Axios Richmond

May 13, 2025
Good morning, Richmond!
π§οΈ Today's weather: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. High near 71.
π§ Sounds like: "Chapel of Love," by The Dixie Cups
π Be a key supporter of our newsroom by becoming an Axios Richmond member.
Today's newsletter is 904 words β a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: π Vegas-style weddings land in RVA
Lucky in Love, a Vegas-style wedding chapel, is opening in Richmond next month.
Why it matters: The downtown chapel will offer all-inclusive same-day weddings and elopements, plus planned micro-weddings β all for a fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding.
The big picture: Chapel co-owner and licensed wedding officiant Tia Ballard is on a mission to give local couples their perfect day, regardless of their budget, she tells Axios.
- With Lucky in Love, she'll "have a home base" and an opportunity to give even more local couples a stress-free, budget-conscious wedding.
State of play: The team is in the process of decking out the chapel at 402 E. Grace St. in red and pink with a vintage flair.
- Lucky in Love has space for around 20 guests, plus the happy couple, who just need to get their marriage license from the courthouse in advance.
- Lucky in Love will handle the rest.
Zoom in: Couples can choose from three packages:
- The "Virginia is for Elopers," which gets you "in and out" and legally married in 30 minutes.
- The second tier, "Picture Perfect Couple," includes an hour in the chapel and a photographer, with optional flower add-ons.
- And "The Jackpot" package includes everything, plus a cake from Pearl Bake Shopee and a sparkling cider toast.

By the numbers: Lucky in Love packages start at around $550 for the elopement and top out at $2,500.
- That's far less than the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. this year, which, according to The Knot, is around $33,000, Axios' Sami Sparber reports β and couples are bracing for pricier weddings following President Trump's tariffs.
What they're saying: "People are caring less about tradition. [Couples today] are prioritizing home ownership over big weddings," Ballard tells Axios.
What's next: Online bookings open this week and Lucky in Love will open on Friday, June 13.
2. πͺ¦ Retirement checks for the dead
Richmond has paid over half a million dollars to 44 dead people in the past nine years, according to a recent audit of the city's retirement system.
Why it matters: It's yet another example of why many Richmonders have lost trust in the city's ability to properly handle taxpayer dollars.
Driving the news: The city audit, released Friday, says the Richmond Retirement System (RRS) not only failed to prevent and detect the problem but hasn't recovered most of the money.
- One retired City Hall employee received nearly $250,000 in benefit payments over seven years after his death.
What they found: The payments happened because of "several control weaknesses," per the audit, including:
- Management not knowing this was happening.
- Staff failing to identify when a retiree died.
- Inconsistent tracking of overpayments.
- Not acting to recover overpayments even when identified.
Between the lines: These overpayments are a small fraction of the total benefits RRS administers.
- RRS βΒ which is governed by a seven-member board βΒ also wrote to the city that privacy law changes have made getting death information increasingly difficult.
Keep reading for the improvements already underway
3. π The Current: An LG write-in candidate
π³οΈ Williamsburg-area businessman John Curran, who failed to garner enough signatures to qualify for the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, is launching a write-in campaign for the post amid the recent Republican ticket controversy. (Times-Dispatch)
- When asked about it, Republican Lt. Gov. nominee John Reid's campaign said in a statement: "Who?"
πΏπ¦ 49 white South Africans landed at Dulles airport yesterday as refugees, months after the Trump administration paused the nation's refugee program for people fleeing war or persecution. (Washington Post)
- They will be resettled in 10 other states.
π« Anytime Beer Co., formerly Tabol Brewing, closed over the weekend. They sold their Northside taproom and production facility to an undisclosed buyer and are now looking for a new home. (BizSense)
4. π« Please don't film that squat
People are over influencers and others who record themselves in gyms and group fitness studios to make content to share on TikTok or Instagram.
Why it matters: Some places, like BOHO Studios in Richmond, have banned filming or phones to curb privacy concerns and distractions.
Zoom in: That's to promote unplugging and "dedicating time for yourself and what you need that day," owner AnnMarie Grohs tells Axios.
Zoom out: Gym attendees nationwide have vented online about influencers filming during group classes, calling it rude and urging them to book private sessions.
- Some say they now sit up front to avoid the cameras.
- And big chains like Crunch Fitness, which has five locations in the Richmond area, have prohibited filming clients without their permission.
The bottom line: Check your fitness clubs' rules before whipping the phone out.
5. π₯― The bagel to get on your way to work
Sabrina here. Nothing calls me to a place faster than when someone says the food keeps selling out.
That's how I found myself at Julio's Bagels, the city's newest bagel shop, in Brookland Park this weekend.
- Julio's has become known for the consistently winding line out the door in the two weeks since it opened.
- While I got through within 20 minutes, and had my boiled-and-baked bagel in hand less than 10 minutes later, I was one of the last to order before they sold out.
- That was just before 10:30am Saturday. They opened at 9am.

What I got: A salt bagel with cheddar, egg, hot sauce, butter and bacon (about $11). Rest of the menu
Verdict: It might be my new favorite bagel spot for when I need a good salty, cheesy and saucy crunch (sorry, Nate's).
Tell someone you want to get there early with
π© Sabrina now wants a kitchen with the same green tiling that Julio's has for its counter.
π Karri, who has been driving a 2009 Honda Civic for 15 years, thinks it's kind of cool that Richmond's mayor also drove his Honda for over a decade, per his Insta post from the weekend.
- Karri's '09 Civic replaced her '94 one, which replaced the best one she ever drove: a 1983 Honda Civic stick-shift.
Thanks to Alexa Mencia Orozco for editing today's edition.
Sign up for Axios Richmond





/2025/05/12/1747074512258.gif?w=3840)


