Allie Strouse
- Sep 22, 2015
- 4 min read

Sarah & Nick | Dellwood Plantation Chesterfield Wedding

This past weekend we got our first taste of Fall and there was no better way to dip our toes into the pool of brightly colored trees, campfires, and cooler weather than Sarah and Nick's all outdoor wedding! Fall is definitely a trend for this couple. They met met in marching band (fall football season), their engagement shoot took place on a brisk Novemeber afternoon last year, and their special day took place on the cusp of Fall 2015!

Sarah and Nick are such a sweet couple. One of the first things we noticed is the amount of respect Nick has for Sarah and how much care he takes making sure her wedding dreams were coming true. We met Sarah last June at a bridal show where she was walking the floor with her mom, sister, Nick's mom, and Nick's sister in tow. We immediely got a sense of how much love she had for "Nicholas" and it was obvious how important family was to their story.

The entire day took place at Dellwood Plantation in Chesterfield and it was a perfect backdrop for their outdoor wedding day. Like we mentioned in SARAH'S BRIDAL SHOOT, horses hold a special place in Sarah's heart and this venue is home to several! The groomsmen got dressed in an elegant condo attached to the stable and a beautiful stone wall in the middle of the pasture served as a backdrop for the entire day. A majority of the groomsmen have known each other since third grade when they joined the same scout troop. They were dubbed "The Phantom Squirrels" and proudly bear that name to this day. During the reception these squirrels presented Sarah with an honory merit badge and welcome her into this exclusive group!

The bridesmaids were an eclectic mix of family, childhood friends, and sorority sisters. They arrived bright and beautiful from their salon and settled into the vintage plantation bedroom to get dressed. The beautiful bathroom featured a claw foot tub with eight foot shower curtain and the master bedroom featured a stone fireplace and a massive platform bed. They fawned over Sarah's lacy dress and veil, and were quick to assist in carrying her long train as we moved from location to location for pictures.

The day started off warm and luckily the temperature started to drop at ceremony time while the beautiful sunlight stuck around awhile to light the stone harbor that played host to the exchanging of vows. Sarah was featured in all her Victorian era glory when she took the long walk from the plantation house to the ceremony site. Her father waited patiently with a tear in his eye halfway down the walk as his oldest daughter made her way towards him. Kevin is a career Navy man and was quite the compliment to his daughter in dress whites! The ceremony featured several scripture readings and and a uniqe crowning of Sarah and Nick. Before long they were sharing a sweet kiss and walking down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Stafford!

The plantation house acted as a regal backdrop to the bridal party pictures. The bridesmaids were brave enough to venture onto the roof balcony for a split photo. As the sun began to set we snagged a few pictures of Sarah and Nick with the lit house in the background. They were patient as we wrapped up their romantic sunset photos and then off to the reception!

Sarah and Nick entered the reception triumphantly to the "Imperial March" from Star Wars and after dinner quickly got to the dancing. We are total suckers for Father/Daughter, first dance, and Mother/Son dances and this wedding was not short on happy tears, hugs, and smiles. Family is very important to Sarah and Nick and it was very special to see a whole table filled with wedding photos from their parents and grandparents. There were dances shared between siblings, nieces and nephews, grandparents and their grandchildren, and spouses young and old. Their guests had traveled from near and far (even Germany!) and we could tell they were truly enjoying their time together. They were having such a great time dancing that they almost forgot to do the bouquet/garter toss!

After the guests had enjoyed their fill of smore's over an open flame, it was time to send the couple on their way. They made a grand exit under an arch of lighsabers and cell phone flashlights before being escorted off the property in a car expertly decorated by the bridal party.

The goodbye hugs we shared with Sarah, Nick, and their parents were truly indicative of how sweet they are as people. The entire wedding was full of smiles, hugs, happy tears, and tight hugs. Sarah and Nick have a tight group of long time friends and close family to look out for them and we wish this pair of Phantom Squirrels a long life of happiness!

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