A bride and groom in wedding attire kiss in front of a mountain landscape at Solara Ridge.

A Family Affair at Solara Ridge: Gia and Ray’s Bold, Community Filled Wedding

Bold. Joyful. A little wild in the best way. That’s the only way to describe Gia and Ray’s wedding at Solara Ridge, and it’s exactly the kind of day that reminds me why I love photographing weddings that are built by hand instead of ordered from a catalog. Gia and Ray kicked off our fall wedding season with stunning mountain views at the Solara Ridge Glass House style wedding venue, with rich jewel tone aesthetic and an epic sunset. 

Outdoor patio at Solara Ridge with standing cocktail tables featuring draped fabric, adjacent to a glass house event venue overlooking a mountain range.

A Brand New Glass House Venue With Views For Days

If you haven’t heard of Solara Ridge yet, you will soon. This Scandinavian style glass house venue opened just a few months ago, perched on a hill with the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching out behind it in every direction. The morning started out rainy, and for a while we genuinely thought we might be looking at a full rain out. But the sky cleared right on cue, the sun came through with some real heat behind it, and by evening we had soft rolling fog and a sunset that had every single guest outside with their phones out. If you’re searching for wedding venues near Charlottesville with mountain views, this one belongs at the top of your list.

A sunlit banquet hall at Solara Ridge with round tables, wooden cross-back chairs, and large windows overlooking a forested landscape.

Family Hands, Every Step Of The Way

Here’s the thing about Gia and Ray’s day that made it so special: almost none of it came from a vendor catalog. It was built by the people who love them.

When I arrived at the hotel that morning, Gia’s mom and her aunt were sitting together assembling boutonnieres, working in the DIY greenery that would later be added into Gia’s bouquet. It’s one of my favorite kinds of moments to photograph, hands that have known each other a lifetime, working together on something small and meaningful before the day gets big.

That thread continued all the way to the ceremony. Gia’s grandfather, a pastor, officiated the wedding himself. There’s something genuinely moving about watching a family member step into that role, and you could feel how much it meant to everyone in those chairs. As Gia walked down the aisle, a family member with an incredible voice sang live, completely unamplified, no microphone needed. It’s the kind of detail that no amount of styling or florals can manufacture. It just has to come from people who love you.

Weddings like this are a good reminder that the most memorable parts of a wedding day are rarely the things you can buy. They’re the things your people make for you.

An outdoor wedding ceremony setup at Solara Ridge featuring a stone aisle, wooden folding chairs, and two large floral arches decorated with red and white flowers against a backdrop of mountains and forest.

Bold Color, Big Drama

While the family moments were quiet and tender, the design of this wedding was anything but. Gia and Ray went bold with a palette of deep maroon, dark green, and black, a striking contrast against a classic black and white checkerboard dance floor. It read upscale and a little moody in the best way, especially with those mountain views as a backdrop.

My favorite design moment of the night, hands down, was the reception reveal. The space was divided from cocktail hour with full floor to ceiling draping, so guests had no idea what was waiting on the other side. When it was time, the drapes pulled back to unveil the fully styled reception space in one dramatic sweep. It’s a genuinely great trick if you’re planning a reception and want that big reaction moment.

Guests also received custom printed scarves for the reception entrance, each one stitched with little details from Gia and Ray’s story and their combined initials. The whole room waved them overhead as the couple made their entrance, and that energy did not let up all night. Cake cutting, bouquet toss, guests up on chairs waving scarves in the air again, it all had the same electric, everybody’s in on it feeling.

Gia also switched things up after the ceremony with a second look, a fresh hairstyle put together by her stylist just for the reception. It’s a fun detail if you’re a bride trying to decide whether a second look is worth the effort. It absolutely can be.

Wedding guests seated at tables at the Glass House hold up napkins in the air during a celebration.

The First Dance, In The Best Possible Light

If I had to pick one image from this entire wedding to put on a highlight reel, it would be from Gia and Ray’s first dance. They had put together a fully choreographed routine, spins, a lift, all of it, and they nailed every bit of it. The room let out a huge cheer right as he lifted her at the end.

