One day while at Vanderbilt University, Chris Garchitorena was running late to class. He ran into Nashville native Virginia Ingram, walking to her own class across a bridge that connected the school’s two campuses. “From that day on, he always ran a little late, to purposely cross paths,” Virginia says with a laugh. It was worth it—a romance blossomed.
Five years later, back in Nashville, Chris proposed. “There is an annual white-tie ball in Nashville benefiting the Nashville Symphony, and Chris proposed at my childhood home before the ball,” Virginia remembers. “He used it as a guise to have his siblings, parents, and friends in town without drawing any suspicion.” After Virgina accepted, the group hopped in a limousine and continued celebrating at the ball.
At the time of the wedding, the couple was based in New York City (they’ve since moved back to Nashville), so “one of the most notable elements of our wedding was that we were married on the farm where I grew up,” Virginia says. “I got dressed in the home where I was raised, had my first look where I learned how to ride a bike, said ‘I do’ where I learned to ride my first pony, and danced the night away where I learned to drive.”
Post-wedding, the private estate would come to have even more special meaning: “The farm is also where we live now and where we hope to raise our children.” They enlisted wedding planner and designer Dana Windrow of Page & Windrow, who took this idea and ran with it, infusing the weekend of events with moments that signified “coming home.” It all began with the invitations by Tenn Hens Design, which featured hand-painted trifold “gates” that matched the property’s entrance.
For all that the wedding was an ode to Virgina’s childhood, the rehearsal dinner was an ode to Chris’s; the groom grew up in New York. The Friday night event featured taxicab escort cards that guests could take as keepsakes, a watercolor painting of Central Park as a backdrop, and pops of yellow florals to mimic the cabs.
Virginia paired a Valentino dress with yellow diamond earrings for the rehearsal—another nod to New York and her favorite color. Jewelry was an important element throughout the entire weekend. In fact, for Virginia, selecting the jewelry to go with her Monique Lhuillier wedding dress was as much an experience as finding the dress itself. “My grandmother has always been, as she describes, a connoisseur of beautiful things,” Virginia says of her grandmother, Martha Ingram, former CEO of Ingram Industries. “When I asked her if I could borrow jewelry for our wedding, she happily obliged and we spent the afternoon playing dress up and talking about all the stories connected to each item in her jewelry armoire.” Virginia selected a necklace purchased by her grandmother years prior in Palm Beach. “She said she went back the next day to buy the earrings too because she found the design so lovely. . . My grandfather loved to surprise her with jewelry; however, what I find equally fitting is that a significant portion she purchased for herself.”
For the after-party, Virginia chose diamond drop earrings to go with her Ronalina dress and Loeffler Randall shoes. “I wanted something unique, elegant, and jaw-dropping for my second dress to counterbalance the timeless lace of the wedding dress,” she says. “I was originally drawn to Ronalina’s designs for their tasteful yet sophisticated sparkle. A quick 24-hour trip to ALouise Boutique in San Diego was all it took for me to be absolutely captivated by the dress.” Dover Hair & Makeup and Annelise Carey beautified her for the big day.
On May 25, 2024, Virginia and Chris were married in a tented ceremony near the hollow tree where she grew up having campfires. The floral design team at Tulip Tree recreated Virgina’s mother’s garden beneath the tent, inspired by the blooms, arches, and topiaries on the property. There were cut florals, and boxwoods, and living trees that were later planted as an everlasting memory of the wedding day.
For Virgina, it felt surreal. “I felt all the anticipation, excitement, and nerves, but also an overwhelming gratitude for the two most important men in my life: my dad and Chris,” she says. “While saying our vows, it felt as if no one else was present other than Chris, and after the ceremony ended, I was flooded with such overwhelming joy unlike anything I have ever experienced.”
The reception setting brought things even more full circle. Set beneath a Chattanooga Tent, with lighting and draping by Nashville Event Lighting and Quest Events Nashville, it was a further ode to the location. Catalpa trees that bloom every year on the property became a motif; the production team even created a faux 28-foot-tall tree to serve as the centerpiece of the tent. Guests found their seats on real horseshoe escort cards, and a chandelier dripped with candle wax. “The reception space captured a timeless sophistication and romantic elegance marked by soft lighting, glitters of gold, and the warmth of flickering candles,” Virginia says. Place settings were meant to mimic those from her grandmother’s formal dinner parties and were plated with gourmet dishes from Kristen Winston Catering. Whiskey tasting stations served up varietals distilled by the bride’s brother’s whiskey company.
A 12-piece band, The Band Method, performed “Meet Virginia” by Train for the couple’s first dance, which kicked off a night of celebration. “My favorite part of the reception was dancing the night away with our friends and family, especially the exciting moment when Chris jumped off of the stage to crowd surf,” Virginia says. “After the reception, a disco-cowboy-themed party emerged. Guests were given glow rings and cowboy hats rimmed with neon lights while a DJ kept us all dancing.” Naturally, mini New York hot dogs and Nashville hot chicken sliders were served.