WEDDINGS Winter 2018

WEDDINGS Winter

Winter 2018

Blossoms

Local Florists Offer Tips For Winter Nuptials PAGE 6

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WEDDINGS T Winter 2018

FANTASTIC FLORALS Certain flowers are perfect for cold-weather weddings.

PAGE 6

VALLEY VENUES: THE MIMSLYN INN Vintage Southern hospitality is at its best here.

hey’re here, there and everywhere — flowers.

It’s the next big topic we tackled amid the infinite sea of wedding responsibilities. “But it’s winter,” you might say. (We thought the same thing.) But after talking to Valley florists, it became clear that cold-weather weddings need flora, too. It also turns out that some are even best for this time of year, or cheaper, or both.

Continuing our Valley Venues photo series, the Mimslyn Inn stuns with a picturesque landscape and Southern charm. We also spoke to a master of ceremonies (so to speak) who thrives in the world of wedding coordination.

Overall, we hope you learn something. Perhaps you might find the last box to check in your planning process? Regardless, we give our best wishes to anyone tying the knot. And feel free to send any ideas or comments our way.

Corey Tierney Editor ctierney@dnronline.com

PAGE 3

Staff Corey Tierney, Editor Justin McIlwee, Staff Writer

Q&A WITH A WEDDING DAY-OF COORDINATOR Get down the aisle without the fuss.

PAGE 12

Shelby Mertens, Staff Writer Nikki Fox, Photographer Daniel Lin, Photographer Stephen Swofford, Photographer Jennifer Dehoff, Design Rhonda McNeal, Sales Manager Weddings is a publication of Rockingham Publishing Co. Inc. Copyright © 2018 Rockingham Publishing Co. Inc. 231 S. Liberty St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 For advertising information, call 540-574-6220.

Cover Photo by Stephen Swofford

WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

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WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

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The Mimslyn Inn in Luray offers both traditional and contemporary wedding venue options.

Valley Venues

Our series about one-of-a-kind wedding locations

The Mimslyn Inn Photography by Daniel Lin

B

egin with classic, add a hint of charm, mix in some character

(tradition, history) and you have �Vintage Southern hospitality.�

The Mimslyn Inn is known throughout the Shenandoah Valley for gracious atmosphere,

personalized service and picturesque surroundings. It just underwent a multimillion dollar renovation, making it the toast of the town.

The historic setting features expansive lawns peppered with gardens, oversized patios, landscaped terraces and tasteful stonework.

It is within walking distance from historic downtown Luray, and sandwiched between the famous Luray Caverns and the

scenic Shenandoah National Park.

You will be greeted by a circular drive, leading to a portico supported by high columns and a lobby complete with a winding staircase that will transport you back to the Antebellum era of the old South.

The Mimslyn Inn offers a full-service ballroom and garden wedding sites. It also boasts an executive chef and professional staff serving buffet or plated

entrees, including seafood, pasta and carving options.

Choose from a fine selection of room sizes ideal for receptions, ceremonies and rehearsals.

Choose from 7 acres of terraced gardens, lush lawns and mature landscaping for a perfect outdoor setting. The banquet rooms can be set up to reflect your mood and style.

If you smell freshly baked bread or a delicate aroma, you may be heading into the main WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

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WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

Valley

Venues

The formal dining room, Circa ’31, is decorated in rich colors and fabrics with floor-toceiling windows, high-back chairs and vintage murals. It is the most spacious facility at the Mimslyn Inn and is perfect for a large reception, accommodating 200 guests in 2,300 square feet.

dining room, Circa ’31, where the chef prepares seasonal dishes daily. The Mimslyn Inn has been around since the end of prohibition in 1933. Today, the new Speakeasy Tavern is ready to entertain a variety of appetites.

The Mimslyn’s distinguished makeover has brought the inn many extras like a spa, fitness room, complete business center and gift shop.

Enjoy a comfortable atmosphere complete with vintage architecture, grand textures and down-home comforts.

For pricing and wedding package options, visit mimslyninn.com

This information about the Mimslyn Inn was provided by their website.

Adjacent to the inn, the cottage campus offers a private experience with expansive lawns perfect for the ceremony, reception and rehearsal.

The Manor House of the cottages at the Mimslyn Inn can be used to host wedding receptions.

A bridal suite is available at the Mimslyn Inn.

WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

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Fantastic Florals

By Shelby Mertens

Flowers Are Still A Main Attraction For Cold-Weather Weddings

A floral arrangement for an upcoming wedding sits on display at Blakemore’s Flowers in Harrisonburg.

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WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

Photo by Stephen Swofford

Metro Creative

Common themes for winter weddings haven’t changed much throughout the years. Most brides choose a color palette rides may hesitate to plan a wedding during the months that mirrors the hues of the holiday season. Brides tend to of December to February for several reasons. opt for a more traditional red, white and green color scheme.

For one, everyone else they know is having (or had) However, Chick said crystal, gray and blue color schemes, as a spring or summer wedding. Two, the weather can be unpre- well as shades of blush, cranberry and burgundy, have become dictable. And three, the busy holiday season could impact more common. Weddings that take place after Christmas attendance. tend to take on a more “icy, wintery, snowy vibe.” Chick said However, because it’s the wedding off-season, prices she’s also pleasantly surprised to see more brides interested during the winter can be much lower, and surprisingly, in mixing metallics, like gold and silver, with antique brass. winter can be a great time for floral “The wood-rustic trend is not arrangements. going away anytime soon, but “The wedding industry is they’re starting to add in more of saturated in the spring and the glitzy, opulent accents,” she summer, and there isn’t as much said. “So, they’re trying to find a competition in the wintertime way to bridge the gap between for venue spaces and flowers. So, that outdoorsy feel, and because the entire market kind of shifts most winter weddings are going in that garden roses, which are to happen inside rather than in really popular year-round, you a barn, they’ll try to add a little can usually secure pretty good class to it with some of those metal prices on those as well from your elements with wood.” growers,” said Abby Chick, owner Besides the ever-popular peony, of Blakemore’s Flowers.

Chick suggested white hydrangeas — Terrie Dean The great thing about winter for winter weddings because they weddings, Chick said, is that brides can withstand the cold. White can get just about any flower they orchids make a nice touch. Also want. Tulips will have just come into season, and peonies are consider mixing evergreens, eucalyptus and berries into the more affordable. arrangements.

“A lot of those things that you think about as being spring “I think the most popular winter flower that almost every flowers are actually available in December, January and bride asks for is a berry of some sort,” she said. “They all want February,” she said. “You can even get peonies, which are berries of some sort in their bouquets, whether it’s like a navy pretty expensive the whole year round … but you can actually blue berry, or something like a silver brunia, because it’s got get some really good prices because they come in from Chile that gray, icy vibe to it, or red, green and white for the more [in the winter].” traditional colors.”

B

“It’s not just about choosing a great, elegant, free-flowing bridal bouquet. It is also about coupling every element of the design of that wedding along with that look.”

WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

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Carnations, however, are one of the plans — the ones that follow the same most budget-friendly flowers for brides. theme, look and feel all the way through.”

January is the month of the carnation, So, how do you manage all of the according to Terrie Dean, owner of The different floral arrangements needed for Wishing Well, a floral and event planning a wedding? An exhausting list includes business in Harrisonburg. personals like the bouquets, wearables “They are in abundance and in every for groomsmen — corsages and boutoncolor. There are girls who will choose to nières — other florals for the flower girls, put white and red together in January. the ring bearer, the parents and grandThere are those who tend to use all parents and anyone else in the wedding white,” Dean said. “The interesting party who is escorted down the aisle thing about carnations is that they are during the processional. Also needed long lasting and they are a very sturdy are flowers placed around the ceremony flower. … Carnations are one of the most venue, and floral table centerpieces for durable flowers, so that’s why they’re a the reception.

Metro Creative really good choice for winter weddings.”

Chick suggests starting with the Dean added that when bunched personal florals first, since the wedding together, carnations can mimic the look ceremony is the main focus of the event, of a peony. when the spotlight is on the bride the Succulents are also a great choice for most. However, some brides will focus adding greenery into the mix during the on floral arrangements for the reception. winter.

“On one hand, the ceremony is the “Succulents tend to stand up in just main show. You’re going to have more about anything you can imagine because pictures of that, so some brides think it’s — Abby Chick they grow in the desert,” she said. “They most important to really decorate. … But are used to bitter conditions no matter then again, you’re only going to be up what.” there for like 20 minutes at the most, so Once February rolls around, Dean sees most brides a lot of brides struggle with that,” she said. “That’s probably choosing roses in deep reds, soft pinks, hot pink or white the biggest thing my brides have to battle: Do you put more around Valentine’s Day. of your money into the reception table arrangements, which Choosing flowers that match the colors and theme of your are there to provide ambiance for your guests, but don’t get wedding for cohesion is an aspect brides tend to overlook photographed a lot, or do you put more money into something during the planning process. that you personally are going to have a lot of photos of, but “It’s not just about choosing a great, elegant, free-flowing your guests will only see for 20 minutes.” bridal bouquet,” Dean said. “It is also about coupling every Be sure to shop around for a florist you’re comfortable element of the design of that wedding along with that look. with and feel you can trust, Chick said, which can make the So, it really starts with the selection of the venue, attire that planning process go much smoother. is chosen, and then you want the cohesion to follow through Also keep the weather in mind when selecting flowers, with the interior decor and planning, and finally, the floral even if you’re having an indoor wedding. decor of the wedding. The best plans are the most cohesive “I think the practicality of the choosing of the flowers is

Photos by Stephen Swofford

“Floral design is an art form, so there’s always new combinations of things.”

Julia Walker at Blakemore’s Flowers prepares floral arrangements for an upcoming wedding.

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WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

Tiffany Crider begins a wedding arrangement at Blakemore’s Flowers.

Terrie Dean poses for a portrait at The Wishing Well.

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WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

Sharon Worsham creates a floral arrangement at The Wishing Well.

sometimes missed,” Dean said. “We like to sit down with brides and actually educate them on how well a flower will or will not do based on the weather they have, or whether it’s an outdoor wedding or indoor wedding.”

How much a bride should budget for flowers is a loaded question for florists. One bride may spend $500 to $1,000 and another spends $10,000 or even much more. Floral centerpieces can range from $25 per table to $200 per table. The rule of the thumb, Chick said, is to allocate 10 to 15 percent of your total wedding budget toward flowers. Be sure to have a ballpark idea of your total budget before consulting a florist.

It will make their jobs much easier.

It also helps to have the wedding party’s outfits already picked out so the florist can be of more assistance in helping you choose complementing florals.

Pinterest and Instagram are both a blessing and a curse for florists and wedding planners. Social media has revolutionized the wedding industry in that brides now have access to countless ideas they can present to their florists and planners. But at the same time, it can set a bride’s expectations too high.

“Because of the access to Instagram and Pinterest, they’re seeing a lot of things that get liked and shared the most, which are usually the most out-of-this-world expensive things. And so, sometimes, you feel like the dream killer when they come in with their Pinterest pages and then they say they want to spend $500 on flowers,” Chick said. “There’s just not very realistic views of what you can get for the money.”

Conversely, Dean sees Pinterest and Instagram as a great resource for florists to understand a bride’s vision of her perfect wedding. She strongly recommends brides create Pinterest accounts if they haven’t already, and have pictures ready to show their florist.

“Brides used to come in before and use the words ‘romantic’ or ‘vintage’ or ‘modern’ or ‘eclectic.’ We always had to play

Photos by Stephen Swofford

Debbie Soderberg works on a centerpiece arrangement at The Wishing Well for an upcoming wedding reception.

this guessing game as to what she was seeing in her mind, versus what that translated to for us on the creative side as designers,” Dean said. “Now, with Pinterest, I don’t have to do that anymore. There is no guessing game. When she says ‘romantic’ and points to her Pinterest page, I know exactly what she means by that.”

Chick, too, believes the internet can be a great tool, but also encourages brides to make their weddings more personalized.

“When selecting your theme and your flowers, it’s important

“We like to sit down with brides and actually educate them on how well a flower will or will not do based on the weather they have, or whether it’s an outdoor or indoor wedding.”

— Terrie Dean

not just to look on Pinterest or Instagram and try to make a carbon copy of something else,” she said. “Really think about you and your [future spouse] and what speaks to you guys, what feels fitting with your style, the places that you’ve been, things you enjoy, who you are as people.”

More than anything, just have fun with it.

“What’s so great about this [is that] it all goes. It all works,” Chick said. “Floral design is an art form, so there’s always new combinations of things.”

WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

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Q&A With A

Wedding Day Coordinator

By Justin McIlwee

Photos courtesy of Jessica Lail

I

t’s your wedding day. You can’t get into the reception area to decorate until 10 a.m., but your hair appointment is at 11 a.m. and you know you’ll never get done on time. You were also hoping to spend that time with your friends and family instead of secluded and putting up decorations yourself, or barking orders at others who are.

