Tell Me Your Love Story - Alex Wood

Sometimes true love may be hiding right under your nose, in the case of SWAK bride, Alex, it was hiding right down the street.  Alex and Trevor were both raised in the Charlottesville area.  Their parents lived only five minutes apart from each other but they never crossed paths.  It wasn’t until after graduating from college that the two would finally meet.  And how did their paths finally cross?  At a friendly game of Putt-Putt with friends of course.  One of their first dates involved playing a gig together, she on the mic and he on guitar, in Charlottesville behind Barracks Road.  Too cute, right?  After that they were inseparable and realized quickly that they would spend the rest of their lives together.

We often ask brides if the proposal was a total surprise or if they sensed it coming, and for Alex it was certainly out of the blue.  In fact, it was on the Blue Ridge for that matter (sorry, had to do it!).  Alex and Trevor often spent time at a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway called Big Spy Mountain, so it wasn’t uncommon for them to decide to spend the afternoon there.  Little did she know that he had planned a picturesque picnic proposal that included her family surprising her afterward.  On the way to Big Spy they stopped at the gas station, Sheetz, so she could order her favorite sandwich.  Sheetz has a made-to-order system and you can usually expect to wait about 5-10 minutes for your order to be complete.  Today wasn’t one of those days - they waited 53 minutes for her sandwich, yes, you heard me right, 53 MINUTES!  That has to be some kind of record.  Trevor is usually very calm and collected so she was slightly surprised at his antsy and short tempered demeanor in Sheetz - can’t blame the guy!  Finally her order was ready and they made their way to Big Spy.  Now, they have visited this lookout before and it’s usually totally empty, hence why he chose the spot to propose.  They arrive at the lookout surprised to see of a couple of hikers taking a rest.  At this point I’m sure Trevor is thinking something along the lines of “seriously, of all days”.  That didn’t stop him, he was determined to set this day right.  He proposed to Alex overlooking the beauty of the Blue Ridge.  She immediately burst into tears of joy not noticing the concerned hikers glaring at her.  Although she can’t remember actually saying “yes” her excitement more than made up for it.  A few moments later the hikers walked by and made a sarcastic comment along the lines of “well, you all look like you’re having a great time...”, not realizing that she was crying happy tears.  She laughed at how awkward it all actually was, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.  She was so overjoyed and excited to be engaged to the love of her life.

Alex found her gown well in advance so we were lucky to share quite a bit of time with her and her family.  I remember the day she said yes to her dress, surrounded by her family.  We all knew it was the one and agreed it was going to be so perfect for her vineyard wedding at Pippin Hill.  And that it was.  Alex and Trevor were married at Pippin Hill in June.  It was everything and more by looking at the photos.  Thank you again, Alex, for being so wonderful and easy going.  We wish you both the best in marriage and life!

Tell Me Your Love Story - Amanda Smith

It isn’t often that you marry a guy you don’t like. But this didn’t stop Amanda Smith from becoming Mrs. Micah LeMon. When Amanda first met Micah, she didn’t like him very much. Amanda had been working at the Blue Light Grill on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, when Micah started working there. Amanda said that Micah changed a lot when he came to the Blue Light Grill, and at first she didn’t like the changes or Micah, but she soon grew to admire him and his work ethic, realizing that he was a good guy.

They began flirting, which soon led to dating, and slowly her love for him grew strong. Amanda told a story of a big date Micah and her went on, where they visited three different watering holes, went on a hike, and then ended the day at McGrady’s Irish Pub, where they would later have their wedding reception. She decided that he was the smartest and sweetest guy she knew, which made her excited and a bit scared.

Amanda didn’t see the proposal coming. She knew Micah had planned a romantic date (of which she told a girlfriend about, who guessed Micah might propose), but it just wasn’t on Amanda’s radar.

The day of the special and romantic date arrived. Amanda and Micah had a tasting at Clifton Inn and then were having a nightcap. Out of nowhere, Micah dropped down on one knee and pulled out an engagement ring. Amanda was so stunned that she couldn’t process what was happening right away. When Micah saw Amanda’s face, he actually stood back up to make sure Amanda was alright and that nothing was wrong. Once Amanda finally registered what was happening, she began jumping around and asking if what was happening was real; she was so incredibly and unbelievably happy. Earlier, Micah had stashed a bottle of champagne outside, and once Amanda said yes he retrieved the bottle and he and Amanda toasted to their new life together.

When Amanda was asked how she found THE dress, she answered that she was looking for something lacy and Gatsby-esque. Our owner, Susan, then brought a particular dress from the Richmond store for Amanda to try. The dress had a separate lace overlay, and when she first caught her reflection in the mirror after putting the dress on, her first and immediate thought was, ‘Get this off of me.’ After a moment, Susan realized they had actually put the lace overlay on backwards, so they fixed it, and that’s when Amanda decided that the dress was perfect.

Amanda wanted her and Micah’s wedding to be a very relaxed and fun event, and she cleverly thought of a great way to achieve that in her wedding. The ceremony was held in her parents’ home. The guests were given burlap sacks filled with ponchos, koozies for drinks, and a fleece blanket with a lemon on it because of Micah’s last name, LeMon. As a replacement of chairs, the guests spread their blankets and sat on them during the ceremony. Guests hooted and hollered and whooped as Amanda walked down the aisle. The ceremony was followed by a reception at McGrady’s Irish Pub, as visited on their “big date.” Amanda said that the whole event was “pinch-yourself perfect.”

(We loved working with Amanda; she was very fun and easy to work with and knew what she was looking for when she walked into our store. Stay fun Amanda, and congratulations on your beautiful wedding, as well as your beautiful dress!)