What a fun couple with delightful family!  Thank you Rachel and Graham for allowing Historic Riverview on the James host your most special day.  It was so much fun working with you and we wish you a lifetime of wonderful, loving moments together as husband and wife.

Photography:  Katelyn Coogan

Rentals:  Aztec Rentals

Catering:  Charley’s Restaurant

DJ:  Len Barry DJ Services

We had a wonderful time celebrating the season with LuAnn Hunt of LuAnn Hunt Photography, who set up individual photo sessions of families at Historic Riverview – what a joy to see all the good little boys at girls visit Santa!

After visiting with the children, Santa took a stroll around Historic Riverview – he had such a great time!

We hope to see you next year Santa!

Thanks LuAnn Hunt for the wonderful pictures

We have such wonderful memories of this couple and know the friendship will last forever.  May you have many wonderful, fun filled years together!

Gorgeous photos taken by the talented Katelyn Coogan.  Rachel is absolutely stunning!

Historic Riverview:  ”Tell me a bit about yourself, your business and how you got started with photography?”

Rhiannon England:  ”Well, I would say that I got into photography about two years ago when I was fifteen. That was when I got my first SLR camera for my birthday. I was instantly hooked. I had been around professional photographers before in working with my mom in the wedding business, making wedding cakes. I was always amazed at how they could manipulate the light and composition of what they saw in front of them to match their individual style.

I am incredibly grateful for the gift that God has given me with photography. I look forward to what He has for me in the future and will continue to follow His leading in my life and business. ”

Planner/Florist:  Amy Thornburg with The Arrangement Company (find them on facebook at: www.facebook.com/The-Arrangement-Company)

Tent:  FDS Tent (www.fdstents.com)

Catering:  Avenue Foods (www.avenuefoods.net)

DJ:  Alan Dever (www.facebook.com/djAlanDever)

Photography: Daryl and Johanna Calfee for Sam Stroud Photography (http://samstroudphoto.com/blog/)

TK: When and where did the proposal happen? How did he (or she!) do it? What did he/she say? What were you thinking and feeling?

Sarah: We got engaged in August 2010.  We were on our way to the beach for a week long vacation with Andrew’s family.  Andrew suggested we make a stop in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, to pick up a gift for his mother before getting to the beach.  Unbeknownst to me, Andrew had visited Colonial Williamsburg (a place the two of us enjoyed visiting very much!) and scouted out the perfect scenic garden to propose.  When we got to our location in Williamsburg, Andrew led me through a maze of gardens when all of a sudden he turned around, got down on one knee and proposed…it was absolutely beautiful and a complete surprise!  Furthermore, he planned for us to stay in a colonial cottage in Williamsburg before heading down to the beach.  (While in Williamsburg, he planned for a beautiful candlelit dinner and ghost tour of Colonial Williamsburg.)  We got to celebrate a week of engagement bliss at the beach.

TK: Did you hire a consultant/planner? Do it all yourself? Was it easier or harder than you imagined? How long of the engagement did you spend planning?

Sarah: No, we did not hire a planner.  As the Wedding Coordinator of Historic Riverview on the James, the wedding venue where we got married, I was beyond thrilled to finally plan my own wedding!  It is harder to make the decisions for yourself than I expected – - so much easier to plan for someone else.  It was great working with all my wedding vendors – they made the process so much easier!

TK: Why did you pick the venue/site? Are you both from the area? Is your family from the area? Was it a destination wedding?

Sarah: From the moment I knew Andrew would be the man I was going to marry, I knew I would have the reception at Historic Riverview on the James, a place particularly special to Andrew.  As a child, Andrew enjoyed spending much of his youth with his grandparents on the farm that is now Historic Riverview on the James.  The planning of our wedding became a true “family affair” as Andrew, his parents Jane and Bernie, and I joined forces and opened the doors of Historic Riverview on the James as a wedding and special events venue shortly after our engagement (a dream of ours that had been in the works for the past couple years).

TK: How did you decide on your bridal look? Please describe your gown (style, shape, color, fabric, etc), veil, jewelry, shoes and any other accessories.

Sarah: I wanted to find a dress that would be elegant and appropriate for the absolutely beautiful St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, yet comfortable and refreshing for an outdoor venue.  I found the perfect dress at the Lynchburg YWCA Church Street Bridal Shop where all proceeds from their sales of wedding dresses go towards charity.  It was a strapless A-line dress with lace detail on the bodice and along the bottom, extending into the train.  Around the waist was a simple belt that matched the ivory color of the dress.  I wore my mother’s veil that my Grandmother made for her wedding.  The lace that lined the veil (that was made 37 years ago) matched the lace on my dress perfectly!  I wore my mother’s gold and pearl Panamanian necklace, rings, and bracelet, and had gold and pearl dangling earrings.

