When Life gives you a Lemon…Marry Him!

Brittney and Lance (now Mr. and Mrs. Lemon) have a long history and many, many years of memories together. They’ve known one another almost all of their lives, starting back to when they first met in elementary school. Throughout the years, Brittney always had Lance’s back. They were best friends who fell in love. Life brought them together when they were kids, pulled them apart some of their adult lives, but then threw them a bone (or maybe a lemon?) and brought them back together in New York!

Love proves to continually stand throughout the test of time. We see it in the movies often, and while getting to know Brittney and Lance we witnessed it through their story. Admittedly it took their families a bit to jump on the Brittney and Lance train, but once they saw their consistent commitment, constant love, and how they always (no matter what) looked out for one another, it was easy for them to fall in love with them together as well.

To symbolize their two families joining together a couple of traditions took place, the first starting at their ceremony. They blended sand together into a heart shaped contained as an act of “his and hers” coming together. Later on in the evening, a special tribute was made specifically for Brittney. Lance and his Fraternity brothers sat her comfortably in a chair on the center of the dance floor and the men surrounded her, all the while holding hands. They sang to her in hymn. It was such a beautiful moment, and (to me) it was the perfect way for his fraternity to metaphorically say “you’re officially a Lemon”.

Brittney knew all along. So did Lance. Lance’s father in his speech said something along the lines of “You’re now a Lemon and what you make of it is up to you. You can use it to drink tequila or make lemonade, but the choice is yours.” What did Brittney do…..? She married it!

Many thanks to the following vendors!  Catering, Mama J’s Kitchen. Event Planner, Kim Lynch. Photography, Shot with A Bow Photography. Florist, Hedge Fine Blooms. Rentals, MS Events. Desserts, Pearls Bake Shoppe. DJ, DJ Rayvon. Hair, Megan Lewis. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Transportation, Easy Rider Bus Company. Officiant, Vernon Gordon.

Jun 29, 2016 at 7:00 AM Permalink

Meet the Carlisle's

Congratulations to Carrie and Robert who got hitched here on Saturday, June 18th! They've always held a special place in my heart since the moment I first met them. Carrie may not know this, but I call her "my Carrie". She was one of the first brides for me when I came to Keswick Vineyards and for that, as well as many other reasons, she made a huge impression!

Carrie and Robert were very laid back, down to Earth, fun loving, and fancy people. Quite the combination right? Their wedding was a direct reflection of that! They treated their guests to a laid back, fun, and fancy party!

During their ceremony in front of the fountain music was played by The Classical Hillbillies. To introcue the bride down the aisle she had her parade of flower girls and ring bearers in tow. Seriously, how cute were they? They continued during cocktail hour while guests made their way to a plantation style bar setup underneath of our big oak tree for Keswick Vineyards wine and other refreshments. The white bar in front of our big tree really made a statement. I'll be sure to recommend this setup to our future couples!  The couple combined their escort seating cards and their favors into one...coke bottles! They had "old school" glass coke bottles with name tags tied at the top which indicated which table guests were at. Also tied around the bottle neck were mini Virginia branded bottle openers. Clever! (And smart...how else were  guests going to open them to enjoy?!)

Underneath of the Sperry tent bistro lights glittered the ceiling and a long stretch of a King's table was beautifully dressed in the center right at the head of the dance floor. Magnolia leaves and other floral were a simple and stunning touch. Just the right amount of decor without taking away from the beauty Keswick Vineyards already has to offer!

While a freshly prepared meal was being cooked up right behind the main tent by Exchange Events & Catering, Robert Radifera snuck the couple out for photos deep within the vineyard where the tall grass grows. Cindy caught the perfect action shot of Robert doing his thing!

When they got back to the tent, dinner was served! They dined, they danced, and then they Carpe Donut'd!

Thank you to our vendor friends! Wedding Planner, Meghan Streit with Shindig Weddings. Catering, Exchange Events & Catering. Photography, Robert Radifera Photography. Desserts, Carpe Donuts. Rentals, MS Events, Festive Fare, and Stonegate Event Rentals. Hair and Makeup, Melissa Schwartz Jones. Florist, Southern Blooms. DJ, Derek Tobler. Musician, Classical Hillbillies. Photo Booth, Swell Booth. Transportation, Camryn Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Travis Boone.

Jun 22, 2016 at 7:00 AM Permalink

EAT, Drink, and Be Married!

When you put two restaurant owners together, what do you get? FOOD! Andy and Julie, owners of several restaurants in Charlottesville, Richmond, and DC tied the knot at Keswick Vineyards on Sunday, June 12th. With two foodies getting married it was no secret that food and beverages were high on their priority list for their wedding!

