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Reading through Bonnie and Quentin’s interview, I kept thinking, “It was meant to be!” So many pieces of their love story and their sweet Virginia wedding came together in such a way that neither of them could have planned better–the fact that they met in the bar Bonnie’s dad had helped build years before, or that Bonnie’s dress is called “Dahlia” and she carried a gorgeous bouquet of the same bloom, for example. That’s not to say that everything was perfect along the way–no wedding ever is–but with such a firm foundation in place, Bonnie and Quentin were able to make the best of every moment (including an unexpected tornado warning in the middle of their reception!).

Thanks so much to Katie Nesbitt for sharing this lovely day with us!

Finding and working with Carly Reed Designs on the invitations and other paper elements was my favorite part of planning the wedding. After a few months of searching many invitation websites and stores, I was at a loss on what I wanted. There were certainly invitations I liked, but nothing that really felt like us. When I found Carly and saw that she also lived in Richmond, I knew I had to work with her! Going through the custom invitation design process was so much fun! Carly was extremely patient with me while we went through the process and allowed me to be as nit-picky as I wanted to be. I heard from many guests that they often have a “meh” attitude when they receive invitations, but they loved ours!

Describe your wedding flowers. Our wedding flowers were somewhat of a surprise– intentionally! Our florist is a farmer florist, so they couldn’t guarantee that they’d be able to produce or sustainably procure specific flowers. I had requested peonies or dahlias, and we were lucky to get gorgeous, large dahlias. I was so pleased with how all the flowers turned out. The selection and the colors fit our wedding perfectly.

Our families had collectively visited 32 venues all across Virginia before we found Riverside on the Potomac! We were still living in New York City when we first got engaged, so we were reliant on reports from our parents. When my parents found Riverside on the Potomac and sent me the pictures, we knew it was perfect.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We opted to do a first look and we are so glad we did. This allowed us time to do formal pictures with our wedding party and each other that otherwise would have been stolen from the cocktail hour (or not taken at all!). The best part about doing a first look was that it totally calmed both of our nerves. I think this may have made the ceremony even more special, since rather than me being an emotional basket case, we were able to be calm and focus on soaking in the words we were saying and the moments.

Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! The week before the wedding, I lost the earrings I was planning to wear. Luckily, one of my bridesmaids owned the same pair, so I just borrowed hers! My underwear was blue. I wore my mother’s veil as my something old, which was so special I really loved the way it made my otherwise-simple attire much more formal and bridal for the ceremony. Initially, I didn’t think I was going to use it since it had yellowed over the years, but after a little TLC with OxyClean and bleach, it ended up looking much better than expected. My shoes and dress were new.

On the day of the wedding, there was a potential for thunderstorms leading up to the ceremony time. The weather held out for the first look, pictures, ceremony, and cocktail hour, but right as we were lining up for the introduction at the reception, it began to pour. Since everything was inside from there on out, we thought we were in the clear! A few minutes after we sat down to eat, we began to hear the lovely noise phones make when there is a weather alert in the area. There were hushed whispers of a tornado warning, but no one was quite sure what to do. This is northern Virginia–we don’t typically get tornadoes! After a few minutes, I noticed my dad fumbling trying to turn the music off to make an announcement. I got up to help and ended up making the announcement that we needed to evacuate to the basement! How many brides have had to do that? Everyone made their way downstairs, drinks in hand. Luckily the “basement” was really renovated horse stalls with nice chairs and tables set up (we had even had our rehearsal dinner in the space!). The guests thought it was so fun and exciting (particularly since we were safely in a basement). It ended up being perfect for mingling with everyone, and we got some great pictures. While we would have preferred if this hadn’t happened, we think we made the best of it. All our guests said this would be a wedding they would never forget!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We both attended Virginia Tech and met during our last year in Blacksburg, even though we lived next door to each other for a year prior to meeting. We met one night in September at the famous TOTS (Top of the Stairs) bar in Blacksburg. My dad helped build the bar while working there back in the ’70s. Mutual friends began talking that night, and we locked eyes. The next July, Quentin followed me to New York City.
Tell us all about the proposal! We both love New Orleans, and Quentin considers it a far more romantic place than New York. We were there during Jazz Fest, and on our last day, we took a long walk to brunch. Quentin took us on a scenic detour to a nearby park that he had previously scouted. He asked me to sit on one of those amazing, swooping, curvy New Orleans oak trees so he could take my picture, and then instead of whipping out a camera from his backpack, he went for the ring. He grabbed the wrong hand, because even after dating someone for five and a half years, that moment can make your knees weak! Of course, I said, “Yes!”
When did y’all get married? June 20, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 158
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Finding my dress was an intensive process. After the ninth store, I knew I needed to find someone who carried the Blush by Hayley Paige dress I had been eyeing online for months. I was lucky enough to get in touch with the lovely ladies at Pure English Bridal, and while they didn’t carry the exact dress, they were more than willing to have the sample shipped to their store. After some failed attempts with other stores to get the dress, I knew they were truly going above and beyond. As soon as I saw the dress, I knew I was going to get it. I hadn’t tried on anything similar anywhere else, and I loved the simple design with the light Swiss dot fabric. It proved to be the perfect dress for a hot and humid June day in Virginia.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Unfortunately, neither of us even saw the wedding cake or dessert table at the wedding! With the tornado warning and evacuation, there was just too much going on. We ended up cutting the cake the next evening at my parents’ house before we departed for the honeymoon.

