Intimate celebrations hold a special place in my heart. Bringing together family and close friends to celebrate life’s most important moments can make for an epic evening. Smaller celebrations allow you the opportunity to spend more time with guests and not feel like you have to be constantly on the move to speak to everyone.

Smaller celebrations remind me of another time, when weddings were held at home with champagne and cake or a small luncheon after the ceremony. In this new era, more intimate gatherings may become more of the norm.

For this elopement, the couple took over The Retreat at Cool Spring in Bluemont, VA, built in the 1799. The house, built as the ultimate bachelor pad, overlooks the Shenandoah River and has been lovingly restored.

When talking with couples, one of the first questions I ask is how they want to feel on their wedding day and what is most important to them. Of course I always want flowers to be at the top of the list. The bride requested a classic green and white palette with an emphasis on locally grown flowers.  The early May garden did not disappoint. Between the local flower farm and my garden, I filled her bouquet and table with peonies, campanula, bachelor buttons, snapdragon and cress. As I was preparing to leave the studio for The Retreat, I noticed that the white clematis along the fence was in full bloom. I cut a few lengths to add to the table last minute. These striking blooms were the perfect addition to the long table. On a side note, the bride and I both agreed that the antlers on the mantel needed to be a bit dressed up. I wove long lengths of honeysuckle around them to create a soft pop of green above the fireplace.

Photos by @lissa_ryan