Michelle & Ryan's Wedding Day

Congratulations to Michelle and Ryan who were married on Friday, June 12th, at Keswick Vineyards.  There are so many different locations to have your ceremony at Keswick Vineyards.  There is an area in front of the vineyard, another area in front of the fountain, another area under a giant, 300+ year old oak tree, another area that has the Edgewood Estate, the fountain, vineyard and mountains all in the background, could there be more?  Well, yes.  Michelle and Ryan had chosen a new area for their ceremony.  Michelle really liked this spruce tree with how the branches fell to the ground creating almost a cave effect.  Hanging glass globe ornaments from those branches provided the perfect backdrop for their ceremony.
What I loved the most about this couple was their sense of humor.  It was very evident in their ceremony.  When it came time for the rings the groomsmen all acted like they didn't know who had the rings.  It was a cute surprise for the groom when they did that.  It was only appropriate then for the best man, which also was Ryan's father, to drop the ring when he finally got it.  No one could help but to chuckle.
Michelle's Mother worked very hard organizing all the details for this wedding.  She even made all the floral arrangements including the bouquets.  What an undertaking for her since she lives in Florida and had to bring all that stuff with her in a trailer.  Hats off to Glenda & Don for putting on such a wonderful event.
Special thanks to the following vendors:  Officiant Brandon Samuel, Caterer Groovin' Gourmets, DJ Dustin Spears, Photographer Nick Kessler, Easy Rider Bus Company and Richard Photo & Video Booth.

Jun 15, 2015 at 4:25 PM Permalink

Heather & Drew's Wedding Day

Congratulations to Heather & Drew who were married at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, June 6th.  I know the week leading up to this day had everyone a little nervous about the weather.  The forecast was calling for rain.  At one point it was at 90%!  That morning the skies were just sunny and beautiful yet the forecast was still saying 40% chance of rain.  Well, to everyones delight, we had no rain!!!  The weather actually was perfect because we had a very nice breeze to keep everyone comfortable with the sun out.  Thank you Mother Nature!
Some times I wonder how couples choose Keswick Vineyards.  I found out that when Heather & Drew were touring our property Drew just happened to look inside the main house and noticed that my husband was watching a Detroit Lions football game.  With Drew being from Michigan and hearing that we were originally from Michigan, the deal was done!  I'm so happy they chose our venue because it is so nice to have other fellow Michiganders come for a visit to reminence about our home town.  I love all the little sutle touches that let everyone know this was a union of a couple from Michigan and Virginia.  Notice the corn hole games each had a state represented on it and the cake topper was just so cute!
I think the biggest hit from this wedding was the whiskey/cigar bar in the gazebo.  Both males and females were enjoying that treat.  For Heather & Drew, I think one of their favorite keepsake will be an old school polaroid picture taken by their photographer Cade Bowman.  Can't believe Cade still has any film that would work in that type of camera.  Special thanks to the following vendors for making this wedding just picture perfect:  Caterer Harvest Moon, Officiant Brian Purcell of Two Become One Ministry, Wedding Cake by Sweethaus, DJ Andy Wilfong of Party Masters, Cade Bowman Photography, Floral Designs by Jacquelyn Collums, Hair & Make-up by Bella Boutique and Transportation by Richard's Bus Line.

Jun 8, 2015 at 6:47 AM Permalink

Cassidy and Frank's Wedding

Rounding out another 3 wedding week end at Keswick Vineyards was the marriage of Cassidy & Frank.  Have you ever wondered where people that live in Las Vegas get married?  Well, now you know.  They come to Keswick Vineyards!  It has been such a pleasure working with Cassidy and her mother-in-law over the past year as they would make frequent visits through out their year of planning.  All that planning really showed with a picture perfect wedding day.  Cassidy was a very hands on bride that made most of the decorations and trinkets herself.  Each guests got a personalized wine charm to put on their Keswick Vineyards wine glass that they each got to take home as a souvenir.  She made out of burlap holders for the silverware that was at each place setting.  
I have so many favorite moments from this wedding.  From Cassidy's first look with her father to a surprised son/Mother dance that rocked the crowd.  This wedding was so intimate and so full of love that everyone could feel it.  Cassidy's uncle performed the heart felt ceremony, Cassidy's cousin was the photographer and her Aunt & niece were the wedding planners.  A slide show was shown on the Sperry tent mid way through the reception showcasing the lives of Cassidy and Frank. One other surprise that was done for the couple by Franks Mother was she printed some photos from the ceremony and framed them and had them waiting for the couple on their sweetheart table.  I love their reaction when they finally saw them.  Special thanks to all the wonderful vendors that work so hard to make these weddings just perfect for our couples:  Caterer Southern Inn, DJ Mark Allen, Photo Booth by Focus & Fabulous, Photographer Charlie Colleton, Hair & Make-up by Judy Hayward, Colonial Florist, Officiant Patrick Propster and Aunt Wanda & Sabrina as the wedding planners. PS  Is it just me or does Cassidy look like Celine Dion?  

