Caitlyn Stego & John Anderson February 18, 2018, at Kardinal Hall Photographs by Amy Jackson The plan was, there was no plan. A stylist by trade, Caitlyn didn’t want to overcomplicate the planning process by matching patterns and colors. “I find it more inspiring to let the pieces that you find write the style of what […]
Floriza Hernandez & Jerome White September 9, 2017, at Trump Winery Photography by Michael & Carina Men in classic black-and-white tuxes, ladies in champagne. Gilded details, from the invitations to the cake topper. A reception area with high ceilings and extravagant chandeliers. Floriza and Jerome decided early on that they wanted their wedding to be elegant […]
We know, we know: You are a master of organization, and you have this wedding-planning thing totally under wraps. You are hiring your own vendors, crushing every target on your planning timeline and tracking the process in elaborate color-coded spreadsheets. Good for you! But have you considered what will happen when it’s your actual wedding […]
Buy a few extra bottles of bourbon when you snag the one you’ll bury* before your big day. This summertime cocktail from The Imbible author and Alley Light bar manager Micah LeMon practically sings “Virginia wedding” from the first sip, making it an ideal signature cocktail for your reception. Says LeMon, “If you’re having a […]
Describing love is hard. Describing the love you and your partner share in front of a congregation of family and friends? That’s hard enough to render any author speechless—even UVA creative writing professor and distinguished poet Lisa Russ Spaar. When couples ask Spaar for recommendations, her go-to, she says, is poetry. “Everything looks like a […]
It goes without saying that planning a wedding is stressful. And, on the day of the big day, the nerves are at an all-time high. Enter Liz Reynolds, who in 2014 started offering a yoga service to keep the jitters at a minimum. Reynolds had recently moved to town and, as a former professional dancer […]
Though never featured in formal wedding photos and usually tucked behind closed doors during the reception, the humble sheet cake has long played an important role in wedding planning, and for good reason. Sometimes referred to as a “kitchen cake,” a sheet cake can be prepared alongside the main, multi-tiered wedding cake, called the “cutting […]
If you’re looking to add some greenery to your wedding venue, congratulations on your good taste—every space can benefit from some leafy décor. Plants and trees can refresh the eye and add texture and scale, helping you customize your site to the size and feel of your event. Not only that, greenery can be a […]
The dreamy vision of a beautiful outdoor wedding goes hand in hand with the reality of weather risk, but both soaking rain and punishing sun can be managed with a little insurance by renting tents in advance of the big day. “Rain is a factor that can’t be ignored,” says Lee French, project manager for […]
Choosing the perfect officiant is another great way to put a personal stamp on your ceremony. But if you’re planning to ask a friend to officiate your wedding, in Virginia there are a few rules. First off, throw out the internet ordination your friend spent 20 minutes obtaining; they aren’t recognized in our area. Now […]
It’s one of the first questions any planner asks: “What’s your budget?” But before your wallet starts nervous sweating, take a cue from Anyvent Event Planning’s Jazmin Portnow and newlyweds Ellen and Joel Loeshelle on how to cut corners (and where to splurge). Splurge Good food + good music = great time “Having good food […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Imagine a quaint little town where you can browse interesting shops, view historic treasures, enjoy special events, and eat award-winning barbeque. Imagine a place where ghosts of people long dead make occasional appearances to delight visitors. If all of that intrigues, come for a visit to Gordonsville, a small town […]
By Marilyn Pribus – Formally known as “companion animals,” the more popular term has long been simply “pets” and lots of folks have them. Recent figures from Statista—a website with thousands of statistics—show that millions of Americans share their homes with creatures. The most numerous household pets are actually fish, but since aquariums don’t much […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Looking for a relaxed, country lifestyle but hate long commutes? Move to Greene County north of Albemarle for terrific views from your reasonably priced home. Then enjoy the easy, scenic commute to town. A host of outdoor and recreational activities including hiking, camping, fishing and golfing are a big part […]
By Marilyn Pribus – “I used to ask my students where their food came from,” says North Garden Farmers Market Manager Kathy Zentgraf. “’The grocery store,’ they’d reply, so I’d explain to them about where their meat and produce came from before it got to the grocery store.” Farmers markets, she notes, are a great […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Enjoying a waterfront lifestyle is high on the list of many home buyers searching for the perfect place to live. Fortunately, in our area, they have plenty to choose from ranging from a house on a local lake, to a home on the James River, to a rural property with […]
By Ken Wilson – The air is hot, but the water is not. Paddle it, ski it, plunge a line into or just plain jump in—the cool, cooling water of our lakes and streams and rivers refreshes our bodies and our minds in the always, shall we say, atmospherically challenging Virginia summertime. Here are just […]
By Ken Wilson – Tired of London? Sick of Paris? If a European vacation is unappealing (see your doctor) or out of reach, stick around and look around. It’s a truism that locals neglect what tourists take pains to visit, and Central Virginia is full of tourist destinations, not to mention lesser known historic and […]
This may not be your quickest path to a bikini body, but how ya gonna argue with fried chicken? Or fried pickles? Or fried Oreos, for that matter? This issue, we’re taking a deep dive into hot oil (metaphorically, of course—safety first!), with a hefty helping of greasy, crispy, fatty treats to satisfy your most […]
Summer is a lighthearted time. While in colder months we may enjoy ruminating on deep thoughts while swirling something weighty in our glass—like port, or a full-bodied Sangiovese—summer calls for beverages that are pure fun, just like our pastimes. But is it as simple as just switching from red to white when sunny days arrive? […]
One glance at Zocalo’s drink menu on a warm day and there’s no question what you’ll imbibe: a margarita. The question then becomes, which margarita? Zocalo offers a few, and it can be hard to decide between a salty-but-sweet classic or a smoky Mezcal (for the uninitiated, Mezcal is to tequila what Scotch is to […]
Looking for a quick, tasty meal? Here’s an option that might not be on your radar—arepas from the Latin grocery La Guadalupana. What’s an arepa, you ask? It’s somewhere between a sandwich and a taco, it’s a staple of Venezuelan cooking and it’s delicious. The Carlton Road business has been around for almost two decades, […]
Diane Burns’ journey has taken her to some pretty interesting places—but it’s a good bet that her current place of work, Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, is one of the most beautiful. Burns is the on-site horticulturist, and she tends neat garden beds that hug the perimeter of the tasting room and spill down the […]