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While Lara and I were completing layout on V5, we basically died every time we scrolled through Whitney + Clarke’s wedding. Not only are they a gorgeous couple, but their Charlottesville wedding is among one of the most elegant outdoor soirees we’ve seen. Though Whitney drew design inspiration from Degas’ ballerina paintings, the Pippin Hill setting gave their French-infused nuptials Southern roots. And although it was a destination for all the guests, Whitney + Clarke knew their wedding had to be in Charlottesville. It was, after all, where they met and fell in love.

We are so very grateful for Patricia Lyons who captured this day and shared it with us!

Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: My printed materials – from the letterpressed save the date to the stunning calligraphy and wax seals on the invitations to the Arturo blush paper we used for the welcome note! The custom suite set the tone for the rest of the design, and included really fun calligraphy details such as cocktail napkins with French phrases, the flip-flop “Check your ‘Choos” sign, dinner station signs, etc. The Napoleanic bee and garland motif was carried throughout the wedding and really branding the weekend as ours.

My Something Blue: My mom used antique lace she found in Italy on a recent trip, and had my monogram in blue sewn into a patch, that was then sewn into the back of my dress.
My Something New: On the day of the wedding, Clarke surprised me with a gift from our family jeweler – a pair of pale pink pearl and diamond earrings, which I wore that day, and matching pearl necklace. It was so special, and made me smile, since pearls have a particular significance to us.

My bouquet was composed of ivory patience garden roses, white peonies, white hydrangea, and Sahara roses tied with lace and satin ribbon. My grandmother’s handkerchief, edged in lace, was tucked inside. The bridemaids’ bouquets featured café au lait dahlias, antique green hydrangea, and Sahara roses tied with satin ribbon.

My literal inspiration was Degas’ ballerina paintings, the romantic quality, their balance of soft hues and saturated color. I wanted the wedding to reflect a similar elegance, grace, timelessness, and Parisian sophistication. Pippin Hill’s natural design has European countryside influences, and so it was a blend of Southern landscape and French Provincial aesthetic.

How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your big day? Friends of my parents hosted a lovely brunch at King Family Vineyards on the day of the wedding, which Clarke and all the guests attended. I slept in a bit and spent the day getting ready and sipping champagne with my sisters and friends.

My dress was everything I dreamed it would be – elegant and timeless, yet fashionable, unique, subtly dramatic and unforgettable. I simply loved it. It set the tone for the traditional and classic route we took. I had been scoping out dresses for years before we even got engaged and I always imagined myself as a fall or winter bride. I knew I did not want a strapless dress – I loved the look of long sleeves and a high neck, with skin showing on the back. After all, that is what everyone sees during the ceremony! After our summer engagement, I began scouring designer sites and fell in love with Monique Lhuillier’s couture “Catherine” gown from her spring/summer 2012 collection. I flew home and shopped with my mom and two sisters, and tried on tons of different styles, but knew I would not be satisfied until I could try that gown. A few weeks later, the sample came available and it was as I imagined: the layers of lace detailing are exquisite. We cut the sleeves to three-quarter length, since it was summertime, however wanted to keep the traditional dress lines with a bateau neckline and deep-V back. I felt like Grace Kelly in it!

What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? There are so many, it’s hard to decide on just one memorable moment – I wish I could go back and re-live the whole day over again, and again! Most vividly, I will never forget waiting in the tiny anteroom of the church with my Dad. Right before we walked down the aisle, he simply said, “Ready?” and smiled. Then the look on Clarke’s face once we processed, was amazing. I just thank my lucky stars that Patricia so beautifully captured those moments in photographs.

