Monday, December 5, 2011
First, we featured their amazing engagement shoot by Ace Photography, and now we bring you the "I Do's" of Miranda and Grant. If you don't remember the first post - Grant propsed to Miranda three times before she said yes! Each time was equally romantic and sweet....but Miranda knew that the timing had to be right. And their wedding photos show that the time was definitely right! These two couldn't be more in love and happy together. Their love and style eminate in their wedding day, with a strong mix of eclectic flair in their intimate, downtown Franklin ceremony.
Ace Photography was the first vendor that Miranda and Grant chose, and from the engagement photos to capturing their wedding day, they definitely picked the right fit!
Miranda + Grant
Wedding Date ~ May 14, 2011
Ceremony & Reception ~ CJ’s Off The Square
Guests ~ 61
Wedding Team
Stationery - Design + Invite | Southall Eden Paperie
Stationery - Programs | Williamson County Weddings and Events
Gown & Sash | Blue by Enzoani
Bride's Jewelry | Sorrelli
Bride's & Groom's Shoes | TOMS
Groom’s Suit | Topman
Groom's Vest & Shirt | Express
Groom's Bow Tie | Otis James
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen outfits
Matron of Honor Dress | Watters & Watters - Wtoo Collection
Honorary Bridesmaids | They were asked to wear a black dress of their choosing
Best Man's Attire | Vest- Express, Necktie- Forever21, all else was requested by color from his closet
Honorary Groomsmen | Necktie- Express, everything else was requested by color from their closets
Hair & Makeup | Amy Lynn Larwig, reviews
Officiant | Bride’s father- Robert Ward Jr.
Ceremony musicians | Bride’s cousin- Andrew Smith
Transportation | Tandem Bicycle
Caterer | A Catered Affair, reviews
Baker | The Bake Shoppe, reviews
Florist | The Enchanted Florist, reviews
Specialty drinks | ‘My Jones’ Jones Soda
Photographer & Videographer | Ace Photography, reviews
Reception Musicians | Notable Occasions
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Eclectic
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Our overall theme was to bring the inside out, with vintage heirlooms/furniture, silhouettes, and mismatched textures.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
How extensively involved our family was throughout the day... The ceremony began with my father, Robert Ward Jr., walking me down the aisle to be received by my eldest brother, Robert Ward III. The crowd was in tears until my brother lightened the mood by quoting, in full character, the priest’s excerpt from the movie, “The Princess Bride”. After my father gave his blessing, he then took the role of officiant. My mother, Yvonne Ward, read beautifully written personal remarks that had me sentimentally weeping.
During the lighting of the unity candle, my cousin, Andrew Smith, performed an impressive rendition of Elijah Wyman’s song, “Firm Foundation”, on acoustic guitar. Before we were pronounced man and wife, the countdown began with The Flaming Lips’ song, “Do You Realize?” as the garden bell tolled. One of the most special elements of the reception, was the interlude to the father/daughter dance. I played a track of a recording I had made for my father as a young girl called, “I Want To Marry Daddy When I Grow Up”.
Where did you splurge?
Photography and venue
Where did you save/DIY?
Bridal party attire, favors, and officiant
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
No, CJ’s Off The Square’s dedicated staff made the planning experience enjoyable and kept us on track every step of the way. (Which is saying a lot due to the fact we planned our wedding in only five months.) Hiring them exceeded our expectations because they served not only as a venue but our professional wedding planners.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Bride’s advice: I recommend keeping your wedding intimate; it gives you more time to focus on what’s important- your groom/bride, your love, and your day, instead of having to entertain and mingle.
Groom’s advice: Enjoy the time planning with your significant other as much as possible, because when it’s over, you’ll never have that experience again.
Thanks for sharing your wedding with us! We love the flair and intimacy of your entire day!
share
Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
2 comments »
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Since we are in the South, we of course love plantation weddings! So when Mere Bulles brought Jayna and David's wedding to us, we were just a bit excited! Why? Because we also love the new trend of having food trucks at weddings! (and we wished we could have been there - Mere Bulles is yum!) This is a perfect example of Old South meeting modern trends - you really can mix the two. Whether you choose, as Jayna did, to have the food truck act as your typical caterer, or have a selection of trucks serve your guests from their windows, this a trend we are seeing increase in popularity. We love the variety you can choose from and the fact that you have fresh, hot food cooked on the spot - but it's a huge step away from the hotel conference room food!
The other fun twist on Jayna's wedding - she's a wedding planner and did some extreme DIY work to complete her Old South meets modern garden wedding. Jeremy Binns did a great job in capturing all of the details from the night. Enjoy!!
