Rob and Cris were blessed with one of the final brilliant, colorful fall days in Virginia. Their wedding day at Airlie in Warrenton set records for warm temperatures in November! It was the perfect day to get married.

Driving into Airlie for the first time that day, I marveled at the expansive grounds. It is both a retreat and conference center as well as a stunning wedding venue, all on 300 acres. When I arrived, Rob was a mixture of nervousness and excitement as he wrote a letter to Cris, his bride to be.

I started with Cris as she got ready with her party in one of the many lodge buildings on the property. Their time before the ceremony was full of latin hip-hop music, laughter, and people screaming “think of the makeup!” It was an exercise in futility as everyone tried in vain to not come to tears and disrupt the makeup artist’s hard work.

This wedding was somewhat of a reunion for me, as two of my past wedding couples were present that day. Everyone was excited, taking their seats in the garden at Airlie, surrounded by lush greenery, florals, and fall foliage. As Cris came down the aisle, Rob, Cris, and probably half the guests were in tears. Having met over seven years ago, it was a beautiful sight to see them committing their lives together.

Following the ceremony we took time for portraits around the venue, then went into one of Rob and Cris’ favorite features of the venue, the open air, covered reception space! We went right into their first dance, followed by a powerful dance party!

This wasn’t the full experience they had hoped for, as COVID changed their plans for an even larger wedding. But I’m excited to know that I’ll be able to spend another day with them next year as they hold a larger reception when the time is right.

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