A Timeless Affair at Swannanoa

Sitting atop of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Alton, Virginia you’ll find Swannanoa, a twenty-three thousand square foot palace boasting timeless and priceless art and history.

Emily Patton

Completed in 1912, Swannanoa was built by Major James Dooley. Dooley was a businessman and executive at the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company. He and his wife, Sarah “Sallie” May, built their main home in Richmond, Virginia: the beautiful Maymont Estate Park. To escape Richmond’s winters, Dooley committed over 100 artisans to craft Swannanoa into their timeless summer home as a gift to his wife.

The large palace was designed after the Villa de Medici in Rome. The exterior is composed of Georgian marble, and at the top of the grand staircase is a Tiffany stained glass portrait of Sallie Mae. This fifty-two room palace, boasts large terraces, dining halls, marble statues, lush gardens and numerous swoon-worthy backdrops for a wedding that’s completely out of this world.

We had the pleasure of being a part of a vintage-themed editorial shoot at this beautiful venue in ruins that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. We planned a moody, ethereal, romantic affair and chose a late summer palette of soft pinks, peaches, creams, and white.

We accented the floral arrangement with deep oranges and deep greens created with foliage and tall greenery.

We sought to capture a timeless romantic story while indulging in the historic beauty and wonder of the Swannanoa Mansion while highlighting the love that went into building it.

Emily Patton

It was the perfect, quintessential backdrop for a vintage, classic love story.

Swannanoa held nothing back. It’s tall columns were covered in growing vines, accented with gorgeous blooms. The gardens were lush, filled with natural flora, grass, and plants, and the terraces were filled with otherworldly statues and works of art. The weather granted us moody skies, with amazing light and visibility.

We went with a hand-tied garden-style wedding bouquet, loosely gathering long stems and tying them with two ribbons. We layered a wide pale orange ribbon with a thinner rustic orange one. Both ribbons were tied into bows and flowed freely from the bouquet, creating a dramatic yet romantic extension of the bouquet.

For florals, we used anthuriums for their large stems, vibrant green leaves, and textured heart-shaped flower. These large blooms have a long life, and are a symbol of happiness and abundance. We added pale pink lisianthus flowers, cream garden roses, with rustic orange echinaceas and pale ranunculus flowers. Snapdragons and Queen Anne’s lace were used to add height as well as a soft and texturized touch to the arrangements.

This lush and earthy arrangement came together to tell a story of love and strength that lasted long past the natural lives of the original owners of the home.

Emily Patton

Emily Patton

The Swannanoa mansion is available for weddings, events, and staged photography. It is also within Flueressence’s service area.

Vendors:
Photography: @helloemilypatton and https://www.helloemilypatton.com/
Videography: @catmccarthycreative
Model: @madelinesarmoire
Makeup: @cakedbycaly_mua and https://m.facebook.com/cakedbycaly/
Hair: @sara.parker.does @tigers.eye.hair.studio
Ribbon: https://www.heyitsohsopretty.com/
Venue: @swannanoa_on_aftonmountain