They were looking for their guests to enjoy “an experience” much like the story of their love. Every part of their day was packed with memorable food and drinks for their friends and loved ones to indulge on. Starting with pre-ceremony lemonade cocktails, followed by fresh hand-shucked oysters during cocktail hour, and ending in a trip around the world with food stations by Harvest Moon, Andy, Julie, and their guests DINED.

The dinner spread consisted of four stations. First, a biscuit bar with friend chicken and fried green tomatoes and spicy pimento cheese. Second, an Asian bar with ramen noodles, garden rolls, and Yakitori agidashe. Next, a trip to Mexico! Individual pork carnitas with fresh guacamole and cilantro. And finally, the main attraction (so much so that Andy personally gave a nod to it during his welcome speech to make sure everyone didn’t miss out)…the Cheesesteaks! Philly Cheesesteaks with shaved rib-eye with all of the fixin’s. We can’t lie, it was a bit of torture having to wait until its grand opening to enjoy the flavors our noses already smelled!

Congratulations to Julie and Andy! Much like a good steak and cheese you two really are perfectly paired.

Catering, Harvest Moon Catering. Oyster Shuckers, Skipjack Purveyors. Event Planner, Crystal Whittecar. Photographer, Sarah Cramer Photo. Florist, Cville Blooms. Hair & Makeup, The Spot Beauty Shop. Desserts, Sweethaus. Photo Booth, Photo Booth of Charlottesville. DJ, Thomas Dean. Musicians, Plum Blossom String Quartet. Transportation, Ambassador Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Julie Trump.

Jun 20, 2016 at 11:58 AM Permalink

Going the Distance

When love's made strong roots you not only can see it but you can feel it as well. When I first met Ashley and Nate an overwhelming feeling of happiness was present in the room. They had a glow! A glow that never once faded even a year after our first meeting when they arrived at Keswick Vineyards on June 11th to say "I do".

Much like when I first met this couple, Ashley and Nate had a mutual feeling of a connection when they met for the first time. Life took them to opposite ends of the country but they had an unspoken agreement to "chat daily, write weekly and travel monthly" to build their relationship. A few years down the road, a few dozen plane rides, and what I'm sure were countless amounts of chats they found themselves together in DC buying a home and starting a life. From there, they were goners and on a mid December day Nate popped the question and Ashley, of course, said yes!

Our amazing vendor friends made Ashley and Nate's day as memorable as their love story. With the right combination of the perfect venue, creative wedding decor, beautiful blooms, award winning wine, gourmet food, a full dance floor, and late night cupcakes any wedding can be as dreamy as this one!

Thank you to all of our vendor friends, time and time again. Catering, Roadside Chive Catering & Events. Wedding Planner, Danielle Fricke. Photographer, George Street Photography. Desserts, Sweethaus. DJ, Mark Allen with Class Production DJ Service. Musician, Billy Caldwell. Florist, Jackie. Hair & Makeup, Kelsea Dayberry. Officiant, Phil Gates with Sacred Ground Ceremonies. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Rentals, MS Events. Transportation, Easy Rider Bus Company.

Jun 17, 2016 at 9:00 AM Permalink

All in the Family

It’s a well-known fact (I think) that Keswick Vineyards is a very family run establishment. After all, their daughter married our wine maker and was our first wedding here at the vineyard! But, did you know Cindy and Al are also accepting applications for new children? Neither did I! Blair and Trey won over Cindy and Al’s hearts quickly and they “joined the family” as their adopted children way back in December of 2014 when they first laid eyes on Keswick Vineyards.

On June 10th they tied the knot in front of both their real and adopted families! The couple decided on our vineyard location, which puts them right in the vines with the mountains in the background. It was perfect for the beautiful June day we had!

Personal touches of their Virginia roots were incorporated into their wedding, all from their down home catered cooking to their handmade wooden bench which was their guestbook friends and family signed. But what’s a family without pets, am I right? Blair and Trey clearly were very much so in love with one another and with their dogs! Their pups made a surprise appearance after their ceremony and Cindy captured a happy family photo of the four of them. We’ll be seeing all of them on Sunday’s for our Yappy Hours I’m sure!

Many thanks to the following vendors for making the day so great! Wedding Planner, Karen McGrath with Amore Events by Cody. Photographer, Aaron Watson Photography. Caterer, Hanks Smokehouse. Rentals, MS Events. Desserts, Pearl’s Bake Shoppe. Hair, Christina Van Name and Kathy Fox. Makeup, Kaitlin Carpenter and Sydney Fischer. Videographer, JB Media. Florist, Plantscapes. Transportation, Albemarle Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. DJ, T.D. Layman with Sound Enforcement DJ Service. Musicians, The Magnolia Quartet from Charlottesville High School. Officiant, Chris Long.

