This poppy red wedding from Lucy O Photo is sure to brighten up your Monday!

From Shelby: “I don’t consider myself a particularly aesthetically savvy person, so I was nervous about the design and colors of our wedding. Several weeks after we got engaged though, I went over to a friend’s apartment and saw this stunning floral painting on her wall. My nerves about aesthetics all subsided. I knew the painting had the colors for the wedding! We used an online print of the painting for handwritten notes to our guests, for the DIY signs throughout the venue, and to inspire the flowers and the vivid poppy bridesmaid dresses.”

Says the bride, “We loved how the venue communicated elegance without extravagance. The beautiful white barn allowed us to have a dressier affair with the groomsmen in tuxedos, yet it didn’t necessitate fancy linens and china as a country club venue would have. We also chose our venue because it had a viable rain location on the second story above the main hall. We actually ended up using it because there was a downpour during our ceremony!”

SEE THE FULL GALLERY FOR MORE DETAILS FROM THIS CHARMING VIRGINIA WEDDING.

 

What was your favorite moment or part of the day?  My father’s toast completely wowed me and everyone else at the wedding. He had asked me just the day before what he was supposed to do for the four minute toast. Little did I know, he had actually been preparing his toast ever since we got engaged in December. In those four short minutes, my dad had all the guests falling out of their seats in laughter, and reaching for their napkins to blot tears away. He joked about Douglas’s Eagle Scout award and his piano skills, and my mom’s love for shopping that will help them “retire early,” and expressed his heartfelt enthusiasm for our future life together.

Did you include any traditions in your wedding?  My favorite tradition we included was a family tradition. For as long as I can remember, my family and Douglas and I have communicated love and appreciation for one another through notes. We wanted to show this love and appreciation for all of our 180 guests and so we decided to hand write notes for each of them. While Douglas and I worked on the notes during the months leading up to the wedding, my mom used her calligraphy on the vellum envelopes. Even though Douglas and I didn’t get a chance to speak to all of our guests during the reception, we knew they felt honored and appreciated when the notes were delivered to their tables during dinner.

What was the best advice you received as a bride?  Our wedding planner advised that we schedule 10-15 minutes after pictures for Douglas and me just to be by ourselves and to soak in the fact that we were married all before we got introduced to our guests at our reception. It was a brilliant idea, and was some of the most memorable moments of the entire weekend.

What advice do you have for other brides?  Make sure to plan ahead and have a timeline so that the last month before the wedding isn’t full of stress and you can focus more on your upcoming marriage than on all the last minute details of the wedding.

Do you have any budget tips for other brides?  Don’t be afraid to bargain and/or to ask for lower quotes from your vendors. We were able to save a lot of money on the wedding because my dad encouraged me to negotiate with the vendors. After I got over my initial nerves about it, the negotiating ended up being kind of fun!

Is there anything else that helps tell the story of the day?  My dress had been altered to fit very tightly around my waist – so tight that I had to put the dress on over my head. We only realized this after I had gotten my hair and makeup completely done! In order to keep it all from getting messed up, a bridesmaid suggested putting a trash bag over my head to protect me and putting the dress on over the bag. We all thought she was crazy, but it ended up working. All the pictures of me putting my dress on look very peaceful and calm, but just before they were taken, we were all laughing at the trash bag on my head and sweating because we were worried it wouldn’t work!

Photographer: Lucy O Photo / Venue: Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, Virginia / Event planner: Meghan Streit, Shindig Weddings & Events / Dress: J.Crew / Shoes: Nina / Veil: Jingles Bridal Store / Suit, shirt, tie, shoes: Men’s Warehouse / Bridesmaid dresses: J.Crew / Stationery: Minted / Floral designer: Southern Blooms, Pat’s Floral Designs / Rentals: Festive Fare / Music: DJ Ran Henry / Caterer: C&O Restaurant / Cake: Paradox Pastry / Videographer: Brad Bennett, Shaking Hands Productions / Ice Cream Truck: Sweet Tooth

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