Wolf Trap Farm

Let's Get This Party Started Right

Wolftrap Farm

Rehearsal Dinner for All!

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

A Festival to Celebrate the Love of .............................Jason & Betsy

Friends&nbsp;and&nbsp;family!&nbsp;We&nbsp;have&nbsp;found&nbsp;a&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;horse&nbsp;farm,&nbsp;35&nbsp;minutes&nbsp;away&nbsp;from&nbsp;Charlottesville&nbsp;where&nbsp;we&nbsp;will&nbsp;have&nbsp;our&nbsp;wedding!&nbsp;It's&nbsp;close&nbsp;to&nbsp;James&nbsp;Madison's&nbsp;Montpelier&nbsp;(the&nbsp;land&nbsp;was&nbsp;in&nbsp;fact,&nbsp;owned&nbsp;by&nbsp;James&nbsp;Madison&nbsp;at&nbsp;one&nbsp;time).&nbsp; Set&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;rolling&nbsp;hills&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Virginia&nbsp;piedmont,&nbsp;the&nbsp;facility&nbsp;hosts&nbsp;a&nbsp;manor&nbsp;house&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;garden&nbsp;where&nbsp;the&nbsp;ceremony&nbsp;will&nbsp;take&nbsp;place,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;pavilion&nbsp;where&nbsp;the&nbsp;reception&nbsp;will&nbsp;take&nbsp;place-&nbsp;it&nbsp;has&nbsp;great&nbsp;views&nbsp;and&nbsp;air&nbsp;circulation.&nbsp; The&nbsp;lodging&nbsp;onsite&nbsp;is&nbsp;primarily&nbsp;occupied&nbsp;by&nbsp;family,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;camping&nbsp;is&nbsp;permitted&nbsp;and&nbsp;free&nbsp;for&nbsp;those&nbsp;who&nbsp;choose&nbsp;that&nbsp;option.&nbsp;For&nbsp;those&nbsp;who&nbsp;choose&nbsp;nearby&nbsp;lodging,&nbsp;please&nbsp;see&nbsp;our&nbsp;accommodation&nbsp;page&nbsp;for&nbsp;options.&nbsp; We&nbsp;want&nbsp;to&nbsp;make&nbsp;this&nbsp;a&nbsp;multi-day&nbsp;event&nbsp;so&nbsp;we&nbsp;encourage&nbsp;you&nbsp;to&nbsp;come&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;afternoon&nbsp;through&nbsp;Sunday.&nbsp; There&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;hot&nbsp;tub,&nbsp;and&nbsp;fire&nbsp;pits&nbsp;galore.&nbsp;In&nbsp;addition&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;fishing,&nbsp;hiking,&nbsp;petting&nbsp;of&nbsp;horses,&nbsp;rope&nbsp;swings,&nbsp;horse&nbsp;shoe&nbsp;pits&nbsp;and&nbsp;general&nbsp;playing&nbsp;outside,&nbsp;there&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;"Play&nbsp;Barn",&nbsp;with&nbsp;pool&nbsp;table,&nbsp;ping&nbsp;pong,&nbsp;air&nbsp;hockey,&nbsp;corn&nbsp;hole,&nbsp;bicycles&nbsp;and&nbsp;other&nbsp;games.&nbsp;In&nbsp;addition&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;hot&nbsp;tub,&nbsp;there&nbsp;is&nbsp;also&nbsp;swimming&nbsp;hole&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;creek.&nbsp;Horseback&nbsp;riding&nbsp;is&nbsp;available&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;adjacent&nbsp;farm.&nbsp;If&nbsp;you&nbsp;play&nbsp;an&nbsp;instrument,&nbsp;please&nbsp;bring&nbsp;it!&nbsp; Welcome&nbsp;to&nbsp;Jason&nbsp;and&nbsp;Betsy's&nbsp;Wedding&nbsp;Festy!

Welcome to Jason and Betsy's Wedding Festy!

The Music!

Processional Music by Betsy's Cousin, Michael Wilbur

Betsy's cousin, Michael (everyone else but his family calls him Mike) Wilbur will be playing the processional music for Betsy's entrance.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

<a href="https://youtu.be/0YOukJazfYI">https://youtu.be/0YOukJazfYI</a>

 

Michael&nbsp;plays saxophone his band, Moon Hooch.&nbsp; He and his buddies come through Charlottesville approximately once a year, and joyfully eat a lot of local&nbsp;vegetables.&nbsp; &nbsp; 

<a href="https://youtu.be/0tCOPl1GYbE">https://youtu.be/0tCOPl1GYbE</a>

Reception Music by ZuZu's Hot Five!

<a rel="nofollow" href="https://zuzushotfive.com/">https://zuzushotfive.com/</a>

Reception Music by Zuzu's Hot Five

<a href="https://zuzushotfive.com/">https://zuzushotfive.com/</a>

Covid Procedures and Guidelines

Covid Procedures- How We Show Our Love to YOU! 

