“I walked away from Elaine and Dan’s wedding at the end of the night smiling, as did everyone else! The joy just radiated from Elaine and Dan and everything turned out perfect despite the occasional rain showers. They chose Sinkland Farms in Riner, Virginia to celebrate their marriage because they fell in love with the fields and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This venue features an amazing barn space with a custom chandelier made out of mason jars and antique glass bottles. The day started out with a first look in the fields that brought tears to Elaine’s eyes! A storm cloud moved in and we crossed our fingers that things would clear up for their outdoor ceremony. Luckily, the timing was perfect and their good friend and pastor, Andrew, was able to perform their sweet ceremony under a beautiful flowered archway. The reception started out with some hilarious speeches that had everyone laughing! Afterwards, we discovered the rain brought a full rainbow just for Elaine and Dan which couldn’t have been more perfect! A fun dance party was then followed by a sparkler exit as these two left for their honeymoon!” – Laura’s Focus Photography

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

It’s hard to pick just one thing from the day! There are two moments where I think, for the first time in my life, I felt like time slowed down. The moment when I put the ring on Dan’s finger, and {this one surprised me}, when we were announced as a couple and walked into our reception. Our song was playing in the background, and I looked around at all of these hundreds of people that love us clapping and cheering – I will remember that feeling for as long as I live!

What did you DIY for your wedding?

The biggest thing we DIY’d ourselves was all of the ceremony and reception flowers {with the exception of a garland for the alter and the boutonnieres and corsages}. A family friend found this amazing pick-your-own flower farm just down the road from the venue, and on the Friday before the wedding, a huge group of women got together and hand-picked and arranged every single flower for our reception. Not only were the flowers incredibly beautiful, when I looked around at them all I could think about was how much those people loved us!

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

I didn’t do a traditional something old, new, borrowed and blue. I did love my non-traditional wedding shoes though! Mint green lace Tom’s. Not only were they cute, I danced the night away in them! I also wore a pearl necklace from my mother that had a lot of meaning to me.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

My advice to other brides would be to have fun with it! We tried to think of our wedding as the biggest, “funnest” party we were ever going to throw and it definitely turned out that way! I think we did a fairly good job of prioritizing things that really meant a lot to us {lots of flowers} and not spending too much on other details that didn’t matter quite as much to us {programs, place cards, etc}. I would also try to make the wedding day itself as simple as possible for you, especially if you don’t use a wedding planner as we didn’t. I made a list of every detail that needed to happen the day of and assigned each thing to a specific person. Then I stopped worrying about it! It meant I could just try to relax and enjoy the day. -Elaine, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Laura's Focus Photography // Venue: Sinkland Farms // Florist: Draper Blooms // Cellists: The Junonia Duo // DJ: DV Entertainment // Officiant: Rev. Andrew Taylor-Troutman // Catering: Blue Ridge Mountain Catering // Wedding Cake: Our Daily Bread // Bride's Ring: Kate Szabone // Wedding Dress: Patina Bridal and Formals // Hair: Tivon Salon and Spa // Make-Up: New Dimensions Salon and Day Spa // Bride's Shoes: Toms // Bridesmaid's Attire: David's Bridal // Groom's Attire: Perry Ellis // Groom's Ring: Todd Reed // Groomsmen's Attire: Perry Ellis