Jun 4, 2015 at 9:50 AM Permalink

Katherine & Evan's Wedding Day

What a beautiful day Katherine & Evan had to exchange their wedding vows at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, May 30th.  Katherine looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress!  Evan didn't look so bad either:)  Both being UVA graduates, they chose to have orange and blue as their accent colors.  I love how their corn hole boards were decorated with the UVA emblem and they also hung banners under the tent.  The guys wore charcoal grey suits with orange boutonnieres.  Special thanks to the following vendors for providing such a wonderful experience for our couple:  Caterer Harvest Moon, Photographer Tyler Corvin & Rebecca, Dessert provided by Cakes by Rachael, DJ TD Layman of Sound Enforcement, Musicians for ceremony provided by Linden Trio, Hair & Make-up by Moxie Hair Salon & Lounge, Flowers by Natalie, Transportation by EZ Rider, Photo Booth provided by Photo Booth of Charlottesville, Albemarle Limousine for vintage get away car  and Officiant Virginia Moore.

May 31, 2015 at 3:48 AM Permalink

Katelyn & Mike's Wedding

Well, as the saying goes, there's a first for everything, right?  Well, this was a first for me and this is my 5th year doing weddings at Keswick Vineyards.  We have been fortunate over the years to have the mountains in front of us for protection when scattered storms are out there.  I can't tell you how many times I have watched the radar and have seen storms split and go around us until yesterday.  Katelyn and Mike were married at Keswick Vineyards on Friday, May 29th.  Thankfully, Katelyn and Mike had the correct attitude when Mother Nature throws you a curve ball.  The scattered storms were coming from a different directions this time; from our back side.  We knew the rain was coming so as guess arrived we had them go under the Sperry tent while we would wait out this rain cell.  I thought this cell would pass in about 15 minutes and that would be no big deal to delay everything.  What I didn't know was that those "protective" mountains of ours would work the opposite for us this time.  Instead of the cell passing over us it stalled!  I've never seen anything like this before.  Those mountains were now holding that cell and that cell was breaking down before going any further.  So, what do you do?  Well, you switch things up a little.  With the guests already under the tent we opened the bars and started cocktail hour.  Hors d'oeuves were being passed around and guests enjoyed themselves as we waiting out the storm.  In the mean time, Katelyn and Mike and the rest of the wedding party and family gathered to have photos done in a covered area.  Once the storm had finally cleared, chairs were wiped down and we were a go for their wedding ceremony.  The success of this wedding would not of been possible without the flexibility of so many people.  Special thank you to the following vendors for being so flexible to allow Katelyn & Mike to have the wedding of their dreams:  Caterer C&O, Wedding Planner Barb Wired, Officiant David Norris, DJ Derek Tobler, Photographer Mike Topham & Nancy, Verde Natural Florals, Hair & Make-up Artist Brianna Adams, Desserts by Pearls Cupcakes, Rentals by MS Events and buses by Blue Ridge Tours (Camryn & Vanterra).