- We will be having our wedding 100% outdoors (don't worry- there will be shade and hats!). Our reception will be&nbsp;in a&nbsp;pavilion&nbsp;with amazing air circulation.&nbsp;&nbsp; 







- We will provide disposable masks and hand sanitizer.







- Feel free to move&nbsp;chairs closer together or further apart to where you feel comfortable (just please don't block the aisle).&nbsp;&nbsp;







- We will have colored bracelets for folks to indicate the levels of social distancing that&nbsp;they are comfortable with (let's hug, I'm ok with elbow bumping, and please stay six feet away).&nbsp;&nbsp;





page updated 5/5/22

Coivd Guidelines

Per the Virginia Dept of Health,&nbsp;

Both small gatherings, such as dinner parties and birthday parties, and large gatherings, such as weddings and funerals, pose a risk of spreading COVID-19 among communities. This is especially true if there is a high level of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-in-virginia/community-transmission/">community transmission</a>. More information about recommendations for small and large gatherings from CDC can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/gatherings.html">here</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/gatherings.html">[Español]</a>.





If you are attending a gathering, think about the steps you need to take to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html">protect yourself and your loved ones</a>&nbsp;from COVID-19.

Make sure you are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html">up to date</a>&nbsp;with your COVID-19 vaccines.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/types-of-masks.html">Wear a mask</a>&nbsp;with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.If you are not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html">up to date</a>&nbsp;with your COVID-19 vaccines and are ages 2 or older, you should wear a mask indoors in public.In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors. In areas of&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view">substantial or high transmission</a>, people might choose to wear a mask outdoors when in sustained&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact">close contact</a>&nbsp;with other people, particularly ifThey or someone they live with has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html">weakened immune system</a>&nbsp;or is at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html">increased risk for severe disease</a>.They are not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html">up to date</a>&nbsp;on COVID-19 vaccines or live with someone who is not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html">Testing</a>&nbsp;before a gathering can give you information about your risk of spreading COVID-19.Consider using a self-test before joining indoor gatherings with others who do not live in your household.Stay home if you test positive, even if you do not have symptoms.Stay home if you are sick or experiencing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html">symptoms</a>&nbsp;of COVID-19.Communicate with the people you will meet with about prevention strategies.

Our Story

Food and Drink

Our Favorite Eats and Drinks (Interactive Google Map with locations is forthcoming)

First Things First...Coffee 

Mudhouse- Downtown Mall-&nbsp;great coffee.&nbsp;&nbsp;Try their drip coffee and the Monkey frozen coffee drink.&nbsp;<a href="https://mudhouse.com/">https://mudhouse.com/</a>



Milli's Coffee Roasters- Downtown, delicious drip coffee.&nbsp;<a href="https://millicoffeeroasters.com/">https://millicoffeeroasters.com/</a> 



Food and Drink- Casual to Fancy 



ACE Biscuit and&nbsp;BBQ- Off the beaten path.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://acebiscuitandbarbecue.com/">http://acebiscuitandbarbecue.com/</a> 

Alley Light- Downtown Mall-&nbsp;upscale, small plates.&nbsp;&nbsp;Chef is a James Beard nominee. Reservations highly suggested.&nbsp; Go here for a culinary &&nbsp;cocktail experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://alleylight.com/">https://alleylight.com/</a> 

Bebedero- Downtown Mall- fancy, delicious,&nbsp;Mexican food, craft cocktails, and hot, Latin&nbsp;music (check their Facebook page). Outdoor seating&nbsp;available.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thebebedero.com/">http://www.thebebedero.com/</a> 

Brasserie&nbsp;Saison- Downtown Mall- outdoor seating available, upscale Belgium.&nbsp; Try the mussels, the brussel&nbsp;sprouts and cocktails.&nbsp; Known for their gin& tonic menu.&nbsp;<a href="https://brasseriesaison.net/">https://brasseriesaison.net/</a> 





Brazos- Taco, Taco, Taco!&nbsp; Adjacent to the IX Art Park. Breakfast, lunch&nbsp;and dinner (dinner on&nbsp;Friday and Saturday nights).&nbsp; Good place for kids with IX next door.&nbsp;<a href="http://brazostacos.com/wp/">http://brazostacos.com/wp/</a> 

Champion Brewery- Belmont- near downtown. Occasional food trucks.&nbsp; Large beer garden/outdoor area. In Jason's opinion, they make the best IPA in Cville, called Missile IPA. Has GF options available.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://championbrewingcompany.com/">http://championbrewingcompany.com/</a> 

Cicchetti- Belmont- "secret" bar with appetizers behind Tavola.&nbsp; Amazing cocktails and small plates.&nbsp;<a href="https://tavolavino.com/cicchetti-craft-cocktails/">https://tavolavino.com/cicchetti-craft-cocktails/</a> 

