Hi Ladies!
I got married a few weeks ago, and thought I would brag about my vendors because they were so awesome!
Info: 22 guests, no wedding party, just family. This was an intimate experience that was really a full weekend event. Almost half the guests were from out of town. Budget was around $12,000 including paying for lodging for about 7 out of town guests and myself for 3 nights and everything else below.
Venue: The Inn on Poplar Hill in Orange
All I can say is WOW! I planned this wedding from long distance since I live in Hawaii. Victoria and Marty are the proprietors of this beautiful in on idyllic grounds in Orange. We chose them because Victoria does a package for small weddings that includes the entire inn, the breakfasts, the wedding meal, flowers, basic decorations, and the cake, (and use of the grounds of course!) I could go on and on, but overall I will say these were some of the nicest people and we had an amazing wedding on a modest budget. Victoria took care of things I didn't have time to plan for. She was extremely pleasant and accomodating, from the night around the fire with S'mores by the pond (she bought everything ahead of time and even packed paper towels and flashlights) to the delicious dinner under the romantic lighted tree. My guests were very impressed with me for selecting this as a wedding venue and enjoyed the whole experience from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning.
Photographer: Kimberly Mufferi Photography
She was flexible, on time, and very professional. She had a second shooter with her and seemed to be a perfectionist and have very nice equipment. You could tell she knew exactly what she wanted with each shot. We spent an hour before the wedding shooting as a couple (decided on the "first look" so yes, we saw each other before the wedding. It was very special...I recommend it!) The photos should be available in a few weeks and then I will know more about how she did, but I am very optimistic because she really seemed to be capturing everything. She is priced on the low to mid end of the average of the photographers I talked to. She has great energy, and at this point I'd highly recommend her. (If you use her tell her you heard about her from me!)
Wine Tour: Andrea Saathoff - Albemarle Limousine/Blue Ridge Wine Excursions
Eleven of us (us and our immediate family members) went on a wine tour the day before the wedding. It was a BEAUTIFUL day and the tour was excellent. We were in a spacious small bus, which fit all of us nicely. We made it to three wineries, a brewery, and also stopped at a small general store. I was very impressed by this company. The tour included box lunches which I figured would be simple and plain, but turned out to be gourmet sandwiches that we got to choose in the morning with a cookie, pasta salad and water. While we finished up a tasting, our guide set us up for lunch with plates, silverware, cloth napkins, and even cups for our bottled water. It was a very nice touch! He was out of the way, but always there to carry purchases to the vehicle. Everyone greatly enjoyed the day, and once again, I came off looking good because of the experience! (It's no coincidence that Victoria from the Inn recommended this company!)
I wore a Maggie Sottero dress...loved it and got tons of compliments! Bought the sample for a steal from a bridal shop here in Hawaii. I have a gorgeous 1.5 carat sky blue sapphire antique style halo ring that is diamond encrusted from the Natural Sapphire Company. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that my ring is a sapphire and not a diamond. It is truly a unique piece, my favorite color is blue. I don't recommend it if you don't think you can pull it off, or are a diamond girl, but I totally rock it, and get lots of compliments.
Well, that's about it. I didn't want to deal with a ton of different vendors so our experience was perfect for us and I have a feeling our families will be talking about it for years. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions. THANKS and ENJOY the BLISS!
