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One of my favorite interview questions to read is what the couple’s most memorable moment is from their wedding day. Sometimes, the unexpected moments turn out to be the very best ones, but Adrienne and Scott’s is one for the record books! With the gracious help of the Tuckahoe Plantation staff, what could have been a very unfortunate situation (a tornado warning and a storm headed right toward their venue!) was replaced by a favorite memory (a few drinks indoors and a mini history lesson on Tuckahoe) that Adrienne, Scott, and their guests are still talking about! Though not ideal, Adrienne and Scott dealt with this challenge head on, hand in hand. I’m sure it’s not the first marriage lesson they were expecting, but I’d bet it’s one that will always stay with them.

Big hugs to Stephanie Yonce for capturing this lovely day!

Scott and I went to Houston to visit my parents, as well as so I could look for a dress with my mom, stepmom, and sister. We ended up dress shopping on my birthday, which was the best birthday present I could have asked for! My dress was the fourth one I tried on. I wasn’t 100 percent sold at first, but my mind kept going back to that particular dress when we looked at other ones. We ended up leaving the store and going to another. I think it took looking at some other options to realize that that one was it. We went back to the original store with my dad so he could see it–that’s when the tears came and we were sold!

My mom had a few requests when it came to the music. She requested she walk down the aisle to “I Will” by the Beatles, because that was the song she sang to me as a baby. She also requested I walk in to “Canon in D.” Obviously, we were happy to accommodate her requests. Scott and I walked back up the aisle to “You Make My Dreams” by Hall and Oates. We wanted to choose something fun and upbeat to really set the tone for the rest of the night.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did write our own vows. I don’t know if we had a favorite line–our vows were short and sweet and reflected our relationship perfectly.

Scott and I love being outside and knew that we wanted to have everything outside (yes, we knew the risk of weather, and boy, were we the classic example of why you should ALWAYS have a backup plan!). I had seen Tuckahoe Plantation online a few times and instantly fell in love. We toured a few places just to make sure we were covering all of our bases, but I think we both loved Tuckahoe from the start. We ended up choosing a “Texas meets Virginia” theme for the wedding, and knowing that Tuckahoe Plantation is the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson really sealed the deal.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Besides the flowers, our favorite detail might have been our stadium cups that I designed. One had our monogram on it surrounded by a wreath and the other had a drawing of Tuckahoe Plantation with our date at the bottom. Not only were they practical (no broken glass on the dance floor!), we also love going to friends’ houses and seeing the cups in their cupboards.

My mom is a florist in Houston and I had no doubt in my mind that she would do an amazing job. We talked a bunch about what we were thinking in terms of colors, style, particular flowers, and ideas. I got to the point when I was becoming so overwhelmed with details for the wedding, I finally threw my hands up and told her that I trusted her creativity and she could do whatever she wanted. She absolutely blew us away–everything was organic, colorful, out of the box, and complimented the venue perfectly. She even went to the lengths of sending us curly willow sticks in March, which we had to leave in water in our backyard while they sprouted leaves. I am pretty sure our new neighbors thought we were crazy! It was well worth the mosquito infestation to see that she used them to make the tent poles into floral trees. I wanted all of the other decor to take a backseat so the flowers could shine.

