Raspberry Plain VA Wedding

The moment I arrived at Raspberry Plain in Leesburg, VA for Valerie & Greg’s wedding day, the rain clouds started to lift, as if they knew it was time for the day to begin. The forecast called for rain all week and although it was a bit overcast, not a drop fell until late that evening; we had all day to enjoy the beautiful gardens and hidden nooks around this beautiful mansion.

But inside held it’s own beauty as well, most of it designed by Valerie. The altar, in particular, was the stand out piece of all their details — Greg built the bamboo frame and Valerie crafted each colorful paper crane strung one by one, 1,000 in total. Years ago, Valerie read a story about a young Japanese girl who dreamed of creating 1,000 paper cranes before she died (in Japan, cranes are holy creatures that are believed to live for 1,000 years, so one must craft 1,000 — one for each year — to be granted eternal good luck). Each crane she made was a labor of love, one that was years in the making. She knew she wanted to incorporate these into her wedding day and thought no better place than the altar that she and Greg would be married under. Reading more about the significance of the crane post-wedding, I realized something — Valerie and Greg don’t need the luck that is to be brought by these creatures; the persistence of someone who would create 1,000 cranes by hand is unmatched by any of the challenges that are sure to be encountered during their married lives. Valerie & Greg, thank you for having me join your family from all over the world (France… Peru… Japan..!!!) to celebrate your wedding day — enjoy your time in Japan!