We hope you had a wonderful weekend of wedding planning and enjoying the slightly warmer weather! We are starting off the week with a sweet Downtown Leesburg Estate Wedding today with Wolfcrest Photography. This green and white floral-filled historic downtown estate wedding showcases a bold color palette of black bridesmaid dresses against the green and white floral design flawlessly executed by Gretchen and her team at Dragonfly Events and Nova Floral Company. I love the classic and romantic design of the flowers on the pedestals and the ceremony arch juxtaposed against the brick estate building and intimate garden area was so lovely. Their reception was held in a tent on the grounds and they had a Cigar and bourbon bar for their guests to enjoy as well as a phenomenal dance party celebration! Thank you team for sharing a look at their special day!

How did you both meet: “It started with a mutual appreciation of Cheetos. You might say, “I didn’t know Jen likes Cheetos!” She doesn’t. But on the first day of fifth grade, as they sat next to each other, Jen offered Shane some of her Cheetos. Maybe she was just trying to get rid of them or maybe she was just trying to make friends. Shane knew that it had to be tough as the new kid in a school where everybody already knew everybody. So he asked her, “How was your summer? Fast forward countless phone calls, IM’s and passed notes, they realized they were more than just friends.”

Proposal Story: “Jen and Shane’s love of fall and Loudoun County wineries made for the perfect opportunity. Shane knew the perfect place. Now he just needed the ring. *Cue the Mission Impossible music* During family game night at Jen’s house, Shane avoided the oblivious guard dogs and made his way upstairs to the drawer where Jen kept her grandmother’s engagement ring. Unbeknownst to Jen, Shane sat with the ring in his pocket the whole night.

With the ring in possession, Phase Two of Operation Proposal began. It was sunny on October 20th as Shane and Jen sat on the balcony overlooking the vineyard. The scene couldn’t have been more perfect. The two were enjoying a glass of wine when a bee buzzed by Jen’s feet. To avoid another wine spilling incident, Shane took the opportunity to get rid of the bee. Before Jen knew that the scene was safe, Shane had gotten down on one knee and proposed. Completely shocked from the bee and the ring, Jen happily said, “YES!”

Following the proposal, Shane had one more surprise planned. Jen and Shane left the winery and headed to Shane’s family’s home to tell them the news. When they arrived Jen was surprised by a celebration with family and friends – it was a day to remember!”

What was important while planning: “The most important part of our planning process was to have fun with the planning.. and that we definitely did! Truly every vendor was our favorite and most important – they all made our vision a reality!

We added up-lighting to our wedding closer to the date by our amazing entertainment team, Zandi Entertainment. Romin did our sisters wedding a few years earlier and decided to include the lighting as a gift. The lighting created such a fun atmosphere for the reception! Our photographer is absolutely amazing – we will have these photos forever. We are so thankful have had Sara capture not only our wedding but our proposal, and engagement shoot with our sweet pup, Evie too!”

Favorite Part of the Day: “Our favorite part of the day (other than the ceremony, of course!) was getting to practice our first dance while our amazing friends and families enjoyed cocktails inside Birkby House. Veil still on, bustle undone, holding a million layers of dress… just us dancing around the room to our favorite song, Remember You Young by Thomas Rhett. We are so thankful for our amazing team for giving us this moment.”

Favors or DIY: “Our step dad made one of our wedding favors, homemade applesauce in adorable mason jars. These made for a beautiful piece on the table and a delicious gift for our guests. This has become a small tradition in our family.

Knowing our guests, we decided to create a cigar and whiskey bar in the gazebo during the reception. Both the bar and the dance floor were packed the entire night! We wanted to have something fun for everyone to enjoy!”

The following Washington DC wedding professionals contributed to this Leesburg Estate wedding:
Photography: Wolfcrest Photography | Venue: Birkby House | Catering: Tuscarora Mill | Event Planning: Dragonfly Events and Design | Floral: Northern Virginia Floral Company | Invitations: Minted | Wedding Cake: Signature Sweets by Amanda | Beauty: Up Do’s For I Do’s  | DJ: Zandi Entertainment | Officiant: Randy Miller Weddings | Wedding Dress: Ashley & Justin | Bridal Salon: Jeanette’s Bride and Boutique | Bridesmaid Dresses: For Her and For Him | Submitted via: Matchology