The timing could not have worked out better. It was right around sunset, and Solara Ridge’s glass house walls let the light pour in behind them as they danced. I ended up with some sun flare across the lens in a few frames, which normally is something I’m trying to avoid, but in this moment it added exactly the kind of drama the shot needed. Completely unplanned and one of my favorite images from the entire gallery.

Congratulations, Gia and Ray. Thank you for letting me be part of a day built by so many hands that love you.

A bride in a white wedding gown and a groom in a white tuxedo jacket kissing outdoors at Solara Ridge, with mountains in the background.

Wedding vendors at Solara Ridge

Venue: @solararidge
Coordinator: @dovelyeventplanning
Photography and videography: @photography_byjo
Catering: @candocatering
Hair: @siddityyyhairr
Cake: @malihacakery
Bridal look: @jmajorsbridal
Florals: Bride’s family

Solara Ridge Wedding Photos

  • A diamond engagement ring in a purple velvet box and a plain gold wedding band rest on a Solara Ridge wedding invitation reading g + r and September 5th 2026, decorated with calla lilies and ribbons.
  • Two purple calla lily stems with two gold wedding bands and one diamond engagement ring resting on their stalks at Solara Ridge.
  • Two wedding rings and an engagement ring from Solara Ridge rest on an open book filled with handwritten text, accented by a purple calla lily.
  • A strapless white wedding dress with floral embroidery hanging from a window frame at the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • Outdoor ceremony space with wooden chairs facing the Solara Ridge glass house and a mountain range in the distance.
  • A woman in a white lace robe applies lipstick to a young girl at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown at a glass house holds out her lace-trimmed veil, surrounded by four bridesmaids in dresses of varying shades.
  • A bride in a strapless white wedding gown and veil holds a bouquet of burgundy and green flowers in front of a stone wall at Solara Ridge.
  • A person in a white wedding dress holds a bouquet of burgundy calla lilies, orchids, and white snapdragons at the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • An outdoor wedding ceremony setup at Solara Ridge featuring a stone aisle, wooden folding chairs, and two large floral arches decorated with red and white flowers against a backdrop of mountains and forest.
  • Two pedestals draped in white fabric and decorated with arrangements of burgundy, pink, and white flowers, positioned in front of rows of wooden folding chairs at the Glass House in Goode, VA.
  • Guests gather for an outdoor wedding reception in front of the Glass House at Solara Ridge, featuring a modern glass building with a mountain backdrop.
  • A decorative handheld fan with a wedding monogram rests amidst a floral arrangement of white, red, and burgundy roses and green hydrangeas at Solara Ridge.
  • Two freestanding wedding floral pillars decorated with white and burgundy flowers and greenery, standing on a Solara Ridge patio overlooking a hillside.
  • Guests in formal attire socialize on the patio of a glass house event venue in Goode, VA.
  • A three-tier white wedding cake at Solara Ridge, decorated with fresh roses, grapes, figs, blackberries, and strawberries, displayed on a pedestal stand atop a burgundy tablecloth.
  • An event space at Solara Ridge with round tables set for a meal, featuring white tablecloths, wooden cross-back chairs, and large cream-colored drapes against a wall of windows.
  • A gold-framed table number card reading Table Eleven next to a centerpiece of white roses, hydrangeas, and dark red flowers at Solara Ridge in Goode, VA.
  • A formal table setting at Solara Ridge featuring a menu card with a monogram and a Our Story timeline, flanked by silverware and crystal glassware.
  • A woman in a green dress holds a white folding fan while seated at an outdoor ceremony at the Solara Ridge glass house in Goode, VA.
  • A woman kisses an older woman on the cheek while they sit in a crowd of guests at an outdoor wedding at Solara Ridge.
  • A smiling groom in a black tuxedo stands before a floral arch at a Solara Ridge outdoor wedding ceremony.
  • A bride in a strapless wedding gown with a veil and a man in a black tuxedo walk arm-in-arm down an outdoor aisle at Solara Ridge.
  • A wedding officiant performs a ceremony for a bride and groom at Solara Ridge, while a guest in the foreground points toward the sky.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and veil stands beside a man in a black tuxedo during an outdoor ceremony at Solara Ridge, with guests watching in the background.
  • A bride and groom embrace during an outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge, officiated by a man standing before two large floral arrangements with mountains in the background.
