Real RVA Wedding: Jennifer & David at Amber Grove
Jennifer & David
September 19, 2016
How They Met
Jennifer tells us, “David and I met in microbiology class at Virginia Tech in 2008. I was running late to class one day, and there were very few open seats left. I ended up taking the seat right next to my future husband, David. Of course, I thought he was super cute, and we made small talk throughout class.
The next week, we sat next to each other again. After class, he walked me all the way to my car, which was on the opposite side of campus. He asked me out on a date, and the rest is history!
We moved in together about a year and a half later, during our last year of college. Things got even more serious when David agreed to move all the way to Chicago, Illinois where I completed a dietetic internship to become a Registered Dietitian.”
How He Asked
The bride says, “After seven years of being together, David finally decided to propose! He took me to one of the most romantic restaurants in downtown Chicago, the Signature Room at the 95th. The restaurant is located in the Hancock building and overlooks the beautiful Chicago skyline. After enjoying a delicious dinner and dessert, David pulled out a red, heart-shaped box and my eyes began to well up with tears; I knew exactly what it was! He pulled out the most beautiful diamond ring, spoke the most wonderful sentiments and proposed! The ring belonged to David’s late grandmother on his father’s side, which made it even more special to me. I was so happy that I was going to be able to marry the man of my dreams!”
The Perfect Place
Jennifer says, “Even though David and I live in the Chicago area, I knew I wanted to get married in my hometown of Richmond, close to all of our family and friends. We wanted an outdoor wedding venue, ideally in September or October, where we would be able to have both the ceremony and reception.
I researched many venues and made a lot of phone calls, but many did not have any availability. Finally, I came across Amber Grove in Mosley and was blown away by its beauty and its outstanding reviews! My father went to tour the facility and said it was absolutely perfect. And luckily, they had a perfect date available, September 19th!
Words cannot describe how beautiful Amber Grove is. The grounds and décor are breath-taking and the house is absolutely beautiful. They even had a beautiful barn option available in case of poor weather conditions. Additionally, the venue’s owner and wedding coordinator, John McBride, is amazing! He is so passionate about what he does and made David and I feel so comfortable throughout the entire planning process.
I appreciated the fact that John provided me with a list of vendors, which made planning so much easier, especially since I was out of state. Additionally, I liked the fact that Amber Grove provided its own catering and had a wide variety of delicious menu choices.
The Details
I went into the wedding planning process without any ideas in mind in terms of wedding color. I spent a ton of time on Pinterest trying to decide which wedding colors I wanted. I came across a “sangria” color palate with lots of different shades of reds, pinks and purples that I fell in love with!
The WOW Factor
I wanted the venue to wow my guests. I wanted them to feel comfortable and be able to roam around the grounds and take in the beautiful surroundings. After the wedding, we received so many compliments about our venue and the food!
The Best Part
One of my favorite parts of the day was when one of my bridesmaids, Kailyn, slipped and fell right before she was supposed to walk down the aisle during the ceremony. This was right after she gave the other girls a pep talk about how to walk down the aisle. We had all been so nervous and that incident made us laugh so hard and take some of the pressure off. She ended up being OK, by the way!
Another favorite was being at the hotel at the end of the night, cuddled up with my new husband eating Martin’s rainbow cookies, my favorite treat as a kid. I think David would agree!”
RW Vendors
Wedding Photography: Robert Schnell Photography
Rehearsal Dinner: The Boathouse at Sunday Park
Wedding Consultant: John McBride, Amber Grove
Venue, Rentals & Catering: Amber Grove
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Richmond-Midlothian
Additional Vendors
Officiant: Rev. Rev. Doug Bowman
Music: Party Time Entertainment, Mark Abernathy
Gown & Veil: Catherine Simms Bridal (Naperville, Illinois)
Shoes: Macy’s
Hair & Makeup: Ahead of Hair
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Formalwear: Men’s Wearhouse
Paper Design: Steve Stiles
Flowers: Dana’s Floral Design
Cake/Sweets: Sweet Fix
Favors: Garret’s Popcorn Shops
Additional Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn Richmond-Midlothian Turnpike