Jayna + David
Wedding Date ~ June 11, 2011
Ceremony & Reception ~ Carnton Plantation
Guests ~ 300
Budget
$30,000 - $50,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Jayna Goedecke Designs
Photographer | Jeremy Binns Photography
Videographer | Cesar Cisneros (ambientpictures.com)
Gown & Accessories | David’s Bridal
Groom’s Attire & Groomsmen Attire | Men’s Warehouse
Bridesmaids Attire | David’s Bridal
Hair | Ryan Simpson
Makeup | I did it myself!
Stationery | Jayna Goedecke Designs
Ceremony Musicians | Family and my sorority sisters
Reception Musicians | Tumbleweed Band
Caterer | Mere Bulles Food Truck
Cake Artist | French Confection
Floral Designer | Jayna Goedecke Designs
Guest Accommodations | Hilton Suites in Brentwood
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
I would describe our wedding as Simple Southern Garden and DIY. Personal touches were key for our day!
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
The color scheme that we chose was mostly due to the fact that we are both huge Alabama fans and red is my favorite color! We got married at Carnton Plantation in Franklin. The ceremony was held in their one-acre 1847 restored garden under a magnificent 150 year-old Osage Orange Tree. The minute that we visited Carnton Plantation, we knew it was the perfect place, the beautiful gardens and Orange tree were the perfect background for our southern garden theme. The centerpieces (lanterns with flowers) brought the garden theme into the reception. And all the personal touches truly made the event reflect who we are as a couple.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
The fact that everything at the wedding reflected who we are as individuals and as a couple and how everyone was joined together! It was so great to spend our day with our close family and friends.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
I would say that the place that I splurged the most was in rentals. I have been to many weddings where the couple saved on rentals by renting the cheaper things, and it shows. So I went with the padded chairs, the real wood bar, two tents, and fans. Going with the nicer rentals really made a difference.
The rest of the wedding was DIY. I designed the whole wedding down to the flower girls headband. My grandmother (Nonnie) handmade many items in the wedding, which was very special to me. She handmade the flower girl basket, ring bearer pillow, flower girl headband, embellishment and flower that went around each of our 200 invitations, a tablecloth that was placed on the “In Memory” table which showed pictures of my passed grandfather and David’s passed grandfather, a table runner that was placed on the "Welcome" table, and my Alabama garter! All of her special touches truly made our day perfect!
I designed our stationery - invitations and programs. I also created the ceremony and reception décor, including our centerpieces; our welcome baskets. And I did all of the florist work for our bouquets and boutonnières (including my bridal bouquet).
I wrapped one of my grandfather's (whom was my father figure my whole life) monogrammed handkerchiefs around the base of my bouquet so that he was holding my hand every time I was holding my bouquet. Being able to combine all of our ideas and design them myself made our day exactly what we wanted.
What made you chose a food truck over your traditional caterer?
For the fact that the food was being cooked right then instead of being cooked earlier and then heated up. The food was so fresh.
Do you think that your guests enjoyed the food truck experience?
They loved it! I am still getting comments on the food. By having the truck, the food was so fresh and delicious! We had a salad bar (which was a hit), 2 meats, and 2 vegetables. Most guests went back for seconds!
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I think everything went great! There is nothing that I would have changed about the process.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Don’t forget that the purpose of having this event is to marry the love of your life, so don’t sweat the small stuff!
Thanks to Mere Bulles for telling us about Jayna's wedding!! And thanks to Jayna and David for sharing your special day with us! If you're interested in having the Mere Bulles Food Truck at your wedding, contact them today and be sure to mention that you found them on ABG!
share
Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
2 comments »
Friday, November 25, 2011
We hope you're having a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend and that Black Friday hasn't been too frenzied. If you're shopping around for ideas and inspiration you've come to the right place. Today's real wedding is from Regalo Design - featuring a gorgeous wedding at the Governor's Club in Brentwood, TN. The bride and groom, Brittney and Zach, were planning their big day from Knoxville so the bride's mother put Regalo Design to the task of planning it from start to finish, and the end result? A perfect, worry-free day, with lots of joy.
From Regalo Design: "Brittney and Zach were married on June 4 at The Governors Club in Brentwood, Tennessee. Regalo Design provided full service planning, flowers and decor to create a beautiful day for for bride and groom. Here are some pictures from the big day!"
From the Mother of the Bride: “We hired Sarah and Regalo Design when we realized it was getting too stressful for my daughter in Knoxville and planning a wedding in Nashville. The stress disappeared the moment that we met and hired her, which was worth every penny. So great to work with. So very professional yet sooooo much fun to work with. The attention to detail was perfect. She met and exceeded our every expectation. I wish we had another wedding to plan just so we could work together again. I recommend her for every girl's perfect day.”