  • An officiant in robes performs a wedding ceremony for a bride and groom standing before a floral arch at the Glass House in Goode, VA.
  • Guests seated outdoors at a glass house wedding holding white folding fans.
  • A bride and groom stand at an altar decorated with floral arches, facing an officiant during an outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge with mountains in the background.
  • A bride and groom stand before an officiant at a Glass House wedding ceremony in Goode, VA, flanked by two large floral arrangements.
  • A smiling bride in a white wedding gown and veil stands facing her groom at an outdoor altar at Solara Ridge, with a bridesmaid holding a bouquet standing nearby.
  • A bride laughs while reading vows to her groom during an outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge, with bridesmaids and an officiant standing nearby.
  • A bride and groom stand at an altar decorated with red and white flowers at a Solara Ridge wedding, with guests seated on both sides of a stone aisle overlooking a mountain landscape.
  • Guests seated in wooden chairs at an outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge, with a Reserved sign hanging on one of the chairs.
  • Guests seated in wooden chairs at an outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride and groom stand at an altar decorated with white and red flowers at Solara Ridge, overlooking a mountain landscape during their outdoor wedding ceremony.
  • A bride and groom exchange rings at Solara Ridge, officiated by a man in a white robe standing between two large floral pillars with a mountain backdrop.
  • A bride and groom stand side-by-side at a draped table during an outdoor wedding ceremony at the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • An officiant in white liturgical robes stands at a table speaking during an outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge in front of a floral arch.
  • Bride and groom kissing at the altar between two floral arches on the Solara Ridge mountain terrace, with wedding party members and guests gathered around them.
  • A bride and groom kiss at an outdoor altar decorated with red and white flowers at Solara Ridge, with mountains in the background and guests watching from the foreground.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and a groom in a black tuxedo walk hand-in-hand down an outdoor wedding aisle at Solara Ridge, lined with floral arrangements against a backdrop of mountains.
  • A bride and groom hold hands walking down the aisle after their outdoor wedding ceremony at Solara Ridge, flanked by large floral arrangements with mountains in the background.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and veil stands between two floral arches outdoors at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and veil stands between two large floral arrangements of red, pink, and white flowers in a mountain field at Solara Ridge in Goode, VA.
  • A wedding party consisting of a bride, groom, and three women posing in front of two large floral arches outdoors at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown stands with a woman in a light pink dress who is kissing her on the cheek, framed by two large floral arrangements at the Solara Ridge with mountains in the background.
  • A bride, groom, and young flower girl pose for a portrait in front of a floral arch at Solara Ridge, with mountains in the background.
  • A bride and groom stand between two large floral arches at Solara Ridge during their wedding ceremony, accompanied by three groomsmen and two bridesmaids, with mountains in the background.
  • Bride and groom kissing surrounded by their wedding party on a stone patio at Solara Ridge, overlooking mountain scenery.
  • A place setting at a wedding reception at Solara Ridge featuring a salad with apples and pecans on a decorative plate, with wine glasses and a menu card.
  • A round event table at Solara Ridge set with white linens, wooden cross-back chairs, place settings with salad plates, and a floral centerpiece of red and white flowers.
  • Round dining tables with wooden cross-back chairs arranged in a glass house overlooking the green mountain landscape of Goode, VA.
  • A sunlit banquet hall at Solara Ridge with round tables, wooden cross-back chairs, and large windows overlooking a forested landscape.
  • A plate with a side salad placed on a table set for a formal event at Solara Ridge, featuring a large floral centerpiece and glasses under bright natural light in the glass house.
  • A Find the Guest bingo game card sits on a table at the Glass House next to two empty wine glasses, a wooden fan, and a stack of napkins at Solara Ridge.
  • A framed sign on an easel reads The Wheelers with the date EST. 09/05/26, set against a backdrop of wedding guests and the glass house at Solara Ridge.
