the perfect wedding
Posted by Lynsie Watkins Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:57:00 GMT
Just married. That’s us! And now here I sit, writing from Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Sipping on a michelada, nestling in quite nicely to my palapa by the pool, and reminiscing over a wedding that was thoughtful, warm, fun and delicious.
Colin and I just successfully threw a very Green wedding on September 27th, 2008. Chock full of local food, music, flowers, and people. I’d like to share what we did, who we asked to be a part of it, and why it’s so easy for you to follow in our footsteps.
When Colin and I got engaged on my favorite street in Paris, rue Mouffetard, sitting at the base of the fountain in the square, listening to church bells ringing and people singing and dancing (no joke), directly in front of the apartment I once lived in at the base of the local food market that inspired me to start Perfect Flavor all those years ago (wew-what a mouthful!), we knew that our wedding would have to represent everything that we are in both work and play.
We knew right away we wanted locally grown and raised food. That was easy. But the rest that followed surprised even us. Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley are brimming with vendors ready and waiting to make any event special, all we need do is ask.
And so, with soft tealights glowing in glass mason jars, wildflowers from all over Albermarle and August Counties oozing out of any open container, and the boisterous hoots and hollers of square dancing guests, I invite you to step back to the day of our wedding with me.
The Food
Ingrid Berger, my great friend and beyond-words amazing chef, graciously accepted our invitation to prepare all of the food for our wedding. We had one simple request: all the food must be local and in-season. With our helpful retrieving, and because our connection to local farmers is so strong, we were able to secure mounds and mounds of delicious food that Ingrid could then prepare it its simplest and most delicious form. Whatever we couldn’t find was procured in the most amazing way: Ingrid and her staff set out on the Saturday morning of our wedding to attend multiple local farmer’s markets, where they were sure to find the freshest ingredients for the night’s dishes. As always, for anything we could not procure locally, like sugar, we used only organic and fairly traded ingredients. Here is our menu.
Pre-Ceremony
Caromont Chevre, Meadowcreek Appalachian Tomme, Everona Dairy Sheep’s Milk Cheese with locally grown Concorde grapes from Stuart’s Draft, VA
Post-Ceremony/Pre-Reception
Virginia Ham Biscuits
Made with locally grown wheat and locally milled flour, Virginia ham, and local cheese, these biscuits were assembled hours before the wedding and served as a delicious pairing with our assortment of White Hall wines.
Reception
Drink (all served in pint Mason jars!)
Shenandoah Lemonade with Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky*
*Rick Wasmund makes the very best whisky I’ve ever had, and how lucky for us that he distills it from locally grown barley right up the road in Sperryville, VA! See below for his own recipe for this amazing beverage.
Wines of White Hall Vineyard
Reds: Touriga, Breakheart, Petit Verdot, Merlot
Whites: Chardonnay,Viognier, Pinot Gris
Starr Hill Jomo Lager
Local Apple Cider from Carter’s Mountain Apple Orchard
Small Bites
Bowls of Virginia Peanuts & Brown Sugar Rosemary Pecans
Everona Dairy Sheep’s Milk Cheese with Peach Chutney
Black Mission Figs with Caromont Chevre, Lavender & Local Honey
Meadowcreek Appalachian Tomme with Caramelized Onion Jam
Big Bites
Roasted Polyface Farm Eye of Round Beef with a Pepper Crust
Polyface Farm Chicken, marinated with Thyme & White Hall Touriga
Buttered Kennebec & Yukon Potatoes with Sea Salt
Waterpenny Farm Cherry Tomatoes with Fried Garlic & Basil
Bowl of Salad Greens, Herbs & Flowers from Local Farms
Dressings
Green Goddess
Chunky Smoked Bacon Mustard (a HUGE hit!!)
Balsamic Fig
Bread
Rolls from Albermarle Baking Company & Shenandoah Valley Butter
Sweets
In place of a wedding cake, Colin and I opted to be a little different…
We asked Ingrid to make a local Apple Crisp with apples from Vintage Virginia Apples which was then topped with our very own Salty Caramel Perfect Flavor Ice Cream.
Needless to say, there was none left!!
Garnishes
Nasturtiam, lavender, basil, scallions, fig leaves all provided graciously by Harvest Thyme Herb Farm
Watercress, baby arugula, garlic chives from ????
*For every ingredient that is not directly connected to a farm in the menu, rest assured it was still locally grown. For ingredients like onions, potatoes, figs, peaches, etc., Ingrid and her crew bought from the local farmers at their market stands at the Staunton & Charlottesville Farmer’s Markets.
**Aside from driving to each farmer’s door, which we did quite a lot of, here are some other stores where we found lots of delicious local food. We went to A.M. Fog for some local cheese and decorations, Feast (which is, uh, amazing when it comes to local!!) for other local cheeses, the old Village Market next to Greenwood Grocery for grapes, cider, and decorations. (This store buys locally grown items, and while not as swanky as Greenwood, is worth a stop, I spoke with the owner who truly believes in supporting local farmers!)
The Location
Our ceremony was held at the magnificent White Hall Vineyard. We were hoping for an outside setting, however the rain persisted, and we decided to hold it indoors in their beautiful banquet room. With a warm fire going, and the gorgeous yellow walls with exposed beams, it turned out to be a perfect place. Everyone was still able to enjoy the beautiful scenery through the sweeping sets of windows that peered out onto the vines and misty mountains. What a scene!
After the ceremony, we offered a wine tasting of White Hall wines in the tasting room accompanied by our Virginia Ham Biscuits.
Our reception was back at our home near Free Union. Here everyone ate the amazing local food, drank the amazing local drink, and square danced the night away!
