Fall in Love with Virginia’s Greenest Winery: DuCard Vineyards

Follow your heart along the country roads of Madison County, Virginia, to a boutique winery overlooking the Shenandoah National Park. You’ve arrived at DuCard Vineyards when you see the twining vines of their whimsical LOVE sculpture. Amid mountain views and rows of carefully tended grapes, you’ll find gorgeous indoor and outdoor sites for an elegant country wedding.

DuCard has been dubbed “Virginia’s Greenest Winery” for their environmental stewardship – from solar power and reclaimed wood to charging stations for electric cars. Natural materials appear throughout the construction and decor.

Ceremony sites include the “Mountain View,” looking across the vineyard and into the Shenandoah National Park, and “In the Vines” – an intimate site nestled among the vineyard rows.

Couples can choose an open-air or tented reception for up to 100 seated guests on the terrace with adjoining indoor space, or al fresco seating on the streamside patio. DuCard’s lovely cathedral-ceiling tasting room seats 30 with a bar, fireplace and couches besides.

Your bridal party will love the fully furnished Hilltop Cabin situated above the vineyard, with all the accommodations you need for wedding day preparations.

To inquire about booking your event, please contact Barbara Lundgren at 434.531.3247 or barb@barbwiredllc.com.

DuCard Vineyards – 40 Gibson Hollow Lane, Etlan (Madison County), VA 22719

C-Venue simplifies your search for your perfect venue. Call 434.531.3247 or email barb@barbwiredllc.com to get started.

Historic Charlottesville Venues for a City Wedding

There’s something irresistibly romantic about an old building. But your very modern wedding guests want to be within Uber-able distance of a nice hotel, and you’d like to enjoy your historic ambiance in a place that has cell service. In short, you need a historic wedding venue in the city. Lucky you: we’ve got some recommendations below, all approved by our experienced team of wedding planners.

The Paramount Theater

A “grand movie palace” that first opened in 1931, the Paramount was meticulously restored and re-opened as a nonprofit performing arts venue in 2004. No detail was overlooked, from the historic marquee above Charlottesville’s downtown mall to the chandeliers and painted tapestries within.

You’ll feel like a star as you make a dramatic entrance from the Grand Staircase. You can host an elegant dinner amid the grandeur of the performance hall, or even say your vows onstage. The Paramount’s doors are just a short walk from several hotels, so encourage your guests to stay nearby and enjoy the historic downtown area.

215 East Main Street, Charlottesville, VA www.theparamount.net

The Jefferson Theater

The Jefferson was established in 1912 as a live performance theater. In those days, audiences went to see a vaudeville show, a silent movie, or live performers like the Three Stooges and Harry Houdini. A century later, the fully renovated downtown theater is now one of Charlottesville’s premiere concert venues for local and national acts.

As you dance the night away surrounded by the Jefferson’s vintage architecture, take a minute and sneak up to the balcony for a bird’s-eye view of your guests. They’ll be feeling the unique energy of a room that’s seen literally thousands of parties.

110 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA www.jeffersontheater.com

Fry’s Spring Beach Club

This social club dating back to 1921 is tucked away in the historic Fry’s Spring neighborhood, just minutes from Charlottesville’s downtown mall and the University of Virginia. The setting blends urban convenience with the tranquility of a wooded estate.

You’ll want to play up the vintage vibe in the club’s historic ballroom, which can seat up to 200 guests and boasts a huge 30- by 60-foot spring dance floor. Invite your guests to stroll the club grounds and see the eponymous spring, whose waters made the spot a 19th-century spa destination.

2512 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA www.frysspring.org

C-Venue simplifies your search for your perfect venue. Call 434.531.3247 or email barb@barbwiredllc.com to get started.

Virginia Vineyards for an Intimate Wedding

Planning a vineyard wedding for a small group of 10-50 guests? While these Virginia venues can also accommodate larger weddings, they all feature intimate spaces that won’t leave your guests feeling lost in a gigantic room.

Cunningham Creek Winery at Middle Fork Farm

You’ll be welcomed like family at this scenic farm winery, tucked away in the rolling hills 20 minutes from Monticello. Their newly-built tasting room seats up to 50 guests, and there’s a sweet little honeymoon cottage on site.

Venue profile: Hidden Treasure – Cunningham Creek Winery

3304 Ruritan Lake Road, Palmyra, VA cunninghamcreek.wine

First Colony Winery

Seat your guests at a long farm table among the vines, or invite them to sample food and wine pairings right where the award-winning wines are made. You’ll get an unforgettable vineyard wedding experience! A few of First Colony’s unique winemaking spaces are not available August-October due to harvest.

Featured wedding: Anna & Zack – Wed White & Blue!

1650 Harris Creek Road Charlottesville, VA www.firstcolonywinery.com

Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery

Bring your nearest and dearest to enjoy the organic wines at this family-owned vineyard. Plan a weekday wedding party in the winery surrounded by vineyard vistas and a wraparound veranda, or ask about their tent packages for weekend events.

3340 Sutherland Road, North Garden, VA www.lovingcupwine.com

Meriwether Springs Vineyard

Hiking trails and a serene lake await on 40 private acres just minutes from Charlottesville. Say your vows in the stone courtyard overlooking the vines at this elegant new vineyard, located on the original estate of famed explorer Meriwether Lewis.

1040 Owensville Rd., Charlottesville, VA meriwethersprings.com

C-Venue simplifies your search for your perfect venue. Call 434.531.3247 or email barb@barbwiredllc.com to get started.

Luxe Virginia Venues for an Elegant Formal Wedding

You’ve been dreaming of a formal wedding day full of glamorous gowns and dashing tuxedos. Now, it’s time to choose a venue that lives up to your daydreams. These Charlottesville-area wedding venues hit all the high notes – from gracious professional service to gorgeous architecture and exquisite landscapes.

The Inn at Willow Grove

You and your guests will be pampered all weekend at this four star-rated boutique hotel in a beautifully renovated former plantation house. The Inn features a gourmet restaurant and will soon unveil a new luxury spa. If you’re planning an outdoor formal wedding, you won’t find a more perfect spot than their Boxwood Garden. The Inn at Willow Grove welcomes Virginia wine country destination weddings of any size.

14079 Plantation Way, Orange, VA innatwillowgrove.com

Farmington Country Club

Toss your bouquet from the balcony in a room designed by Thomas Jefferson. Farmington claims a history unlike any other private country club in America, with buildings dating back to the 1700s and a long tradition of gracious Southern hospitality. They offer a variety of ideal settings for your big day, including an elegant formal ballroom and their perfectly manicured North Lawn.

1625 Country Club Circle, Charlottesville, VA www.farmingtoncc.com

Featured wedding: Lindsay & Matthew’s Farmington Country Club Wedding

Keswick Hall

The sky’s the limit at Keswick Hall & Golf Club, a world-class luxury resort in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Keswick’s experienced professional staff is ready to host the most lavish affairs. You can customize your entire wedding weekend with tailor-made experiences. Private yoga classes for the ladies? Fly fishing for the gentlemen? Wine & tapas tastings to welcome your guests? Yes, yes and yes.

701 Club Drive, Keswick, VA www.keswick.com

C-Venue simplifies your search for your perfect venue. Call 434.531.3247 or email barb@barbwiredllc.com to get started.