To our Friends and Family,
We are so excited to celebrate our wedding with you in Richmond, Virginia! We feel so fortunate to have each and every one of you in our lives and cannot wait for October 6th!
More information will be added to this website.
Check back soon!
Love,
Lindsay & Scott
Please let us know if you’ll be in town during the day as there will be golf and tennis available.
But come evening, help us get this party started!!! Join us for nibbles, drinks and jazz at the
Welcome Party
8:00-11:00 pm
The Commonwealth Club
415 W Franklin Street
Attire is semi-formal; jacket and tie required.
ALL ARE INVITED
The Commonwealth Club is a full block from the Jefferson Hotel, so an easy walk. But if you need a ride, there will be a shuttle bus that will leave from the main lobby periodically. The Club is about 1.5 miles from the Courtyard, and there will also be a shuttle bus that will leave periodically from that main lobby. But if you don’t want to wait, there are plenty of Uber/Lyft drivers looking for business!
We’re excited to welcome you to Richmond! Some popular activities are listed under the Things To Do In Richmond section below. In case you can’t decide which of all those activities you want to do,
we’ve organized a tour of VMFA for you.
10:30am (time to be confirmed) guided tour of an exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Meet at the membership desk in the lobby—tell them you’re with the Luke party.
The museum is located at 200 N Boulevard, Richmond. https://www.vmfa.museum/
Whatever you choose to do, please keep your timing in mind!
We can’t wait for all the main festivities on Saturday evening!
Ceremony
5:30pm
St. Stephen’s Church
6000 Grove Avenue
Attire is Black tie.
There will be transportation from both hotels and we’ll provide more details later,
but assume that you will need to be ready to board the bus at 4:30 promptly!!
Immediately following the Ceremony, please join us for the reception at:
The Country Club of Virginia,
Westhampton Clubhouse
6031 Saint Andrews Lane
Attire is Black tie
Transportation will be provided from St. Stephen’s to the Club.
At the end of the evening return transportation to the Jefferson Hotel and the Courtyard will also be provided.
Afterwards, we plan to have a drink at the bar in the Jefferson Hotel!
We’d love to catch up and say good-bye and offer you something to eat and drink before you leave.
Please join us for brunch at:
The Jefferson Hotel
Empire Room (Main Lobby Level)
8:30am-11am
101 West Franklin Street
If you travel by plane or train, rental cars are not necessary,
but feel free to rent one if you feel it will give you more flexibility over the weekend.
BY PLANE
We recommend you fly into Richmond International Airport (RIC). Taxis and Uber/Lyft drivers are readily available at the airport. Both hotels are approximately 25 minutes drive from the airport.
If flying directly to RIC involves unpleasant connections, you can fly into Washington DC Dulles (IAD) or Washington Reagan National (DCA), however, those are a solid (with no traffic) two-hour drive from Richmond. If you choose this option and wish to use a car service we recommend, Richmond Limousine (reachable at (804) 266-2800 or RichmondLimo.com) or James Limousine (reachable at (804) 273-1540 or jameslimousine.com).
BY TRAIN
Amtrak runs a regular schedule from NYC and DC. Please note that there are two Richmond stations—Staples Mills (RVR) and the downtown Main Street Station (RVM). Service is great until you get to DC where they start single tracking heading south. This is a great option if you have plenty of time and don’t want the stress of driving or the expense of flying. However, please know that not once has the train arrived on time for any of our many trips over the past 12 years, so plan accordingly. The Main Street Station is a block from the Courtyard. You will want to catch an Uber/Lyft to the Jefferson Hotel.
BY CAR
Interstate 95 cuts right through Richmond, so the drive is uncomplicated if not terribly exciting. The drive from mid-town Manhattan to Richmond takes just over 6 hours with no traffic (but definitely expect some!!),
so this is also a good option as well if you live within driving distance.
We have reserved blocks of rooms for Friday and Saturday nights at two hotels.
If you are informed that the reserved block is full, please let Kathleen or Lindsay know
so that we can arrange for additional rooms.
THE JEFFERSON HOTEL: The Jefferson is a beautiful Richmond icon and a block from the rehearsal dinner and welcome party site (we will be staying here--there will also be a brunch there on Sunday am). For reservations at the Jefferson Hotel, please contact the reservations department at 804-649-4690 and mention the Gates-Luke block.
The department is open from 8am until 9pm Mon-Fri and 10am until 6pm on Saturday and Sundays.
THE DOWNTOWN COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT (and adjacent Residence Inn): The Courtyard is located about a mile and a half from the Jefferson, in historic Shockoe Bottom. For reservations at the Marriott Courtyard /Residence Inn, please use the reservation link below or you can call at (804) 754-0007 or (800) 228-9290, and mention the Luke/Gates wedding: Book your group rate for Luke / Gates Wedding
We hope you all can make it! We are so excited to celebrate with you!