The Photography
Billy Hunt. Need I say more? As if there is anyone around here who does not know this amazing photographer’s work, he truly is capable of capturing the most precious moments. Take a look at his website www.billyhunt.com to find an album of our pictures. Also, feel free to peruse all 505 of the proofs he took by following this link…
http://photos.billyhunt.com/
Not only is he fantastic to work with, but both he and his staff know how to have fun! I even caught Billy square dancing!! What a wonderful presence to have at your wedding.
The Music
We knew we wanted a bluegrass band with a square dancing caller. Uncle Henry’s Favorites was the absolute best band for the job! We looked high and low, and were finally thrilled to find a band that was able to go above and beyond the call of duty and give us the most wonderful and uplifting music to accompany our Ceremony, Wine Reception & Home Reception! Not only were they so fantastic to work with, their warm personalities shone through their music, and their optimism was contagious. I recommend this band to any and everyone. They also play many different types of music, so don’t feel like just because you’re NOT having a country hoedown does not mean this band isn’t for you!
The Flowers
Ha! I can see those closest to me laughing at the thought of how I acquired so many beautiful flowers. First off, most of the thanks is due to Harvest Thyme Herb Farm. On the Wednesday before our Saturday wedding, my best friend and bridesmaid, Jacci Sugar, and I drove to Mint Spring to gleefully pick flowers from Deirdre and Phil’s beautiful farm. Thanks to their graciousness, we were able to choose from anything that was in bloom! We picked a lot, but to give you just an example, we came away with beautiful pink and white coreopsis blooms, asparagus flowers, persimmon branches, sunchoke flowers, sedum bunches, bronze fennel fronds, and anise hyssop blooms! Take a look at Billy’s pictures of our bouquets, and you’ll find most of these flowers in them!
For the rest of the flowers used, (and this is the chuckle-inducing point) I personally drove around the country side, stopping on the side of the road and picking wildflowers myself. No, I did not take any from the gardening club’s plots! Instead, I just walked along the side of the road, in the rain, and yes, a bit treacherously, but I found the most beautiful yellow and purple/blue flowers in bloom. Ironically our chosen wedding color was yellow, so how appropriate that almost all of the flowers in bloom at the time were yellow! Thank you Mother Nature.
It was very important to us to use flowers from Virginia that were growing at the time of our wedding. And why not? There was so much to choose from, why would we have looked anywhere else? I recommend this to anyone-adventurous or not!
The Decorations
We went to many local farm stores to procure our decorations. A.M. Fog was a fantastic source for beautiful mums, unique pumpkins & straw bales. If you are planning on getting married in the Fall, go to A.M. Fog and get your mums a couple days before the big day. They sell in-full-bloom mums for half price, and trust me, the blossoms will last way beyond the wedding day!
For corn stalks, I went to the Village Market in Greenwood previously mentioned. The owner is so nice and personable, and he deserves everyone’s business.
For the rest, we chose to be very simple. We purchased a few red and white checkered tablecloths to cover our bar and food tables, and since we already had about 250 Mason jars, we used about half for miniature wildflower vases and tea light candle holders. This created a true sense of comfort, intimacy, and bluegrass feel.
The Favors
Our favors were one of my favorite parts. We wanted to give our guests something that would last long beyond the day of the wedding. We decided to give them two favors. One, brightly colored handkerchiefs, were given quite slyly away as the wrapping around all of our rolled silverware. The result was two-fold: a fun start to the amazing dinner, and also a costume addition once the square dancing began. (Did I mention that our guests changed after the Ceremony into straw chewing bluegrass folk and genuine cowboys?-I recommend encouraging costume-wearing at any wedding!)
Our final favor is something that will live on long beyond that September 27th day. We decided to give our guests yellow daffodil bulbs encased in Mason jars. The bulbs were placed atop a small pile of dirt and were sealed with a top and a yellow ribbon. My wonderfully thoughtful sister-in-law Johanna created a beautiful rhyme to accompany the jars:
“When I bloom, think of this day.
Indoors or out, I’ll grow any way.”
Now, every spring when those daffodils bloom, all of our guests will be reminded of our special day and the love that surrounds all of us.
The Vendors
Judy Nguyen: Wedding Coordinator
An amazing friend from my hometown of Centreville, VA, Judy came to help the day run smoothly. She was a godsend, and definitely my calm during the storm (that of course ended with a rainbow). Judy never lost her cool, and stood up for what I wanted! A true friend AND the ultimate Wedding Coordinator. She plans weddings, too…
Gretchen Brudvig: Hair Stylist
A cherished friend from my childhood. I wanted desperately for her to be a part of our day. I asked her to style my hair with the full knowledge that it would be the most beautiful my hair has ever looked. She accomplished this feat with pure grace, and it helped me to know that she was by my side for the many hours leading up to the Ceremony.
Genevieve Fair: Hair Stylist to the bridesmaids
Genevieve is an amazing stylist. Patient, calm, and oh so talented! She styled Kate’s (my stepdaughter and bridesmaid)
hair, my mother-in-law Mary Anne’s hair, My maid-of-honor Nancy’s hair, and my bridesmaid Samira’s hair. She lives in Charlottesville and is an amazing stylist! She styles hair in her in-home salon. For more info, email her at: needalittlehairtherapy@yahoo.com or call her at 434.962.0399. Her hours are as follows: Tuesday-Friday 3:15-7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 4 pm.
Festive Fare
They were very easy to work with, and as many events before this one, did an amazing job of bringing everything together.
Busy Brooms
With their new line of green-cleaning products, we decided to ask them to come and clean our house before and after the wedding. We felt confident that with their regard to the environment, our house would be cleaned the way we clean it ourselves!
Tent
Scott Nunally at Virginia Tent Rentals helped us out with this one! And boy did we need it. It rained all day, but that didn’t stop us thanks to our huge tent!