Jason and Tammy Keefer get all the credit for these glorious wedding photos. They were the perfect match for Amanda’s wedding day. I can’t imagine her wedding without them! Amanda was such a beautiful bride – inside and out. She is one of my best friends and I am so incredibly happy for her and Cale. Here are some of my favorite details from the wedding day:

Aaron Watson Photography captured this gorgeous wedding day back in October. The wedding and reception were both held at Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. I love this couple and, lucky for me, get to live near them very soon! Here are some shots of the wedding party before the ceremony began:

Patrick and Jenny got married on May 23, 2009. They had a gorgeous lakeside venue complimented by a warm, sunny day.

Location: Lake Ritchie in Bealeton, VA

Photographer: Kristen Gardner Photography

I just love them!

Planning a wedding in Charlottesville, Virginia and looking for a make-up artist? Look no further than Neroli Spa & Apothecary. Neroli offers a make-up artist who will travel to your on-site location the day of your wedding and complete your entire bridal party’s make-up or simply just the bride’s. Neroli Spa provides all of your make-up needs using the modern and completely glamorous line of Becca. You will not be disappointed. Not only is the artist a good friend of mine who I would trust to paint my face for any occasion, but she is incredibly talented and masters the art of make-up!

Did you know you can simply walk into a bridal boutique and have them size you for a particular designer dress? This is very helpful for long distance bridesmaids! They may not be able to make it to your bridal party dress shopping day but they can still get the correct measurements to the store you will be purchasing the dresses from. Since every designer dress fits differently, it is best to take your measurements and compare them to the corresponding size charts.

If the long distance bridesmaids cannot make it to the store to try on the dress, simply look up a local boutique or two that carries the designer you are using and have her go to that store to get sized. She can then call in to your shop and get the right size ordered. Designers such as Alfred Angelo, Watters, The Dessy Group, and Bill Levkoff are very common and are generally carried in most states. Make being one of your bridesmaids as easy, stress-free, and enjoyable as possible! They will love you for it.

Traveling for wedding can be a big sacrifice for most people. It usually requires time off of work, gas money/airfare and hotel rooms. Another way to show how much you appreciate your out of town guests is to provide them with a “welcome basket.” These are great ways to start the weekend off right.

Welcome baskets can be brought to the hotel concierge or front desk ahead of time and distributed to your guests upon their arrival. If your guests are staying with family or friends, drop off the baskets at the homes ahead of time. They do not literally have to be a “basket.” You can use decorative gift bags or boxes.  It’s great to include a weekend schedule, a map of the area, directions to all family events for the weekend, some local restaurant recommendations and other goodies. Here are a few ideas:

Wedding Theme: Make all the items relate to your wedding’s theme. For example, a winery.

• Include a bottle of wine from the vineyard
• Include the winery’s brochure
• A wine glass
• A bottle opener
• Chocolates that pair well with the wine

Couple’s Theme: Center all the goodies around the bride and groom

• The groom’s favorite candy and the bride’s favorite candy
• The groom’s favorite beverage and the bride’s favorite beverage
• A professional photo of the couple
• A keepsake from the bride and groom’s colleges such as a pen or a key chain
• A sample of their favorite coffee beans

Location Theme: Make all the goodies relate to the state or city of the wedding. This is what I did for mine:

• A bag of Virginia peanuts
• A bottle of Virginia Cider
• Virginia made potato chips
• A nice pen from the University of Virginia (also my school)
• Virginia made chocolate bar

I bought plain white gift bags from a craft store and decorated them myself. This was a fun way to invite some bridesmaids over to help decorate and assemble the welcome baskets. You can get really creative with this project and also create a very memorable gift for your guests!

If the gown is not your biggest concern for your wedding day or if your budget for a dress is smaller than most boutiques allow, check out this link:

Church Street Bridal

You can find hundreds of gorgeous designer dresses here. They are NEW (not secondhand) by way of overstock, fashion shows or sample inventories. My good friend found her wedding dress here for $150 and it looked stunning on her! Pack your patience and an open mind and you are bound to strike a deal. You can also check out Filene’s Basement (home of the hilarious “Running of the Brides”) as an option for a super deal on your wedding dress!

How cute are these girls? The bride wore the gold shoes in the middle and she let each of her bridesmaids pick out a fun, funky shoe to wear. The dresses were T Length so you could see every bit of shoe. It was so fun and didn’t throw the uniformed look off at all. Try something unique like this in your bridal party!

One of the prettiest ways to end your reception is to make a grand exit through a tunnel of sparklers. It takes a bit more coordination than bubbles or flower petals, but it is well worth the great photo opt! It is best to buy 20 or 36 inch sparklers because the burn time on them is anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes!  My favorite online company to purchase the sparklers is Sparkle. They have great prices and offer better quality sparklers. Also, sparklers light much better when lit by another sparkler – this online company includes a small box of normal sparklers to help jump start the lighting process.

Make sure to utilize the help of your bridesmaids and groomsmen when lining all your guests up and getting the sparklers lit. But most of all, take your time making your grand exit. Walk slowly, smile pretty and take in the moment!

The most popular color choice for bridesmaids dresses this year has been BLUE!