As I sit here in the midst of wedding season, I am reminiscing about Erin & Kyle’s beautiful Tuckahoe Plantation wedding in Richmond, VA. You see, this year they are forecasting it to be the year of tropical storms and hurricanes. Okay, 2016.. you are killing us with the rain!!! STOP! Already, we have seen two tropical storms here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I can honestly say that I don’t think we are out of the dark yet. But I am not writing this blog about tropical storms or hurricanes, I am writing this blog about this beautiful wedding that took place during a week where Hurricane Joaquin made landfall on the coast of Virginia and brought torrential downpours and windy conditions to Richmond, VA.
I remember our site visit with Erin & Kyle vividly. It was a hot/humid day and I remember telling them not to worry because the weather in October is absolutely gorgeous in Virginia with mild temperatures and little rain. These two even buried a bottle of Jefferson Reserve Bourbon upside down at the ceremony site because old southern tradition says that if you do so, it will be a beautiful day for your wedding.. Okay, superstitions aside, … It was a really awesome added element to their wedding day when they unearthed the bourbon.
So… back to the wedding. We knew that it was going to rain/sprinkle/downpour that day. We had been watching the weather all week and we were ready! We packed extra protection for our cameras and even bought weather appropriate clothing. I knew that I was not going to spend the day ill prepared! When we arrived, it was sprinkling a little but not enough to keep our couple from having the wedding of their dreams. You see, Erin was not having it at all.. she was determined to get married outside, have all of her photos outside, and a little hurricane was not going to stand in her way. We captured some amazing moments in the english garden of Erin slipping into her dress, an incredible first look with the couple (between periods of rain), and some amazing family and bridal party photos as well. The ceremony took place outside as guests took a stroll through a hedge maze and relaxed in between some beautiful trees that framed everything so perfectly! With umbrellas in tow, everyone witnessed a beautiful and touching ceremony that included some very touching moments while their parents took turns reading some beautiful words to the lovely couple.
When the ceremony was over, the rain began and guests scurried to the white tent on the lawn where they wined and dined with some amazing food provided by Whitehouse Catering. Ryan and I were able to get special access for photos in the Tuckahoe Plantation House (which I might add was Thomas Jefferson’s childhood home). After a few photos in the home, we made our way to the tent where guests were seated at farm tables adorned with green garland, roses, and lots of candlelight brought to you by the bride and Vogue Flowers. The Buttercream Bee provided an assortment of small cakes in varying flavors and they were scrumptious! As the party went on throughout the night, I don’t think I saw a single person sit down. Everyone was on the dance floor thanks to DJ Asian Will who did a fantastic job! Bonnie Bedell was Erin & Kyle’s day of coordinator for the wedding and she did a fantastic job of organizing and making sure everything went off without a hitch!
This wedding was definitely one for the books and we loved every minute of it with this fabulous couple! Congratulations Erin & Kyle! You both are so in love and we were thrilled to be a part of your special day!
Vendors:
Venue- Tuckahoe Plantation
Wedding Planner- Bonnie Bedell
Caterer- Whitehouse Catering
Bar- Old City Bar
Florist- Vogue Flowers
Cake Baker- The Buttercream Bee
DJ- DJ Asian Will
Rentals- Classic Party Rentals, VA
Photographer- Ryan & Rach Photography