Naturallyin
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Love West Virginia’s
ULTIMATE WEDDING GUIDE Real Weddings, Venues, Bouquets & More!
SPRING/SUMMER 2017
volume 9, issue 1 published by New South Media, Inc. 709 Beechurst Ave., 14A, Morgantown, WV 26505 304.413.0104, mywvwedding.com
editor Nikki Bowman, nikki@newsouthmediainc.com art director Carla Witt Ford, carla@newsouthmediainc.com managing editor Mary Wade Burnside, marywade@newsouthmediainc.com associate editors Zack Harold, zack@newsouthmediainc.com Pam Kasey, pam@newsouthmediainc.com operations manager Allison Daugherty, allison@newsouthmediainc.com web and social media manager Katie Jarrell, kjarrell@newsouthmediainc.com interns Cami Coulter, Cody Roane, Anna N. Saab, Kristen Uppercue, Julian Wyant contributors Kaylyn Christopher, Monica Orosz, Julie Perine, Christine Snyder advertising and marketing director Heather Mills Berardi, heather@newsouthmediainc.com advertising Heather Mills Berardi, Mary McCloy, Angie Retton back issues Back issues may be purchased at mywvwedding.com or by calling 304.413.0104. editorial inquiries Please send queries to wvweddings@newsouthmediainc.com.
WV Weddings is published by New South Media, Inc. subscription rate: $10 for 1 year, $18 for two years. Subscribe online at mywvwedding.com or call 304.413.0104.
frequency: Biannual Š New South Media, Inc. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher.
2 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
EDITOR‘S LETTER
spring is here and with that our Spring/Summer issue of WV Weddings. With each issue, we bring you real wedding inspiration. We love our WV Weddings couples! They put a lot of thought into personalizing their weddings to make them uniquely their own. Take Dee and William’s wedding, featured on page 44. They chose to have a small ceremony at Carnegie Hall before the Chocolate Festival in Lewisburg. How unique is that? I love the bride’s bouquet—a simple but striking king protea flower. And one thing we know for sure is that no one can control the weather. As I write this, I am at a cabin in Canaan Valley in May and there is snow on the ground. Dee and William’s wedding was also dusted with a surprise April snow. The bride didn’t fret. She just added a fur stole. One trend we are starting to see is the rising popularity of elopements and micro-weddings. Like Dee and William, Marlisa and Chase, featured on page 38, are a great example. They were married at the Marion County Courthouse before having an after-event at Heston Farm, followed by a reception a couple weeks later in the Rose Garden at Ritter Park in Huntington. Chase says, “If we can be a role model for other couples who are wondering about having a wedding that’s different from what’s typical, we’d love that. Break the mold and do what suits the two of you—that would be my wholehearted advice.” At the other end of the spectrum is Hope and Jonathan’s wedding at Lionheart Chateau in Hurricane, page 62. This wedding spared no details. I love the multiple steeply pitched canopy tents shading the guests during the ceremony, and the stunning floral wall that served as a ceremony backdrop. This is a wedding worthy of a princess. Also in this issue, our Best of WV Weddings winners share their best wedding advice. From wedding registry ideas to wedding planning tips, you’ll get an insider’s perspective. If you have the chance, make sure you congratulate our winners—they are the best in the industry! Are you a WV Weddings couple? Was your wedding included in a past issue of WV Weddings? We want to hear from you! We are doing a “Where are they now?” story in an upcoming issue and would love to include you. Drop us a note, share a photo or two, and tell us when you were married and what has changed since that day—has there been an addition to your family, a new job, a new house, or some other exciting life change? Email us at wvweddings@newsouthmediainc.com. Congratulations to our couples! Thank you for sharing your special day with us!
nikki bowman, Editor Follow us on
and
.
facebook.com/wvweddings pinterest.com/wvweddings
Let us hear from you. We want to know what you think about the magazine, and we’d love to hear your suggestions. Email: info@newsouthmediainc.com Call: 304.413.0104 Mail: 709 Beechurst Avenue, Suite 14A, Morgantown, WV 26505 4 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
6 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
CONTENTS 24 PUTTING DOWN ROOTS Miranda and Lucas met in a most modern way. Then they began their lives together by exchanging vows under one of West Virginia’s oldest oak trees.
50 32
38
32 AT LAST
A love story, long in the making, gets its perfect day.
38 QUITE A CATCH
When baseball-loving strangers Marlisa and Chase met on Facebook, it was game on.
44 SWEET DREAMS Dee and William decided the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival would be the perfect backdrop for their elopement. 50 LOVE AT FIRST DATE
62 44
57
Julia and Curt got stuck on a hill, ran out of gas, and couldn’t find an open restaurant. That gave them more time to fall in love. 57 SMOOTH SAILING
After a memorable waterside proposal, Mallory and Matt’s wedding ceremony focused on fun, friends, and family.
62 ONCE UPON A TIME When Hope met Jonathan, a princess ended up finding her prince. Then she rode to their nuptials in a Cinderella carriage.
24
cover photo Mallory Gianola spends some quiet time in the beautiful setting of Stonewall Resort following her wedding to Matthew Beccio. Photo by Lisa Blume Photography mywvwedding.com | 7
CONTENTS 13 BEST OF WV WEDDINGS We asked, you answered. Find out the best wedding vendors the Mountain State has to offer. 71 WEDDING REGISTER
Forty-five couples tell their stories in the pages of our wedding register. 161 ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS These couples are preparing for their “I do’s.”
13
169 RESOURCE GUIDE
Let them eat cake and smell the roses! Explore these great options for caterers, bakers, florists, bridal shops, and more.
173
173 VENUE GUIDE Whether you are looking to tie the knot in an upscale hotel or with a picturesque mountain as a backdrop, this list of top venues will guide you to the perfect place for your perfect wedding. 176 COUPLES REGISTER INDEX An alphabetized listing of our wedding couples.
161 8 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
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CONTRIBUTORS
KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER
Kingwood native Kaylyn Christopher is a graduate of West Virginia University, where she studied journalism and philosophy while running track and cross country for the Mountaineers. She worked in the newspaper industry and as a communications professional for both WVU and the University of Virginia before deciding to step back on the track, this time as a collegiate track and cross country coach at Salem International University.
KUIRSTA + SETH
Kuirsta + Seth, a husband and wife photography team based out of West Virginia, love working with their clients and consider their greatest accomplishment to be capturing genuine moments between couples, as well as natural connection and beauty. When not busy with everyday life—son Greyson, cuddling with three dogs, and remodeling their home—they love working with clients. kuirstaandseth.com
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AMBERLEE CHRISTEY
MONICA OROSZ
LISA BLUME
Pendleton County native Amberlee Christey has been a wedding photographer since 2007. From dresses to first dances, she loves everything related to weddings. Being able to witness and capture the love of two people is possibly the best job ever. She also loves making faces when her picture is taken, anything that sparkles, photobombing, her cat Nubs, cheese, traveling, unicorns, and ice cream. amberleechristeyphotography.com
Monica Orosz spent 29 years at the Charleston Daily Mail in positions including court reporter, business editor, assistant city editor, and lifestyles editor before leaving the paper in December 2013 to divide her time between West Virginia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She now freelances, which leaves lots of time for golf—she’s awful—and other outdoor fun. She’s an avid reader of the New York Times wedding section and admits to loving marathons of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress.
Lisa Blume is a fine art wedding photographer who travels worldwide to capture joyous nuptials on film. Her passion for natural light, emotion, and pretty little details keeps her searching for that perfect shot, even after shooting weddings for a decade. Incorporating Southern charm and urban sophistication in timeless and telling images is what she does best. lisablume.co
CONTRIBUTORS
THE OBERPORTS
LAUREN LOVE
JULIE PERINE
The Oberports—Emily Porter and Bobby Oberlander—are a married international award-winning photography team based in Charleston. They specialize in weddings, elopements, and various types of portrait sessions that highlight personal connections and the gorgeous scenery of West Virginia. The Oberports have been photographing weddings for nearly a decade. Their couples know them as easygoing, professional, and experienced storytellers. theoberports.com
Lauren Love of Lauren Love Photography considers herself a creator, a keeper of memories, an interpreter of light, and an artist who documents her clients’ lives with a careful, aesthetic vision. She loves the details of life and being able to tell a story through still imagery. Everyone is unique in their style, personality, and story, and she strives to produce images that reflect that individuality. laurenlovephotography.com
Julie (Hadorn) Perine is a staff writer with connectbridgeport.com and freelances for newspaper and magazine publications. When not writing, Julie likes to bicycle through Bridgeport and on North Central West Virginia rail-trails, fish with her family, and travel. She also works in her family business, Della’s Deli, in Bridgeport. Julie and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters and two sons and are the grandparents of two little girls.
CHRISTINE SNYDER
Christine Snyder, who studied journalism and history at Marshall University, worked as a copy editor for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland before settling in her native Eastern Panhandle. She is the managing editor of the Spirit of Jefferson, an award-winning weekly in Charles Town that has been around since 1844. She looks forward to time with her husband, a journalist and cartoonist, and her four daughters.
ALLIE BENNETT
Allie Bennett is a girl on a journey. In the last year, she took a sabbatical from shooting weddings to re-focus her calling as a photographer, and the wedding featured in this magazine was one of the last she shot before the break. She plans to reopen her boudoir studio—Studio 619—in the Parkersburg area this spring. studio619boudoir.com
mywvwedding.com | 11
Top 10 Covers -
The staff of WV Weddings shares the beautiful photos we considered for this issue’s cover. Here are the winner and top runners-up.
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FINALISTS
1. Mallory Gianola & Matthew Beccio, photographed by Lisa Blume Photography 2. Marlisa Lake & Chase Day, photographed by Kuirsta + Seth 3. Dee-Marie Tormon & William Artrip, photographed by The Oberports 4. Ashley Berg & Jeremy Hinkle, photographed by Brashear Photography 5. Miranda Swisher & Lucas Cox, photographed by The Oberports 6. Erin Pennington & Matthew Weston, photographed by Alex Chaney Photography 7. Laiken Paugh & Jonathan Beckley, photographed by Kuirsta + Seth 8. Meredith Maness & William Bynum, photographed by The Oberports 9. Nicole Brown & Colin McLain, photographed by Brittany Anderson Photography 10. Alexandra Cook & David Bullard, photographed by Lauren Love Photography
9 12 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
10
Awards
We asked the winners of the Best of WV Weddings to do what they do best—give us advice on how to create the most fabulous, breathtaking, and memorable weddings. Here are tips and trends from those in the know on Mountain State nuptials.
•
BEST JEWELER
•
Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry
CARLA WITT FORD
Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry’s tips on what to consider when buying an engagement ring. Lifestyle and personal style
Your budget
Ring size
Buying insurance
Lifestyle is certainly not as important as personal style and what will look pleasing to your partner. But for active people, it would be wise to stick with diamonds and to avoid alternative gems such as emeralds that are softer and less durable.
It is a good idea to have a budget in mind, as we never want to see customers overextend themselves. At the same time, it is a once-in-alifetime purchase and we offer many payment and financing options.
If you can find out the ring size beforehand, that is great. If not, the ring can be sized afterward. It is always better for the ring to be a little large rather than small, so it will make it onto the finger.
Every ring should be insured, and all rings come with written appraisals for that purpose. Jewelry can be insured either through a rider policy on homeowners’ or renters’ insurance or through a stand-alone policy.
1070 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive, Morgantown, 304.599.6981, jacquelinesfinejewelry.com mywvwedding.com | 13
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
BEST HISTORIC VENUE | BEST RESORT VENUE
2
THE PRESIDENTIAL LAWN, private and lush with greenery, florals, and water fountains.
1
THE GREENBRIER CHAPEL—the new church has taken off and shot to No. 1.
3
THE SPRING HOUSE, the resort’s iconic structure.
4
THE NORTH GARDEN, with the grand exterior of The Greenbrier as your backdrop.
5
COLONIAL LOUNGE AND TERRACE— exchange vows under Dorothy Draper’s oversized bows.
The Greenbrier’s wedding planner, Maren White, discloses the five most popular locales at the famed resort to hold a wedding ceremony. 300 West Main Street, White Sulphur Springs, 855.453.4858 greenbrier.com 14 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
HOPKINS STUDIOS FOR JILL JUSTICE
The Greenbrier
3
TIME WINN ER
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
INVITATIONS & STATIONERY
Yours Truly Invitations 2
TIME WINNER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Rebecca Devono
Rebecca Devono’s tips for a grand send-off: The Sparkler Exit Select the longest sparklers you can find. Shorter sparklers burn out quickly. Have matchbooks for everyone so guests do not have to share two or three lighters. When the DJ announces the sparkler exit, let the photographer take charge to direct guests where to stand and when to light the sparklers. A discussion between the couple and the photographer before the wedding is a great idea.
Lindsey Smith of Yours Truly Invitations lists top trends in invitations.
1. Couples are going back to classic high-quality printing methods: a lot of pressed gold foil, traditional letterpress, and raised thermography. They’re using simple, clean, elegant designs and beautiful, heavy card stocks. 2. Elegantly cut laser folder enclosures: The hottest-selling designs feature a delicate laser folder that opens like a flower to reveal a simple and elegant printed invitation.
3. Romantic and feminine watercolors are very hot right now. Yours Truly Invitations partners with a local watercolor artist who is available to paint custom art. 4. Deep, moody, masculine colors are often paired with copper and gold for accent colors. 5. Patterned and custom-printed envelope liners are also very trendy and a great way to personalize invitations.
304.893.3760, yours-truly-invitations.com
3
TIME WINNER
The photographer needs to examine the exit area before the wedding at around the same time of day to determine whether there will be existing light from light posts or buildings. Don’t make a run for it. The slower you walk, the more photos you will have coming through the line with the sparklers. This is good advice for the bride’s walk down the aisle, too. This is your send-off. Smile at your guests, smile at each other, laugh if you want to, and have fun! At the end of the line, stop for a sweet kiss. The sparklers will still be lit and you’ll love having that moment captured in a photo!
REBECCA DEVONO PHOTOGRAPHY; LINDSEY SMIITH
rebeccadevono.com
CAKES & DESSERTS
The Cupcakerie 3
TIME WINNER
Red Velvet
The Cupcakerie’s five most popular wedding cupcake flavors
Loco Cocoa
Strawberry Pink Champagne
P’Nutty for Chocolate
Very Vanilla
194 Willey Street Morgantown 304.212.5464 thecupcakerie.com mywvwedding.com | 15
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY
As You Are Boudoir
Jodi Hollingshead of As You Are Boudoir reveals the reasons a bridal boudoir session is a great idea. A gorgeous photo album makes an unforgettable gift for your soon-to-be spouse. You’ve been working on that wedding body, so why not show it off? Getting married is a milestone! Celebrate it by documenting who you are now. Make it your bachelorette party! It’s a chance to treat yourself to a luxurious, fun day during one of the busiest phases of your life. Incorporating items that represent you as a couple, some of your wedding attire, or special jewelry personalize your gift even more. You’re marrying someone who thinks you’re the most beautiful person in the world. You deserve to see yourself that way, too.
