Real Richmond Wedding: Jennifer and Andy’s Middle Earth Wedding

Jennifer and Andy
October 21, 2017

How They Met
Andy and Jennifer met in 2014 while they were working together, but they didn’t start dating until May of 2015. Right from the beginning, these two knew it was something special. For their first date they went to see “Godzilla,” a movie Jennifer desperately wanted to see, but by the middle of the movie, Andy was asleep! He later admitted that he had already seen the movie and since she was so excited to see it, he didn’t want to spoil it for her. Andy didn’t want to start this something special on a lie, so he had to come clean! Jennifer was hooked. “I’m glad he is such an honest person!”

The Proposal
Andy proposed to Jennifer in July 2016. His plan was to propose during a romantic picnic after hiking in the George Washington National Forest, but during their pursuit of the perfect spot, they ended up getting lost for a few hours. By the time they found their bearings, they were both frustrated and needed a shower. Instead, Andy popped the question during their romantic dinner that night. Jennifer explains, “He wanted it to be an adventure and it definitely had been!”

The Details
The two wanted an outdoor fall wedding and had a specific vision in mind. Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, they built their entire concept literally from the ground up on Andy’s mother and stepfather’s private property. “We had lots of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ inspired décor.” They said their vows in front of a beautiful Shire door, framed a map of Middle Earth for their guestbook, and opted for “The Hobbit,” “Lord of the Rings,” and a bit of “Game of Thrones” music for their ceremony and cocktail hour. “We went for a very garden (Shire) look for both the ceremony and reception.”

They used blush, lavender, and eggplant to help tie the theme together with the groomsmen wearing blue vests. “Since we were getting married outdoors in a field we decided to go with colors that would stand out against the grass and trees.” With greenery, pumpkins, and raw exposed wood the space felt ethereal. “We basically brought The Shire to life!” Jen and Andy, who work for Lighting Professors, didn’t know exactly what they wanted with the lighting, but once they gave their coworkers their vision, their dream came to life before their eyes. “I wanted it to look like we were in a forest instead of under a tent and they totally delivered beyond our expectations.”

Jennifer and Andy’s night looked like a page out of one of Tolkien’s classics.  With the help of their amazing vendors, their guests were transported to Middle Earth. “I remember standing outside the tent to take a moment to look at everything and it was just beautiful! Everything that we wanted for our special day was right there in front of us.”

Favorite Part of the Day
“Walking down the aisle after our ceremony on the arm of the man who was now finally my husband!”

Biggest Challenge
“Definitely where to cut off the guest list!”

Best Piece of Advice
“This special day comes and goes so fast. Don’t forget to take a moment just the two of you and really take everything in.”

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