Francoise & Ed

Memorial Day weekend Francoise and Ed were married at Keswick Hall. They're both chefs in New York, and as one would expect, they worked with Chef Craig Hartman at Keswick Hall to create an elaborate four course meal for their wedding dinner. You can watch their slideshow here...compliments of Lynne Brubaker and Easton Events!

drew and gille

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend to celebrate my good friends' Drew and Gillie's wedding. Every little thing about their wedding day was personal, thoughtful and pure. Drew's father, Jay, with anecdotes and grace, officiated the ceremony. Drew and Gillie's dog, Solstice, was there to join them as they first walked down the aisle as husband and wife.  Their friends, myself included, formed an arch around the couple as they made their vows: not standing on one side, but on both. For the first time, I stood on the other (and more personal) side of a wedding I planned. 

The reception site: Panorama Farms in Earlysville-- a place Drew and his family had lived while we were in high school.  As guests drove onto the property--they followed tiki torches and bluegrass music up the hill to the tent. With a 360 dgree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the sun setting below them, you couldn't dream of a more fitting place to eat, drink and be merry. 

Guests were greeted with mason jars of lemonade and tea and homemade Wisconsin cheese, made by Gillie's brother, Andy. When the sun dipped below the mountains... we kept ourselves warm with wine, dancing and s'mores by the bonfire. There wasn't one cake, there were seven... all made by Albemarle Baking Company, where Gillie works part-time. 

There are memories you wish you could bottle up-- and Saturday certainly was full of them. Drew and Gillie: cheers to the two of you, and all we have to look forward to. I have a feeling, this is only the beginning! xoxo

(stay tuned for more pictures...)

lean & green

The Hook's Stephanie Garcia wrote an article about 2009 Wedding Trends... 

Lean, green: Easton talks weddings in 2009

Picture by Jen Fariello

c-ville weekly's unions

Check out the C-ville Weekly's Unions this week! 

Southern Weddings...

Ronda and Brian's wedding made the Southern Wedding Blog! Woooohoo! For those of you who don't stalk wedding websites (it's my job people...) this is one of the best! And I have to admit... Ronda and Brian did throw quite a party to celebrate their nuptials.... it is fun to be able to look back and see their pictures in lights! 

best of 2008

Charlottesville's Wedding Blog featured us today... bored at work? check it out!

Easton Events Best of 2008...

sensational cakes!

Sylvia Weinstock has featured two (not one, TWO) of our events in her new book, Sensational Cakes! (Can you tell I'm excited?!) Recently we were featured in Virginia Living Magazine, and a few others around here... but this is BIG. Ms. Weinstock is no small name (though she is a small lady!). You know who she is... what Vera Wang is to gowns, Sylvia Weinstock is to cakes. She is known for her owl rimmed glasses... and her incredible cake designs, that look as if they belong in a china museum rather than on china plates. Easton Events planned and designed these weddings, Patricia Lyons made the photographs, and Ms. Weinstock has immortalized our brides, their weddings, and our event design, in her new book...check it out. Now. Let them eat cake!

father of the bride

I loved everything about Price and Kip's wedding. Price was a stunning bride, who was at ease the entire day. When we had to move her reception (thanks to hurricane Hannah) from the tent at her parents' house to the Keswick Hunt Club, she took it all in stride. Her sister, Maggie, designed and made her wedding dress...and her other sister, Caroline, rocked the reception with her rendition of At Last by Etta James. At one point, i thought the floorboards of the hunt club might give in...there was no shortage of dancing or fun had. Below is an article Hugh Wilson, Price's dad, wrote for the Keswick newspaper. I love it. thought you might too...


Hugh Wilson, Father of the Bride remembers

The wedding was in the church where she was an acolyte who carried the cross one Christmas. The reception was in the Hunt club where she went, as a very wicked witch, with her sisters and brother to the Halloween haunted house. The bridesmaids were her fourth grad pals plus her two sisters. Her little brother, Pat, not so little any more, was a groomsmen. Charters and I couldn’t help wondering how the years had just shot by us.

