Wedding

A Fall Wedding at the West Virginia Botanic Garden

a fall wedding at the West Virginia Botanic Garden in Morgantown

Cara and Joe’s fall wedding at the West Virginia Botanic Garden was a colorful day of love and celebration! From small detailed touches to the beautiful views of the forest during the ceremony, their wedding was one for the books!

The West Virginia Botanic Garden is located between Morgantown and Cheat Lake. It provides over four miles of trails in hemlock and hardwood forests and eighty-five acres of land. The trails circle the wetlands of the Tibbs Run Reservoir and there are multiple types of gardens to enjoy. Tibbs Run actually played a role in bringing clean water to Morgantown in the late 1800’s. The botanic garden hosts camps in the summer as well as different types of educational programs throughout the year. A fall children’s festival and summer concert series are just some of the events that occur at the Botanic Garden.

Garden-Filled Color Palette

Cara’s sister Olivia used to be married to Joe’s brother Will, and this is how Joe and Cara met. At the wedding, Olivia and Will were the Matron of Honor and Best Man. Cara is an oncology pathologist at WVU Medicine.  Joe works remotely in computer science. Cara chose a beautiful color palette for the wedding. The entire day had a garden-type feel. It made sense when their wedding day was at a botanic garden! For the reception tables, Cara and Joe included floral designs as the table numbers. They also used mismatched tealight holders and vases and a variety of candlesticks in different colors. Cara and Joe’s invitations matched the decor of the wedding day.

I highly recommend that all of my couples plan a first look during the wedding day. By sharing a first look, couples can engage in a personal and emotional moment together in a more relaxed setting before the formalities of the wedding day unfold. This also gives the couple more opportunities for portraits throughout the day. Even if it’s a smaller, more intimate celebration, planning a first look helps with wedding day nerves.

Unique Wedding Flowers and Favors

Kelly, of Mayfield Flower Farm, and an oncologist at WVU Medicine, met Cara through work. Kelly was their florist and she created Cara’s bouquet for the wedding. Her flowers were special because Cara had a “360-degree” bridal bouquet. It didn’t matter how Cara held her bouquet on the wedding day, it looked fantastic at any angle! I loved Cara’s yellow engagement ring and paired wedding ring. The color was so unique and matched the color palette, not to mention her light pink lace heels.

Cara and Joe decided to have their ceremony and reception inside the terrace room because it was very hot and humid outside. One of Cara’s resident friends who is also a doctor, was their officiant. However, he couldn’t make the ceremony because he had COVID, so he recorded himself instead. It wasn’t what Joe and Cara ideally wanted, but it was last minute so it worked out.

The bartending service created two drink options for their guests based on Joe and Caraโ€™s taste and palate. I really LOVED this idea! They added and infused so many aromas, flavors, and oils – it was so neat to watch them at work! Cara’s drink was called “Thai the Knot” and Joe’s was “Just Peachy”. Dried flowers donned the guests’ gifts, which were wine bottle stoppers. Each stopper had a different topper, from a butterfly to a flower. As the night wore on, the guests enjoyed dancing with the bride and groom!

Congratulations to Joe and Cara! Your fall wedding at the West Virginia Botanic Garden was a one-of-a-kind day with love and bright colors! This wedding venue is on my bucket list to shoot here again! If you’re looking at this location for your wedding, send me a message so we can plan your day!

Wedding Vendors

Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Terrace at Tibbs Run, West Virginia Botanic Garden

(Morgantown, WV)

Dress: The Vow Boutique (Morgantown, WV)

Groom/Groomsmen: Jos A Banks (Morgantown, WV)

Caterer: Jared Riggleman, Catering Bros Hospitality

Florist: Mayfield Flower Farm (Morgantown, WV)

DJ/Entertainment: Connor Norman (McHenry, MD)

Cake/Dessert: Eureka Cafe  (Morgantown, WV)

Hair & Makeup: Allison Fetty, Bloom Salon (Fairmont, WV)

