The Best Wedding Vendors For Your Richmond, VA Elopement

Planning an elopement or small wedding can be overwhelming! When you decide to step away from the idea of a traditional wedding, it can be hard to find the right people to make your vision for your wedding day come to life. Never fear, here are some of the best wedding vendors in Richmond, VA for your celebration!

In an effort to highlight the incredible diversity of the Richmond wedding scene, Black-owned and POC-owned businesses in this list are marked with an asterisk (*). 

Wedding Planners

When you first consider planning an elopement or a small, intimate wedding, hiring a wedding planner may not seem like an obvious choice. You might think that a wedding planner is only necessary if you have scores of guests to herd and vendors to attend to.

But the peace of mind and assurance that everything is taken care of can be so valuable for smaller celebrations as well!

Hiring a wedding planner for your elopement or small wedding can be an awesome option if you have multiple vendors to coordinate and want to relax and not have to worry about logistics on your wedding day.

Many elopement photographers also have a substantial planning aspect to their photography packages which includes things like location scouting and timeline planning. But, for day-of coordination, it can be a real weight off your shoulders to be able to hand everything over to a pro.

Elope RVA*

Website: eloperva.com, Instagram: @eloperva

Elope RVA is a small but mighty company offering wedding planning and coordination, officiant services, and floral design. For those couples looking for a simple and low-key planning process, Elope RVA is a one-stop-shop.

Chantal, the owner, is caring, energetic, and committed to ensuring that your elopement or small wedding goes off without a hitch.

The Hive Wedding Collective*

Website: thehiveweddingco.com, Instagram: @thehiveweddingco

The Hive is a powerhouse planning firm with connections to some of the best local vendors. They offer a variety of planning and coordination services, including micro-wedding planning and consultation.

Christine, the owner, leads a super-talented team and is also the owner of Urban Set Bride, a popular local wedding dress boutique.

Every Little Detail*

Website: everylittledetailva.com, Instagram: @everylittledetail_va

Every Little Detail Wedding and Event Planning is an awesome local event planning company with a wide variety of planning options available! Their Finishing Touch and Coordination package could be an awesome option for couples who just want a little guidance during the planning process and then be able to be completely hands-off for their wedding or elopement day.

Nica, the owner, is gracious and attentive and committed to making sure that couples spend their wedding day making memories and not stressing about the details.

Dress Shops and Bridal Boutiques

Having a relationship with a great dress shop or boutique can make the process of planning your elopement so much easier.

Whether you’re working with a shorter timeline and want to purchase a dress off-the-rack, or you have the time to have a dress customized for you, the knowledge and expertise of the bridal consultants can make a world of difference.

Finding the right dress that is flowy, comfortable, breathable, and easy to walk in is key to enjoying your elopement day. (Hint: mermaid dresses and hiking elopements don’t mix!)

Urban Set Bride*

Website: urbansetbride.com Instagram: @urbansetbride

Urban Set Bride is a popular local boutique specializing in wedding gowns. They have a small, talented team of body-positive, LGBTQ+-welcoming bridal stylists with a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of their diverse inventory. Although they do not sell suits or bridesmaids’ dresses, they have some great recommendations for where to find them!

Christine, the owner, opened Urban Set Bride with her mother and is also the owner of a wedding planning firm called The Hive Wedding Collective!

Note: consultations with Urban Set Bride are by appointment only, and if you have less than about 7 months until your wedding or elopement date, Urban Set may not be able to get your dress in time.

Blue Sage Bridal

Website: bluesagebridal.com Instagram: @bluesagebridalrva

Blue Sage Bridal is an awesome little consignment wedding dress shop located in the heart of Richmond. Their inventory consists of new, sample, and once-worn dresses in a wide variety of sizes.

Because your dress will not need to be custom-ordered, Blue Sage is a great option for folks working with a tighter timeline before their wedding day. You may even find a dress that fits right off the rack or only needs minor alterations!

Noelle, the owner, is well-versed in the world of weddings and hospitality! In addition to owning Blue Sage, she is also a wedding coordinator with The Hive Wedding Co. and the owner of an awesome gift curation company called Gifted RVA!

