- The Bride: Cassidy Donaldson | 30 | Physical Therapist
- The Groom: Matthew Gwyn | 32 | Railroad Machine Operator
- Wedding Date: September 4th, 2026
- Wedding Location: Catawba, Virginia
- Guest Count: 4
A Thing Called Love
“We met, as many millennials do, online,” said Cassidy Donaldson and Matthew Gwyn. The couple bonded over their shared love of paranormal podcasts. When Matt took his motorcycle to meet Cassidy for their first date, the song playing as he laid eyes on her for the first time was “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness.
“It was love at first sight,” Matt said. He proposed a few years later while singing the same song at karaoke.
The Details
Rather than an elaborate wedding day, the couple opted for a simple mountaintop ceremony at McAfee’s Knob in Catawba, Virginia. “The planning process was quite seamless as we decided 6 weeks prior to the wedding to get married. We wanted it to be simple, adventurous and intimate,” Cassidy explained.
The couple selected an emerald color scheme to represent renewal, growth, fertility and harmony with nature.
They honored sustainability by opting for thrifted clothing or items already in their closets. Cassidy sourced her black gown from online consignment company ThreadUp. It featured a wrap-style front and black mesh sleeves with floral appliques. She paired the dress with chunky emerald pumps. Cassidy’s rings were crafted with diamonds handed down from her grandmother.
Both Matt and the wedding officiant donned traditional kilts for the ceremony.
CoutureBloomsCo provided Cassidy’s artificial floral arrangement featuring emerald roses and gold-colored accent blooms — all strong enough to withstand the hike up the mountain.
The Day
The couple held their wedding at McAfee’s Knob in Catawba, Virginia. By keeping the guest count to just the mothers of the bride and groom, the officiant and the photographer, the couple accomplished their vision for an intimate ceremony. Plus, as Cassidy explained, “Most people don’t want to hike over 7 miles in the almost 100 degree heat!”
Cassidy and Matt wished to embrace their Celtic roots on their wedding day. Brian Purcell, known as The Kilted Officiant, guided them through a personalized ceremony complete with the Celtic tradition of handfasting. The mothers of the bride and groom participated in this portion of the ceremony.
The couple also shared personal vows and traditional Celtic vows with a Celtic blessing and exchanged rings.
Madison Rae Schmidt of Madison Rae Photographs captured photos of the special day.
Magical Memory
Beautiful sunset scenery surrounded the couple once they reached the top of the trail.
“There were 2 different storm cells around us, which created windy conditions, but only a sprinkling of rain while we were changing at the top,” Cassidy and Matt said. “Then, we were blessed with beautiful rainbows and a stunning sunset for the ceremony and photos afterwards.”
Happy Home
Cassidy and Matt recently bought a home together, which they are renovating. The project has brought them closer and kept them entertained. They shared, “We keep finding interesting things like a brick car emblem 2 feet underground or creepy clown figurines hidden in cabinets!”
In the future, the couple hopes to travel to Peru for their honeymoon.
Wedding Ingredients:
- Ceremony Site: McAfee’s Knob
- Photography: Madison Rae Photographs, LLC | Roanoke, Virginia | https://www.madisonraephotographs.com/
- Officiant: Brian Purcell | New Kent, Virginia | https://thekiltedofficiant.com/
- Gown: ThreadUp
- Rings: AmRhein’s Fine Jewelry | Roanoke, VA | https://www.amrheins.com/
- Handfasting Rope: MoonveilStudioUS | Lake Forest, CA | https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoonveilStudioUS
- Hair Pins: BellaViaDesigns | Park City, UT | https://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaViaDesigns
- Flowers: CoutureBloomsCo | Irvine, CA | https://www.etsy.com/shop/CoutureBloomsCohttps://www.etsy.com/shop/CoutureBloomsCo
Virginia Weddings features weddings weekly on the blog. Being featured on the blog does not necessarily mean being featured in the print magazine.