304.677.3276, asyouareboudoir.com
TRAVEL
Summersville Convention & Visitors Bureau Summersville Convention & Visitors Bureau’s unique locales to tie the knot in scenic Summersville. Serenity Point Summersville Lake Retreat & Lighthouse Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park Summersville Arena & Conference Center 3 Armory Way, Summersville, 304.872.3722, summersvillecvb.com
FLORIST
GILLESPIE’S FLOWERS & PRODUCTIONS
❀ Garden roses
❀ Spray roses
❀ Veronica
❀ Peonies
❀ Dried pods
❀ Eucalyptus
❀ Dahlias
❀ Succulents
❀ Hydrangeas
❀ Astilbe
377 West Main Street, White Sulphur Springs, 304.536.1881, gillespiesflowers.com 16 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
ASTERIA PHOTOGRAPHY
Gillespie’s Flowers & Productions loves to create stunning bouquets using these favorite flowers.
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
BEAUTY & WELLNESS | HAIR & MAKEUP
Tuscan Sun Spa
3
TIME WINNER
Tuscan Sun Spa’s pre-wedding beauty checklist. 12 months before Assess your weight and wellness goals and, if necessary, begin a plan of action.
3 to 4 months before Schedule a complimentary beauty consultation, a makeup and skincare session, and a bridal color consultation.
This is also a good time to begin monthly facials, microdermabrasion skin treatments, and waxing or laser hair removal.
1 to 2 months before Begin hair coloring sessions. Start having weekly manicures or get a full set of acrylic nails.
3 to 4 weeks before Schedule a practice hair appointment and bridal makeup preview.
1 to 2 weeks before Grooms should get final pre-wedding trims. Get final pre-wedding facials, microdermabrasion, facial waxing, and cut and color.
2 to 7 days before Get a massage plus final body waxing treatments. Get a hydrafacial for glowing skin.
day before Enjoy a bridal mani-pedi party. Hairstyles for rehearsal dinners.
day of
ZACK MCCORMICK OF TZM PHOTO
It’s finally time for the bridal updo and makeup, as well as wedding party hairstyles and makeup.
THE BIG DAY IS HERE! 482 Emily Drive, Clarksburg, 304.326.2204; 1013 Fairmont Avenue, Fairmont, 304.333.0281; 401 Boyers Avenue, Morgantown, 304.296.1325; tuscanspaandsalon.com mywvwedding.com | 17
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
MUSIC
Montani Music Ensemble Montani Music Ensemble can play anything from The Beatles to Bach for your wedding, notes violinist Jennifer Wood. Couples can be creative with styles of music or creating a theme. Montani Music Ensemble has fun doing new music and making it personal, unique, and memorable. The group has played everything from Bach and Mozart to pop songs by artists including Coldplay, Christina Perri, and The Beatles, as well as soundtrack pieces from Star Wars and the James Bond films. jenniferwood.net
REGISTRIES
Eggplant
Eggplant’s popular registry items for great gifts that will help stock your home. ❶ Frames—Mix styles, colors, and sizes. You will have lots of photos from the time of your engagement to your honeymoon. ❷ Serving trays and platters—Make sure to add a couple in different sizes and types.
❸ Bowls, like the cabbage bowl from Beatriz
Ball, pictured. You will be entertaining, hosting, and throwing birthday parties. Mix it up and add depth to your table.
❹ Casseroles—Beautiful, stylish, and
functional. From traditional ceramic to modern aluminum casseroles, all can be used for baking and refrigerating. glasses of all shapes and sizes, remember to include an ice bucket, tongs, napkin box with personalized napkins, bar tools, jigger, shaker, decanter, coasters, bar towels, and nut and snack bowls.
1011 Bridge Road, Charleston, 304.346.3525 eggplantshop.com 18 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
COURTESY OF EGGPLANT
❺ When planning your bar area, along with
PLANNING & COORDINATING
Little Black Dress
3
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
TIME WINNER
Misti Sims of Little Black Dress has walked many a bride through her big day. Here is what she has learned.
1
Hire a wedding planner or day-of coordinator so you have someone to manage your wedding day who isn’t the bride or a family member.
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3 4 5
Get referrals. Sims’ motto is, “Not all vendors are created equal.”
Always have a Plan B if you are having an outdoor ceremony or reception. Figure out your guest list and set a realistic budget.
Let the professionals do their jobs.
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7
Don’t get caught up in perfection. It rarely happens, and that’s OK because the majority of the time no one notices.
Don’t forget to eat.
8
Make the engagement period fun.
littleblackdressevents.net
B&B, INN, COUNTRY CLUB, OR CABIN VENUE
Cafe Cimino Country Inn
4
TIME WINNER
Melody Urbanic has planned hundreds of couples’ country chic weddings at this Braxton County charmer. Here’s her advice. ➻➻ Hone the invitation list. Do you have to go to their wedding? If
not, they probably feel the same way. If you are cost-conscious, an outdoor venue saves money on flowers and decor. It’s already beautiful, so you don’t need to dress it up.
➻➻ Really think about the menu and the style of dinner. Do you want a
more traditional sit-down, plated banquet? Do you want something more casual that allows people to move around and talk?
LIV HEFNER PHOTOGRAPHY
➻➻ Don’t control or instruct your guests with a lot of directions. Usually when people do this, they get less-than-desired results. We find guests don’t want to think that hard.
➻➻ Consider open seating for you guests at the reception and dinner. Most of the time, people are happier if they get to sit where and with whom they want.
616 Main Street, Sutton, 304.765.2913, cafeciminocountryinn.com mywvwedding.com | 19
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
WEDDING GOWNS
House of Fashions House of Fashions’ Keri Hays Snell’s top trends in wedding gown styles. LACE Whether it is beaded appliqué lace or delicate patterned lace, it is all very much in style and very sought after by brides.
SLEEVES More and more, brides ask for gowns with sleeves.
BALL GOWNS are coming back, from the full princess look to just a little bit of volume to make the bride feel extra special.
LOW BACKS Especially with summer weddings in full planning mode, brides are asking for low backs in their gowns, from full skin exposure to illusion backs with baby buttons.
SHEATH GOWNS Many brides are looking for comfort on their big day. Sheath gowns are becoming more popular because they aren’t heavy and have less construction and layers of material. The bride doesn’t get overheated.
121 Daniel Drive, Bridgeport, 304.672.5490, hofwv.com
it’s a tie!
REAL ESTATE
Old Colony in Charleston & Best of Canaan Old Colony’s five tips on buying your first home 1. Attend a home-buying class and learn as much as you can about the process. 2. Get pre-approved for a loan and determine what mortgage payment you can afford. 3. Find an experienced real estate agent who knows the area and the market to show you homes and negotiate on your behalf. 4. Decide what qualities in a home are important to you: size, location, style, other attributes. 5. Be prepared to have a down payment and to pay some closing costs. 1205 Virginia Street East, Charleston, 304.344.2581, oldcolony.com
Best of Canaan’s five reasons Canaan Valley is the perfect honeymoon spot. 1. Starry, starry nights paint the perfect picture for relaxing in a bubbly, bubbly hot tub.
2
TIME WINNER
2. Secluded cabins provide peace, quiet, and total privacy. 3. Mother Nature provides endless opportunities for seriously scenic photo opportunities. 4. GPS technology doesn’t work well here, so no one will be able to find you. 5. Best of Canaan has a lot of awesome rental homes and offers discounts to honeymooners. 6511 Appalachian Highway, Davis, 304.866.8680 bestofcanaan.com
CATERING
Oliverio’s Ristorante on the Wharf Polly Oliverio Washburn discusses the differences between a plated dinner and a buffet at your wedding. Figure out which one is best for you. PLATED ✓ Everyone at a table gets their food at around the same time.
help themselves to food.
✓ Courses can be spread out, and other activities such as toasts can take place between courses.
✓ Guests have more options, and it’s easier for them to choose which items they want and avoid those they do not.
✓ The caterer knows how much food to purchase, as it’s chosen in advance. ✓ Guests do not have to stand in line and carry plates of food, which could be helpful for those with mobility issues. 20 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
BUFFET ✓ Fewer servers are needed because the guests
✓ Buffets get guests up and walking around, which leads to more mingling and interaction. 52 Clay Street, Morgantown, 304.296.2565 oliveriosristorante.com
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
4
TIME WINNER
it’s a tie!
HOME FURNISHINGS & DÉCOR
Chuck’s Furniture & Wells Home Furnishings Chuck’s Furniture’s five tips on choosing the best mattress for sweet dreams.
HOTEL OR CONFERENCE/ CONVENTION CENTER VENUE
CARLA WITT FORD; COURTESY OF CHUCKS FURNITURE; COURTESY OF WELLS HOME FURNISHINGS
The Blennerhassett Hotel The Blennerhassett Hotel is the perfect place for a timeless wedding. Here are the staff’s tips on how to pull that off. 1. Pick the perfect canvas A venue that lends itself to elegance and class. A tone-on-tone ballroom or property allows many classic palette options to mix in with a couple’s decor. 2. Family traditions At the historic property, it is only fitting to pull in traditions that have been passed down through generations, such as jewelry, brooches, handkerchiefs, or a family Bible. 3. Stay away from too many trends If you truly want a wedding that is timeless, consider avoiding the latest fashion in gowns, hairstyles, florals, or even color palettes. 4. Choose classic cocktails and music You can never go wrong with champagne or favorites such as an Old Fashioned or a Tom Collins. As for getting your party on the dance floor, guests of all ages will always enjoy icons such as Frank Sinatra, Etta James, and “As Time Goes By” singer Dooley Wilson. 5. Impeccable service From valet and exquisite cuisine to set-up and tear-down, choose a venue and staff that can take care of you and your guests. The Blennerhassett Hotel has the staff and an on-site wedding coordinator to help you create the wedding of your dreams. 320 Market Street, Parkersburg, 304.422.3131, theblennerhassett.com
➀
➁
Shop for a new mattress every eight to 10 years.
Check out different types of mattresses.
➂ Spend at least 15 minutes lying on each one.
➃
➄
Upgrade sleep accessories such as pillows, mattress, and protectors.
Consider your partner.
77 Lawless Road, Morgantown, 304.292.7621, chucksfurniture.com
Wells Home Furnishings offers guidelines on selecting home décor as you begin a new journey in your home together. ❤❤ Consult the professionals. A good design consultant can help you with many aspects of furniture buying.
❤❤ Buy to a plan. Buying furniture
without a good plan that does not take into account how items will fit and function well in your space often leads to costly mistakes.
3
TIME WINNER
❤❤ Know your budget. A good design consultant can help educate you on what you can expect in terms of quantity and quality furnishings with your budget in mind.
❤❤ Compromise for quality. Buying quality pieces for your home is always a good investment. If it’s not in the budget to buy everything initially, buy in phases.
❤❤ And finally, enjoy! With the right help from good design consultants who know their products and take the time to listen to your ideas, buying for your new home will lead to happy beginnings.
101 Bowers Road, Charleston, 304.343.3600; 1040 Fairmont Road, Morgantown, 304.322.2129; wellshome.com mywvwedding.com | 21
BEST OF WV WEDDINGS
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TI M E W IN N E R
FAVORS AND UNIQUE GIFTS
Tamarack Tamarack’s hottest-selling unique wedding gifts that really are the Best of West Virginia.
HONEY, MUSTARD, AND PUMPKIN BUTTER from ThistleDew Farm, Uncle Bunk’s, and West Virginia Fruit and Berry
CERAMIC BIRDHOUSES from Clay Song Pottery
GLASS ART PIECES by Alex Brand
BLOWN GLASS RING HOLDERS by Tamarack resident artist John DesMeules
GLASS TUMBLERS from Ron Hinkle Glass
WEST VIRGINIA CUTTING BOARD by Matt Thomas of ThomasWork
1 Tamarack Place, Beckley, 304.256.6843, tamarackwv.com
Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, Oglebay & Snowshoe Mountain Resort
it’s a tie!
West Virginia has plenty of gorgeous outdoor scenery that provides natural space for sumptuous nuptials. Here are readers’ favorites.
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Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa offers the 10th tee gazebo for a wedding ceremony that will hit a hole in one. An outdoor reception can be held under a tent; the venue also offers indoor locations. Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Lakeview Drive, Morgantown, 304.594.1111, lakeviewresort.com 22 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
Oglebay Oglebay offers three great outdoor options for beautiful ceremonies. They include the West Spa Patio, featuring a stunning view of hillsides and Schenk Lake; the 10-acre Formal Gardens; and the Mansion Woods surrounding the Mansion Museum. Oglebay, 465 Lodge Drive, Wheeling, 304.241.2545, oglebay.com
Snowshoe Mountain Resort
T IM E W IN N ER
You can shout your love from the mountaintop at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, where spectacular weddings with plenty of scenery can take place on the Lawn, in the Expedition Tent, in the Boathouse, and at the Chapel. Snowshoe Mountain Resort, 10 Snowshoe Drive, Snowshoe, 877.441.4386, snowshoemtn.com
CARLA WITT FORD; MARK WEBB PHOTOGRAPHY; REBECCA KIGER FOTOGRAFIA; COURTESY OF SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN RESORT
BEST OUTDOOR VENUE
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Put a Ring on It
Once you get that diamond on your finger, you can call your friends and family, you can shout it from the mountaintop—or you can post it on Instagram for the entire world to see. Here are some beautiful rings we found from West Virginia.
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1. Tiffany & Kevin Willis, by Kelli Carrico Photography 2. Louisa & Brandon Koch, by Renee Crabtree Photography 3. Katie & Ryan Martin, by Kristin Hurley Photography 4. Sara & Evan Sestito, by Chelsea Hellen Photography 5. Kate Vaiknoras & Mike Johnson, by Jasmine White Photography 6. Hanna Weaver & Tim Turner, by Hanna Weaver 7. Alexandra Buss & Eric Adams, by The Oberports 8. Caitlyn & Cory Dove, by Kelli Carrico Photography 9. Jessica & Brian Fike, by Kristin Hurley Photography 10. Marissa Grace & Anthony Nortz, by Lavender Photography 11. Franki Parsons & Nick Biesecker, by Franki Parsons
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Roots
PUTTING DOWN
After meeting in a most modern way, Miranda and Lucas begin their lives together by exchanging vows under one of West Virginia’s oldest oak trees. written by
Mary Wade Burnside • photographed by The Oberports
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just one look. that’s all it took. After exchanging vows underneath one of the oldest oak trees in West Virginia, Miranda Swisher and Lucas Cox had their first dance on The Gaines Estate’s white-columned porch, brightened with sheer, wispy white gossamer and a chandelier, to the song “Just One Look.” And why not? It summed up the story of how they met, so much so that when Miranda recited her vows—handwritten in cursive on a piece of paper—she uttered the lyrics to Lucas. Later that evening, in order to cinch the sentiment, a recording of Doris Troy belting out the 1963 song would ring out as the newlyweds “laughed and cried and danced to our own beat,” as Miranda would later say. Nearly three years after she and Lucas first met, it still amazes Miranda just how easy it would have been for them never to have come into each other’s orbits. Not only did they find one another on social media, they actually met through an app called Tinder, where first impressions truly, madly, and deeply mean everything. All the smartphone user sees is a photo of someone. Only if both users swipe to the right can they communicate. To illustrate just how meant-to-be it was, Miranda notes that she only joined Tinder on a Sunday at
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the urging of a girlfriend; she first saw Lucas two days later. What’s more, she had put down roots in Charleston, while he was living in his hometown of Springdale, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh. That distance was too far for the app to detect each other’s signals. But as fate would have it, Miranda had traveled to her native Grafton to stay with her parents before a business trip to Weirton. “And it picked him up,” she says. “Thank goodness.” Thank goodness indeed. “I felt a little click there, a little vibe,” Lucas says. “Obviously, we liked each other enough to say, ‘Why not?’” After exchanging messages for two days, they graduated to telephone conversations. “We’d talk every night for two to four hours,” Miranda says. That went on for two weeks. “He’s such a talker.” And then it was time to walk the walk—figuratively, and, as it would turn out on their long first date, literally. They made plans to meet up in Morgantown to attend a West Virginia University football game, convening at the Waterfront Place Hotel with a group of friends so they could ride together to the game and, also, “so I knew we would be around a lot of people,” Miranda says.
