A Rustic, Culture-Centric Wedding at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg, Virginia

Susannah Eig and Gustavo Gonzalez come from contrasting backgrounds: She was raised Jewish near Washington, DC, and he grew up in Venezuela. They chose to celebrate those cultural differences with a modern, rustic wedding at Stone Tower Winery. The ceremony took place inside the winery, where they stood beneath a chuppah that's been used for decades in the Eig family; it's embroidered with the names of all the couples who have been married with it. The ceremony included a Catholic Arras (coin ceremony) and a handfasting ritual. "We also recited our vows in two languages—English and Spanish—as many of our guests were only fluent in one language," Susannah says. The bride stunned in a silk mikado drop-waist ball gown with a square neck and one-inch-thick straps. Gustavo sported a classic tuxedo with pointed lapels, and the bridesmaids wore elegant mismatched dresses in jewel tones. The bouquets—and the other flowers throughout the wedding—maintained a neutral color palette. "Our florist made sure that the colors in the arrangements complemented the season; she added dried leaves, bunny tails and a blend of fall fruits to really embrace the time of year," Susannah says. Guests consulted an escort card display with mirrors and leaves as they attended a rustic reception inside the winery. "We drank from a German wedding cup, danced the hora and ended the evening with La Hora Loca—a Latin 'crazy hour,'" Susannah says. "Gustavo's godparents brought the foam crowns, worn during the dance party, all the way from Venezuela." The night ended on a sweet note with a rustic tiered wedding cake and heart-shaped ice cream cookie sandwiches.