Rachael and Stephen were married just after Valentine's Day this year at Castle McCulloch in Jamestown and made excellent use of the entire space, with the ceremony in the Great Hall followed by their reception in the Crystal Garden. The castle is a fabulous venue with fairytale charm and an interesting history, too (you can read more about the history stuff by clicking here).

The Crystal Garden is most notable for its beveled leaded-glass walls, which are accented with grecian columns, french doors, and a surrounding terrace. Beautiful by day and dazzling by night, the space features a stunning crystal chandelier that acts as the focal point of the room. Before the ceremony, Rachael decided to use the Queen's Chambers (downstairs from the Great Hall) as her getting ready suite, which I think was a great idea because it allowed plenty of space for her and the bridesmaids to get dressed, while still having tons of room for portraits. Plus, they have this huge mirror leaned up against one of the walls, which is a great element that we definitely made use of for portraits.

The Great Hall was decorated with understated elegance - one of the benefits of having a real castle for your ceremony is that the venue can speak for itself with minimal intervention, or be completely transformed by adorning the existing elements, depending what sort of look you're going for. The ceremony was short and sweet, and then it was time for the party, which was a lot of fun (and the music selection was great... big thumbs up to Triad DJ & Events, they were awesome). 

The evening ended with a bubbly sendoff for the happy couple. I'm really glad I got the chance to be a part of Rachael and Stephen's wedding day. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the evening: