Maya & Michael
Dancing feet on rolling hills.
May 25, 2025 | Stone Tower Winery, Leesburg
Rolling hills, mountain views, and endless vineyards—Stone Tower Winery in Loudoun County had everything Maya Bernstein and Michael Heda dreamed of for their May 2025 wedding. “We never wanted a hotel or a barn wedding,” Maya explains. “We fell in love with this grand property. Once we saw it, we couldn’t get it out of our minds.”
The couple chose “garden party chic” as their theme, brought to life in a vibrant color palette for their nuptials, lavishing deep shades of pink, yellow, orange, and red flowers throughout the ceremony. A chuppah built by Maya’s cousin was adorned with floral swags. “We chose an outdoor spot at the top of a hill overlooking the vineyard for our vows,” Michael says. “It was a perfect weather day, and the bright colors looked really pretty.”
A cocktail hour followed on the patio with a bespoke Airstream trailer serving as the bar. Bottles of Maya’s favorite water, Topo Chico, were given as gifts for the 225 guests and provided the seating assignments for the dinner reception. Held inside the winery’s historic stone farmhouse, the dinner by Heirloom Catering from nearby Falls Church served a variety of seafood, vegetarian, and steak options. A floral, blue and white fabric–covered tables with bright arrangements taking center stage. Maya’s mother contributed another treasured family touch, embroidering the traditional linen cover for the couple’s challah bread. Dancing to music performed by the Bachelor Boys Band was a highlight for the couple. “It was a perfect day,” says Maya.
We Said Yes To
The Flowers: Virginia Living editors favored this floral flourish.
We love Maya and Michael’s color scheme, which popped with hot colors like reds, oranges, and deep pinks. With ranunculus, poppies, and roses, plus the wedding suite in greens and blush, everything worked together in a way that felt thoughtful, intentional, and bursting with promise. Personality oozed from every blossom and bud—from bupleurum accents in Maya’s bouquet to the verdant hills of the winery—these are the thoughtful details that added another dimension to the flower-filled celebration. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun in each bloom, along with a level of care and affection only a truly in-love couple could imbue.
What really stands out is how fully committed the entire day was to the pair’s color palette. This vibrancy didn’t appear once then fade in the background; it carried through the celebration, surfacing once and again in ways that felt cohesive without seeming forced. From the table runners with their pink tapers and single blossoms to the chuppah adorned in the same colors and flowers, the result was a wedding that felt like one continuous love letter written in blooms.
The Details
Band: Bachelor Boys Band | Caterer: Heirloom Catering, Falls Church | Florist: Farm and Field Floral and Event Design, Sperryville | Officiant: Rabbi Evan Krame, The Jewish Studio, Rockville, Maryland | Photographer: Molly Lichten Photography, Washington, D.C.
Sophia & Gradey
A modern love draped in vintage lace and charm.
March 29, 2025 | Wedding: Maymont’s Italian Garden, Richmond | Reception: Common House Richmond
When Sophia Kuligowski was a senior in high school, she had a crush on Gradey Smithers, a junior at the same school in Chesapeake. “I thought he was cute and mysterious,” laughs Sophia. It was 2017, and dates to a dance with mutual friends turned into the beginning of Sophia and Gradey’s happily ever after. “Two months later, we were in love,” recalls Sophia.
Eight years later, with college behind them and jobs secured, Gradey proposed to Sophia on a bridge in Norfolk, a spot where they had loved taking romantic walks downtown early in their relationship. It was entirely fitting, then, that romance reigned at their spring wedding in Richmond, which featured vintage touches and seasonal pastel flowers. “I love all things vintage,” explains Sophia, who found her 1970s-era wedding dress at Atlas and Ember bridal salon in Staunton.
Their Richmond wedding plans were a team effort. Gradey, an event planner, managed venue details while Sophia took charge of design for the ceremony at Maymont’s Italian Garden and reception at Common House Richmond. Garlands of greens infused with lavender, peach, and pink flowers wrapped the Italian Garden’s iconic columns for the wedding ceremony.
