Tuesday, January 10, 2012
StudioWed Nashville is a wonderful wedding planning studio that helps you in person with your bridal and wedding planning needs. Ever so often, they share incredible inspiration boards via their blog, which might get your creative juices flowing as you plan your own Nashville wedding. We loved them and thought you would too. Enjoy their latest inspiration boards and visit their blog for more ideas.
Their first board below is inspired by the books Eloise, a little girl who "lives at the Plaza," as in the Plaza Hotel in New York City. From the illustrations of the book, StudioWed drew together this lovely pink and black, almost French chic inspiration board.
From top left, clockwise: roses with striped ribbon, black poodle, silk flower bouquet, striped suite, pink and yellow blooms, black striped straws, pretty pink wedding, raspberry chocolate cake, frothy gown, bridal bouquet, pink-tinted gown, plaza print, raspberry dessert shots, striped cake, Eloise by Kay Thompson, printable suite by MS, macarons, a wedding in Paris, tall round cakes, pink wedding with striped details, French dessert tray.
Their next board is just as romantic, taking on a holiday feel with snow and winter and using snowflakes as a muse for decor and design. Don't let any flurries stop you from having a gorgeous wedding!
From clockwise, top left: red dress, chic Christmas colors, pretty sleeved dress, estate rings, winter engagement pics, tiffany proposal, pretty oval ring, “marry me” snowflake, sterling ring boxes, “milk glass” cake, holiday proposal, dreamy wedding reception, gold sparkle earrings, ornament favor.
Want more ideas? Attend their open house tonight or register for their Inspired Bride Event this Sunday, January 15 at Houston Station. There will be wedding vendors to suit your every wedding planning need. Plus, as an ABG bride you receive $10 off the ticket price with code "ABGBride." Bring your fiance with you and enjoy an interactive bridal show experience that StudioWed Nashville promises is unlike any typical bridal show.
Before you go, don't forget to read Ashley's advice on how to be best prepared for a bridal show here.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Our Featured Advertisers!, Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Resources0 comments »
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Bridal Show season has begun and Nashville's best wedding professionals are gearing up to meet you. If large shows seem intimidating, ease yourself into the groove of wedding vendor shopping by heading to StudioWed Nashville's events which promise to be on a smaller, less bazaar-like scale and a lot more personal.
The Inspired Bride, January 15th
The Inspired Bride on Sunday, January 15, scales down a bridal show to a more palatable format where you get to interact with wedding vendors and spend more one-on-one time with each vendor. We can't give it away but each vendor will be showcasing their field specialty to really give you and your groom a clearer impression of their expertise. The Inspired Bride will take place at Houston Station and tickets are available at this link. Register now with code "ABGBride" for $10 off ticket prices till the day of the event!
Participating Businesses Include:
Brocade Designs - Featuring multiple tablescapes
FocalPoint Cinematic
Grand Avenue Transportation - Featuring their Cadillac Eldorado
Wedding Musicians Company
2 Travel Anywhere
Photobooth Nashville
A Delightful Day Event Planning
Prime Source Entertainment
Blue Nova Drapery - Featuring drapery designs
Nashville Audio Visual - Featuring lighting designs
Lotus Blossom Photography
Justin Wright Photography
Amber Housley - Featuring multiple tablescapes
Simply Stunning Events
The Bride Room
The Sugar Wagon - Featuring several of their handmade desserts and their ice cream cart
Tanastacia Spa
Southern Events - Featuring tablescape and ceremony set up
Chefs Market
A Catered Affair/Bake Shoppe
Amy Lynn Larwig
Hard Ink Calligraphy - Her designs will be featured on tablescapes
Also, brides will receive the newest copy of the Perfect Wedding Guide magazine and coupons for buy one/get one tickets for their February show at Gaylord. Plus, plenty of other giveaways.
StudioWed Nashville Open House, January 10th
If you know that you can't make it to The Inspired Bride, definitely attend one of StudioWed Nashville's open houses that take place at their studio in Edgehill Village. These open houses are great because it's in a much more casual setting as compared to a huge hall filled with booths and it allows you to mingle with the various vendors who are part of the StudioWed family as well as meet other brides. Think of it as more of a "get to know you" and a question and answer type environment. This is perfect for you if you work all day and don't want to spend hours on a weekend trudging around a bridal show - stop by after work, hang out and ask wedding planning questions! For a full list of StudioWed Nashville's vendors click here.
