Sara and Sam grew up near each other, but it wasn’t until connecting at a friend’s wedding that romance sparked! They planned an incredibly romantic and spiritual ceremony that held a deep sense of tradition and meaning, and afterward hosted family and friends at Country Club of Virginia for a gorgeous reception with plenty of dancing, thanks to the James Brown cover band, The Big Payback, they hired! Sarah Der Photography captured all the love and details for us, and we are so excited to share the photos with you! Blue is so chic and on our list of upcoming trends. Don’t you love the soft palette?
What made the wedding special and unique? We got married, got to invite everyone we love, and throw a big party to celebrate!
Tell us about your dress and where/how you found it! I snuck away to the only wedding store I knew about in Richmond (“Jingles”) to try on dresses by myself (without friends and my mom) and ended up choosing it after only a few dresses! It was not the style I originally had in mind, which is of course is how it always works, right?
What were some touches added to make it personal? We focused on making the service personal (the service was very important to us and was the one part of the wedding day that no one in our family knew about or could offer their opinion on). One special detail about the service was the breathtaking music by our incredibly talented musician friends (to whom we gave very little direction). Also, since we are both really into music, we spent a while searching for the perfect reception band – which ended up being a James Brown cover band made up of local musicians. They rocked and got everyone – young, old, black, white, northerners, southerners – dancing their faces off.
What was the most memorable part of the day? Renewing our baptismal vows together during the service – it was incredibly intimate and meaningful.
Tell us how you met/proposed! We lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same church. He first asked me out at a friend’s wedding. He proposed on a slushy winter Wednesday night. I was grumpy, wearing a cat sweatshirt, had just burnt a pot of chili and was listening to a melodramatic indie album (Youth Lagoon).
Vendors: Photography: Sarah Der Photography // Hair: Mango Salon // Cake: WPA Bakery // Reception: Country Club of Virginia // Ceremony: Third Presbyterian Church // Flowers: Beehive Events // Reception Band: The Big Payback // Gown: Watters // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Groom’s Tux: Hugo Boss // Bridesmaids’ dresses: Anna Elyse // Bridesmaids’ necklaces (a gift from the bride): Dogeared Silver with different charms // Invitations & Calligraphy: Rock Paper Scissors