Gradey’s brother served as the officiant. “We wanted it to be someone in the family,” Sophia says. The bridal party and guests were treated to a delicious family-style dinner provided by Common House, whose pastry chef created a heart-shaped white wedding cake adorned with antique swan cake-toppers in keeping with the vintage garden party theme. DJ Seth Casena kept the party going through the night, which concluded with a flower petal send-off for the couple.
We Said Yes To
The Dress: Our editors loved this nod to nostalgia.
We love Sophia’s vintage dress from the ’70s—it suited her old-world glamour perfectly, and complemented both of their vintage sensibilities so naturally. The ornate details on the dress—the flowers, ribbon, and lace—were beautifully mirrored in the intricate architectural elements of the Italianate Maymont garden where they exchanged vows. The scene felt classically romantic without trying too hard. The timeless spring ceremony, the indie-chic Common House reception, Gradey’s burgundy suit, and that dress all created an effortlessly cool combination. Together, these two are the ultimate Richmond “it” couple.
The Details
Caterer: Common House Richmond | Cake: Common House Richmond | DJ: Seth Casena | Ceremony Dress: Atlas and Ember Vintage Bridal Dresses by Juniper Lane, Staunton | Reception Dress: Revolve Florist: Wild Flora Event Co., Richmond | Officiant: Wesley Smithers, groom’s brother | Photographer: Jesslyn McCartney
Sharon & Garrett
Where coastal charm met city spark—and the dance never ended.
Sept. 21, 2024 | The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Virginia Beach
Sharon and Garrett Gomez didn’t have to think twice about where to say their vows after Garrett proposed in August 2023. The couple, who first met as newly hired marketing managers at IBM Technology Company in New York City in 2017, knew right away that The Historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach—with its classic coastal charm—was the perfect place.
An earlier trip to Virginia Beach—Garrett’s hometown—to introduce then-girlfriend Sharon to his family and friends included a visit to the hotel at the top of his list of places to see. “He told me that it was the nicest hotel in Virginia Beach, and he wanted to show me around,” Sharon recalls. “I just remember walking around and being obsessed with the property. In my head, I was like ‘I’m going to get married here one day.’” That day came on Sept. 21, 2024.
The night before, the couple kicked off their wedding weekend with a seaside White Welcome Party for all of their 160 guests at the resort’s Beach Club. The Caribbean-themed cocktail party featured tropical fruits, a steel drum band, and buffet stations, followed by toasts to the couple and dancing to music by Litt Keys, a duo of a DJ and a pianist-singer.
On a perfect weather wedding day, Evan Poe of Married by Evan officiated the couple’s vows in the historic hotel’s Sunken Garden. Cocktails followed, just above the ceremony space in the Raleigh Garden Patio. A tent stretched across the front of the landmark hotel overlooking its sweeping, lush lawn and the ocean beyond, provided the setting for the buffet reception. The stations featured Sharon’s favorite Peking Duck, reflective of her Korean roots, and chicken and waffles, an homage to Garrett’s Southern heritage. White, pale pinks, and blue floral displays by Gather Florals included a wreath above the dance floor where The Afterparty played late into the evening. “We’re a super fun couple, and we’re always dancing and partying,” says Sharon. “We wanted that same feeling at our wedding.”
We Said Yes To
The Reception: The party we didn’t want to leave.
Everything about this reception felt elevated, polished, and alive. Light, airy florals softened the space, while a chic wardrobe change for both the bride and groom added a jolt of energy at just the right moment. The guest style deserves its own round of applause: black tie, done exactly right. From the playful seating chart to the floating florals overhead, every curated touch enhanced an already iconic, upscale, coastal-classic venue.
And then there was the couple themselves, swirling through the ballroom, fully in and of the moment. Sharon and Garrett’s obvious joy on the dance floor set the tone from the moment they made their entrance. One can taste the collective awe in the room just from looking at photos—the kind of awe that settles in when everything clicks into place: the pristine setting, the swell of the live band’s rhythms, the sparkle of the Champagne, and a crowd fully locked into the night.
