A romantic and timeless affair to remember—Adison and Brendan’s September wedding featured East Coast chic design details and special touches that reflected the couple’s blossoming love. Pippin Bride Adison shares the inside scoop on their love story and the New England-inspired celebration they hosted in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Where did you two meet?
I am from Minnesota and Brendan is from Massachusetts. Fate somehow made its way into our lives when Brendan was visiting a mutual friend in MN with a group of his Boston friends during the summer of July 2017. They boated over to my friend’s house on the lake and picked us up by boat. We introduced ourselves to everyone and I immediately locked eyes with Brendan. He was so tan and his blue eyes were mesmerizing… I like to say it was blue-eyed love at first sight, we couldn’t stay away from each other after that day.
First date?
Our first official date wasn’t until March of 2018 when I flew out to Boston to visit Brendan for the first time. We went and got sushi on the ocean, followed by a comedy show in the city after dinner. I was so nervous, but it was so effortless and easy. His friends that I had met the previous summer met us out at a bar afterward and we had so much fun. I knew these guys were going to be in my life forever and that Brendan and I really had something.
How did Brendan pop the question?
Our mutual friend who introduced us got married in Minnesota the weekend of Brendan’s proposal. Thankfully their wedding was on a Friday so that Sunday was totally fair game, (otherwise, I know he wouldn’t have done it!) His family from MA was invited to the wedding, so all of our family and friends were in Minnesota (the odds of that happening are so slim, so I’m so happy he took that opportunity!) We met on Lake Minnetonka in the summer of 2017, and that is where he proposed the summer of 2022. It was simple, just the two of us, and absolutely perfect. Our families met us at my parent’s house after with lots of champagne, followed by a boat cruise with both our families on Lake Minnetonka. The weather was rainy and cold all weekend until that Sunday we got engaged. The sky completely opened up and it was sunny and 77 degrees. It was perfect, and a day we will never forget.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
I wanted it to be timeless but also represent us! Looking back at my Pinterest board from high school and college, it’s funny how much my taste of what I thought my wedding would look like had changed. After moving to New England, my style became East Coast chic, and I wanted to incorporate those colors and styles into our day. I tend to get sick of trends easily, and knew I wanted the vibe to not be “trendy” and something we will look back on 20 years later and still feel like the day represented us and our taste.
What was your inspiration for the florals?
It all started with the Hydrangea path. That is what sold me on Pippin Hill when looking at venues in the first place. We wanted to enhance them even further with my favorite color, blue! We spend our summer in Cape Cod and the blue hydrangeas there are my favorite part. I knew we had to incorporate these into our wedding day. On our head table, we had a blue hydrangea waterfall on both sides, it was stunning! My vision was whimsical, romantic, and classic filled with blues, whites, and greeneries.
How did you select your venue?
The way we selected Pippin was a little untraditional. Both being from different states, we knew we wanted to do a destination wedding. We got engaged in August, so I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to get married the following year. I quickly got to researching the week after our engagement. My older sister had followed Pippin Hill on Instagram and sent their page to me saying it was the perfect place for what I was looking for. After a few phone calls and countless social media stalkings, we booked Pippin Hill sight unseen. It checked all of my boxes and lo and behold, was even more stunning in person. I went with my gut and I am SO happy I did.
What did you want your guests to experience on your wedding day? How was that incorporated into your celebration and ceremony?
Weddings can be so stressful and uptight, and we wanted the exact opposite experience for our guests. With a late wedding start, they all had the day to explore Charlottesville or hang by the pool. Once the wedding started, we had a quick ceremony so that we could let the guests enjoy themselves and we could get to be with everyone who traveled near and far for us for the rest of the night. As much as our wedding day was for us, we had our guests in our mind the entire time.
We have to hear about *the dress*…also, any outfit changes?
I wore the Reem Acra ‘Flock of Angels’ dress. The subtle floral detailing was so beautiful to me and it was easy to envision it with the scenery at Pippin Hill. I always thought I wanted to go with something form-fitting, but this dress was so classic and perfect for what I was looking for.
My veil was by Rita Vinieris, the ‘Valerie’. It was one of my favorite parts of my look. The floral details at the bottom were stunning and it really tied everything together with the Hydrangeas and vineyard.
My dress weighed A LOT, and I love to dance, so I knew I needed to change right away. I quickly put my party pony on and changed into a Cult Gaia baby blue feather dress with custom Converse sneakers engraved with our wedding date.
What was most important to you two on your special day?
Pippin Hill has become so special to us. It was so special getting to share the space with our family and friends and having them see why we loved it there so much. Pippin is so romantic and magical, and I was so happy after our wedding to hear that people shared the same love for the venue that we did. We wanted it to be the best day of our lives, and that’s exactly what it was.
Anything we missed?
Our wedding day was truly the best day of our lives thanks to Pippin Hill. On top of that being one of the best days of our lives, a few months later we had another equally as amazing day, finding out we would be having a baby boy to add to our family at the beginning of August, just in time to celebrate our first wedding anniversary the following month. We can’t wait to come back to Pippin Hill as a family for many years to come!
Planner: Adam Donovan-Groves | Photographer: Erin Wilson | Florist: Steelcut | | HMU: Carolyn Thombs, Shirin Ratner, Ana B | Band: Queen City | Rentals: BRAVL, Happily Ever After Events, MS Events | Gown: Annika Bridal
In search of the perfect venue for a wedding, rehearsal dinner, and beyond? Our team is here to help you plan the celebration of your dreams at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards.
