A Casual Wedding Filled with Food Trucks and Fun at Wollam Gardens in Jeffersonton, Virginia

On paper, Alex Lemmel (30 and an accountant) and Paul DeBell (33 and a professor) were legally married in 2016, after they bought a house in Colorado. But a proper celebration was in order. Nearly two years later, they said vows at a lush flower farm in Virginia, where Paul’s family lives, and hosted a relaxed reception with a fire pit and Spotify playlist. “We wanted our wedding to feel like the most elegant backyard party you’ve ever attended,” Alex says. Poppies filled a greenhouse in the garden where Paul and Alex got married, and succulents appeared around the property and on custom cork coasters. Anticipating some sun, the couple handed out personalized sunglasses with their wedding date and hashtag to guests. Dinner rolled up in Mexican and French food trucks, dishing out chorizo tacos and a deep-fried chicken sandwich with Swiss cheese, truffle aioli and sautéed mushrooms. After the couple's friends surprised them with a Beyoncé-themed flash mob, Paul’s mom delivered the finishing touch: homemade chocolate chip cookies.