May 30, 2015 at 8:16 AM Permalink

Teresa & Jason Super Hero's Wedding

No need to fear, Teresa & Jason's super hero wedding is here!  Closing out our three  Memorial week end weddings was Teresa & Jason being married on Sunday, May 24th.  Once again the weather was picture perfect!  Everyone in their wedding party was a super hero.  All the girls had a garter that was a super hero and all the guys wore a super hero t-shirt under their suits.  Even a superman figure made its way onto their wedding cake that was topped with the words, "To Infinity and Beyond".  Teresa & Jason brought a little bit of their Chinese heritage into their wedding by having hand fans for guests to use during the ceremony and then each table setting had a little red satin bag with treats inside.  Instead of guests signing a guest book, they had painted on a piece of wood a tree with leaves that each guests would sign.  What a beautiful keepsake they will be able to hang in their home.  Guests were treated to an amazing dinner which featured a whole roasted pig!  A delicious dessert table was on hand also to complete the feasting.  What I loved the most from this wedding was how the guests applauded all during the ceremony.  When the parents were seated, they would clap.  When the groom and the groomsmen came out, they clapped.  When they saw the bride, they stood and clapped.  As the couple left, they clapped.  Even when the parents left, they clapped.  I wish more wedding would do that.  It was just so nice to see how they appreciated every moment of that ceremony.  Not sure if that is a Chinese thing or just how these guests were but I LOVED it!  Special thanks to the following vendors for doing a great job:  Events by Elizabeth Palmer as their event planner, Caterer BBQ Exchange, Desserts by Amanda Robinson of Sweet Fix RVA, DJ Andy Wolfing of Party Masters Entertainment, Photographer Tyler Corvin, Hair & Make-up by Jennifer Saunders MUA, Black Creek Flowers & Sweets, Albemarle Limousine for buses and get away car, Photo Booth by Andrew Yanz of Yanz Events, Rentals by MS Events and Officiant Richard Galarza.

May 28, 2015 at 8:14 AM Permalink

Stephanie & Mhamed's Wedding Day

Our second wedding on this Memorial week end was Stephanie & Mhamed who were married on Saturday, May 23rd.  Again, the weather was just perfect!  Just like yesterdays wedding, Stephanie & Mhamed did something different during their ceremony.  Being from two different cultures, they chose at the beginning of their ceremony to have guests stand up and greet the person next to them and embrace them with a hug if they were comfortable with that.  Stephanie & Mhamed wasn't real sure how this would go over but it went better then they could of imagined.  I saw families going from one side of the aisle to the other to introduce themselves and become one family at that moment.  It was the perfect thing to do to break any cultural differences.   Stephanie ended up wearing three different dresses which all had special meanings to her.  Her first dress that she wore for her ceremony was the same dress her Mother wore at her wedding!  How special is that?   Her Mother-in-law brought her a yellow dress from Morocco to represent their family heritage.  Finally, her third dress was one she could dance the night away in!  Stephanie and Mhamed have such a loving and caring nature to them and it was evident by them donating to charities in their guests names versus having any favors for them.  The orchids in Stephanie's bouquet and floral arrangements were amazing!  My favorite part had to be the delicious sweet table created by Sweet Haus but my daughter really enjoyed the Henna artist that was their through out the evening for the guests.  Thanks to the following vendors for making this wedding so special:  Caterer & Event Planning by Roadside Chive, Officiant Julie Trump, Desserts by Sweet Haus, Photographer Eric Lee from George Street Photography, Hair & Make-up by Atlas Salon, Flowers by Verde Natural Florals, The Henna Lady and DJ Ran Henry.

May 25, 2015 at 8:12 AM Permalink

Lauren & Alex's Wedding Day

Memorial Day week end is always a very busy wedding week end at Keswick Vineyards.  Starting off our triple wedding week end was Lauren & Alex's wedding on Friday, May 22nd.  Being from Texas, Alex had each of his groomsmen wear a Texas flag bow tie.  Alex, of course, wore his cowboy boots as a true Texan would.  Lauren and her bridesmaids looked so glamorous is their champaign colored dresses.  Lauren & Alex chose the side lawn of Edgewood Estate at Keswick Vineyards to host their ceremony to take advantage of the whole view of the Estate, the fountain, the vineyard and the mountains.  Truly the most spectacular view!  Lauren & Alex did something really neat during their ceremony that I have never seen before.  At the beginning of the ceremony the officiant took some time to introduce each member of the wedding party so the rest of the guests attending would know a little bit about them and how they new the couple.  Really personalized their ceremony and the guests really enjoyed it.  Another very personalized and touching moment was the father/daughter dance.  Lauren's father had been writing a song since Lauren was born incorporating all those significant moments like birth, first day of school, college and then marriage into it.  He and Lauren had prerecorded the song with the two of them singing it.  At the end of the song it requested that everyone join them on the dance floor to celebrate this special day.  Wow, hard to beat that one huh?  Alex's father also had his moment to shine  that evening.  He took center stage to use a saber to open a bottle of champaign!  It was perfect!  Lastly, the groom and his groomsmen really stoled the night when they surprised Lauren with a perfectly choreographed dance finishing with the guys lifting her in a chair.  Alex, you really did an awesome job!  So, as you can see, this wedding was definitely done BIG but what else would you expect from some Texans?  Congratulations and thanks to the following vendors: Wedding Planner Becca Bee's Events, Caterer Caroline Street, Officiant Charlie Parker, Photographer Rebecca Keeling, Hair & Make-up by Jeanne Cusick, Colonial Florist, Desserts by Sweethaus and Easy Riders for transportation.

