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Moody black and emerald wedding inspiration at The Virginia House

September 9, 2019
Black feather wedding dress

Every now and then a wedding editorial comes along that just gets every little detail *right*. We’re talking venue, fashion (black wedding dress alert!), decor, cake (oh, the cake…), everything. These moody black and emerald wedding ideas Kristin of Lustre Theory Styling & Design and Angela Elise Photography sent our way takes us from boudoir to reception without missing a beat. And did we mention the custom black wedding ensembles (yes—plural) and idyllic English Tudor manor that is The Virginia House in Richmond? We mean…

Low ponytail Virginia wedding venue

The Virginia House is a 1500s manor that was actually brought over from England in the 1920s, and reassembled as a private home. It’s now owned by the Virginia Historical Society and open as an event venue, along with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Gold and emerald wedding invitations Lustre Theory Styling & Design was also behind the invitation suite, a mix of modern design and soft watercolor calligraphy accents and a custom painted envelope liner. Seriously stunning!

Wedding accessories Gold and emerald wedding heels Velvet vow book

Love these two hues together in velvet.

Virginia wedding venue Bride getting ready Bride getting ready Bride getting ready Elegant boudoir

Our bride got ready for the day adorned in dreamy lace pieces by Linyage.

Black feather wedding dress Black feather wedding dress Black feather wedding dress
Virginia House wedding Black feather wedding dress

Kristin explains, Virginia House, located in Richmond VA, is something you would expect to see in a Jane Austen novel. When our team was putting together everything for this editorial feature, we wanted to showcase both the dark moodiness inside the house and the incredible grounds.

The house was constructed by Alexander and Virginia Weddell, who used materials from the 16th-century Warwick Priory in Warwickshire, England. The pieces were shipped over and reassembled in 1929 in Richmond, VA as their private residence. Now owned by the Virginia Historical Society and used as a venue, Virginia House has quite a story including royal visits by Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Formal groom's fashion Formal groom's fashion Black feather wedding dress

The manor itself has so, SO many amazing places for portraits and soaking in the area’s history. 100LC approved!

Formal groom's fashion Black tie wedding fashion Matthew Edward designed the bride’s primary wedding look using over 2,000 black Ostrich feathers to complete the cathedral length skirt.

Black tie wedding fashion Black feather wedding dress

TALK about a statement piece.

Virginia wedding venue Black feather wedding dress Black feather wedding dress Wedding ring

This unique zebra diamond ring by Lauren Wolf Jewelry from Esqueleto sure is a show-stopper.

Formal groom's fashion Black feather wedding dress Black feather wedding dress Black feather wedding dress

The team paired the ostrich feather skirt with several different tops that totally transform the look for different parts of the wedding day.

Gold and emerald wedding Pampas grass tablescape
Fall place setting Pampas grass tablescape

I very much wanted to marry the historic, romantic feel of the house with modern wedding decor. The table design is the perfect example with its pampas grass centerpiece and West Elm table settings. This is not your regular wedding table and we wanted it that way. The quote on each plate, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is…” was taken from a carved inscription that is above the fireplace in that dining room.

Elegant place setting Elegant place setting Angela Morrison’s cakes featured incredible sugar flowers and gold leaf accents that perfectly fit the mood.

Elegant floral wedding cakeelegant floral wedding cake elegant floral wedding cake

Be sure to pop into our gallery for even more photos of this lovely story!

Isn’t that venue spectacular? And a black wedding dress, gah! Be sure to check out the credits below for everyone who contributed to this editorial:

Photography + Videography: Angela Elise Photography / Venue: The Virginia House in Richmond, VA / Styling Design + Production: Lustre Theory Styling & Design / Black Gown Designer + Styling Design: Matthew Edward / Florals: Katie Ranger Design Studio / Hair: Flawless On Site / Makeup: Blushtones / Invitations: Lustre Theory Styling & Design / Calligraphy: Virginia Handwriting Company / Cakes: Cakes by Angela Morrison / Table Décor: West Elm Richmond / Velvet Vow Book: Velvet Raptor / White Bridalwear: Linyage / Jewelry: Lauren Wolf Jewelry from Esqueleto / Velvet Loveseat: Paisley & Jade / Gown Seamstress: Anzen Tiamzon / Menswear: The Black Tux / Models: Abby Shearer & Colin Christensen, Kim Alley – Model Scout