Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

The Location

Berry Hill Estate -- 600 acres of lush land and historic architecture -- was the perfect setting for the pair's fall wedding. The nature lovers and their guests utilized the Virginia property to the fullest over the weekend. Guests took canoe rides and long walks, played hide and seek in the orange grove, and raced around on mountain bikes. Kids and grownups ran barefoot through the lawn.

Just after the rehearsal dinner, two friends of the bride hosted a family variety show in the outdoor theater. A Southern supper of ham biscuits, homemade pickles, tomato pie, and blackberry cobbler preceded a movie viewing under the stars -- complete with popcorn, pillows, and quilts.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Eskuvo

In a nod to Andras's Hungarian roots, the weekend was christened "Eskuvo," which means "wedding" in his native tongue. The Eskuvo theme encompassed everything from the wedding website to the stationery, and this sign, carved by Sarah's Uncle Keith.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Processional

Sarah and her father, Danny, walked through a canopy of trees to the ceremony site.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Ceremony Music

A string trio played before and during the ceremony. The music included pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, and Pachelbel.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Bridal Party

The bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the grassy aisle as the 90-some guests looked on.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Flower Girls and Bell Ringers

Not wanting to abandon the traditions of a church setting, Sarah asked her friends' young daughter and son to be bell ringers. The girls ran up the aisles ringing hand bells loudly in celebration of the marriage, mimicking the sounds of a church bell.

The flower girls were the bride's nieces.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Ceremony

Pastor Randy Williams of Halifax United Methodist Church led the ceremony. Sarah and Andras took communion at a stone altar built by friends under a tree.

Because the wedding was set outdoors in a remarkable landscape, the couple opted to use minimal cut flowers. But since a single tree was a centerpiece of the ceremony, they asked their florist, Bill Granger of Triangle Florist, to create this wreath.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Ceremony Readings

Two dear friends recited readings: The first was an essay titled "Friendship" from "the Prophet," by Kahlil Gibran; the second, a Biblical reading on joy.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Rings

A good friend of the bride made the ring pillow. It perfectly matched the color palette for the wedding: yellow, gray, and ivory. The couple brought the pillow to Hungary, where they had a second ceremony the following summer. Their rings are his and hers wedding bands from Tiffany & Co. in white gold and rose gold, respectively.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

The Afterglow

After being pronounced husband and wife, the duo shared their elation.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Barefoot Up the Aisle

Two little ones led the recessional back up the aisle.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Bridesmaids' Dresses

The bridesmaids posed for a photo on the steps of the plantation house with one of the two photographers, Nick Pironio.

Sarah's sister is a designer and helped make the inspiration board for the wedding. She sent similar boards to the bridal party to assist them with their attire. The bridesmaids were asked to find dresses that suited their own style, but still felt true to the bride's inspiration.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Mother and Daughter

Sarah had tried on her mother's wedding dress after getting engaged. The handmade dress from 1968 fit her perfectly, but the long sleeves didn't suit the warm October wedding. So Sarah opted for a sheath from Ulla Maija Couture. Wanting to incorporate some of the same elements, she hand-covered the buttons down the back of it using the same pattern her mother had used on her own dress. Sarah's mother, Donna, also monogrammed Sarah's and Andras's initials in pale blue thread on ivory silk and sewed it into the inside of the dress to act as her daughter's "something blue."

Sarah's hairpiece also hearkened back to her mother's wedding 40 years earlier. She used lace from her mother's own headpiece and had her friend Morgan Hess of Victor Osborne millinery create a French birdcage veil, combining "something old" with "something new."

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Croquet on the Lawn

After the ceremony, guests moved to the lawn for games of croquet. When Sarah was a child, her mother had always suggested that the children play croquet on long summer days. This nod to her was a fun way to engage guests during the cocktail hour.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Dinner

Another spot on the lawn was set up for dinner, with one long table lined with candles and vintage napkins. A few strands of bistro lights strewn above in the trees provided additional light as the sun set.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

The Place Settings

The long table was simply adorned with place cards, featuring the Eskuvo emblem. A stamped square box with whoopee pies inside also sat at each plate. All of the stationery was done by Sponge Cake Press.

As a wedding gift, Andras's parents gave the couple a stunning set of Hungarian porcelain that had been in their family for generations. They left the full set in the couple's little house in Hungary, but brought two tea cups and saucers and a sugar dish with the "kis madar" [little bird] to set on the wedding table.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

The Menu

Sarah's background in the food industry played a large part in the weekend wedding's menu. She developed all of the meals' recipes and served the reception meal family style, with large footed tureens and pedestal bowls passed down the table. In addition to charcuterie, a variety of cheeses, figs, and fresh raspberries were served as an homage to Sarah's time cooking in the south of France and as a vegetarian option for the groom and other guests.

The menu was also inspired by the food cultures and family dishes that Sarah and Andras grew up with, their love of Mediterranean food, their shared meal during their first meeting, and the local agriculture of Southern Virginia.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

The Cake

Created by a friend of Sarah's from culinary school (Judith Marshall of Piece O'Cake), the wedding cake was chocolate with chamomile cream. Andras picked up the cake at 5 a.m. the morning before the wedding and drove it down from New York City.

There was also a dessert bar with some old-fashioned favorites, such as Pavlova, carrot cake, and apple and cherry pies.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

A Trip from Hungary

Andras's parents, Andras and Erzsebet, made their first trip to the United States for the wedding.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Dancing

On a dance floor, surrounded by strands of light and set on the lawn in front of the main plantation house, Sarah and Andras danced to Eva Cassidy's "Songbird."

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Plantation House Steps

Guests taking a break from dancing could sit on the nearby stairs of the plantation house. Glowing votive candles scattered on the steps added to the evening's charm.

Real Wedding: Sarah and Andras, South Boston, Virginia

Sources

Photographers: Nick Pironio, pironio.com; James Bowman, jamesbowmanphoto.com
Groom's Suit: Faconnable, faconnable.com