August 5, 2018 • Chateau Morrisette Winery, Floyd
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Photos by Jared Ladia
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Natalie Vance and Jeff Wendling’s first date was getting ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. It went so well that their second date was a road trip to Fincastle to meet her parents. “That was when we truly fell in love,” says Natalie, adding that visiting family gave them the chance to disconnect from technology and focus on each other. The couple lives in Westerville, Ohio, where Natalie is a fashion designer and Jeffrey works in pump manufacturing, but “Virginia is where our love story began and where Jeff proposed at my grandmother’s house in McLean. It’s why we chose to be married here,” says Natalie.
Avid hikers, the couple selected Chateau Morrisette Winery in Floyd, where Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains provided the perfect natural setting for the outdoor ceremony. White and cream-colored blossoms nestled in greenery lined the aisle and set the stage for the enchanted experience Natalie wanted for her guests. “My main focus was on the lighting and floral designs,” she says. “I wanted them to enhance the natural surroundings rather than distract.” Inside the rustic winery, tall arrangements of curly willow and delphinium in gold vases added texture and a softness to the space in a counterpoint to the heavy beams overhead. The most meaningful parts of the day were not during the reception, however. “Seeing Jeff when I was walking towards him and holding onto my dad’s arm were the most memorable moments,” says Natalie, “and seeing my mom as I had just put on my wedding dress.”
Details
Photographer: Jared Ladia, Roanoke, JaredLadia.com | Planner: Sally Truslow, Chateau Morrisette Winery, Floyd, TheDogs.com | Floral Design & Rentals: Gloriosa, Roanoke, FlowersByGloriosa.com | Gown: Essense of Australia, Wendy’s Bridal, Dublin, Ohio, WendysBridal.com | Hair & Makeup: GLAMHOUSE Day Spa, Roanoke, GlamHouseDaySpa.com | Paper: Appalachia Press, Roanoke, AppalachiaPress.com | Caterer: Chateau Morrisette Winery, Floyd, TheDogs.com | Music, Ceremony & Reception: DJ Alan Dever, Roanoke | Lighting: Stage Sound, Roanoke, StageSound.com
This article originally appeared in our Weddings 2019 issue.
