The Jefferson Hotel: Holiday Traditions & a Wedding Proposal in the Heart of Richmond, Virginia by Sheri B Doyle

Over 20 years ago, my husband proposed to me at The Jefferson Hotel. We had flown there from Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Richmond, Va. When we arrived at The Jefferson Hotel, we were welcomed into a beautiful and luxurious world.

A large statue of Thomas Jefferson stands in the middle of the lobby, along with historic architectural details and the beginning of a grand staircase, so grand that it was the model for the staircase in Gone With the Wind.

Within minutes of checking into our room, the phone rang. My then-boyfriend started acting more nervous than he had been all day. He hurried us out of the room with some story of a problem, then told me I had to wait at the bottom of the staircase in an even grander room with four-story ceilings and beautiful couches arranged for small groups to socialize. As I sat there, a man began to play the baby grand piano across the room. My boyfriend joined me on the couch and proposed to me.

That weekend, as my life transformed, so did the hotel. The lobby filled with holiday decorations, including a massive handmade gingerbread house. A large antique nativity scene stands in an opposite corner of the lobby and on the ground floor, where I once said "yes" to a very nervous man, a huge Christmas tree and more holiday decorations helped transform the hotel into a winter wonderland. 

It is now a yearly event for us to celebrate the season together as a family over drinks, laughter and the celebration of our lives together. The joy of celebrating a tradition in such a beautiful location always fills our family with the holiday spirit and the anticipation of more memories to be shared together.

Photos courtesy of Sherri B. Doyle.

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