This Southern wedding is so dreamy! This color palette is so lovely, isn’t it? Floral design by Floral Images, stationery by {William Arthur & Crane Co.}, brides dress by {Reem Acra}, bridesmaid dresses by {Amsale}, and photography by {Patricia Lyons Photography}. Thank you so much, Patricia, for sharing this beautiful wedding with us today! More to come in part II…
How did the two of you meet: Brian and I met in Charlottesville on June 25, 2004 when we were introduced by a mutual friend. Brian had recently moved back to Virginia Beach from San Diego, and I had just graduated from the University of Virginia. I think we were both immediately drawn to each other’s sense of adventure and innate ability to laugh and have fun. Soon we were traveling back and forth between Charlottesville and Virginia Beach to visit each other almost every weekend. During this time, we spent a lot of time getting to know each other’s friends and family. Ronda had recently begun work as a Realtor in Charlottesville in the summer of 2005. Meanwhile Brian was running his own small construction and renovation company in Virginia Beach. Needless to say, we racked up many miles on our cars and many hours on our cell phones keeping in very close touch day in and day out. Together we cultivated our love of wine tasting, the University of Virginia Athletics and travel. After dating long-distance for two and a half years, Brian moved to Charlottesville in January of 2007. Although he was born by the beach, and is a dedicated surfer, Brian now feels at home in Central Virginia amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains. He joined me as a Realtor at Montague Miller and Company in September of 2007
Describe the proposal: Brian: During the last week of June 2007 I invited Ronda’s parents to lunch with the intention of asking for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Ronda was in Miami, Fl with friends, and I decided it was a great opportunity to speak with her parents alone. That hour and a half at lunch, as I think back about it, was the most nerve-wracking of times. The food on my plate remained uneaten, until finally I found the courage to suggest we talk about the future and plans for my relationship with Ronda. This was, of course, a rather timid presentation, as I was doing more asking than stating! But, phewww!, I made it through and to my delight, they agreed to support me in my decision and said that they would love to have me as their son. It’s quite peculiar to hear someone other than your parents refer to you as “their son”, but at the same time overwhelmingly joyous, as I do not know of a higher compliment.
Towards the end of the summer we decided to make a quick trip down to Virginia Beach, as our life in Charlottesville was about to busy itself with weddings, work and all the little things that crowd time. I did not want to wait until after the stretch of weddings to ask Ronda to marry me, and I realized that a walk on the beach in my hometown at sunset would provide the perfect scenario. So we walked, ring in my pocket, down the beach, with the sun setting beside us. The whole time my head spinning and only slowing down enough to appreciate the uniqueness of the moment. Atop a dune, I came to a knee and proposed. Ronda cried, my eyes moistened, and she said “yes”, which was followed by more happy tears. After a short while spent laughing and wiping faces, we continued down the beach, with the ring now on Ronda’s hand, to a restaurant where we ate, drank and called family and friends to let them know of the good news. Ronda: When August 2007 rolled around, Brian and I were gearing up for a busy end of the summer. We had been invited to three weekends of weddings at the end of the month, and then Virginia Football season was about to begin in September. Since we hadn’t had a chance to get away together for much of a vacation all summer, Brian suggested that we drive down to Virginia Beach for a night to relax and get a break from Charlottesville before we were booked with work, weddings and tailgates for the next month and a half. The weather was breezy and beautiful, and we decided to walk down to a new restaurant on the beach from Brian’s mother’s house at the oceanfront. We have always spent a lot of time on the beach when we were in town, so I didn’t think that a stroll on the sand was anything out of the ordinary. Then after walking for a bit, Brian took my hand and led me up into the dunes overlooking the waves and the setting sun. He suddenly grew quiet and seemed nervous. I sensed something was not normal, but before I could ask what was wrong he dropped to his knee and pulled a box out of his pocket. With tears in his eyes he asked me to be his wife. I said yes, of course, and then he presented me with his great-grandmother’s ring. After I regained my composure and my legs stopped trembling, we continued on the restaurant where we toasted each other over a bourbon cocktail. I immediately called my parents back home in Charlottesville to share in the excitement. They had known of Brian’s plan and were eagerly awaiting my call with the news! After a lovely dinner we returned to his mother’s house where she (who was also in on Brian’s plan!) greeted us with a bottle of fine champagne. The next morning at 9 A.M. on the dot I was on the phone with {Farmington} checking on available dates to reserve the Ballroom for our reception!
What attracted me to my husband was: His handsome good looks! The first moment I saw him I thought it was a crime that someone could look so good in a pair of ratty jeans! And then once we got to know one another, I was totally smitten with his kindness.
Why do you love your husband: He encourages me to try new things and branch-out from my usual habits, thoughts, and ideals. Plus we have a lot of fun. We are constantly joking around and laughing.
A date we went on we’ll always remember: We drove down to Cape Hatteras one weekend in August, a couple of months after we met for a mini-vacation. Brian had intended on us camping, so he had packed his whole truck with a tent, sleeping bags, and other gear. Once we got to the island, I convinced him that we would have a much nicer stay at a bed and breakfast than in a campground. We still laugh about it today.
Most memorable moment of the wedding: Looking down the aisle and seeing Brian waiting for me at the altar…it was the moment every girl dreams of!
More to come from Ronda + Brian!
Oh my gosh! Thanks so much girls! I’ve never won anything in my whole life! We’ll be making lots of fun videos with it! xoxo
#11 all the way!