Friday, September 23, 2011
How do you recognize a lasting and strong relationship? When the couple believes in compromise from the start, and are eager to make each other happy. Ellie and Nick are such a couple! They compromised on what many consider the "Bride's Day"; they really and truly made it their wedding day. Nick loves sports, so Ellie compromised and chose a location that he would love - hence the decision to marry at LP Field, home to the Tennessee Titans.
Suprisingly, the field really does look elegant! Ace Photography captured absolutely stunning photos of their wedding, the stadium, and downtown! Not only was their wedding grand and elegant, but they put a lot of themselves and what they care for into their day. They even had their guests donate to local nonprofits!
What we love - the charitable aspect, the fact that their bridal party wore their own clothes! Such a considerate and charitable wedding. Enjoy!
Ellie + Nick
Wedding Day ~ Sunday, October 10, 2010 (10/10/10)
Ceremony ~ LP Field
Reception ~ LP Field, then Sambuca
Guests ~ 125
Budget
$50,000
Wedding Team
Photographer | Ace Photography - reviews
Photo booth | Ace Photobooths - reviews
Videographer | Feria Cinematic Imagery
Stationery | DIY kits from Target and Hobby Lobby
Gown & accessories | The White Room - reviews
Bride's shoes | Stuart Weitzman
Groom’s tux/suit | Macy’s
Bridesmaids/groomsmen attire | Each wore something from their closet!
Hair | Stephanie Russell
Makeup | Andrew Pentacost
Officiant | Amanda Dobra, Golden Dolphin
Ceremony musicians | Rob Higgenbotham, guitar and Vanessa Jackson, vocalist
Transportation | Platinum Limousines
Caterer | Centerplate Catering at LP Field; Sambuca Catering at Sambuca
Baker | Patsy Flynn
Florist | Fresh By CarryAnn
Bartenders | Sambuca’s bartenders
Reception musicians | Laura Vida Band
Guest accommodations | Hampton Inn Downtown and Hilton Downtown – I made sure to negotiate that breakfast and parking were included in their rates so that my guests would not incur any additional expenses.
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Relaxed, Elegant Sophistication
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We compromised on locations … My husband has his BA and MBA in Sports Management, and is a HUGE sports fan, so we had the ceremony and first reception at LP Field. To bring in the relaxed elegant sophistication to the football stadium, we used satin instead of tulle or cotton; we had a custom, Swarovski crystaled aisle runner; and we had a landscaper bring in trees, grasses, and flowers.
Then for the main evening reception, we rented out Sambuca (in the Gulch), which is the epitome of Elegant Sophistication. We also brought in a custom lighting gobo [their names and wedding date lit up the wall!]; we incorporated tons of subtle personal touches, and used candles, rose petals, floating candles, etc. to set the tone. We also hung our crystaled aisle runner from the ceiling to make a floor to ceiling statement as guests arrived.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
The personalized messages on the scoreboard from myself to my husband and from the Tennessee Titans to us both. Also, the fact that we collected over 107 lbs of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank and filled a huge basket with travel sized toiletries for the Nashville Rescue Mission. (We are very blessed and it’s VERY important for us to remember those less fortunate and to help out where we can, so in the invitations, we asked all guests to bring canned or boxed food items and travel sized toiletries. Everyone was happy to participate and bring something!!)
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Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We had four main splurges that were definitely worth every penny: Ace Photography, Feria Cinematic Imagery, renting out Sambuca, and hiring the Laura Vida band. While not a big splurge, we also really loved our Ace Photobooth! It was definitely the hit of the party!!
We saved on the florist by selecting sites that were already breathtaking and that did not need much by way of flowers (since flowers can get very expensive, very quickly). We saved on the cake by keeping it simple (since cakes can also get very expensive, very quickly). We also saved by DIYing the invitations (we used kits from Target) and programs (we used kits from Hobby Lobby).
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I would have invited more people. Between LP Field and Sambuca, we had TONS of space. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Remember that no matter what, at the end of the day, it’s the marriage that counts, not the party, so don’t stress over stuff. Also, stay true to who you are and to your vision for your day; prioritize the aspects that are important to you, and spend your resources there. Finally, if at all possible, organize other wedding weekend events so that you can actually spend time with your guests in a relaxed setting … The wedding day goes by so quickly and you are pulled in so many different directions, that it’s really difficult to spend quality time with your guests on the day.
We did a family-only dinner at Sole Mio on Thursday and it was a great opportunity for the families to connect privately. Then we rented out the 3rd floor of the Wildhorse Saloon on Friday, and the upstairs of Jack’s BBQ (followed by a section of The Big Bang Dueling Piano bar) on Saturday, and invited all of the out of town guests, families, and bridal party members to come celebrate with us. This was a great way for out of town guests to experience Nashville landmarks and also for us to spend quality time with those people who traveled great distances to be with us. The quality time was PRICELESS!!
