Early Mountain Vineyards in Virginia served as the host to this magical story. Back in December, Shante reached out to us with a request to be a part of her and Asteway’s wedding. After discussing her needs, she asked if we could decorate both her wedding ceremony and reception.
Shante found us via our Youtube channel and decided to reach out based on the content we shared in the past. As we spoke, I asked her to tell me what type of wedding she envisioned. Her answer was simple.
““Simple and elegant. Rustic/Chic details. I’ve seen enough “Royal Theme” weddings for two lifetimes.” Shante”
We both laughed at the last thing she said because it was true. I realized that Asteway and Shante were the type of couple that was intentional about what they wanted. They had already selected Early Mountain Vineyards as their location. They even booked the Videographer, Photographer, Florist and Caterers.
That to me was amazing and I couldn’t have expected anything less the more I got to know both of them.
While we delved into the look and feel of their wedding, I came to know the Ethiopian culture of Asteway. It was even clearer when Shante posted on social media, “When I planned our special day I said, ‘Babe your culture is not the backdrop to our wedding, it is the WEDDING.’ Ethiopia, we give you reverence.”
Did your heart just melt as mine did?
Shante and Asteway had subtle touches of Ethiopian culture that was the perfect amount at Early Mountain Vineyards. From the memory table, the wedding favors, Amharic cake topper to the cultural cloth reserving the first row. The symbolism was perfection.
Wedding Venue Early Mountain Vineyards
Looking at the venue, I knew this was a great opportunity to allow the space to speak more than others. Early Mountain has an open-air reception space with more than 20-foot ceilings. Beautiful chandeliers transcend down to you surrounded by two large fireplaces. For that reason I knew we had a great venue to work with.
Furthermore, the outdoor natural light peaks in just enough to see the room shine in the daytime. It gives you the perfect view overlooking rolling hills and beautiful trees as you make your way onto the terrace. This venue has dual purpose as you could easily host your ceremony indoor or out. Depending on the time of the year, an outdoor reception would be a great idea.
The wedding decorations
The couple selected blush, gold, and shades of purple as their primary colors. Because we had use of beautiful farm tables, it was a great idea to provide mixed seating. With a blend of farm tables and traditional rounds, this gave the room a bit more drama.
As a result, we decided to use soft lavender colored table runners for the farm tables while using a cream and blush based linen for the round tables.
Because Shante and Asteway wanted family style dinner, we did not go too heavy on the centerpieces or other décor items. The food needed it’s space which the foodie in me had no problem with.
The ceremony focused on an arch that Urban Flora and I decorated. Two large barrels served as the entrance to the aisle that also had arrangements on top. In contrast, verses the traditional theatre style seating, we elected to do a half moon seating arrangement that gave everyone a bird’s eye view of this beautiful couple.
In conclusion, this Virginia wedding was an honor to design and we are grateful for such intentional people like Shante and Asteway. Check out our wedding planning page for details on how we can plan your wedding.
Photographer Amy Smith Photography