1. Real Weddings

A Outdoor Wedding in Powhatan, VA

“Ma’am,” said Huan, nodding his head as he walked by Jenni at work one day. Though it might seem old-fashioned, Huan’s simple greeting made an impress

“Ma’am,” said Huan, nodding his head as he walked by Jenni at work one day. Though it might seem old-fashioned, Huan’s simple greeting made an impression on Jenni, a native Texan. The two began dating off-and-on before both ended up in Richmond, where they started building a life together. The Bride Jenni Brumelle, 32, in biomedical research The Groom Huan Vu, 43, a surgical oncologist The Date May 1 One morning, during the Chinese New Year, Jenni woke up in a shower of rose petals. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?” she asked. “New year, new life, for the rest of my life -- will you marry me?” he asked. She said yes, and then Huan gave her eight red, three yellow, and one white rose. “8-3-1,” he said. “Get it? Eight letters, three words, one meaning -- I love you.”

A crisp white invitation with a flowering branch motif invited guests to Jenni and Huan’s stylish celebration.
The bride’s nieces, who walked as flower girls and junior bridesmaids, led the couple’s two “flower dogs” down the aisle in green button mum collars.
The bride and groom introduced a fourth color to their reception style with purple orchids on each place setting. Black square vases held heavy floral arrangements of white hydrangeas, ranunculus, and purple dendrobium orchids looped with bear grass.
Green menu cards played off the black-and-white linens and table settings.
The bride packaged loose-leaf, almond-coconut green tea in vellum envelopes customized with stickers. “The texture and color of the flowers in the tea could be seen through the vellum,” says the bride. “It was very pretty and useful!”
The bride and groom cut into a square, three-tiered cake covered in amaretto-flavored buttercream. A scroll pattern added texture to the top layer and ivory ribbon wrapped around the bottom of each tier.
For a classic white bouquet with a sophisticated twist, Jenni carried Huan’s favorite flowers, peonies, along with lots of ranunculus and a piece of lace from her mother’s wedding dress.
Jenni and Huan exchanged vows inside an old gristmill that is partially intact, but open to the sky. “It felt like a sacred space -- like ruins,” says Jenni “And we could hear the water flowing in the nearby creek!”
A jazz pianist played as guests noshed on appetizers and sipped the couple’s signature drink -- Platino Fresco -- a margarita-mojito hybrid.