She remembers the first time she laid eyes on Lucas—although during their two weeks of phone conversations, she had thought, “Fingers crossed that he didn’t send me fake pictures.” She needn’t have worried. “When he got out of the car I about died. He is 6'4", 260 pounds. He looks like he’s a retired football player. He looked like a million bucks, wearing tight jeans and cowboy boots.” Once again, just one look is all it took—at least for her. “When I saw him, I said, ‘That’s him.’ I knew he was the one.” She thinks Lucas took longer to decide, but he was pretty smitten too. “I still remember her getting out of her car and thinking, ‘Oh boy, I’m way out of my league. I don’t know how I’m going to impress her,’” he says. “But I knew the best thing I could do was be myself. I wouldn’t want her one day to discover that this wasn’t really Lucas.” Neither one can remember who WVU played that day. “I wasn’t focused on the game,” Miranda says. In fact, she could not stop beaming. This time, she was reminded of another song released more than a halfcentury after “Just One Look”—one by The Weeknd that features the refrain, “I can’t feel my face when I’m with you, but I love it.” “I remember telling everyone that my face hurts so bad from smiling.” She certainly felt comfortable enough with Lucas to walk from Milan Puskar Stadium back to the hotel, stopping at Mountain State Brewing Company for food and discussion. “It felt like it was Lady and the Tramp— just the two of us,” Lucas remembers.
long distance, short courtship
Miranda and Lucas exchanged vows under an old oak tree on The Gaines Estate; guests sat on benches in the field. The
couple and Miranda’s man of honor made a lot of the décor for the event, including planters created from logs filled with succulents.
After that auspicious first date, Miranda and Lucas were an instant couple. Alas, her life was in Charleston, where she works as a senior clinical sales representative for a medical technology firm. And he had to finish his associate degree in electric utility technology at Westmoreland County Community College. They took turns on weekends driving the nearly four-hour distance as they dated for nine months before he graduated. In May 2015, Lucas moved to Charleston to be with Miranda, getting a job as a lineman with American Electric Power. And then, in another seven months, they were engaged. It happened at a post-Christmas party for Miranda’s job. “One of the surgeons got up to give a toast before we ate and asked if anyone had anything else they wanted to say,” Miranda remembers. “And that’s when Lucas got up and proposed.” It was sort of spur of the moment—Lucas had informed everyone when Miranda made a trip to the powder room. Because they already had been ring shopping, the question would not be a surprise, but Lucas wanted the timing to be. “For me it was finding an authentic moment where she was around people she loved. I know she didn’t know when it was going to happen.” Tears flowed on both sides as he dropped to one knee and presented Miranda with a stunning Ashoka-cut diamond engagement ring. “He cried and I cried,” she says. mywvwedding.com | 27
During the wedding, everything down to the wooden cutting board used as a cheese tray and the log that served as a cake plate matched the
ambience of The Gaines Estate; moss decorated tables and showcased Miranda’s Ashoka-cut engagement ring.
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a brief time to plan a life of bliss
During the reception, Miranda and Lucas had the head table to themselves while guests sat at two long tables perpendicular to the couple. Lights strung overhead helped to decorate the space. Gold charger plates, white bread-and-butter plates, and floral dinner plates coordinated nicely on the on the tables. The couple’s love of Mexican food inspired a feast that included tacos, fajitastyle veggies, grilled tortillas, and rice, along with chips, salsa, and cheese dip.
Their wedding date a mere five months later—May 28, 2016— might seem daunting to some, but not to Miranda and Lucas, who had been plotting details of the big day before they even got engaged. Miranda even had a locale in mind—a 200-acre property filled with rhododendrons, mountain laurel, and tall trees in downtown Fayetteville, next door to Pies & Pints. The Gaines Estate had been purchased by three couples in 2012 and was being transformed into an event venue. “I saw a beautiful wedding video of a couple who had gotten married the year before,” Miranda says. “I reached out to the bride on Facebook and asked her if she would mind getting on the phone with me and discussing it. She was a big help.” Miranda and Lucas’ wedding would be only the second one to take place at the estate since the purchase, and remodeling was not complete. That meant extra planning on the part of the couple—such as bringing in a restroom trailer. Electricity at the Colonial Revival house—built by Theophilus Gaines in the 1920s—powered the chandeliers and the DJ’s set-up; a portable generator was brought in for the trailer as well as for the dining and tent area, says estate co-owner Bill Wells. The event really turned into a DIY affair, Miranda says, with help from Miranda’s man of honor, Christopher Eggleton, who ended up starting his own event rental business, Vintage + Moss. “We built a lot of stuff for the wedding,” Miranda says. “We built the bar, and we made all the favors.” Those were planters branded with the couple’s initials and the wedding date that they filled with succulents and set on the tables for decoration. They also hand-picked moss—which would be used to decorate tables—for three weekends straight at Eggleton’s farm. The Gaines Estate provided the perfect backdrop for the wedding and reception as well as for the decorative scheme, which included farmhouse tables. Those were made for the event, says day-of coordinator Kathy Cobb of Defining Moments Party Rentals in Ripley. On the big day, Miranda and Lucas would sit by themselves at a small head table; the 150 guests would be seated at two long tables perpendicular to the couple. Moss, candles in glass globes, vintage plates, and muted colors harmonized with the natural beauty of The Gaines Estate; strings of white lights hanging overhead would brighten the space. “She pretty much knew everything she wanted,” Kathy says of Miranda. “She would say, ‘This is what I want,’ and I just had to make that happen.”
first look, personal vows
Because The Gaines Estate had not been completed, Miranda got ready for the wedding at the nearby Lafayette Flats. Miranda slipped into her fit and flare gown with a V-neck, deep V-back, and lace overlay. While Lucas dressed in another flat, his brother and best man, Devin, played guitar, and the two sang songs by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. “It was a great moment,” Lucas says. And then it was time for another one. A blue 1937 Packard picked Miranda up and took her to the estate for a first look mywvwedding.com | 29
As only the second couple to marry at The Gaines Estate in Fayetteville—and while renovations were being done— Miranda and
Lucas worked to accommodate guests. But they believed that the beauty of the location was worth it.
with Lucas. In his gray suit, blue vest, striped tie, green polka-dot pocket square, and a boutonniere made of a succulent wrapped in cognac-colored leather, Lucas faced away as Miranda approached him. “I put my hand on his shoulder,” she says. “He turned around. It took everything in me not to cry because of my makeup. It was sweet.” Soon after, the two were standing in front of friends and family under the 81-foot-tall old white oak tree with a forked trunk that split during the 2012 derecho storm. For Miranda, the split parts of the tree still joined at the trunk took on a different meaning. “It’s like two become one,” Miranda says. And then, so did she and Lucas. “I am so excited to spend all stages of life together with you,” Lucas told her in his vows. “Just one look, and I fell so hard in love with you,” she replied. “That’s all it took.” Because the couple loves Mexican food—“We could eat it 365 days a year,” Miranda says—next up was a buffet featuring tacos, fajita-style veggies, grilled tortillas, rice, and a salad of black beans, corn, and avocado, with chips and salsa. “The most important thing was cheese dip and salsa,” Miranda says. As for the cake—simple and round with three white tiers wrapped with gold ribbon atop a log stand—“I wanted it to taste good,” the bride says. “I didn’t care what it looked like.” Then the newly married couple and their guests got down to some old-school dance jams after, of course, Miranda and Lucas set the pace with the song that summed up their first encounter. Even though it may have taken just one look to get the conversation between Miranda and Lucas started, it was the talks that ensued that really lit the spark between the two. They discovered commonalities such as a shared taste in music—from Tony Bennett to gangster rap—their extroverted personalities, and fondness for exchanging viewpoints, Miranda says. “Lots of people don’t have strong, thought-out opinions,” Lucas adds. “I didn’t want my wife, the mother of my children, to be going any which way the wind blows. I wanted somebody who was strong, who had an opinion, who didn’t always agree with me and who wasn’t afraid to say so. I wanted that kind of person to be the mother of my children.” And because Miranda and Lucas have no qualms about moving to the next phase in life, that time will be soon. About five weeks after the two mark their first wedding anniversary in late May, they expect to celebrate the arrival of their first child, a baby girl, in early July. 30 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
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At Last
A love story, long in the making, gets its perfect day. written by
Zack Harold • photographed by Allie Bennett
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can you fall in love and not realize it? sometimes. It’s like a painter standing too close to the canvas, obsessing over tiny details and continuing to make strokes without realizing the work was finished long ago. It will take a little urging, but eventually the painter steps back. The full scene finally comes into view. And everyone breathes the same sigh of relief. Finally. Alyssa Cline and Travis Parkulo both grew up in Beckley. They went to different middle schools but had a mutual friend, Sara Lilly, who went to school with Travis and knew Alyssa from church and dance class. One day Sara took Alyssa’s cheerleading picture to school. “She showed me her picture and I kept it in my locker,” Travis says. “She basically became my girlfriend right then.” Sarah also gave Alyssa Travis’s soccer photo. Eventually, Alyssa’s school had a dance where students were allowed to bring friends from other schools, and one of her guy friends brought Travis along. They didn’t do much talking that night—“I could tell she was really nervous,” Travis says—but soon started going on dates. They spent a few years as an on-again, off-again item. “Even in all those years I always liked him,” Alyssa says. But when they were in 10th grade, in 2007, they got back together and it stuck. They continued dating after graduation, when Travis went to West Virginia University after high school to study exercise physiology and Alyssa headed to Marshall for nursing school. The distance was challenging, though they traded weekends between Huntington and Morgantown when possible. When Alyssa finished her degree, she moved to Morgantown while Travis continued to work on his graduate degree. Then they moved back to Huntington, where Travis enrolled at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “Once we moved to Huntington and he was starting medical school, it seemed like everyone was always asking, ‘When are you going to get married?’” Alyssa says. To all their family and friends, marriage seemed like the next natural step. “My parents would ask me all the time, and then her parents,” Travis says. It took a little while, but eventually Travis and Alyssa stepped back and realized the scene was ready for the finishing touches. “Everyone was like, ‘Finally,’” Travis says.
popping the question
Travis bought Alyssa’s engagement ring while they were still living in Morgantown in 2014. She didn’t know that at the time, which meant he had to keep it hidden in their two-bedroom apartment. “I was constantly worried what was going on with it. At one point she almost did find it. I panicked,” he says.
While attending a friend’s wedding at Adventures on the Gorge, Alyssa fell in
love with the venue and selected it for her nuptials with Travis. Alyssa had a patch
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sewn into her father’s tie with her photo and the words, “Dad, I loved you first.”
In addition to a four-tiered cake, the couple had a peachcolored macaron tree for guests to enjoy. Alyssa’s sister surprised her with a box filled with letters
from bridesmaids and family members. Attendants wore gowns in different styles. Menu cards coordinated with the wedding colors.
The ring, still hidden, traveled with them when they moved to Huntington, where Travis continued to ponder the best way to propose. “I was really nervous. I wanted it to be really perfect. So I kept waiting for the right time.” It took about four months, but he finally landed on an idea. They went for an evening walk with their black Lab, Macy, at Huntington’s Ritter Park, where they often went for runs when Travis visited Alyssa at Marshall. “He kept saying, ‘I dare you to run up that hill,’” Alyssa says. She demurred, but he was insistent. “He finally said, ‘You really want to run up that hill.’” She took off, and halfway up she noticed Macy sprint past, suddenly wearing a different collar than earlier. Alyssa called Macy closer and noticed the collar was adorned with a small metal tag. On it were inscribed the words “Will you marry me?” Travis came walking up the hill, dropped to one knee with ring in hand, and—wracked by nerves and emotion— couldn’t find any words to say. “I was waiting,” Alyssa laughs. When the words still wouldn’t come, she answered the unspoken question “I said ‘Yes.’ He stood up and we hugged.” It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Travis was finally able to ask, “Well, will you?”
making plans
They began planning the wedding almost immediately but went months without picking a venue. It wasn’t until Alyssa was a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding at Adventures on the Gorge in Fayetteville that she knew that was where she wanted to be married. “I fell in love with it,” she says. “I had always imagined an outdoor wedding.” They contacted Hurricane wedding planner Cheryl Sullivan and AOTG’s wedding coordinator, Jessica Campbell, and set a date. mywvwedding.com | 35
For flowers, Alyssa enlisted the help of Bessie’s Floral Designs in Oak Hill, the same shop where she and Travis bought their prom flowers in high school. “I knew for sure I wanted her,” Alyssa says. Although she didn’t have a list of specific flowers, Alyssa knew she wanted something really colorful in hues of pink and purple. Florist Barbara Halsteenberg helped her pick peach garden roses and sweetheart roses, seeded eucalyptus, hypernicum berries, succulents, and light blue delphinium. And, with a stroke of luck other brides would envy, Alyssa found her wedding dress at the first shop she visited. She had planned to make a weekend of dress shopping in Cincinnati, Ohio. But at her first stop, Amanda’s Hyde Park Bridal, she found the gown she would wear on her big day. “I’d tried on a bunch of dresses and my mom brought this one over. It wasn’t one of the ones I’d originally picked out.” It was an off-white Pronovias gown with a mermaid silhouette, decked with guipure lace, beading, and gemstone piping around its V-neck bodice, straps, and low-cut back. She’d passed over the dress earlier, but it just didn’t catch her eye. Then she tried it on. “I think the simplicity is what did it for me. It was something I’d envisioned in my head,” Alyssa says. “I didn’t want a big fluffy gown, especially with it being an outdoor ceremony.”