For more information visit StudioWed Nashville online.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events, Contests, Giveaways, Specials0 comments »
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
There are many factors that determine your wedding date - time of year, other people's weddings, life occurences, and the biggest one - whether or not the venue of your dreams is available. While it's typical for weddings to fall on a Saturday, it's not unusual for brides and grooms to say "I do" on a Friday or a Sunday or even a weekday!
Popular Nashville Events
Nashville is host to lots of events through the year that fall on or over a weekend. The increase in hotel room reservations could mean higher room rates and a limit on room blocks for your guests.
Photo by Jonathon Campbell Photography
To learn about which dates might impact hotel rooms for your out of town guests, we reached out to Kristen of Aloft Hotel who provided us with these popular dates you may want to be aware of or avoid. During these Nashville events, it is nearly impossible to get rooms downtown or even in the suburbs of Nashville. Your guests will pay a premium if they do get a room and they may be scattered across the city. Traffic downtown could also be a nightmare, meaning that parking will cost more too. All of these things could impact the cost and experience for them and you.
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Country Music Marathon: April 28
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CMA Music Festival: June 7 - 10
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CMA Awards: November 9
Fun, Numerical Dates Might be Popular
More and more couples are choosing fun wedding dates, maybe to help their groom remember their anniversary for years to come. Sarah Willard of Music City Events predicts the following Saturdays to be very popular this year:
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Cinco de Mayo: 5/5/12
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5/12/12
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7/7/12
ABG notes: Don't forget about....
Steeplechase on May 12th
Vanderbilt's Commencement weekend starting May 9 - 11 and it usually spills into the weekend!
Wedding weekends or Friday and Sunday weddings might be an option, especially for destination Nashville weddings.
Linda Wright, owner of Cedarwood, also knows a thing or two about weddings on weekdays and even Fridays and Sundays. Linda: "Contrary to popular belief, Friday or Sunday weddings are preferred by many couples planning a 'destination' wedding, or who have a considerable number of guests flying from other cities."
Photo from CedarwoodWeddings.com
She went on to explain the advantages of a non-Saturday wedding:
"You get to offer guests a 'wedding weekend' of activities, not just one day. A popular wedding weekend itinerary is Friday wedding, Saturday night downtown dance party, Sunday morning farewell brunch. Friday wedding dates allow couples to 'reverse' the traditional rehearsal dinner with a fun second gathering on Saturday night. At Cedarwood, rehearsals are done the day of the wedding, so a rehearsal dinner is purely a social gathering for the wedding party and family. Having this gathering the day after the wedding ensures that the wedding celebration will not be upstaged by too much fun the night before! An after event can be as casual as designating a location such as Roberts Western World or Wildhorse Saloon for guests to gather (and pay their own way) or as structured as renting out a location with open bar or a private room for a post wedding celebration dinner."
If you're trying to bring your guest list down to a manageable size, maybe a Friday or Sunday wedding is for you. Linda tells us it's a great way to trim that list and "it is much better to have the wedding of your dreams and fewer guests, than spending your budget on lots of guests that you may not know that well. Those who really want to be there will be regardless of the day you select."
Holiday Wedding Weekends
Another popular date for weddings is the weekend preceding a national holiday like Memorial Day in May or Labor Day in September. This long weekend gives guests flexibility with travel and they can stay longer.
Linda Wright: "Everyone who flies to Nashville will want to experience the action of our famous and fun city! It's a popular town with lots to do. Even guests coming for a Saturday night wedding are inclined to stay over a night or two for a mini-vacation. Give your guests an excuse for a long weekend and they will love you for it."
ABG notes: While some like holiday wedding weekends, do note that 1) sometimes they are a little more challenging as venues may be taken, rental inventory may be lower because you are competing with other parties/events, and 2) some guests may balk at you taking their holiday vacation time for your wedding. Hey - you'd be surprised. Just something to consider.
Specials for Friday or Sunday Weddings
We're often asked by brides if venues are cheaper on alternate days (not Saturdays). While not every venue offers deals, here are a few that do!
Front Porch Farms will take $1500 off the venue cost when you book your Friday or Sunday wedding before January 30, 2012.
Photo by The Collection
Houston Station gives you 15% off the venue fee if you book your Friday or Sunday wedding date before February 28, 2012.
Photo by Jonathon Campbell Photography
Cedarwood offers double discounts for weddings on Mondays through Thursdays (great if you want your wedding to fall on a particular date of significance instead of a weekend). Before you balk at the idea of not having your wedding on a typical Saturday, Linda of Cedarwood brings up something to definitely keep in mind: "We feel that couples automatically assume Saturdays are the only day they can consider, but it is much more important to get the LOCATION, season, setting and style of wedding you want than it is the day of the week." As for Sunday weddings, Cedarwood takes an additional $500 (so $1000 total) off the price of venue rental for all Sunday weddings in 2012.