Jun 15, 2016 at 9:00 AM Permalink

Oh, Gatsby

What’s a party without Gatsby? Nothing according to this couple! Kayla and Jake came all the way from Arizona to celebrate their wedding day on Sunday, June 5th with a Great Gatsby glitz and glam theme for them and their guests to enjoy. Elegance was key (along with feathers, pearls, and gold!) 

Being Jewish, they held a traditional Jewish ceremony underneath of our very glammed up Sperry tent. A chuppah is the structure you see on our dance floor. That’s where Kayla and Jake shared their vows with themselves, their loved ones, and with their Rabbi.  Chuppah’s are four legged structures with a ceiling that represent the home and the life couples make with one another after marriage. Kayla and Jake dressed theirs with beautiful drapery and floral arrangements made by Plantscapes. It was beautifully done and it truly brought to life their ceremony. Their Rabbi also helped contribute to this (in more ways than one). He must’ve been a comedian in his past life! He had guests all laughing when he whipped out his cell phone to take a selfie with the couple mid ceremony. I guess that’s 2016 for ya!

Catering was a special part of their wedding day as well. The owners of the catering company for their big day was her sister and brother-in-law. They did both the food and that beautiful five tiered cake. It was massive and the white petals you see intricately placed were all made of sugar! At first glance, I was fooled. 

Blog photos by Cindy Schornberg

Event planner, Karen McGrath with Amore Events. Catering and Desserts, Pomme to Go. Photography, Krisi Ellis Photography. Florist, Plantscapes and Amore Events. Rentals, MS Events. Hair and Makeup, Charlottesville Makeup Artist. DJ, Dennis Payne with Playback DJ. Musician, Marco Escobar. Officiant, Rabbi Jeremy Schneider. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. 

Jun 13, 2016 at 6:54 AM Permalink

Prepped and Prepared

From one venue to another, great job to all Charlottesville area wedding venues for making it through the first week of June! We all experienced some tricky weather but word on the street is we all made it out alive! We were particularly lucky over here at Keswick Vineyards being so close to our forever-saving mountains. Throughout the years, our mountains have been known to break up any incoming rain patterns and this weekend was no exception.

Regardless of our luck, however, we prepare. Our team diligently looks at the radar and play "storm watchers" so that we know almost down to the minute when our sunshine is going to go away. For Kate and Shawn's wedding on June 4th this was also the case. We prepared for both Plan A and Plan B so that no matter what we were all ready to go! Church style seating was setup underneath of the Sperry tent for that "just in case" scenario...but by the grace of our glorious mountains WE DIDN'T NEED IT! Kate and Shawn were married outside, with beautiful weather. It was sunshine, soft clouds, and smiles all around.

The good vibes continued throughout the night with personal touches the couple incorporated into their wedding. My favorite? Jenga! Guests were encouraged to sign jumbo jenga pieces in lieu of a guestbook as a keepsake for the couple. We loved it! More childlike elements came into play along the way. Towards the end of the night guests indulged on delicious s'mores and had more to take home as their favors!

One detail we really enjoyed was Kate and Shawn's decorated bicycles with Just Married signs and tin cans on the ends. Adorable. Clever. Cute. Something we definitely hope to see more of throughout our wedding season!

Round of applause to yet another great team! Caterer, Harvest Moon Catering. Wedding Planner, Karissa Coffey Wedding & Event Rentals. Photographer, Bill Murray Wedding and Portrait Photography. Florist, Floral Designs by Jacquelyn Collmus. Desserts, Sweethaus. Hair and Makeup, Bristles Salon. DJ, Frank Smith with Prime Time Sound & DJ. Musician, John Holt. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Transportation, Easy Riders Bus Company. Officiant, Brian Purcell.

Jun 10, 2016 at 7:29 AM Permalink

Leslie and Jeff's Wedding Day!

It’s always been pretty impressive how couples hear about Keswick Vineyards. The responses I get from couples inquiring have been all over the board. We have our locals, we have our East coasters, we have our Texans…and now we have our Utah-ers.

Leslie and Jeff got married the Tuesday after Memorial Day and came in with their intimate group of friends and family to celebrate in Virginia at Keswick Vineyards. When I asked how she heard of us, she said one word “Google!” I laughed and smiled. I knew we’d get along great after that!

