Gorgeous Fall Wedding at The Market at Grelen

Marissa first reach out to me through Instagram. She was friends with one of previous brides and had love how the images turned out from that wedding. When I get a new wedding inquiry, I like to find out as much about the couple as possible. This helps me figure out how to best capture the couple.  I mean if the couple is not super cuddly this changes how I direct them and so on. When I asked Marissa to tell me more about her and Josh, she was more than happy to give me all the good details. Josh and Marissa are both nurse and them met in the Emergency room in Charlottesville Virginia. After nursing school Marissa decided to take a job at a hospital in Charlottesville. She describes meeting Josh like something out of a movie! She told me that Josh turned around in ER and introduced himself and shook her hand. She just stood there in awe continuing to shake his hand until she could find the words to introduce herself as her face turned beet red. Josh must have just been as taken with Marissa because they have been together ever since! 

These two share a love for the outdoors, hiking and traveling. Which led us to choose Shenandoah National Park for their engagement session which turned into a hilarious story! Almost a year to their wedding date I drove up to meet them in Charlottesville. I hoped in their car and we drove the rest of the way to the park. We bond over hospital stories (I am ultrasound tech with 6 years working in a hospital). When we arrived at the park it was super foggy and grey out. We had chosen a hike that was supposed to be like a mile with an overlook with a view of the mountains. Marissa and I both look up this hike before meeting up but we either looked at bad info or took the wrong trailhead because we never found the overlook we had researched. We end up hiking about 5 miles that day in the foggy rain and it was the ABSOLUTE BEST! Haha We did find some great views and shared lots of laughs. We finally gave up trying to find the overlook we originally had planned on when the sun began to set. When we were not too far from our car on the trail when we came upon a half naked man (Lets just say he had a shirt on) making camp on the trail. Once we finally go back to the car we end the whole experience by crushing so Mexican food. 

A year following our epic engagement adventure was Marissa and Josh’s big day! Unlike their engagement shoot day for their wedding they had the most absolute gorgeous fall day! They chose the Market at Grelen in just outside Charlottesville as their venue! Surround by the mountains, their friends, and family these two said I do! They then dance the night away (literally EVERYONE DANCE THE ENITRE TIME! IT WAS THE BEST) under an endless Starry night! 

Venue: The Market at Grelen

Hair/ Makeup: Studio 321

Makeup: Hannah Lauren

Catering: The Local Catering

Floral / Planning: Faded Poppy

Cake: Commonwealth Cake Company

Videography: Rachel Curry Films

Donuts: Carpe Donut