Photographer: Katie Nesbitt Photography / Planner: Just a Little Ditty / Venue: Riverside on the Potomac / Florist: LynnVale Studios / Caterer and Cake: Main Event Caterers / Band: Adrian Duke Project / Paper Products: Carly Reed Designs / Bride’s Gown: “Dahlia” by Blush by Hayley Paige / Bride’s Shoes and Earrings: J.Crew / Hair and Makeup: Creative Images / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Elsa” in Leaver’s Lace by J.Crew / Menswear: Jos. A. Bank / Invitation Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Katie / Escort Cards and Signage: Letterally Crafts

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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I fell for BDK the very first day we met–I simply knew he was the man I was going to marry, so I believe Rachel wholeheartedly when she says she knew right away that Shaman was the one for her. I’m sure the guests at their beautiful Keswick Hall wedding could tell as well! You can see just how in love these two are as you scroll through each photo. I can also see why Rachel knew her dress was the one for her the very first second she saw it–that beadwork, y’all! Talk about a beauty!

Thank you kindly to Paige Jones for sharing this romantic wedding day with us!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. While Shaman and I had been classmates at Roanoke College for three years, we had never spoken to one another until we were home for the summer in Charlottesville, Virginia, just before our senior year. I was interning for UVA Children’s Hospital in the fundraising office, and we were hosting an event at the golf course where Shaman happened to be working for the summer. I spotted him cruising across one of the putting greens and was so delighted to see a fellow classmate! I yelled Shaman’s name and he came over on his cart–we chatted a bit, exchanged phone numbers, and I knew right away he was the one for me. About a week later, while attending the Annual Pink Polo Match at King Family Vineyard, my car battery “unfortunately” died. Shaman was there as well, and I convinced him that he was the only person there that could help me. We remained in constant contact for the rest of the summer, spending every day together, usually eating ice cream and shooting hoops. By the start of school, we were inseparable and totally in love!

My dress was the very first dress I spotted as I walked into the bridal salon and, like my now-husband, I knew it was the one for me the very second I saw it. Five days after we got engaged, I went with my mom and sister to “just try on styles” to get a better idea of what I was looking for. My sister and I walked into the shop together, saw the dress at the same moment, and ran to pull it off the rack. While I tried on a number of other dresses, nothing else compared!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes! My favorite phrase was “I promise to hug you when you leave in the morning, kiss you when you return in the evening, and be thankful for each day I wake up beside you.”

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? When we were presented for the first time as Shaman and Rachel Douglass!! Yay!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We chose our venue for the cozy winter setting–it has historic architecture and beautiful, oversized fireplaces. Food was very important to us, and Keswick is an expert in that area. The level of service is impeccable as well!

We chose to have my mother’s cold oven pound cake recipe (a Southern favorite) with lemon buttercream icing made into eight cakes, which we placed on some of the dinner tables to serve double duty as decor. It is our very favorite cake and we couldn’t imagine NOT having it on our big day. We also chose to have a hot doughnut bar after dinner with every kind of topping you could imagine (chocolate, sprinkles, powdered sugar, and even bacon!), which was a fan favorite with the guests.

What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? It will all fall into place! Remember to take the time to feel loved by those who are helping you celebrate–they are so happy for you, and it is important to recognize how special it is to be surrounded by so many great people.

Don’t miss Rachel and Shaman’s highlights film by Ian’s Creations!

Tell us all about the proposal! I nearly screwed up the proposal! Since I now work at a school, I was home on spring break, and Shaman so thoughtfully took off for the week to spend it with me. On Wednesday, we were both relaxing, and Shaman kept asking if I wanted to go for a hike. I scolded him saying, “No, it’s raining! And, I’m working on emails, AND we need to clean up the house because Lindsey (my best friend) is coming into town tomorrow.” He then had my mother call and ask what we were up to–she too suggested we get out of the house and go for a hike. I thought the two of them were CRAZY! We did not go for the hike, but later in the day, we had an appointment to do our pre-qualification for a home loan. As we were trying to get out the door, Shaman asked if I thought it mattered to the mortgage company that we weren’t engaged yet–I thought he had really lost it, as we had discussed it before and I didn’t understand why he was bringing it up again. I remember looking through my bag, thinking “Whatever, he’s such a guy,” and making a note to pack a snack, when I heard shuffling behind me. When I turned around, he was down on his knee with the ring box open that he had picked out all on his own. I was totally shocked and overjoyed! He explained that this was not how he planned it, but that he couldn’t get me to leave the house! It was perfectly us anyway!
When did y’all get married? February 28, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! As both of my grandmothers have departed, I had one of my grandmother’s sapphire rings and a hanky from the other side of the family that all the women have carried with them on their walks down the aisle as my borrowed, blue, and old! My something new was the beautiful ruby necklace Shaman gave me as a wedding present. Ruby is my birthstone and one of my favorite jewels!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? What was most Southern about our wedding was the warmth in the room from all of our loved ones! We served fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese as one of our canapés, and our very historical estate venue had some Southern flair. Also, my niece’s dress was made from my mom’s wedding gown by my aunt!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We did pre-marital counseling sessions with our pastor and discussed challenging topics, such as money, family dynamics, and career paths. We would encourage everyone to do it and have those open conversations!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Living life and helping our friends celebrate their life events! We were the first to get married and we can’t wait to share in everyone’s adventures.

Photographer: Paige Jones Photography / Videographer: Ian’s Creations / Day-Of Coordinator: Just a Little Ditty / Venue and Catering: Keswick Hall / Florist: Hedge Fine Blooms / Dessert Baker: Country Confections / Draping: Blue Ridge A/V and Lighting / DJ: Andrew Hypes / Paper Products: Minted / Bride’s Gown: “Style 9100” in Blush by Allure / Bridal Salon and Veil: Bridal Impressions / Bride’s Earrings and Bridesmaid Rings: Suz Somersall/ Hair Stylist: Claibourne Reppert / Makeup Artist: Stephanie Parker / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Calvin Klein and Adrianna Papell / Groom’s Attire: Simon Spurr and Belgian Shoes

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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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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