Real Richmond Wedding: Holly and Jeff at The John Marshall Ballrooms

Holly and Jeff
December 30, 2017

How They Met
Jeff and Holly met on Tinder in April 2015, right after Holly was finishing her second year of pharmacy school. Holly explains, “I thought he was so cute that I made time for our first date right in the middle of my finals week!” They went to Sticky Rice and connected over sushi. After their first date, they were inseparable. They knew almost immediately that they would be a great team.

The Proposal
Jeff asked Holly to be his wife in late December 2016. The two were getting ready to visit their family in Northern Virginia for Christmas and planned a date night on their last night in Richmond. Jeff had made the dinner plans so far in advance, that Holly had an inkling something was going to happen. After their dinner, they came home to do their annual Christmas ornament exchange. “I was very proud of the Xbox controller shaped ornament…until I saw the Waterford Crystal ornament he got me.” Engraved in the crystal it said “Will You Merry Me?” the perfect Christmas present.

The Details
“We wanted a venue space that would fit all our guests comfortably.” The John Marshall Ballrooms fit the bill as it was the perfect size and location for their group. Since the ballroom was beautifully decorated for the Holidays, they didn’t have to do too much decor-wise. “We wanted the space to feel warm, romantic, and glamorous.” They chose metallics paired with deep burgundy accents and garlands of seasonal greenery.

Their flowers included their rich colors, as well as stargazer lilies, Holly’s grandmother’s favorite flower. She also included white roses, as a representation of her sorority, Kappa Delta.

During their ceremony, two of their best friends provided the music, a special touch on their big moment. Their officiant worked with them include a unique ceremony, perfect for them. “We come from different faith backgrounds, so we wanted our ceremony to be mostly secular with nods to my Catholic upbringing and Jeff’s Jewish traditions.”

During the reception, Jeff and Holly sat at a beautiful sweetheart table. “It was secluded enough to allow us to talk and eat privately, while still being visible to all our guests and feel like we were the focus of the party.”

Their favors were winter spice mixes to be included in wine or apple cider and came with heart-shaped measuring spoons for the mix. They doubled as escort cards so guests could easily grab them on their way into the reception.

Favorite Part of the Day
“Our favorite part of our wedding was the period of time before our ceremony.” They opted for a first look at the Capitol, even though it was freezing in the December weather!

Biggest Challenge
“Doing all the planning, budgeting, styling, and organizing!”

Best Piece of Advice
“One of the best things we did during the planning process was to sit down and decide together what our priorities were. This helped us draft our initial budget. Revisit and update your budget often to stay on track!”

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