Christina and Trey chose Celebrations at the Reservoir, a scenic waterfront location in Richmond, for their rustic wedding. In true “The Notebook” style, these on-again high school sweethearts rekindled the flame after six years without any contact—like, they weren’t even facebook friends! We really love how Andrea Pesce Photography captured the laid-back elegance of their event and we’re thrilled to share their images with you.
What made the wedding special and unique?
At the beginning of our engagement I lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I was planning a was planning a wedding 8 hours away and I would drive to Richmond for short weekends to attend bridal shows and to shop for venues. After a lot of back and forth we decided on a completely outdoor wedding in the azalea gardens at Celebrations at the Reservoir. It was right on the water and would fit our rustic chic vision for the wedding.
One week before the wedding we went to visit the coordinator and do one more walk through before the big day. We went down to the gardens and the water was extremely low. The water level changed the whole look of the venue and was not at all what we had in pictured. Just a week away from the wedding, invitations already sent, and months of planning for this specific location, we decided to move location sites! Still at Celebrations at the Reservoir, but at the pool house instead of the azalea gardens. We had to do very little re-planning for the new site and everything fell beautifully into place. It was such a blessing and we definitely should have chosen it to begin with.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I am normally the girl that goes to try on dresses and always ends up buying the very first one I try on. I had been to a couple different bridal shops with no luck. My next appointment was at Bridal Elegance. It was late in the appointment and I hadn’t found “the one” yet. I didn’t want to settle on a dress that I didn’t love but with just a few short months until the wedding, I was running out of options. I had one more dress in the dressing room to try on. The dress fit like a glove. It was perfectly tailored to me and not one single alteration was needed. It was flirty, sexy and still timeless. I walked out of the dressing room and everyone else was ecstatic. As I stood there in the mirror, I knew it was the one when I didn’t want to take it off. Trey definitely approved!
What were some touches added to make it personal?
My amazing (now) husband and his friend Tom made the most incredible Mason Jar Chandeliers to go over to the dance floor. I told him my vision and he figured out the rest. I later found out that they used wheel and rotor templates to cut the wood for the frame. Go with what you know!
As a gift to my gramma and in memory of my grampa, we had a heart sewn inside my dress from my late grampa’s handkerchief. He meant so much to me and I wanted to make a way to still have him there.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
I should first start out by saying that I was incredibly skeptical of the “first look” idea. We already weren’t incorporating a lot of traditions in the wedding but one tradition I knew I wanted to keep was not seeing the groom before the ceremony. Once Trey found out that we could get to the party quicker, there was no talking him out of it! Since he was so excited about it I decided to let him win this battle.
The closer it got to the first look the more excited I became. I couldn’t wait to see him. Walking towards him I became so overwhelmed with emotion. All the butterflies and nervousness of the day completely vanished. In that moment we forgot about everything else. It was just him and me in the most perfect moment that I will never forget.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Trey and I were high school sweethearts. He was my very first love. We drifted apart when we went to different colleges and decided long distance was just not going to work for us. After 6 years of absolutely no contact Trey “accidentally” friended me on Facebook. During a brief conversation he told me to call him the next time I was in town. I was intrigued, but told everyone I was going on a “bury the hatchet” date. I went into the evening thinking we were going to make amends and leave as friends, but the moment I stepped out of the car all the feelings rushed back. After an incredible evening, I returned to Tennessee hoping that we wouldn’t lose touch again. This time we decided that no matter how many miles were between us, we both wanted to make it work. I later found out that after the date he said to his mom “Now, I could marry that girl”. I guess he was right!
Vendors: Photography: Andrea Pesce Photography // Reception Venue: Celebrations at the Reservoir // Floral Designer: Black Creek Flowers & Sweets // Dress Store: Bridal Elegance