Backyard Fairy Garden Wedding in Richmond with Wildflowers and Candlelight
Heather (she/they) and Jewel (she/they) wanted their Richmond wedding to feel like a cozy dinner party, not a production. After meeting online post-Pride 2022 and years of circling back to each other, they sealed their connection with matching fig tattoos just days after saying “I love you.”
Following a courthouse ceremony for legal peace of mind, they gathered 16 loved ones for an intimate park ceremony and backyard dinner. With Trader Joe’s florals, food from Greek On Cary, and photos by Aspen DeRosa Studios, the day felt bright, personal, and full of care.
How did you two meet, and when did things start to feel real?
Heather: I first saw a photo of Jewel during Pride 2022 and was instantly interested. We spent months liking each other’s posts without talking until finally meeting for a few dates in April 2023. After some time apart, we reconnected that fall and everything clicked.
Three days after saying “I love you,” we got tattoos together, real U-Haul fashion. By August, I proposed, and Jewel proposed back in December. We had a May elopement planned, but after the political climate shifted, we had a courthouse ceremony in December to make it official.
Through two moves, graduations, and renovating our home, we’ve built a solid foundation and stayed all in, together.
How long were you engaged?
We were engaged for 9 months, and it honestly felt perfect. It wasn’t so long that I got impatient waiting for the big day, but it gave us plenty of time to get everything done without stress.
How did you approach wedding planning and keep everything organized?
Heather: I love wedding planning! I used Zola to keep things sorted and checked off, and everything else lived in my notes app. We thrifted most of our wedding, so I’d been collecting pieces and boxing them up in my art studio for months.
We also made a shared wedding email to keep vendor contracts organized. I love love love weddings and planning a good party, so I took on most of it and asked Jewel for opinions along the way. My best friend helped too; she’s worked events before, so that was a huge help!
How did you find your vendors?
Most of our vendors came together pretty easily. I did some research to make sure we were working with inclusive people, and because I had a clear idea of what I wanted, the search was simple. We also did a lot ourselves: table settings, hair, makeup, flowers, so there weren’t too many vendors to track down.
How did you decide on the size of your wedding and who to invite?
We decided we wanted an intimate elopement before our bigger reception in September (best of both worlds!). We ended up with 16 people, just our closest family and friends, and it felt exactly right.
What inspired the vibe of your wedding?
The vibe we were going for was backyard fairy garden party. We wanted wildflower colors, lots of colored glass, candles, bright flowers, and colorful place settings. Our ceremony was in a local park under the trees, and our reception was at my friend’s house in the backyard with a long table for everyone to gather around. There were floral accents and little details everywhere!
How did you approach your ceremony and vows?
I found a suggestion for gender inclusive vows and sent them to my friend (whose husband was our officiant), and she wrote them for us. They were beautiful. We also wrote our own personal vows that we shared privately while our photographer took pictures of just the two of us before the ceremony.
During the ceremony, our formal vow exchange was a little different from the traditional version, and my favorite part was:
“With this ring, I give you my heart.
I promise to walk beside you in love and laughter,
in struggle and in joy,
as your partner, your confidant, and your family.
Today, tomorrow, and always.”
Walk us through the wedding day. What were the highlights?
The morning of, I went to Trader Joe’s for all the flowers and started arranging them while my friend and Jewel set up the backyard. We picked up food from Greek On Cary and got everything ready for drinks before guests arrived.
We got ready upstairs with help from my sister and Jewel’s friend, both doing our hair, and we did our own makeup. Once we were dressed, we left our phones behind and met our photographer, Aspen DeRosa for portraits and to exchange our private vows in the park.
After the ceremony, everyone headed back to my friend’s backyard for dinner, drinks, and the sweetest toasts. We took Polaroids, played with a disposable camera, and ended the night at Babes, the lesbian bar in Richmond.
What were your favorite moments from the day?
Our favorite part was the hour we had to ourselves before the ceremony. It made everything feel calm and intimate. Sitting down for dinner with everyone after was really special too. The whole day felt close and full of love.
Were there any vendors who really stood out?
Our photographer, Aspen DeRosa was incredible! They guided us every step, even picked our ceremony spot, and delivered SO many photos early.
Both of our clothing vendors were amazing too! The team at Anthropologie Weddings in Georgetown sold me the sample of a discontinued dress I loved, and Kirrin Finch made sure Jewel’s suit fit perfectly, even with all the back-and-forth on color and sizing.
We also loved our engagement ring designer, Emma Glover Design, and our wedding ring jeweler, WillWork Jewelry, both queer-friendly and full of heart.
Did you include any meaningful family traditions?
We weren’t very traditional, but I wrapped my bouquet with my late grandfather’s handkerchief. It was important to have a piece of him with me that day.
Photography by Aspen DeRosa Studios
Caterer Greek On Cary
Dress Boutique Anthropologie Weddings
Engagement Rings Emma Glover Design
Wedding Rings WillWork Jewelry
