As the weather gets colder, we can’t help but look back on one of our favorite cozy winter weddings – Kara + Tom’s Early Mountain Vineyard wedding in Madison, VA. From the mountain views to the warm and intimate charm, this wedding was a day to remember.
Kara + Tom are a super fun couple who wanted a simple wedding that was focused on family and guest experience. These kinds of weddings are so enjoyable for us, and we couldn’t wait to get started. We set up the ceremony as a circle with our couple in the center. Then, each family sat on the opposite side so they could see their faces. The father of the bride walked his daughter down the aisle and then officiated the wedding. It was a little comical to watch the transition from giving her away to actually starting the ceremony! Along with the bride’s father handling the ceremony, the bride’s mother did all the dried florals and greenery and bulb centerpieces, and the groom’s mother made their wedding cake. It truly was a family affair!
Early Mountain Vineyard is such a beautiful location for a wedding. The Vineyard provided a stunning backdrop, there is also a guest cottage on-site which gave the ladies ample room to get ready in the morning. The cottage was super precious and very cozy and was perfect for our cold February morning.
We can’t get enough of the venue’s stunning fireplaces which the bride’s parents decorated with greenery and goblets, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The ceremony and reception were both inside, and the simple design was an absolutely beautiful compliment to the space. It was amazing to watch it transform from ceremony to reception in just an hour.
As the bride and groom are huge music enthusiasts, music played a huge role in their wedding.
It started with their invitation designed to look like a concert ticket and carried through their whole day! Our reserved signs at the ceremony indicated “VIP seating,” the escort sign for guests was a “Will Call” to find their table, with each table a name of a musician or musical group that was displayed on a vinyl record. Kara surprised her groom with a personalized, music themed cake topper that included their pup in their big day. Their guest book was even a custom record! They wrapped the reception up with a silent disco which was super fun. We had the best time watching as the guests were singing along but we couldn’t hear the music!
A great service the couple used to help capture their day was WedIt. This is a rental of HD iPhone Touch devices that we assigned to a few guests to record and capture all of the moments. (These guests had “press passes” – always staying on theme!) After the wedding, you ship the devices back to the company and they compile the footage into a highlight clip. Such a great way to get to experience the big day from all different perspectives.
Kara + Tom celebrated their marriage with the best group of friends and family! There’s something about a cozy winter wedding that is just so romantic. There’s such a sense of calm and tranquility throughout the day. It goes to show you don’t need anything extravagant to make your day special, just the most important things in life are enough!
