Planning a wedding is exciting, time-consuming, and sometimes stressful. Since all eyes
will be on you, in your wedding dress as you walk down the aisle, brides put a lot of thought
into what kind of bouquet to carry. After all, a stunning bouquet can complement your dress,
tie in with your décor, match the season of your wedding, and provide a pop of color to
make you feel and look absolutely gorgeous. But have you ever thought about why brides
even carry bouquets?

Believe it or not, the practice of brides carrying bouquets dates back to ancient times. The
Greeks, Romans, and even Egyptians carried fragrant herbs and spices to ward off evil
spirits and bad luck during weddings. In those times, flowers also symbolized a new
beginning and brought hopes of fertility, happiness, and fidelity. During the Victorian age,
flowers became more widely used in bouquets and were selected to send secret messages
between partners. Exchanging flowers became a popular way to express love. The
modern version of the bridal bouquet was popularized by Queen Victoria who, when
marrying Prince Andrew, incorporated a sprig of myrtle from her grandmother-in-law’s plant
into her bouquet. Ever since, all of the royals have used a sprig of myrtle from this original
plant.

Today’s brides carry a bouquet for any number of reasons and attach as much or as little
meaning to it as they choose. Some brides pick a bouquet that matches their favorite
colors, makes them feel beautiful, or incorporates florals from a relative’s garden. Other
brides focus on what complements the design of her gown or overall décor. Whether it’s
traditional, loose and organic, minimal, or non-floral, at Brix and Columns Vineyards we
enjoy seeing how brides choose to add that air of romance and elegance to their wedding day.

 

White and Airy

 

Colors of Spring

 

Classic Red Roses

 

Colorful and Fun!

 

Thank you to:  Tamaras Designs LLClavender Dreams VA,   J. Ellis PhotographyKara Leigh Creative,  and Meghan McSweeney Photography

 

Grooms and their groomsmen are starting to show their fun side by accessorizing their tuxedos or suits with funky socks.

Traditionally the groom and groomsmen match their sock color to their suit or tuxedo.  But lately we’re seeing an uptick in mixing colors and adding a pop of pizzazz with fun and festive socks. From vibrant solids, stripes, polka dots and argyle, to abstract or theme-based, we love when grooms show their style with fun socks on their wedding day. How about adding ‘something blue’ or a pattern that pulls in colors from the flowers, ties or bridesmaid dresses?  Socks can be a perfect way to add some personality to a groom’s ensemble.  Have a little fun, while you say “I Do”.

The photos below offer some inspiration.

 

Classic Argyle –https://bessieblack.com/

 

Something Blue – https://classictuxedos.net/

 

High Stepping It – http://j-ellisphotography.com/

 

Circle of Fun – https://classictuxedos.net/

 

Photos Courtesy of – J Ellis Photography, Bessie Black Photography, and Classic Menswear and Tuxedos.

We all remember the magic of those glass slippers that the beautiful Cinderella wore to the ball.  But do we think those glass slippers were really as comfortable as the movie portrays?  The story certainly confirms the connection between a woman and her footwear.  And while a bride’s wedding dress may get all the attention, it’s her shoes that bring in the final bit of magic.  We can all agree, our choice of shoes can be a fun way to show your personality and complement your wedding dress to make a statement.

Your wedding location, and the time of year, is something to consider when shopping for the perfect shoes to pair with your dress. Think about a comfortable choice and one that won’t sink into the ground, if an outdoor ceremony is in your plans. Or, if the thought of teetering around in a pair of heels all day makes you cringe, there are stylish choices in wedges, flats, sandals, sneakers, and even boots!  

In our last blog, Rainy Days and Rainbows, we highlighted many positives to having a rainy-day wedding.  Fun and colorful rain boots would also be a way to brighten a rainy day, while keeping your feet cozy and dry.   

Here at Brix and Columns Vineyards, we have enjoyed seeing what some of our brides have chosen.  From cowboy boots, to sneakers to sandals and everything in between.  Whatever your choice, be sure to get some memorable pictures that show off your wedding day shoe personality.

 

Comfortable and casual

 

Elegant and strappy

 

Bedazzled

 

Sporty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of: http://j-ellisphotography.com/ and https://www.tallandsmallphotography.com/

 

After months and sometimes years of careful planning, a rainy forecast on your wedding day can feel like a major annoyance.  This is especially true if you have been planning an outdoor wedding.  However, there are some superstitions and various cultures that recognize rain on your wedding day as a sign of good luck.  