The Details
Reception Band: The Afterparty | Caterer: The Historic Cavalier Hotel | Dessert/Cake: Incredible Edibles Bakery, Virginia Beach | Welcome Party DJ: Litt Keys Duo
| Dress: Anna Georgina Bridals | Florist: Gather Floral Design, Virginia Beach | Planner: Jamie Austin of Jamie Leigh Events, Virginia Beach | Photographer: Sarah Street Photography
Carrie & Nathan
It takes a village.
May 17, 2025 | Tresco Road (the bride’s childhood street), Henrico
Growing up, Carrie Ragsdale loved her neighborhood in Richmond’s West End. A short street in the heart of a leafy, tight-knit community, she enjoyed frequent parties on the block shared by other families. “I feel like I have 12 moms and dads,” she says. “I always, always wanted to get married on my street. It’s such a special place for me.”
So when her then-boyfriend of about five years, Nathan Winters, got down on one knee and proposed on the front porch of the home they shared at the time in Asheville, North Carolina, she knew that a hometown block party on Tresco Road would be her dream venue. Her parents polled the neighbors, and a street wedding in May 2025 was unanimously and enthusiastically approved.
Neighbors at the top of the street volunteered to host the nuptials in their yard. “I’m really close with the family,” Carrie explains. “I babysat for all five kids growing up, and they were all in our wedding!” The street was shut down for the event, and following the lawn ceremony, all 400-plus guests processed to the Ragsdale family’s and their next-door neighbors’ yards, which served as the tented reception venue.
Carrie’s father surprised the couple with the addition of bagpipers from the Greater Richmond Pipes & Drums, who took the lead from ceremony to reception with fanfare. The band Power 2 Party from Sam Miller Music took over at the reception, which featured a cocktail hour followed by food stations with dishes prepared by Chef Kent Smith of Design Cuisine, based in Washington, D.C.
Linen-covered tables, elegant bars, and the tent ceiling exuded Carrie’s vision for a floral extravaganza. “Everywhere you looked, there were flowers on flowers on flowers,” she recalls. Charlottesville’s Gregory Britt Designs exceeded her floral dreams, enhanced by elegant lighting from Richmond-based Lighting Professors. “They made my vision come to life. It was just dreamy. You felt like you were in another world.”
We Said Yes To
The Processional: An editor-approved moment that stole the show.
This processional was more of a celebration in motion than a walk. We love that their whole community, bagpipers included, escorted Carrie and Nathan from the ceremony to the reception, rhythms vibrating underfoot and surely straight into everyone’s bones. More than 400 guests processed down Carrie’s childhood street, with the brick houses of Mooreland Farms providing a familiar backdrop to make the day feel like home for the bride, who radiated joy in each step. The heartfelt, exuberant scene was the kind of moment to make a stranger smile or a friend tear up. What a grand, celebratory march full of color and unadulterated vivacity—like watching a living floral arrangement flood the road.
But the payoff was just as spectacular: divine lobster waiting to be savored, a tent ceiling draped in cascading flowers like fantastical clouds, and a reception that lived up to the journey. We wish we’d been there, if only to join the parade.
The Details
Planner: Libby Lewis Events | Caterer: Design Cuisine The Kent Smith Team | Rentals: Rent-E-Quip | Hair/makeup: Avenue42 | Photographer: The Tuckers | Stationer: Sue Corral Ink, Richmond | Dress (store): The Dress Theory, Nashville, Tennessee | Dress (designer): SEPT | Florist: Gregory Britt Designs, Charlottesville | Band: Power 2 Party from Sam Miller Music
Katie & Greg
Big-city fun meets small-town dreams.
May 31, 2025 | Tides Inn, Irvington
The confluence of a breathtaking Tidewater landscape, a storied local family history, unforgettable elegance, and big-city fun drove the dreamy late May wedding weekend for Greg and Katie Lobel.
