1. Real Weddings

A Colorful, Glamorous Wedding at Whitehall Manor in Bluemont, Virginia

Colorful, jewel-toned whimsy filled Chelsea Gilmer (24 and works in marketing) and Hayden Gilmer’s (23 and works in sales and marketing) gorgeous wedd

Colorful, jewel-toned whimsy filled Chelsea Gilmer (24 and works in marketing) and Hayden Gilmer’s (23 and works in sales and marketing) gorgeous wedding. “I've always loved color and have a slight obsession with all things gold and sparkly,” Chelsea says. Wanting their venue to have as much character as they do, the couple chose Whitehall Manor in Bluemont, Virginia, because of its large, customizable space (they had 180 guests) and because they could “feel the love” there. Sarah Lambert from Soirees and Bouquets doubled as planner and florist for the wedding and brought the theme to life with bold, textured floral arrangements including gold-painted leaf accents. Really, though, the eclectic bridesmaid dresses served as the color palette throughout the soiree. “I have never been a fan of sticking your bridesmaids in cookie-cutter dresses,” Chelsea says. “Women are all shapes and sizes, with different style preferences. So going along with the jewel-toned color scheme, each bridesmaid got a color, and they were each tasked with picking out their dress, which served as a palette throughout the event.” But Chelsea’s Hayley Paige A-line wedding dress stole the show. The straps and keyhole back were adorned in crystals and the skirt had soft, tiered ruffles. She added a glamorous gold sequined jacket (since it was November) that perfectly fit in with her look. One of the best parts was the edible gold glitter-covered cupcake desserts. “I've never been a big cake person,” Chelsea says. “But give me a cake pop and a cupcake, and you've made me a happy lady. A family friend of ours owns a cupcake shop nearby (Cupcake Heaven in Haymarket, Virginia), so we knew we wanted to do a cupcake tower in place of the traditional wedding cake. We had a variety of cupcakes topped with edible gold glitter, of course.” See all our favorite details, beautifully captured by Stephanie Dee Photography, below.

“We really wanted everything to reflect the whole celebration and party vibe that we wanted to feel on the wedding day,” Chelsea says. “So for the stationery, we incorporated the bright jewel tones from the color palette by adding foil confetti around the edges.”
Chelsea carried pink peonies, orange ranunculus, blush garden roses, yellow protea and mint lamb’s ear in her lush, colorful bouquet. Her florist and planner Sarah Lambert from Soirees and Bouquets, also dipped some fern leaves into gold paint to add a little sparkle to the bouquets. She completed the look by wrapping the stems in a gold sequined ribbon.
“I would never ask my friends to spend money on a dress that they hate," Chelsea. Each bridesmaid picked out her own dress, and the groomsmen wore ties to match their respective bridesmaid.
“My dress was a gorgeous ivory Haley Paige A-line gown,” Chelsea says. “It had a keyhole back, which, along with the straps, was encrusted with crystals. The train had soft ruffles -- it was so me!” She wore her hair in a soft, braided side-swiped updo, so the detailing on the back would show.
“I pulled in the gold from my color palette with my flats,” Chelsea says. “My Kate Spade flats might have been my favorite item I was wearing, besides my dress. I had those babies on from noon until midnight and they seriously felt like I had slippers on.”
Blue Thistle and Gold-Leaf Boutonnieres
Hayden wore silver cufflinks in the shape of a dog on one sleeve and a bone on the other. Since Chelsea and Hayden’s dog, Lacey, couldn’t be part of the wedding day festivities, they decided to honor her in another way. The personalized detail was simple enough to not be fussy, but present enough to be noticed.
The bridesmaids carried purple peonies, blue thistles, green succulents, pink roses, red ranunculus, burgundy peonies and pink orchids in their lush, colorful bouquets. Chelsea loved how the gorgeous floral arrangements complemented the color palette and added texture to their looks.
Glamorous Gold-Sequined Cover Up
Oval-Diamond Engagement Ring With Triple Band
Jewel-Toned Satin-Ribbon-Waving Recessional
Chelsea and Hayden had an open bar at their wedding, but they also served three signature cocktails. Chelsea’s was cosmo kiss, Hayden’s was bourbon and ginger and Lacey Love Potion (named after their dog, Lacey, who couldn’t participate in the festivities) was warm apple cider and fireball complete with cinnamon sticks.
Gold Party Animal Cocktail Swizzle Sticks
Freixenet Wine and Paper Straw Escort Cards
“Our awesome florist, Sarah Lambert from Soirees and Bouquets, scoured flea markets and antique stores for jewel-toned vintage vases for the centerpieces on the tables,” Chelsea says. “She even hand-covered a bunch of the leaves and flowers in shiny gold. Absolutely perfect!"
“I've never been a big cake person,” Chelsea says. “However, give me a cake pop and a cupcake, and you've made me a happy lady! A family friend of ours owns a cupcake shop nearby (shout out to Cupcake Heaven in Haymarket!) so we knew we wanted to do a cupcake tower in place of the traditional wedding cake. We also have a friend who makes the most amazing cake balls and cake pops in the world (not an exaggeration!). So we had a variety of cupcakes topped with edible gold glitter, of course.”
Margaret Elizabeth Gold Bangle Bracelet Accessory