Master Goldsmith Mia van Beek established Formia® Design Jewelry in 2004, a small, full service jewelry studio in the heart of Charlottesville, Virginia. After 34 years of experience in her trade, she specializes in custom design and redesign of fine jewelry.
Mia will personally consult with you in the process of your jewelry creations. She makes this experience creative and fun while professionally guiding you with possibilities and ideas fitting to you and your needs. Mia has full attention to detail in her work in the process, and most of all, satisfied customers are her priority.
Spotswood Lodge
Thanks to Ashley Fox Photography, Karis Marie Photography, KPC + Co. Photography, Lillie Elliot Photography, Meredith Coe, Michael & jasmine Photography, MLP Photography, Sera Petras Photography & Sidney Leigh Photography
20 Local retailers provide custom suiting.
20 Charlottesville’s event pros form a perfect union.
22 This year’s Best of C-VILLE weddings winners. 24 Your month-by-month bigday planner.
Beautifully restored, the historic Jefferson Theater is the perfect place to host your wedding celebration.
Located on the Downtown Mall, you and your guests will enjoy a friendly staff, two full bars, professional staging, technical support and an on-site event manager to make your wedding day stress-free and truly memorable.
We can host up to 150 seated guests for dinners and up to 500 guests for cocktail-style receptions. The Jefferson offers a variety of design options for your event including seating on the stage, use of both balconies and the grand lobby.
Like what you see?
If you’re planning a wedding, you can’t do better than these folks, who took the photos you see in the pages of this issue.
Customized facials, including HydraFacial, and peels designed to deeply cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin
CLIENT
TESTIMONIAL
“I had a HydraFacial with Kelly a few weeks ago. The experience itself was wonderful, relaxing, and addictive. Ever since, my skin is much improved, feels soft and hydrated, specific concerns were addressed with good results. I can’t wait to do this again!”
LASER REJUVENATION
Professional laser hair removal and Clear + Brilliant treatments for smooth, glowing skin
MICRONEEDLING
Microneedling treatments stimulate collagen production, rejuvenate your skin, and improve texture and tone
AARON WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Wedding Planner
TIPS, TRENDS, AND BEAUCOUPS OF REAL-LIFE BIG-DAY
INSPO
Extra fun
These outside-the-box vendors up the ante on your best day ever
By Caite Hamilton
12 PASSENGER TRANSIT LIMOUSINE
The Transit Limousine has all the luxury you have come to expect from a standard limousine, but with enough room for everyone. This is the perfect vehicle to enjoy Charlottesville’s many wineries and breweries with friends and family.
25 PASSENGER MINI BUS
Our Mini Buses are great vehicles for medium sized groups. These 25 Passenger vehicles, with their large viewing windows and individual seating, are a great way to tour the local area or shuttle guests from one location to another.
47–55 PASSENGER MOTOR COACH
The Motor Coach is the largest vehicle type in our fleet. We have two sizes of Motor Coach, 47 Passenger and 55 Passenger, both of which are ideal for large groups. These vehicles enable you to transport a significant number of passengers at one time
More and more, couples are viewing their wedding not only as an opportunity to declare their love for one another in front of everyone who feels important to them, but also—let’s face it—as an opportunity for the best party they’ll ever throw. To that end, here are three local vendors who can add that extra something to make your big day truly stand out.
PICTURE THIS
Photo booths are fine for some, but Parlor the Studio can do you one better. The creative duo of photographer Anna Kariel and stylist/retailer/designer Annie Drury work with clients to create a bespoke photo “set” curated and fabricated to the style and ethos of the event. Think paper moon in a Prohibition-era speakeasy, or a sailboat braving dramatic seas. “During the ideation phase of the design process, clients are invited to present ideas and provide feedback,” says Kariel. “We gush over a fun theme, and we are equally excited to pitch our own ideas when requested.”
JUST YOUR TYPE
You may have spotted Charlottesville Poem Store’s Laura Frantz parking her tent (and her vintage typewriter) at the Farmers Market at Ix, The Doyle Hotel (total Algonquin Round Table vibes), and special events around town like the Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival and Common House’s Writers’ Happy Hour. But she’s also for hire. Have her set up at your wedding and craft an on-the-spot poem for each of your guests based on a set of agreed-upon prompts. Now that’s poetry in motion.
