CNU Wedding at Pope Chapel

One of my favorite things in the world is to hunker down in the middle of a crazy storm, spending time with loved ones and enjoying some amazing comfort food. As Hurricane Matthew bore down on Hampton Roads and Christopher Newport University, A&D’s CNU wedding at Pope Chapel transformed into exactly that.

If it’s good luck to see rain on your wedding day, A&D hit the jackpot twofold: they got plenty of “luck” and their morning wedding celebration concluded before the weather got dreadful. On an evening when other Hampton Roads wedding venues were canceling events or flooding out, A&D were married, celebrated, and able to relax in safety.

The day began before sunrise at the Marriott Newport News at City Center, where the bride got ready with her mother and sisters. Despite windows showcasing the increasingly troubling weather outside, the suite was perfectly peaceful and full of laughter.

The Marriott is a fantastic Newport News wedding venue in its own right, and the irony of getting ready there was not lost on any of us, as the hotel was prepped to serve as A&D’s backup if the state had decided to close Christopher Newport for the storm. Thankfully, we got green lights to go ahead with the original plan.

With the hurricane introducing so many moving pieces, A&D elected for a first look to help ease some of the day-of stress. And after guests arrived, the couple exchanged vows during their touching CNU Chapel wedding ceremony.

Morning weddings are always a delightful change of pace, and A&D’s was even more memorable due to the delicious breakfast fare they served. You’d be hard pressed to find a more perfect selection for the spirit of the day than the comfort of chicken & waffles, gourmet grilled cheese & tomato soup, and more.

The CNU ballroom is a spectacular sight on its own, and it was complemented by A&D’s nautical touches and navy and gold wedding theme (with blush pink accents!).

The hurricane began to near just as the celebration was wrapping up, which provided everyone the opportunity to say goodbye and get back to safety. Although the two weeks leading up to their CNU wedding were full of hurricane dread and worry, A&D were full of nothing but warmth and smiles the day-of. It was a treat to see my fellow wedding vendor friends come together for the couple during such a stressful time and to see the happiness (and relief!) in the faces of everyone as the day went off without a hitch.