Citizen Bowl Shop- Downtown Mall&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;healthy, casual bowls- similar to Roots.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.citizenbowlshop.com/">https://www.citizenbowlshop.com/</a> 







Doma- on West Main St-&nbsp;in between UVA Grounds and Downtown Mall.&nbsp;Reasonably priced, authentic Korean. YUM.&nbsp;<a href="https://domakoreankitchen.com/">https://domakoreankitchen.com/</a> 







Feast- West Main, close to Downtown Mall- specialty,&nbsp;local, high-end food market.&nbsp; Great cheese, wine, beer&nbsp;selection.&nbsp; Good for lunch.&nbsp; Not open late. Great place to shop for a picnic.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.feastvirginia.com/">https://www.feastvirginia.com/</a>

Lampo- Belmont neighborhood, near Downtown Mall, Neapolitan-style, wood fired pizza (non-chain).&nbsp; Best pizza in town.&nbsp; They don't take reservations, but don't worry, you can wait for your table at Potters tasting room, our favorite cidery&nbsp;in a community art space.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lampopizza.com/">http://www.lampopizza.com/</a> 

Mellow Mushroom- The Corner&nbsp;(near UVA&nbsp;Grounds)-&nbsp;specialty pizza, gluten-free options.&nbsp;<a href="https://mellowmushroom.com/menu/">https://mellowmushroom.com/menu/</a> 

Now and&nbsp;Zen- Downtown Mall- Japanese fusion, amazing sushi,&nbsp;reasonably priced.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/nowandzensushi/">https://www.facebook.com/nowandzensushi/</a> 







Peloton- Off of West Main St- in between Downtown Mall and UVA Grounds.&nbsp;Gastropub comfort&nbsp;food. Biker bar/restaurant, but not the kind you're thinking.&nbsp; For cyclists and hipsters.&nbsp; Good brunch, nice cocktails. Sometimes live music. They also offer bike repairs and tune-ups.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pelotonstation.com/bike-shop/">https://www.pelotonstation.com/bike-shop/</a>









Poke Sushi Bowl- The Corner (near UVA&nbsp;Grounds)- inexpensive,&nbsp;healthy&nbsp;&nbsp;Japanese/Hawaiian bowls- sashimi, ahi tuna, etc.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://www.pokesushibowl.com/">http://www.pokesushibowl.com/</a>



Potters Tasting Room at the Bridge PAI&nbsp;&nbsp;(Friday, Saturday and Sunday only)- Belmont- cider tasting room, good place to wait for your table at Lampo.&nbsp;<a href="https://potterscraftcider.com/event/potters-craft-cider-tasting-room-at-the-bridge-4/">https://potterscraftcider.com/event/potters-craft-cider-tasting-room-at-the-bridge-4/</a> 



Public House- on West Main, in between UVA&nbsp;Grounds and Downtown Mall-&nbsp;our go-to for&nbsp;celebrations.&nbsp; Restaurant/bar with great&nbsp;oysters and fish.&nbsp; A teeny fancy, in all the right ways.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://publicfo.com/">http://publicfo.com/</a> 

Random Row Brewery- on Preston Ave, near downtown.&nbsp; Local brewery, kids area, occasional food trucks. No&nbsp;alcoholic GF&nbsp;drink options available.&nbsp;<a href="http://randomrow.com/">http://randomrow.com/</a> 

Revolutionary Soup- Downtown Mall-&nbsp;inexpensive, healthy soup.&nbsp;<a href="https://revolutionarysoup.com/">https://revolutionarysoup.com/</a> 







Roots- The Corner (near&nbsp;UVA Grounds)-&nbsp;fast, healthy food bowls.&nbsp;The line can get long, but it moves quickly.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rootsnaturalkitchen.com/">https://www.rootsnaturalkitchen.com/</a> 







Tavola- Belmont-&nbsp;delicious Italian.&nbsp; Dress code is questionable (high-end food but for some reason, people are dressed&nbsp;super-casual). Reservations recommended.&nbsp;<a href="https://tavolavino.com/">https://tavolavino.com/</a>

Three&nbsp;Notched Brewery- IX Art Park- Brewery with&nbsp;good food, kids play area,&nbsp;can be loud (not because of the kids).&nbsp; Has&nbsp;GF options available.&nbsp;<a href="https://threenotchdbrewing.com/">https://threenotchdbrewing.com/</a> 

Vitae&nbsp;Spirits- Off the beaten path.&nbsp;Gin, rum and other&nbsp;specialty liqueurs&nbsp;(like paw paw)&nbsp;distillery that offers tours and tasting.&nbsp; Next to ACE BBQ.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vitaespirits.com/">https://www.vitaespirits.com/</a> 

Whiskey Jar- Downtown Mall-&nbsp;Southern comfort food with an impressive whiskey selection.&nbsp; Try the fried chicken and collard greens and grilled oysters. Nice outdoor patio.&nbsp;<a href="http://thewhiskeyjarcville.com/">http://thewhiskeyjarcville.com/</a> 







Zocalo- Downtown Mall, good scallops, outdoor seating area&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zocalo-restaurant.com/">https://www.zocalo-restaurant.com/</a>

Babysitting Services!

