June 6, 2015 • Keswick Hall, Keswick
For a thoroughly modern couple whose story began at an edgy and acclaimed Washington, D.C., restaurant, Emma Long and Brooks Garber’s wedding last summer in Virginia’s rolling foothills was ripe with tradition. “We are traditional people by nature,” says Emma. Both bride and groom grew up around Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains. Emma is from New Market and Brooks, whose family is from New Orleans, comes from a family of horse enthusiasts who spent a lot of time showing at Keswick Hunt Club. A wedding at Keswick Hall seemed pre-ordained for the couple, who live and work in Northern Virginia. “We thought it would be a great blend of our family history,” she explains. Brooks’ Jewish traditions included wearing his great-grandfather’s yarmulke, and drinking from his grandmother’s traditional Kiddush cup during the ceremony. For her part, Emma focused on her dress and selecting the wedding colors of gold, pink, cream and celadon. Although she selected an elegant beaded white gown by Israeli designer Inbal Dror for the ceremony and reception, Emma surprised her mother by first wearing her 1975 wedding dress to a signing ceremony called the ketubah, which precedes the nuptials in Jewish ceremonies. The celebration spanned several days and included lots of family and friends. It was followed by a “once in a lifetime” trip, says Emma, to Southeast Asia that included stops in Bangkok, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia.
Sources
Venue: Keswick Hall, Keswick Photographer: Sarah Cramer Shields, Charlottesville Planner: Colleen Miller, Charlottesville Floral Design: Tasha Tobin of Hedge Fine Blooms, Charlottesville Catering: Keswick Hall Cake: Favorite Cakes, Charlottesville Bride’s Gown: Inbal Dror from The Wedding Shop, Wayne, Pennsylvania Rentals: Festive Fare-Classic Party Rentals, Charlottesville and BBJ Linens.com Flower Wall: Pallet & Pen, Charlottesville Lighting and Draping: Skyline Tent Company, Charlottesville
