Tessie & Matt’s wedding

• Weddings

Congratulations to Tessie & Matt who, along with an intimate gathering of family and friends, celebrated their nuptials the gorgeous Clifton Inn here in Charlottesville! This couple and their families had all traveled, mostly from West Virginia, to the inn not only because of its inherent beauty, but because of their culinary achievements. Few chefs in the area are able to achieve what the folks at Clifton Inn can, and Tessie and Matt wanted their guests to eat well. They certainly did, what with a six-course meal after the ceremony, plus slices of two cakes! But I digress…

Tessie had picked out a beautiful Monique Lhuillier gown was looking radiant when Matt stepped into the Rivana Suite where she was staying for their private first look together. They had decided to exchange gifts at the time as well, extending the tender moments between them. We love being witness to the excitement when couples first see each other, and walk together hand-in-hand afterwards. It’s like watching two lovestruck kindergartners on the playground.

Tessie’s a jeweler/welder and Matt an artist-blacksmith and both work with shaping metal, so it’s no surprise Tessie had designed her own engagement ring. In fact, she loved her personally-designed wedding band so much she wore it for months prior to the wedding, eliciting a related joke from their dear friend who also officiated the ceremony. The ceremony was held in Clifton’s dining room by candlelight and dimmed sconces, and could not have been a warmer or nicer place to be.

After the ceremony, their guests were treated to an enchanted forest of sorts within the tent out on the back patio. Our fave local florists, Pat & Sherry, really outdid themselves with the wrapped grapevines and flowers adoring the tent structure and tables, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Jessica at the Event Company had teamed up with Holly and Melissa at the inn to ensure everything went off without a hitch, and it certainly did. They were totally the dream team! They set up one corner of the patio for the two cakes, both chocolate, which is a great departure from tradition. In fact, Tessie surprised Matt with the groom’s cake from his family’s baker. The one thing he had really wanted was a departure in a vintage sports car, but since they were staying at the inn, it was kind of moot. So Tessie got a model roadster and fashioned teeny tiny soda cans out of clay and affixed them with string to the car topper. It was a huge hit and Matt loved it. The cake was further unique in that as per tradition for all other weddings, the cakes were yellow, but she made an exception this one time to the surprise and delight of all of Matt’s family. It was also quite tasty. 😉

It was a great evening and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thank you, Tessie and Matt, for having us out to document your wedding for you!

Take a look below at a sneak peek, then view a slideshow of some of our favorites.