BEAUTIFUL DISCOVERY
On such a perfect day, it’s easy to see that your future looks bright. But your guests may want a peek at what’s to come for them, too. Enter tarot. “A different language that speaks through images,” as Sealed in the Stars’ Jess Bronson writes on her website, tarot is a tool for self-discovery. Let Bronson lay all her cards (she carries multiple decks and matches them to each recipient’s vibe) on the table.
It’s all in the details
Local event firm makes your wedding truly yours
By Carol Diggs
If you think the devil is in the details, you’re not alone: Local events rental firm Eventide strongly agrees. For your special day, these folks want the décor, from bowers to umbrellas, to fit your vision. Whether it’s tables and chairs, linen, cutlery and glassware, service trays, or tents, the firm provides a range of choices on … well, everything.
Who knew there were nine kinds of ice troughs, more than three dozen varieties of platters (wood, ceramic, melamine, and metal), and 21 options for baskets? But Eventide’s objective isn’t to overwhelm you with choices—it’s to provide a wonderfully specific, curated setting for your occasion. The firm’s specialty is its customized wood pieces: bars, bowers, canopies, serving pieces and platters, and decorative items.
When it comes to custom bars, Eventide offers three customizable options. The Belmont features a semi-circular or circular bar, which can be adapted to your wedding’s look/color scheme with variations in color, panels, and countertop—and then accessorized with shelving, food displays, and umbrellas. The more casual Carleton is a two-server bar with more than 20 variations of front panels and countertops to fit your setting, as well as built-ins to provide everything the bartenders need. The rustic Avon features a striking restored wooden canoe with optional display stands, serving as the centerpiece for buffets of charcuterie, breakfast, or desserts.
Eventide was launched about two years ago, as a sister company of The Catering Outfit, a local boutique culinary design firm started in 1999 by executive chef Walter Slawski. While the rental firm started out handling wedding events, it’s starting to build a clientele in corporate events and private parties as well. Eventide just recently moved into a larger warehouse space, and now has a dozen employees.
Charlottesville native Sheri Scaminaci, Eventide’s rental director and warehouse manager, has “been here since the beginning,” she says. With a background that includes restaurants, catering, and carpentry, she would seem to have been custom designed for her job, which in-
cludes everything from consulting with planners, designers, and couples to going out on deliveries. And, her father runs the firm’s woodshop, designing and constructing many of its custom products.
Eventide’s current client mix is about 50 percent planners (they have worked with Hannah Rose Design, Day by Fay, Magnum Opus Events, and several others around town) and 50 percent
individuals and their designers. “We’re always open to your ideas,” says Scaminaci. While Eventide doesn’t do total wedding planning, its services are designed to mesh seamlessly with the logistics of your party. Luckily, Scaminaci’s background also includes volunteer firefighting—so she can handle just about anything. “Each event can get to be a lot of work,” she says, “but I love it.”
At The Omni Homestead Resort, we believe that a day unlike any other should happen at a place unlike any other. Our stunning new event pavilion offers breathtaking views to create the perfect setting for your special day.
Rob Garland Photography
Go all out
Charlottesville’s the best backdrop for out-of-towners
By Caite Hamilton
If you’re having a wedding in Charlottesville, you already know all of the wonderful things about the area—the wineries and restaurants, the music venues, the art galleries. But you should assume your guests—many of them from out of town—don’t have a clue what the town has to offer. Consider this an official guide to helping your guests feel right at home. (Feel free to stick it in your welcome basket!)
FRIDAY
If your guests arrive this afternoon for the rehearsal dinner, direct them to...
The Downtown Mall, where they can visit Ting Pavilion for Fridays After Five.
Peruse a few of the city’s best bookstores (Daedalus Bookshop, for its labyrinthine selection, or New Dominion, Virginia’s oldest independent bookseller).
A quick drink (social lubricant for all that inevitable small talk!) at Tilman’s or Zocalo.
An after-dinner nightcap at local favorite C&O, or Miller’s—if that’s your end-of-night vibe.
SATURDAY
Likely this is the day of the wedding. Instruct your guests to...
Visit IX Art Park farmers’ market, where they can snack on a pastry from Baker No Bakery while deciding where to go for breakfast.
