It's all in the Details

When you focus on the details, you can turn something seemingly ordinary extraordinary. Dana and Curt were married here over UVA’s graduation weekend at Keswick Vineyards on Saturday, May 20th. Their wedding was full of well thought out and carefully crafted details that heightened their wedding elements into ones that were exceptionally editorial.

From start to finish their wedding was a show-stopper. For their ceremony, they chose Keswick’s classic panorama location, which gives guests a taste of everything that Keswick has to offer. While guests are seated for ceremony they have sweeping views of the Estate, our fountain, our Viognier growing in the vineyard, and the mountains.  It’s a view that truly never gets old!

After Dana and Curt's ceremony completed, guests were ushered to cocktail hour where they were greeted with A Pimento’s catering staff offering a variety of classic cocktails and Keswick’s refreshing white and red Virginia wines. This couple decided to have their bar be a statement piece for their cocktail hour. We loved the rented wooden bars from MS Events. Three separate bars were grouped together to make one gigantic bar for this wedding. They were displayed beautifully underneath of our nearly 315 year old oak tree!

Once cocktail hour was over, everyone was lead underneath of the reception tent and the "oo's" and "ah's" came flooding! They decided to mix in some rented square tables with our regular inventory and swap out our fruitwood chiviari chairs for their rented cross back chairs, which looked stunning! Combining different shapes of tables helped make the reception space more intimate and cozy for their family style meal.

We want to wish Dana and Curt a very big congratulations from the Keswick team! Our vendors were phenomenal in making their wedding day so memorable!

Event coordinator, Windy Jennings with LK Events & Design. Catering, A Pimento Catering. Photographer, Shannon Moffit Photography. Florist, Foxtail Cottage Floral. DJ, Derek Tobler. Rentals, MS Events. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Videographer, Amanda Finn Videography. Transportation, Camryn Limousine and A Goff Limousine. Officiant, Mala Cunningham. Desserts, Maliha Creations and The Pie Chest.

May 20, 2017 at 6:49 PM Permalink

Go Dukes!

With a couple like Jamee and Tripp who have been together for nearly 10 years, there are bound to be a countless amount of memories made. On Saturday, May 13th we helped them make even more!

We celebrated both their marriage and Keswick’s new German Shepherd puppy that day! The couple couldn’t wait to take a photo with him. It was such a cute moment. The bride knew she had to get her puppy hugs right after she walked down the aisle!

It was clear that this group was well loved, with close to 200 guests and a bridal party of twenty we had a full house. As it turns out, a great deal of them went to college together at JMU (go Dukes!) We quickly found this out early on in the day when the group took great action shots with purple and yellow streamers in the back of the house. Later on in the night, we found out that’s where Tripp and Jamee’s love story originally began.

During cocktail hour and reception Keswick’s award winning wines were featured beautifully at the bar in a way we’ve never seen before. Take a look at the awesome light up display done by Blue Ridge Catering! We’ll definitely be remembering that for future recommendations for our weddings to come.

After an amazing “home” cooked meal by Blue Ridge Catering they were ready to get the party started. With a group this size, you know there had to be some characters hiding in the crowd. Toasts were said and formal dances were had and then….the music changed! The groomsmen joined Tripp and his mother after their mother/son dance and surprised everyone with a choreographed routine! From there, the bridesmaids followed in tow and the rest of the guests quickly made their way onto the dance floor as well. It was the perfect way to get the dancing started and let the good times roll!

We couldn’t have done it without our great team. Thank you to the following:

Event coordinator, Angelica Laws with Keswick Vineyards. Caterer, Blue Ridge Cafe & Catering Co. Photographer, Kristen Garten Photography. Desserts, Buttercream Dreams. DJ, T.D. Layman with Sound Enforcement DJ Service. Florist, The Flower Center. Musicians, Perfect Harmony String Ensemble. Officiant, Laura Dascher. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Transportation, Blue Ridge Tours. Rentals, MS Events. Hair & Makeup, Cadie Eye with The Hairstyling Shop.

May 13, 2017 at 10:55 PM Permalink

Fun and Games

On Saturday, May 6, 2017, we welcomed a new couple into our collection of recently married lovers here at Keswick Vineyards. It had a been a long time coming for Natasha and Brian; and it was a journey well worth the wait!

This couple was all about just having a good time. They operated under the mentality of life being a gift and their main goal was for all of their guests to have a relaxing and great time. That being said, they partied! It was easy for them to let loose and relish in the good vibes of their wedding day with the amazing team of vendors they had lined up by their side. Not a detail was missed as they made their journey throughout the planning process and the efforts certainly showed on wedding day!