  • A view of rolling mountains and forest seen from the stone patio of the Solara Ridge glass house, with ornamental grasses in the foreground.
  • A sweetheart table set for two at the Glass House, decorated with large floral arrangements and surrounded by lanterns with lit candles in front of a window overlooking the Solara Ridge mountains.
  • Guests socialize at a Solara Ridge wedding reception inside a glass house, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and large chandelier lighting.
  • Wedding guests seated at tables at the Glass House hold up napkins in the air during a celebration.
  • A bride and groom share their first dance inside the sunlit glass house at Solara Ridge, while guests seated at tables wave napkins in celebration.
  • Wedding guests at tables in the sunlit Glass House venue wave red and white napkins in the air.
  • Wedding guests seated at a table at the Glass House laugh and wave napkins in the air.
  • A bride in a white gown spins while dancing with her groom on a black-and-white checkered dance floor at Solara Ridge in front of wedding guests.
  • A bride and groom dance together on a checkered dance floor at a Goode VA wedding reception.
  • A bride and groom dancing on a checkered floor in the Solara Ridge glass house, with wedding guests seated at tables in the background.
  • A bride and groom hold hands while dancing on a black-and-white checkered dance floor at Solara Ridge, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows.
  • A groom in a white tuxedo jacket lifts his bride in a white wedding gown on a black-and-white dance floor at Solara Ridge while guests watch from their tables.
  • A bride in a full gown and a groom in a suit dancing together on the reception floor at Solara Ridge in front of large windows.
  • A woman in a light-colored dress stands at a wedding reception at Solara Ridge, speaking into a microphone while guests seated at a round table listen.
  • A person in a suit holds up a maroon cloth napkin at the Solara Ridge Glass House, printed with various graphics including California Summer, 757, NASA, and the initials GR.
  • A framed cocktail menu titled The Gia and The Ray next to a brass desk lamp with a dark green shade inside the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • A vertical white frame at Solara Ridge displaying eight framed photographs of a person, with the words In Loving Memory at the top and a small green wall sconce attached.
  • A tall, round bistro table with a white cloth holds a small lamp, a stack of sharpened pencils, and a printed card in front of a Solara Ridge window overlooking mountains.
  • Ornamental grasses frame the view of the Solara Ridge, with a dense, green forest and mountain range rising in the background.
  • Outdoor patio at Solara Ridge with standing cocktail tables featuring draped fabric, adjacent to a glass house event venue overlooking a mountain range.
  • Tall ornamental grasses in the foreground looking out over the Solara Ridge forested mountain range under a partly cloudy sky.
  • Sunlit forest view looking toward the layered mountain ridges of Solara Ridge.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and a groom in a white tuxedo and black trousers stand facing each other while holding a floral bouquet, with the mountains of Goode VA in the background.
  • A bride in a white strapless gown and a groom in a white tuxedo jacket and black bowtie stand together at Solara Ridge, holding a bouquet of pink and purple flowers.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and a groom in a white tuxedo jacket kissing outdoors at Solara Ridge, with mountains in the background.
  • A bride in a strapless white gown and a groom in a white tuxedo jacket and black bowtie look at each other at Solara Ridge, the bride holding a bouquet of purple calla lilies.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown and a groom in a white tuxedo jacket walk hand-in-hand outdoors at Solara Ridge with mountains in the background.
  • A bride and groom hold hands while walking across the Solara Ridge stone patio, the bride looking back at the camera.
  • A groom in a white tuxedo jacket kisses the forehead of his bride in a strapless gown while they hold hands outdoors at Solara Ridge.
  • A smiling bride in a strapless white wedding dress stands on a Solara Ridge stone patio with mountains in the background.
  • A man smiling in a white tuxedo jacket with a black bow tie and black trousers at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride and groom in wedding attire kiss in front of a mountain landscape at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride and groom in wedding attire embrace outdoors at Solara Ridge in front of a mountain landscape.
