Kara & Matthew’s Fall Mountain Wedding at Fox Meadow Barn in Winchester, VA

While I’m happy about these cooler temps that have rolled in, I’m still not fully ready for fall. For me, the onset of fall means all the holidays are right around the corner, and that just comes with extra emotions this year since seeing family is all up in the air. But I’m hoping we can at least take Charlie apple picking, and back to the pumpkin patch, and dress him up for Halloween, even though he won’t be trick or treating. To get you in the fall spirit, we’ve got Kara & Matthew’s gorgeous mountain wedding. I love that they went on a little hike after the ceremony to capture some beautiful pictures, and spend some time together before the reception!

Our wedding day was an elegant, timeless wedding! We were married in November so we used some deep burgundy, gold, and eucalyptus to put our reception together. I love candles so they were showcased in our centerpieces. Our ceremony included some really special moments including our parents praying over us before we became husband and wife, and a few worship songs sung by a good friend from Virginia Tech, Medi Kay! Our pastors included my husband’s dad, who is a pastor in Leesburg, VA, and my campus Pastor who led me through my college years at VT. We also took communion at our ceremony. We wanted our ceremony to be focused on our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and we longed to give honor and glory to him that day. He gave the most special gift to us (each other) and we wanted to celebrate with Him at the center!

Our florist, Mini Rose Farm, blew us away with our ceremony and reception spaces. The ceremony was draped with tulle down the isles, with bunches of eucalyptus tied to the ends of the chairs. The arbor at the end of the aisle was homemade by Matthew’s brother, Luke, and our sister-in-law, Angela. They did such an amazing job with this project! I was so amazed!

For the centerpieces, we had two different looks. Some tables had candles in glass cylinders with eucalyptus placed around them, and others had lanterns with candles inside them, all arranged by our florist.

My sister, Kristina, made our hot cocoa bar, which ended up being a HIT! It was a cool, crisp day which made this fun DIY so special. We had a barn wedding which was the most special decor itself, tucked away in Winchester, VA! We had space and freedom to have a true celebration, away from the chaos of being near a city or the hustle and bustle of life. It was a peaceful and charming venue, Fox Meadow Barn will forever be remembered by such a wild celebration.

We did a mini photoshoot at a mountain peak we hiked to on one of our very first adventure dates! We took a slight detour on our way and got the most stunning pictures from it! We love this memory and will forever cherish it as we share wedding photos and think back to this moment! It was quite daring at times, jumping from rock to rock to get the right shot but it was so fun! It was fun having my newly wed husband carrying my dress, as well! It just seemed so sweet!! And the hikers on the trail that day were surely in for a surprise! They cheered us on as we walked by and wished us a good marriage. it was the sweetest moment!

To couples that are planning their wedding, you got this! Be encouraged, most things will not go perfectly, but remember what is truly important. You are marrying your best friend, you are starting a life together, you are embarking on a new journey! I would encourage you all to put as much thought into your relationship as you are in this planning process. At times, I’ll be honest, it seemed to take over my life, all of the decisions, planning, etc. But take time to sit and enjoy each other. Even during this busy planning, pour into your relationship with as much zeal and delight as you did before this planning began. It will all work out, and you will get married! It will be a joyous celebration! Let us not forget the reason for this wedding! It’s your decision to love this person for the rest of your life.