This private estate wedding in Richmond, VA was the kind of spring celebration that feels impossible to recreate. A deeply personal experience, Emma and Larus’s wedding day was joyful and filled with intention. 

Capturing the couple’s engagement photos on the historic, storied streets of Monument Avenue, they confided in me that their wedding day would be a true reflection of their lives in Richmond, while incorporating notes of the season through invigorating hues and lush landscapes.

Selecting a Private Estate for Your Wedding

Many couples planning a wedding in Richmond search for a wedding venue that feels grounded in their story. One where they can envision their celebration unfolding in a way that feels reminiscent of the family gatherings that shaped their childhood.

While Richmond offers a number of extraordinary estate wedding venues to choose from, these are considered public event spaces. Open to the general public, these venues require booking in advance to secure your preferred wedding date and working within the confines of a venue contract, including start and end times along with any required food and beverage minimums.

In contrast, a private estate wedding is one held at a family home. There are no venue contracts, start and end times, or securing your wedding date in advance. It’s an experience rooted in deeply personal connections, shaped by your vision, in an atmosphere made for intimacy.

Springtime Details and Brilliant Hues Set The Tone

For Emma and Larus, the decision to host their wedding at Larus’s family home felt like turning the next page of their story. An opportunity that organically called to them, tying together the ends of their formative years and the beginning of their story in the city they call home. 

The stunning private estate is set in the heart of Richmond, but entering felt as if it were a world away. Akin to the seclusion of an English garden, the estate featured lush gardens, blooming roses, and organic colors that brought an inviting sense of the season to every touchpoint of their wedding. It was a setting that called for intention, moments that were planned and moments that created memories, set to the slow pace of purpose.

From the start of the day, Emma and Larus found pockets of time where only their presence was required. They began the day, not in a bustling getting-ready suite at a local hotel, but instead sipping coffee together, side by side at a local French restaurant. Filled with the anticipation of the day ahead, it was one last pause, a nod of acknowledgement to settle into the pace of their private estate wedding in Richmond.

Thoughtful Planned, Lively Elements

The same intention of their morning coffee at a nearby shop carried into every element and carefully planned detail of their private estate wedding. The couple chose a vibrant color palette for their celebration, inspired by a feeling, not a visual cue. The central idea was to wrap their celebration in joy, rather than a trend-focused theme. They wanted their wedding day to evoke a feeling, to feel alive and free, almost tangible in a sense, much in the same way the roses on the estate grow. Originally planted by the groom’s grandfather, the rose garden is still in full bloom, covering the estate in inspired details with the birth of the fragrant, wild blooms, providing Emma and Larus with the inspiration for their event.

A Day Filled with Intention and Meaningful Moments

The unforgettable moments of Emma and Larus’s private estate wedding were woven into their day, in a way that felt nothing short of noteworthy. From the moment Emma walked down the aisle, the wedding day nerves disappeared, and a series of events that soon became lifelong memories unfolded in succession.

The flower petals sprinkled by their flower boy were petals that Emma collected over the years. Every bouquet ever gifted to her by Larus over the last seven years of their story became a petal lining the path to their marriage, bringing them closer with each step, to the life they envision sharing together. 

Photography for Private Estate Weddings in Richmond, VA and Beyond

As a wedding photographer based in Richmond, VA, my approach to capturing private estate weddings focuses on the deeply meaningful moments, in a way that is organic to your story, with guided direction only as needed. The intimate setting of a private estate wedding requires a photo package that understands the subtlety and deeply personal decision to wed in a notable setting, rooted in meaning to you and your spouse. You can find more details on the private estate wedding photography packages I offer here.

 

Vendors

Photography | Nicki Metcalf

Dress | Urban Set Bride