Photo by Nicki Metcalf
When Jason Fair and Fernando Rodríguez became engaged in March 2020 and began planning their wedding for the following November, they couldn’t have predicted how fast large gatherings would change. With seven adult children between the two of them, they quickly realized that COVID-19 restrictions (which at the time limited gatherings to 10 people) would prevent even their immediate family from joining them for their matrimony. Initially, they planned to wait for restrictions to be lifted, but Jason says that around October, he decided, “Let’s get married,” and Fernando agreed. After calling venues, Jason discovered that Dover Hall in Goochland County was running a pandemic special that would allow them to have the entire estate to themselves at a significant discount.
The couple had an overnight stay at the estate on Dec. 14, 2020, and they were treated to a private five-course dinner and wine pairing in the wine cellar. Since they had the run of the place, they were also able to explore the 38,000-square-foot English Tudor-style estate. They were married Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. with just a few wedding professionals in attendance, including officiant Casey Dokoupil.
“The most intimate and memorable part for me was saying the vows at Dover Hall because it was so personal, and it was just us and the officiant in this grand estate, and it was very emotional,” Jason says.
Nearly a year later, on Nov. 6, 2021, the pair were able to celebrate with friends and family during a vow renewal ceremony at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
“I always wanted to get married there, and having all the family, having all the friends and everything was perfect,” Fernando says.
Jason adds, “We got the best of both worlds. We got to enjoy our elopement, but then we got to have a fantastic celebration, and it was safe for everyone.”