Get breakfast. Recommended: Belle for breakfast sammies, Farm Bell Kitchen for banana beignets, or Oakhurst Inn for smoked chicken hash.
Try a winery, brewery, or distillery. We couldn’t possibly recommend just one—pick whatever suits your mood (urban? Mountain views? Dave Matthews’ seal of approval?).
Nap, then suit up!
SUNDAY
Your visitors will need a come-down after all the fun they had last night. Try...
Grabbing a quick Bodo’s breakfast.
Taking in an exhibit at one of Charlottesville’s many galleries: McGuffey Art Center, The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, Les Yeux du Monde... Pick your pleasure.
Picking a lunch spot on UVA’s historic Corner (The Virginian is a classic choice) before...
Buying a bottle of wine at Market Street Wine—owner Erin Scala will recommend the perfect souvenir to stash in your checked luggage until the return home.
Clinton J. Ellis Photography
Once Like a Spark Photography
Micah Cook Photography
photo credit: Anna Wright
Suit up!
Local retailers offer custom options
Forming alliances
Charlottesville’s wedding professionals make a great team
By Caite Hamilton
With a wedding industry like Charlottesville’s (read: booming), it seemed smart and even necessary to officiant Claire Frances to create a network of professionals. In 2010, she launched the Community of Charlottesville Wedding and Event Professionals.
“Over the years, CCWEP has played an integral role in bringing a community of small busi-
ness owners together who service weddings and events in the central Virginia area,” says current owner Lisa Watson. “I saw how helpful it was to bring new and established businesses together to share ideas, and support one another, when I first joined in 2014.” After the pandemic forced the CCWEP into hiatus in 2020, Watson relaunched it in the fall of 2023.
The reboot continues the mission of the original members—to connect with and meet
Alton Lane, started in 2009 by two Darden grads, offers a custom suit in two weeks time.
HUNTER & SARAH PHOTOGRAPHY
TRISTAN WILLIAMS
By Carol Diggs
Your wedding is a time to present your best self—which may mean a custom suit. Luckily, Charlottesville has plenty of options. There are national retailers Brooks Brothers, Jos. A. Bank, and Men’s Wearhouse. Or you can go the shop local route.
Eljo’s was opened in 1950 on the UVA Corner by Wahoo brothers Elliott and Joseph Hyman (hence the name). Trent Thurston, who now coowns Eljo’s with his father Myles (the pair recently decided to sell the shop), recommends beginning the suit-buying process at least five weeks before the big day. Eljo’s prides itself on more traditional menswear, and prices range from $1,300 on up, depending on size and fabric (the store has more than 1,500 swatches on hand).
Alton Lane has a strikingly similar origin— started in 2009 by two UVA/Darden grads. The shop’s manufacturing process means it can promise a suit within two weeks, but you’ll still need time for fittings (store stylist Ali Taleb says most grooms start the process at least three months out). Prices range from $399 (for a “50/50 fabric”) to as high as $4,000 (seasonal or high-end fabrics). Alton Lane also offers wedding packages for outfitting the wedding party—groomsmen, bridesmaids, even the bride.
The Mens & Boys Shop is a 104-year-old Charlottesville institution. Co-owner Kyle Davis says a custom client should start the process at least two months before the wedding. Prices start at $895, again depending on size, fabric, and styling. Davis notes that grooms will often bring their partner along. It makes for a shared experience, he says, “and it’s always nice to have someone help with making decisions.”
each other, share ideas, promote their businesses, learn from industry-leading speakers, and, says Watson, “overall make the Charlottesville wedding community stronger.”
The CCWEP has more than 200 members (and counting), from all corners of the local industry: photographers, caterers, officiants, DJs, and more. Watson says the organization benefits to-be-married couples by having world-class vendors to choose from, at all price points.
“The organization and local wedding industry is growing every day,” she says. “Promoting a strong and healthy Charlottesville wedding and event community is the core value of CCWEP.”
Callie Opie's has multiple wedding options on our 25-acre rustic property to
Best day ever
Each year, we ask our readers to tell us who's tops in everything from wedding planner to party rentals. Here's who they say to call to make your special day one to remember.
