Virginia Weddings Magazine
Real Virginia Wedding

Real Virginia Weddings: Julie & Hunter

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  • The Bride: Julie Ambrose | 30 | Kindergarten Paraprofessional
  • The Groom: Hunter Napier | 32 | Electric Distribution Designer
  • Wedding Date: January 10, 2026
  • Wedding Location: Gloucester Point, Virginia
  • Guest Count: 260

A Firm Foundation

Julie and Hunter met online and quickly realized they had a special connection. Conversation flowed naturally, and the couple had many important things in common. “As we spent more time together, we built a relationship centered around love, laughter, family and faith,” Julie explained.

With this firm foundation in place, Hunter proposed on Thanksgiving in 2024. Julie gave a resounding, “Yes!” The couple then set to work planning their dream wedding.

Julie and Hunter. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

Personal Plan

In lieu of hiring a wedding planner, Hunter and Julie enlisted the help of family and friends to plan and orchestrate their special day. “One of the most meaningful parts of our wedding was that we planned and designed it ourselves,” the couple shared. “Planning a wedding for approximately 260 guests had its challenges, but seeing everything come together made every late night, decision and detail worth it.”

Delicate, holiday-inspired details matched the stationery. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

The bride’s mother and sister helped with administrative planning tasks. Meanwhile, a family friend created floral arrangements for the ceremony and reception. Beautiful thematic invitations crafted by the bride’s sister beckoned guests to the event. On the day of the wedding, the bride’s mother styled her daughter’s hair and friends and family members chipped in to set up decor at the venue.

“Many of the details that made our wedding so special came from the love and dedication of my mom and dad,” said Julie. “Every detail reflected the love, support and care of the people closest to us.”

The bride walked down the decorated aisle. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

The Details

The couple’s timeless winter wonderland wedding highlighted the warmth of Christmas. Decor incorporated fresh greenery, gold candlesticks, velvet ribbons, pine cones, red berries and white florals. Glowing Christmas trees and lit candles cast warm light.

Green tablescapes set the scene. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

Julie purchased her Allure Bridal gown from Silk Bridal in Virginia Beach. The off-the-shoulder, long-sleeve ballgown featured a corset bodice and borrowed inspiration from the regency era as depicted in Netflix’s hit series, “Bridgerton.” She completed the look with a veil borrowed from her sister and white beaded heals from Amazon.

A winter wreath framed the bride. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

The groom donned classic formal wear sourced from Men’s Wearhouse and added a jaunty velvet bow tie and festive boutonniere.

Groomsmen also wore velvet bow ties, complementing the bridesmaid’s emerald dresses from Azazie.

Bridesmaids wore emerald green. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

Mak’s Captured Moments took photos throughout the day.

The Day

Julie and Hunter hoped for wintry weather for their January wedding. Instead, the day brought unseasonably warm temperatures north of 72 degrees. Rather than adjusting their vision to match the climate, the couple created their own winter wonderland.

Candles lit the sweetheart table. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

Lit Christmas trees lined the reception space, and greenery with red berries hinted at the holiday season. As the couple exchanged vows during a traditional ceremony at Union Baptist Church, festive wreaths and swags surrounded guests.

The traditional ceremony took place at Union Baptist Church. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

At the reception, held at the Abingdon Ruritan Club, Julie, Hunter and their guests danced and feasted. A little grove of lit Christmas trees provided the perfect location for photos.

Guests savored a hearty meal. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)
Florals bedecked the cake. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

Let It Snow

As part of the couple’s showstopping exit, snow showered from above, generated by a snow machine.

Snow showered the happy couple. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

“For our grand exit, we surprised our guests with a snow machine, giving us the snowy send-off we had always imagined,” Julie and Hunter said. “Even though we didn’t get actual snow from Mother Nature, creating our own snowfall surrounded by our family and friends felt like the perfect ending to our wedding day.”

Wise Words

Julie and Hunter attribute the loving atmosphere of their wedding to the personal touches provided by friends and family. They encouraged other couples to focus on what matters most.

“Our wedding was so special because it was built with the love and talents of the people closest to us,” they shared. “The details were beautiful, but the memories created while planning and celebrating together are what we will treasure most.”

The venue’s romantic exterior provided the perfect backdrop. (Photo courtesy of Mak’s Captured Moments)

Wedding Ingredients

Tags : Christmas weddingholiday weddingReal Virginia Weddingwinter wedding
Elizabeth Kanzeg Rowland

The author: Elizabeth Kanzeg Rowland

Elizabeth Kanzeg Rowland is a freelance writer and editor. When she’s not poring over manuscripts and searching for misplaced commas, Elizabeth can be found reading in a cozy chair with her cats, performing onstage at her local community theatre or antiquing with her husband.

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