Re-creating the Roaring Twenties

​​Beckley natives Madison Birchfield and Lars Swanson bring Old-Hollywood opulence to Mia Bella Grand.

Madison Birchfield & Lars Swanson
White Oak | 09.16.24

Written by Tara Wine-Queen  
 
Photographed by GOREgeous Photography

Madison Birchfield and Lars Swanson met at a Model United Nations when they were in high school but attending different schools. “Lars was sort of a mythical creature,” Madison says. “I’d heard about Lars but had never seen Lars, so that was the first time I saw him, and I thought, ‘You know, he’s pretty cute. I’d like to get to know him better.’” After a brief period of dating, they parted ways before heading off to college. Their separation was short-lived, however, and they found each other again while both attending Marshall University.

Once they reconnected, Madison and Lars were in it to stay. After graduation, they moved to Morgantown, pursued advanced degrees at West Virginia University, then realized they were ready for the next step. Madison knew a proposal was imminent, but she didn’t know exactly when it might come. “I knew it was our time,” Lars says. “I had had the ring for quite some time, and I was just waiting for the right moment.”

That moment presented itself in late December 2021. They had made plans to have dinner in Fayetteville, and since it was a surprisingly warm December day, Lars suggested a quick detour to the New River Gorge Bridge Overlook in Lansing. Once there, he proposed with a pear-shaped solitaire ring. “It was in those kind of weird days between Christmas and New Year’s where spirits are high, the holidays are happening, and so we just wanted another reason to celebrate. That’s the magic of the holidays.”

planning the perfect party

When it came time to plan the big day, Madison and Lars knew they wanted their wedding to be an experience. “We really wanted it to feel like a Gatsby party—not just to look like it, but to feel like it, with all the particulars.” says Madison. Like Gatsby, they found a mansion—Mia Bella Grand in White Oak—looking out across waters for their Roaring Twenties–themed wedding. While Gatsby’s green light didn’t shine across the way, there was plenty of green woven throughout the ceremony and reception, as verdant hues featured heavily.

After trying on dozens of dresses at different shops, Madison finally found the one that ticked all her boxes on the first try at The Boutique by B.Belle Events in Charleston. With intricate lace and geometric beading, the bride’s elegant Old Hollywood–style dress reflected the theme. She paired it with a pearl-accented veil and an heirloom art deco emerald ring. Emerald was also the color of her bridesmaids’ dresses, the ladies donning floor-length chiffon gowns with delicately beaded shoulder details. To complement his bride and her attendants, the groom wore a classic black tuxedo with an emerald bow tie and heirloom cuff links for his own touch of the classic.

The columned colonial main house at Mia Bella Grand stands on a rise above a picturesque pond, the perfect backdrop for the open-air ceremony Madison’s grandfather officiated for her and Lars. The sprawling outdoor space allowed the couple to create areas for photo opportunities and more intimate gatherings of smaller groups. Madison’s mother, Sarah, and her “aunt squad” helped to put together the scenes with immaculate attention to detail. An outdoor seating area with vintage green velvet furnishings sat near the cigar bar. “My mother loves thrifting and collecting,” Madison says. “So all those things were from her collection.”

Nods to the decade were placed strategically throughout the venue: vintage clothing and accessories were available for playing dress-up and taking photos, and vintage champagne glasses abounded. Each table was layered with lush velvets and satins with gold and feather accents to evoke the era. The multi-tier art deco cake created by Posh Manna out of Daniels featured edible gold and sequins. The couple were also given a sweet family surprise when Madison’s young cousins, dressed as newsboys, distributed old-fashioned newspapers celebrating the nuptials.

A vintage Mercedes parked under a willow tree beside the water made a timeless setting for pictures, including some of Madison’s favorites from the day. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that was an old picture.”

Ceremonies and celebrations

Madison and Lars wanted to write their own vows but opted to share those privately with one another while standing back-to-back prior to the public ceremony. “To be honest, I wanted Lars to cry,” Madison laughs. Let it be noted that she got her wish. “We’re private people. I don’t know that we could’ve gotten through it in front of the whole family.”

Madison walked down the aisle to a beaming Lars as “Turning Page” by Sleeping At Last played in the background. Joining them to witness the “I do’s” was a cardboard cut-out of their dog Lucy, who couldn’t be there but was present in spirit. Her grandfather oversaw the traditional vow exchange, which ended with a joyful pondside kiss.

Colleagues of Lars played jazz throughout the day, and his longtime friend Kid in the Background DJed the reception with input from the couple. They danced their first dance to The Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love” to set an upbeat mood for the reception.

Throughout the evening, the couple was surprised and delighted as person after person stepped up to toast them, lending them the full force of the love and support of their families and friends gathered on their special day. It was one of the final moments of the evening that sticks out as particularly poignant for the pair: When their guests lifted their sparklers around the newlyweds against the dark sky, lighting their faces for all of the joy there to be seen. “It was just so sweet to see all of our friends and loved ones so happy and there to celebrate us.”

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