Our first dance song was “I Get Carried Away” by George Strait– as a Texas girl, one of his songs was an obvious choice. My father/daughter dance song was “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” by The Tams. I actually ended up splitting my father/daughter dance with my dad and my 90-year-old grandfather–he absolutely stole the show and it was a moment I will always cherish.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met in college my freshman year at High Point University in our “Jesus and the Gospels” class. Scott sat behind me and spent an entire semester throwing little balled up pieces of paper with his phone number on it into my bag. We didn’t start dating until four years later after Scott had graduated.
Tell us all about the proposal! We were down in Florida visiting my grandparents when Scott asked if I wanted to go for a walk on the beach. Scott hates any kind of PDA, so when I went to hold his hand, I asked him if it was too cheesy for him…that’s when he got down on one knee! I was completely surprised–I had no idea it was coming. When we got back to my grandparents’ house, we first told my grandmother, who was extremely excited for us. We then went inside and told my grandfather. He didn’t really have a reaction, which I found odd. My grandmother asked us if we had thought of any plans yet and my grandfather then said “What are you planning?” I told him again, a little louder, that Scott had proposed. His reaction was much more excited after he actually heard what I had said! I was especially glad Scott decided to propose while we were in Florida and that my grandmother was able to be a part of our story, because unfortunately, she passed away a month before our wedding.
When did y’all get married? June 20, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 110
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had two small, simple wedding cakes with flowers on top. We also had the world’s best pecan pies from Goode Company BBQ in Houston. Ever since I brought one back to Richmond after visiting Houston, Scott’s dad has told me I am never allowed back in the state unless I have one of their pies in hand!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I did! My something borrowed was a pair of my grandmother’s earrings, which she helped me pick out on a visit to Florida. My something blue was my wedding band, which has sapphires (both of our birthstones) in it. My something old was both of my grandmothers’ wedding rings tied to my bouquet, my mother’s veil with lace from two of my great-grandmother’s wedding dresses, and a Texas Navy button my paternal grandfather gave my maternal grandfather when my parents were married. My something new was my dress and my gold Sperry Topsiders (I had to wear Sperrys on my last day of being a Sperry!).
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment of our day came right after all of our first dances. I was talking to one of our friends when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, the owner of Tuckahoe Plantation on the front lawn talking to Sarah. I immediately went over to Sarah, and in the calmest voice, she told me, “So, we are going to have to take a little break–we have a tornado warning for the area and the storm is coming right for us. Family, the bridal party, and out-of-town guests are going to head into the main house for a little history lesson on the plantation, and everyone else is going to head to the Old Stable.” Sarah is queen of always telling her brides that guests are going to react to situations however the bride and groom react to them. I told Scott, and we grabbed a drink and headed indoors. A situation that could have ruined the entire wedding ended up being our favorite memory of the whole day. Everyone hung out inside for about 20-30 minutes, learned some more about Tuckahoe, and then went right back outside to enjoy the rest of the party. Even after talking to our friends weeks later, they all agree that it made for one memorable evening and they could not have had more fun. We truly cannot thank the family at Tuckahoe Plantation enough for their generosity, allowing all of our closest family and friends inside their home. They really went above and beyond to make sure that everyone was safe, and we are so appreciative of that. Their staff even went to the length of chopping up a tree that had fallen over the driveway in a matter of minutes to make sure that everyone was able to get home safely.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are enjoying making our new house a home with our dog, Miller!

Photographer: Stephanie Yonce / Planner: Sarah Taylor / Venue: Tuckahoe Plantation / Florist: Houston Flower Girls / Cake Baker: Gourmand Bakery / Caterer: A Sharper Palate / Rentals and Lighting: Commonwealth Event Company / DJ: Darrell Johnson / Band: Slack Family Band / Special Details: Paisley and Jade / Bride’s Gown: Allure / Hair Stylist: Noelle Eastwood of Avenue 42 / Makeup Artist: Megan Barden of Avenue 42 / Bride’s Shoes: Sperry / Menswear: Jos. A. Bank / Ties: Collared Greens Ties

Paisley & Jade is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Stephanie Yonce reply

    Thank you for sharing!! Love this couple to the stars. Their wedding was quite the adventure and can you imagine having a mother so talented!?

  2. avatar Paisley and Jade reply

    Thanks so much for including P&J in this beautiful Southern Weddings feature! Tuckahoe Plantation is one of our favorite venues and Stephanie Yonce captured some stunning images from this day. We were thrilled to play a part in this wonderful wedding!

  3. avatar Friday Fresh Squeeze #214 – Floridian Social reply

    […] Kudos to the bride and groom, their guests and the team at Tuckahoe Plantation for keeping this colorful celebration going after the […]

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One of the best things about planning a wedding in the South is that we have a few extra months in the year that allow for an outdoor celebration. Katie and Zach took advantage of this opportunity to bring their vision of an outdoor ceremony and a reception under the stars to life at their Tuckahoe Plantation wedding. To ensure that the weather held out, they buried a bottle of bourbon a month before the big day–with temperatures of 72 degrees and plenty of sunshine on their mid-October wedding day, I think it’s safe to say that upholding this fun Southern tradition worked!

Thank you so much to Sarah Der for sharing Katie and Zach’s special day with us!