Everything from Natasha and Brian's picture perfect ceremony onto the fun and games they played during their reception were perfectly them and we loved it! As a part of their wedding day fun the couple recruited the help of the Photo Booth of Charlottesville.  Guests snapped silly photos of themselves and left them for Natasha and Brian to enjoy in lieu of a traditional guest book. They also played "The Shoe Game", which was a first for me. T.D. Layman MC'd  a series of questions that helped us gage how well this couple really knew one another. In a light hearted fashion he asked the couple questions like "who laid eyes on who first" and "who wears the pants in this relationship". To respond, the bride and groom would raise the shoe of the person  they thought to be the correct answer! It was an absolute hoot and a great intermission in between all of the fun!

To all of our vendors...we couldn't have done it without you.

Day of coordinator, Angelica Laws with Keswick Vineyards. Caterer, Harvest Moon Catering. Photographer, Jack Looney Photography. DJ, T.D. Layman with Sound Enforcement DJ Service. Florist, Lacy's Florist. Hair & Makeup, Nicole Laughlin Bridal Makeup. Desserts, Carpe Donut. Transportation, Camryn Limousine. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Rentals, MS Events. Officiant, Deborah Hudson.

May 6, 2017 at 5:44 PM Permalink

A Decade DONE

They've been together for 10 years and this couple is as strong as ever. Leigh and Aaron met at the Foxfield races exactly 10 years ago and on Saturday, April 29, 2017 they celebrated their anniversary by solidifying their love with marriage.

One beautiful part about spending that amount of time together is watching each other grow. Especially when you start in the more shaping and significant years of your early 20s, the possibilities are endless! Within their time together, the groom became an architect and the bride a school psychiatrist.

As a nod to his architecturally precise and creative side, the groom got crafty! All of their chalkboard wedding signs, concrete sign holders and other succulent inspired decor were handmade by the groom himself (with a little help from the bride as well of course)! They collaborated their design ideas with their florist to add similar elements into their flowers and centerpieces for their reception. Take a look at those trees! (They're Manzanita tree's to be exact.) They were well over 5ft tall and had glass globes with candles and air plants suspended from their branches. It was a first ever done by Foxtail Cottage Floral and by the looks of it I'm sure they'll be suggesting it again!

We love seeing how our couples bring bits of themselves into their wedding days, and this one was no exception.

Thank you to everyone who helped end their decade right!

Day of coordinator, Angelica with Keswick Vineyards. Caterer, C&O Catering. Photographer, Amy Jackson Photography. Florist, Foxtail Cottage Floral. Hair, Brianna B. Adams LLC. Makeup, Gohar Makeup. DJ , Frank Smith with Primetime Sound & DJ Service. Musicians, Terra Voce. Desserts, Pearls Bake Shoppe. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Transportation, Easy Riders Bus Company. Rentals, MS Events. Officiant, Rodney Suddith.

Apr 29, 2017 at 2:47 PM Permalink

Let the Adventure Begin!

We’ve all heard of the phrases “I’m itching to travel” and the ever famous “I was bit by the love bug", but who knew the two could so easily be combined? On Saturday, April 22nd Ashleigh and Tony made it happen on their wedding day. They clearly had a theme, and that was to let the adventure begin! Their guests signed their globe of a guest book to start the day and with that, the two took their love for adventure and each other to the next level as they tied the knot together at Keswick Vineyards.

Though the weather wasn't the most favorable, there was a plan in place! When the dreaded "R" word becomes a reality our couples have choices. We've cleverly devised a series of perfect plans to make sure our couples are faced with the best possible options when it comes to inclement weather. Whether or not they chose to delay their ceremony, start off with cocktail hour, or hold their ceremony underneath of our beautiful Sperry tent the options are theirs to make. With the help of our radar reporting staff, Keswick Vineyards has you covered!

You can see that Ashleigh and Tony didn't let the rain effect their day. In fact, we found out later on that it rained on two of the bride's family members wedding days and they've continued on with a fruitful marriage!

Fortunately, the storms didn't stay for long, as they rarely do. The couple was able to capture some gorgeous photos outside once the skies cleared and they continued to happily party on well into the night! With a little flexibility and the right attitude, the "R" word isn't so bad after all.

Thank you to our vendors for holding on for the ride!

Event planner, Tricia Christine Events. Caterer, The Local. Photographer, 88 Love Stories. Photo Booth, Swell Booth. Desserts, Sweethaus. DJ, Mark Allen of Class Productions. Hair & Makeup, First Look Artistry. Rentals, MS Events. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Officiant, Robert Coleman & Kimberly Kelly of Dream a Little Dream. Florist, One Sweet Day in May.

Apr 22, 2017 at 6:38 PM Permalink

Poppin' Bottles

Over Easter weekend on Saturday, April 15th Amruta and Emmitte welcomed their guests to Keswick Vineyards with a taste of our sparkling wine. It was the perfect way to set the tone of the day!

If you tuned into our blog last week, you’ll remember that one of our favorite things about weddings here are the different cultures we’re able to experience through them. Like our couple last week, we were again able to celebrate another cultured wedding at Keswick Vineyards!

