Julia Kalriess & Chris Sweeney

Sept. 9, 2017 • Zion Springs, Hamilton

To hear Julia Kalriess and Chris Sweeney tell it, theirs is a love story of how a right brain and a left brain came together. Julia, a Virginia Tech alum and visual designer and Chris, a UVA alum doing postdoctoral work in computer science, met through mutual friends at a 2012 music festival in Los Angeles. After dating for several years, one of which was entirely long-distance which each pursued advanced degrees, Chris proposed to Julia near their home in Seattle, Washington in the fall of 2016 while friends waited nearby, ready to pop the champagne.

Julia, the daughter of Ted and Debbie Kalriess of Leesburg, and Chris, the son of Mike and Anita Sweeney of Springfield, were married at Zion Springs Bed and Breakfast in Hamilton on Sept. 9, 2017. The wedding celebrated both Julia’s Asian heritage and Chris’s Indian heritage with beautiful colorful details, including photos of family members, extensive floral design, a cigar bar and a sparkler-lined send off for the bride and groom.



Photographer & Videographer: Tracy Medlock, TheLockAndCo.com
Wedding Gown: Theia Bridal, TheiaCouture.com
Florals: Creations In Bloom, CreationsInBloomVa.com
Cake: Signature Sweets By Amanda, SignatureSweetsByAmanda.com

For more real weddings, and for inspiration for planning your own big day, be sure to check out our 2018 Virginia Living Weddings issue.

Erin McPherson
Erin McPherson is a past contributor to Virginia Living.
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