Alec + Katie | Married

October weddings in Virginia are my absolute favorite. There’s no getting around it – we certainly have the most epic and beautiful autumns. Katie and Alec’s breathtaking Fairview Farm wedding was absolutely jaw-dropping, and it was the perfect way to start off my busiest season. Between Katie’s down-to-earth, bubbly personality and Alec’s shy but bold vibe, these two were total dream-clients. The McPherson’s wedding was one I won’t ever forget, and I’m so excited to be sharing their gorgeous photos today!

Reflect with me on my favorite photos and moments from their wedding, as well as details on how the couple met, how they got engaged, and how they chose all of their amazing vendors. Let’s get into it!

Katie and Alec chose to get hitched at one of my long-time favorite venues, Fairview Farm Events in Powhatan, Virginia. I’ve posted tons of blogs featuring this gorgeous space, but never before have I posted a dockside ceremony overlooking the beloved stocked pond towards the back of their property. That’s right, this venue is so versatile that even their preferred vendors of several years haven’t photographed all of the possibilities this wedding venue holds. It’s so refreshing to see a familiar place in a totally new and different way, and it absolutely got my creative juices pumping!

When I met Alec and Katie, they were up for anything and trusted my advice and guidance from the very beginning. As you’ll read in their interview answers, there were several times during their engagement shoot and their wedding day where they were asked to “just trust me”, and like the rockstars they are, I had their full support. With the help of some of my favorite vendors and an amazing wedding party, this day was an absolute success, and we ended up with some of my favorite Bride and Groom Portraits from 2022!

In the following interview, Katie gives us more insight into her and Alec’s relationship. I love when brides don’t hold back and share the FULL story, without sparing details, and Katie’s responses had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Let’s dive into all those juicy details we’ve been dying to know! It’s time to check out Katie’s interview answers!!

Question: So Katie, how did you and Alec meet?
Katie’s Answer:

Alec and I were both biology majors at Roanoke College. He was a year ahead of me, but before we actually interacted, we had several classes together. We actually started talking during physics lab in September 2018. We were randomly assigned to the same lab group and we were required to work together. After lab, he would always ask if I wanted to get dinner in the dining hall, and I always assumed he was interested in my friendship. Evidently, it was pretty obvious to everyone except me that he was interested in me. Our lab group was reassigned in October, but he started asking me to do homework with him. At this point, I really liked him and I was waiting for him to make a move. When November rolled around and he still hadn’t asked me out, I started to get impatient. The day of Thanksgiving break, I decided to finally do something. I texted him if he wanted to grab lunch, and he suggested a local restaurant instead of just our school dining hall. To me, this definitely made it a date. He picked me up from the lab, where I worked in the biology building (romantic, I know), and we had lunch. Then, he dropped me off in my lab and we hugged. Later, I found out he really wanted to kiss me but didn’t want our first kiss to be in the biology building on campus. We separated for Thanksgiving break and all I could talk about was him. When we got back, we went on more dates and the rest is history. 

 *Ashley’s Note: YESSSS, KATIE!!!! I love this story so, so much. Alec’s patience and your determination can both be credited for the soulmate-relationship you have created with each other, and I just love how that played out. I’m a huge believer in taking your heart’s calling seriously and bravely stepping towards what you want. This love story is a total testament to just that. Oh, and for the record, I think a Biology-Building kiss could have also made for a really great story 😉 haha!!

Question: Tell us a story that describes you and Alec as a couple?
Katie’s Answer:

This story comes from our wedding, and multiple guests have told us they knew we were meant for each other when this happened. In an episode of the show “Derry Girls”, set in Northern Ireland during the 1990s, the song “Rock the Boat” comes on at a wedding and all the guests at the wedding get on the floor and pretend to be rowing a boat as part of a dance. Alec and I specifically added this song to our playlist in hopes that we could get people to do it. Of course, the song came on right as everyone was lining up to do the faux exit bubble-blowing, but that didn’t stop us. While everyone was patiently waiting, we sat on the floor and did the dance from the show together, probably looking super weird. I feel like this really shows our personality as a couple. We definitely are odd, but we complement each other perfectly. 

