Are you ready for some absolutely stunning details? Emily and Thomas had the most perfect early spring wedding to kick off our 2022 wedding season and it was a dream!

After photographing their engagement session back in December 2020 and having a blast exploring Little Washington and spending that sweet time with Emily and Thomas, I was so hopeful that they would follow up with a request for me to photograph their wedding; sure enough, a few months later they did! Because of their special connection to Little Washington – Thomas’ grandparents are longtime residents and his grandfather, John Fox Sullivan, was even the mayor of Little Washington for a few years – and because they were opting to have a very intimate wedding with only a handful of close friends and family present, The Inn at Little Washington was the perfect place for their wedding.

Emily got ready in one of the beautiful rooms of the Inn with her Matron of Honor. She had the most chill start to the day, having had hair and makeup completed well over an hour before I even arrived, so she was able to sit and enjoy lunch without stressing about a timeline immediately. Between the gorgeous suite and all the stunning bridal details she had with her, I could have photographed in there for hours! One of my favorite pieces of her wedding look were her incredible shoes from Something Bleu, which perfectly fit the romantic and grand vibe of the Inn. (You can tell how much I loved the shoes because they’re in so many of these blog photos, haha.)

Before the ceremony, Emily and Thomas read sweet love notes from each other. This is one of my absolute favorite wedding day moments to photograph because there’s always a sweet reaction and even occasional tears of joy (like Thomas here!).

Their ceremony was hands down one of the most beautiful outdoor ceremonies I’ve been to. This field has an incredible view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west, and they had enormous floral arrangements. They were breathtaking! One special touch to the ceremony was that Thomas’ grandfather was the officiant, adding to the intimate family-centric atmosphere of the day. The light was perfect all afternoon and evening, a photographer’s dream for sure. We captured some portraits immediately after the ceremony but because it was unseasonably hot and we were all being hit with that direct sun the whole time, we decided to have Emily and Thomas enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests and we went back out to the field during the last few minutes of golden hour to do even more portraits and wow, what a perfect few minutes it was! I also loved that the sun was soft enough at the end for us to get a beautiful photo of the two of them in front of the venue – what a picturesque keepsake image.

Their reception was definitely the tiniest venue I’ve ever photographed! The room for their reception fit their guest list size perfectly without room for any more – I barely had enough room to walk around the tables. Surrounded by candlelight and charming historic decor, it was the perfect intimate location for dinner amongst family. This intimate atmosphere was further encouraged by the abundance of beautiful toasts scattered throughout the night at random as guests were encouraged to give a toast whenever placed upon their heart (for some guests, that meant more than once throughout the night!). All of the toasts were heartfelt and beautiful, and you could feel the existing bonds between blood relatives as well as their joy at now becoming one family through Emily and Thomas’s marriage. It was truly special to witness.

And of course, you can’t talk about a wedding at the Inn at Little Washington without talking about the food! The Inn is a three star Michelin rated restaurant and has received various other prestigious awards and accolades in the restaurant industry, making it one of the top restaurants in the world. Pretty impressive for a town with a population of less than 150 people! Emily and Thomas’ reception included a 6 course meal, brought out over the course of a few hours. From the fun starter of truffle oil + parmesan popcorn to the decadent beef entree, the dinner was a delicious adventure.

Venue: The Inn at Little Washington

Hair and Makeup Artist: Salon Emage Day Spa

Dress Designer: Essence of Australia

Dress Boutique: Luxe Curvy Bridal Boutique in MN

Shoes: Something Bleu

Rings: Diamonds Direct

Flowers (Bridal Bouquet and Reception): The Inn at Little Washington

Florist (Ceremony and MoH Bouquet): Shelley’s Floral Enterprise

Invitations: The Knot

Ceremony Music: Atoka Strings

Ceremony Chair Rental: Sammy’s Rentals