Bygones Vintage

Website: bygonesvintage.com Instagram: @bygonesvintage

Bygones is an eclectic vintage and reproduction shop in Carytown, a popular shopping district in Richmond, VA. While not a dedicated wedding dress boutique, they’re a must-visit shop if you’re looking for a dress or accessories with that vintage charm.

While you’re there, don’t forget to check out their famous window display!

Poshmark

Website: poshmark.com Instagram: @poshmark

Poshmark is an online secondhand retailer, and one of my all-time favorite places to find incredible deals on wedding dresses.

While it’s not a local Richmond establishment, it has more than earned its place on this list. Especially in 2020 when some couples were working with very tight timelines for their reimagined weddings, and visiting a boutique was all but impossible.

Not only is buying a secondhand dress from Poshmark an incredible way to save some money on your perfect wedding dress, but it also helps to make your wedding more sustainable and combats the “one and done” mindset that sometimes plagues the world of weddings.

Floral Designers

When you picture your wedding day, are gorgeous flowers and greenery a part of that vision?

Even when I am working with couples on planning a super pared-down and minimalist elopement, having a dramatic and unique bouquet, flower crown, or boutonnière is often still one of the top priorities.

Luckily, Richmond, Virginia is home to some of the most talented florists/ floral designers I’ve ever seen.

Amanda Burnette Floral Design

Website: amandaburnette.com Instagram: @amandaburnettefloral

Amanda Burnette is an incredibly talented and versatile floral designer. When I think of her work, I picture deep, lush, saturated jewel tones and large-scale installations like floral arches, but she is truly just so versatile that she will knock out of the park pretty much any idea or color scheme you send her way.

One thing I adore about Amanda and her team is their vocal commitment to sustainability. They use local, seasonal blooms whenever possible, and are committed to composting and recycling at all stages of production. They also skip single-use plastics like floral foam whenever they possibly can.

For elopements and small weddings, Amanda Burnette has an a la carte floral package, which allows you to just select the florals you need, like a bouquet and boutonnière.

Vessel and Stem

Website: vesselandstem.com Instagram: @vesselandstem

Hillary Carr is the passionate, creative designer behind Vessel & Stem. Her floral arrangements artistically combine fresh florals and foraged foliage from Virginia. Hillary’s commitment to seasonality really shines through in her work, and the way she creatively integrates foraged foliage in just awe-inspiring. If you asked me to describe Vessel and Stem’s look in one word, it would be “wild”.

I was initially drawn to Hillary’s work because of my love of the Dutch Masters floral still life paintings. When I discovered her work, it was honestly the first time I had ever really thought of a floral arrangement as a work of art. In 2020, an awesome local fine art photographer named Rebecca Burt made my art nerd dreams come true when she photographed a Vessel and Stem bouquet in the style of the Dutch Masters. Check it out!

For elopements and small weddings, Vessel and Stem offers a special elopement package with a bouquet with a hand-dyed ribbon and a boutonniere.

The Flower Guy Bron*

Website: theflowerguybron.com Instagram: @theflowerguybron

Bron Hansboro is a very popular local floral designer based in Richmond’s Northside. His work is creative, luxurious, and high-end and ranges from the classic to the textured and avantgarde.

Bron’s clients rave about his customer service and his ability to interpret their ideas and execute them better than they had imagined.

The Flower Guy Bron was a popular choice for couples eloping and having small weddings in 2020!

Elope RVA*

Website: eloperva.com, Instagram: @eloperva

Elope RVA is a one-stop-shop for your elopement, offering planning/coordination, officiating services and floral design as part of their elopement packages.

Chantal, the owner, loves floral design and will happily work with you to deliver the elopement bouquet or flower crown of your dreams.

Calligraphers

If you’re planning to elope or host a small wedding, hiring a calligrapher might be a great idea for you! I’ve had couples hire a calligrapher to fill out the display version of their marriage certificate to frame a display in their homes.

Maybe you’d love some “Just Married” chalkboard signs to hang from your backpacks for your hiking elopement, or personalized vow books?

Hiring a calligrapher can bring that extra special touch to your elopement day details.

Pencraft and Post

Website: pencraftandpost.com Instagram: @pencraftandpost

Pencraft and Post’s instagram account has been a guilty pleasure of mine for a while now, and so I am always thrilled to be able to recommend Deirdre’s calligraphy work to my elopement clients!