*Ashley’s Note: Hahahaha! I can totally confirm that this did, in fact, happen – and I’ve included the photographic evidence later in this blog!!! (You know I couldn’t resist lol) That was certainly a wedding-first for me, and I absolutely loved capturing every second of it! You two enjoy life together and go all in, 100% – that’s exactly what this story (and the photos) encapsulates.

Question: What’s your favorite thing about Alec and why? Ask Alec to tell us his favorite thing about you and why?
Katie’s Answer:

I love how level-headed Alec can be. I can get worked up pretty easily, and he’s always there to talk me through something and help me break it down into manageable parts. This was really helpful when planning a wedding, as you can imagine!

I think his favorite thing about me is that I’m always optimistic. He can get frustrated sometimes when we encounter challenges, but I always encourage him and look on the bright side. We balance each other out really well. 

 *Ashley’s Note: I couldn’t agree more- you balance each other out in all the best ways, and blend together like peanut butter and jelly. There’s something to be said for a relationship that thrives off of communication, listening, and positivity; it is often those exact three things that can carry us through trials and tests of faith. I encourage you both to continue holding those three strengths as the pillars of your marriage, and to know that together, you can do anything. I feel blessed to have worked with such kind, genuine, and FUN people, and I hope to document so many more happy memories for you both as life continues to shower you with blessings.

Question: How did you get engaged? We want details!
Katie’s Answer:

In September of 2021, Alec told me we should go to Richmond one weekend to see my family. When the weekend rolled around in October, he said we should make a date of it and go to Maymont and maybe get dressed up a bit. I was a little suspicious at this point. The entire drive to Maymont, he was on edge and really anxious. I assumed it was just because of my driving in downtown Richmond (I think that makes most people anxious as a passenger). When we got to Maymont, he was holding his sweatshirt really weirdly, so I asked him if he wanted me to put it in my purse, but he got really upset and said “NO- I can hold it”. I was like “Ok weirdo”. He rushed right past the Italian garden (which annoyed me, I wanted to see the roses!) and went to this gazebo away from everyone. Once there, he takes my hands, looks me in the eyes and says “I don’t want you to be my girlfriend anymore”. I panicked. My first thought was “who gets our kitten?”. Then, I see he’s pulled a ring out and is on one knee and says “will you marry me?”. After, we went to get crepes at Les Crepes in Carytown (not an ad, but they are amazing). 

*Ashley’s Note: Wow, he did amazing!!! Look at all of that thought he put into making your moment special. I totally LOL’d at how your first thought was “who gets our kitten?” – luckily, everyone got to keep the kitten <3 Getting engaged at Maymont park sounds like an absolute fairytale, and I PROMISE one day ,we WILL get some photos of the two of you in that Japanese flower garden lol

Also, yes, Les Crepes in Carytown IS, in fact, ah-mazinggg – not sponsored.

Question: Tell us a short story about a core memory you took away from your wedding day. 
Katie’s Answer:

My favorite part of the wedding day was between the ceremony and the reception. While the guests and our bridal party were at the cocktail hour, Alec and I stayed behind with Ashley to get some photos. Some food and drinks were brought down, so we were able to have some of the appetizers and a drink each. It was so beautiful down by the water, and the calmest part of the day. I remember Alec, Ashley, and I, having finished photos, just sitting on the ground eating the appetizers and relaxing. I told Alec that this was my favorite part. Just relaxing, soaking in the moment with each other before the wedding-day schedule picked up again. 

*Ashley’s Note: This was ALSO my favorite part of the day, and it’s a huge reason why I will sing praise from the rooftops for Fairview Farm Events and all of their preferred vendors forever more. Everyone works together like a well-oiled machine, and we’re able to create timelines that allow for such beautiful, easy days full of opportunities to savor the moment. The way you and Alec just melted into each other’s arms made my job so darn easy, and getting to enjoy this refreshing pause in the day felt like icing on the cake.