Parents' Night Out

Babysitting services will be provided for the evening of&nbsp;6/26/2021.&nbsp; Please let us know if you'll be using&nbsp;the&nbsp;babysitting service, so we can adjust our guest list accordingly. Thanks!&nbsp;

For You (Our Guests)

Our Wedding

Experiences and Fun Funds

Gifts!&nbsp; Some have asked if we have a registry.&nbsp; We comfortably have all the "things" we need.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you feel you wish to give us anything, please know that we value fun experiences, travel, dining, visiting places, friends, and hosting gatherings. Any donations towards these endeavors&nbsp;will help us enjoy life and live well.&nbsp;Paypal and Venmo info below.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.paypal.me/JasonEspie" target="_blank" class="docs-creator">https://www.paypal.me/JasonEspie</a>



If you prefer Venmo:&nbsp;&nbsp;@JasonEspie



Please make sure when sending that it's for&nbsp;family and friends or&nbsp;"gifts," and kindly put in the notes/memo who you are&nbsp;and mention&nbsp;our wedding.&nbsp;

Old fashioned checks work just fine too.&nbsp; Our address is&nbsp;145 Baylor Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Thanks in advance, and lots of love!!



Betsy and Jason

Gifts

Registry / Fun Fund

Values & Choices

​ Local, Small Business, Sustainable, American Made, History and Heritage​

We wanted our choices to reflect our values. In the sections below, you'll see how our choices of rings, bridesmaid's dresses and Betsy's dress reflect what we value:&nbsp;local, history, small businesses,&nbsp;sustainability, fair trade,&nbsp;American made, and heritage.&nbsp;

Rings by Hugo Kohl: new , vintage and authentic

 American jewelry heritage and history.  Ethically sourced, small business, veteran-owned business, and made locally! 

Our rings were made by <a href="https://hugokohl.com/">Hugo Kohl </a>in Harrisonburg, VA.&nbsp; Hugo's workshop is also home to the <a href="https://www.jewelrymuseum.org/">Museum of American Jewelry Design and Manufacturing</a>. If you go (book a tour), you can <a href="https://craftsmanship.net/video/tour-guide-hugo-kohl/">make a pair of earrings</a>, metal bookmark or money clip! &nbsp;&nbsp;

His story is fascinating and&nbsp;is best experienced through his video <a href="https://youtu.be/KUldBMFvTFM">here</a>. &nbsp;And for a deep dive, read the really good article, <a href="https://craftsmanship.net/the-jewelry-archaeologist/">Jewelry Archaeologist</a> in Craftsmanship Quarterly. 

 



Hugo Kohl has revived an American jewelry making tradition by specializing in die cast and filigree jewelry made from antique hubs and molds.&nbsp; I know, lots of new words!&nbsp; Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity. The mold cavity is created using two hardened tool steel dies which have been machined into shape and work similarly to an injection mold during the process. 

 









Filigree is ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces. And if you really want to geek out, the word <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/filigree">filigree</a> dates from the 1690s and is derived from the Latin words filum “thread, wire” and granum “grain.”

History of our Rings

The story of our rings begins in Providence, Rhode Island during the Industrial Revolution.&nbsp; Seriously.&nbsp; Providence was an important port in the late 1790s; ship captains stopped there with quantities of silver bullion and coin. Looking to add value, they employed silversmiths to transform their silver into goods such as flatware, holloware, buttons and buckles.&nbsp;Because of this, silver and goldsmiths were concentrated in the area.&nbsp;



Adding to that,&nbsp;the textile industry brought to the area early machinists and machine tools, and the ability to create complicated mechanisms in steel (the first loom in American was imported to neighboring Pawtucket, Rhode Island).&nbsp;Also around this time, there were advances in the jewelry industry with the development of clad metals and thin laminates of precious and non-precious metals (hey, they’re all precious to me&hellip;except for lead&hellip;lead is bad).&nbsp; 

 







With the&nbsp;combination of these factors, Providence's&nbsp;jewelry manufacturing industry became an Industrial Age juggernaut, and was known during its heyday as the <a href="https://estatesintime.com/2018/09/01/jewelry-capital/">Jewelry Capital of the World</a>. Like most American manufacturing industries, operations moved overseas in the 1980s and 1990s. However ,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneurprovidenceri.com/news/2018/3/14/xm3uuhvhwdo4dxzl8dj1xixfx15kte">the area is experiencing a revival-</a> as of 2018 the state had&nbsp;around 1,000 jewelry related companies.&nbsp; Among them are Alex and Ani, Tiffany & Co and David Yurman! 

 







Source: <a href="https://hugokohl.com/unearth-the-story/">https://hugokohl.com/unearth-the-story/</a> and the links above.