Amruta and Emmitte joined together with their families to bring them together in Christian and Hindu marital bliss. In traditional Christian weddings there are prayers the couple will share and bible readings their guests will bless them with to wish them a fruitful marriage. Similarly, in Hindu fashion there are a series of steps that both welcome in a new member of the family and send them off into marriage on the right foot.

The ceremonies are one part we love about fusion weddings, but that’s just where to fun starts! Throughout the day more rituals unraveled and their wedding day was pieced together in a way that beautifully represented both sides of the family. All details from her traditional “American” wedding dress paired with her absolutely stunning gold heels, to the bright pops of color in their flowers, down to the sari she changed into to dance the night away were well thought out and perfect for combining their two lives into one.

Thank you to all of our vendor friends who helped make this day so magical!

Day of Coordinator, Angelica Laws with Keswick Vineyards. Catering, Southern Inn Catering. Photography, Aaron Watson Photography. Florist, Hedge Fine Blooms. Hair & Makeup, Carolyn Thombs Makeup & Artistry. Desserts, Paradox Pastry. Transportation, Albemarle Limousine. Rentals, Festive Fare. DJ, Andy Wilfong. Officiant, Claire Goodman.

Apr 15, 2017 at 2:14 PM Permalink

Opa!

Wedding number two of our wedding season is complete and Sydney and Ryan are happily married! On Saturday, April 8th we were able to enjoy their wedding with them in a very festive way.

One of the many reasons why we love hosting weddings is to see different cultures coming to life. On Saturday we celebrated Greek style! After their wedding night, if we’ve learned anything about Sydney and Ryan it’s that they love to dance and they love their dogs! In fact, Keswick being so animal friendly immediately became a highlight for them having their wedding here with us. Their four-legged children were an important part of their ceremony and were as dapper (if not more) than the groomsmen! DJ Stroud helped keep the dance floor full and the couple and their guests made sure Ryan and Sydney’s wedding night was one to be remembered.

To give them fuel for the fun, they gave their guests a sugar high. In front of each guest’s seat at their dinner tables were boxes of candy. During cocktail hour, guests found their names and the candy associated with it in order to navigate their way to their tables. The treats came in handy later on in the night to keep the party alive! Along with the candy, we had donuts make their debut. The donut mountain that was created was tempting for both guests and staff alike. They were a huge crowd pleaser! 

To cool off from the dancing, the East Lawn was lit up with bistro lights to showcase their bar. It was a beautiful way to add a little extra sparkle to their day.

Congratulations to Sydney and Ryan! Enjoy the honeymoon!

Photography & Photo Booth, J. Ellis Photography. Videography, Silver Streak Media. Hair & Makeup, The Spot Beauty Shop. Catering, Hank’s Smokehouse. Desserts, Duck Donuts. DJ, DJ Stroud. Musician, Lauren Hair. Florist, DIY. Transportation, Easy Riders Busy Company. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company. Rentals, Virginia Linens. Officiant, Greg Corcoran.

Apr 11, 2017 at 1:17 PM Permalink

Here We Go Again!

Our 2017 wedding season is officially here! Sarah and Joe’s wedding on April 1st was our first wedding of the season and no, this is not a joke! The couple started us off strong. Having been a joy to work with throughout the planning process, all of Keswick’s team knew we were in for a treat when it came to their wedding.

Music is a huge focus of this couple’s life. With Joe being a musician himself it was only fitting for them to make sure their guests were well entertained throughout the evening. During cocktail hour they recruited the help of Bent Mountain Trio, a bluegrass band, to do the trick. Guests loved being able to listen to live music while sipping on our wonderful reds and whites to one of Keswick Vineyard’s famous sunsets. In fact, Sarah and Joe were able to join in on the fun as well! They decided to do a First Look so that they were able to partake in the action themselves. By doing a first look, the majority of their formal photos were out of the way before their ceremony even started so that they had ample time afterwards to mingle with their guests and (in this case) enjoy the show!

Riding on the good vibrations from both their ceremony and cocktail hour, they were ready for reception. It was an easy transition into the remainder of the evening with C&O’s delicious dinner fueling them for the dance floor. As you can see, they danced the night away!

Thank you for such a great start to our 2017 wedding season. We cannot wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us!

Event planner and caterer, C&O Catering. Photographer, Rachel May Photography. Florist, Tourterelle Floral Design. DJ, National DJ Connection. Musician, Justin Paschalides & Bent Mountain Trio. Desserts, Sweethaus. Transportation, A Goff Limousine. Rentals, MS Events. Officiant, Daniel Lonergan. Lighting, Skyline Tent Company.

Apr 5, 2017 at 6:21 AM Permalink

That's a Wrap!

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 by Cody. 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.  

Nov 12, 2016 at 8:50 PM Permalink

Mozel Tov!

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. 

Nov 5, 2016 at 10:44 PM Permalink