Question: Do you have a favorite memory from working with Ashley Dorton?
Katie’s Answer:

What really stood out to me with Ashley was just how flexible she was. For our engagement pictures, we wanted to have them done at Maymont. Unbeknownst to us when we scheduled, Maymont booked a concert like 2 weeks before the photos, which didn’t appear in April when we made our booking. I panicked and called Ashley the day of the shoot, and she immediately was like “no big deal, there’s this other place I love to shoot”. It worked out perfectly. The engagement photos were stunning. On the wedding day, I think the funniest thing was how scared both Alec and I were of getting ticks in the field behind the barn during sunset photos- biology majors to a fault!  Ashley reassured us that she’s been shooting there for years and never had a single tick- she was right! Still cracks me up thinking about how baffled she was by our fear of the grass. 

*Ashley’s Note: Thank you so much for always trusting my assurances! The ability to be flexible and think on my toes are skills that have guided me well in the wedding industry, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to always have a few secret spots up my sleeve. You both were so easy-going and trusting, which aided in my ability to capture so many STUNNNNNNNNINGGGGGG photos! Thank you a million times over for your confidence and trust.

Question: When planning the wedding, how did you pick each vendor? What stood out about each one?
Katie’s Answer:

We got married at Fairview Farm Events in Powhatan. My sister, Anne, actually got married there in 2019, so I knew what to expect. With most of Alec’s family coming from Maine, we wanted a venue with on-site accommodations. We chose our vendors from a preselected list, with a few exceptions. We chose Eat catering because their menu aligned closely with what we wanted, and after the tasting, there was definitely no other option. Eat was astounding, for both our rehearsal dinner and our wedding dinner. Guests were raving about the food. We chose Mixing Bowl bakery for our cake for the same reason. They were so amazing. We didn’t have an in person tasting, but rather a take home tasting box- that was my favorite part of wedding planning. We got to sit and eat cake at our own pace over the day instead of all at once. The cake was so good, I wish I got more of it! Our guests devoured the entire thing, which I’ve never seen at a wedding. It was so delicious. My wedding dress came from Tiffany’s Bridal in Richmond. I chose them because my sister got her dress there, and she had an amazing experience, and I did as well. I found my dress on the first visit and they stored it for me until the wedding. I chose our DJ extremely randomly-  I just picked one from Fairview’s list. I’m so glad we chose Dynamic DJ services. Every song that night was amazing and I never wanted to leave the dance floor. Our day of coordinator was Chelsea from Illumination Events. Chelsea and her assistant were amazing. They dealt with decor when I just handed them stuff and said “I have no clue what to do with this, can we use it?” and they golf carted me around which was no small feat. The wedding flowers came from Etsy. I liked the idea of using silk flowers because my mom had silk flowers at her wedding, and I remember how special it was getting to see her bouquet all those years after my parents’ wedding. We found our officiant, Louise Mason, on the Knot. From the start, she was so helpful. Her initial phone call and questionnaire helped us build a ceremony that fit us as a couple. Finally, I chose Ashley Dorton as our photographer when I was looking through all the pamphlets from the different recommended photographers for Fairview. Ashley’s style was by far my favorite. It was classic, but bright and fun at the same time. Our engagement photos were so beautiful and I’m so excited to see more of our wedding photos. 

To Katie and Alec,

Thank you for your kindness, trust, and a genuinely-wonderful experience from start to finish. The way you two squeeze the juice out of every moment spent together is absolutely beautiful. You both deserve the most amazing happily-ever-after, and I hope to capture so many more special memories for you in the future!

And finally, a huge ‘thank you’ to all of the amazing vendors mentioned in this blog, who played a special part in making this wedding such a success! You’re all true professionals, and I hope to work with you many more times in the future!

Here’s to walking hand-in-hand for a lifetime with your best friend (and biology partner).
Xo,
Ashley




(Blog designed & Written by Sarah of Aligned Artists)