So definitely weigh the pros and cons and most definitely your priorities - do you have a special date that means a lot to both of you? Or a guest list that's getting out of hand that you just need to rein in? There's a lot to think about but remember, regardless of whether you pick a Tuesday or a Saturday, there's no wrong day for a wedding. Happy planning!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Engagements & Proposals0 comments »
Friday, December 30, 2011
We'll continue our advice for newly engaged Nashville couples next week. For the weekend, we'd like to share a Nashville-area wedding, our last for 2011! This year, we've featured some incredible local weddings - Erin and Ron's Front Porch Farms wedding is in great company.
Today's wedding features many details of which we are huge fans. From do-it-yourself elements to birds, beautiful floral arrangements, and bright colors, Erin and Ron's wedding at Front Porch Farms is just too pretty not to share. Erin is a writer for HerNashville's "Her Night Out" column and as a fan of her writing, it was really cool to see her wedding vision come to life and confirmed what I thought - she has great taste! Combined with the planning expertise of Kathy Best and Front Porch Farms and the talents of the wedding vendors Erin and Ron worked with, this was a beautiful wedding. Enjoy!
Erin + Ron
Wedding Date ~ May 21, 2011
Ceremony & Reception ~ Front Porch Farms
Guests ~ 120
Wedding Team
Planner | Kathy Best of Front Porch Farms (I also couldn’t have done it without my mom)
Photographer | Erin Lee of The Collection
Gown & Accessories | Ellyne Bridal in Lincoln, Nebraska
Groom’s Attire / Groomsmen Attire | JoS. A. Bank
Bridesmaids Attire | J. Crew
Makeup | Jennie Cunningham (of Clinique, Cool Springs Galleria)
Stationery | I made the invites and programs myself
Ceremony Musicians | Chris Going, guitarist
Reception Musicians | The Remedies (band)
Transportation | Anchor Trailways (for guest transportation)
Caterer | Down South Delights
Cake Artist | Sweet and Sassy
Floral Designer | Enchanted Florist
Guest Accommodations | Holiday Inn Express on Broadway
All images courtesy of The Collection
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
We wanted a wedding that was not only meaningful to us, but was fun for our guests. A lot of our favorite times together have been spent outdoors, so we searched for an outdoor venue that incorporated the beauty of nature. We wanted a shabby chic meets vintage meets DIY kind of wedding that played tribute to each of our families and hometowns. I grew up in Nebraska and Ron is from Kentucky, but we met in Nashville and we wanted to incorporate all three places.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Front Porch Farms fit our style perfectly. The natural setting was gorgeous, and one that would have been impossible to recreate in an indoor venue. We added many details to make it personal including a signature drink recipe from a bar in Nebraska, toasting with mint julep glasses and by giving guests popcorn from a shop from my hometown. We added a southern touch with blue mason jars, mix and match china, shrimp and grits, and Yazoo beer. We also used flowers from Ron’s late mother’s garden to hang from the property’s oak tree that we used our altar. It served as a memorial to her, along with the various birds we had in our decor (she and I both loved decorating with birds).
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Our wedding was everything we imagined it to be. It’s very rare that a scene plays out exactly as you picture it, but from the way I looked to the colors and the placement of the details, the entire day was identical to what I envisioned, and that completely amazed me.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Our biggest splurge was photography. We ended up spending more than we had anticipated, but after doing research, I learned it just wasn’t worth the risk to skimp on the one thing we would have to remember our wedding forever. Before we met Erin Lee, my biggest fear was that I wouldn’t like my wedding pictures, but I couldn’t be happier with the photos. It was an investment I will never regret.
We had a lot of DIY projects that not only helped us save, but incorporated our personality in the wedding. I designed our invitations and had them printed at Kinkos. We then had the wedding invite made into a poster for guests to sign for a guest book (it cost us less than $10). My mom made the table runners and place cards and my dad made yard games, which my sister and I decorated, to play at our cocktail hour.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I started a lot of DIY projects that I didn’t end up finishing or incorporating in the wedding. I went through an indecisive phase when I didn’t know exactly what I wanted. Looking back, I should have waited until all of our vendors were in place before I started on projects. Once we had everyone booked, the details and vision all fell into place.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Don’t let the inevitable stress get in the way of enjoying the excitement of this very special time in your lives.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings0 comments »
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Before the wedding, there's one very vital detail every bride and groom have to focus on: Invitations. Gone are the days of boring script on shiny stock with a ribbon tied around it thanks to innovative designers with a love for weddings. Now we're seeing invitations that give guests a preview of what's to come with matching monograms, themes, and colors. We've seen a lot this year and here's today's roundup of our favorite custom invitation designs that we loved.