Bridesmaids Dresses

Fair Trade or Bust

After we&nbsp;got engaged, I decided that I didn't want my choices around the bridesmaids dresses to have a negative impact on anyone. Meaning, I wanted to be able to sleep at night, knowing that they weren't made by a 8-year old child in a third-world country.&nbsp;

I&nbsp;want my choices to help, not hurt.&nbsp;









Which means, I want&nbsp;fair-trade bridesmaids dresses. I&nbsp;first checked my favorite fair-trade dress companies <a href="https://www.matatraders.com/" target="_blank">Mata Traders</a> and <a href="https://www.fairtradewinds.net/" target="_blank">Fair Trade Winds.</a>&nbsp; While they have dresses that are good for work, they had&nbsp;nothing that would work for bridesmaids' dresses.&nbsp;&nbsp;So I&nbsp;searched.&nbsp; And searched.&nbsp;And searched.&nbsp;&nbsp;And&nbsp;found that Fair Trade bridesmaid dresses are&nbsp;rare, ugly and/or very expensive.&nbsp; Side note:&nbsp;anyone who wants to partner to bring relatively affordable, fair-trade, traditional bridesmaids dresses to market- let's talk.&nbsp;









Update- as of 10/12/19,&nbsp;I'm so, so,&nbsp;excited to announce that the bridesmaids dresses will be made by Najeeba from&nbsp;&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://supersewingshop.com/about-us" target="_blank">Super Sewing Shop</a>!!&nbsp; All of their SIV refugee tailors and seamstresses&nbsp;facilitated American military personnel in Afghanistan.&nbsp; Read more about their story&nbsp;<a href="https://news.virginia.edu/content/afghan-refugee-sewing-shop-launched-uva-alumna-poised-cyber-monday">here.</a>&nbsp;

So, I&nbsp;get to design the dress, and have it made locally, for a fair price.&nbsp; What more could you ask for?&nbsp;

My mother made some of the bridesmaids dresses for her wedding; now she is gracious enough to assist with the finishing of my bridesmaids dresses!&nbsp; Looks like I'll be taking up sewing over the winter.&nbsp;&nbsp; :)&nbsp;

Farm to Fabric,  Made in the USA and Lovingly Made by Hand!

I also wanted my fabric choices to help people. After a LOT of research, I came upon Clothworks' American Made Brand in not one, but two shades of periwinkle! I immediately burst into tears (of joy). Finally, I was going to be able to make choices that will help and support American jobs and manufacturing! Not only has Clothworks brought fabric manufacturing back to the United States, the fabric for the bridesmaids dresses is part of their "Farm to Fabric" challenge. Meaning that the cotton is grown here, woven here and dyed here. Their story is emotional and moving because it's so, so rare to find good news about American textile manufacturing. Get your tissues and check out their video&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/-NQiAGfH05o" target="_blank">American Made Brand: Farm to Fabric</a>&nbsp;.

The Dress! (Jason, stop reading and go back a page, please)

Lace, Ah Lace.  A Brief History

Lace, a decorative openwork web, was first developed in Europe during the sixteenth century. Two distinct types of lace making&mdash;needle lace and bobbin lace&mdash;began simultaneously. Needle lace is made with a single needle and thread, while bobbin lace entails the plaiting of many threads. Lace thread was typically made from linen, and later silk or metallic gold threads, followed by cotton in the nineteenth century. Needle and bobbin laces were often named after the region or town where they were made.

 

One reason lace became so popular was that severe laws and taxes repressed the wearing of gold, silver, jewels and silk. Lace&hellip;a product of plain thread&hellip;provided the chance to evade those laws and gratify the taste for luxury and artistic beauty in dress.

 





At times, the people in one country would prefer the laces made in a different country so they would import it, sending their money to the other country. The leaders didn’t like the money leaving their own country, and would pass laws forbidding importing lace and trying to force people to buy local lace. Or they imposed very high import duties on the lace. 

 





This led to smuggling of lace. There’s stories of training dogs to go from one country to another. The smuggled lace would be wrapped around the dog, then covered with a fake dog hide so it would not be seen as the dog ran across the border.&nbsp; Small quantities of lace were hidden in parasols, books, bakery goods, and on babies. Corpses were dressed in yards and yards of fine lace, and the coffins transported to another country. After the burial service the coffins were secretly dug up to retrieve the lace. Some coffins had no bodies&hellip;just lace.

 





At times, making lace paid more than farm, factory or household work. There’s a record of one town that passed a law that no one over the age of 16 could make lace. The officials and rich people of the town could not get people to serve as servants in their large houses because lacemaking paid more and was easier to do. When the girls and boys could no longer legally work in the lace factory, they were forced to take the less desirable jobs.