That’s where Jessica Lail takes over.

Lail is the owner and principal planner of It’s Your Day, a planning and management service in the Valley that helps couples get down the aisle without a huge fuss. Lail’s company can help plan your wedding from beginning to end, or she can step in and be your day-of coordinator, helping manage everything to make your wedding day go off without a hitch.

I spoke to Lail about what her profession entails and what a wedding party can expect when seeking her services:

Q: What exactly is a day-of coordinator?

A: I actually call it event management because it’s really transformed in the industry over the last couple of years. You used to be able to just show up and say, ‘OK, let’s get you down the aisle.’ But it’s so detail oriented now. You have to get involved more in advance. I’ve created this package where, whether they contact me at

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WEDDINGS | Winter 2018

six months or a year, if they want me there on the day of their wedding, which is day-of coordination, I can obviously manage that. But I start working with them further in advance and offer them additional resources.

[With] a true day-of coordinator, it’s difficult to do that because you need more information up front. People have turned it into this month-of coordination so that we can be more involved and actually execute a successful day-of coordination. Even if they call it [day-of coordination], they’re not just showing up on the day of.

I send a 100-question survey a little over a month before their wedding date so they can answer all the questions and I can really be in the know of what their day is supposed to look like. I want their brains to open up into my brain.

Q: Why do you start a month in advance?

A: [It’s] so we can do a venue visit, so that we can understand all those details and resources [and] I can communicate with their vendors in advance. If they’re struggling with a caterer, and it’s two weeks before the wedding, that’s really frustrating and stressful. There might be people out there who show up the day of the wedding, get you down the aisle and leave as soon as you cut the cake and you do your first dances. My package is a little more involved, and some

Jessica Lail is the owner and principal planner of It’s Your Day, a planning and management service.

clients prefer that so they can be more hands off and say, ‘Here’s all my details, here’s what’s going to happen, I’ll see you there.’

Q: When a couple is interviewing prospective day-of coordinators, what questions should they ask?

A: They should ask: • How involved is the coordinator?

• Do they do the rehearsal in addition to being there on the wedding day?

• Do they do setup and breakdown of decor?

• Do they work alone or do they have staff?

• Are they insured and licensed?

• What are the payment options?

• Do they accept online payments?

I also think that it shouldn’t always be business oriented. It should be learning about their personality so maybe they should get to know them a little more.

Q: What kinds of tasks should a couple NOT expect their coordinator to take care of?

A: They should not expect their coordinator to take care of payments or tips to other vendors because that’s a huge liability.

They should not expect them to cut the wedding cake or serve any food because it’s a health code violation.

[Day-of coordinators] shouldn’t set up chairs or tables.

Some coordinators do manual labor, and I’m not saying I don’t do that, but they shouldn’t expect them to do that. That is a little more than what an actual planner or day-of coordinator would do. They direct the setting up and the breakdown. When it comes to decor, we set up decor for sure.

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Jessica Lail (center) poses with a bride, Brittany, and groom, Joe, at their wedding.

or somebody else do that.

You can rely on them as a resource to help with bad situations, but you should not impose those situations upon them — family relationships or vendor relationships that have gone sour.

Q: How do you convey to wedding couples that they can’t or shouldn’t have to do all the work themselves?

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sation because some of them really, truthfully want to do it themselves. I have had brides that wanted to do the setup.

They paid me the same price, but they wanted to be there.

That’s something they wanted to handle. I ask them, ‘Do you really want to do that? Or do you feel like you don’t trust someone enough to do it for you?’

Uncovering what they want is my first priority. Then, if I identify that it’s not what they want [and] they just feel like they need to do that, I offer options such as taking pictures or setting up and then providing you with that

setup picture in advance. Or, [it’s] being there with my team to do the setup once they provide an example. I offer some options for them to consider before they put the hammer down on, ‘We don’t want to do that.’

Then, I convey that, this is about you and this is your day, so if that’s what you want, then I want you to be involved. But if that’s not something you want, you need to remember that this is a 12-hour day. It goes by really quickly, and you want to enjoy every precious moment. It goes by so fast — you blink and it’s over. I find that when I’m there, my brides are able to say, ‘We didn’t even know something went wrong.’ They don’t have to think about those things.

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