10 Reasons to get married in Virginia

Shayna Walker and I are blogging today over at Aisle Dash! Be sure to check it out! Aisle Dash is a wonderful site recently re-launched by my friend Anne. It's full of beautiful inspiration and planning tips. Thanks Anne!

Classic Richmond Wedding Wednesdays: Tuckahoe Plantation

Bouquet via Style Me Pretty; Bride and Groom via Snippet & Ink photographed
by Jose Villa; Invitation via Hello Lucky; Veil via Brides; Angel Sanchez gown via Brides;

Wrapped Sweets via Once Wed; Shoes via Snippet & Ink; Pillow via MS;
Martha Stewart Patterned Place cards via Ritzy Bee; Flowers via Southern Weddings

There are so many ways to imagine an event at Tuckahoe Plantation. It's such a classic Richmond location, nestled along the James River. May is said to be the best month at the plantation -- all of the flowers are in bloom then.

Some planning notes...

• Tuckahoe typically can handle up to 250 guests for a wedding.
  
• There is no indoor event space at the plantation. There is a changing room for the bride that can be rented for an additional fee.
  
• The plantation offers both ceremony and reception locations (be sure to check pricing for both).
• Most importantly: a wedding at Tuckahoe has to be built from the ground up. i.e. Renters must bring in tents, chairs, tables, lighting, bathrooms (for guest lists of more than 100), heating or air -- basically all of the "mechanics" of the event. Be sure to do careful budgeting and research before you commit to any off-site event location.
  

Richmond Wedding Wednesdays: Virginia Center for Architecture

One of my favorite event spaces in Richmond is The Branch House, which is home to The Virginia Center for Architecture. It's a great space for smaller weddings and cocktail style receptions. Ceremonies can be performed on the lawn in the back of the house (pictured above), while the party can take place in the Long Hall and the Great Hall indoors (pictured below).

The Tudor Revival style house on Monument Avenue was built in early 1900s for the John Kerr Branch family as a winter residence. It housed the Branch's collection of Italian Renaissance antiques and tapestries. The interior has been restored to its former glory, since it lived many lives in between being a residence and a museum (at one time it was headquarters to the organization that was the precursor for United Way and it was also home to an insurance agency). Now The Branch House operates as a museum.

For more information on event rental at Virginia Center for Architecture, get in touch with Blair Guncheon who manages facility rental.


{images courtesy Virginia Center for Architecture}

Richmond Wedding Wednesdays: Pump House

Once upon a time I wrote a series on little white book every Wednesday about event locations in Richmond. I'm resurrecting RWW. Although today's post comes sans inspiration board, I hope you'll be inspired by this space as much as I am and see its potential like I do. Several of us had the opportunity to tour the space last week - it's normally closed to the public- and it was surreal!

Pump House was built in 1882; it provided drinking water for the city, but the builder had an the ingenious idea to build a open air dance floor on the top floor. Guests arrived by waterway and would make their way to the grand dance hall in their magnificent hoop skirts* to enjoy a night of dancing on the canal. So dreamy...

Although Pump House has fallen in disrepair, you can see what it was and what it could be. Just check out those Gothic windows and grand archways that look over the canal. There's new energy and enthusiasm for Pump House now, as it goes through renovation. And there's rumor that it might be available for rental one day. Here's to hoping...


{first image via Virginia Department of Historic Resources; image #2, 3 and 4 courtesy Chris Lacroix; last image by me}

*For more info, visit here.