We had to wait an extra year for it thanks to COVID-19, but Rachel and John had a beautiful Independence Golf Club wedding. You may remember these two from their Richmond elopement in 2020. Rachel and John had planned their wedding for that summer, but like so many couples affected by the pandemic, they had to postpone it a year so they pushed the big wedding and opted for a smaller elopement instead. It was completely worth the wait though. Plus, Rachel got to wear her Maggie Sottero twice and who wouldn’t want to do that?

If you missed the elopement, Rachel and John are high school sweethearts. They first met in high school through an all county chorus competition. The two were both in competitive show choirs and actually competed against each other. Spoiler alert: Rachel’s choir won. After high school, Rachel went to Radford and John went to VCU, but they continued to date and in December 2019, John surprised Rachel after her senior recital by proposing in front of her family, including her grandmother, and his family who had traveled in for the event. Rachel said it was super thoughtful, sweet and really special having their families witness it, especially since her grandmother passed away a few months later.

Fast forward to Aug. 7 when there formal wedding day arrived and was absolutely beautiful. It was a little wet thanks to a summer rain which moved the ceremony inside, but the space is gorgeous with the most perfect chandelier so it was perfect. Plus, thanks to the break in the rain, we were able to get out on the golf course for photos post-ceremony and anyone who knows me knows I love outdoor portraits. So many couples worry about rain on their wedding day, but I definitely encourage everyone to embrace it. One, it’s authentic to the story of your day and two, rainy day portraits are beautiful in their own right, especially when umbrellas get involved. Rachel and John didn’t let the weather affect them and we were able to get some beautiful wedding day portraits around the Independence Golf Club before they enjoyed dancing away at their reception.

Vendors:

Venue: Independence Golf Club

Dress: Maggie Sottero purchased from Ashley Grace Bridal

Groom’s attire / Groomsmen’s attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Bridesmaid dresses: Amazon

Planner/coordinator: Megan Campbell of Independence Golf Club

DJ: Sean Mcnamee – Xtreme Disc jockeys RVA

Catering: Independence Golf Club

Cake: Ukrops

Invitations: Canva / Office Max

In lieu of favors, guests were asked to make donations to the Richmond Animal League