They say Virginia is for lovers, but apparently it’s for absolutely adorable weddings too. Like this affair that is so cute you want to eat it right up and pinch its cheeks. Natalie Bell Photography was there to witness this fest of adorableness and capture the cuteness so we could all be a part of the pretty. Super nice of her, right? Even nicer is she filled the full gallery with all this fall fabulousness for us to devour right up!
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
From the Bride…When Zayne and I first decided it was time to get married, we knew we wanted to host a weekend-long event for our closest friends and family. We also knew we wanted to choose a location and decorative elements that would create a warm and homey feel. Luckily for us, Virginia, our home state has amazing state parks with a variety of accommodations. We chose Belle Isle State Park in the rural Northern Neck Region of Virginia. The location’s colonial-style mansion provided a perfect backdrop for the festivities.
Planning the wedding was a labor of love. I made as many things as I possibly could, and I enlisted the help of my Mom and Grandma. We were separated by several states, but we worked together to prepare for my handmade autumn wedding. I prepped hundreds of tissue paper puff flowers, sewed pennant banners and garlands, and crafted paper flowers for my bouquet and for table arrangements. My Mom assembled the mason jar tea light votives and my Grandma hemmed the table runners. Even my little sister, the maid of honor, helped from a distance. She knit the shawl I wore for most of my wedding day, and I knit the one she wore. My Grandma and I made the lace table runners just two days before the wedding. Most of the doilies we used came from my Grandma’s collection, which she had inherited from a variety of great-grandmothers and great-aunts. Assembling those runners was just the beginning of an incredibly busy couple of days leading up to the wedding. Friends helped fluff the tissue paper flowers and string them into garlands and arrange flowers in a mixture of new and vintage glass bottles. Then there was pressing all the vintage napkins and stuffing them with silverware, filling copper vessels with apples, and arranging everything on the tables.
Family and friends pitched in to get everything prepped; by the time we finished I think everyone felt a sense of accomplishment. Even some of the things I couldn’t make myself I hired others to do for me. My dress and veil were both Etsy purchases (as were our wedding rings).
Wedding Photography: Natalie Bell Photography / Flowers: Patsy of River Birch Florist / Event Design + Planning: The Bride, Friends and Family / Ceremony + Reception Location: Belle Isle State Park / Invitations: The Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Shannon Britt / Wedding Dress: Etsy / Caterer: Willaby’s / Wedding Cake: Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine