Fourteenth: The Ws
The Hunt family is a family of planners, thinkers, surprisers, creatives, and dreamers. When Alex asked Brielle to marry him, the plans began and our talents kicked in. The first thing on the list was..."Where will we have the wedding?" With the Maffett and Hunt families being primarily from Pennsylvania and NJ, we already knew the only place for this wedding to take place was in the heart of Richmond where Brielle and Alex fell in love.
If we believed in "signs" to choose the venue then Tuckahoe was definitely the place. The row of mailboxes at the entrance to the estate had the same last names of several of our wedding guests and the box in the middle receives the mail for "HPC Inc"....headpiece.com's nickname! The long dirt road leading to the 600 acre residence was absolutely beautiful. You could visualize horse drawn carriages 200 years ago bringing guests to and fro this picturesque property. When we saw the "14 mph" speed limit signs posted on the long tree lined road, Tuckahoe had to be it!
Tuckahoe sits on 600 acres aside the James River
The residence is filled with antiques and is available for Brielle and her bridal party to get ready on the morning of the wedding or to stay over the night before. Mimosas and bridal day nosh are permitted in the dining room. No heels are allowed to preserve the beauty of the original pine flooring.
...and yes, there is a place for Alex and his boys to get ready too!---The Barn
Guests will enjoy roaming the spectacular grounds with separate areas for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. I can only imagine the amazing photos when you add in a beautiful couple to this already beautiful setting.
...and then there is Historic Mankin Mansion
This video about the history of Mankin Mansion will make you absolutely fall in love!
Every nook and cranny of Mankin Mansion has a quirky artistic beauty to it. As a designer, what I love and appreciate most about the mansion is the brilliant mind behind its conception and creation. Each brick was tediously made by hand, and placed by hands, to create an architectural masterpiece in the hopes that generations to come would live, love, and enjoy this very special place.
This unique piece immediately attracted my designer eye on the main lawn.
Basically beautiful! For those who know the Hunts the dance floor needs a major makeover.
Remove the chairs and this space becomes magical.
Looks easy to tackle! Not so sure about that when guided by moonlight and cocktails.
"Will you be my bridesmaid?"
In 1981, when I asked my sister to be my maid of honor and my girlfriends to be in my bridal party, I met them individually and simply asked them. Today's brides like to be creative and add an element of surprise. If only I were 20 something and getting married today...:) Brielle had it all figured out for her girls but asked me to help with a thing or two.
Years ago I designed the headpiece and veil for actress, Tara Reid, when she was to marry MTV's Carson Daly. Her headpiece was designed with a two carat antique diamond pendant as the focal point. Tara's veil was 157" long made from English net, cornely embroidery, and hand beaded Swarovski crystal. Through the design process, we became friendly and she invited me and my husband to be guests at the wedding. I loved her save the dates that had to be read through the reflection in the mirror. Maybe Brielle could use this idea to ask her friends to become her bridesmaids. Brielle did just that and came up with a cute and creative twist!
Brielle puts great thought into every gift she gives. She wanted the packaging to be special for her bridesmaid invites. In place of a bow, we made flowers from the iced blue silk jacquard fabric we would use to design her engagement skirt. Hand sewn Swarovski crystal stamens added the final sparkling touch.
A personalized make-up mirror would be the key to asking her bridesmaids to be in her bridal party. Little vellum notes were tucked inside the mirrors in hopes they would discover her special invitation upon opening. A few friends were so happy to receive the gift that they needed prompting to open up the mirror and decipher the message.
Aubrey said..."Yes!"---as did Becca, Candace, Hannah, Irina, Haley, Brittany, and Emily. We plan on enjoying each other every step of the way during this year of planning. There will be a few surprises here and there for all of you to enjoy with us as we "design a wedding!"
Next month on the Fourteenth:
Engagement pics on Martha's Vineyard...Celebrating Hunt style.