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A-Door You: Alexandra Leigh and Ryan Yeatman made sure to get a photo in front of Blue Bee Cider’s striking blue doors during their fall 2020 wedding. Ryan’s classic black suit is by Calvin Klein.
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Rain or Shine: An unexpected benefit of the couple’s last-minute rain contingency plan was that it caused them to move their first look to the bride’s mother’s condo in Byrd Park. “It provided such a great, unique backdrop that really represented Richmond,” Alexandra says.
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Playing Games: In honor of the groom’s love of Jenga, the couple used the game pieces in lieu of a traditional guest book by including a piece at each seat for guests to sign. Minimalist table centerpieces from Vogue Flowers included white roses and hydrangeas.
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Dress Up Time: Alexandra originally wanted a simple sheath-style dress, but instead she chose a ballgown with a flowing train purchased from Ava Laurenne Bride. “I absolutely fell in love with the train and the buttons going all the way down the back,” she says.
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Bubbling Over: At the end of the ceremony, guests sent off the newlyweds with bubble guns. “We looked as our loved ones cheered and filled the room with bubbles, and we all just laughed,” Alexandra says.
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Labor of Love: The bride designed and packaged the wedding invitations herself. Each invitation featured a vellum jacket with the Richmond skyline printed at the bottom, enclosed with a wax seal.
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What's in a Name: With the smaller guest count, the bride and groom were able to put individual name tags on each guest’s chair rather than creating a seating chart.
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Showstopper: Created by Kadi Bakes, the cake showcased various locations around Richmond that are significant to the couple, including Forest Hill (where they live), The Jefferson (where they stayed on their wedding night) and the house that Ryan lived in while attending VCU.
Alexandra Leigh and Ryan Yeatman met in 2013 at a Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity-hosted philanthropy event in which Alexandra’s sorority was participating. Alexandra knew things were getting serious when Ryan “finally referred to me as his girlfriend” several months later, she says. In 2019, the couple became engaged while walking their dogs on the Boulevard Bridge (aka the Nickel Bridge) overlooking the James River.
The pair originally planned a May 2020 wedding, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, they postponed their big day to October and cut their guest list down to 30 people. The ceremony was planned for the Italian gardens at Maymont with a reception at Blue Bee Cider, but rainy weather compelled the couple to have both their ceremony and reception indoors at the urban cidery. The bride and groom incorporated a variety of details to honor their beloved city of Richmond: Their invitation suite featured a graphic of the city skyline, and their cake was decorated with drawings of their favorite RVA spots.
Guests dined on delicacies from Lunch and Supper, including a crab dip appetizer followed by fried chicken, salmon, macaroni and cheese, asparagus, and cornbread. Drinks included Triple Crossing Beer’s Falcon Smash IPA and Belle Isle Moonshine’s Canned Cocktails, a nod to the couple’s love of local brewers.
Alexandra surprised Ryan with their cake, so seeing it together at the reception became a favorite moment for the newlyweds. “Ryan had no idea what I had planned, and I had no idea what the end result actually looked like,” Alexandra says. “We just stood there looking at each individual drawing and pointing out what was special about it.”
Planner and Coordinator: Em Eliz Events
Florals: Vogue Flowers
Caterer: Lunch & Supper
Cake: Kadi Bakes