One superstition is that when you ‘tie the knot’ on a rainy day, your marriage will be hard to unravel just like the knot in a wet rope is hard to untie. And in some cultures, a light wash of raindrops on your wedding day is considered good luck, symbolizing cleansing and renewal for your new life together

There are many positives to having a rainy-day wedding, so if Mother Nature sends some rain your way, don’t despair:  

Rain makes for one-of-a-kind wedding photos.  The mist and soft light are not easy to recreate on a sunny day.  

For an outside ceremony, a little rain keeps your flowers looking fabulous for longer.

Rain is one of those forces that makes people want to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the place they are in…can you think of anything better for this memorable day?

And one of our favorites here at Brix and Columns Vineyards…. there’s a chance of a rainbow!  What could be more incredible or romantic than a rainbow in the background of your wedding photo?

So, while you may be dreaming of a beautiful sunny sky to enhance your wedding day, have a fun contingency plan in case Mother Nature sends a few raindrops your way.

Photos courtesy of: Erin Baugher and http://j-ellisphotography.com/

Brix and Columns Vineyards is an elegant all-season farm winery and premier wedding venue.  We are located in the heart of the Central Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by both the Blue Ridge and Massanutten mountains.  We offer southern charm, stunning views, and award-winning wines.

We are conveniently located near Harrisonburg and Charlottesville.  A two-hour drive from Richmond and Northern Virginia, Brix and Columns Vineyards is the perfect vineyard wedding venue location.

There are many aspects of a wedding that give us goosebumps here at Brix and Columns Vineyards. One of those is a glowing bride with a beautiful, traditional-style veil, flowing in the breeze, as she heads down the aisle to say her wedding vows. Of course, there are many brides who choose to not wear a traditional-style veil or have opted for alternative hair accessories like a flower crown, tiara, or flowered-comb, depending on what they feel goes best with the overall vibe and style of their wedding. These bridal hair accessories are equally as beautiful. On the other hand, a traditional-style veil can be one of the most essential and beautiful bridal accessories, for those who choose to wear one, and it certainly has withstood the test of time.

Though many brides recognize it is tradition to wear a bridal veil, many might not understand why. Here is a look at a little history behind the veil.

While there is no definitive reason for the wearing of a veil, many believe it has to do with the ancient Greeks’ and Romans’ fear of evil spirits and demons. The bride would walk down the aisle with a veil over her face in order to disguise herself from these evil spirits who wanted to thwart her happiness. In many cases, the veil prevented the bride from seeing well, which is why her father or another person “gave her away.” She was actually being escorted down the aisle so she wouldn’t bump into anything or trip. The veil has also served as a method of shielding the bride’s face from her future husband, especially in cases of arranged marriages.

Regardless of the origins, traditional-style veils continue to be worn by many of today’s brides who choose anywhere from a longer veil, which presents a more dramatic and elegant look to a shorter veil, which can be fresh and fun. Some brides choose to wear one over their face, but more often than not it’s draped over the back of their hair and dress. 

Here at Brix and Columns Vineyards, we are always excited to see the variety of veils and hair accessories that our brides choose to complement their special day.

Brix and Columns Vineyards is an elegant all-season farm winery and premier wedding venue.  We are located in the heart of the Central Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by both the Blue Ridge and Massanutten mountains.  We offer southern charm, stunning views, and award-winning wines.

We are conveniently located near Harrisonburg and Charlottesville.  A two-hour drive from Richmond and Northern Virginia, Brix and Columns Vineyards is the perfect vineyard wedding venue location.

 

Photo Credits – https://www.tallandsmallphotography.com/, Kara Leigh Creative, J. Ellis Photography

The last time you attended a wedding, did you toss rice at the newly married couple or did you celebrate their marriage with bubbles, real rose petals, sparklers, or even streamer sticks?  It was likely one of the other options, since rice throwing has become less popular over the years due to the thought that that uncooked rice might be harmful to birds and even some guests who could slip on the rice.

It turns out, though, that rice tossing has been around for a very long time and has history back to ancient times.  Why rice?  Well, this delicate little grain is considered a symbol of prosperity, good fortune, and fertility.  Consequently, showering the happy couple with it has been thought to be a perfect way to usher them into their new life together. During the Middle Ages, the act of throwing rice was even believed to help keep evil spirits away from the bride and groom!