Tell me a bit about the wedding ceremony. We had a traditional Episcopalian ceremony. Music included an organist, a trumpeter and soloist. It was important to Clarke for one of our readings to be the Traditional Irish Blessing, as his mother’s family is Irish. After the readings, the soloist sang Amazing Grace a cappella, which is my favorite hymn.
Did you write your own vows? We used the traditional vows from the book of prayer. I think there is something romantic about using the same words that hundreds of thousands of people throughout history have said to one another on their wedding day. It made us feel connected to all those who came before us, and to our guests.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.  We met at the University of Virginia during my third, his fourth, year of college, and knew of each other through friends.  However, we officially met at a party in the basement of Clarke’s fraternity house – he donned a David Beckham costume and we ended up dancing all night.  Over Christmas break a few weeks later, we talked every day — and then every day for the next 6 years.
Describe the proposal: Clarke was working in D.C. for the summer, and I had planned to visit him that weekend.  On Friday, he called me and asked me to pick up an important package that had been delivered to his place, before I drove to D.C.  When I got to his room, nothing was there, so I called him to let him know I was getting on the road. I was still on the phone when he appeared around the corner.  I was in total shock and still confused as he led me to a garden near the Rotunda and proposed.  We spent the rest of the weekend at one of our favorite Charlottesville places, Keswick Hall.
Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring and how/why your husband (or the two of you!) chose it:  My engagement ring is a family heirloom – it was actually designed by Clarke’s father about 30 years ago, when his parents got engaged!  The ring features three oval diamonds in a classic setting, and we chose a round brilliant diamond eternity band to complement it.
Tell me all the basics of your wedding!  We were married on the evening of July 7, 2012 in Charlottesville, Virginia at St. Paul’s Memorial Church. Dinner and dancing immediately followed at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards.  As it was the backdrop to how we met, where we fell in love, what brought us back together after years of long distance dating, we naturally decided Charlottesville would be the best place to start our new life together.  We also wanted to share this special place with family and friends.  As a destination for everyone other than us, it was important that the celebration be about more than just that day – we wanted it to be a getaway for guests, and for them to have to chance to explore the city we know and love so much.  The weekend following July 4 seemed fitting for travelers.  We kicked off the celebration with a hosted party on Thursday night, and the party did not stop until Sunday.  As for the reception venue, I had a close personal connection to Pippin Hill: as the first employee, I had the privilege of being a part of its construction, development, growth and everything in between.  It was truly a labor of love, my home away from home, a house that I helped build, and we couldn’t have chosen a more meaningful place to bring our loved ones together, to start our new chapter, and say goodbye to Charlottesville.  It was an epic last hurrah!
What was the weather like on your big day? HOT!  Unfortunately, a heat wave hit Charlottesville that week and uncharacteristic temperatures ran over 100 degrees on our actual wedding day.  Luckily, our ceremony and reception sites had A/C and we brought in additional fans for the tent. Easton Events had the great idea of offering lavender-scented chilled cloths to guests later in the evening.  They were a huge hit as the dance floor literally heated up!
How many guests attended your wedding? 275
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony?  Instead of a traditional wedding band, we engraved a signet ring Clarke’s grandfather had given him, embossed with their family crest.  So he now wears that ring on his left hand, just like his father and grandfather.

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
20 Comments
  1. avatar Kate Collison reply

    I’m so glad bride Miss Whitney felt like Grace Kelly in her gorgeous dress! She certainly looked like Grace Kelly – stunning! Congratulations to the Mr and Mrs! :)

  2. avatar Emily reply

    What a gorgeous, classic bridal look! And then men aren’t too shabby, either — I LOVE their white dinner jackets!

  3. avatar Marissa reply

    Oh heavens! This might actually be my very favorite wedding from V5! ; ) THAT dress is out of control!

  4. avatar Dee Shore reply

    What a truly beautiful couple, having a beautiful wedding. Congratulation ya’ll!

  5. avatar Ashleigh reply

    Oh my! I just went pin-happy over this post! LOVE everything about it (especially that it’s in my homestate of VA!).

  6. avatar Kat reply

    I’m LOVING those paper goodies!! Completely obsessed with this classic day… of course, her timeless updo and Grace-Kelly-inspired dress don’t hurt either! A favorite from the pages of V5 – and like Ashleigh, I’m loving that it’s from Virginia too :)

  7. avatar Darby reply

    That dress is absolutely stunning! I seriously can’t get over those dinner jackets, nor the paper goods! Congrats!

  8. avatar Ashleigh from MarryMeMetro.com reply

    WOW! just wow! Her dress is out of control stunning and the groom’s expression as she came down the aisle melted my heart! Such a gorgeous wedding!

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  13. avatar Wedding Flowers Charlottesville reply

    I love the color of her bridesmaid dresses and the color of the bouquets – it goes so beautifully together. The photography is also stunning!

  14. avatar Whimsical Floral Design reply

    Gorgeous bridesmaid dresses and color combos. very soft and romantic.

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  18. avatar aurelija reply

    very fantastic pictures. where you bought those stunning heels? they look amazing :) i also want them :)

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Friends, if there is one thing you know about me, it’s that I love paper. Love it! One of the highlights of my professional career has been covering the National Stationery Show three times for y’all, and invitation samples are always placed on my desk in the office. So I’m sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that I was thinking about our wedding invitations from Day One!

Actually, I suppose you could say I was thinking about our wedding invitations from Day One minus three years, because 2009 is when I fell in love with this invitation, a collaboration between I Am Always Hungry, Birdie Birdie, and Battery.

My friend Emily Ley had warned me that this sort of invitation (particularly its light type on dark stock, which is nearly impossible to achieve with letterpress) would be very difficult to produce, so even though I dabble in graphic design, I knew that I would be enlisting professional help with this project.

But which one? Throughout my time at Southern Weddings I’ve had the great privilege of working with so many talented paper artisans (for lack of a better term!), but two immediately stuck out in my mind as being a perfect fit for my and John’s style. The first was Jess from Magpie Paper Works, who I worked with on the Williamsburg shoot from V4. Jess created the custom wine labels and coasters, and even though it was a fairly small project, her cheerfulness, passion, and classic-with-a-twist style shone through.