the big day
It rained the night of Alyssa and Travis’ wedding rehearsal, but the sky was clear and the weather was pleasant by the time the ceremony rolled around. Alyssa walked down the aisle, trailed by a cathedral-length veil and carrying a bouquet wrapped with a sleeve from Alyssa’s mother’s wedding gown and adorned with a brooch that belonged to her great-grandmother. Ken Krimmel, the pastor of Alyssa’s grandparents’ church in Ripley, officiated the ceremony, and Sara Lilly, the friend who had exchanged Alyssa’s and Travis’ pictures in middle school, did a special reading in honor of the bride and groom. Andrea, Alyssa’s sister and maid of honor, walked Macy the black Lab down the aisle on a leash decorated with the same flowers that were in Alyssa’s bouquet. Once the ceremony ended, guests enjoyed cocktail hour by AOTG’s pool while the wedding party took family photos. Then, at the reception, everyone got to pick from a list of delectable entrées prepared by AOTG’s kitchen staff: sirloin with a mushroom glaze, chicken breast Rockefeller, pork loin with a chipotle peach sauce, and salmon in a red pepper cream. For dessert, there was a macaron tree, inspired by a display Alyssa and Travis once saw at The Greenbrier. Each layer was a different flavor, in a peach ombre color scheme. There was also a three-tiered cake from The Bake Shoppe in Beckley. It was covered in buttercream icing and crowned with a topper that summed up Alyssa and Travis’ whole love story: It simply said “Finally.” The main attraction of the night was the dance floor. “It was a blast. That was my main thing, I wanted dancing,” Alyssa says. “I wanted to dance a lot and I wanted everyone else dancing.” DJ Nick Scott kept the tunes pumping and guests grooving, some with light-up tambourines that Alyssa and Travis had ordered for the occasion. 36 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
The newlyweds had their first dance to the classic Randy Travis hit “Deeper Than the Holler.” Alyssa and her dad did a dance routine to a mashup of Bruce Springsteen’s “When You Need Me,” Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache (Jump on It),” and Johnny Cash’s “You Are My Sunshine.” Travis and his mother danced to James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is.” At midnight, all the guests came together on the dance floor for a customary “Take Me Home, Country Roads” singalong before sending off Alyssa and Travis through a tunnel of sparklers. But the party wasn’t over yet—Alyssa and her bridesmaids all jumped in AOTG’s pool, still in their dresses. Travis and his groomsmen then followed suit, as did some of the guests.
finally forever
After a relaxed day-after brunch with family and friends at AOTG’s Smokey’s on the Gorge restaurant, Alyssa and Travis left for a honeymoon at the Excellence Playa Mujeres resort in Cancun, Mexico. “We knew we wanted some clear blue water. It was awesome,” Alyssa says. They’ve made their home in Huntington, where Travis is still attending medical school and Alyssa works as a registered nurse. But even as they’ve settled into the routines of day-to-day life, guests still remark how much fun they had at the wedding. It was a fitting tribute to a love so long in the making. “Literally the wedding was perfect,” Alyssa says. “Not a thing went wrong.”
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Catch QUITE A
When baseball-loving strangers Marlisa and Chase met on Facebook, it was game on.
written by
Christine Snyder • photographed by Kuirsta +Seth
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for marlisa lake, just agreeing to a date with her future husband meant stepping away from conventional wisdom. Say “yes” to an outing with a complete stranger after an out-ofthe-blue Facebook message? Who does that? But when she and Cabell County native Chase Day first met up at Fairmont’s Heston Farm Winery, the baseball fans—he had played during his days at West Virginia State University and she’d been part of her high school’s softball team—connected right off the bat. Their conversation was still going strong as Heston Farm closed for the night, and once they’d both returned home, the date ended up going into extra innings when Marlisa texted Chase around 11 p.m. and suggested they head outside to throw a ball around and talk even though it was a Wednesday and both had to be up early the next morning. A year later they got engaged during a getaway to Austin, Texas, and soon after, both say, they realized many of the conventional choices about getting married would be off base for them. “As a little girl, I never dreamt of my wedding day or even thought about what kind of wedding dress I’d want,” explains Marlisa, who grew up in Texas and moved to West Virginia as a teen when her father and stepmother settled in Barbour County. As she and Chase homed in on the details of the kind of wedding they wanted, Marlisa says, they became convinced that a small-scale ceremony would be perfect for them. So Marlisa and Chase opted to have Circuit Judge Patrick N. Wilson marry them on April 15, 2016, at the historic Marion County Courthouse in Fairmont, with just 15 family members and close friends there to witness the ceremony.
a nudge from Facebook
Before that day arrived, however, the two had to meet and fall in love. It’s a cute story. Both Chase, a branch manager with Pioneer West Virginia Federal Credit Union in Huntington, and Marlisa, who works from home as an instructional designer for Baltimore-based online learning company Connections Education, often hear astonished reactions to how they ended up finding each other on Facebook. In mid-2014, Chase and Marlisa were both living in Monongah, outside of Fairmont. Though they’d learn on their first date they they were living within easy walking distance of each other, Chase and Marlisa’s paths had never crossed. They might never have met except that they had a common acquaintance among their Facebook friends, and one day Marlisa’s profile picture showing her with Oliver, her golden retriever, popped up on Chase’s page under “People You May Know.” Chase, whose career had taken him from Hurricane to a bank in Bridgeport nearly a year earlier, put in some careful thought as he set out to craft a message to Marlisa that would read as friendly, not creepy. “It was something new for me and I didn’t want to come off the wrong way,” he says. “I decided to try being a little funny and make a joke about her profile picture.” The key point of his message to his future wife, at the time finishing her master’s degree at Fairmont State and running a summer camp, read: “That’s a nice pup you have in your pic. You’re not so bad yourself.” His note did get the ball rolling. The two began to exchange pleasant messages, but when he proposed seeing a baseball game 40 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
or getting ice cream together, she turned him down. “Call me old-fashioned, but I’d seen enough Dateline episodes that start out with meeting someone online and end with the woman skinned alive in a basement. I did not want to end up on Dateline,” she says with a laugh. Then one evening, Marlisa and her sister caught up over chips and salsa and Marlisa got some advice about how to respond to the persistent young man her sister called “Mr. Online Guy.” Marlisa’s sister shared that her own boss had met his wife on Myspace and had been happily married for seven years. “If it hadn’t been for my sister saying I should give Mr. Online Guy a chance, I think I would have kept on saying no.” A day later, when Chase suggested meeting for dinner at Heston Farm, Marlisa accepted, though she decided they’d need to take separate cars. “Just out of an abundance of caution,” she says, laughing. “You know, the Dateline thing.” Their first date took place on a lovely summer night, with Marlisa and Chase seated outside and soon immersed in conversation. “Communication-wise, we found we had so much to chat about—we lost track of time and didn’t even realize we were the last customers there,” Marlisa says.
A historic and picturesque courtroom in the Marion County Courthouse served as a lovely location for Marlisa and Chase to
exchange vows. After the ceremony, the two had photos taken at the Highgate Carriage House in Fairmont. A naked cake was among
the treats served at their reception, held later at Ritter Park in Huntington.
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made sense to earmark money to hire Kuirsta + Seth, a Shinnston-based professional photography team whose work she’d admired for years. “That was one part of the day that I didn’t want to skimp on in any way,” she says.
the big—yet low-key—day
Marlisa donned her wedding gown featuring long, sheer, lace sleeves for the reception, and then changed into a shorter white dress midway through the event. The couple provided games for their guests to play.
small wedding = less stress
When it was time to plan a wedding—and with many relatives in different parts of the state and other family throughout the country—Marlisa soon saw that bringing together all their friends and family would translate into a major league challenge. “I realized I’d be fine with just a small ceremony,” Marlisa says. “When I talked to Chase, he liked the idea, too. I did wonder whether down the road we might regret not having a big wedding and so I started to ask people I knew—both those who’d had big weddings and also people who’d eloped or gone with a small wedding, and I didn’t hear anyone regret skipping a big wedding. For a lot of people, a big wedding had meant a lot of stress.” A small affair would let him keep his focus on his bride, Chase says. “I didn’t want to lose track of what the day was all about.” Then they begin to make plans. One traditional aspect Marlisa observed was to wear a gown. And even though she had not spent a lot of time imagining her future wedding attire, when the time came, she knew what she wanted—a classic, timeless look. The one she found at RoseTree Boutique in Kenova was pitch perfect— featuring long and sheer lace sleeves, a keyhole back, and a beaded champagne sash. One big advantage to going small was the overall price tag for their ceremony, the after-event at Heston Farm, and the May 21 reception. But Marlisa says she felt it
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Soon, the couple was headed to the 120-year-old courthouse at the corner of Adams and Jefferson streets, a Beaux Artsstyle building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “Knowing that I was going to spend the entire day with her was very relaxing and what I liked the most,” Chase says. Marlisa agrees. “It was refreshing to not feel an ounce of stress on such a happy day for us. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.” After a short ceremony in which the couple recited traditional vows, Marlisa and Chase posed for photos at Highgate Carriage House, another Fairmont landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. Those late-afternoon shots in soft sunlight, some taken near a stunning new fountain, are among their favorites. The couple then headed with the wedding party to dinner at a sentimental choice: Heston Farm. Weeks later, the newlyweds hosted a reception for some 60 guests in the Rose Garden at Huntington’s Ritter Park, featuring a giant Jenga game that they created, a make-your-own taco bar catered by Chipotle, and a berry-dotted naked cake dusted with powdered sugar. Chase jokes that having friends and family there was the icing on the cake. The two donned their ceremony clothes again; midway through the reception, Marlisa changed into a white cocktail-style dress. The micro-wedding and the celebrations that followed were absolutely the right choices, Marlisa says. “There’s not a thing about our wedding that either of us wishes we’d done differently.” Chase agrees. “If we can be a role model for other couples who are wondering about having a wedding that’s different from what’s typical, we’d love that. Break the mold and do what suits the two of you— that would be my wholehearted advice.”
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Dreams SWEET
After considering a large wedding, Dee and William decided the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival would be the perfect backdrop for their elopement. The April snowstorm made it all the more special. Mary Wade Burnside photographed by The Oberports written by
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dee-marie tormon and william artrip iv bonded through their service fraternity at Virginia Tech before falling in love and moving to his hometown of Charleston. But when he wanted to take Dee—not the biggest sports fan—on a trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, for a football game, she demurred. Then she agreed. And then she figured something might be up, so she painted her nails on the car ride there. It never hurts to be prepared for what may one of the biggest days in your life. “I didn’t want to have janky nails when I got that ring,” she says. It turns out, her instincts were correct. William suggested a hike before the game in spite of the chilly late November weather. The couple walked to a dazzling location in Jefferson National Forest—Cascade Falls. The sun emerged through the mist as they arrived, William remembers. As water gushed 66 feet over a jagged rock face into a pool below, William asked Dee to step up on a boulder to snap a photo. When she turned around, he was on one knee, with “a snowball of a ring,” a family heirloom. “And he asked me to marry him.” Her answer was a hug, and then a question: “Aren’t you going to put the ring on me?” He had a reply: “Aren’t you going to answer?” “Of course, it was a yes,” she says.
how it all began
It was the perfect place to initiate the next chapter of the lives— where it all had begun six years before, when William was assigned to be Dee’s big brother in Alpha Omega Pi at Virginia Tech in January 2009. William had been attracted to Dee when he’d met her the previous week. “I thought she was cute, and we just talked throughout that evening,” he says. Eventually, he got up the nerve to ask her out—but she did not realize it was supposed to be a date. “She ended up inviting a bunch of people to watch a movie at my house.” The second time ended up being the charm. They went roller skating at a rink. Dee definitely got the hint. “He was holding his hand out to keep me from falling,” she says. “He’s such a sweet person. It didn’t take very long after that once he made a move. He was such a gentleman all the time.” William also found himself falling for Dee. “She was fun and full of energy,” he says. “When she got passionate about something, it was full steam ahead. She didn’t back down. She was fun and spontaneous.” Early on, the two knew they would be together for a long time, Dee says. “I had never been in a relationship with so much transparency and honesty. I always felt completely comfortable being myself. We pair really well together.” So much so that, when they graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011, Dee, who had grown up as a city girl in Manhattan, did not think twice about following William to his home state, first to Morgantown for his first two years of medical school at West Virginia University, and then to the Charleston area for his last two. “A lot of people assume that I gave up a lot to move to West Virginia from New York, but honestly, I fell in love with it—with the hospitality, the home cooking, the landscape,” Dee says. “My life is richer, and I’ve learned to slow down.” Dee took on a job as office manager at his family’s dental practice in Lincoln County. “She just assimilated and started getting a little twang,” William marvels. “She went from Manhattan to Hamlin. She fit in real quick.” William eventually graduated from medical school and became an OB/GYN resident at 46 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
Dee and William did not anticipate such a chilly ceremony, which
took about 10 minutes outside of Carnegie Hall in front of family.
Dee decided that a single, large king protea flower would be stunning.
mywvwedding.com | 47
The Lewisburg Chocolate Festival served as Dee and William’s
wedding reception that followed their early-morning ceremony at
Carnegie Hall. The couple shared a chocolate toast.
CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital. The two began to build a life together, and marriage was the obvious next step.
from a big wedding to a big decision
After the big proposal at Cascade Falls, Dee dove right into wedding planning. “I had a guest list drafted in no time,” she says. “I spent a lot of days with my laptop, emailing countless venues, scouring wedding dresses. I made so many hypothetical budget breakdowns.” But the logistics of figuring out who to invite and how much it would cost began to wear on Dee. And then she toured a potential venue. “It was beautiful, but I never got that feeling. I felt guilty about not having an aha moment.” In early January, about six weeks after the engagement, Dee and William began talking about their upcoming anniversary of their first date, April 9. The two had a tradition of spending it at the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival. And that’s when the aha moment finally occurred. “I was way more excited to plan our anniversary than our wedding,” Dee says. “I jokingly said, ‘I wish we could get married at the Chocolate Festival.’ William saw the wheels turning in my head. The day was special to us, so we decided to go to Lewisburg.” From there, details began to fall into place. The ceremony location was an obvious one. As a Manhattan native, Dee grew up near the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. Lewisburg, of course, is home to a cultural center with the same name, also funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It seemed like fate. The two got permission to be married in front of the whitecolumned, Greek Revival-style structure. Although the initial plan was to elope, William quickly realized that their families should witness the nuptials. “I said, ‘Our parents are going to murder us if they are not there.’ I’m an 48 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
only child and she has a mom and dad and brother. We decided that if we just tell them and no one else, this is what’s right for us—this feels like us.”
a day filled with fun and chocolate
Most of the specifics that needed to be worked out centered around the ceremony. The Lewisburg Chocolate Festival and the town’s trendy and acclaimed restaurants would serve as the reception. The couple found officiant Erin Moynihan on a website. The three met—fittingly—at The Chocolate Moose in Beckley. A New Yorker like Dee, Erin immediately clicked with the couple. “I loved her from the beginning,” Dee says. “We both loved Pablo Neruda, and she helped me realize that I didn’t like traditional language.” Next up was a dress for Dee. The tight deadline made that search a bit difficult. So she tried Barbie’s Formals in Milton, hoping she could find a formal white dress. A blush mermaid gown with an illusion neckline and back turned out to be perfect. “I knew it was the one when I walked out of the dressing room and
Dee ordered silver rain boots when she heard snow was forecast for her April elopement. They came in handy as she and William walked around Lewisburg, taking in the Chocolate Festival. When it was time for their wedding dinner, they appreciated a champagneflavored cake.
everyone was complimenting me on the dress,” Dee says. “I was totally elated.” They also hired The Oberports to capture the day in a series of stunning photographs.