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
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Friday, September 16, 2011
Our ABG sponsors are like family, so when one of their own gets married, we get really excited to see the details. Today's featured wedding is that of Sam, whose mom Vicki Nelson runs Signature Cakes by Vicki, and Amber whose wedding was inspired by one of Shakespeare's classic plays. We knew the cake would be fabulous and couldn't wait to see it. We were overjoyed to see that they had several cakes - all custom of course and looking quite awesome. I've never seen a wedding based on a play before and it was fun to see Amber and Sam's take on "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
Amber + Samuel
Wedding Day: Sunday, July 3, 2011
Venue ~ Stones River Country Club
Guests ~ 80
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Nature inspired. We both really enjoy outdoor activities and with that interest it seems to seep into the rest of our lives including household and clothing style.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding
We went for a ethereal, Midsummer Night’s Dream feel. The main color was purple but we brought in a lot of greens as an accent and had real trees inside the reception hall with hanging tea lights on them. It was also important to us to get married outside in God’s beautiful creation. Stones River Country Club has a killer view from their back patio and a variety of scenery out on the course where we had a “first look” documented by the videographers and photographer.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Don’t stress over the small stuff.
What did you DIY?
We bought fabric to sew our own tablecloths for the top layer on the tables, with sheer panel curtains as the layer underneath (no sewing involved in that layer) that went over the white tablecloths the country club provided.
We also made our own programs and reserved table signs, as well as fudge for favors. The favor boxes and cake boxes were ridiculously cheap because we bought them from papermart.com. We found this website by NOT using the word WEDDING in our google search but just purple boxes. We also used Oriental Trading for some items we used throughout the weekend (rehearsal dinner and wedding) which is another cheap website. Lastly we cut down some young maple trees from Sam’s parents’ property to put in the reception hall.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Have a wedding binder with all of your related information in it and don’t let other people influence the decisions you make; stick to your own guns.
Designs in Paper's custom menus
Signature Cakes' gorgeous sugar flowers and detailing.
Yes, that is a cake- a bible cake made of dark chocolate truffle!
How cool is this groom's cake?
Wedding Team
Cake Artist: Signature Cakes by Vicki
Photo Booth: Ace Photobooth
Stationery: Designs In Paper
Gown & accessories: David’s Bridal (dress & veils)
Groom’s tux/suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Bridesmaids attire: Belsoie by Jasmine
Groomsmen attire: Men’s Wearhouse &
Hair: Lora Day
Makeup: Lora Day
Officiant: Lonnie Nelson (groom’s father)
Ceremony musicians: Nashville Wedding Guitarist (classical guitar & cello duet)
Caterer: Stones River Country Club
Florist: Debbie’s Weddings & Things
Photographer: Chris Weaver Studio
Videographer: 2duce2videography
Reception Musicians: Expressions of Music
Transportation: Black Tie Limo
Guest Accommodations: Doubletree Hotel Murfreesboro
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
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Friday, September 9, 2011
Meagan and Kristopher were married on a boat! It's not every day that you see a wedding held on a boat in the Tennessee area. We're excited to share their wedding story, as told to us (and photographed) by Jonathon Campbell Photography.
Meagan & Kristopher
Wedding Date ~ October 23, 2010
Ceremony + Reception ~ Pates Ford Marina, Smithville, TN
About The Couple:
Kris and Meagan are such a fun couple. Kristopher, a talented singer-songwriter, is a strong and loveable guy. He is the kind of guy everyone wants to know because he cares about people. Meagan, an up and coming Nashville hairstylist, is a great friend to everyone. They care deeply about each other, their friends, and their families, and always find time for laughter. They are always giggling about something when they are together. They love each other so much. If you are lucky enough to know Meagan and Kris, you will see it by the way Meagan looks at Kris when he sings and the way Kris’s songs are often written just for her.
Describe their theme:
Lake wedding and lakeside reception
Details used to enhance the theme:
Pink and more pink flowers! A huge arch full of flowers covered the spot where ceremony took place on the boat. They had white votive candles and white lanterns for the cake table.
Describe any highlights/special moments of the wedding day:
Meagan bought Kris an amazing Taylor Guitar that he had been coveting forever. He had no idea that she was even giving him a gift.
Wedding Team
Gown: One of two dresses - The Bride Room
Bridesmaids: David’s Bridal
Groomsman: Tommy Bahama
Cake: Sylvia Weinstock (New York)
Photographer: Jonathon Campbell Photography
Florist: All -O- Kasions in Smithville, TN
Transportation: 4 Luxe Houseboats on the lake
Sharon, of Jonathon Campbell Photography, told us that Meagan had two dresses that day! I'm a big fan of her short dress for the reception.
Meagan & Kristopher's wedding day was gorgeous and unique; thank you for sharing, Jonathon Campbell Photography. Be sure to check out more here: jonathoncampbell.com.