 



The text above are excerpts from the two sources below.&nbsp;To learn&nbsp;more, check out the following&nbsp;sites.&nbsp;&nbsp;







SFO Museum <a href="https://www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/lace-sumptuous-history">https://www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/lace-sumptuous-history</a>

 





Portland Lace Society <a href="http://www.portlandlacesociety.com/lace-history/">http://www.portlandlacesociety.com/lace-history/</a>

 





&nbsp;

The Decision

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;An example of Madeira cutwork lace&nbsp;

I’ve loved Battenburg lace since I was a child- I had a Battenburg lace runner on my dresser, as well as a square piece of cotton Madeira cutwork lace.&nbsp; It’s no wonder then, that I agonized over having a dress of Madeira cutwork lace or Battenburg lace.&nbsp; My seamstress, Elisabeth of <a href="http://bluethimblesewing.com/about/">Blue Thimble Sewing</a>&nbsp;helped- “too wrinkly” she said of the Madeira.&nbsp; So Battenburg it is.&nbsp;

What is Battenburg Lace? 

Well, since you asked&hellip;.

Battenburg lace, also (more correctly) known as Battenberg tape- not the sticky kind- lace, is named after the German town of Battenberg. It has been stated that Battenburg lace was first created when Queen Victoria of England named her son-in-law as the first Duke of Battenburg in the late 1800s. 

 





 



Tape lace is&nbsp;a form of&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/lace-making/lace">lace&nbsp;</a>using either a handmade (with a&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/lace-making/bobbin-lace">bobbin</a>) or a machine woven tape.&nbsp;The tape is folded into the required design and then fixed and embellished with connecting lace or&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/embroidery/general-embroidery/embroidery">embroidery&nbsp;</a>stitches of various kinds. &nbsp;The concept of tape lace originated in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Italy, notably in Genoa, Naples and Milan, where a type of lace known as&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/lace-making/mezzo-punto">mezzo punto</a>&nbsp;was made.&nbsp;Mezzo punto&nbsp;was a lace partially made of bobbin or loom woven tapes and partly of&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/embroidery/embroidery-stitches/buttonhole-stitch">buttonhole stitches</a>. Tape lace was sometimes known as Luxeuil lace in France, after the town of Luxeuil where it used to be made. In Ireland it was sometimes called Irish lace. In the Netherlands the most common terms are&nbsp;lintjeskant&nbsp;or&nbsp;Brusselse kant.

 





 



The mid-nineteenth century saw a revival of tape lace in Europe (especially England and Belgium) and America, using machine-woven tape (Industrial Revolution- holla!!), in the form of what became known as&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/lace-making/renaissance-lace">Renaissance lace</a>.&nbsp;The name Renaissance lace refers to the rediscovery of antique Italian forms in the nineteenth century, and should not be confused with examples of&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/lace-making/lace">lace&nbsp;</a>from the Renaissance period. The four main types of Renaissance lace are&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/regional-traditions/europe-and-north-america/lace-types/battenburg-tape-lace">Battenburg tape lace</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/lace-making/branscombe-lace">Branscombe lace</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/regional-traditions/europe-and-north-america/lace-types/brussels-tape-lace">Brussels tape lace&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/regional-traditions/europe-and-north-america/lace-types/princess-lace">Princess lace</a>.

 





 



Traditionally, Battenburg tape lace is solid (as is the lace on my dress) or has a simple dotted line down the middle. Modern tapes are often decorated with small geometric patterns, often&nbsp;abstract floral forms. I have yet to come across any examples of this. 

 





 



To make Batternburg lace, the overall design is first drawn onto a piece of thickish cloth or card and then the tape is sewn down, following the lines of the design, using long, tacking stitches that can be easily removed at a later date. The tape is then sewn together using decorative stitches such as&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/embroidery/embroidery-stitches/herringbone-stitch">herringbone stitch</a>&nbsp;and so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/embroidery/embroidery-stitches/spiders-web">spider’s webs</a>, a form of&nbsp;<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/embroidery/general-embroidery/needleweaving">needleweaving</a>. Once the complete design has been sewn together, the tacking stitches and backing are removed, leaving a delicate open structure made completely of tape and stitches.&nbsp;

 





 



Older examples of Battenburg tape lace have the tape gathered or folded to fit around curves. Since the beginning of the twentieth century tapes include a special thread (called a gimp-&nbsp;bring it out!) along one edge that can be pulled to gather the tape, which gives it a neater appearance.

Sources: Textile Research Centre (Leiden) 





<a href="https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/regional-traditions/europe-and-north-america/lace-types/battenburg-tape-lace">https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/regional-traditions/europe-and-north-america/lace-types/battenburg-tape-lace</a>

 





Smithsonian National Museum of American History 

 





<a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_626071">https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_626071</a>



<a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_626071"></a>Museum of Applied Arts &&nbsp;Sciences (Australia)&nbsp;<a href="https://maas.museum/app/uploads/2017/03/Glossary-of-Lace-and-Lacemaking-Terms.pdf">https://maas.museum/app/uploads/2017/03/Glossary-of-Lace-and-Lacemaking-Terms.pdf</a>

Sourcing the Fabrics

I&nbsp;&nbsp;looked for MONTHS for the right type of lace for my dress. Unlike the band U2, I finally found what I was looking for, thanks to Alice McQuade, at&nbsp;<a href="https://thelaceandlinensco.com/" target="_blank">The Lace and Linen Co.</a>&nbsp;in Toronto! 