Off The Beaten Press

Website: offthebeatenpress.com Instagram: @offthebeatenpress

Specializing in letterpress, calligraphy, and illustration, Off the Beaten Press is a one-stop-shop for your vow books, chalkboard signs, etc.

Desserts

“What is the best wedding dessert” is a topic of heated discussion. Personally, I’m easy to please as long as it’s vegan.

I’m not sure about Commonwealth Cake Co’s vegan offerings, but everywhere else on this list does have delicious vegan options in addition to their standard offerings.

Buttermilk Bake Shop

Website: buttermilkbakeshopva.com Instagram: @buttermilkbakeshopva

Commonwealth Cake Company*

Website: commonwealthcakecompany.com Instagram: @commonwealthcakeco

Proper Pie Co.

Website: properpieco.com Instagram: @properpieco

WPA Bakery

Website: wpasouthside.com Instagram: @wpabakery

Ellwood Thompson’s Bakery

Website: ellwoodthompsons.com Phone: (804) 359-7525

Note: This bakery is inside of Ellwood Thompson’s grocery store. Call or visit the bakery department to make a special order.

Wedding Officiants

Deciding how you want to make your marriage legal is one of the big steps in planning your elopement.

Some folks decide to take care of the legal ceremony on a different day, and just have a private vow exchange on their elopement day. Others opt to make the full ceremony a part of their day.

Either way, finding an officiant who can perform the ceremony and sign off on your marriage license is a super important step. When you go to the clerk to get your marriage license, they will sometimes give you a list of officiants in your area, but not everyone on that list will be a great fit for your plans and your celebration.

Elope RVA*

Website: eloperva.com, Instagram: @eloperva

In addition to planing and floral services, Chantal and her team at Elope RVA are also registered officiants in Virginia and can legally perform your ceremony.

Justin Meadows

Website: No website at time of publication Instagram: @meadows_smash

Justin is a registered civil celebrant and was an absolute hero for a few of my couples who eloped in 2020. His short, secular ceremonies are lovely and personalized for each couple.

Wedding and Elopement Photographers

Richmond, Virginia is a city full of talented photographers! Consider one of these options for your elopement or small wedding.

Flit Photography

Website: flitphotography.com Instagram: @flitphotos

Samia Minnicks Photography*

Website: samiaminnicks.com Instagram: @samiaminnicksphotography

IYQ Photography*

Website: iyqphotography.com Instagram: @kimiejames

Elopement Videographers

I love the idea of having an elopement video made. I know that my couples who have opted to hire a videographer have been very happy with that decision!

As much as I (obviously) love photography, there are some feelings and little, tender moments that really shine on video.

Black Coral RVA

Website: blackcoralrva.com Instagram: @blackcoralrva

Black Coral RVA is a wedding and elopement videography company in Richmond, Va! Caroline, the owner, is a kind and adventurous soul, dedicated to helping eloping couples tell their stories.

Caroline is also the creator of my awesome “behind-the-scenes” video on my About page!

Sustainability Vendors

For many of my couples, sustainability is a big part of why they decided against having a big wedding.

Did you know that the average traditional wedding sends about 400 pounds of trash to the landfill? That’s approximately as much trash as a family of 4 produces in 3 months!

More and more companies are popping up to help couples combat the wedding waste and turn their trash into something beautiful.

Compost RVA

Website: compostrva.squarespace.com Instagram: @compostrva

Bruno at Compost RVA has several options to make composting at your wedding celebration easy and affordable. I chatted with Bruno recently for an update to my post on planning a sustainable wedding and we went over what things can be composted, and what the options are for special events.

Repurpose Flower Co.

Website: repurposeflower.co Instagram: @repurposeflowerco

Did you know that most of the gorgeous floral arrangements you see at weddings end up in a dumpster at the end of the night?

With Repurpose Flower Co., your flowers can be taken to a local nursing home, homeless shelter, or other local partners so that someone else can enjoy their brightness and beauty for a few days.

What do you think?

Was this guide to the best wedding vendors in Richmond helpful for you? Is there somebody who really made your elopement day shine who should be on this list? Let me know in the comments!