Landscape & Lifestyles: In Vino Veritas

In Wine (there is) Truth, a great saying, also appropriate for this post, as Veritas in Afton, VA was the vineyard Wendy and Jason were married at on Saturday. And the truth is the wedding was AMAZING!

Groom & Bride!!

It was a GORGEOUS day, sunny and warm, and thankfully still great fall color! A cool sculpture at the entrance to the vineyard with some of their vines in the background.

Greg & I loaded up the Suburban (work car) and drove from Fairfax down to Wintergreen to do all the setup. I will show you all the progress photos throughout the week, but I thought EVERYONE wants to see the final product first! Right?

The wedding was held outside on the deck of the vineyard at 6 p.m. There were beautiful bistro lights strung over our seats and there was a great fire roaring in the stone fireplace.

It was a beautiful setting, intimate, romantic and perfect for Wendy & Jason. The ceremony was very personal, lighthearted and fun. It was so nice to see the vows they said be so specific to their relationship.

The cocktail hour was held in the tasting room. The gnarled wood tables made a perfect backdrop for the modern floral arrangements, purple dendrobium orchids, mango & picasso calla lilies and a little ruscus for some greenery.

Here is one of my moss W's for their new last name on the corner of the bar.

On the gift table I brought along this cool birdcage, tied some purple-black feathers into the orange bow and lined the bottom of the cage with moss. Behind the birdcage I set a tall glass vase with purple and clear underwater lights and purple and clear glass marbles. They are showing off the submerged Cymbidium orchid. I also made these birch tea light holders, another DIY for later this week.

The escort card table. I brought along some birch logs to separate every few rows of cards. I think a whole table of cards is a little boring, plus, the texture of the bark is awesome! Wendy & Jason had family photos on the table of their parents' weddings and loved ones who had passed away. Such a thoughtful detail that everyone loved seeing.

Two of Wendy's gorgeous bridesmaids holding their bouquets! I was so thrilled everyone loved the flowers, and man did those dresses make those flowers POP!

The reception!! Man oh man was I happy to see it all finished! Greg blew up the balloons while I did all the other setup. Of course when we were working it was daylight, so we didn't get the full effect until we walked in with all the other guests. But the reactions were amazing! I found these 3' balloons in NYC and they were a big hit. Not only did they created awesome shadows on the walls, but they brought a sense of fun and whimsy to the party, exactly what Wendy & Jason wanted.

These were the tall arrangements, we alternated tables of high and low to get a big effect and still allow people to talk over and through the arrangements. These were the copper branches (a post earlier this fall). I tucked dendrobium orchids into some of the branch crotches for some pops of purple. The amber glass votives were from NYC as well, and really added another layer of glowing light to the room.

And here were the low table arrangements. Again, I'll post the progress photos this week. Wendy named all the tables after their favorite ski slopes on Wintergreen mountain. Each escort card had a note explaining that on the back. Amazing attention to detail, but that's what makes an event so special and personal.

Wedding cake!! I loved the rough textured ridges on the layers and I LOVED the rosettes along the front. Watching her assemble the cake was very cool, and I was glad she used the extra flowers I brought along. Also loved the log as the cake stand, so glad she carried through the natural elements!