Let me tell y’all, I am SO happy I chose to work with Jess! She took my inspiration and delivered a final product that was more than I could have hoped for. Before I reveal our final invites, I thought it might be fun to see Jess’s first sketches and brainstorming board:

So fun, right? Once Jess had fleshed out our design, it was time to bring in the second artisan I mentioned above. Y’all, I cannot say enough good things about Moya Minns of MM Ink. She has worked on countless SW projects, from the very first photo shoot I ever contributed to, to the Williamsburg shoot, to our first Fearrington shoot, to one of our cover finalists from V3. Her work is classically beautiful, but always with a little surprise twist. I love it so, so much.

But enough chatter – let’s get to the real thing! Our invite, like my inspiration invite, was a trifold, and this is what guests saw when they pulled it out of the envelope:

Jess hand-drew the little heart and the vine/boxwood pattern. Amazing!

Open the next flap, and you’ll see this:

Oh my goodness, y’all, that boxwood wreath (with the little heart worked in!!) combined with Moya’s calligraphy monogram? Be still my heart.

Let’s take a closer look at that inner flap…

Why, it’s a verse from one of our ceremony reading possibilities!

At 9×18 inches when fully unfolded, our invitation certainly makes an impact. I can’t wait to frame this beauty and hang it in our home!

Here’s a closer look at Moya’s amazing handiwork. I told her I was particularly a fan of her “Lola” and “Burgues” styles, and she kindly combined elements from both just for me. It only took her one try to knock it out of the park!

Here’s the whole suite together:

Though it doesn’t hold a candle to Moya’s work, I was pretty pleased with how my envelope addressing turned out. It sure gave me a renewed appreciation for professional calligraphers, though!

So there you have it, friends! A look at our invites, which set the scene for our upcoming big day. I sure hope the actual celebration lives up to this teaser! :)

Next time: A peek at a few of the DIY projects I’ve been working on!

In case you missed a post…
The main characters | Where we’re getting married | I go dress shopping | We choose a photographer | I ponder bridesmaid style | Mini food! | The music | We’re renting a tent! | We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres | We send out our save the dates | I gather hair and makeup inspiration | We talk cake and sweets | I introduce you to our videographer | We create a registry | We buy a tuxedo | We style a reception | I choose accessories | We take engagement photos! | We plan our ceremony | We discuss ceremony music and readings | We firm up wedding day details

Moya Minns is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
8 Comments
  1. avatar Emily Alice reply

    I’m DYING over these, Emily! They’re sooo beautiful!

  2. avatar Moya Minns reply

    Emily, it was such a pleasure doing the calligraphy for you and John! I walked away from my desk several times after doing the lettering and every time I came back to it, I had the biggest smile on my face – I knew it was just right for you! xoxoxo

    • avatar Emily reply

      You’re amazing, Moya! The invite wasn’t complete until we dropped your lettering in!

  3. avatar Theresa reply

    Love the color combo of the light and dark!

  4. avatar Madelynne Moulton reply

    SO MUCH sass and personality! I absolutely love it and the calligraphy work is truly gorgeous. The pink envelope is such a great pop of color too! Very preppy and beautiful!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Haha Madelynne, no one’s told me they have sass yet, but I love it!!

  5. avatar Jess reply

    Oh Emily, it was such a delight collaborating together with you and John! (I’m still happy-dancing!) Your ideas really made the design sing — and your guests are in for such a stylish, delightful and most of all, meaningful celebration. Thank you for opening your heart & sharing your love story with me. Blessed & honored! xoxo

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Our next burlap finalist is a small detail, but one that would so delight guests, I think. Reader Lauren (who got married on Saturday!!) worked with Dodeline Design to create a classic, elegant invitation suite that included a burlap belly band and wax seal. I love the texture the burlap adds to the otherwise crisp design! Paige Tanenbaum contributed the beautiful calligraphy, and Seastar Arts, the photos.

Thank you so much, ladies! Readers, if you love this idea, be sure to let us know in the comments! And remember, you’re welcome to give a vote of support to more than one concept.

Dodeline Design is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
6 Comments
  1. avatar Madelynne Miller reply

    Definitely my favorite – I LOVE the contrast between the bold blue and the rustic burlap. STUNNING! Good mix of classic elegance and rustic chic!

  2. avatar Floral Cotton reply

    Burlap? What goes better with that than Cotton??? We actually use a burlap sheet as the base for our expo booth! WOOOOO! Awesome contest.

  3. avatar Erin Davenport reply

    Gorgeous! Love love love it, both the pretty paper and lovely photography by Sea Star Arts :)

  4. avatar Richard Ellis Photography reply

    Looks beautiful! Love the burlap detail and the crisp cobalt blue!

  5. avatar Peyton Porter reply

    That is SO cute! LOVE, LOVE it!

  6. avatar Floral Cotton reply

    Love it! Soooo cute!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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