April snow showers bring a few nervous hours
When Dee and William began to envision their Chocolate Festival nuptials—scheduled for April 9, 2016—they anticipated the same pleasant spring weather they had experienced in the past. But as the wedding date drew near, the forecast changed by the hour. “The week beforehand, it goes from sunny to rainy then wintry mix and snow,” William says. That’s when Dee did some last-minute shopping. “Amazon Prime came to save the day,” Dee says. “I never thought I’d wear rain boots on my wedding day. But I bought silver rain boots and we got matching clear umbrellas.” A friend gave her a fur coat. “I ended up wearing that with the sleeveless dress. It was still pretty chilly.” Not only did temperatures dip into the low 30s, but snow also flew. As Dee got ready at The Historic General Lewis Inn, her father and brother, Brando and Brandy-Jae, as well as William, lined the steps and porch of Carnegie Hall with clear, gold, and silver candleholders filled with silver and gold candles; silver and gold Mason jars with tea lights; and silver and gold mercury votive candleholders with more tea lights. At 9 a.m., as snow fell, the party—which also included Dee’s mother, Mary Jane, and William’s parents, Carol Buffington and William James Artrip III—gathered for the ceremony, which incorporated not only Neruda but also Lemony Snicket. William had vows knocking around his head for a week, but the night before the wedding, he scrapped those thoughts and instead wrote this: “I promise to be there when things get tough and to walk hand in hand with you through those hard times. I promise
to always try new things with you and push one another out of our comfort zones. … I stand here in joyful anticipation of what life has in store for us.” Dee, who carried one giant king protea flower in various shades of pink—which conveniently, if not intentionally, coordinated with her hair color du jour, bright red—pledged to be William’s partner-in-crime and constant friend. It lasted about 10 minutes. “We were all pretty frozen at that point,” William says, although the 3 inches of snow on the ground made for a pretty backdrop. Dee wanted to walk around the Chocolate Festival in her gown, but the cold and snow motivated her to change into jeans and a warm shirt. She kept the silver boots on. Then it was time for chocolate: chocolate pecan bread pudding, white chocolate mango torte, moscato dessert wine in chocolate cups, chocolate martinis, and frozen chocolatecovered bananas with white chocolate strawberry shots. Dinner was at the Stardust Cafe, where, in contrast to the treats of the day, they sliced into their champagne-flavored wedding cake with strawberry frosting. “When you are at the festival, by the middle of the day, you don’t want to see chocolate again,” Dee says. Dee and William have no qualms about their unusual wedding day. “It turned out to be the best thing I ever did,” Dee says. “Even the snow—that made it more beautiful. The secret planning gave us something to look forward to. It was really stress-free.” Plus, they’ll always have Lewisburg and the promise to attend to the Chocolate Festival, just as they did on their one-year anniversary, which was a picturesque spring day. “Getting married on the day of the Chocolate Festival made continuing the tradition feel all the more special to us,” Dee says. “We couldn’t have celebrated our first year of marriage in a more perfect way than to return to what always feels like our little piece of heaven.” mywvwedding.com | 49
Love at First Date On their inaugural outing, Julia and Curt got stuck on a hill, ran out of gas, and couldn’t find an open restaurant. That gave them more time to fall in love. written by Monica Orosz
• photographed by Amberlee Christey Photography
S
seeing a group of soccer jocks stream into her hometown gym in Hinton didn’t faze Julia Durnan a bit. Her degree in athletic training from West Virginia University meant she was accustomed to being around athletes. “I had just moved back home and one of my best friends wanted me to run a 5K with her that June, so I was going to the gym to train,” Julia says. Among the players—a semi-professional team that was part of the Premier Development League—was Texas native and Bryan College of Tennessee graduate Curt Hays. Eventually, the two struck up a conversation. “There was a natural kinship,” he recalls. “We sat there talking and lost track of time. Three hours went by and I was going to be late for practice.” Things progressed as the couple got to know each other. If the relationship was founded on mutual fitness interests, it was forged on heavier topics such as faith. “Coming from two different Christian backgrounds—I was Catholic and he was Protestant—deep talks about our faith are what shaped our early relationship and laid the foundation for our marriage,” Julia says.
a great—and somewhat late— first date
On their first date, Curt asked Julia if she’d like to go somewhere and hang out. They ended up at Pipestem State Park, where a walk took them to the fire tower. They sat and had another engrossing conversation. It was getting late, so Curt suggested they get some dinner. “We drove to Princeton, where every restaurant was closed,” Julia recalls. So their first dinner together was a convenience-store meal from Sheetz. Curt mentioned that he knew a great spot to eat and drove to an out-of-the-way scenic location high atop a hill, where his truck, which didn’t have four-wheel drive, promptly got stuck. Then he ran out of gas. And his cell phone died. Julia didn’t arrive home until 6 a.m. From then, the two were a couple. As their relationship grew, they began planning a future together. Julia decided she would take a different direction from her degree, and she now works as a recruiter for United Bank. By 2015, she had moved to Morgantown with the bank, and Curt, living in Bluefield, Virginia, planned to join her as soon as he could. Early that summer, Curt and Julia visited the Bolar Lookout Tower, where they’d had their first date. Curt pulled out his smartphone to play “Forever Like That” by Ben Rector. He knelt down and popped the question as lyrics filled the air: “I wanna love you, forever I do. I wanna spend all of my days with you. I’ll carry your burdens and be the wind at your back. I wanna spend my forever—forever like that.” The couple decided to wed in June 2016, giving them about a year to plan everything. But then Curt had to spend time settling in Morgantown— coaching Fury Soccer and eventually beginning a job at Producers Supply Company in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania— and life got busy. The couple procrastinated on planning until January 2016. Julia credits energetic and creative friends and family with helping pull it all off in style. “We did it with lots of wonderful help,” Julia says. She and Curt wanted a 52 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
casual, outdoor setting, and a visit to the new Red Silo, a barn in Champion, Pennsylvania, sealed the idea. Even though it was January and snowing—and the venue was still in the final stages of completion—they knew the rustic barn setting was perfect. “Once we got our venue, I went dress shopping,” Julia says. She visited Morgantown’s Coni & Franc and found the perfect dress on sale. The strapless Pronovias fit and flare gown highlighted her toned arms and back, evidence of lots of hard work in the gym. She accessorized with strappy gold Badgley Mischka sandals. She didn’t want her four bridesmaids—her sister and three best friends— getting stuck with dresses they’d never wear again. “I said, ‘Hey ladies, pick long or short. I’m not picky.’” She suggested a gold or champagne color scheme, and all the attendants found something in that color range. Curt—whom Julia says is everybody’s best friend—was meanwhile having a hard time narrowing his list of groomsmen. “I tried all kinds of criteria to cut it down, and I couldn’t.” So he had 10 groomsmen to her four attendants—the more the merrier, they figured.
old friends + new life together
Julia’s college friend and maid of honor, Sarah McBride, jumped in enthusiastically to help plan many details of the wedding. An interior designer and owner of Reclaim Design in Morgantown, McBride says Julia is creative and has great taste by nature. “Often what would start as chatting and dreaming would turn into action steps by yours truly—I am a fan of a good action plan. That’s how most of the process went. She would dream it; I would write it down.”
Julia and Curt decided the Red Silo, a barn in Champion, Pennsylvania, would work well for their casual, outdoor nuptials. Curt‘s mom brought Texas
soil for him to stand on during the ceremony. Julia‘s Gram, Blanche Rupert, made “thousands” of cookies for guests to enjoy. Everyone could also
make their own ice cream concoctions. Julia‘s bouquet consisted of white roses, hydrangeas, and peonies with succulents, lamb‘s ear, and eucalyptus mixed in.
mywvwedding.com | 53
Julia and Curt‘s first dance as a married couple was to Etta James’ “At Last.“ After a
sparkler send-off, they traveled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for their honeymoon.
needed for the wedding. “Curt worked at the Farmhouse Café previously, where Raiko runs her shop, and we have been blessed by her friendship,” Julia said. Likewise, Julia chose photographer Amberlee Christey after meeting her at a wedding. “She made the process easy for us and was amazingly generous and thoughtful. She and her boyfriend made our table numbers and surprised us with the centerpiece marked ‘J & C’ on our sweetheart table.” Christey also provided many props, such as the glasspaned door on which seating assignments were written, and a window frame on which a Bible verse important to the couple was displayed. The couple knew they wanted a casual Texas-style barbecue at the reception, a nod to Curt’s roots, and The Stone House Restaurant & Inn in Farmington, Pennsylvania, delivered with a menu for 150 guests that included brisket, chicken, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, green beans, salad, and rolls. For dessert, the couple eschewed one tradition and embraced another. “Neither of us really likes cake that much, and wedding cakes are very expensive,” Julia says. “But I love ice cream.” An ice cream bar allowed guests to custom-make their own treats. They also enjoyed a table laden with cookies baked by Julia’s 88-year-old Gram. “A tradition in Italian weddings is a cookie table. My Gram is amazing—she said, “I’m on it.’ She made eight types of cookies and she made hundreds of each—there were thousands of cookies there,” Julia says.
Lone Star loam
McBride used Canva graphic design software to create wedding programs, menus, and other signage to pull together a cohesive look, which she described as crisp with a modern typeface and adorned with botanicals. Her assistance extended right down to helping Julia with hair and makeup the day of the wedding and putting together a wedding playlist with her husband, Kent, on the digital music service Spotify. “We kept it cool, indie, folky, smooth, and fun—just like them,” she says. Friend and florist Raiko Lynn Jack of Morgantown’s Rooted by Design not only created flower arrangements in muted shades that included texture from succulents, but also lent all of the glassware and vases Julia and Curt 54 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
Many memories were created during the June 18, 2016, wedding. Curt’s mom, Audrey Rhone, made sure Curt could say he was married on Texas soil by toting bags of dirt from their home state. When Julia walked down the aisle, “My heart was racing and I was excited to see my best friend down there,” she says. Upon laying eyes on his bride for the first time that day, Curt says, “It was just an absolute rush and flood of emotions. I was super excited and just trying hard to fight back tears. It was just like a moment I had been waiting for—for a lifetime really. She looked beautiful, on top of that.” The couple exchanged traditional vows under a white birch arch covered with eucalyptus that Curt and Kent McBride—husband of maid of honor Sarah McBride— constructed. And then Curt’s favorite part of the day took place: the sealing of the deal, the first kiss as husband and wife. “That was like the first announcement and first thing we did after we were married.” At the reception, Julia’s dad offered her a large box of doughnuts to make up for all the sweets she’d refused while she was preparing to look fit and trim in her gown. She and her dad danced to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl,” while Curt’s dance with his mother was to the Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish.” “It was just a beautiful day,” Curt says. “I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
Sailing
SMOOTH
After a memorable proposal, Mallory and Matt’s wedding ceremony focused on fun, friends, and family. written by
Kaylyn Christopher • photographed by Lisa Blume Photography
O
one evening two years ago, on the dock of Shem Creek Bar and Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, Morgantown native Mallory Gianola was fulfilling one of her final obligations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where she worked as an event planner. Everything was going smoothly when a sudden distraction started annoying Mallory. “There was this boat driving by, honking and making all this noise,” Mallory remembers. “They were really ruining the ambience of the event.” Finally, Mallory turned around to see just who was responsible for all the ruckus, only to find the least likely suspect: her boyfriend, Matt Beccio, holding a sign that said, “Mallory, will you marry me?” “When she turned around, I jumped off the boat onto the dock, got down on one knee, and proposed.” Emotion quickly overwhelmed Mallory. “I ugly-cried the whole time,” she says. As the tears flowed, Mallory emphatically nodded her head yes to spending the rest of her life by Matt’s side. Matt had originally planned to surprise Mallory with a sunset sailboat ride to the Charleston harbor, but that attempt was foiled when Mallory’s parents—Rocky and Vickie, in town ostensibly to house hunt—were unable to lure Mallory away from work. So Matt scrambled to find a boat that would be willing to veer off its intended course and sail to Shem Creek. “I basically commandeered someone else’s boat so that I could crash Mallory’s work event,” Matt says. The proposal was a huge hit, and according to Matt, the presence of Mallory’s coworkers and parents when he asked for her hand in marriage will forever be a meaningful memory. “Having everyone there really made it special.”
a match made in Linganore
Leading up to the proposal, Matt vividly recalls what he considers the defining moment of his and Mallory’s relationship. On their fifth date, Matt, a federal law enforcement officer, took Mallory to an indoor gun range to go shooting—something she had never done before. “We had a great time and I think she overcame her fear of guns a little bit,” says Matt, a native of Towson, Maryland. The couple decided to keep the good time rolling and traveled to Linganore Winecellars in Maryland, where they sipped on a seemingly endless variety of wines and hiked through the vineyards. For Mallory, the mountainous scenery immediately made her feel right at home. “It was a beautiful, picturesque fall day, and all of the rolling hills reminded me of West Virginia,” she says. “So I made Matt roll down the hill with me.” The blissful date served as affirmation of the connection the two had felt since day one. “That was when we both knew that it was going to be forever,” Matt says.
Mallory‘s wedding ring incorporated her grandmother‘s wedding band. Upon arrival,
guests received welcome bags featuring items significant to places Matt and Mallory have lived.
58 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
Mallory‘s mother found vintage cigar boxes and ashtrays for the reception cigar bar.
With a lake and the resources to give guests a boat tour, Stonewall Resort was a perfect wedding location, reminiscent
of Matt‘s unconventional waterside proposal that had him commandeering a boat and arriving at Mallory‘s work
event. Copper mugs gave extra style to the signature wedding drink, a Moscow Mule.
mywvwedding.com | 59
champagne popsicle wishes and homemade Pop Tart dreams Having spent seven years in the event planning industry, Mallory knew that organizing all the details of a wedding was a task she felt comfortable placing in someone else’s hands—especially with the other major life changes she and Matt were simultaneously experiencing. Matt had recently received a promotion, so he and Mallory were in the midst of switching jobs, relocating to Chicago, and house hunting. “The reality of going home for tastings and venue visits wasn’t likely, so I knew we needed a partner on the East Coast to make it all happen,” Mallory says. Mallory enlisted the help of Karson Butler Events, a Washington, D.C.-based wedding planner. “I had followed the company as a budding business on Instagram, and I knew I wanted them to be my planners,” Mallory says. Emily Butler of Karson Butler Events was eager to help Mallory and Matt carry out their vision for their big day at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke. "Mallory and Matt were dream clients to work with,” she says. “They were open to creative ideas and always put the guest experience first.” Rather than spending time on choosing a wedding theme or identifying wedding colors, Mallory and Matt were more concerned with ensuring that their 160 guests were having a blast. According to Butler, the couple was able to achieve just that while maintaining a soft, romantic atmosphere. “An understated elegance was woven throughout the wedding weekend,” Butler says. “Mallory and Matt’s love for the outdoors, family, and friends was always top-of-mind with each thoughtful detail we designed together.” The evening before the ceremony, the bride and groom arranged for all of their guests to take a sunset cruise on the resort’s boat, Little Sorrel, which sails along Stonewall Jackson Lake. While soaking in the views, everyone delighted in dessert, cocktails, and champagne popsicles. “That was one of the highlights of the weekend,” Matt says. “We had quite the turnout and it was a great chance to spend time with everybody.” Each guest also received a welcome bag that included crab chips from Maryland, pepperoni rolls from West Virginia, homemade Pop Tarts from one of the couple’s favorite bakeries in D.C., and Garrett’s Popcorn from Chicago—items that represented each stop on the couple’s journey to becoming husband and wife.
the big day
On July 16, 2016, a year after the couple became engaged, Matt and Mallory said their “I do’s” in the company of friends and family while surrounded by the countryside and tranquil waters at Stonewall Resort. “The sheer beauty of the venue is fantastic,” Matt says. “It’s like a hidden jewel.” Both Matt and Mallory felt calm and collected as they prepared for the ceremony that would soon take place in the resort’s Grand Hall. “I was nervous, but I never had cold feet,” Mallory says. “I just had this feeling that this is right, this is what it’s supposed to be.” 60 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
The Grand Hall of Stonewall Resort provided a light-filled and stunning space for a wedding ceremony. Reciting
the vows was Mallory‘s favorite part of the day, a heartfelt moment in which she and Matt could tell each other how
they felt in their own words. The couple provided cans of Prosecco for guests to enjoy at the receiving line.
