A Picturesque, Vintage Wedding at Hermitage Museum and Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia

Meredith Grinnan (25, interior designer) and Bradley Deafenbaugh (34, orthopedic surgeon) met at a bar named Hell's Kitchen in Norfolk, Virginia, where they were both working at the time. After only a few months of dating, they moved in together. A year later, Brad proposed to Meredith on a surprise trip to New Orleans with a platinum Art Deco style diamond ring. Brad and Meredith decided to have their wedding in their hometown of Norfolk. They chose the Hermitage Museum and Gardens as the venue for their ceremony and reception. "We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception, and the museum's plantation style home had just the look we were going for," says Meredith. The stunning grounds of the museum have views of the Lafayette River. The color palette for the museum wedding was bright with corals, blushes, ivory and a blue-green shade called "dusty shale." These colors were incorporated in the outfits of the wedding party: bridesmaids wore dresses of their choice in blush and coral, the two maids of honor wore dusty shale dresses from J. Crew, groomsmen wore khaki suits with dusty shale ties and Brad wore the same suit with a striped coral tie. Meredith wore a gorgeous Temperley London wedding dress in the style of Laelia Floral, which featured an illusion neckline with floral appliques, cap sleeves, a V shaped back, and a draped train. She wore blush peep toe heels with her outfit and her hair was in an updo with stephanotis flowers. The invitation suite was created by Meredith's college roommate and included stylized fonts, letterpress printing, a postcard of the museum as the reply card and a floral belly band, which was echoed in the ceremony programs. The ceremony was held under a beautiful tree on the museum grounds and the reception followed in a nearby tent with views of the river. The tent was decorated with string lights and set with vintage furniture. Blooms of peonies, roses, chrysanthemums and lilies were abundant throughout the wedding, arranged in cigar boxes, mercury glass vases, and milk vases. Antique cameras in a bell jar gave the reception a historic touch befitting of the venue. The night ended with a ice cream bar catered by Doumar's Cones and a red velvet wedding cake slathered in Italian buttercream and topped with a silhouette of the newlyweds and their puppy. Meredith and Brad's romantic Hermitage Museum wedding was truly a day to remember.