A Charlottesville Elopement for Keya and Adith

bride and groom embrace one another closely as the bride stands against a white pillar during their Charlottesville elopement

With COVID lingering and worldwide travel restrictions in place, engaged couples are still having to make big sacrifices when it comes to their wedding celebrations. For Keya and Adith, continued COVID restrictions meant that their families would not be able to travel stateside from India. The end result? Foregoing a large wedding in favor of a Charlottesville Elopement at Holy Comforter Church, followed by an intimate gathering of friends at a favorite local restaurant nearby.

bride and groom standing in front of a brick wall hold ing onto one another and share a romantic kiss during their Charlottesville elopement

A Charlottesville Elopement Venue

The sweethearts chose Holy Comforter Catholic Church for its visual appeal and location. The classic bricks, stately white columns and marble floors made the perfect backdrop for pre and post wedding photos.

The Attire

With the church booked, Keya turned her attention to what most brides consider the pinnacle of wedding planning – the dress. Her one-shoulder sheath dress in white stretch crepe from JJ’s House was simple yet flattering, transitioning seamlessly from a Charlottesville elopement ceremony to an intimate dinner. “I picked my dress with the style of the places we wanted to take pictures in mind,” Keya says. “We were also planning a casual dinner with friends immediately following our ceremony, so I wanted the dress to be something that I could wear to the dinner. Then we picked Adith’s suit to go with my dress.”

Beautiful bride stands in her one-shoulder white wedding grown holding her white bouquet in front of the church where her elopement ceremony will take place

A classic curled updo, bold dangling earrings, and embellished flats by Kailee P completed Keya’s ensemble.

bride and groom stand outside of the church where their wedding elopement ceremony will take place as they lock eyes with wide smiles

Adding Personal Touches to a Charlottesville Elopement

I always love learning about the personal detials that couples choose to incorporate into their weddings. Even with such a small event, Keya and Adith incorporated some beautiful tributes to who they are as a couple…

groom lovingly kisses his bride on her forehead as they standing outside of the church enjoying their intimate elopement in Charlottesville

Adith’s boutonniere and Keya’s bouquet were both do it yourself projects that complimented the couple’s simple. I love how Adith’s boutonniere incorporated pops of bright orange. Bright colors are often used in Indian weddings, and thus gave an appropriate nod to the couple’s heritage.

Keya walked down the aisle to Pachabel’s Canon in D, the first song she learned to play on the piano as a child.

bride and groom stand side by side underneath grande white pillars outside of the church where their elopement ceremony has taken place

A Champagne Celebration

Though Keya and Adith’s elopement was intimate, there was no mistaking the sheer joy of every person in attendance. That joy was more than worthy of a champagne pop to celebrate! “It was one of our favorite parts of the day,” says Keya.

Focusing on the Importance of the Day

Despite all the hurdles related to planning a wedding amidst a global pandemic, Keya and Adith embraced their quiet, casual elopement with open arms. “We really liked not having a lot of people around us. It let us take in the day slowly and process everything instead of having to look after so many people and worry about everyone having a good time.”