Welcome to the Katherine Blair Journal! We're Katherine and Mark, husband and wife wedding photography team, and we strive to your story in an artful and evocative way. Our blog is here to help you find the perfect wedding venue, help with wedding planning, and get to know us better. Grab a glass of your favorite, sit down, and enjoy!
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Just a short half hour drive from Richmond, perched upon the James River, is the gorgeous Upper Shirley Vineyards. If you are looking for a storybook setting to host your wedding, look no more! With breathtaking views, an exquisite and seasoned in-house caterer, and of course, handcrafted wines, you will be sure to have everything you need. Your Upper Shirley Vineyards wedding comes with exclusive use of the entire grounds. Your ceremony could be set up on the waterfront lawn, having you saying your vows with the river flowing behind you. You would have singular access to the banquet room, groom’s den, and bridal suite for the entire day. No need to get ready elsewhere and rush over! There are stone patios, covered porches, and rows of grapevines to welcome you and your guests. You will also have use of their gorgeous rental decor. Chivari banquet chairs, arbors, classic mahogany ceremony chairs, wicker porch furniture, a gorgeous farm table, white china, flatware and glassware is all included.
If hosting an entire wedding weekend is what you wish, the team at Upper Shirley is more than happy to customize menus, rehearsal dinners, and farewell brunches. The venue is able to host up to 200 guests for a seated dinner service, but that can stretch to 400 if you are doing a cocktail style reception with seating for about a third of your guests. Rest assured, no matter what you choose, your menu or menus will be incredible and unique, as the food at Upper Shirley Vineyards is impeccable. If you want to party late into the night, there is no noise ordinance to worry about. You just need to make sure the music shuts off ten minutes before the end of your event! That leaves the perfect amount of time for your sparkler exit.
On top of all of this, Upper Shirley Vineyards has built-in inclement weather plans included in all wedding packages. You would not even have to lift a finger if bad weather comes knocking. You wouldn’t have to lift much to do the bulk of your wedding planning as it is, as Upper Shirley requires the use of a wedding planner selected from their preferred list. I cannot stress enough the importance of a good wedding planner, so seeing a venue require one is always a good sign.
I think one of my favorite things about Upper Shirley Vineyards weddings is that you and your fiance will get to have a menu tasting about three to five months prior to your wedding. You could make a wonderful date of this. Taste your selected dishes, dream a little (or a lot) about your wedding to come, and then go get yourselves some wine in their lovely tasting room. That sounds like a beautiful day celebrating your time of being engaged.
If you are looking to host your big day at Upper Shirley Vineyards, don’t hesitate to reach out to the events team there. They are lovely to work with, and you can always visit their website to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to read our post all about what an Upper Shirley Vineyards wedding could look like! If you are looking for a wedding photographer, we would love to chat and see if we can help make your wedding dreams reality. Reach out to us and let’s get started!