1) Southern Farm Wedding Style
This festive wedding invitation prepares the guests for an evening of outdoor fun and joy at the wedding. From the string lights to the wild flowers at the bottom, it tells people everything they need to know about the wedding. Plus, I love the song request detail! That's so considerate! More from Elisa and Grant's day here.
Invitation by Southall Eden Paperie. Picture by Brooke Boling
2) Burlap & Bling
Donette from Designs In Paper explained that the couple, Tracy and Chris wanted some bling and and some rustic charm added to their Southern-style wedding. "This suite is just all about the South - we can be relaxed and yet, very refined and elegant all together." Perfectly executed! (More from the wedding here).
Invitation: Designs In Paper; Photos: Left, Kristyn Hogan. Right, Mary Rosenbaum Photographs.
3) DIY Cool
You're probably thinking "Is there anything about this wedding they didn't love?" Truth be told, no. Nothing. Not only are Jamie and Andy one of the coolest couples we've ever had the joy of featuring, but their wedding details were unique and so much fun and their invitations were no different. (More on the details here!)
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Invitations: Emily Keafer; Photos: Pear Image Photography
4) Textured Invites
In my perfect world, all invitations would be printed using letterpress. I am a big fan of Arboreal Paper's work, but this one particular invitation is a favorite because of it's simple lines and typeface. There's something so chic and contemporary about the red orchid outlines on white space!
Design and Photos: Arboreal Paper
5) Music City Themed
For Claudia and William's wedding, Designs in Paper designed this stationery suite that reminds me of the honky-tonks downtown; a culture so quintessential to this city. To match the couple's Nashville themed wedding, they custom-dyed twine in their wedding colors to pull the whole look together. More here.
Design: Designs in Paper; Photos: Ace Photography
6) Fabric Invitations
What will these artistic designers come up with next? These invitations were custom made and printed on handkerchiefs! They're so charming and are such a wonderful keepsake! Be prepared to be wowed by the rest of the wedding here.
Design: Lucky-Luxe; Photo: Leslee Mitchell Photography
7) Classic Romance
From this Great Gatsby inspired wedding, the bride and groom went with a classic damask patterned wedding invitation to match their yellow and white color scheme. One of Sara's favorites, she loves the bright colors of the matching suite of stationery and "how all the pieces are tied together so well." For more from this wedding go here.
Design: Photo: Aerialist Press; Dove Wedding Photography
8) Eco-Friendly
From one of our Green Nashville Wedding posts by iHospitality TN, here are some more gorgeous invitations from Arboreal Paper. What I love with clean lines and letterpress, our blogger Sara loves with eco-friendly goods and services and picked these as one of her favorites. More from this post here.
Design and Photo: Arboreal Paper
9) All About Us
Your wedding is, contrary to what some crazy relatives like to believe, all about you and your groom. For this wedding Designs In Paper acknowledged the couple's ownership of their special day and incorporated a logo that "carried throughout a reception" - the logo was used on all the paper and other elements in the wedding. The look is an updated twist on classic invitations and is so pretty! More wedding details here.
Design: Designs In Paper; Photos: Evin Photography
10) Silhouettes
We love how the Miranda and Grant's silhouettes were used on the invitations and throughout their stationery, complemented by the curved shape of the invitation itself. See this ABG Real Wedding Feature here.
Design + Invite: Southall Eden Paperie; Programs: Williamson Co. Weddings & Events; Photos: Ace Photography
11) Poster Style
"I love this vintage flower graphic because it's not too girly," explained Shannon O'Kelley of Southall Eden when I asked why she liked this invitation. The black and white poster style print on the invitation give it a fun, vintage feel without being all worn or faded and is a style, Shannon says, is becoming more popular as well. More from this vintage farm wedding here.
Design: Southall Eden Paperie; Photos: Memory Snap
It's amazing what you can do for your invitation these days with a combination of a bride and groom's vision and a designer's creativity! These are but some of the fantastic work we've seen and we can't wait for more in the coming year. Check out our list of invitation designers - we're confident you'll find someone to suit your style from this list!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Invitations & Paper Goods, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds0 comments »
