Fall Wedding with Jewel Tone Florals at Dover Hall in Richmond Virginia
I love the fall season. It is by far my favorite season, followed by winter. The colors and the textures are always so rich. The temperatures are cool and the fashion is in full force. I always get so excited when I get an inquiry for a fall or winter wedding. The fall in Richmond Virginia is gorgeous. The trees change colors, the weather is nice, and the energy is great.
Caroline and Brad wanted a wedding that was elegant, timeless, romantic, and formal. They wanted to include all of their friends and family on their big day, and really get to enjoy themselves without stressing over the logistics. When they first inquired they had not selected a venue yet and were still on the fence with a ceremony location. The original plan was to have the ceremony at the University of Richmond Chapel and then have a reception at either Dover Hall, The VMFA, or The Jefferson. These are all amazing options and there really wasn’t a bad choice. The only sticking point is that the chapel at U of R has a few requirements.
If you want to get married at U of R there are a few things to consider. If you are affiliated with the university you are able to book your date 12 months out. If you are not affiliated with the university you must wait until you are 10 months out. This, of course, does take up many of the prime dates pretty quickly. If you are able to secure a wedding date, you now need to check the university schedule to make sure your date doesn’t interfere with certain campus-wide events. Some of these events might be, graduations, homecoming, reunion weekends, home football games, and holidays.
As much as Caroline and Brad wanted to get married at U of R the schedule hadn’t been finalized yet, and we weren’t able to wait any longer on securing a venue. We decided to secure a venue that they would be happy with the ceremony location should the chapel not be available on their date. As we weighed all of the options and went over the logistics of having multiple locations we narrowed down the venue options. As much as we loved the other locations, Dover Hall won out in the end. Dover Hall is a great venue to set the tone of an elegant and romantic wedding, while still having great options for all seasons. It is actually quite hard to find a venue in Richmond that has such a great indoor option for your ceremony. Caroline and Brad did go to the VMFA for their engagement session, so they were still able to incorporate another venue. The photos were amazing. You can see more of those on David Abel’s site.
Caroline has a very chic and modern style about her. Her look is effortlessly pulled together with such attention to detail. We wanted to incorporate that through her event and ensure that the details reflected them as a couple. Through our process of pulling images and using descriptive words, I was able to match her to a vendor team that flawlessly executed her vision. Transferring fashion or home decor to an event space is a learned skill. Having the right vendors for each vision is imperative. The amount of talent won’t matter if the creative partner isn’t able to grasp the visual concept. The couple also has ties to Charlottesville, Va so naturally, we had to pull in a few vendors from there.
The main color theme throughout the wedding was vibrant emerald green. Being that it was the end of November velvet added such a luxe layer. Photosynthesis Floral Design arranged such a gorgeous and unique color combination of sophisticated shades of pink, yellows, and just a touch of purple. The colors really stood out against the emerald green of the bridesmaids’ dresses. We provided mercury gold votives to compliment the arrangements.
The groom looked dashing in his emerald green bow tie and classic black tuxedo. There are some shots where he looked straight out of a GQ magazine. The couple decided to partake in the southern tradition of burying the bourbon. Them burying the bourbon worked out in their favor as they did not have any rain on the wedding day. The rose garden was the perfect location for this as it allowed us to sneak them in and out before the guests arrived. These little breaks during the day are so important to include in the timeline. Caroline and Brad were able to sneak away, do something fun with each other, get some great photos, and then rejoin their friends and family and celebrate. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day and forget to take time for yourself.
After a very touching ceremony, a fun cocktail hour, we moved to the reception. The reception started off as most do. There were dances, a few speeches, dinner, and cake. Once the dancing started is when it really turned up. The couple had provided Mardi Gras masks for us to set out and the band started playing hip-hop music. I think the most fun part of the evening was when the bride and groom starting singing with the band and our delicate, classy, bride knew all of the words to the hip-hop songs.
They ended the night with a romantic getaway in a classic Rolls Royce.
This wedding was featured on Wedding Sparrow.
Vendors:
Venue: Dover Hall
Photography: David Abel Photography
Florals: Photosynthesis Floral Design
HMUA: Ave 42 Salon
Vintage Rolls Royce: First Class Limo
Linens: Classic Party Rentals
Lighting: Leap Light and Sound
Cake: Maliha Creations
Strings: Perfect Harmony
Band: Sam Hill Entertainment
Dress Boutique: The One Bridal Salon