May 24, 2015 at 8:06 AM Permalink

Amy & Brent say I DO!!!!!

Congratulations to Amy & Brent who were married amongst the vineyard vines for their wedding at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, May 9th.  Nothing can be more beautiful then to have picture perfect weather for an all outdoor wedding.  Amy & Brent had such luck!  Taking full advantage of all the outdoor, landscaped areas surrounding Edgewood Estate, Amy & Brent rented furniture to create mini "living rooms" for guests to hang out and relax.  To make sure the guests could continue to enjoy these social gathering areas in the evening, bistro lights were hung in the lawn area to create this beautiful "living" outdoor space equipped with a cigar bar and Carpe Donuts!  Boy did their guests have a great time!  Between the outdoor living spaces to the lively, non-stop dancing under the tent, what more could one ask for?  Perhaps some delicious food?  Yep, they also had that.  C&O Catering did an outstanding job not only with delicious, gourmet food but with superior service.  Topping off the night was a beautiful sunset that the couple took full advantage of by leaving their reception for a little while for some photos during that magical hour.  Highly recommend that if your timeline will allow for it.  How do you finish off a perfect wedding?  By doing a sparkler departure into a vintage car with driver waiting for you.  Amy & Brent really knew how to throw a great party and thank you for choosing Keswick Vineyards to be a part of it.  Special thanks to the following vendors for doing such an amazing job:  C&O Catering, DJ TD Layman of Sound Enforcement, Photographer Nikki Santerre, Hair & Make-up by Moxie Hair Lounge, Green Flamingo Florist, Carpe Donut Food Truck, Paisley & Jade for furniture rentals, Officiant Derek Straw, Luke Gray String Quartet, Albemarle Vintage Limousine, Buses by Easy Riders and Keswick Vineyards as Day Of Coordinator.

Check out Nikki Santerre's Blog for more pictures from this wedding!

May 12, 2015 at 8:01 AM Permalink

Stephanie & Dan's Amazing Wedding Day!

Well, Stephanie & Dan definitely hit the lottery when it comes to gorgeous weather.  On Saturday, May 2nd, Stephanie and Dan were married amongst the blooming vineyard at Keswick Vineyards.  The skies were so blue with puffy white clouds scattered throughout providing just a little breeze to keep everyone comfortable in the sun.  It has been a pleasure to work with Stephanie and Dan over the past year.  They and their families were such a delight to be around and we all had such a great time at their wedding.  Their ceremony was definitely one to remember.  You definitely could tell that the Reverend had known Dan and his family for some time and he put that personal spin to it which makes it so much more touching and meaningful.  Stephanie chose eggplant purple for her bridesmaids and Dan went with charcoal grey suits for him and the groomsmen.  What a beautiful color combination accented with green & white bouquets.  Dan had all his groomsmen wear matching patriotic socks which were a big hit.  Thanks to all our wonderful vendors who week after week do such an amazing job for our weddings:  Caterer Harvest Moon Catering, DJ T.D. Layman of Sound Enforcement, Photographer Tyler Corvin, Hedge Fine Blooms as Florist, Albemarle Limousine for transportation, Photo Booth of Charlottesville, Cake by Cake I Do!, Officiant Reverend Michael Catlett and Keswick Vineyards as Day Of Event Planner

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May 4, 2015 at 8:03 AM Permalink