TK: Please describe how you wore your hair (up, down, half-up, curly, straight, with a veil, with crystal hairpin, etc). What kind of look were you going for with your makeup?

Sarah: I wanted my hair and makeup to be subtle, refreshing and elegant.  My hair was done in a soft wide swept up-do with a fragrant gardenia and lovely light purple flower pinned in.

TK: How many bridesmaids did you have? Did they all wear the same dress? Or different style variations of one color? Or all different dresses? How did you go about picking the dress styles? Please describe their full looks, including jewelry and accessories.

Sarah: All 5 bridesmaids wore the same JCrew dress in a light amethyst color.  Each bridesmaid wore their own pearl necklaces and earrings and their own shoes, which allowed for their unique style to shine through.  My bridesmaids (and cousins), Catherine Taylor and Rebekah Weldon, made fabric flowers for each bridesmaid to pin to their dresses.

TK: Did you work with a certain theme? Color palette? Design motif? Please describe in detail why you chose this aesthetic, and how you carried it throughout your wedding.

Sarah: For the ceremony at St. Paul’s church, I stuck with muted colors considering the church is so amazingly vibrant and colorful.  The bouquets for myself and the bridesmaids were all white.  At the reception (which was all outdoors) we were so lucky to have plants and trees in bloom EVERYWHERE!  The James River in the distance added to the ambiance.  Under the tent, the tables were lined with off white linens highlighted with gold/silver accents.  Alternating tall and short arrangements of white, green and soft purple flowers were the centerpieces.  Cocktail tables were dressed with soft green linens and topped with votive candles.

Additionally, touches of my background of growing up in Panama were thrown in at the reception.  Vibrantly colored pillows reminiscent of Panamanian designs were placed on church pews that surrounded the dance floor.  One of the food stations featured fabulous Panamanian food.  The Panamanian flares mixed perfectly with the “country chic” approach of the venue.

Overall, I was going for a comfortable elegance and wanted the beauty of our surroundings – - whether the church or the reception venue – - to take center stage.  The floral arrangements and décor worked in perfect harmony with each location.

TK:  The Guest Book. How did you choose (or make) this? Please also describe how you displayed it.

Sarah: Our guest book was created by my photographers (and cousins AND bridesmaids), Catherine Taylor and Rebekah Weldon, of Woodlandfields Photography.  Pictures from my engagement session, which were taken at Historic Riverview, were put in a beautiful guest book that guests could write comments or answer questions relating to Andrew and me.  At the reception, the guest book was placed inside the gazebo beside the cake.

TK: Please describe the ceremony space. Was it in a church?  How did you decorate the space and the aisle? What types of flowers did you decorate with?

Sarah: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is so beautifully decorated and vibrant in color, I did not want to compete too much when it came to color.  Large flower arrangements at the altar were a combination of white and cream colored flowers with touches of greenery.  The flowers for the altar (and bouquets) included peonies, gardenias, and white orchids.

TK: What types of flowers were in your bridal bouquet? How did you choose them? Was there any sentimental significance in your choice? 

Sarah: I wanted to make sure my bouquet incorporated white orchids which is what my mother used for her bouquet when she was married.  My cascading bouquet was a combination of white and cream colored flowers that matched the arrangements at the altar of the church (the bridesmaid bouquets matched as well).  In my bouquet I placed a gold orchid pin from my mother that is from our home place of Panama.

TK: How did you get to your ceremony? Who rode with you? How did your bridal party travel from the ceremony to reception site?

Sarah: The girls and half the guys left the church in a beautiful white hummer limo from Premier Limousine.  Andrew and 4 of his groomsmen drove into the reception site in his 1978 CJ5 Jeep…the crowd loved it!

TK: What did the centerpieces look like?  And what did the place settings look like? Any other decorations in the reception space besides the tablescapes and centerpieces?

Sarah: The reception started with a cocktail hour around the bar which is a converted smokehouse adjacent to the Historic Riverview house.  Cocktail tables dotted the yard and were covered in a beautiful soft green fabric.  Upon our arrival, all guests gathered at the stone and brick fireplace overlooking the James River where my and Andrew’s parents greeted the guests to what was one FUN reception!  Shortly after the speeches were completed, a bagpipe player (a surprise for Andrew from me; very special considering our honeymoon was in Ireland) led the guests to the tent where all enjoyed a fabulous dinner.  Under the tent, tables were arranged around the perimeter of the tent with a long head table for the bride and groom and parents at one end.  Each table was dressed with cream colored linens and featured grand floral arrangements of creams, purples and greens (alternating tall and short) with votive candles.  The head table, draped with a soft green linen, featured a long cascading floral arrangement.

