The Market at Grelen Wedding | Somerset, VA

To honor their heritage, Lucy and Eric planned a Jewish-Chinese fusion wedding at the Market at Grelen in Somerset, Virginia. “Our wedding incorporated our favorite cultural traditions,” says Lucy. For Lucy, who was born in China and emigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 8, it was important that her Chinese culture be celebrated throughout the wedding. Honoring her heritage began with a special moment during her first look in which she and Eric fed each other noodles and drank shots of tequila as a symbol of longevity and to celebrate two families becoming one according to Chinese traditions. Another way the couple paid homage to Lucy’s Chinese heritage was by incorporating the double-happiness symbol, shuāngxǐ, into their wedding reception decor, as a symbol of their joy and happiness as newlyweds entering into marriage.

Meanwhile, celebrating Eric’s Jewish heritage was equally important. Early on during the wedding day the couple each signed a ketubah. Then during the wedding ceremony, Eric did a twist on breaking the glass at the end of the ceremony. “At the end of the ceremony, we stepped on ‘glass’ for the Jewish tradition or bubble wrap in our case, since it is unlucky to break glass during the wedding day in Chinese culture,” explains Lucy. Lastly, the couple’s guests danced the hora at the wedding reception while lifting Eric and Lucy up in the air to get the evening’s party started.

In addition to a heritage-honoring wedding, Lucy and Eric wanted their celebration to complement their garden venue. “We decorated our wedding with greenery and a lot of in-season flowers that were already at the Market at Grelen due to it being a nursery. The floral colors helped complement the warm and inviting feel we wanted to convey throughout the day.” Looking back on the day, Lucy reminisces about how “the ceremony was the most special, just the feeling of those moments with the sun shining, music playing, the wind blowing… it felt very surreal for everyone involved with the unique combination of emotion, love, excitement and celebration.”

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Planning Your Market at Grelen Wedding

The Market at Grelen is one of my favorite places for a garden wedding in the Charlottesville area. Set on a working nursery in Somerset, the property is surrounded by rows of trees, flowering plants, and gardens, with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. There are many beautiful places to take photos throughout the property, from the ceremony and reception spaces to the winding paths and gardens that make portraits feel like an extension of the day itself.

For couples who love flowers, color, and the beauty of the Virginia countryside, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting setting. The Market at Grelen has a way of making the landscape feel like part of the celebration, rather than simply a backdrop.

If you’re planning your own Market at Grelen wedding or searching for a Charlottesville wedding photographer to document your day, I’d love to hear what you’re envisioning!