Tides Inn resort in Irvington provided the setting for the special event, chosen for its luxurious accommodations and idyllic grounds overlooking Carter’s Creek. The resort is also just a 20-minute drive from Greg’s family farmhouse, Oakley, in nearby Nuttsville. A centerpiece of Greg’s family, dating back to 1884, the farm has been the site of family Thanksgivings for more than 125 years. “I fell in love with the area,” says Katie. A native of Michigan, she and Greg met while attending the University of Michigan.
Greg, who grew up in Northern Virginia and visited the farm for holidays, agreed with Katie that the nearby Tides Inn was the perfect venue for their nuptials. Close friends from the couple’s years living in Chicago and New York City made up much of the 135-guest crowd, traveling far and wide to get to the venue. “We wanted to lean into the relaxed, small-town vibe and also make it fun and worth it for all these people to travel there,” explains Katie.
Beginning with a party on Friday night at nearby CAMP Irvington, guests enjoyed freshly shucked local oysters, oven-fired pizza, and a musical performance by Richmond-based acoustic duo Mango Thieves. On the wedding day morning, Katie and her bridesmaids got ready while guests enjoyed pickleball and tennis. The 4:30 p.m. wedding took place on a lawn overlooking the creek. Columns of blue, yellow, and pink flowers flanked the couple as they said their vows. A second line band led them and their guests from the ceremony space to a reception tent. There, guests enjoyed a seated dinner of local crab cakes and other Southern favorites, followed by dancing to live music by JTucker and the Krewe under a floral arch suspended from the ceiling. Greg and his brother DJ’ed an afterparty at the resort’s poolside oyster bar to close the night down.
From start to finish, the wedding was an immersive experience that brought their story to life in every way.
We Said Yes To
The Dessert: A delectable detail that made us smile.
A sweet finish to a special day that’s impossible not to love: The groom serving soft-serve ice cream to his bride from an actual ice cream truck is about as charming as it gets. Don’t worry—we hear every guest got their turn at a cone. Playful, personal, and perfectly on theme, this moment lingered in memory long after dessert was devoured. If love has a flavor, we’re pretty sure this one tasted like vanilla swirl on a summer night—the cherry on top of a waterfront Virginia wedding night.
The Details
Band: JTucker and the Krewe | Caterer: Tides Inn | Cake: Cakes to Remember | Dress: Kleinfeld’s of New York | Florist: A Morgan Floral | Officiant: Will Lichtenfels | Photographer: Nikki Santerre | Planner: Heather Clarke, The Hive, Richmond
Natalie & Dylan
From lacrosse fields to sparkling, mountainside nuptials.
March 29, 2025 | The James Morgan, Harrisonburg
Natalie Hairfield and Dylan Rice were high school sweethearts. Both lacrosse players at Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, their relationship began at afternoon practices on the field that the boys and girls teams shared. “We were so young! We didn’t even drive yet,” muses Natalie. Their love only grew as they went on to navigate college and careers.
When Dylan proposed marriage in March 2024 at the top of Humpback Rock—the couple’s favorite climb in the Blue Ridge Mountains—Natalie, of course, accepted. “I wanted to elope, but Dylan wanted a big wedding …. So we compromised and had a big wedding,” she laughs.
Mountain views also played a starring role at their wedding at The James Morgan, an estate nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Arrangements of white roses, baby’s breath, and hydrangeas dotted the outdoor ceremony space. Officiating was a friend of the couple who had led youth Bible studies Dylan attended in high school. Solo saxophonist Fred Vaughan played during the following outdoor cocktail hour, and he later accompanied DJ Chris Sullivan during the seated dinner reception held inside at the estate’s formal reception hall.
Natalie confesses that while she never “fantasized much about having a wedding,” the hunt for the perfect wedding dress was a thrill. She found her French crepe, trumpet-style dress at Richmond’s Annalise Bridal Boutique—a store she remembers walking past on lunch breaks when she worked in a nearby office as a college student.
