Matt and Lauren’s wedding was a delightfully sophisticated affair held at the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. The club has gorgeous grounds and elegant interiors, with a fireplace lit and ready to warm you around nearly every corner. The traditional decor and Lauren’s simple yet opulent bridal look gave the day a truly classic feel.
But don’t be fooled - it was still one hell of a party!
While Lauren and her ladies were getting ready to walk down the aisle, Matt and his gentleman started off their preparations by digging up the whiskey they had buried weeks earlier on the property. There is a Southern tradition that holds that burying a bottle of whiskey before your wedding will prevent rain on your big day. Matt and Lauren did not get so lucky, but at least they had some Kentucky bourbon to keep things merry!
While the rain kept us from taking many pictures outdoors, we were lucky to have access to the club’s beautiful Jefferson Room and adjoining patio for family, bridal, and couple portraits. Lauren and her father had the absolute sweetest father-daughter first look I’d ever witnessed. They were both moved to tears when they saw each other, wiping each other’s cheeks, and then proceeded to erupt into laughter. After that was the wedding ceremony, and it was clear that Matt and Lauren were just too happy about marrying each other to care about being inside or outside.
Then, the real fun began.
The family speeches, particularly from Lauren’s father, were full of sass about accepting Matt into their family despite his family’s deep-seeded love for a rival NFL team. He tossed Matt a knit scarf featuring the name of his “new” team. When he mentioned the New England Patriots and the room erupted into a unison round of booing, I tried to melt into the crowd. As a Maine native and former Boston resident, I was not about to speak out alone for my team in room of 140+ haters! We won the next SuperBowl anyway :)
Once the speeches and cake cutting were through, everyone really took to the dance floor and started to put out their best moves. Lauren was an especially expressive dancer, and I really enjoyed capturing her in all of her star moments. Hours of top hits and oldies flew by, until it was time to toss the bouquet and say goodbye with a sparkler exit.
Congratulations Matt and Lauren!
