July 9, 2016 • Chrysler Museum, Norfolk
Jack and Caiti arriving at their reception.
Photos by Still55
Jack and Caiti.
Jack and Kaiti with their parents, Bill and Ellie Elmore and John and Cindy Burton.
Place settings at the reception.
The wedding cake.
The couple’s reception included custom Coca-Cola bottles.
The first dance.
At first, Jack Elmore was just “that guy who photo-bombed our picture in college” to Caitlin “Caiti” Burton.
It was 2008, and Caiti and her friends were celebrating the end of their college days at Elon University. “I remember at the time looking at the picture with this unknown guy making a face jumping behind us and thinking, ‘Who is this idiot who just ruined our picture?’” Caiti says laughing.
Cindy helps Caiti into her dress.
After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., to pursue a career in advertising and sales, and Jack headed to New York City and a marketing career. But in the years following graduation mutual friends would host small reunion parties, where the pair would finally meet and quickly become friends. After several of these weekend gatherings, they began to make excuses to be in the other’s respective city. Jack officially asked Caiti to be his girlfriend during a weekend visit to the Hamptons in 2011, and the couple began commuting on the weekends by rail between New York and Washington.
“It wasn’t until several years later when I was going through some old pictures before a friend’s birthday party that I saw that picture again and realized that the photo-bomber was Jack!” says Caiti.
An account manager for LivingSocial, Caiti eventually transferred to the company’s New York office, and after a few years of enjoying dating without a long commute, Jack proposed.
The Virginia Beach native wanted to have her wedding at her family’s church in Norfolk, and the couple chose the Chrysler Museum of Art for their reception. “The architecture with a Spanish-inspired skylight roof and intricate archways lining the entire space is amazing,” says Caiti.
To achieve the elegant and intimate feel the couple wanted for their wedding, linens, flowers and table settings were awash in a neutral palette of greys, golds and ivory. Working with event planners at Virginia Beach’s Style Events, Caiti chose different textures and patterns—luxurious hand-beaded lace and pintucked fabrics—for tables at the seated-dinner reception. Gold candelabras held centerpiece flower arrangements towering over runners of greenery winding around mercury glass, silver, bronze and gold bud vases and tea lights scattered beneath.
Jack and his groomsmen.
Caiti with her bridesmaids.
Jack and Caiti during a toast.
The couple with their bridal party.
The couple with friends from New York City.
Guests prepare to see the couple off from the Chrysler Museum.
A kiss before leaving the reception.
Custom glass Coca-Cola bottles labeled “Share a Coke with Jack & Caiti,” filled with a signature cocktail sipped through gold and silver straws, served as a tribute to Jack, a sports marketing manager at Coca-Cola, and his father, a retired executive for the soft drink company.
And for the couple whose story began with a photo, it was no surprise that they eschewed a traditional guest book for a book of photos chronicling their life together. “We included pictures from various trips, birthdays and others representative of our relationship and asked our guests to sign it. Now it serves as a reminder of our love and those who came to support us.”
Planner: Style Events Virginia Beach, StyleEvents.co Photographer: Still55 St. Augustine, FL, Still55Weddings.com Videographer: Crystal Blue Productions Kitty Hawk, NC, CrystalBlueProductions.com Wedding Gown: L'Fay Briday New York City, LFay.com Florals: Palette of Petals Virginia Beach, PaletteofPetals.com Cake: Incredible Edibles Virginia Beach, IncredibleEdiblesBakery.com Paper: Stephanie B. Design Washington, D.C., StephanieBDesign.com Hair: Flawless on Site Virginia Beach, FlawlessOnSite.com Makeup: Faces by Rebecca Wood Virginia Beach, FacesByRebeccaWood.com