For more pictures from this beautiful wedding visit Regalo Design's blog here. Thanks to Jonathon Campbell Photography for the pictures.
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
0 comments »
Monday, October 17, 2011
Fall is in here. The air is crisper and the leaves are changing. To welcome the change in season, Emily from Simply Yours Weddings has shared with us the wedding she coordinated for Rachel and Eric. This romantic, southern wedding was planned in just 11 weeks (you read that right!)! Not only are we impressed by Emily's skill, which is shown in the photos by Matt Andrews Photography, but we love the colors and overall Fall-ness!! How fun to have the "flower girl" through leaves! And take photos in golden leaves... Well, we hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Rachel + Eric
Wedding ~ Sunday, November 14, 2010
Ceremony + Reception ~ Travellers Rest Plantation
Guest ~ 220
About the couple:
Eric and Rachel are two of the sweetest, funniest, and most warm and loving people. It makes sense for them to get married in the Fall when all of creation is bursting at the seams with color and life. I think something that stands out to me about both Eric and Rachel is how much family means to both of them. They're incredibly loyal and they worked so hard to make sure everyone that mattered to them felt a part of their beautiful day. Their wedding was so romantic and joyful, just like them!
Their theme:
It was all things Fall! They loved the look of lovely southern romance you find at Travellers Rest and the beauty that surrounds you from the minute you set foot on the property. The beautiful, but massive tree where their ceremony took place provided the perfect altar and the simple but inviting atmosphere of the barn made for a great spot to dance, eat Two Fat Men's wonderful food and top it off with some hot cider. Even with the brisk touch of Fall's coolness in the air, every part of the day was bursting with color and joy and warmth.
What details were used to enhance the theme?
Like I said, Eric and Rachel are such incredibly warm and loving people. Their colors spoke so true of that. The bright tangerine colored bridesmaids dresses and the smooth semi-chocolate suits for the groomsmen were the perfect blend of fun but also a beautiful pallet to play off of. These are some of my favorite flowers that I've ever seen Hillary from Brocade Designs create for a fall wedding because the textures and colors just flowed so perfectly with the wedding party's look. And the flowers were peppered there, in the most intentionally sporadic ways, through the ceremony and into the reception.
We were totally surrounded by color in the trees and all over the grounds. Everywhere there were yellows, greens, oranges. So in our scheme, other than the girl's dresses, we tried to keep it really neutral and soft. But not boring. Eric and Rachel are anything but boring!
Describe any highlights/special moments of the wedding day:
I'm not gonna lie... its kind of a selfish moment.
I had the privilege of getting to know Rachel and her family when I was working on her older sister's wedding in 2008. So, when Rachel got engaged, her sister, Holly, called and said “we're not doing anything until we meet with you!” Both of Rachel and Eric's families had a lot going on: graduations, moving, babies on the way (Holly was preggo!) holidays were coming... they were really interested in getting married before all of the chaos got started.
So, when we met on August 30th, we started working our butts off and 11 weeks later, I was standing at the reception, watching them have their first dance. Their Mom, Mary Kay, looked at me and put her arm around me and said “Well, we did it again.” That moment... still brings tears to my eyes. Their day was so beautiful thanks to the fantastic vendor team who worked so hard, and both of their families were radiant with joy. It all coming together... that's my selfish highlight =)
Side note: I do not recommend planning an entire wedding in less than 80 days to anyone unless you are willing to work so hard and fast and are surrounded by support. This entire family was so flexible, intentional, honest, and constant troopers.
Wedding Team
Planner/Coordinator | Emily Humphries of Simply Yours Weddings
Photographer | Matt Andrews Photography
Cake | The Bake Shoppe
Caterer | Two Fat Men Catering
Florist | Hillary Yeager of Brocade Designs
Gown | Bridal Warehouse in Goodletsville
Groom's Suit | Purchased from JCPenney (seriously!)
Bridesmaids attire | David's Bridal
Groomsman attire | Purchased from JCPenney
Music | Friends of the family performed at both the ceremony and reception
Lighting | Nashville Audio Visual
Rentals | Liberty Party Rentals
Stationary | Designs in Paper
Videographers | First Image Films (out of Cincinnati)
Congrats again to Rachel and Eric who are about to celebrate their anniversary! And many thanks to the couple and to Emily for sharing such a gorgeous wedding with us! If you are just as impressed and want Emily to plan your wedding, make sure to mention ABG when you book with her to receive complimentary rehearsal dinner planning by Simply Yours Weddings!
share
Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
0 comments »
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
We love sharing real weddings with our readers, and this one is a treat! Not only is the bride a wedding planner, but the affair had an Old Hollywood theme! Who doesn't love Hollywood?! And since Debbie is from New York, she wasn't looking for your typical Southern wedding. Taking their love for the theater, Debbie and Carlos chose to create a theme that every guest would love. This included guests finding their seats at the reception with movie tickets and enjoying a popcorn bar.