There is a lot to do in Richmond! We have golf available on Friday and Saturday--please let us know if you want to play. And we have history, we have art, we have other museums, and we have plenty of outdoors to explore. Here are some things to do in each of those categories. https://www.visitrichmondva.com/
HISTORY
Richmond’s history dates back about 400 years to the first colonists who arrived in the country. Virginia played an important role in colonial, revolutionary era and civil war era American history. As Capital of Virginia since 1779, a lot of that history is local. Here are some of the best local sites for history buffs.
1. President Thomas Jefferson, who grew up down the road from Lindsay’s house at Tuckahoe Plantation, designed the Virginia State Capitol building, which is located in Capitol Square (walkable from both hotels). The park can be entered on Grace Street and runs between 9th and 12 streets and the buildings can be accessed from a new public entrance on the corner of 10th and Bank Street. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/richmond/virginiastatecapitol.html
2. The Civil War Museum (a short drive from both hotels) uniquely examines the war from multiple distinct viewpoints: Union and Confederate, enslaved and free African Americans, soldiers and civilians. https://acwm.org/ You can also tour the Museum of the Confederacy (at the White House of the Confederacy on the corner of 12th St. and E. Clay St.). https://www.whc200.org/programs/
3. President James Monroe, who along with President John Tyler (and CSA President Jefferson Davis), is buried at Hollywood Cemetery, which overlooks the James River (walking distance from Jefferson, short drive from Courtyard). https://www.hollywoodcemetery.org/about/about-hollywood-cemetery
4. The Virginia Historical Society (a short drive from the hotels) is an amazing repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history, including many of the presidential papers of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. https://www.virginiahistory.org/
5. Richmond is also famous for Monument Avenue (a short drive from the hotels), which has several monuments memorializing Virginia Confederate participants of the Civil War, as well as Arthur Ashe.
6. During the Revolutionary period, Patrick Henry gave his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech in 1775 at Richmond’s St. John’s Church (a short drive from the hotels). They re-enact the speech there every Sunday during the summer and the church can be toured in the off-season. https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/liberty-or-death-reenactments/
7. Chimborazo Medical Hospital, now a museum, was one of the largest, best-organized, and most sophisticated hospitals in the Confederacy. https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/chimborazo.htm
8. Battle of Richmond--main visitor center is at Tredegar Iron Works next to the Civil War Museum (above). https://www.nps.gov/rich/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm
9. The Valentine Museum (walking distance from both hotels), which includes the Wickham-Valentine house, has exhibits depicting Richmond urban and social history, costumes, textiles, decorative arts and architecture. https://thevalentine.org/
10. The home of Chief Justice John Marshall, who authored Marbury v. Madison, can be toured at the corner of 9th Street and Marshall (walking distance from the hotels). https://www.preservationvirginia.com/visit/historic-properties/the-john-marshall-house
11. The Black History Museum (a short drive from the hotels) is a repository for visual, oral and written records and artifacts commemorating the lives and accomplishments of Blacks in Virginia. http://blackhistorymuseum.org/plan-your-visit/
ART
1. Richmond has a vibrant art scene. The biggest art museum is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (a short drive from the hotels and next to the Virginia Historical Society). We have arranged for a docent to give a tour of the museum at 10:30 on Saturday morning--please meet next to the museum’s member’s desk. https://www.vmfa.museum/
2. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has one of the largest and best art schools in the country and has recently constructed its Institute for Contemporary Art (a short walk from the Jefferson and short drive from the Courtyard). It is expected to open this spring. http://ica.vcu.edu/about/
3. Richmond also has a vibrant gallery scene with many small galleries in the downtown area (near the hotels). http://richmondmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/galleries/art-guide/
OTHER MUSEUMS
Richmond also has other museums that are not focused on art, including:
1. The largest collection of memorabilia of Edgar Allen Poe, who lived for many years in Richmond, in the world (a short walk from the Courtyard and short drive from The Jefferson). The Poe Museum is housed in the oldest original building in Richmond (circa 1740). https://www.poemuseum.org/index
2. The Science Museum of Virginia (a short drive from the hotels) explores scientific inquiry. http://www.smv.org/about
OUTDOORS
Richmond has a wide diversity of outdoor activities.