The couple’s favorite wedding moment came on the dance floor at the end of the night when they shared a final dance alone, while guests were outside preparing for a sparkler send-off. “It was just the two of us,” says Dylan. “It was a good opportunity to soak in the moment.”
We Said Yes To
The Ceremony: The setting that stopped our editors in their tracks.
Natalie and Dylan’s ceremony setting was the definition of Blue Ridge Mountain bliss. We could melt into that lush, rolling blue and green backdrop at a moment’s notice. With mountains quietly rising behind them, the couple exchanged vows in a cinematic scene—a reminder of how small and expansive love can feel all at once. A hint of white florals anchored the setup, pulling in a contrast that made us swoon.
And then came the grand, romantic exit. A shower of white flower petals rained down as the pair made their way out, marking the moment with a celebratory flair and a heartfelt release that felt earned. Simple, striking, and beautifully timed, it was a parting that provided a tone for the day even after the last petal fell. If ever there were proof that love can move mountains, this was it.
The Details
Band: Solo Saxophonist Fred Vaughan | Caterer: Dayton Catering, Bridgewater | Cake: Corazon Cake Co., Richmond | DJ: Soundmaster DJ Chris Sullivan | Dress: Made With Love at Annalise Bridal Boutique, Richmond | Ceremony and reception florals: Bride’s family | Bridal bouquets & boutonnieres: Blakemore Flowers, Harrisonburg | Officiant: Read Jacob, neighbor and friend of Dylan | Photographer: Carolyn Simpson | Planner: Little Acorn Events
Julie & Sheng
Hometown luck blossoms with love.
Oct. 6, 2024 | 2941 Restaurant, Falls Church
Julie Zhu and Sheng Zhang met on a ski trip in 2018 when they were students at Johns Hopkins University. Both from China, it came as a great surprise to learn that they were from the same hometown, Wuhan. “We attended different schools there growing up and had no idea!” laughs Julie. Romance blossomed, and the pair got engaged five years later. With so many family members in China, the couple chose a favorite restaurant and event venue in Falls Church for their nuptials because of its close proximity to the airport and the young couple’s Springfield home.
Surrounded by waterfalls, koi ponds, and lush gardens, the venue provided the perfect setting for the 11 a.m. ceremony followed by a cocktail hour and seated lunch reception.
Julie and Sheng wanted to honor their Chinese roots throughout the weekend, which had begun with a Chinese tea ceremony at their home. The bride and groom served tea to each other’s parents and elders to demonstrate their gratitude and honor the coming together of their families. The wedding day was infused with blue and white florals, linens, and porcelain vases. The reception place settings included small blue and white bags filled with traditional Chinese treats, including a citrus tea, honey, and seven candies for good luck. Julie’s ceremony dress came from her sister’s wedding boutique in Guangdong, China. She changed into an Anthropologie reception dress for dancing to music provided by DJ Double E Entertainment.
We Said Yes To
The Color Palette: How to wow Virginia Living editors.
Periwinkle blues, deep indigo, and crisp white came together in wedding day vignettes that felt quietly, deeply regal—and we loved how many guests leaned right into those hues. From the carefully composed tablescapes to the dramatic florals and the pearl-dotted cake unlike any we’ve seen before, every element played its part. Our favorite surprise came from the swimming orange flashes from the nearby koi pond, adding contrast in the most unexpected way. Julie and Sheng took “something blue” and made it more than a cliché.
The Details
Caterer: 2941 Restaurant, Falls Church | Dessert/Cake: 2941 Restaurant, Falls Church DJ: Double E Entertainment Dress: Sister’s wedding dress shop in Guangdong, China Reception dress: Anthropologie | Florist: Natalie Zhou Floral | Officiant: Jeff Maszal Photographer: Jane Wang Photography and Videography
Emma & Mark
Dancin’ in September to the tune of coming home.