The cocktail reception cuisine included grilled cheese squares with gazpacho shooters, along with the custom Moscow Mule bar. For
the reception meal, guests feasted on seared salmon with saffron aioli, peachglazed duck breast, and whole roasted
tenderloin. Guests received bags filled with ribbon wand streamers, bells, and noisemakers to greet the couple at the receiving line.
As Mallory’s father walked her down the aisle to a string ensemble’s rendition of “Simple Gifts,” the first look at his stunning bride in her lace gown was enough to break Matt’s calm demeanor. “I started to get a little bit choked up,” he says. Matt and Mallory wrote their own vows to add a personal touch to the ceremony. As guests watched the couple exchange wedding bands and kiss, little did they know what was waiting in the wings: Morgantown’s The Soul Miners, who broke into song during the recessional and played “Hallelujah I Love Her So” by Ray Charles. “That really set the mood and let everyone know it was time to party,” Mallory says. After the ceremony, Matt and Mallory were whisked away on a golf cart to take their first photos as a married couple. “That was the first moment that we were able to be alone together, with me in my dress and him in his tux,” Mallory says. “We were just enjoying being surrounded in nature on that beautiful summer evening.” Meanwhile, guests were transported to cocktail hour at the resort’s clubhouse. “The patio held the most spectacular views on the property, and we timed our cocktail hour during ‘the golden hour’ for guests to enjoy the magic of a West Virginia sunset,” Butler says. Upon their arrival at the reception, the couple danced hand in hand to “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges—their first dance as husband and wife. “We took dance lessons prior to the wedding, which was really fun,” Matt says. “So we knew we could pull it off and make it look good.” At their seats, guests found personal letters from Matt and Mallory explaining that a donation had been made in their names to the Emily Mangano Gianola Cancer Research Fund that had been established in honor of Mallory’s paternal grandmother, who had passed away from breast cancer. Throughout the evening, guests had the chance to sip Moscow Mules—the bride and groom’s favorite mixed drink— in copper mugs, and The Soul Miners as well as a live DJ kept the entertainment going with a mix of music genres ranging from Motown to Top 40. And in true Mountaineer fashion, the entire wedding party hit the dance floor for the final song of the night, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” “Having all your friends and family gather around you as newlyweds and belt out ‘Country Roads’ was really the icing on the wedding cake,” Mallory says. “It was such a fun and memorable way to close out the evening, surrounded with love and singing a favorite and meaningful song.” But there was another moment that sticks in Mallory’s memory just a little bit more: when the two read their vows. “The anticipation to read mine and hear his was almost overwhelming. It was such an intimate moment where both of our personalities shined through, and we had a chance to tell each other exactly how we feel, straight from our hearts, in our own words.” mywvwedding.com | 61
Time
ONCE UPON A
When Hope met Jonathan at a Halloween party, a princess ended up finding her prince. Then she rode to their nuptials in a Cinderella carriage. written by
Julie Perine • photographed by Lauren Love Photography
J
just before they were married in a fairy-tale setting, Jonathan Isaac Abdalla gazed out a window at Lionheart Chateau, awaiting the first look at his bride. When Emilee Hope Cook—dressed in a flowing, strapless ball gown with a beaded bodice—walked into the room, he was mesmerized. “She came up behind me and touched my shoulder,” Jonathan says. “When I turned around, I could see she was already lit up internally, but the light from the window shining on her dress added something extra. She was absolutely stunning.” Hope was likewise enamored. “I was so anxious about the wedding, and all I really wanted to do was see Jonathan,” she says. “He looked so handsome, and he was telling me how beautiful I was. He gave me an Affinity necklace with diamonds on it. I thought that was really sweet—saying that our love was forever.”
a trick-or-treat way to meet
But when Hope and Jonathan laid eyes on each other for the very first time, it was a very different scenario. The scene was Fat Patty’s in Huntington, four years before their June 2016 wedding, and the occasion was a Halloween costume party. “I was dressed as a cheetah and Jonathan had just gotten off work from Papa John’s, so he was in his pizza delivery uniform, trying to pass it off as a costume,” Hope says. Even though he had driven all the way from Charleston to make it on the promise of friends that a “cute girl” would be in attendance, Hope didn’t initially think of him as boyfriend
material. She, however, caught Jonathan’s eye. “She was a little shy but she showed off some nice dance moves.” The same friends who introduced them brought them together again weeks later, this time for a movie and dinner. They engaged in more conversation this time around. Jonathan learned that Hope had received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from High Point University in North Carolina and was pursuing a master’s at Marshall University. He was impressed. Jonathan, who had moved to Huntington, was working toward an accounting degree at Marshall, and he told friends that it was his long-term goal to win Hope over. From her perspective, she was flip-flopping on whether or not she thought they might have a future. But in May 2013, Hope rethought her feelings for Jonathan. Her cousin spotted him at a campus art exhibit with another woman. “I got super jealous,” Hope says. “After that, we started hanging out again and eventually I told him that I liked him.” This time around, their dates involved just the two of them. The met to play racquetball, eat dinner out, or see movies. When Hope moved to Lexington, Kentucky, to pursue her Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky, the relationship became long-distance. But they made it work, with their love growing stronger. “We usually only saw each other on weekends—about twice a month,” Jonathan says. He looked forward to seeing her more. In fact, he wanted to marry her. Though not a traditionalist, Jonathan decided to run the mywvwedding.com | 63
idea by her parents. “So I visited them in Teays Valley to ask her father’s permission,” he says. Hope had been studying hard for a test she had to pass to continue her doctorate program. It seemed the perfect time to catch her off-guard and boost her spirits. So on March 13, 2015, Jonathan showed up with roses at her apartment, dropped to one knee, and proposed. “I was shocked at first and asked him if he was serious. Then I was happy— actually, ecstatic,” she says. They celebrated with dinner out, then she resumed studying for her exam.
planning for a princess wedding
The next project was to plan a fairy-tale wedding, and the couple didn’t waste any time. “We got engaged on a Friday and by Tuesday we had set our wedding date,” Hope says. Her mom had already made an appointment for Hope to check out a potential wedding venue, and it was absolutely perfect for her regal wedding vision—Lionheart Chateau in Hurricane. “When I saw it, I knew we had to get married there,” Hope says. “It was just so beautiful and kind of reminded me of a fairy tale. When they said they had a horse and carriage for the bride to enter, that really drew me in.” With the date and venue set for their outdoor ceremony and reception, Hope already knew the wedding planner who could make the rest happen. “Andre had been a friend of my mom’s for years,” she says. “He knew what I liked.” Andre Baskin of D’Artagnan Events in Charleston had worked with Hope’s mom, Faith, to plan various parties and events. Hope had shared her dream of a Cinderella wedding with him. “I remember having a conversation with her about how I thought that was the perfect genre for her,” Andre says. “I remember telling her it was kind of my dream wedding, too.” They started planning the details a full year before the June 25, 2016, date. Andre already knew Hope’s favorite colors were 64 | WV WEDDINGS Spring/Summer 2017
Wedding planner Andre Baskin created a flower wall for Hope and Jonathan‘s wedding at Lionheart Chateau in Hurricane featuring the bride‘s favorite flowers—pink and purple hydrangeas and roses. With Cinderella
as her inspiration, Hope selected a ball gown-style dress with a sweetheart neckline and blue heels for her ensemble. Her uncle, a circuit court judge, performed the ceremony.
Lionheart Chateau provided the perfect space for the wedding and reception of Hope‘s dreams. Chandeliers
and drapery gave tents on the lawn an elegant look; even statues were decorated. The couple sliced into
their four-tiered square cake with white piping on white frosting in red velvet, chocolate, and vanilla flavors.
pink and purple and that her favorite flowers were hydrangeas and roses. He designed a flower wall that would be a focal point and a fireworks display to end the affair with a bang. With Andre handling the important details of the wedding, Hope needed to find the perfect dress—and it practically fell into her lap when she was out to lunch with her mother and one of her mom’s friends, who had plans to stop by The Boutique by B.Belle Events. “Belle worked me in and I tried on some dresses,” Hope says. “When I tried on the second one, my mom said, ‘I think this is your dress.’” It was just what Hope had always imagined. “I always knew I wanted a sweetheart neckline and a princess ball gown style.” Also essential to the affair was planning the right food— from menu and presentation to service, Andre says. That’s one department where Jonathan had some preference. “I’m a quarter Lebanese so I really wanted to incorporate those foods into the wedding,” he says. So they planned for guests to feast on hummus, grapes leaves, and kibbeh, along with summer strawberry salad, poussin, prawns, and a portabella mushroom stack. Because a royalty-laced wedding can be a bit overwhelming, Andre implemented some humor—to break the ice, so to speak. “In the front of Lionheart Chateau, there is a pair of bronze moose. We had some fun, putting a bow tie made out of this antique damask fabric on the male and a veil on the female,” he says.
Cinderella blue and a tiara, too
With everything and everyone in place, Hope entered in the horse and carriage, then proceeded down the aisle as a string quartet played the wedding march. Peering out from her princess gown were Cinderella-blue heels, and topping her ensemble was a tiara. Awaiting his bride, Jonathan wore a gray suit with a purple plaid bow tie and matching pocket square. Giving away his daughter—his only child—Hope’s dad cried. Jonathan says he was running on adrenaline. Though a fairy-tale wedding was Hope’s dream, she zeroed in on the most important element of the day. “I just focused on being married and having the love of my life there.” Hope’s uncle, Circuit Judge William J. Sadler, officiated the ceremony. The couple exchanged vows that they had tweaked and personalized. They promised each other to learn and grow and to explore and to have adventures with each other, to respect each other from that day forward, not only in times of joy but also in pain, not only in times of strength but also in weakness, and of course, to love and cherish each other all the days of their lives. Serving as the recessional was the theme from the film Aladdin, “A Whole New World.” After a honeymoon to Venice, Italy, and Greece, Hope and Jonathan started their new life together in Lexington, where Jonathan works as an accountant. They continue to pursue more dreams and goals. On the short list is a date to Disney on Ice. mywvwedding.com | 65
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OGLEBAY f photographed by Rebecca Kiger Fotografia
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Featuring 1,700 acres of lush, landscaped lawns, four golf courses, three restaurants, two swimming pools, a stately mansion and lake, and a plethora of activities, Oglebay in Wheeling, West Virginia, is a unique wedding venue that offers a myriad of options to customize the wedding of your dreams. From an intimate garden party ceremony to an all-inclusive destination extravaganza to a post-nuptial brunch for a small gathering, Oglebay is the pictureperfect backdrop to your special day. For more information on how Oglebay can transform your vision into the wedding of your dreams, call 877.436.1797, or visit oglebay.com OGLEBAY is where tradition begins—from your tailor-made wedding to your reception to the honeymoon afterwards. It’s a place where you will return year after year. You can choose among a variety of venues, such as the West Spa Patio that has a stunning view of Schenk Lake. You can then celebrate with a reception suited to your wedding size, from the rustic Caddy Camp to the graceful Glessner Ballroom. Oglebay is a canvas on which you can paint your perfect wedding, from elegant to rustic to anything in between. Developed after Earl W. Oglebay willed his mansion— now a museum—to the city of Wheeling in 1926, Oglebay has so many celebration options that it can host multiple weddings in one weekend. Guests can enjoy a weekend full of fun, food, and friendship without ever having to take a step off the manicured lawns. Golfers can choose among four courses—championship
greens designed by the late, great Arnold Palmer and Robert Trent Jones Sr., the 18-hole regulation Crispin Golf Course, and a nine-hole Par 3. After—or instead of—hitting a hole-in-one, a host of other activities beckon, including splashing around in the outdoor pool at the Crispin Center or the indoor pool at Wilson Lodge; paddle boating, fishing, and kayaking at Schenk Lake; visits to the Mansion Museum, Glass Museum, and the Oglebay Good Zoo; horseback riding, biking, and walking; or even skiing and the Winter Festival of Lights in December. The West Spa provides an oasis for the wedding party to get mani-pedis or guests to enjoy a relaxing massage. Guests can gear up for the day with a hearty breakfast at the Ihlenfeld Dining Room daily buffet, have a late afternoon nosh at the new seasonal, outdoor Garden Bistro, and wind down with dinner at Ihlenfeld or the Glassworks Grill.
Picture-Perfect Venues WEST SPA TERRACE
This popular and versatile location provides a rooftop feel with a stunning view of the rolling hillsides of Oglebay and Schenk Lake. Arrange your outdoor seating in a traditional style or opt for a more contemporary circular pattern. The area can be tented as well. ANNE KUCHINKA AMPHITHEATER
This unique 1400-seat outdoor theater is a customizable backdrop awaiting your creative wedding décor. It has been the site of many concerts and events since the 1930s and is perfect for large weddings. THE PINE ROOM
Built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, this beautiful facility overlooks the outdoor pool and features a large fireplace, stage, heating/air-conditioning, and catering kitchen, and has a dinner seating capacity of 350. FORMAL GARDENS
Nestled behind the Mansion Museum, Oglebay‘s 10-acre gardens have been restored to resemble the flowerbeds of the early 1900s. Visitors to the gardens are treated to a three-season kaleidoscope of color as they meander along the brick walkways past sweeping beds of vibrant blooms and hanging baskets. Improvements completed in 1994 made the gardens, arboretum, and outdoor theater area handicapped-accessible. This lovely spot is an ideal setting for an outdoor wedding ceremony, with a capacity of 150. THE OGLEBAY GOOD ZOO
With over 50 species, 20 that are rare or endangered, the Oglebay Good Zoo was dedicated in memory of 7-year-old Philip Mayer Good in 1977 and continues to thrive through the support of local residents. The Zoo is an open canvas for your wedding ceremony or reception. This facility will hold up to 100 guests for a unique, intimate wedding. CAMP RUSSEL AND CADDY CAMP
Built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, these locations represent the “rustic architecture” of the era that strove to blend interior design with the surrounding landscape. Heavy logs and exposed beams with stone accents provide the perfect backdrop for a rustic wedding. Caddy Camp is located at Crispin Golf Course and provides a secluded location for weddings or rehearsal dinners. Camp Russel is larger with a nearby covered pavilion and large open field. It has a capacity of 200. MANSION MUSEUM AND MANSION WOODS
Purchased by Colonel Earl W. Oglebay in 1900 as his summer retreat, the stately yellow Mansion Museum, operated by the Oglebay Institute, is a striking backdrop for wedding photos. The surrounding wooded acreage is another lovely option for a garden-style ceremony or reception site. SCHENK LAKE AND VISTA
This 3-acre lake surrounded by rolling hills is a romantic backdrop for weddings. A floating pier can be provided on the lake for your special day. The scenic vista framing Wilson Lodge offers amazing views of the surrounding countryside and Schenk Lake.
