Our Wedding Blog

Keswick 11/12/16 Keswick 11/12/16

That's a Wrap! | Kathryn & Brian

Coming to the end of wedding season for the year is always bittersweet. We look back on all of the amazing weddings we’ve hosted during our 2016 season and can’t believe that we’re already done! Throughout the year we have so many wonderful couples, all of which have chosen for us to be their wedding venue. Throughout their planning process we naturally all become close—extended family if you will—and their families and our Keswick Vineyards family slowly blend into one. It’s an incredible feeling and we love sharing those moments with each and every one of them! At the same time, we look at the calendar and see the amazing weddings we have coming up for our 2017 season and the smiles come back on our faces. We’re never REALLY done…just done for now.

We were fortunate to end our 2016 season with Kathryn and Brian on November 12th. They were the perfect end to a beautiful year of weddings. Them and their guests helped us end on the right note!

Their wedding encompassed all of the things we love about Keswick Vineyards and weddings. For starters, they won us over by taking advantage of our very dog friendly property by bringing their pug, Handsome, to join in on the fun for photos. Handsome was such an appropriate name for him. Take a look at how dapper he was in his tuxedo! He was ready for action from the start of the day and certainly did not let his mom and dad down!

We love weddings where the energy of the day continues well into the night. With this group, it did! The tone is always first set with the couple. The couple then brings along their friends to stand by their side as a part of their wedding party. The wedding party then takes it from there and shows the rest of the guests just how it’s done!

This wedding party was so lively, such jokesters, and (most importantly) so respectful. They knew they were in for a great time just by being a part of Kathryn and Brian’s wedding, and they road along the waves of those good times throughout the night! With Keswick Vineyards being a private residence, we really appreciated how this couple and their guests treated the property as if it was their own home. They won major brownie points from us there!

Kathryn and Brian, thank you for the perfect end to a perfect season!

2016… that’s a wrap!

Wedding Planner, Amore Events. Catering, The Local. Photographer, Becca B. Photography. Florist, Verde Natural Florals. Desserts, Pearl's Bake Shoppe. Rentals, MS Events. DJ, King Studios DJ Services. Musicians, Gene and Gayla Mills and Bride’s Uncle John. Transportation, Blue Ridge Tours. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Pastor Gabe Turner.

Keswick 11/5/16 Keswick 11/5/16

Mozel Tov! | Caroline & Nolan

When you merge two lives you also merge two families. The merging of two families often times also means you're bringing two different backgrounds and sometimes even cultures together. The same holds true with religion, as we found out from Caroline and Nolan’s wedding day on November 5th!

The couple had two different religious backgrounds, which is common. Not everyone you meet and certainly not everyone you date is going to have the same religious views as you. What's important is how you decide to blend those together so that both views are both equally highlighted and respected. This couple did just that.

Caroline, being Lutheran, and Nolan being Jewish decided it was only appropriate to incorporate elements of both religions into their ceremony. Both Lutheran and Jewish wedding ceremonies have traditions that bind the couples together for life. Both take these traditions very seriously and are seen as the only proper way to enter into a successful marriage.

For the first time in my weddings career, I saw a dual ceremony! This couple had both a Minister and a Rabi for their ceremony. The two were standing side by side as they led the marriage ceremony of Caroline and Nolan in both the Lutheran and Jewish fashion! This is a great option for couples wondering how to satisfy both sides of their families.

The dual ceremony was complete and the couple and their guests were ready for a great night ahead! With cocktail hour well underway guests continued to enjoy delicious food from C&O while the couple snuck away for some famously fall photos. Like our featured couple from last week, they too lucked out with the peak of our fall colors! You'll see the smiles on their faces as Cindy and their photographers captured them in the beautiful light of the "golden hour".

Towards the end of the night, Scraps the cat made an appearance! She landed herself in the perfect position to grab the attention of one of their guests. She wasn't able to keep his attention for long though. Once he heard the party suddenly get livelier underneath of the Sperry tent he had to go and see what was going on.

What was all the commotion you ask? The hora! Another Jewish tradition. Guests lifted Caroline and Nolan in their chairs as they continued to celebrate the beginning of their marriage. Keswick employees may not lift chairs, but we will certainly lift our glasses and cheers our newlyweds!