Today, this tradition of throwing rice is not practiced by all couples, and at Brix and Columns Vineyards, we prefer guests send the newly married couple off with bubbles, sparklers, or real rose petals.  These options make for great photo opportunities and are much more environmentally friendly.

 

Brix and Columns Vineyards is an elegant all-season farm winery and premier wedding venue.  We are located in the heart of the Central Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by both the Blue Ridge and Massanutten mountains.  We offer southern charm, stunning views, and award-winning wines.

We are conveniently located near Harrisonburg and Charlottesville.  A two-hour drive from Richmond and Northern Virginia, Brix and Columns Vineyards is the perfect vineyard wedding venue location.

 

Photos courtesy of: Nvision Photography, J. Ellis Photography, and Berkley M. Todd Photography

Weddings are absolutely beautiful days that represent the union of two people and two families.  Couples often put years of thought into the special touches that they want present on their special day, and they often call on age-old traditions to incorporate into their wedding ceremony. The wonderful thing is that almost all of the traditions have a fun backstory that makes them even more special to use!

Asking for the Daughter’s Hand

One of Stephanie’s favorite stories from the construction of the venue took place during the laying of the foundation for the pergola.  She was washing dishes at the sink and looked out to see a young man approach one of the masonry men. After she saw that the two men were finished talking, Stephanie went out to see if everything was okay.  It turns out, the younger man was there to ask permission of his future bride’s father. The father did give his permission that day, and the couple was married on the same pergola that next year.  

This tradition dates back to the days when bride families were paid dowries and continued when couples began to be allowed to choose their own life partners without their parents guidance. Now more of a formality, this practice shows respect for the life changing move the bride and groom is about to make. 

Burying the Bourbon 

This tradition is a southern one that helps to ward off bad weather on the wedding day.  Since weddings are held outside at much higher rates than northern weddings, they are also much more likely to be the victim of any of Mother Nature’s bursts of rain or cold.  In order to prevent anything other than a beautiful sunny day, tradition says to bury a bottle of bourbon near the ceremony site exactly one month before the couple weds. The type of bourbon doesn’t matter, but the bottle must be buried upside down and be completely full.  

Dad Walking the Bride Down the Aisle

While some margin of this tradition dates back to the idea that a bride is the possession of one family that transfers to another on her wedding day, a more modern take on this special moment is that the father is walking with his daughter one last time before he lets her go into the world of being a full-fledged adult.

Being Married on the Half Hour 

This simple tradition calls for the couple to be wed at a time when the hand on the clock is moving upward towards heaven.  The upward movement symbolizes that there will be many blessings brought forth for the newly wedded couple.

Being Married Under a Chuppah

This Jewish tradition calls for the couple to be married under a four cornered piece of fabric.  The fabric represents the new house they are forming AND calls for the public acknowledgement of them as a new couple.  It is a bonus if the couple can be married outdoors under the chuppah because the stars in the sky will help them to multiply, and they will have many children.  When a couple followed this tradition at our venue, they used a tallit, or prayer shawl, from one of their grandparents and secured it to the pergola.  

Tossing the Bouquet

This tradition came around to relieve the bride of some of the stress she was under on her special day.  In the olden days, folks who attended weddings believed that touching the bride, or even grabbing a piece of her dress, would give them the good fortune of getting married soon as well.  As a result, brides would often leave their wedding in shambles with their dresses ripped to shreds. Enter the bouquet toss. Tossing the bouquet allows wedding guests a chance to grab their own good luck while allowing the bride a much needed escape route.  

“Something Old, Something New”

This poem has been recited more times than any of us can tell.  The origin of it is somewhat vague, but the words themselves urge the bride to gather up items that are old, new, borrowed, and blue.  The “something old” represents continuity by allowing the bride to carry something from the past into the future, and it also offers protection for the babies that are to come.  The “something new” shows an optimistic outlook for the future and hope for all of the new adventures to come. “Something borrowed” is always borrowed for another happy bride who has had children to pass that same child bearing happiness onto the new bride.  “Something blue” doesn’t just stand for purity and fidelity, but it also helps ward off any evil that might make its way to the ceremony. The addition of the “sixpence in the left shoe” brings good fortune and prosperity to the new couple.  We recently commissioned a hand-lettered creation of this poem from local artisan Amberlee Carlson to hang in our bridal suite. 