1. Canal Walk--Richmond was established at a set of falls that blocked further navigation up the James River. George Washington surveyed and planned the canal that circumvents the falls starting in 1784. Stretching 1.25 miles along the James River and the Kahawha and Haxall canals, the Canal Walk has access points at nearly every block between 5th and 17th streets (a short walk from the Courtyard and short drive from the Jefferson). http://www.venturerichmond.com/experience/canal/index.html
2. Brown’s Island is an amazing, six-acre riverfront park located south of Tredegar Street between 5th Street and 12th Street on the James River. It was formed by the Haxell Canal and is part of the Canal Walk. https://www.visitrichmondva.com/listings/browns-island/4557/
3. Part of the James River Park System, the main access to Belle Isle is by pedestrian footbridge from Tredegar St. on the north shore (a short drive to access point). There are 54 acres of wooded trails, mountain biking trails, interpreted historical sites, fishing at the quarry pond, and a granite wall for rock climbing. Don’t toy with the adjacent Hollywood Rapids (Richmond is the only major metropolitan area in the country with Class IV rapids). https://www.visitrichmondva.com/listings/belle-isle/1255/
4. Richmond Slave Trail is a self-guided three mile trail that starts across the James River at the Manchester Docks, and follows a route through the location of the slave markets of Richmond, beside the Reconciliation Statue, past Lumpkin’s Slave Jail and the Negro Burial Ground to the First African Baptist Church, a center of African-American life in pre-Civil War Richmond. (A drive to the start of the trail, which ends in downtown Richmond not far from the hotels). https://www.virginia.org/Listings/HistoricSites/RichmondSlaveTrail
5. Stretching along nine blocks of West Cary Street from Thompson Street to Boulevard, Carytown bustles with locally owned restaurants, spas and shops selling jewelry, antiques, toys, clothing and furniture. (A short drive from hotels). https://www.visitrichmondva.com/listings/carytown-merchants-association/47/
6. Recognized as one of the top gardens in the U.S., Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden was voted #4 in USA Today's 10 Best Public Gardens contest. With year-round beauty on 50 acres, the Garden also offers great dining, shopping, exhibits and events. (15 min drive from the hotels). http://www.lewisginter.org/
7. Maymont is a 100-acre Victorian estate and public park, including a historic house museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, and a small zoo. https://maymont.org/
Richmond has become known for its great food scene. We’ll have you covered for dinners and brunch on Sunday,
but if you want to grab a bite on your own, here are some suggestions. Breakfast is available at both hotels.
DOWNTOWN (near the Jefferson)
TJ’s--in the lower lobby of the Jefferson Hotel
Lemaire--in the upper lobby of the Jefferson Hotel
Comfort, 200 W. Broad Street
Chez Foushee, 203 N. Grace Street
Perlys, 111 E. Grace Street
SHOCKOE BOTTOM AND CHURCH HILL (some may be a short drive)
Bistro Bobette, 1209 E. Cary Street
23rd & Main, 2300 E. Main Street
The Roosevelt, 623 N. 25th Street
Proper Pie Co, 2502 E. Broad Street
Milly’s diner--2603 E. Main. Street
The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing, 4708 E Old Main Street
CARYTOWN
The Daily, 2934 W. Cary Street
Greek on Cary, 3107 W. Cary Street
NEAR DOWNTOWN (a short drive)
Amuse, 200 N. Boulevard (at the VFMA)
Lunch and Supper, 1213-1215 Summit Ave. (Scott’s Addition)
Shagbark, 4901 Libbie Mill E. Blvd. (Scott’s Addition)
Peter Chang’s, 2816 W Broad St, (Scott’s Addition)
Stella’s-1012 Lafayette, Richmond (Near West End)
If you have some time on Sunday or want to extend your trip by a day or two,
there are a lot of things to do in the greater Richmond area.
1. The Virginia Capital Trail is a 54 mile dedicated, paved pedestrian and bicycle trail that runs along the scenic Route 5 corridor from the first settlement at Jamestown, to the first capital at Williamsburg to the present capital in Richmond. https://www.virginiacapitaltrail.org/
2. The Civil War Cold Harbor Battlefield Site, site of one of the final and bloodiest battles of the Civil War (about 25 minutes from the hotels). https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/cold-harbor.htm
3. Petersburg Battlefield--site of the longest siege of the Civil War (30 minutes from the hotels). https://www.nps.gov/pete/index.htm
4. The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737 and replaced Williamsburg as the capital of Virginia in 1779. Colonial Williamsburg (about 45 minutes away) is a wonderful place to visit. https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/
5. Richmond’s history dates back about 400 years to the first colonists who arrived in Jamestown (about an hour away) in 1607. https://historicjamestowne.org/
6. The American Revolution ended about an hour away with the Battle of Yorktown (an hour away). https://www.nps.gov/york/index.htm
7. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania (Chancellorsville)--the world’s second largest battlefield park (about an hour from the hotels). https://www.nps.gov/frsp/planyourvisit/index.htm
8. You can visit President Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello, near Charlottesville (a 75 minute drive). https://home.monticello.org/
9. President James Madison, lived with his wife, Dolly, at his home Montpelier (about 90 minutes away), which has been recently restored.
10. Appomatox Court House--where the Civil War ended (1 hour, 45 mins from hotels) https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm
If you think you might have a need for babysitting, please let us know as we have some excellent Mary Poppins types lined up! Please let Kathleen know at wv13@aol.com.
Please check back to make sure nothing has changed!! We’ll post something immediately if there’s something we want to make sure you know.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact us at lindsayandscott2018@gmail.com.
We’ll get right back to you!