Though this was a small group of people, the couple truly treated everyone and made it a very grand affair. Black and white was the dress code. Greys were acceptable and red lipstick was encourage. Cindy and I had no problem following to code! Their black and white affair looked amazing underneath of our Sperry tent. They dressed the tent up with bistro lights and chandeliers which really made the night sparkle! Underneath of the tent was divided (a great idea for smaller weddings). They had dinner seating on one side, the bar setup in the center, and lounge furniture, cocktail tables, and a caricature artist on the other side.  Guests love the feeling of “areas” they were allowed to explore all while being under one “roof”.

Jeff’s children were a big part of both their ceremony and reception. They had a sand ceremony to symbolize the blending of them all into one cohesive unit and the children designed special groom’s cakes (3 to be specific) just for their dad as a surprise! It was clear that family was of the most importance from the start and this brought it all full circle.

Blog Photographs by Cindy Schornberg

Thank you to the following vendors for your amazing work! Event Planner, Angelica Laws with Keswick Vineyards. Catering, C&O Catering. Photography, Don Mears Photography. Rentals, MS Events and Paisley & Jade. Florist, Floral Images & Design. DJ, Derek Tobler. Desserts, Maliah Creations. Hair & Makeup, Studio FBJ. Caricature Artist, The-NOSE. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Claire Goodman.  Transportation, Albemarle Limousine.

Jun 8, 2016 at 6:25 AM Permalink

Shall We Dance?

Alison and Justin hold a special place in the hearts of the Schornberg’s. Not only are they one of our beloved Keswick Vineyards couples, but Alison also teaches at their daughter’s dance school! I knew Charlottesville was a small town, but it’s always a treat to witness that first hand.

That being said, Alison herself was also a dancer since the age of three. Dancing has always be an important part of her life. I don’t know about you, but when I think of dancing I think of a show. Dancing to me is bringing to life something visually. To me, Alison and Justin did just that on their wedding day. They put on a show!

They turned the tent into a 1920’s vintage dream. To start, they swapped out the dance floor. Of course! They switched our wooden dance floor to a black and white tile. They knew that would really bring their guests front and center. Alison and her family kick started the fun by starting the party off with a dance they used to do when she was a little girl.  It was a huge hit and tugged at those heart strings while they all took a walk down memory lane. After that…it was a party!

To add to the fun, Alison and Justin had a local artist create a handmade paper moon which they then used as their photo booth. Guests “sat on the moon” and snapped photos of themselves for the couple to remember and look back on all the days of their lives.  

Catering and Dessert, Pumpernickel Pickle. Wedding Planner, Events by Simplicity. Photographer, Joy Gaba Photo. Rentals, MS Events and BBJ Linen. Florist, Whimsical Floral Design. DJ, Derek Tobler. Hair & Makeup, Emily Artistry. Musicians, Hanna Pocock and Philip St. Ours. Transportation, UVA UTS Charter Services. Officiant, Rev. Bhavani Metro.

Jun 7, 2016 at 5:24 AM Permalink

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Katie and Erik (now Mr. and Mrs. Rogers) were our second couple celebrating their love with us over Memorial Day weekend. Having known one another since the third grade, their vows nearly brought tears to our eyes. “You were always right in front of me,” Katie said. It truly touched everyone’s hearts.

When I first met Katie, I could immediately tell how much life and brightness she had to her. Her wedding day was no exception! The couple had bright, bold, and glittery accents to their wedding day décor. Hot pink, tangerine, and lemon were the main colors…so citrus in sum! How fun! What I really loved the most were their centerpieces. White lanterns with colorful florals and greenery surrounding them. What’s even better were the twinkle lights intertwined around the floral wreath! During the day they were breathtaking, and even better once the sun went down. It was important to the couple that even on a cloudy day there would be color and life to such a memorable day in their lives. Even though there wasn’t a cloud in sight, it worked!

Katie was a crafty one and incorporated an element to her wedding we had never seen before. Do you remember those rubber toy animals you played with as a child? I do. Now, imagine them painted gold and holding your guest seating cards. Clever! We will definitely be sharing the idea with more of our couples to come.

A dear friend of the family officiated Katie and Erik’s wedding. She also was the mastermind behind their beautiful naked cake! It was dressed in, of course, more bright and beautiful citrus accents. Lemons, limes, and other fresh fruits and mint. Not only was it visually stunning, but tasty as well!

Thank you to the following vendors for contributing such talent to Katie and Erik’s day! Event planner, Angelica Laws with Keswick Vineyards. Catering, Harvest Moon Catering. Photographer, Robert Radifera Photography. Florist, Blue Ridge Floral. Hair and Makeup, Studio FBJ. DJ, Andy Wilfong with VA Party Masters. Desserts and Officiant, Luci Kent. Transportation, Easy Rider Bus Company and Albemarle Limousine. Rentals, MS Events.

Jun 3, 2016 at 9:00 AM Permalink