That last line is especially meaningful to us.  You might remember from our last wedding blog that we named our farm “Six Penny Farm” because there are six Pences in our family, and we named our event space “Six Penny Hall” to reflect those origins. We are excited to pass a little of this tradition on to our brides, as we give each one a sixpence (along with a print of the poem that hangs in our bridal suite) when they book with us!

 

What’s in a name?  When you come to visit us here at Brix & Columns Vineyards, you will find out that we put a lot of thought into the naming of each step of our journey.  When we first built our house in 2007, we named our farm Six Penny Farm as a nod to the fact that we are the Pences and there are 6 of us: Mom, Dad, and four children.  Our friends and family loved the property and the views from our house, and several folks asked us if we would be open to the option of becoming a wedding venue.  

Our original farm sign.

Since we were juggling our careers, parenting, and farming, the option seemed a little daunting at the time. Fast forward 8 years and our eldest child, Taylor, was ready to get married.  As he was taking his big step into another chapter of life, we decided to take a big step into our own next chapter, and our wedding venue The Columns at Six Penny Farms was born! The name referenced both our farm and the stately columns at the front of our home. 

Taylor and Laura celebrating on their special day!

We purchased a large event tent that we set up out back, and we planned on hosting cocktail hour on our back porch. All we were really missing was the perfect ceremony site.  We thought about which side of the house had the best views, and we quickly chose the view from our side porch. The panoramic views available there of rolling fields and blue-hued mountains are hard to beat.  We had the pergola built just in time for Taylor and Laura’s wedding (our inaugural ceremony), and we love the fact that their names and wedding date are signed in the concrete under the brick. Tune in to our next blog to hear the cutest story about the construction of the pergola!

Things went great for a few years, but it was hard to get a good night sleep anytime the tent was up and the night was windy.  All it took was a well-placed gust, and we would be scrambling the next morning to get everything set back in place for the day’s festivities.  

The event tent set up behind our house.

In the meantime, we were contacted by a local vineyard approached us about leasing land to grow grapes.  After coming to look, the vineyard owners said that the land was ideal for growing vines, but those vineyard owners eventually found some land closer to home. Once we realized our land had vineyard potential, we invited several other vineyard consultants out to look at our land, and we also began taking viticulture classes at Piedmont Valley Community College.  In the spring of 2016, we planted their first grapes (Petit Verdot and Viognier) and in the fall of that year we broke ground on the Brix & Columns Vineyard building. Since Brix is a wine term and Columns references both our original venue name and the columns that are a prominent feature of our Jeffersonian architecture, the name Brix & Columns combines both the wine and wedding elements of our operation!

A photo of the Brix & Columns building, the house, and the pergola.

Every step of our journey has helped us grow into the space we are now!

View More: http://joshgooden.pass.us/estlandHere at The Columns at Six Penny Farm wedding venue it is hard to believe, but spring is just around the corner. Yes, in mid-January, it seems like it will be a long time until it gets warm. We look forward to the snows and winter rains we will receive yet during the rest of the winter. By mid-February typically tree pollen starts and not long after leaves start to appear on the trees. The grass will green up, blossoms will burst forth and before our couples know it, the last minute planning for weddings will be upon us.

If you are planning a wedding here at The Columns at Six Penny Farm don’t be surprised how quickly that big day will get here. We continue to make preparations for the spring wedding season. Call us if you have questions about planning for an upcoming wedding you have here with us. We get excited about your big day too! Keep us up to date on your plans so we can make sure the day is just as you planned.

While you may have planned for certain details for your wedding early on, you may now see your ideas are being fine-tuned. These last minute adjustments you make may be very exciting. You may have adjusted the colors you were going to use somewhat or decided to have more elaborate centerpiece or something simple and yet so very elegant. Maybe the groom will even have some helpful suggestions that you feel are just what was needed. Stranger things have happened! You may want to finalize the menu with your caterer in the near future depending on whether you have a spring, summer or fall wedding. If the groomsmen are wearing tuxedos, then make sure they have arranged for their fittings. This may require some planning especially if they are from out of town.

In any event, spring is on the way and your wedding day will soon be upon us with you here at The Columns at Six Penny Farm wedding venue. Enjoy every step along the way!