In the center of the tent was a large dance floor.  On two sides of the dance floor were salvaged church pews decorated with floral pillows and on the other two sides of the dance floor were cocktail tables draped with the same soft green linens as the head table.  Overall the arrangement under the tent was conducive to mingling and enjoying a long night of dancing!

TK: Signature drinks? 

Sarah: Our bartender created two handcrafted specialty beers as well as barrel aged manhattans and a lemoncello cocktail.  In addition to the specialty cocktails, we had a full bar with multiple wines to choose from.

TK: Any surprising performances, like an impromptu song (or flash mob!) from your friends and family?

Sarah: Before moving under the tent where we had a DJ play great music all throughout the night, I surprised Andrew with a bagpipe player who led everyone to the tent after the cocktail hour (the cocktail hour was held outside the Riverview House overlooking the James River).

TK: Please lend a piece (or two) of advice for any to-be-wed guy or gal. Anything you wished you would have known when you were planning your wedding?

Sarah: Release control when and where you can.  Although you may think planning every detail will keep you sane, it won’t – allow others to enjoy the planning process for the things you may not consider the most important for your wedding.  A big one is the rehearsal dinner – - it’s not yours to plan for a reason!  Let the rehearsal dinner be a surprise; it will be a lot more fun in the end considering you won’t know what (if anything) didn’t go exactly as planned.

TK: What secret tricks and tips would you offer to brides getting married in your specific area?

Sarah: When planning an outdoor wedding, allow the beauty of your surroundings to take center stage.  Make sure your décor compliments the setting.  A bit of decorating advice for outdoor weddings during the spring:  stay away from small sized details – - stick with large vases, large flowers, large patterns, etc.  The impact will be much greater and appropriately proportioned if using a large outdoor venue.

Here’s a bit of information about our new friend and fantastic photographer, LuAnn Hunt.  For more information on LuAnn, email her at luann.hunt@gmail.com.

“As a photographer, my ultimate goal is to capture the essence of the moment… to record a memory that will intensify and bring to the forefront more memories. I truly enjoy capturing weddings and all the preliminaries and little details of those special days. My camera has followed a young couple in love, from their engagement through their child’s first three years. My style leans more toward photojournalism. I believe the best images are ones in which the moment happens, not created. Sure, I can do the more traditional formal poses, but I’ve seen from experience the photos that stand out are the ones that are “in the moment.” My experience includes portraits for babies, children, high school seniors, families, couples, and pets. I have photographed local political figures, city and rural landscapes, flowers and fauna, baptisms and parties. Basically, if I see it and have camera in hand, I’ll photograph it!

I got serious about photography when I purchased my first 3.2 megapixel Canon point and shoot. I was 46 and my granddaughter had just been born. Halle was a great subject to shoot and she gave me lots of smiles and cute poses over the years. Within a few years I advanced to a 5.0 megapixel Canon point and shoot and I convinced several of my friends that I should tag-shoot their daughter’s and son’s weddings (in addition to their hired photographer) for practice and to work on a portfolio; and I gave all the good photos to the bride and groom. When I turned 50, my husband gave me my first Canon DSLR and a macro lens. That camera gave my photography a huge boost in professionalism. My first big break came when someone said they were still searching for a wedding photographer and they had a tight budget. I gave her a deal for being my first paid wedding and the photography business began. My ultimate goal is to retire from my 8-5 job in about 18 months and do photography full time. This would allow me to  spend some time at photography on the mission field. In 2004 I took my first (and so far, only) overseas mission trip to Africa and I loved it. The people were awesome and were so willing to be photographed. I believe my photography would give me an opportunity to share my faith with people here as well as people in other countries. It’s true what they say, a photo can be worth a thousand words.”

Check out http://web.photodex.com/embed/6ap6p28 to view the photos.  Thanks LuAnn for all the great work!

The talented Heather Shea of Sweet Rose Photography spent a wonderful afternoon at Historic Riverview on the James to celebrate all that makes her happy – - her adoring children!  Heather says, ” I am a single mother devoted to my three young children Jackson (7), Maximillion (4) and Lola Grace (3).  With them being so young, you know I keep myself very busy day to day. Family is the core of who I am.  I don’t think I ever knew what true love was until I became a mother.  My world revolves around raising my children along with starting my own Photography Business Sweet Rose Photography.  Because Family does mean so much to me that is the whole focus of my business, capturing those life moments on camera!”

Amanda Farrell of A.M. Photography took the photos of Heather and her incredible kids.  Amanda captured the joy and happiness of this fun-loving family.

To find out more about Heather Shea and Sweet Rose Photography, visit www.sweetrosephoto.com.  For more information on Amanda Farrell and A.M. Photography, check out their facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/AM-Photography/341336320809).

Happy Spring!