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Posted by Bethany |
Filed under: Photography, Real Nashville Weddings
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Thursday, September 1, 2011
How do a giraffe keeper and a recording engineer meet and fall in love? To explain that story, let us introduce you to Kate and Justin. This cute couple didn’t exactly meet by chance, they were matched and they were matched well. On August 18, 2009, eHarmony brought Kate and Justin together and on July 8, 2010, Justin proposed in a photo booth. Less than two years after the matching, the two were married! But here is what’s even more fun– they are featured in this eHarmony commercial!
Kate and Justin’s entire day was beautifully put together with fun pieces mixed into vintage elements for a timeless feel. Because they each have unique jobs, they decided to incorporate a few animal prints, giraffe cake toppers, and a music room to entertain guests. As you look through their day, captured by Krista Lee Photography, you will see that these two fell in love to a degree that is visible and exceeds their facts of compatibility.
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Kate + Justin Cortelyou
Wedding Date ~ May 28, 2011
Ceremony ~ Scaritt Bennett, Wightman Chapel
Reception ~ Houston Station
Guests ~ 165
Budget
$20,000 – $40,000
Vendors
Photographer | Krista Lee Photography / reviews
Rental Company | Southern Events / reviews
Guest Accommodations | Courtyard by Mariott: Vanderbilt/West End
Wedding Planner | Austin Floyd with Last Minute Planners
Photobooth | Ace Photobooths / reviews
Invitations | The Paper Mills
Programs | Myself
Gown | Allure Bridal
Veil | Tiffani Saxton Designs on Etsy
Bride's Jewelry | My grandma’s wedding pearls
Bride's Shoes | Brighton
Groom’s Tux | Men’s Warehouse
Groomsmen Outfits | Men's Warehouse
Bridesmaids Outfits | David’s Bridal -- I asked the girls to choose between 3 dresses. I gave them free choice with their shoes and they all loved the idea of an animal print, so each girl ended up with a different style and animal print shoe. It looked great!
Hair & Makeup | Glam & Gloss by Krista Adkins Badila
Officiant | Reverend Mark Faulkner
Ceremony Musician | Brady Beard
Transportation | Signature Limo
Caterer (and bartenders) | Signatures Catering
Baker | Rebecca’s Wedding Cake Design by Rebecca Schreher
Florist | Aubrey’s Flowers
The Wedding
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Shabby chic, vintage, simple
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
I love vintage and shabby chic. Did I mention I LOVE vintage? 
For color - I knew I didn’t want a whole lot of color in the wedding so we stuck to a classic pallet of black, ivory, gold and a small bit a blue. The only blue was in my bouquet and Justin’s bout. The reception was decorated with black linens, splashes of zebra print and the rest was ivory and burlap. Everything looked so chic.
When I was dress shopping I had no idea what I was looking for but I knew exactly what I didn’t want. I wanted a dress that was me- not a dress that looks like every other dress brides these days wear. I shocked myself by picking an all lace dress but I cannot imagine a more perfect look. It was so vintage and so me. The bird cage veil added to the vintage look and Krista, my hair dresser, did an amazing job making my hair look vintage with the finger curls and waves.
The moment we walked into the Wightman Chapel we knew we had to get married there. The simplicity and perfect elegance of it was exactly what we were looking for. When you walk into that chapel, it just exudes romance. It was perfect.
We were stuck for awhile on a reception venue. We looked at several hotel ballrooms but it just wasn’t us. We aren’t really “ballroom” people. Our wedding planner suggested we look at a venue that was still pretty new to the wedding scene. Justin and I both fell in love with Houston Station. Everything from the old wood floors, the exposed brick walls, the AMAZING vintage chic couches in the brides room and of course the oh so cool music room and coffee lounge. We kept our decorations simple. Simple but elegant. And 100% us. I did a lot of DIY projects.
Both Justin and I have pretty unique jobs. I’m a giraffe keeper at the Nashville Zoo and he is a recording engineer so we wanted those two aspects of our lives to be present at the wedding. We had our rehearsal dinner at the zoo in the elephant yard followed by a giraffe feeding. On the wedding day, I knew I wanted to have animal print and giraffe somewhere, but I didn’t want it to be tacky or too “in your face”. My bridesmaids all loved the idea of animal print shoes and we received many compliments on that. There were zebra print ottomans at the reception and of course our giraffe cake toppers were a hit. The music room at the reception was a great hit for all of our musically talented guests. Guests were able to get up on stage and play different instruments. People were in that room all night jamming away. It was such a cool vibe.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
It was 100% us. From the rehearsal dinner at the Nashville Zoo’s elephant yard to the DIY shabby chic décor, the vintage aspect of the church and the music room at the reception. It was a complete blend of Justin and I. I had so many people that day so, “This is so Kate. This is so Justin. How did you do this?” We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
I would say we splurged in 3 main areas:
1. Photographer. We knew we wanted excellent candid pictures and pictures that captured the emotions of the day. Neither of us are big on posed, stiff photos so choosing the correct photographer was very important to us. Once we met and saw Krista Lee’s work we knew we had to book her and we would find ways to save in other areas. That was the best decision we made.