We used every bold autumnal color possible in the bouquets and the swag for the arbor. The mothers and grandmothers carried smaller bouquets instead of corsages, and the boutonnieres for the men were made of succulents, billy balls and berries. The three bridesmaids wore different colors that all tied into the florals. It was mismatched, but still went together in our multi-colored palette.

Just for fun, I went to Bella Rosa in Richmond with my mom and aunt a few days after Zach proposed. The appointment was hopefully going to give me a good idea of styles I liked and others I didn’t like. Well, upon walking in, I saw a dress hanging up and said, “That may be my dress.” It was the first one I tried on, and it encompassed everything I had imagined for the wedding–it was romantic, vintage-looking, and classic, and the beading was so unique. I had never seen anything quite like it. I tried seven more dresses on, just for the sake of comparison, and ended up buying the Wtoo “Emerson” dress at the end of the appointment. It truly was love at first sight! The dress was the first piece of the puzzle in creating my perfect vision for the big day.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We buried a bottle of bourbon behind the arbor at Tuckahoe one month to the day before our wedding. We had a 72 degree and sunny day, so we are firm believers that this Southern tradition works!! I changed into boots for the reception, and the landscape of Tuckahoe truly set the Southern stage for the whole day.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did! Honestly, a large part of it was due to timing and the lighting in the fall. We knew that with a 3:00 ceremony, light was going to be running out after the cocktail hour. We also wanted to enjoy as much of the cocktail hour and reception as possible, so we wanted to get photos done first. Looking back, the first look was so special because it gave us an intimate time before standing in front of all of those people at the ceremony.

We wrote our own vows, and kept them secret until that day. We didn’t know what the other had written, and hearing them for the first time in front of all of our friends and family made the ceremony incredibly sacred to us. Zach’s favorite line from mine was, “I will always remember our love as it was on this day.” My favorite from Zach’s was “I vow to be yours entirely and forever, with no reservation or exceptions, today and every day, for the rest of our lives.”

Zach and I wanted to have an outdoor wedding in the fall–that was our highest priority. Next, we decided we wanted to have an open-air reception without a big tent. I found Tuckahoe Plantation by looking through other Richmond brides’ wedding photos online. My mom and I went to see it in January, and even in the cold, it was truly breathtaking–barren trees and all!

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance was to “After the Storm” by Mumford & Sons. We are huge fans of Mumford, and this song brought tears to our eyes the first time we heard it on their album when we lived in North Carolina. That was such a wonderful period of our relationship and our lives; it brings back memories from the beginning of “us.”

The open-air reception under the stars and our long farm tables, so that everyone was seated in long rows, were two details that helped make our wedding so special. The weather could not have been nicer for October, and the open-air reception made it feel a lot more intimate than a tent. Our dinner was served family-style, so guests were passing bowls and plates of food, which felt so communal.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Despite growing up 50 miles apart and attending the University of Richmond together for three years, it wasn’t until our final year of undergrad that our paths finally crossed at the infamous Senior Toga Social. On that fateful September evening, I approached Zach because, to be very frank, he looked pretty darn handsome dressed in a white bed sheet. I had noticed him earlier that week in our mutual Acting 101 class, and a little liquid courage helped to start a conversation that sparked our relationship. As we enjoyed a magical senior year together, growing in love and trying to figure out the future beyond our diplomas, we were pretty unsure about where we would end up. After applying to companies and programs across the country, with a little bit of good fortune, we both landed jobs in North Carolina, and our story continued.
Tell us all about the proposal! Our landlord had helped create the guise that we needed to sign the lease for our house in the Fan. After lunch with Zach’s brothers, we found a parking spot in Carytown, and Matt and Dave quickly disappeared. Zach shakily took my hand and pulled me to the front doors of The Byrd Theater to “check out showtimes,” and at that point, I realized what was happening. Zach had had a few friends help him edit a video telling “the story of us,” set to The Old 97’s “Question.” It ended with a final super that read: “I’ve got a question for you…” After watching the movie in the place where we had gone on many dates before, I turned to him, and he was down on one knee asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. Cue me sobbing without a Kleenex in sight, and the balcony erupted with hoops and hollers from our families.
When did y’all get married? October 18, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our family friend made three different autumnal flavors of cupcakes: bourbon maple bacon, s’mores with marshmallow filling, and apple spice cake.
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? I made origami flowers for the centerpieces, so we saved a lot on flowers. A family friend made all of the cupcakes as her wedding gift to us, so that was a large savings as well. Across the board, we looked for the most affordable rental options, without sacrificing quality. We continually asked ourselves “Is this going to change the look and feel of our wedding?” and, “Is this worth the additional money?”
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our live band was amazing, and I would not have traded that detail for the world. Zach knew Big Boss Man through his fraternity at University of Richmond, and they played their hearts out for us! Regarding vendors, I could not have been as stress-free without the help of our day-of coordinator, Amy. I was hesitant to spend money on a coordinator at first, but having her there directing all the vendors and timing was a tremendous help! I could not have been my own coordinator and still fully enjoyed every moment of the day.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment was walking up to our reception as the sun was starting to set. Seeing everyone seated, enjoying the music and conversation, laughing and dancing, was simply overwhelming. I remember Zach and I looking at each other with the biggest smiles on our faces. We were husband and wife, and we were about to have an incredible party with the people we love most.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are so excited for our time together before starting our family. We want to see as much of the world as possible–we have already planned a few trips for 2015 and can’t wait to travel and make those memories together and with our families.

