An Elegant Southern Wedding at Blue Ridge Farm in Afton, Virginia

Texas couple Kathleen Garson (26 and a dual-language teacher and dyslexia interventionist) and Luke Crossett (30 and a mortgage analyst), accompanied by their friends and family, traveled to Virginia’s beautiful wine country for a picturesque destination wedding. The couple celebrated their nuptials on different parts of Blue Ridge Farm’s property throughout the weekend, kicking off the party with an “I Do Barbecue.” “We do live in Texas and love barbecue, so we had to include it in the wedding weekend,” Kathleen says. Afterward guests enjoyed “Dancing and Doughnuts”: The band Jackass Flats played bluegrass and old country songs, while guests enjoyed sweets from the food truck Carpe Donut. With the Blue Ridge Mountains as their backdrop, the couple exchanged vows on the lawn of Blue Ridge Farm in Afton, Virginia. “The surroundings were perfect, and we let nature speak for itself,” Kathleen says. The couple’s ceremony was officiated by Kathleen's Uncle David, a minister in South Carolina. As wine aficionados, the couple decided to incorporate a “wine nailing” ritual into their ceremony. Before their wedding, the couple made their own batch of wine together and then during their ceremony nailed a wine box together. “The idea is that we will open our wine on our fifth anniversary in hopes that our wine ages like our marriage and love,” Kathleen says. Inspired by the Blue Ridge vistas, Kathleen and Luke decked out their wedding in natural shades of whites and greens, with touches of the bride’s favorite colors, turquoise and apricot. Copper elements (a nod to their beloved Texas star) were incorporated throughout the reception, from the copper-topped cocktail bar to lanterns on each table. “It was very important to me that our wedding reflected the two of us as a couple,” Kathleen says. “We wanted everything to feel natural and welcoming with a touch of elegance.” The country music-loving couple enjoyed their first dance to “Lovin' You Is Fun” by Easton Corbin. “The song describes our relationship, because we are all about leaving the drama behind and are always keeping things light,” Kathleen says. “We did not practice any kind of dancing, other than the two-step in our living room with our loving Chihuahua, Ruxin.” —Marissa Hermanson