair and Makeup, Charlottesville Makeup Artist. DJ, Dennis Payne. Musician, Terra Voce. Nanny, Local Nanny Network. Transportation, A Goff Limousine and Albemarle Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Reverend Rick Hudock.