We also love things that aren't always tradtional. In this case, it's the wedding party - it was all male. Debbie had her two brothers as "Men of Honor" and her one-year-old nephew as the "Ring Dude." Carlos chose his brother as his best man and two best friends for groomsmen to complete the party.
The classy black and white evening was shot by Karen Alisa Photography. Karen also took the bridal party to Events on 3rd (the old Nashville Dinner Theater). The space made for grand, Hollywood-esque photos with its red staircase, exposed brick, and overall charm. We hope you enjoy the photos and theme!
Debbie + Carlos
Date ~ August 27, 2011
Ceremony ~ Holy Name Catholic Church
Reception ~ Hilton Garden Inn- Vanderbilt
Guests ~ 90
.jpg)
.jpg)
Budget
$10,000 - $20,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Me! I have my own business, Wedding Designs by Debbie
Day of Coordinator | Beautiful Weddings by Beth Anne - my teacher in wedding planning! (bethannesbeautifulweddings.com)
Photographer | Karen Alisa Photography
Gown | David’s Bridal
Bride Accessories | I made both headpieces myself and my veil was created from my mom’s veil.
Groom’s attire / groomsmen attire | Men’s Warehouse
Hair | Alicia at Altra Salon
Makeup | Susannah Smith White
Stationery | My own! - Wedding Designs by Debbie
Ceremony musicians | Singers - Tyson and Cori Laemmel and Josh Waldrep; Lee Druce on piano and organ
Reception Musicians | JD Music
Transportation | Nashville Luxury Limos
Caterer | Hilton Garden Inn
Cake Artist | Dulce Desserts - we had a two-tier cake and a side cake
Dessert Table | We had many different desserts (aside from our cake) including tartlets, red velvet cupcakes, lime meltaways, and cannoli's from Savarino's.
Floral Designer | Green Finch Floral Design - my bouquet had black magic roses and red feathers! (greenfinchfloraldesign.com)
Guest Accommodations | Hilton Garden Inn Vanderbilt
.jpg)
.jpg)
Wedding Details
We had an afternoon ceremony at Holy Name Catholic Church in East Nashville. This was followed by a cocktail hour at the Hilton Garden Inn-Vandy, then a sit down dinner reception with dancing and karaoke. The ballroom at the HGI is located on the 9th floor penthouse with views overlooking Downtown Nashville.
How would you describe your style as a couple?
We are very dramatic. We met doing theatre and wanted our wedding to show our love of artistic design.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We chose an overall style of Old Hollywood and our colors were black and white, with red as the accent color only in flowers. We started with the save the dates and had a friend, who is a videographer, take photos of us like we were in film noir movies. Those pictures were also incorporated in the table numbers.
At our ceremony, the programs were rack cards with a red curtain opening on the front (like an old movie theater).
For our reception, we had a movie poster of Carlos and I at the entrance of HGI that directed people where to go. Once at the ballroom we had a red carpet step and repeat banner with a photographer taking pictures of the guests as they arrived. He printed them out for them to take home and to be slipped in the clap board place cards at the tables. I created escort cards that were movie tickets corresponding to the table numbers, which were movie titles and pictures that Carlos and I took (all in black and white). I came up with movie titles that were based on Film Noir and 1930-1950's movies. Example: Citizen Garcia, Beauty and the Beard, The Lady From New York, etc. We also had a popcorn bar!
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Our first dance. Two of our friends Zack Gresham and Jillian LaFave from Umbrella Tree, arranged, played and sang Ben Fold’s “Luckiest”.
.jpg)
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We did not splurge at all. As a wedding planner, I knew shortcuts. Even though a lot of the wedding details seemed high end, I was able to bring costs down considerably by doing it myself. I think the invitations were the most extravagant, but since I sell them, they were at cost, plus I added my own touches to make them special.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I would have had some sort of greeter at the cocktail hour. We wanted the movie/old Hollywood theme to expand by having a step and repeat banner that guests took photos in front of. They were then printed out and guests took the photos and put them in the place card clapboard frames at the tables. I think there was too much going on and many people missed out on that aspect.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Do not worry about all the details, make it your own and be sure to not over spend.
Thanks for sharing your wedding with us Debbie and Carlos!
share
Posted by Megan |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings
1 comment »