Sept. 21, 2024 | Hunting Hills Country Club, Roanoke
When Emma Barker was growing up, the daughter of John Barker, the tennis pro at Hunting Hills Country Club in Roanoke, she didn’t dream of one day getting married at the place she had spent so much time with her father. In January 2023, all grown up and engaged to her boyfriend of eight years, Mark Taylor, Emma’s perspective changed as the couple began searching for a wedding venue.
“We had no idea where we wanted to get married,” Emma recalls. “We looked around at some places, but everything was either too far away or not close enough to an airport for out-of-town guests.” Then her mother suggested they just go to the club, and Emma quickly realized that it would be the perfect place for their wedding. “I felt very comfortable there. I am so glad it’s where we ended up, and I can’t imagine a better place,” Emma says. “It felt a little bit like a homecoming.”
Tucked in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the country club’s golf course was the backdrop to their vows. The couple wanted their celebration to feel “homey, warm, and cozy and not too thought out,” explains Emma, whose family touches included a lemon wedding cake baked by her mother. She selected colorful florals for displays at the outdoor altar and in the reception space. Her love of 1960s and ’70s music was also prominent throughout. Guests signed Earth, Wind & Fire and Etta James album covers. Even their wedding date, Sept. 21, was an homage to Earth, Wind & Fire’s song, “September,” which was also their first dance song.
We Said Yes To
The Music: Our editors couldn’t help but hum along.
This couple had us saying “At Last”—and yes, we mean it in the Etta James way. Music wasn’t just a background element here; it was a meaningful key throughline to the day. With their iconic first-dance pick (“September” by Earth, Wind & Fire) and beautiful old records repurposed as guest books, complete with a winky “for our records” note, Emma and Mark’s musical choices felt personal, purposeful, and everlasting.
You could see it in the way they moved, the way their guests responded, and the way the night unfolded song by song. There was an energy bouncing through the space fed by fun and feeling, keeping people on the dance floor longer than anyone might have planned. The crowd was truly “chasin’ the clouds away” all night, and honestly, we wanted in on the celebration. We’ll certainly always remember these two dancin’ in September.
The Details
Band: The Bachelor Boys | Caterer: Hunting Hills Country Club | Cake: Bride’s mother | Dress: Studio I Do Bridals, Roanoke | Florist: Petal and Pail Flower Farm, Buchanan | Officiant: Brent Williams, pastor at Colonial Presbyterian Church, Roanoke | Photographer: Katie Lewis Photography
Brittany & Brandon
Taking love to new heights in a hot air balloon over the Blue Ridge.
July 12, 2025 | The Preserve at Crooked Run, Fincastle
It was the night before Brittany Boitnott and Brandon Rhinehart were moving from Virginia to start a new life in San Diego, California. “We wanted to be in a place that’s warm and near the coast,” Brittany explains. That night, they gathered at her parents’ dairy farm in Franklin County for a final goodbye.
“We were in a field that’s really special to me that has a really pretty view of the mountains when Brandon proposed,” she says.
Two years later, they were back in Virginia at another bucolic setting, this time for their wedding at The Preserve at Crooked Run in Fincastle. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains just north of Roanoke, the secluded outdoor venue offered the same kind of wildflower fields and mountain views that she loved from her family farm. Combined with lodging and amenities, it provided the perfect setting for the couple’s dream wedding.
Brittany, with the help of her mother, aunt, and family friend, planned the ceremony and reception, which featured lots of bright florals, including a flower-bedecked arch framing their exchange of vows and flower walls in the reception space. The buffet-style dinner was followed by hours of dancing to music from DJ John Pence (a member of Roanoke-based Cinematheque band, in which Brandon had played saxophone before moving to California). Guests were also treated to short, tethered rides in a colorful hot air balloon, piloted by Brandon’s father. “People also just enjoyed watching it,” says Brittany. “It was all just so beautiful.”
We Said Yes To
The Transportation: Virginia Living editors loved this joy factor.
Our hearts are soaring along for this hot air balloon bobbing in the clouds. Piloted by Brandon’s father, it gave guests short tethered rides—but even from the ground, it was impossible not to feel the lift in the air and in their spirits. Brittany’s smile as the couple embarked on their own float said everything: a mix of delight and disbelief at how perfect the moment was. Romantic, whimsical, and a little daring, it captured the couple’s love in motion—and left us wishing we could come along.