Catering, C&O Catering. Event Planner, Events with Panache. Photographer, Jen Fariello Photography. Rentals, MS Events. Florist, Verde Natural Florals. Hair, Top Knot Studio. Makeup, Rouge 9. Desserts, HotCakes. DJ, Derek Tobler. Officiants, Rabi Annie Bornstein and Pastor Joseph Bolick. Transportation, Ambassador Limousine and UTS Charter Service. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company.

Keswick 10/29/16 Keswick 10/29/16

Oh, The Places We Will Go | Meagan & Jason

As our season began to come to a close we were treated by Mother Nature with those beautifully iconic “fall” colors. The leaves changed a bit later this year and last but, nonetheless, were certainly well worth the wait! Meagan & Jason lucked out with these lovely leaves as they were married here on Saturday, October 29th.

Like the leaves and as is true with all good things, they are worth the wait. Meagan and Jason’s relationship has already endured over a decade of time together and they are bound to continue forth with many, many more! This couple loved traveling. We were able to see just how much their love for traveling extended when we saw how they incorporated it as a part of their wedding.

To show guests to their seats, they had a map of the world which highlighted all of the places they have been together. Little airplanes stamped the globe and helped put into perspective exactly how many areas they’ve conquered together (and also how many more they have left to go!) It was a fun and interactive way for guests to not only find their seats but also to get another little glimpse into the lives of Meagan and Jason.

The map may have helped guests find their seats, but they didn’t need any assistance with finding the dance floor after dinner! With the help of Derek Tobler, they kept the floor full and they partied well into the night.

So, what’s the next stop for our globe trotters? Well their honeymoon, of course. Safe travels and congratulations to Meagan and Jason!

Wedding planner, Two Byrds Events and Design. Catering, The Local. Photographer, Connection Photography. Rentals, MS Events. Hair & Makeup, The Spot Beauty Shop. Florist, Whimsical Floral. DJ, Derek Tobler. Musician, Mike D’Antoni. Dessert, Sweethaus. Transportation, A&A Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Rev. Rick Hudock.

Keswick 10/23/16 Keswick 10/23/16

Happy-ly ever After | Callie & Nathan

When Nathan and Callie came to visit Keswick Vineyards for the first time there was nothing but pure joy sweeping across their faces. They had big beaming smiles and hearts in their eyes all through their initial tour. It became apparent, very quickly, that they were walking the grounds of their dream wedding venue.

Callie and Nathan’s happiness was contagious. In fact, little did we know, the groom’s nickname was actually Happy! After finding that out it just all made sense and on Sunday, October 23rd Callie and Happy were married.

Their wedding gave off an upscale and elegant vibe all the while being relaxed and cozy. The bridesmaids dresses were in a beautiful rich shade of red which really popped with the greenery around the vineyard. When you go with the color red for a dress you’re making a statement. The girls did just that as they walked down the ceremony aisle. They were the perfect “opening act” for beautiful Callie as she made her debut down (what very well could have been) her red carpet! Happy’s face when she hit the top of the aisle was precious. It’s sure to be a moment the two of them will cherish for the rest of their lives.

After a sentimental and wonderful ceremony, guests headed to cocktail hour while the couple snuck away for photos. Surrounding our big oak tree were cozy pockets of lounge furniture for guests to enjoy as they sipped their wine and cocktails and grabbed bites to eat from Goodrich Gourmet. Having lounge furniture during cocktail hour and reception is a great way to create more comfortable chatting environments for guests. They feel as if they’re right at home and are really able to relax. Having incredible 360 views is just an added bonus!

Mingling and chatting are naturally a part of every wedding. Families and friends come from all corners of the world in order to celebrate the love. It’s always great to reconnect with people in your lives…but talking can only get you so far. Eventually, you’re going to have to let loose and hit the dance floor! The “Love Train” is what brought this group together! They had a massive conga line going which was definitely one of the highlights of the evening!

To our forever smiling and full of life newlyweds, we wish you nothing but a very Happy-ly….ever after

Wedding Planner, Real Southern Accents. Caterer, Goodrich Gourmet Catering. Photography, Mike Topham Photography. Florist, Floral Images. DJ, Andy Wilfong. Desserts, Albemarle Baking Company. Hair & Makeup, Transformations Artistry. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, John Jacobs. Rentals, Real Southern Accents and Classic Party Rentals.