With one exception of a high-end Australian wedding dress design company, who is making Battenburg specifically for one of their dresses, Battenburg lace is no longer made commercially. It’s very labor-intensive and because of that (and better labor laws?) cost prohibitive.&nbsp; Before I discovered this, I considered going to the garment district in New York with my mother, but calling around, learned that no one carried it.





I spent hours clicking away on Etsy, eBay, and the interwebs, and then one day, the Google algorithm finally paid off.&nbsp; I (Divinely) stumbled on Alice’s shop in Canada, It was a heart-pounding moment when I discovered that she had multiple patterns of Battenburg lace in a variety of sizes- and most importantly, in very large sizes (cue clouds parting and angels singing)!&nbsp; I found it!&nbsp;&nbsp; Alice was very helpful and excited that her lace was going to be used in my wedding dress.



The material underneath the lace is part of&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/-NQiAGfH05o">Clothworks’ Farm to Fabric challenge</a>.&nbsp; The brand is called American Made because (wait for it&hellip;.) the cotton is grown&hellip;spun&hellip;dyed&hellip;. and woven in the U.S. (Boom- mike drop). It makes me proud to know I’m supporting American farmers, manufacturing, and jobs with my choices. &nbsp;

My Lace <3

The lace on my dress is a sunflower pattern,&nbsp;filled with brides, bars, spider webs and rings.

Brides and&nbsp;bars are the narrow connections between the motifs of a lace that does not have a mesh ground.

 







A spider is a composite stitch which generally has a single central pinhole and a variable number of ‘legs’, depending on how big an area of mesh it replaces.

 A spider's web is a composite stitch that creates a raised, circular shape. First a foundation of straight stitches is made, working outwards from one point, creating a spoked wheel-like design. Then another thread, sometimes of a different colour, is threaded in a circle, under and over the spokes of the wheel, starting from the centre and working outwards. There are various variants of making the spoked wheel.

The Design Process

It was important to me to have a dress that matched the idea in my head, that had been percolating since I was at least ten years old. Unfortunately, most modern styles are very va-va voom, super-sexy, slinky or worse, strapless. 😉 My online searches pulled up things that were tagged as modest wedding dresses.&nbsp; While they met the criteria of not fancy lingerie, they still weren’t what I was looking for. Mainly because my vision for my wedding dress really hasn’t changed since the mid 1990’s.&nbsp; So, to the drawing board I went.

Because the lace is so intricate, and so much work had gone into making it, I decided that the cut of the dress would be primarily driven by the pattern of the lace. I felt that it was essential to preserve as much of the pattern as possible, to preserve as much of the beauty of the fabric, and to respect the work of the craftspeople that had made it.

 







Elisabeth was essential in guiding the process. She’s so talented that she actually made a test pattern from muslin. She’s a product of Austria’s apprenticeship system (she’s been sewing since she was sixteen!) and has a master’s degree in dressmaking, fashion clothing and tailoring. &nbsp;

History & Heritage

It’s fitting that I would have a custom dress.&nbsp; My great-grandmother on my mom’s side, Hanna&nbsp;Menzler, was a seamstress.&nbsp; She immigrated to the U.S. after World War I.&nbsp; She sewed her wedding dress as well as the wedding dress that&nbsp;my grandmother, Eleanor (Lee) Mulligan wore, and subsequently, my mother and my godmother (Aunt Patty) wore. Wearing that same dress was not an option since it had been altered to a much smaller size than what I wear.&nbsp; And I didn’t want to modify the dress or incorporate it into a new one, destroying what my great-grandmother had created.&nbsp; Those stitches are her stitches.&nbsp; That pattern, her handiwork- and it should be preserved as such.

Thank You!!

I’m grateful for all of the people&nbsp;who are making&nbsp;this happen: Alice, Elisabeth and&nbsp;the folks at&nbsp;Clothworks.&nbsp; And especially to my parents, whose contributions are helping to&nbsp;make&nbsp;this dress and this wedding&nbsp;possible!

Local Food, Local Cake

Jason and Local Food, Local Places

As many of you know,&nbsp; Jason is involved with the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places#background" target="_blank">Local Food, Local Places</a> initiative. Over the past five years, he’s traveled to over 50 cool places in the U.S., helping communities improve access to affordable, fresh, healthy food, and improve the vitality of their downtowns and neighborhoods. Strengthening a local food system also provides new opportunities for local employment and economic growth.&nbsp; See Jason doing his thing in Rainelle, West Virginia in the video below!&nbsp;

Did Someone Say Cake? 

