A Whimsical Wedding at Gallison Hall With Butterfly Details and European Countryside Charm

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]White, light blue, and blush
[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

Mattie and Jack envisioned a dreamy, European-garden-inspired wedding day in the countryside of Charlottesville, Virginia. When touring venues, one thing that was top of the list was a venue with a wow-factor. Something as unique and special as these two high school sweethearts. It could have been a stunning manor house, breathtaking views of the foothills, or unique architectural details. When they visited Gallison Hall, it captured all three. A tree-lined drive welcomes you into the grand Georgian-style estate, making guests feel like they have just entered another world from their short trip from downtown Charlottesville. Mattie and Jack’s wedding embodied a whimsical garden party aesthetic, perfectly suited for their late June celebration. Their bright color palette of white, ivory, light blues, blush, peach, apricot, and pink came to life through lush, artful arrangements and thoughtful little odes to Mattie’s love of butterflies scattered through the design.

[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Mattie and Jack met in high school and have been together since 2014. At the start of 2022, Jack decided this was the year he would pop the question. He planned a trip to Montauk, NY, around the holiday. When they landed in NY, the weather was terrible – it was rainy and foggy the entire drive from the airport to the Hamptons. Much to his relief, they woke up to a beautiful, sunny day the next morning. That day, they went out to Camp Hero State Park and, with the Montauk Point Lighthouse in the background, Jack delivered a thoughtful and poignant speech about their time together and asked Mattie to marry him with a professional photographer capturing each moment. The night ended at Stephen Talkhouse, a live music club in an old house in Amagansett, with Mattie and Jack dancing the night away. There was not a single other person on the dance floor – given that the Hamptons is not typically a winter destination, there were probably only 10 or 15 other people there to begin with – but that did not stop them.

[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

Mattie wore an Ines Di Santo dress she purchased from Carine’s Bridal Atelier in Washington, D.C. The dress was a strapless sweetheart lace ball gown.

[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]Mattie’s bridesmaids embraced the mismatched dresses trend and selected dresses in varying shades and patterns of light blue from Reformation, Show Me Your Mumu, Anthropologie, Showpo, and Nordstrom.[/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”][/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Mattie and Jack had special His & Hers signature cocktails, a classic old-fashioned, and a muddled-berry summer spritz cocktail decorated with butterfly drink stirrers.

[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Mattie and Jack’s wedding florals perfectly embodied the garden party vibe with colorful, lush arrangements. The floral designs featured peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, delphinium, local lisianthus, local foxglove, and local tiger lilies. For the ceremony, floral vases overflowed perched atop columns to beautifully frame their intimate courtyard setting. These pieces were later repurposed to accent the bar at their reception. To welcome guests, the tent entrance was adorned with airy elaeagnus vines and delicate paper butterflies, setting a whimsical yet elegant tone. Inside, tables featured a dynamic mix of lush, tall centerpieces and playful bud vases, accented by peach candles that complemented the florals effortlessly. The result was a stunningly fresh, romantic, and refined atmosphere—an unforgettable setting for Mattie and Jack’s celebration.

[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Instead of a typical cake cutting after dinner, Mattie and Jack opted to cut the cake in front of Gallison’s Hall fireplace mantle at the end of cocktail hour to kick off the reception festivities.

[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

The ceremony took place in a sunken garden with historic details in the gate and statues. The garden party feel continued with parasols for each guest, incorporating overflowing urns of blush, pink, blue, and peach tones, and a string trio to set the mood. A close friend officiated the wedding, adding a personal touch.

[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

An airy eleagnus vine arch wrapped around the entrance to the reception tent and throughout it were colorful paper butterflies of various sizes tying back to Mattie’s love of butterflies that was seen in the invitations, seating chart, and drink stirrers.

[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

Mattie’s dad always knew he wanted a vintage Corvette, so he had purchased one a few years back, and it sat at the shop for over a year. Once Mattie and Jack brought up the idea of using it for getaway car photos, he was determined to make it happen for them and got it turned around quickly – he even drove the Corvette the 2.5 hours down to Charlottesville in late June with only semi-functional AC so that we could use it. It made for a great addition to their sunset portraits as well!

[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]

The seating chart was a toile butterfly design with calligraphy name cards.

[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

[/board_carousel]
[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/987650900 600 338]