2. The chapel. It was expensive but worth every penny.
3. The photo booth. Justin proposed in a photo booth and we jump into one every place we see one, so we knew we had to have one at the wedding. The guests LOVED it. We ended up paying for an extra hour at the end of the night because the line was so long!
Saving/DIY- I did a lot of DIY projects. I spent weekends at flea markets and hours searching Etsy and wedding blog websites to find ideas. We had a little wooden giraffe bride and groom to top our cake and surrounding the cake table were old wedding photos of our parents and grandparents. My mom made burlap table runners for the head table; old mason jars and chalkboard hearts served as table numbers, while salvaged windows (written on with crayon window pens) were used to locate table assignments. I made a fun direction sign out of salvaged wood and an old antique coat rack. Rather then a photo slide show, I found shutters at a flea market that we taped pictures to and propped them against a wall for guests to look at. I made the menus by printing them myself and finding fun frames. I made the ceremony programs myself, our guestbook was a photo book from Shutterfly filled with pictures from our engagement shoot, I think I could go on forever....
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I don’t know how to answer this other then to say, not really. I’m pretty organized and I knew exactly what I wanted. We were incredibly blessed that everything worked out so well.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Keep calm and carry on- there are things you cannot control (like cicada invasions) so smile and enjoy it- it goes by in a FLASH.
Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Cortelyou and Krista Lee for sharing your photos with us!!
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings
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Monday, August 22, 2011
When the clouds part and the rain stops just in time for your wedding, you know it is meant to be. What started as wet and gloomy, turned into the perfect day for Courtni and Chuck's wedding in Franklin, TN. They picked Music City Events to design and style their purple, yellow and bling wedding. The details were so delightful and I especially love the paper pom poms that provided wonderful touches of color to a very pretty venue.
Sarah Willard of Music City Events tells us a little bit more about the wedding in today's feature.
Bride ~ Courtni Kimble
Groom ~ Chuck Reed
Wedding Date ~ June 18, 2011
Venue ~ Sawyer Brown Barn, Franklin, TN
Guest count ~ 250
Tell us about the couple
Courtni is an outgoing, vivacious country girl and Chuck is a quiet James Dean type. They are polar opposites and so fun to see together!
What theme did they want?
Courtni wanted to incorporate her favorites things: purple, yellow and bling! She wanted to show her guests a down-home Southern wedding complete with chicken, a mashed potato bar and great music. As I put together ideas for her, I knew who to call on for every item in the wedding! We had a blast tasting food, creating a menu, designing the decor, finding the venue, designing the cakes and picking out the music! Courtni was on a strict budget and we stayed within $1,000 of that - even when she added 50 guests a week before the wedding!
What details were used to enhance this theme?
We used two shades of purple and two shades of yellow (deep amethyst, lavender, sunflower and butter!) to give depth to the evening's look. We used all four colors in the DIY poms and the centerpieces, and both shades of purple on the table linens. Courtni's bouquet was all purples while the girls carried all yellows and wore deep purple! The florals incorporated three different arrangements for visual interest and had a lot of bling! My amazing staff also hung tear drop crystals all over the clear wall by the dance floor for a twinkling affect as the sun went down. The poms in the trees turned out beautifully and swayed gracefully during the ceremony. I love how they look like they are floating!
What were highlights/special moments of their wedding day?
It rained aaallll day Friday and Saturday and it was such a joy to announce to Courtni that the storm broke and we were dashing outside to set up all the chairs and the ceremony decor. We had been planning so long for the beautiful natural background, that we really did not want to use the tent! Also, when Courtni surprised Chuck with a dance that she created with the bridesmaids - his face was shocked! The dance was wicked cool. Courtni and Chuck's grand adieu was to a shower of sparklers and Amber V caught it perfectly on camera! Courtni wanted the sparklers so very much, I was glad the weather allowed us to use them!
Their Wedding Team
Planner/Coordinator: Sarah Willard, Music City Events, reviews
Photographer: Lotus Blossom, reviews
Florist: Belles Fleurs Designs
Gown: David's Bridal
Bridesmaids/Groomsman attire: David's Bridal
Music (ceremony and reception): REM Entertainment
Cake: Sisterly Sweets
Caterer: Ribbons of Chocolate
Lighting: REM Entertainment
Rentals: Premiere Events
Other: Decor + Design was provided by Music City Events
Venue: Sawyer Brown Barn
All pictures courtesy of Lotus Blossom Photography
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
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