Joanna and Kyle’s Outdoor Wedding in Charlottesville, Virginia

It might have been a mutual friend who brought Joanna Prince and Kyle Mosteller together at a Cinco de Mayo party in 2012, but the credit for making the relationship stick falls squarely on the small shoulders of someone else: Joanna’s son. The stay-at-home mom had been smitten with Kyle from the start, but she was apprehensive about introducing a new beau to her three boys, now ages 10, 8, and 6. That is, until the foursome ran into Kyle at a Starbucks near their home in Arlington, Virginia. After half an hour, Joanna’s oldest asked Kyle, who owns a construction firm, if he’d want to hang out—just the guys. “They really thought of him as their friend first,” says Joanna, laughing. “It wasn’t until later that they realized, ‘Hey, you like my mom, don’t you?’”

So when Kyle proposed the following winter, it was only natural that his new best buds helped out, each boy handing the ring box off to the next as Kyle dropped to one knee. The grown-ups started planning straightaway, nabbing the first available date—Tuesday, June 4, 2013—at the Clifton Inn, a picturesque getaway in the foothills of the Blue Mountains of Virginia. “We didn’t get too hung up in the details,” Joanna says of their four-month timeline. “Plus, we really trusted our vendors.” Their only requirement? The event had to be family-friendly, as 20 of their 100 attendees were kids. In the days before the wedding, everyone gathered at the 100-acre resort, where children played tag on the lawn and adults sipped cocktails by the pool.

The suite, designed by Rock Paper Scissors and calligraphed by Meant To Be Calligraphy, included kraft envelopes lined with patterned paper.

Joanna had put a deposit down on a different dress before coming across this Vera Wang on Pinterest. “I wasn’t able to order it in time, but luckily the dress shop had ordered this one—in my size—for a bride getting married in the fall,” recalls the bride. “They had time to order another for her, so they let me take this gown!”

The bride got a lift from her groom in front of the inn’s door, which was draped with a magnolia-and-peony garland.

Joanna accessorized her gown with Tiffany & Co. pearl bracelets—one from each son.

The flower girls, family friends of Kyle’s, wore dresses from Indigo Babies and sashes from Bhldn. No shoes were required on the Clifton Inn’s lush grounds!

Joanna carried garden roses, peonies, dusty miller, and honeysuckle. For the bouquet toss, she swapped this one out for a nearly identical version that split into six smaller posies midair.

The morning of the wedding, Joanna and Kyle sneaked away for a picnic—the last time they’d see each other before their nondenominational ceremony. “When she walked down the aisle, I felt so at peace,” says Kyle. “I knew I was right where I wanted to be.”

The oldest of Joanna’s sons acted as ring bearer. “All the boys felt so grown-up in their suits,” says Joanna. During the ceremony, Joanna’s younger two sons carried this sign, from Bhldn, announcing their mom’s arrival. Afterward, they flipped it around to reveal “Just Married” on the back.

Ceramic tiles from Anthropologie, hand-painted with invitees’ names, served as escort cards and favors.

Inside the reception tent, swags of maidenhair ferns, moss, and roses were strung above the dance floor.

Each of the 20 youngest guests received a calligraphed muslin pouch stuffed with rock candy, colored pencils, and kraft paper. At the children’s tables, little ones scribbled colored-pencil notes to the bride and groom. “Having kids there added to the fun,” says Kyle. After all, it wouldn’t have been the same celebration without his three best wingmen on hand.

Votive candles and bud vases of roses and tuberose flanked compotes filled with roses, snow-on-the-mountain, and peonies.

Kyle posed with his new stepsons, who sported J.Crew suits and bow ties by Me and Matilda.

Joanna’s bridesmaids wore Anna Elyse dresses in a coral hue and carried peach and white bouquets.

An assortment of artisanal sodas and gelato by Splendora’s Gelato was set out for guests to enjoy.

The couple infused their day with personalized touches, including this sign by Paper Tangent that hung over the gelato and soda pop bar.

Sugar-flower peonies, ranunculus, and roses topped the white-velvet, vanilla, and chocolate cake by Maggie Austin Cake.

Joanna and Kyle’s first dance was to the grooves of a live jazz band.

Location and Catering: The Clifton Inn
Event Planning: Simply Chic Events
Flowers and Décor: Beehive Events
Photography: Jose Villa
Stationery: Rock Paper Scissors [invitations]; Paper Tangent [day-of signage]
Calligraphy: Meant To Be Calligraphy
Cake: Maggie Austin Cake
Music: Vintage Confidential [ceremony]; Ray Jarrell [reception]
Rentals: La Tavola Fine Linen; Party Rental Ltd.; Skyline Tent
Videography: Blueberry Creative
Bride’s Accessories: Catherine Ryder earrings; Tiffany & Co. bracelets; Miu Miu shoes
Hair: Remona Soleimani
Makeup: Made Up Art
Bridesmaid Dresses: Anna Elyse
Groom’s Suit and Shirt: Hugo Boss
Groom’s Accessories: Thomas Pink tie; Magnanni shoes
Transportation: Ambassador Limousines
Gelato: Splendora’s Gelato