Happy Tuesday! This is day two of post wedding week so I am going to share more pictures with you! Who knows? It could turn into wedding MONTH. The bride and groom chose the beautiful Shirley Plantation as their wedding venue and it could not have been more Southern or picturesque. The proof is in the photos! Come see!
My daughter-in-law, Brie grew up in Virginia and attended UVA (The University of Virginia) She grew up near Shirley Plantation and always loved the property. As soon as my son proposed, they immediately began thinking of getting married in the South. They visited several different venues but kept coming back to Shirley Plantation. And I can see why! I snapped this picture of the front of the house back in March when my husband and I first saw the plantation. Gorgeous! (I could live there.)
Shirley Plantation is located along the bank of the James River and was established in 1613. Wow. The Great House and the complex of out buildings are still standing today. It is still a working cotton plantation. Upper Shirley Plantation is on the outskirts of the main property and is a working vineyard. They also host weddings and events there. The groom’s suite was on the second floor above the former kitchen. Such a beautiful building! They sure knew how to build things way back when. (Photo by Libby Hansen Smith)
Behind the former laundry room and current gift shop is a raised patio with a tent. This was used as a cocktail tent following the ceremony. These are my guys helping carry tables along with the father of the bride and her brother. 
Team effort!
The Grapevine Arbor is beautiful. Many couples choose to get married under the arbor, and I can see why! We were glad there were still lots of leaves on the vines this time of year. Here is how the arbor looks on a normal, non-wedding basis. I think I want a grapevine arbor at my next house!
My son and his bride chose to use the arbor as the bar area. They decorated the space using gorgeous vintage furniture we rented from Paisley and Jade. They have a huge warehouse full of all sorts of antique furniture, chandeliers, rugs, tables, and props. Such a cool place to visit as well! Paisley and Jade delivered and set up the furniture along with select chandeliers. So romantic!
Isn’t their furniture to die for?
And the bar was in the far back corner of the arbor. (photo courtesy of Libby Hansen Smith, along with a few others.)
The wedding ceremony took place under the large oak tree which is over 375 years old! The original plan was to have crystal chandeliers hanging from the tree branches, which would have been gorgeous. However, due to a recent storm which damaged several branches, Shirley Plantation was worried about the integrity of the tree so they nixed the chandeliers due to the weight. Understandable, when a tree is that old. But what a show stopper all on its own! The tree sits on the edge of the James River. It was a beautiful setting!
The vintage gold alter held a beautiful crystal candelabra and white roses. It stood in front of the tree and the minister stood in front of it.
A white vintage church pew sat at the front of each row of chairs to hold the parents and grandparents. They were decorated with a huge spray of white roses, eucalyptus and greenery.
And the back porch of the Great House, where the bride made her grand entrance. It was like a fairy tale!
Well, I’m going to sign off now. I’ll share some more pictures tomorrow. The professional photos will be coming out soon I hope. We are all anxiously awaiting these! I hope you have a lovely evening. Talk soon! xoxo Dell
