1. Real Weddings

A Romantic, Fairy Tale-Inspired Wedding at a Private Residence in New Market, Virginia

With only six months of planning, Brittany Gum (25 and a showroom and furniture designer) and Ben Smith (27 and a director of business strategy) pulle

With only six months of planning, Brittany Gum (25 and a showroom and furniture designer) and Ben Smith (27 and a director of business strategy) pulled off a magical wedding at Brittany’s family farm in New Market, Virginia’s beautiful countryside. “I have always had this obsession with ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ so I was going for a grown-up, subtle fairy tale theme,” Brittany says. “We added little touches from the fairy tale, like glass cloches with the table numbers, vintage gates and ‘be our guest’ tags. There were enchanted flowers everywhere!” Opulent floral arrangements in soft pinks and purples set a romantic tone, while Virginia’s lush Shenandoah Valley and mountains provided a breathtaking backdrop. “I have always wanted an outside wedding on the farm, but I also wanted the feeling of getting married in a church,” Brittany says. “After going around the farm, we found the perfect hill to create an outdoor 'church.' ” A wrought-iron gate adorned with garlands, peonies and roses formed the entrance to the ceremony area, which was held in a field overlooking the mountains. Reclaimed white church pews, an aisle carpeted in flower petals, and a six-foot cross covered in garlands and roses created a heavenly outdoor sanctuary for the couple to say “I do.” The reception tent was constructed over two trees that flanked a wooden dance floor. Crystal chandeliers, vintage furniture and gold decor added an air of luxury. And a color scheme of ivory, gold, blush pink and royal purple created a dreamy atmosphere. The black-tie affair culminated with a dramatic fireworks show, a surprise planned by Brittany’s parents. —Marissa Hermanson

Custom-made stationery with gold foil embossing mimicked the pattern of the ornate ceremony gate, and a color scheme of gold and purple created a regal and elegant look.
“The flowers were a huge influence and inspiration in the design,” Brittany says. Her bouquet included blush garden roses, lilacs, blush and pink peonies, lavender roses and ranunculus.
Brittany’s A-line gown was layered with romantic tulle and lace.
Brittany and Ben tied the knot at Brittany’s family farm in New Market, Virginia. Brittany’s “Beauty and the Beast” obsession inspired the couple’s grown-up fairy-tale-themed nuptials.
Strapless Princess-Inspired Wedding Dress
Lavish flower arrangements of garden roses, lilacs, peonies, ranunculus and hydrangeas were found throughout the ceremony and reception to create the feeling of an enchanted forest.
“I figured this was the only occasion to have the excuse to wear something princess-like, so I might as well go for it,” Brittany says of her A-line-style gown. Extra fabric was added in the skirt to add volume and make it look more like a ball gown. Her four bridesmaids wore gold sequin Ralph Lauren dresses.
Ben sported a Black by Vera Wang tuxedo and accessorized with a custom black paisley vest and bow tie, which let him stand out from the groomsmen, who also wore black tuxes. On the morning before the ceremony, Brittany’s dad gave Ben his American flag congressional cuff links. “Ben was in the military, and it is still a huge part of his life, so the cuff links were very special,” Brittany says.
A wrought-iron gate adorned with garlands, peonies and roses formed the entrance to the ceremony, which was held in a field overlooking the mountains. Reclaimed white church pews, an aisle carpeted in flower petals, and a six-foot cross covered in garland and roses created a heavenly outdoor sanctuary for the couple to say “I do.”
Ring Bearer in Suspenders and Black Bow Tie
Guests were welcomed to the ceremony by a bagpiper playing the couple’s favorite hymns.
In line with the couple’s fairy tale theme, florals evoked the feeling of an enchanted forest and were designed to look as though they were growing up from the floor, dramatically covering the king's table.
The reception tent was erected over two living trees, which flanked the hardwood dance floor.
Table centerpieces included soft romantic pinks and purples of hydrangeas, snapdragons, larkspur, peonies, roses, tulips and camellias.
“Growing up, I collected teacups with my grandma until she passed,” Brittany says. “Since then I have always loved vintage teacups and china. I wanted my grandma to be a part of our wedding day, so we served soup in vintage teacups and had mismatched china as the table settings.”
Floral arrangements were designed to look as though they were growing up into the trees in the reception tent.
A five-tier round cake was decorated with alternating layers of blush pink fondant rosette ruffles and white fondant adorned with ribbons. A pretty pink peony with gold-painted edges topped the elegant cake.
Gray and Purple Custom Bar Setup