  • A framed sign on an easel displaying The Wheelers and EST. 09/05/26 over a floral illustration, placed next to a table with a telephone on the Solara Ridge patio.
  • A groom in a white tuxedo and a bride in a strapless white wedding dress pose on the glass house dance floor, surrounded by smiling wedding guests.
  • A group of people celebrating at a table near a large window at Solara Ridge, with two women in the background holding up napkins in the air.
  • A man in a tuxedo shirt and two women in evening gowns dance on a checkered floor at the Solara Ridge glass house, waving fabric napkins in the air during the reception.
  • A bride and groom laugh at their sweetheart table at the Glass House while a man in a suit speaks at a microphone, all framed by large floral arrangements and lanterns.
  • Two women smiling and looking to the side while seated at a table inside the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • A man smiles at a Solara Ridge banquet table as another guest beside him raises a cloth napkin into the air.
  • A woman in a rose-colored gown and a man in a white tuxedo jacket dance together at a wedding reception at the Glass House in Goode, VA.
  • A man in a tuxedo dancing at a Solara Ridge reception, with guests seated at tables in the background.
  • A bride in a white strapless gown and a groom in a black tuxedo dance together on a checkered floor at the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • A bride in a strapless floral gown and a groom in a tuxedo dance on a black and white checkered floor inside the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • Wedding guests cheering and waving napkins in the air during a reception at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride and groom in wedding attire kiss while feeding each other a bite of their tiered white wedding cake at the Solara Ridge glass house.
  • A smiling woman in an off-the-shoulder gold gown sits at a Solara Ridge banquet table next to a man in a tuxedo, holding a red ceremonial napkin at the Goode Va glass house.
  • Four women in formal gowns stand together at a Solara Ridge wedding reception in front of a floral arch.
  • A woman with dark curly hair wearing a maroon sleeveless dress dances at a Solara Ridge wedding reception, holding a piece of fabric above her head.
  • A bride in a white strapless gown throws her bouquet on a black-and-white checkered dance floor at Solara Ridge, with wedding guests watching in the background.
  • A group of women in formal dresses dance on a black and white checkered floor at a Solara Ridge wedding reception.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown sits in a chair at the Glass House, looking up in surprise at her groom, who stands before her in a white tuxedo jacket and black trousers at their wedding reception.
  • A group of women in formal dresses dancing on a black and white checkered floor at a Solara Ridge wedding reception.
  • A group of women in formal evening gowns dancing on a black and white checkered floor at a Solara Ridge wedding reception.
  • Three-tiered white wedding cake decorated with fresh grapes, strawberries, blackberries, figs, and white roses, displayed on a pedestal stand on a burgundy tablecloth at Solara Ridge.
  • A bride in a white wedding gown embraces a woman in a long, dark red dress at Solara Ridge.
  • Two women raise their hands in celebration while seated at a round table inside the Glass House at Solara Ridge.
  • Guests dancing on a checkered dance floor at the Glass House, with some holding plates of food.
  • A woman in a navy blue dress and a man in a blue suit dance together on a checkered floor at a Solara Ridge wedding reception.
  • A thank-you note placed at a wedding table setting at Solara Ridge, surrounded by wine glasses and folded paper fans.
  • A framed wedding sign featuring calla lilies and the text The Wheelers EST. 09/05/26 on an easel next to a vintage telephone at Solara Ridge.
  • Wedding guests dancing on a black-and-white checkered floor at a Solara Ridge reception.
  • Three men in formal tuxedos and one man in a light-colored suit dance together at a Goode VA wedding reception at Solara Ridge.
  • Guests dance on a black and white checkered floor at a Solara Ridge wedding reception while holding decorative handheld fans.
  • A group of people in formal wear dancing on a black and white checkered floor at a Solara Ridge celebration.
  • A group of people dancing at an indoor event at Solara Ridge, with some attendees waving white napkins in the air.
  • Two women in formal gowns dance together at a wedding reception at Solara Ridge.
  • A man in a blue suit dances with guests on a black and white checkered dance floor at the Glass House.
  • A group of people dancing at a party in a dimly lit Glass House venue.
  • A bride and groom in wedding attire dance at a Solara Ridge reception, surrounded by clapping guests in the glass house.