We love the Fitness Marshall.&nbsp; It all started when my cousin, Jenny La posted this video on her Facebook page.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgogOGT5FSo" target="_blank">Cake by the Fitness Marshall</a>&nbsp;We watched it a lot.&nbsp; Then it became the unofficial anthem for&nbsp;our Labor Day party, and then we went to a Fitness Marshall cardio concert.&nbsp; So&nbsp;if you choose to shove wedding&nbsp;cake in your face, and rub it on your body, we’ll totally understand. &nbsp;#LoveIsLove&nbsp;

Cakes by Rachel

<a href="https://www.mycakebyrachel.com/" target="_blank">Cakes by Rachel</a> &nbsp;is a “Farm to cake table” bakery. Some bakeries say that they use local ingredients, but how many can say that they use&nbsp;their eggs from their own hens?! Rachel and her family live on their farm, <a href="https://www.blacktwigfarm.com/" target="_blank">Black Twig Farm</a>, where they raise&nbsp;&nbsp;Navajo Churro&nbsp;sheep!&nbsp;(Sorry carnivores, we won't be having any sugar-free sheep cake.)&nbsp;

Rachel also makes amazing cupcakes.&nbsp; Her&nbsp;gluten-free strawberry shortcake cupcakes are out of this world, you’d-better-be-sitting-down-when-you-take-a-bite good.&nbsp; You can bet your Sweet Bippy that we’ll have those cupcakes in addition to wedding cake!

Our Values &  Choices

Wedding Party

Q + A

Photos

***Check to see if the group rate is the same or less than the rates you'd find on discount sites like Travelocity or Expedia, etc.***


Guests can book reservations online <a href="https://be.synxis.com/?chain=21643&amp;hotel=77205&amp;group=LEWD062521&amp;arrive=06/17/2022&amp;depart=06/19/2022&amp;configcode=sales" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Graduate Hotel Booking Link
or, they can reach our reservations line at 434-295-4333 and ask for the Lawson-Espie wedding block.


Last day to book is May 21, 2022


Some of our unique Charlottesville offerings include: Camp Ten Four located on our 9th floor roof-top, complimentary bicycle rentals, in-room refrigerators, Sheepdog Cafe and Lounge with outdoor patio on our first floor, our game room on the second floor, fitness center and complimentary wi-fi throughout. Please note we offer valet only parking at $16.00 per car per day with in/out privileges.


Graduate Charlottesville is pet friendly! Two pets up to 50 lbs are welcome for no additional fee. Dogs, cats, and other household pets are allowed, and crated pets may be left unattended in rooms. Pet treats and bowls are available at the front desk, and there is a park for pet relief across the street from the property.
If you are bringing your pet(s), please tell them when booking your room. Please note that for the Colonnade Club, the wedding and reception venue, only registered service animals are permitted.

Graduate Charlottesville

Comfort Inn & Suites Orange - Montpelier

Bluegreen Vacations Shenandoah Crossing, Ascend Resort Collection

Inn At Willow Grove

Greenock Manor

Budget Inn

Inn on Poplar Hill

Round Hill Inn

Chestnut Hill Bed & Breakfast

Since this is a boutique hotel with only nine rooms, they don't do blocks of reservations. Call the number above to check availability."We invite you to explore the Dinsmore Inn, a fully refurbished 19th-Century Federal-style townhome. Built by James Dinsmore, Thomas Jefferson’s master builder,&nbsp;The Dinsmore offers nine distinctive guest rooms and an acclaimed on-site restaurant called Farm Bell Kitchen." This place is gorgeous and the Farm Bell food is delicious. It's also where Jason and I had our engagement dinner on Valentine's Day 2019! http://www.dinsmorehouse.com/

Dinsmore Inn at The University

This hotel has an indoor pool and is next door to a large park. Check to see if the group rate is the same or less than the rates you'd find on discount sites like Travelocity or Expedia, etc. <a href="https://www.marriott.com/events/start.mi?id=1613398887416&amp;key=GRP" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book your group rate for Lawson and Espie Wedding</a>Last day to book is Saturday, May 21st 2022. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed at this Fairfield Marriott location.

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Charlottesville Downtown/University Area

<a href="https://www.marriott.com/events/start.mi?id=1614771025593&amp;key=GRP" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book your group rate for Lawson-Espie Wedding</a> Last day to book this hotel at this rate is May 2, 2022 (as always, compare the rate with the rate at things like Expedia and Orbitz).

Courtyard by Marriott Charlottesville - University Medical Center

Travel

<a href="https://www.monticello.org/">https://www.monticello.org/</a>Hours:&nbsp;8:30am - 6 pmAllow at least 3 hours to visit Say "hi" to our friend, T.J.

Monticello

A&nbsp;uniquely Charlottesville public art and event space, our local favorite place to visit, hang out, and hear great music.&nbsp;

IX Art Park

Contact Bill Lawson, amazing golf buddy to coordinate tee times.&nbsp; Texaswtlawson@gmail.com

Betsy & Jason

Betsy & Jason

Photos