BACHELOR/BACHELORETTE CELEBRATION SPOT
King Family Vineyards kingfamilyvineyards.com
Veritas Vineyards and Winery veritaswines.com
Tasting Room & Taphouse at Mount Ida Reserve mountidafarm.com
CAKES AND DESSERTS
Albemarle Baking Co. albemarlebakingco.com
Cake Bloom cakebloom.com
CATERER
Harvest Moon Catering hmcatering.com
The Catering Outfit cateringoutfit.com
CEREMONY MUSICIAN
Kelly Chambers
Violinist kellychambersviolinist.com
The Bloom Trio thebloomtrio.com
WEDDING PLANNER
EVENT RENTALS AND MANAGEMENT
MS Events mseventscville.com
Blue Ridge Event Production blueridgeeventproduction.com
FLORIST
Hedge Fine Blooms hedgefineblooms.com
Tourterelle
Floral Design tourterellefloral.com
HAIR STYLIST
Posh Bride poshbrideva.com
Tickled Pink Hair & Makeup tickledpinkhmu.com
MAKEUP ARTIST
Posh Bride poshbrideva.com
Captivating Complexion captivatingcomplexion.com
MICRO-WEDDING VENUE
Old Metropolitan Hall oldmetropolitanhall.com
Waterperry Farm waterperryfarm.com
PROPOSAL SPOT
King Family Vineyards kingfamilyvineyards.com
Veritas Vineyards and Winery veritaswines.com
Monticello Country Ballooning virginiahotairballoon.com
REHEARSAL DINNER VENUE
Common House commonhouse.com
The Farmhouse at Veritas veritasfarmhouse.com
TRANSPORTATION
Albemarle
Limousine albemarlelimousine.com
Ambassador Limousine ambassadorlimos.com
WEDDING MUSIC
Big Ray and the Kool Kats bigrayandthekoolkats.com
Sam Hill Entertainment samhillbands.com
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Meredith Coe
Photography meredithcoe photography.com
3 Cats Photo 3catsphoto.com
WEDDING PLANNER
Little Acorn Events Co. littleacornevents.com
Hannah Rose Design hannahroseeventdesign.com
WEDDING VENUE
King Family Vineyards kingfamilyvineyards.com
Mount Ida Farm mountidafarm.com
I
do list
We've made it easy—check the boxes as you get closer to your big day
One year before
Work out your budget. Know your limit before considering much else.
Set a tentative date for your wedding. Decide on your wedding style and formality. This may be determined, in part, by how many guests you want to invite, so think about the guest list now, too.
Settle on a ceremony location.
Put down a deposit for the reception location.
Begin the search for other wedding vendors (transportation, flowers, invitations, music, makeup artist), starting with photographers and videographers.
Once you’ve chosen your wedding photographer, schedule an engagement photo session.
Start shopping for wedding rings. Reserve your officiant.
If your reception venue doesn’t have a caterer, decide who’ll provide the food and book a tasting.
Choose a rehearsal dinner location.
Shop for a dress. It may seem too soon, but it can take several months for your dress to arrive, and it may require alterations.
After you’ve found the perfect gown, schedule fittings and a delivery date.
Choose your bridal party and invite them to be part of your special day.
Nine months before
Start finalizing the guest list and gathering addresses.
Register for gifts.
If there is a groom, decide to rent or purchase attire for him and the groomsmen.
Once that’s decided, place your order.
Finalize all the vendors and secure your wedding date by putting down deposits.
Select the bridesmaids’ gowns. These’ll take a few months to come in, too.
Send out save the dates.
Six months before
Prepare all maps and directions for the ceremony and reception.
Meet with your florist and choose arrangements for the ceremony and reception, as well as bouquets.
If your caterer doesn’t provide one, order your wedding cake.
Begin doing research for your marriage license.
If you're a first-timer, schedule a wax or laser hair removal consult.
Meet with both sets of parents to coordinate their day-of attire.
Reserve accommodations for out-of-town guests. (Consider doing this even earlier if you’re planning a wedding on busy in-town weekends like homecoming or during other local events that draw a crowd.)
Order invitations.
Start thinking about honeymoon destinations.
Four months before
Address and send out your invitations and announcements. Include information regarding the accommodations. (Also consider creating a website with all of the accommodation information. Guests might like to get a head start on making those arrangements and most hotels close your block four weeks out.)
Arrange for final dress fittings.
