A Morgantown Wedding and the Perfect Way To Celebrate West Virginia Day

WV Weddings staff

3 years ago

Olivia Michelle VanHorn & Gage Lee Sneed | 6.20.20 | Morgantown

Photographed by Maddi Randolph Photography

Olivia and Gage’s romance began when they sat next to each other in band in high school. Years later, Gage convinced Olivia to take a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, to celebrate her final spring break as an undergrad at West Virginia University. They had started ring shopping, so Olivia knew a proposal was coming, but didn’t expect it on their vacation. They were hiking at a state park outside of the city on a beautiful spring day, surrounded by picturesque mountains. “If I didn’t know the jeweler still had the ring,” Olivia said as she looked at the reflection of the clear blue sky in a nearby lake, “I’d expect you to pull it out and propose right now!” Spoiler alert: The jeweler didn’t have the ring.

The wedding took place on West Virginia Day at Olivia’s family’s Methodist church, a longtime dream of hers, and “Canon in D” played as she and her father walked down the aisle. She wore a cap-sleeved, off-the-shoulder chiffon gown with lace detailing and a column silhouette. Her mother’s veil, altered slightly to fit Olivia’s style, completed her look. Gage and his groomsmen wore navy tuxedos with blush-colored bow ties, while the bridesmaids dressed in champagne gowns to complete a color scheme that celebrated the couple’s Morgantown roots and West Virginia Day. The ceremony incorporated traditional vows and a unity candle. Their reception, downsized due to COVID-19, took place on the patio of a favorite Morgantown restaurant, overlooking the Monongahela River.

Olivia and Gage took advantage of newlywed title and shared the three available meal options, later cutting a two-tiered wedding cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream. After an impromptu Sunday brunch with family at “The Whipp” in Cheat Lake, the happy couple escaped to Harbor Island, South Carolina, to celebrate their nuptials. They later returned to Morgantown, where Olivia works in the WVU Athletics Department as an Assistant Director of Athletics Communications, and Gage as a canopy tour manager at WVU’s Outdoor Education Center.