Price was the beautiful bride in the beautiful dress her sister had made for her. Frayser “Kip” White was the handsome groom, himself a local boy – no man – the son of Frayser and Gail, our dear friends.

The Reverend Julie Norton performed the marriage with her usual grace, faith and good cheer. It was a fully Christian wedding, over before the pagans know what had hit them.

Maggie, the frantic dressmaker, fainted in the middle of the ceremony, but as drinking champagne fifteen minutes later at Kinloch Farm. Bob and Janice Aron had provided their magnificent home as a pre- and post- wedding staging area.

Lynn Easton Andrews and her wonderful associates made it all look so easy.

Our friend, Steve Tyrell, flew in from Los Angeles to sing the same song he made so memorable in the movie “Father of the Bride”. It was “The Way You Look Tonight”.

Sister Caroline gave Etta James something to think about when she sang “At Last”.

Then the rock/bluegrass/kickass band, The Gourds, rolling in from Austin, Texas made the old floorboards bend right up until the couple slipped off to Keswick Hall in a shower of sparklers.

At several points during all of this, my wife cried. She was – excepting the bride, of course – the prettiest girl there.


If you're interested...here is their slideshow (again)...compliments of Lynne Brubaker

little Miss Julia James

In life, I consider myself to be a hard worker.... most of the time, that is. Friday, at Lucy and Alex's rehearsal dinner, I spent most of the evening with a little girl named Julia. When I first met her, she was jamming away on the grand piano in the corner of the Clifton Inn's dining room (rehearsal dinner guests present). As great as she sounded (something tells me she hasn't had lessons...yet) she had some competition with the actual dinner music playing over the house sound system. It broke my heart to ask her to stop. Not even phased, she hopped off the bench, looked up at me and asked, "do you think you could just keep an eye on me?" It was hard to say no to that. Especially when I realized just how cool this 5 year old was.

In between my event "duties" (which happen to be far and few between for this particular dinner...no, i wasn't slacking!) I kept an eye on Julia, and she on me. We colored, talked about life (she told me she was very brave...then led me down to the wine cellar to prove it) and contemplated the different reasons octopi had 8 legs (or are they arms? julia asked...).

Here are a few pictures from our coloring session. My favorite was the tree she drew me..."with leaves falling, because its fall". That Julia is one smart cookie. And I must say-- the next day, at the wedding, when I was running about handing out personal flowers and making sure the ceremony went smoothly... Julia was back at my side... "just in case you need me" she said. And I did. A big thanks to little Miss Julia James, for the pictures, the giggles and the reminder of the joy in everyday things... Especially little people who are willing to think big.

(isn't she something else?!)

recent easton events...

Ronda and Brian's Slideshow!

Kelly and Graham's Slideshow

(Both compliments of Patricia Lyons...)

Price and Kip's Slideshow 

(Compliments of Lynne Brubaker!)

Jamie and Kristen!

Jamie and Kristen were an absolute blast to work with, I'm a little sad that its all over!

Kristen wanted a "Midsummer's Night Dream" feel for her reception...

Compliments of Easton Events... 

Here are a few shots from their celebration at Veritas.

And once again, Allegra and her assistant, Jen, captured their evening beautifully! Stay tuned for more pictures...

Lucy and Alex...they love each other most

Lucy and Alex are hitched! 

Between the Easton Events team and the great people over at the Clifton Inn, Lucy and Alex celebrated their marriage all weekend long. Their friends and family flew in from every corner of the globe, making their 100 person guest list the most eclectic I've ever seen. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful celebration of two people's love. As Lucy's sister, Margot, said in her toast, its so amazing to see two people who "love each other the most" in this world promise their lives together. (Side note: if you haven't read "Where the Wild Things Are"... you should...)

Check out these gorgeous shots Allegra (http://www.allegrasblog.com/posts/weddings/lucy-and-alex/) took of the Lucy and Alex...