Bartenders: Liberated Libations (Deep Creek, MD)

lace wedding dress hanging from the stone wall at the WV Botanic Garden
bride getting her makeup applied before the wedding ceremony in WV
three wedding rings sitting on an invitation surrounded by bright flowers
bride getting her makeup applied before the wedding ceremony in WV
pink lace shoes sitting on a blue mat with purple ribbon and bright flowers
mother of the bride helping the bride with her earrings while getting ready
groom's gold and black cufflinks sitting on a white ring box
groom sitting on a green couch adjusting his shoes before the wedding
a bottle of cologne sitting on a blue mat surrounded by bright flowers
groom adjusting his tie in the mirror while getting ready for the wedding
peach, purple, and pearl dangly earrings sitting on a blue mat next to bright flowers
mother of the bride spraying the bride with her perfume
bride's wedding rings sitting in an ivory box on top of her bouquet
best man and brother of the groom helping the groom adjust his tie in the mirror
bride's wedding rings sitting in an ivory box with the groom's ring leaning against it
all three gold wedding bands sitting on top of the ring box with the bride's bouquet
groom's purple and blue tie laying on a blue mat with his tie clip, wedding band, and cufflinks
first look between the bride and groom on the back porch at the West VA Botanic Gardens
first look between the bride and groom on the back porch at the West VA Botanic Gardens
the bride and groom posing on the back porch at the Terrace at Tibbs Run venue
close up detail of the bride holding her bouquet next to the groom at WV wedding
groom dipping back the bride for a kiss on the back porch at fall wedding
bride and groom posing for couples portraits at the West Virginia Botanic Gardens
bride wearing a lace off shoulder wedding dress and holding her bright bouquet
bride smiling while showing the back of her up do at West VA Botanic Gardens
detail of the groom's pink and white boutonniere against his blue suit
bride showing off the back of her lace wedding dress at West Virginia ceremony
Morgantown, WV fall wedding at the Botanic Gardens
detail of the groom's pink and white boutonniere against his blue suit
close up detail of the flowers in the bride's bouquet at fall wedding in WV
fall West Virginia wedding photographer at the Botanic Gardens
bride and groom at the bottom of the stairs outside at the WV Botanic Gardens
bride and groom holding hands outside at the WV Botanic Gardens
wedding couple touching foreheads for portraits in Morgantown, WV
bride and groom walking together on the back porch of the WV Botanic Gardens
ceremony site indoors at the Terrace at Tibbs Run with floral arch
bride's dad walking her down the aisle at indoor ceremony in West Virginia
bride and groom holding hands during the ceremony at the West Virginia Botanic Gardens
wedding couple getting married inside the terrace room at the West Virginia Botanic Gardens
bride and groom saying their vows at fall wedding in Morgantown, WV
bride crying while saying her vows at fall wedding in Morgantown, WV
fall wedding ceremony indoors at the West Virginia Botanic Gardens
bride and groom share kiss at the end of the ceremony in Morgantown, WV
wedding couple dipping back for a kiss after the ceremony in West Virginia
cocktail and drink lists written on standing chalkboards signs at the bar
reception tables decorated with fresh flowers, mismatched candles and vases
one tier wedding cake sitting on a green pedestal in front of the ceremony flower arch
engagement portrait of the wedding couple sitting at the bar
the groom holding an orange drink in a clear and gold rimmed glass during cocktail hour
table place setting with gold silverware, ivory napkins, wrapped wine stopper and fresh flowers
pink and white flowers in mismatched vases next to gold and silver candlestick holders on tables
fruit sitting in a basket next to bottles of vermouth and clear glasses with gold trim at the bar
bird's eye view of the reception tables decorated with colors of purple, pink, blue, and gold
a flower place card surrounded by candle holders and vases with fresh flowers on reception table
bright orange, pink, and yellow zinnias place settings for reception tables
mother of the bride holding a purple cocktail in clear glass with gold trim
wedding couple having their first dance at the West Virginia Botanic Gardens
bride and groom having their first dance at the West Virginia Botanic Gardens
wedding couple sharing a piece of cake in front of the windows at the Terrace at Tibbs Run
wedding couple drinking champagne in front of the windows at the Terrace at Tibbs Run
reception dancing at the Terrace at Tibbs Run wedding in Morgantown, WV
reception dancing with the bride at the Terrace at Tibbs Run wedding in Morgantown, WV
bride posing with her friend on the dance floor at West Virginia fall wedding
bride's sister and mother giving her a kiss on the cheek at Morgantown, WV wedding
wedding guests dancing during the reception at West Virginia Botanic Gardens
wedding guests dancing during the reception at West Virginia Botanic Gardens
bride and groom sharing a kiss while all of the wedding guests are standing behind them and cheering

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