A Fairy-Tale-Inspired Wedding at a Private Residence in Waterford, Virginia

If rain on your wedding day signifies luck, then Ashley Smith (28 and a sign language interpreter) and Doug Bahnick (28 and in sales) are an extremely lucky couple. Their wedding day started off bright and warm, the perfect spring day in Virginia, but as the sun set, the weather turned stormy with heavy rains blowing sideways into their tented reception. In the spirit of love, friends and family rolled up their pants and skirts to dry off the dance floor with towels and continue dancing and celebrating.

From the couple’s heartfelt vows to the thoughtful decor, much personal detail went into creating a perfectly sentimental day for Ashley and Doug at the bride’s parents’ home in Virginia’s horse country. The couple’s fairy-tale-themed wedding came to fruition with Ashley’s showstopping, custom-made ball gown, a horse-drawn carriage, and the couple’s first dance to “Tale As Old As Time” from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. A symbol of entwining hearts was a memorable detail carried throughout the wedding, used on the ceremony program and cake topper. And a color scheme of cornflower blue and yellow added bright pops of color to the cheery spring wedding. —Marissa Hermanson