For more information, visit oglebay.com or call 877.436.1797
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A Feast—and Several Settings—Fit for a Fabulous Wedding Customizing is the name of the wedding game at Oglebay, when it comes to both menus and venues. For the reception on the big day, couples can choose among different packages—Diamond, Platinum, and Gold—featuring a four-hour hosted bar, hors d’oeuvres, a champagne toast, and a plated or buffet dinner. Depending on the tier, the packages can include breast of chicken stuffed with lobster, lump crab-crusted halibut, roasted tri-pepper crusted tenderloin of beef, and Oglebay’s own jumbo lump crab cake, plus a variety of sides, salads, and vegetables. A three-tiered wedding cake tops off the celebration. Customize your reception with a wide array of venue sites. Oglebay has several to offer, starting with Glessner Auditorium, an elegant ballroom that holds up to 400 guests, who can dance the evening away on an inlaid wood floor
underneath a dramatically draped wooden ceiling. The room’s unique split-level layout offers attendees room to mill around and visit with friends and family. An elevated stage, power screens, a sound system, and remote lighting provide additional entertainment options. Then there is the Pine Room, which has a similar capacity but a completely different feel. Built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, the Pine Room offers the warmth of a fireplace and the image of cool fun as it overlooks the outdoor pool. A stage also provides the opportunity for an evening of music and dance. Wilson Lodge has several sizes of banquet rooms that can be customized to seat up to 250. In all locations, Chiavari chairs and linens are among the items that Oglebay can provide to meet a couple’s expectations. Whatever your vision or dream, Oglebay makes it come to life.
For more information, visit oglebay.com or call 877.436.1797
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Lodging à la carte For wedding guests who make a weekend of it, Oglebay offers a variety of options, from cottages or estate houses where families and friends can gather to lodge rooms that offer hotellike options to the Presidential Suite, where the wedding party can get ready for the big day in comfort and style.
WILSON LODGE
Guests who choose the Wilson Lodge have a selection of rooms, from traditional to intermediate and deluxe, and now the newly renovated West Wing rooms. All rooms have LCD TVs, high-speed Internet, and Keurig coffeemakers, as well as easy access to Oglebay’s newly renovated fitness center, movement studio, and indoor pool.
An All-Inclusive Destination West Virginia friends and a convenient drive or flight for others. Maria Juliana loved the beauty and breathtaking view of her ceremony site—the West Spa Patio— where chairs were set up in a circular pattern for a more inclusive feel. For the reception, she and Lenny chose the dazzling Glessner Auditorium. She also loved that she could choose from a plated meal or buffet service, that the package came with served hors d’oeuvres and a cake with
textured, ruffled buttercream icing. Between the ceremony and the reception, Maria Juliana and her bridal party also had time to ride around on one of two Oglebay Trolleys, where they could relax and enjoy a cocktail as they traveled to various locales—including the columned Mansion Museum—for photo opportunities. “It gave the wedding party, me, and my husband the opportunity to spend time alone, have a few drinks, and talk.”
One of Oglebay’s unique amenities is the two trolleys that can take wedding parties around the 1,700-acre grounds or even to points off-site for tours, after-ceremony photos, and more. The bridal party can relax, enjoy drinks, and visit with one another while the trolley takes them from one fantastic, photogenic destination—the Formal Gardens, the Mansion Museum—to another. The trolleys, which seat 32 people, also can be used to take a bridal party from a church to its Oglebay reception. For more information, visit oglebay.com or call 877.436.1797
COTTAGES
For large family gatherings or getting together with good friends, consider a cottage. They come in two, four, six, and eight bedrooms— as well as with amenities including traditional, deluxe, and premium, and options including a fireplace and a washer and dryer.
ESTATE HOUSES
CHRIS WEISLER
OGLEBAY’S unique location makes it an ideal setting to bring friends and family together. When Maria Juliana Lloreda was looking for a place to hold her all-inclusive August 2015 destination wedding, Oglebay—an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh International Airport—made a lot of sense. Born in Columbia, South America, Maria Juliana met her future husband, Leonard Maier, in Florida, and got engaged to him in their current home of Morgantown. Oglebay was close for their
The 4,600-square-foot estate houses feature six bedrooms and six bathrooms and a powder room overlooking the Speidel Golf Club, which accommodates the Arnold Palmer- and Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed championship courses. All houses come equipped with gas grills, washer and dryer sets, dishwashers, and more.
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• Photos and material must be submitted by July 1, 2017, for Fall/Winter 2017 • Pre-order to receive a discount on extra copies of the issue of WV Weddings and December 14, 2017, for Spring/Summer 2018. magazine to which you have submitted your wedding. • Couples will receive two complimentary copies of the WV Weddings • Submit only 12 images, including a selection of horizontal and vertical photos. magazine in which they appear. • You may submit up to five additional images for cover consideration.
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RESOURCE GUIDE MYWVWEDDING.COM
Let WV Weddings help you plan your big day. Don’t forget: When you choose one of our advertising vendors, make sure you mention the magazine!
BEAUTY & WELLNESS
MARSHALL PLASTIC & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY We offer the latest in skin care treatments and surgical techniques in a comfortable, spa-like atmosphere to help you prepare for the big day. Discover the benefits of non-surgical procedures, like CoolSculpting, to help you look and feel your best. 5185 Route 60 East, Suite 26 Huntington, WV 25705 304.691.8910 muplasticsurgery@marshallhealth.org marshallhealth.org/plastics TUSCAN SUN SPA & SALON Whether you are looking for youthful solutions, salon services, or spa treatments, Tuscan Sun Spa & Salon has the ideal experience for you, with the finest products, equipment, and highly skilled experts. 482 Emily Drive Clarksburg, WV 26301 304.326.2204 1013 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont, WV 26554 304.333.0281 401 Boyers Avenue Morgantown, WV 26505 304.296.1325 info@tuscanspaandsalon.com tuscanspaandsalon.com
BRIDAL SHOPS, TUXEDOS & ACCESSORIES
CONI & FRANC Voted Best Place to Buy a Wedding Dress in Morgantown magazine five years in a row. For a personalized, one-on-one shopping experience,
visit us in downtown Morgantown, where we carry sizes 0 to 30 and dress our clients from head to toe. We are your one-stop shop, where we always have something fabulous waiting just for you. 422 High Street Morgantown, WV 26505 304.292.1111 coniandfranc.com HOUSE OF FASHIONS We are a full-service bridal boutique offering wedding gowns, mother-ofthe-bride/groom dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, and flower girls’ dresses, plus veils, accessories, and tuxedos. We also provide formal gowns for evening, prom, and homecoming events. 121 Daniel Drive Bridgeport, WV 26330 304.672.5490 keri@hofwv.com hofwv.com
bridal shower, bachelorette party, or any other event. We bake from scratch daily with the freshest and finest ingredients. It‘s not just a cupcake ... it‘s a Cupcakerie cupcake! 194 Willey Street Morgantown, WV 26505 304.212.5464 orders@thecupcakerie.com thecupcakerie.com
ENTERTAINMENT
MONTANI MUSIC ENSEMBLE We offer string music for your wedding, cocktail hour, or reception. From solo violin to string quartets, our ensembles provide a variety of styles for your special occasion. P.O. Box 11725 Charleston, WV 25339 304.550.0678 mangomusic3266@gmail.com jenniferwood.net
CAKES & DESSERTS
AMY‘S CAKES & CONES Amy’s Cakes and Cones is a bakery and ice cream parlor located in Lewisburg. We specialize in custom wedding and celebration cakes for all occasions. We offer made-from-scratch catered desserts, plated desserts, oldfashioned and fancy cookies, brownies, handmade chocolate, pies, an array of gourmet cupcakes, and 16 flavors of Hershey’s Ice Cream with homemade waffle cones. 780 Court Street South Lewisburg, WV 24901 304.661.4891 amybmills.02@gmail.com THE CUPCAKERIE The Cupcakerie is a gourmet cupcake bakery that can cater your wedding,
FLORISTS
GILLESPIE’S FLOWERS & PRODUCTIONS Open since 1923 at The Greenbrier, we offer full-service wedding florals, décor, and rentals, including unique and specialty items. 377 Main Street West & The Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986 304.536.1881 john@gillespiesflowers.com gillespiesflowers.com NEUBAUER‘S FLOWERS & MARKET HOUSE For four generations, Neubauer’s Flowers, Inc. has been creating magic for every wedding style.
From country to glamour, classic to chic, our designers add just the right touches to make your very special day everything you dreamed. Whether you are planning a local or destination wedding, we are your florist. Serving Pennsylvania and North Central West Virginia. 724.437.5500 3 South Gallatin Avenue Uniontown, PA 15401 orders@neubauersflowers.com neubauersflowers.com
HAIR & MAKEUP
TUSCAN SUN SPA & SALON Whether you are looking for youthful solutions, salon services, or spa treatments, Tuscan Sun Spa & Salon has the ideal experience for you, with the finest products, equipment, and highly skilled experts. 482 Emily Drive Clarksburg, WV 26301 304.326.2204 1013 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont, WV 26554 304.333.0281 401 Boyers Avenue Morgantown, WV 26505 304.296.1325 info@tuscanspaandsalon.com tuscanspaandsalon.com
HOME FURNISHINGS
WELLS HOME FURNISHINGS Wells Home Furnishings is West Virginia’s premier furniture store. Family-owned and -operated since 1994, Wells is the source for unique and stylish home furnishings. Wells offers more than 100 quality brands, many completely customizable and American-made. Wells‘ in-home mywvwedding.com | 169
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design program helps you create the home of your dreams, with the flexibility to fit your life and budget. To guarantee you love your furniture, we’ve integrated a state-of-the-art 3D design tool into our program so you can virtually tour your new rooms. Located in Charleston and Morgantown. 101 Bowers Road Charleston, WV 25314 304.343.3600 1040 Fairmont Road Morgantown, WV 26501 304.322.2129 wellshome.com
INVITATIONS/STATIONERY
EGGPLANT Eggplant is an anything-but-ordinary gift store located in Charleston. We specialize in bridal invitations and registries, offering a wide range of choices and personalized options to meet the individual styles of our bridal couples. 1011A Bridge Road Charleston, WV 25314 304.346.3525 eggplant@suddenlinkmail.com eggplantshop.com YOURS TRULY Yours Truly is a full-service stationery studio with personalized one-on-one service. We offer save-the-dates, wedding invitations, rehearsal invitations, programs, seating charts, and more. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see sneak peeks. 3231 Rosemar Road Parkersburg, WV 26105 304.893.3760 lindsey.yourstruly@gmail.com yours-truly-invitations.com
1070 Suncrest Towne Centre Morgantown, WV 26505 304.599.6981 tom@jacquelinesfinejewelry.com jacquelinesfinejewelry.com WHITE’S FINE JEWELRY Independent retailer selling fine diamond and gemstone jewelry including engagement rings and wedding bands, fashion jewelry, and watches. 9 Middletown Road Fairmont, WV 26554 304.366.7999 wfj@whitesfinejewelry.com whitesfinejewelry.com
OFF-SITE CATERING
THE TEA SHOPPE We offer both on-site and full-service off-site catering for your special events. Our newly expanded dining room offers seating for up to 40 people, perfect for showers, bridal luncheons, and more. 709 Beechurst Avenue, Suite 23 Morgantown, WV 26505 304.413.0890 theteashoppewv@gmail.com theteashoppewv.com BELLA THE CORNER GOURMET We provide wedding & gift registry services, online and in-store. We stock Beatriz Ball, Fiestaware, Blenko Glass, Le Creuset, Big Green Egg, and more. Need gifts for your wedding party? We‘ve got that, too. Bella also provides catering for small pre-wedding events. Call us for more info! 1017 East Washington Street Lewisburg, WV 24901 304.520.4921 info@bellathecornergourmet.com bellathecornergourmet.com
JEWELERS
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CALVIN BROYLES JEWELERS This third-generation, family-owned fine jewelry company offers appraisals by certified gemologists, AGS, jewelry repair, and CAD/ CAM jewelry design services. 4708 MacCorkle Avenue SW Charleston, WV 25309 304.768.8821 24 Scott Way Hurricane, WV 25526 304.757.3920 1032 N. Eisenhower Drive Beckley, WV 25801 304.252.7701 donbroyles@calvinbroyles.com calvinbroyles.com
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO SERVICES
JACQUELINE’S FINE JEWELRY Jacqueline’s is a full-service jewelry store offering the best in quality products, service, and design. Jacqueline’s is known for its incredible and wideranging inventory with something for everyone.
REAL ESTATE
KELLI CARRICO PHOTOGRAPHY I am a fine art wedding photographer based in Southern West Virginia but available for travel anywhere. Specializing in wedding couple portraits and unplanned candid shots, I document your wedding from every beautiful posed image to each unexpected moment. 1107 Pinewood Drive Beckley, WV 25801 304.575.2579 kellicarricophotography@hotmail.com kellicarricophotography.com
BEST OF CANAAN Offering serene and scenic honeymoon locations with hot tubs, fireplaces, and more. Let us help you
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plan. If Canaan Valley is your wedding destination, BOC offers lodging discounts for friends and families. An affordable option for a once-in-a- lifetime celebration! 5546 Appalachian Highway Davis, WV 26260 304.866.8680 info@bestofcanaan.com bestofcanaan.com VICKIE MCLAUGHLIN, REALTOR Whether you’re buying, selling, or both, you want three things: the right price, quick turnaround, and attention to detail. With Vickie McLaughlin, you’ll get a pro who works tirelessly to ensure the things you want are the things you get. 1205 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301 304.720.1261 office 304.415.0366 cell vmclaughlin@oldcolony.com vickiemclaughlin.com
REGISTRIES
BELLA THE CORNER GOURMET We provide wedding & gift registry services, online and in-store. We stock Beatriz Ball, Fiestaware, Blenko Glass, Le Creuset, Big Green Egg, and more. Need gifts for your wedding party? We‘ve that, too. Bella also provides catering for small pre-wedding events. Call us for more info! 1017 East Washington Street Lewisburg, WV 24901 304.520.4921 info@bellathecornergourmet.com bellathecornergourmet.com EGGPLANT Eggplant is an anything-but-ordinary gift store located in Charleston. We specialize in bridal invitations and registries, offering a wide range of choices and personalized options to meet the individual styles of our bridal couples. 1011A Bridge Road Charleston, WV 25314 304.346.3525 eggplant@suddenlinkmail.com eggplantshop.com WELLS HOME FURNISHINGS Wells Home Furnishings is West Virginia’s premier furniture store. Family-owned and -operated since 1994, Wells is the source for unique and stylish home furnishings. Wells offers more than 100 quality brands, many completely customizable and American-made. Wells‘ in-home design program helps you create the home of your dreams, with the flexibility to fit your life and budget. To guarantee you love your furniture, we’ve integrated a stateof-the-art 3D design tool into our program so you can virtually tour your new rooms. Located in Charleston and Morgantown.
