Katie Stoops Photography

A Summer Charlottesville Farm Wedding

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Anna-Catherine & her Teddy’s wedding was the perfect Virginia wedding on a June day. The day started out at an old farmhouse that they had rented for the bridal party to spend the weekend in. The air was filled with excitement but it was relaxed at the same time. With willow trees blowing in the wind outside the windows, how could you be stressed!? Guests were greeted with Crozet Rose (Anna-Catherine’s favorite wine) as they arrived and invited to sit in front of the lovely farm house. Usually, it’s a little bit risky to have both your ceremony and reception outside…without a tent but there wasn’t a rain drop in sight. Having it all outside made for the most beautiful photographs. I love it when couples include their dogs into their weddings. As a huge (understatement) dog lover, it’s a lot of fun to photograph, and see them treated as a family member and not a pet. AC & Teddy made sure their beagle Jackson was not forgotten. The Southern Summer day was warm with golden light that covered the fields at Fat Cat Farm with a cool breeze as the sun set. Since they both are self proclaimed foodies, everyone was treated to the best local food & wine and danced into the night.

Ladies, if you ever need a gift for a girlfriend, you should check out Pretty Plum Sugar. I have a few of their robes & tunics and they only get softer the more you wash them. Must take a look!

Don’t you love that illusion neckline with the buttons up the back? The lite skirt was a great option for the Southern heat and it moved so beautifully.

Anna-Catherine had her initials embroidered on a piece of her mother’s dress which wrapped her bouquet.

All of the Bridesmaids were blessed with the opportunity to wear their own dresses. This makes a big difference because each person is more comfortable and chooses a flattering cut while staying within a color range. I really loved the mix of textures these ladies had.

Shawn Cossette of Beehive Events (who is simply incredible to work with) created the bouquets with fresh lavender and other herbs. They were elegant, not stuffy, and they smelled so good!

Grooms…get your suit fitted to your body! Don’t you dare rent a suit or borrow one. Unless you have one made or altered to fit you properly, you aren’t going to look the best you can.

What a stunning couple!

Look at Jackson…what a handsome guy. That floral collar puts him into another category of cuteness.

Teddy’s smile couldn’t have been any bigger as Anna-Catherine came down the aisle.

There’s Jackson in all of his glory. Ha!

While we did portraits, guests enjoyed cocktail hour in/around the fabulous old barn with custom signature drinks & summery h’orderves.

Now, right behind the cocktail hour barn was the dinner location…how amazing is this!? Nestled in between several gardens that smelled divine, were these beautiful tables. Dinner was family style served by Harvest Moon.

There were cozy seating areas set up around the property for guests to split off and relax in.

Next to the “cake” was a table of vintage family wedding photographs. I love seeing how each generation celebrated & what they wore.

The happiest first dance!

AC & Teddy decided they didn’t want a traditional cake so they opted for a fun cheese wheel cake! It was served with all sorts of honey, chutneys, & fruits.

Who doesn’t love a sparkler exit? If you’re planning on purchasing them for your own wedding, make sure you find the long sparklers so they don’t burn out halfway through your exit.

What a great exit car! Classic cars are always the best way to leave your reception.

Anna-Catherine says:

“My favorite part of the day was our enjoying our favorite cocktails and appetizers on the farmhouse porch. I felt so happy and loved having time for the two of us right after our ceremony.
The advice I received and have given since to fellow Type A brides is the day of step back and enjoy the party, be your own guest, and stay focused on the excitement of being married. Little things will not be perfect or may go completely wrong but a wedding is one day and focusing on your life together gives perspective. “

Venue: Fat Cat Farm, Scottsville, VA/ Bridal Gown: Watters from Lovely Bridal/ Bridesmaid Dresses: own/ Invitations & Paper Products: Haute Papier, Minted, & Wedding Paper Divas/ Bridal Shoes: J. Crew/ Makeup: Sanja Kahric of Bobbi Brown/ Hair: Erica Haskins-Crutchfield of Top Knot Studio/ Groom’s Suit: Alton Lane/ Floral Design: Beehive Events/ Catering & Cheese Cake: Harvest Moon / Ceremony & Cocktail hour music: Dennis Elliot/Reception Band: The Castaways/ Bridesmaids’ Robes: Pretty Plum Sugar


Elese & Ray: The Barns at Hamilton Station

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Elese & Ray had one of my favorite weddings…everything seemed to happen & flow how it was supposed to. Lots of laughter, warm hugs, and the spirit of simply having fun & enjoying the day was on everyone’s faces. Unfortunately, a few days before the wedding, Ray broke his ankle during a big police training camp from one of those giant tires (400+lbs) falling on it. Regardless, it was such a time of celebration and I am so happy to have been a part of it. Elese-you are definitely one of the coolest Brides I’ve ever met! xoxoKatie

Venue: The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards / Bride’s Dress & Necklace: J Crew / Design & Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas/ Florals: Petals & Hedges / Catering: Kangaroo Boxing Club in DC / Cakes & Sweets: Vegan Treats
Why we choose The Barns: We had searched and searched for locations that were not only vineyards but they also needed a rustic chic outdoorsy feel.When we arrived at The Barns at Hamilton Station that’s exactly what we found. We loved it! Another great thing for us was it was only about an hour or so from the city which meant all of our guest could make it no problem. On top of all of that, the staff at the Barns are absolutely wonderful to work with. We couldn’t have found a better place for our wedding.

Favorite part of wedding day: Well of course the whole day was my favorite, but two parts stood out. The first was me hiding in the farm house watching Ray get out of his truck looking all handsome in his kilt. I was so,so, SO excited that I was getting to marry my very best friend. The second was when Ray and I were standing outside of the dining area waiting to be introduced. We finally had a moment to ourselves to just be quietly together. He said some of the sweetest things to me in those 5 minutes before returning to the fabulous wedding whirlwind. Definitely my two favorite moments.

Favorite part about planning: This is a hard one! I am so, so grateful for my wonderful mother and our amazing wedding team. If it was not for them I probably would still be planning our wedding. I think my favorite part was dress shopping with my mom. She was a trooper! My sister lives in Illinois and all of my best friends are out of state. So she had to be like 6 people in one. I finally settled on the 4th dress I bought after months of searching (OMG that’s crazy to think I went through so many dresses!). I also really enjoyed the small things like wine tasting with my dad & step-mom and trying out different caters with Ray or even putting together our music for the dj. It’s fun to be able to spend time with loved ones while planning a huge life event.

Advice to couples planning: ASK FOR HELP. This is such a big day for the couple and I know every bride wants things to be perfect. I know for a fact that if I didn’t have my family and our wedding team I would have struggled through the planning. I went in with a plan to do a lot of things myself (flowers, cakes, take home gifts) and I am happy that I let other people take over those task for me. Working a demanding full-time job and having to find time to plan is next to impossible. I know I would have been such a wreck before the wedding if I was up all night doing flower arrangements or icing a wedding cake.