Photographer: Sarah Der Photography / Second shooter: Whitney Neal / Videographer: Two Cents Photography / Planner: Amy Lewis of McBride Events / Venue: Tuckahoe Plantation / Florist: Boulevard Flower Gardens / Dessert Baker: Peg Langdon / Caterer: Brock’s BBQ / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Lighting: Blue Steel Lighting / Band: Big Boss Man / Bride’s Gown: “Emerson” by Wtoo / Hair and Makeup: Annie Radigan / Bridesmaids’ Dresses and Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / String Quartet: Silverleaf String Quartet

lisa Written with love by Lisa
1 Comment
  1. avatar Sarah Der! reply

    Thanks for such a beautiful feature, SW!!!

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Hi, friends! The V5 engine is humming steadily in our office! We’ve completed seven (7!!) photo shoots so far, and we have three more coming up before the end of August. The completed images have started rolling back in from photographers, too – I always know when one arrives in the daily mail haul because of the excited squeals!

I wanted to give you a little sneak peek at a shoot we produced a few weeks ago at the beautiful Tuckahoe Plantation in Richmond, Virginia. It was an extremely HOT day – about 95 degrees and sunny – as evidenced by the sleepy dogs and cats we found all over the property.

Our cast of characters for this shoot included a professional model, Chelsea, as well as three Southern Weddings readers! One of them — Marissa — has actually modeled for us once before, in last year’s polo shoot. (Yes, she got to wear the famous skirts!) She’s a total pro by now!

We were also reunited with part of our fabulous team from last year’s Williamsburg shoot, Courtney from Merriment Events and Katie Stoops! We’re very fancy, with our dish towel shade screen and all :) Also, aren’t the gardens at Tuckahoe just gorgeous?

Fun fact: Courtney headed out to a nearby farm the day before the shoot to gather extra hydrangea when our floral order didn’t arrive as planned. The blooms were so beautiful, and we loved that they came from a local farmer!

P.S. Want more V5 sneak peek goodness?
Shoot preview with Jen Huang + Poppies & Posies

P.P.S. Want to reserve your ad spot in Southern Weddings V5? Just shoot Marissa an email! In fact, we’re running a special right now in honor of National Pecan Pie Day! :)

emily Written with love by Emily
4 Comments
  1. avatar jaime reply

    http://pinterest.com/pin/162270392794385762/

    i found this dress on pinterest it leads back to your page. do you know the designer of the dress?

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Jaime! Yes, that dress is Monique Lhuillier, and I believe the style name is “Devotion.” Hope that helps! You can see the full post here: http://iloveswmag.com/2012/02/08/dreamy-watercolor-wedding-by-tec-petaja/

  2. avatar Desiree reply

    ooooh can’t wait for more! that location is to die for! eeek :)

  3. avatar Marissa Rogers reply

    I had such a fun (and steamy!) time with y’all! Thank you for letting me be a part of something so special once again, and I can’t wait to see the finished product. :)

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