101 Bowers Road Charleston, WV 25314 304.343.3600 1040 Fairmont Road Morgantown, WV 26501 304.322.2129 wellshome.com
RENTALS & PARTY SUPPLIES GILLESPIE’S FLOWERS & PRODUCTIONS Open since 1923 at The Greenbrier, we offer full-service wedding florals, décor, and rentals, including unique and specialty items. 377 Main Street West & The Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986 304.536.1881 john@gillespiesflowers.com gillespiesflowers.com
LITTLE BLACK DRESS Little Black Dress was born as a collaboration between an event planning company and an event rental company. A dreamer and a doer who loves design, style, and all things beautiful, owner Misti Sims saw a niche that wasn’t filled and put together a collection that now makes up her refined (albeit small) offerings of boutique event rentals and sophisticated event planning. A highly fashionable, detailed wedding deserves pieces that will complement a sophisticated décor. 740.568.8552 misti@littleblackdressevents.net littleblackdressevents.net MORGANTOWN POWER EQUIPMENT Party and event rentals: linens, tables, chairs, pipe & drape, china, glassware, silverware, candelabras, & much more. 1718 Mileground Road Morgantown, WV 26505 304.322.2346 ap@mperentals.com mperentals.com VINTAGE + MOSS EVENT RENTALS Vintage + Moss Event Rentals provides unique, vintage-inspired pieces for your event that add character and charm your guests will enjoy. We have one-of-a-kind pieces that will surely create conversation between you and your guests. We also provide free design recommendations regarding the items you rent from us as an additional service. All items are delivered to you for any kind of event such as weddings, corporate events, photography scenes, or any other event you can imagine. Make sure to check back with us often as we add pieces to our website inventory regularly. Consider Vintage + Moss to help you personalize your next event! 6558 McLane Pike Red House, WV 25168 304.586.3994 vintagemoss.com vintageandmoss@gmail.com mywvwedding.com | 171
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TRAVEL
BRAXTON COUNTY CVB Need a venue for your wedding? Call for info on Cafe Cimino Country Inn, Flatwoods Conference Center, Sutton Lake, Burnsville Lake, and Red Rooster Cafe! Want to provide easy access for your guests on your special day? Center your wedding in Braxton, West Virginia! 250 Skidmore Lane Sutton, WV 26601 304.765.6533 info@braxtonwv.org braxtonwv.org/weddings CABELL-HUNTINGTON CVB We offer options for space, locations, hotel and all wedding services and provide visitor information for your out of town guests. P.O. Box 347 Huntington, WV 25708 304.525.7333 anna@visithuntingtonwv.org visithuntingtonwv.org SUMMERSVILLE CVB We offer information on accommodations, dining, parks, recreation, and shopping in Summersville. Free visitor guides and vacation itineraries are available. 3 Armory Way Summersville, WV 26651 304.872.3722 866.716.0448 summersvillecvb.com
UNIQUE GIFTS
EGGPLANT Eggplant is an anything-but-ordinary gift store located in Charleston. We specialize in bridal invitations and registries, offering a wide range of choices and personalized options to meet the individual styles of our bridal couples. 1011A Bridge Road Charleston, WV 25314 304.346.3525 eggplant@suddenlinkmail.com eggplantshop.com HOMER LAUGHLIN CHINA COMPANY We are the makers of the iconic Fiesta Dinnerware. Whether you are starting a collection or simply looking for that perfect piece, Homer Laughlin China Company factory outlet has something for everyone. 672 Fiesta Drive Newell, WV 26050 304.387.1300 outlet@homerlaughlin.net fiestafactorydirect.com
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THE TEA SHOPPE The Tea Shoppe is the perfect spot for purchasing teas, tea-related items, spices, seasonings, teaware, and giftware. Whether you are looking for that perfect gift for the newlyweds or to treat yourself, The Tea Shoppe is at your service! Enjoy our café with seating up to 40 people, perfect for showers, bridal luncheons, and more. Off-site catering is also available. 709 Beechurst Avenue, Suite 23 Morgantown, WV 26505 304.413.0890 theteashoppewv@gmail.com theteashoppewv.com
WEDDING PLANNING & COORDINATING
LITTLE BLACK DRESS Little Black Dress was born as a collaboration between an event planning company and an event rental company. A dreamer and a doer who loves design, style, and all things beautiful, owner Misti Sims saw a niche that wasn’t filled and put together a collection that now makes up her refined (albeit small) offerings of boutique event rentals and sophisticated event planning. A highly fashionable, detailed wedding deserves pieces that will complement a sophisticated décor. 740.568.8552 misti@littleblackdressevents.net littleblackdressevents.net VINTAGE + MOSS EVENT RENTALS Vintage + Moss Event Rentals provides unique, vintage-inspired pieces for your event that add character and charm your guests will enjoy. We have one-of-a-kind pieces that will surely create conversation between you and your guests. We also provide free design recommendations regarding the items you rent from us as an additional service. All items are delivered to you for any kind of event such as weddings, corporate events, photography scenes, or any other event you can imagine. Make sure to check back with us often as we add pieces to our website inventory regularly. Consider Vintage + Moss to help you personalize your next event! 6558 McLane Pike Red House, WV 25168 304.586.3994 vintagemoss.com vintageandmoss@gmail.com
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The Ultimate
VENUE GUIDE Find the perfect place for your intimate ceremony or modern reception, or discover just the right spot for your elopement or honeymoon.
VENUE NAME
CAPACITY
CONTACT
CHECK IT OUT
Adaland Mansion, Philippi
up to 175
304.457.1587 info@adaland.org adaland.org
Weddings are staged with elegant outdoor and indoor facilities. New pavilion offers seating for 150 or more. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Adventures on the Gorge, Lansing
50–250
855.972.6763 j.campbell@onthegorge.com weddingsonthegorge.com
Located on the rim of the New River Gorge, AOTG venues offer incredible views, resort amenities, fun adventures, and catering at one destination. Choose from our four venues— Smokey’s on the Gorge, The Lookout Post, the viewing deck, or the fantastic swimming pool— or a combination of them all.
Bavarian Inn, Shepherdstown
up to 200
304.876.2551 christian@bavarianinn.com bavarianinnwv.com
A romantic country inn offering European elegance and world-class service from its scenic location perched on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River. The charming and historic inn is owned by the Asam family, who maintain the highest standard in hospitality, gourmet dining and guest comfort.
The Blennerhassett Hotel, Parkersburg
up to 175
304.865.8657 edavenport@theblennerhassett.com theblennerhassett.com
Built in 1889, The Blennerhassett Hotel is a historic gem that can offer your dream wedding with our spacious ballroom or charming, climatecontrolled outdoor patio tent. Four-star on-site catering, customizable wedding packages and unprecedented service.
Bridgeport Conference Center, Bridgeport
up to 300
Planning a wedding reception, reunion, formal 304.808.3000 amber.crimm@bridgeportconference.com dinner, or other type of social event? Fulfill your dreams at Bridgeport Conference Center, bridgeportconference.com which offers intimate space for a group dinner or a full-service ballroom for your wedding reception or banquet.
Brown Oaks, Summersville
up to 250
304.872.9248 brownoaks@summersvillewv.org summersvillwv.org/brownoaks
The historic Brown Oaks offers both intimate and one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor event spaces. The tastefully decorated home and its manicured grounds are “wedding worthy“ and can easily accommodate showers, luncheons, and rehearsal dinners.
Canaan Valley Resort, Davis
20–300
304.866.4121, ext. 2671 havertys@canaanresort.com canaanresort.com
Indulge in the peace and tranquility of Canaan Valley Resort. The picturesque mountaintops and natural beauty are ideal for those special events that will be remembered forever. From the executive chef to our event coordinators, the staff helps make your memories unforgettable. Let us take care of the details so you can enjoy making memories. mywvwedding.com | 173
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VENUE NAME
CAPACITY
CONTACT
CHECK IT OUT
Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg
10–400
304.645.7917 cohernour@carnegiehallwv.org carnegiehallwv.org
Carnegie Hall is a historic gem in the heart of Lewisburg that offers tailored rental packages to fit the budget of every couple. Call today to schedule a private tour of the facility. After all, a historic occasion deserves a historic location.
Charleston Civic Center, Charleston
25–1,470
304.345.1500 anna.campbell@ charlestonwvciviccenter.com charlestonwvciviccenter.com
The Charleston Civic Center is open for business during our $100 million-dollar renovation project. Glass lobbies mark the arena, convention center, and ballroom. An elegant 8,000-square-foot prefunction reception area, overlooking the Elk River, will be adjacent to a 22,000-square-foot beautifully appointed ballroom with banquet seating capacity of 1,470.
The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, Charleston
Varies
304.561.3560 sales@theclaycenter.org theclaycenter.org
The Clay Center offers spaces intimate or vast, and catering is provided on-site by Embassy Suites by Hilton. The Clay Center is centrally located with beautiful views of downtown Charleston.
The Confluence Resort, Hico
up to 200
304.573.4900 info@confluenceresort.com confluenceresort.com
This spectacular outdoor venue in Southern West Virginia specializes in elegant, rustic tented events. Packages begin at $5,500. Rentals include on-site lodging, multiple ceremony locations, and equipment. Confluence features a rustic barn, breathtaking overlooks, and personalized service like on-site catering, décor, and floral packages.
Embassy Suites by Hilton, Charleston
up to 500
304.347.8700 hayley.tighe@atriumhospitality.com embassysuitescharlestonwv.com
Enjoy Charleston’s premier downtown hotel. Embassy Suites by Hilton is an all-suite hotel offering complimentary breakfasts and nightly manager’s receptions. Relax in our atrium, fitness center, and pools. Celebrate in our ballroom with premier catering, wedding planning, and coordinating. Discounted suite blocks are available for out-of-town guests.
The Erickson Alumni Center, Morgantown
350–375
304.293.4731 eacevents@mail.wvu.edu alumni.wvu.edu/eac
The Erickson Alumni Center is a premier destination for weddings, conferences, meetings, and other special events. With award-winning catering, multiple event spaces, and a beautiful setting, the Erickson Alumni Center is perfect for any occasion.
The Gaines Estate, Fayetteville
Unlimited outside
304.382.7509 bwells7027@gmail.com cascadewv.com
Just outside Fayetteville’s quaint town square lies The Gaines Estate: 190 acres of rolling, wooded hills, green meadows, and meandering streams. Enter through the stone and iron gate and follow the drive past giant hemlocks, maples, and buckeyes to arrive at the 1920 Gaines Mansion and rustic barn, currently under renovation—a peaceful retreat for your special day.
The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs
up to 500+
304.536.4951 weddings@greenbrier.com greenbrier.com/weddings
Featuring a one-of-a-kind chapel designed by Carleton Varney and a variety of uniquely colorful reception venues, The Greenbrier is sure to stand out! From an intimate gathering to a wedding with 500 of your closest friends, The Greenbrier is where experiences are timeless and memories last forever.
Highgate Carriage House, Fairmont
up to 160 inside, 300 outside
304.333.2552 events@highgatecarriagehouse.com highgatecarriagehouse.com
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Built in 1908, the Highgate Carriage House offers weddings with the elegance of a bygone era. Your event can be held inside the carriage house with up to 160 guests or under the high-peak tent in the garden that can accommodate up to 300 guests.
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VENUE NAME
VENUE GUIDE
CAPACITY
CONTACT
CHECK IT OUT
Hocking Hills Wedding Chapel, Sugar Grove, Ohio
65
740.746.9934 valleyviewcabins@gmail.com hockinghillsweddingchapel.com
Get married in our log chapel or gazebo or near the outdoor stone fireplace. All-inclusive wedding packages are available with customizable options. Accommodations for lodging are available on-site. You can elope or include up to 65 guests!
Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, Morgantown
400+
304.594.1111 info@lakeviewresort.com lakeviewbride.com
Have your “I Do’s” at Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa in Morgantown. Multiple wedding service award winner, The Knot‘s Best of Weddings, and Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice 2016 & 2017, Lakeview is a clear choice for an all-inclusive wedding in the picturesque West Virginia mountains. From intimate to elaborate, any size or style.
Lambert‘s Vintage Winery, Weston
250
304.269.4903 lambertswinery@yahoo.com lambertswinery.com
Lambert’s Vintage Winery offers a romantic setting. Exchange vows beside our beautiful waterfall with the vineyards as a backdrop. Your guests will enjoy our Vintage Room banquet facility or our sun-kissed covered porch. At dusk, enjoy the glow of our hand-cut stone fire pit while savoring a glass of Lambert’s wine. Family-owned and -operated. Come be our guests!
Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place, Morgantown
up to 1,100
Oglebay, Wheeling
200 up to 400
304.581-2811 ashley.smoak@marriott.com waterfrontplacehotel.com
304.842.2801 800.972.1991 lpiosek@pacificlinks.com sales@oglebay.com pacificlinks.com/petedye oglebay.com
The Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place is an ideal venue for a variety of gatherings, with more than 50,000 square feet of flexible space for weddings, reunions, galas, and more. We feature a beautiful ballroom, an exhibit hall, and an extensive patio and deck overlooking the Monongahela River. For truly one-of-a-kind weddings and memorable With 1,700 picturesque acres and a $5.5 million events, the gorgeous and historical ambiance of renovated lodge with a spa, Oglebay is the perfect Pete Dye Golf Club is unrivaled in West Virginia. destination wedding location. Oglebay provides Romantic weddings and lavish receptions create beautiful formal gardens and a rooftop patio for memories that are indeed special to all who attend. ceremonies as well as small and large ballrooms for receptions.
Serenity Point, Summersville
up to 150
Serenity Point is a breathtaking outdoor venue, 304.872.6222 info@mountainlakecampground.com with Summersville Lake as your backdrop. Our nature setting offers a wedding site, an area mountainlakecampground.com for receptions, and a fire pit. We are located within Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins, offering lodging and so much more.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Snowshoe
Varies
304.572.5463 jeilers@snowshoemountain.com snowshoemtn.com/en/plan-yourtrip/groups/destinationweddings
Snowshoe Mountain offers a range of meeting spaces and venue sites. Whether you are looking for something cozy and intimate or grand and elegant, our mountain can serve up the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable event.
Summersville Arena & Conference Center, Summersville
25–600
304.872.3722 marianne@summersvillecvb.com summersvillearena.com
A perfect wedding and reception venue offering planning and coordinating to make your special day stress-free and memorable. Amenities include linens, overlays, runners, chair covers and sashes, and in-house catering. Bar services are also available. Wedding packages to fit any budget.
WV State Parks
Varies
304.558.2764 megan.n.brown@wv.gov wvstateparks.com
The perfect locations for your wedding plans. Ten parks with lodges have restaurants for food services. Most importantly, you’ll get ideas for indoor or outdoor venues. Weddings, honeymoons, and anniversaries happen at WV State Parks.
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