Purchase wedding guest book.
Order your wedding favors, bridal party gifts and other wedding accessories (Champagne glasses, ring bearer pillow, cake knife, etc.).
Three months before
Make an appointment with your stylist for wedding day hairstyles for the bride and bridal party, as well as appointments for manis, pedis, massages or other spa treatments. Schedule a trial with your hairstylist and makeup artist.
Start gathering your RSVPs.
Finalize the dates for your last-minute dress fittings.
Meet with all your wedding vendors to finalize any orders and reservations.
Purchase bridal party gifts and a gift for your fiancé.
Finalize the plans for your honeymoon. Update your passport and vaccinations, if necessary. Finalize ceremony.
One month before
Finalize the details of your rehearsal dinner. Go over song lists and requests with your band or DJ.
Draw up preliminary seating arrangements for the reception.
Have a trial session with your wedding-day hairstylist and makeup artist.
Start taking dance lessons for your first dance. Get your marriage license with your fiancé.
Three weeks before
Pick up wedding rings.
Confirm all arrival times with vendors.
Confirm hotel arrangements for out- oftown guests.
Have your final dress fitting.
Finalize the seating arrangement for the reception.
Attend your bachelor/ bachelorette party.
One week before
Give the caterer your final guest count. Have final fittings for your groom and groomsmen.
Give gifts to your wedding party, family and fiancé privately, or at the rehearsal dinner.
Make arrangements for your wedding gifts to be brought to your home.
Two days before
Get a mani/pedi.
Get a wax and a spray tan.
Confirm flight, hotel and packing arrangements for the honeymoon.
Make payment envelopes for each vendor and give them to your wedding day assistant along with your marriage license to take care of at the wedding.
Confirm arrangements for the getaway car.
One day before
Attend your rehearsal dinner.
Your wedding day
Get in a wedding day workout.
Get your hair and makeup done early Make sure you get plenty to eat, and drink a lot of water.
Have fun!
HUNTER & SARAH
For Your Perfect Fairytale
Bow WOW!
This whimsical trend is making its way into Charlottesville weddings
Large, small, elaborate, subtle—we’ve never met a bow we didn’t like. Seems the same goes for local couples, who’ve been putting one on everything from invitations and dinner menus to cakes and clothing. Take in the inspiration, then tie one on!
We love a matching (pink!) bow-tie moment.
XIAOQI LI PHOTOGRAPHY
XIAOQI LI PHOTOGRAPHY
XIAOQI LI PHOTOGRAPHY
The bigger the better for this Maliha Creations bow cake.
A draping bow lends drama to this Market at Grelen bride.
An oversized bow for a big, big love.
The extra-long strings evoke flower stems at this spring Pippin Hill wedding.
parlorthestudio.com @parlorthestudio
Lovestories
&Jason Cherry Cameron Mellion
AT A FAMILY ESTATE IN AFTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH HOUSTON PHOTOGRAPHY
THE FINE DETAILS
Event planner: Erin Price (Perfect Detail Planning) Ceremony and reception
venue: Family estate in Afton (Purple Cherry Architects) Officiant: Dave Norris
Entertainment) Grooms’ attire: Custom from Suitsupply Shoes: Suitsupply Wedding party attire: Various dresses; groomsmen suits from The Black Tux with ties from OTAA Rings: Tiffany & Co.
Hair and makeup: FBJ Bridal Videographer: Aerial
Illustrations Photography: The Smiths Photography
& Nick Wright Matt Scarnaty
AT KING FAMILY VINEYARDS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE SMITHS PHOTOGRAPHY
Story Hinckley Matthew Johnson& AT THE CLIFTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KYLIE MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY
THE FINE DETAILS
Event planner: Amore Events Ceremony and reception venue: The Clifton Officiant: Mark Shuford (family friend) Catering : The Clifton
Flowers: Steelcut Flower Co. Cake: Commonwealth
Cake Company Music: The A-Town A-List Bride’s attire: Suzanne Neville (custom from Zoya Atelier in Falls Church, Virginia) Shoes: Loeffler Randall
Makeup: Stephanie Parker Makeup Hair: Avenue
42 Salon Videographer: Amanda Monroe Finn Photography: Kylie Martin Photography
To go or not to go
Considering a destination wedding?