The Details
Planner: Bride and aunt, Andrea Boitnott | Caterer: Center Stage Catering, Rocky Mount | Baker: Our Daily Bread, Blacksburg | Rentals: Adorn Collective | Photographer/Videographer: Jade Sutherland Photography | Dress: Ivory on Campbell, Roanoke | Florist: Adorn Collective | DJ: DJ John Pence
Paige & Jake
A love long written found its fairytale castle ending.
May 24, 2025 | Stoneleigh Estate, Stanleytown
A picture-perfect late spring day became the serene backdrop for the wedding of childhood sweethearts Paige Foster and Jake Salman. On the lush grounds of Stoneleigh Estate in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, the couple, who first met in seventh grade, tied the knot—a moment so many years in the making. The two grew up just a few miles away from the historic 1926 Tudor mansion that was once the home of Gov. Thomas Stanley. “We loved the way Stoneleigh looked,” recalls Paige. “It’s like a mini-castle.”
The couple and their wedding party all stayed at the estate for the weekend—bringing together family and friends, as well as the couple’s beloved dogs, Palmer, a Goldendoodle, and Dolly, an Aussiedoodle. “The night before the wedding, it was like a big slumber party,” Paige laughs.
Ninety guests gathered in the estate’s formal gardens for the early evening ceremony, where the couple’s best friend since middle school officiated the exchange of vows. “When we were dating, we asked him whose side he would be on if we got married, and he said he’d probably be in the middle, so it made sense that he be the one to marry us,” says Paige.
Stoneleigh’s event coordinator helped the couple fulfill their vision of a “backyard garden party” reception. White paper globes and lights strung among the trees that dotted the reception space lent a magical glow to the setting, which was dressed in blue and white hydrangea floral arrangements created by the bride’s sister, Ally. Paige herself embroidered the names of each wedding guest on napkins, which served as place cards for the candlelit seated dinner. Paige’s ceremony dress was a timeless strapless white ballgown from White Bridal Boutique in Raleigh, North Carolina, paired sentimentally with her aunt’s tulle wedding veil. She wore a pearl bracelet and earrings from her mother. “It was family-focused and a truly special day,” says Paige.
We Said Yes To
The Wedding Party: Why we love show-stealers with four legs.
We would be remiss not to spotlight our favorite members of the wedding party: bridesmaid Dolly and groomsman Palmer—yes, the couple’s remarkably stylish dogs. Dolly looked darling in her pearl collar, while Palmer brought pure class in a bow tie. Together, they stole the show in the most adorable way possible.
Beyond the pups, the blue-bedecked bridesmaids added a perfect, subtle touch of coordinated pastel color that brightened the moody estate venue, while the groomsmen looked effortlessly dapper. We also adore the cherubic flower girls in white dresses accented with blue bows and the ring bearers who showed up dutifully in their own right.
The dogs’ presence added a layer of warmth and humor that made the day feel even more personal, while every member of the wedding party—from humans to hounds—brought personality and charm. We’d happily attend any wedding where they led the procession—paws and all.
The Details
Caterer: Giannos of High Point | Cake: Friend of the bride | DJ: DJ Chase Morgan | Dress: White Bridal Boutique, Raleigh, North Carolina | Florist: Bride’s sister, Ally Foster | Officiant: Timothy French, friend of couple | Photographer: Anna Elisabeth Photography
Weddings 2027 submissions are open for Virginia couples married Aug. 1, 2025–Aug. 1, 2026—and this year, submitters can opt in for a chance to win a romantic getaway at the Inn at Warner Hall. Located on 38 lush acres on the banks of the Severn River in Gloucester County, this newly renovated inn blends history, luxury, and timeless charm. Visit VirginiaLiving.com/Weddings2027 for more.
This article originally appeared in the February 2026 issue.
