Southern Weddings

Even though it has been over ten years since I lived there, I still can’t shake my love affair with Virginia, and more specifically, with Virginia weddings. Jenny and Jeremiah’s big day was equal parts elegant, rustic, classic, and romantic, and it’s the perfect example of why Old Dominion has a piece of my heart. As if the crisp blue and white color palette and seamlessly incorporated herb details weren’t enough reason to love this wedding, Jeremiah is an accomplished chef in Charleston, so naturally, he and Jenny spoiled their loved ones with the best of Charlottesville and Charleston’s cuisine, made by none other than their chef friends! Is there anything better than when a community comes together to make a wedding extra special?

Thank you so much to Sera Petras for sharing this gorgeous wedding with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! I had the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia and Kenya for a month and half over the summer, and when I returned, Jeremiah planned a trip for us before I had to go back to UVA. My family has been vacationing in Truro, Cape Cod since I was born, and Jeremiah has joined our family the last couple of years. It has become such a special place for both of us. Jeremiah proposed on the beach at sunset on the first night of our trip. His proposal was sweet and intimate and perfect!

Describe your wedding flowers. My vision for the flowers was to have a neutral palette that complimented the beauty of Rodes Farm and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. We went with a natural feel, utilizing lots of greenery and herbs to accompany the different varieties of white flowers. We were also able to incorporate herbs from our friends at Harvest Thyme Herb Farm throughout the wedding.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? I left this one up to Jeremiah. He decided to go the traditional route and see me for the first time in my dress when I was walking down the aisle.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. A friend, who is a beautiful singer, accompanied our piano player as I walked down the aisle. I let her choose the song and she could not have picked a more perfect one. It was called “Somebody Loved” by The Weepies. The combination of the song and her amazing voice had everyone, including Jeremiah, in tears.

Rodes Farm provided the most gorgeous backdrop for a weekend full of amazing memories. We chose this venue because of its beauty, the flexibility to hold all of our events in one place, and the ability to have all of our guests stay on or around the property. From the magnolia trees shading the porch of the brick farmhouse where we got married, to the historic barn where we ate and danced, the farm was the best detail.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Jeremiah and I wanted to include the traditions of both his current home of Charleston and our childhood home of Charlottesville in our wedding weekend. We accomplished this by throwing a Lowcountry boil and pig roast for our rehearsal dinner, and a Virginia-themed dinner for our reception. Most of our guests had never experienced a traditional Lowcountry boil, so we went all out to make it authentic, covering the tables in kraft paper and including whole blue crabs in the boil. For the reception, we assembled our favorite Virginia products that showcased the region, including country ham, local cider, apples, and cheeses.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Hire a wedding planner! We were lucky to have the awesome Amanda Gray of Ashley Baber Weddings coordinating for us. We could not have done it without her!

How pretty are these herb decorations? They’re a perfect detail for a chef’s wedding!

Jeremiah created the menu and had friends cater the wedding. He has so many chef friends, so it was natural for us to involve all of these wonderful chefs from Charlottesville and his fellow chefs from McCrady’s in Charleston.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Jeremiah and I are both from Charlottesville, but we didn’t meet until after I returned home from college. I was home working for a few months in between graduating and moving to Colorado, and we met at the restaurant where Jeremiah was a chef. After we started dating, we continued our relationship long distance. Jeremiah would fly back and forth to visit me once a month. After a year of long distance, Jeremiah moved out to Colorado to be with me!
When did y’all get married? October 5, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 80
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. After not finding exactly what I wanted at the stores in our area, I turned to the internet. I had a vision of what I wanted and couldn’t believe when I found my dress online. The day it arrived and I tried it on, I just knew that it was the dress for me!
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Food was a huge theme of the wedding, since Jeremiah is a chef. I had to pick out our cake by myself and was so nervous that he would not approve! Lisa at Hot Cakes was amazing and knew exactly what we wanted. Her first idea fit with our Virginia theme so well, I said yes right away: spice cake with fresh apple caramel filling and cream cheese icing. It was as delicious as it sounds!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I had lots of new, a handkerchief for my old and borrowed, and a blue bow inside of my dress that my sweet seamstress surprised me with.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? By far, the biggest challenge was planning the wedding long distance, with Jeremiah living in Charleston. Between the distance and his travel schedule, he did not even get to see the venue until three months before the wedding. Thankfully, I had a wonderful support system in Charlottesville, including my family and bridesmaids, Charlie and Amy, to help me make our wedding amazing.
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Everyone says it and it is really true, but the wedding goes by so fast! I am truly thankful to have the beautiful images that our photographer, Sera Petras, captured to help relive all of the wonderful details and memories.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle and seeing my friends and family all assembled, and Jeremiah standing on the porch with the biggest smile on his face. I will never forget that moment–it was absolutely perfect!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Jeremiah and I are most excited to be ending our long distance relationship and starting our marriage together in Washington, DC. I will be working at Children’s as a neonatal nurse and Jeremiah will be opening his own restaurant.

Photographer: Sera Petras Photography / Planner: Amanda Gray of Ashley Baber Weddings / Venue: Rodes Farm / Florist: Hedge Fine Blooms / Wedding Cake: Hotcakes / DJ: Ron Price of Memory Bank DJ / Bride’s Gown: “Style 587” by Anne Barge / Paper Products: Tonya Brock of Winding Wheel Press / Hair Stylist: Claibourne of The Honeycomb / Makeup Artist: Anna of The Honeycomb / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Herbs: Harvest Thyme Herb Farm

Written with love by Lisa