By Carol Diggs
Choosing a life partner is a really big decision. Having a wedding, on the other hand, is a hundred smaller ones. And for many couples, the primary decision is ‘where?’ Which brings up the question of a destination wedding—how do you decide?
“The first question is, why are you thinking of a particular destination?” says planner Mary Andrews, principal of Mary Elizabeth Events (just back from her own wedding in Tuscany). “Does that place mean something special to the two of you? Or are you seeking an experience you’ll share with you guests? Or do you want a getaway?”
Part of that decision is considering who you want to share in your special day. “A destination wedding may mean lots of people you have invited won’t be able to attend,” Andrews points out. You should consider your guests’ ability to travel (for example, elderly family members or pregnant friends), as well as their financial situation.
One way to include a wider group in your big day, says Andrews, is to hold wedding-related events (such as the bridal shower, or a pre- or post-wedding reception) locally. Or you could borrow a pandemic tactic: livestreaming or video-recording the ceremony and/or part of the reception, like the speeches and the fatherdaughter dance.
If you’ve decided on a destination wedding, prepare for more decisions. Do you want an all-inclusive resort that provides transportation to and from the airport, accommodations for your guests, a space for the ceremony, and facilities for the rehearsal dinner, post-wedding reception/dinner, and the next-day breakfast or brunch? That kind of convenience is attractive, but usually more costly for both you and your guests.
A more casual, less-structured approach may enable your guests to save money (on hotel rooms, for instance). But the destination you have chosen is key—an all-inclusive resort may be more sensible if you are gathering in the Costa Rican rainforest, while if you’re getting married inside the Eiffel Tower, guests can likely find their own accommodations. Another way to hold costs down is to plan for the off-season, or hold your events midweek.
As with any wedding, “the guest count is one big factor in your costs,” Andrews says. Since guests are paying for airfare and accommodations, they expect you to provide the event meals. Here, your style could help you keep to your budget—having a reception rather than a sit-down dinner, or providing buffet breakfast and a trip to a local winery instead of a formal brunch. And don’t forget to factor in the local economy, everything from hotel rooms to meals, entertainment, and food taxes (for example, VAT in Italy is 22 percent).
Then there are the practical details to consider. If a health emergency arises, are there medical facilities nearby? Do you want a friend to officiate at your wedding? If so, check out the local regulations first thing; in many places, Andrews points out, if you aren’t getting married in a church, you have to marry in a registry office first. And be realistic—is it safe for your guests to travel there?
Now you’re really down to nuts and bolts: Will your guests need a visa or vaccinations? Do they all have current passports or REAL
ID cards? What about dietary restrictions (not all destinations have kosher or halal caterers)? How will the bridal party get their dresses there? (As for gifts, Andrews suggest that for a destination wedding, your invitation should make clear gifts are optional, or should be sent to the couple’s address rather than brought to the wedding.)
By this point, it’s clear that one thing you will need is a wedding or event planner who has experience in your destination. This can be someone local (logistically easier, and more likely to understand expectations) or someone who is actually on site at the destination, although that person may be harder to reach given time zones. Another option, Andrews points out; The venue you choose may have relationships with local event consultants.
“People have big dreams [about their wedding day,]” she says. “The challenge is managing those dreams versus reality.” But it can be done. “You need a good understanding of what you want and what’s needed—and a good Plan B,” says Andrews.
MEREDITH COE PHOTOGRAPHY
arrangements
Robert Radifera doesn’t see a career change in his future, but the longtime local photographer did enjoy a recent turn in front of the lens—as the officiant at his nephew’s Castle Hill Cidery wedding.
The couple, who were married in midSeptember, approached Radifera after they got engaged with what he calls the “incredibly
moving request.” It was a no-brainer: He’d known the groom since Josh was 2, and had even asked him in 1998 to be the ringbearer in his own wedding.
“I thought long and hard about how to best officiate a wedding for someone that I watched grow up. I did interview several of their family members and closest friends,” Radifera
says. “I knew I had a job to do and wanted to be able to officiate in a meaningful but joyful way. Josh and Ali are such special people and I am so lucky to call them family.”
Knowing that nerves and emotions might get the better of him, Radifera came up with a great way to put everyone at ease: a selfie with the whole crowd at the start of the ceremony.
