Real Richmond Wedding: Crystal + Joshua at The John Marshall Ballrooms

Crystal and Joshua
April 19th, 2019

How They Met
Even though Crystal and Joshua went to the same college, they virtually met on Twitter in 2010! Josh would write Direct Messages to Crystal saying, “Hey Miss” almost weekly, for months. Crystal explains, “I finally wrote back to him and we decided to meet up.” It wasn’t until they exchanged numbers that they realized they were both from Virginia, and their parents lived ten minutes from each other in Midlothian! Talk about a small world. “Since Christmas break was coming up, two met up in Midlothian for our first date at the movies.” On the way to the movies, Crystal drove over a nail, and Josh didn’t hesitate to fix the tire immediately. “I think that won me over because it was just such a kind gesture and we were practically strangers!”

The Proposal
Josh proposed to Crystal eight years later on June 9, 2018, in the most magical place in the world…Disney World! The two Virginia-natives were living in Miami at the time and they decided to drive over to Orlando for Crystal’s birthday weekend. But as they were getting ready for the park, Crystal noticed Josh was wearing a fanny pack, and since he NEVER wore a bag, she knew something was up. “We walked around the park all day and Josh guarded that fanny pack with his life.” They later went to dinner where Josh popped the question. “I could tell he was nervous but quite relieved…I couldn’t stop crying, it was perfect.”

The Details
For Crystal and Joshua, their venue, The John Marshall Ballrooms, was the “WOW” factor for their April weekend. “I loved the decor and the look and feel. I also wanted a place where both the ceremony and reception could be had, and people didn’t have to drive to a new location.” Plus, The John Marshall Ballrooms had a gorgeous getting-ready location for the wedding party. It checked off all the boxes on their list. “Also it was in Richmond, which Josh and I both had a connection to, so it was only right!”

During their traditional Christian ceremony, Josh’s Uncle and his wife acted as their officiants. They held a candle ceremony and jumped the broom as husband and wife. And coincidentally, during their personalized vows, they both mentioned the flat tire incident from their first date.

For their decor, Crystal found inspiration from previous weddings that were held at The John Marshall. “I was inspired by simplicity elevated.” They brought in that air of elegance with tons of flowers and some big statement pieces like their cabana and the throne chairs. Being that it was spring, they kept their colors bright, sticking with sage green, gold, cream, and a splash of lavender, Crystal’s favorite colors.

They focused a lot of their budget on their flowers, having tall centerpieces at their reception. Combined with the lavender lights by The Lighting & Sound Company, they transformed the ballroom into something exquisite. “We also had a fog machine which was turned on during our first dance…it looked like a fairy tale.”

Favorite Part of the Day
For Crystal, her favorite part of the day was, “standing at the altar looking Josh in his eyes and saying our vows.” Josh’s was watching his beautiful bride coming down the aisle.”

Biggest Challenge
“Since we were living in Miami [and] planning for a wedding in Virginia, I think the hardest part was the distance. At times, I would have to book things, sight unseen just because I wasn’t there. I had my mom and aunt go look at things for me and send me pictures.”

Best Piece of Advice
“If there’s something you really want to have at your wedding, make every effort to get it even if it’s a little over your budget…just don’t spend money you don’t have. You will be satisfied knowing your money went towards something you really wanted versus settling for something more budget-friendly.”

*All information in our Featured Weddings is provided by the couple. Richmond Weddings™ is not responsible for discovering and adding vendors who were not on the submission form completed by the couple.* All photos courtesy of Marie Violet Photography.