Wednesday, February 1, 2012
When we feature a certain wedding vendor or venue, we base much of our information on our visit to the venue and what we loved at the location. It's one thing to appreciate a venue on a visit or even enjoy the pretty pictures featured on their blog but what do brides like you think about the venue? Why did they select it from all of the other options for their big day? And, what was their opinion after their wedding took place?
Every few weeks, we're going to delve a little deeper and ask brides and wedding venues WHY brides booked their location. There is so much to consider and maybe their decision making process will help you.
Today we ask Kathy Best, owner of Front Porch Farms why, exactly, brides have selected her beautiful farm venue for their wedding day.
Picture by Erin - The Collection
From your experience, why do brides love Front Porch Farms?
It's the perfect “at home” wedding without it being at their home! It’s also a great destination wedding for Tennessee: Southern charm and romance in a beautiful outdoor setting away from the traffic and noise of the city but still close enough to be convenient. Brides know whether their guests are coming from down the road or across the country, when they get here it’s all worth it. We make everyone feel at home because it IS home!
(Picture by The Collection)
Picture by Shots by Cheyenne
ABG Notes: Chill on the porch and take in the gorgeous view (Picture by The Collection)
ABG Notes: Even if it rains, Front Porch Farms has you (literally) covered and it will still look good. (Picture by Red Letter Days)
ABG Notes: It's like a playground for photographers with tons of backdrops and structures to make pictures interesting. (Picture by Phindy Studios)
What would you describe the feel of Front Porch Farms is?
Front Porch Farms is not a venue but an “experience.” A couple who were recently married here told me this and I have to agree! Maybe it’s because we live here or maybe it’s the couples but each wedding day, Brian and I feel as if someone in our family is getting married in our home and everyone is our house guests. Whether a bride and groom’s style is glamorous, simple elegance, vintage, or country chic – one thing is universal, their day is truly romantic and incredibly intimate. Maybe the best word to describe our weddings is “comfortable.” Couples feel at home expressing themselves and their love for each other and their guests enjoy a large dose of Southern Hospitality.
What is something brides have said they just absolutely love about having their wedding at Front Porch Farms?
So many brides have reviewed us on WeddingWire, complimenting us on our "guidance, sensitivity to budget and the bride's vision," "calm and accommodating manner the team brought together last-minute details," "gorgeous venue and great ideas to make things special," "genuine desire to make couples happy and amazing design skills," "warmth and professionalism," and "flawless decor, stellar imagination and creativity." Brides and their families have commented that working with FPF has far surpassed their expectations, that so many guests say that it has been the best wedding they've ever attended, and remarked on the "rental items and inventory that are unbelievable and a great value." They like being "treated like family or an old friend" and love the laid-back atmosphere, beautiful location, and top-tier venue "setting straight out of a storybook!" We love our clients!!
What is it you love that you think brides will/do love as well?
The first thing people say when they get here is “Wow, what a view!” Even photos can’t capture the panoramic beauty. We are only 30 minutes West of Nashville but it’s like you have gone to East Tennessee mountains. We have 32+ acres next to untouched property around us and photographers can take full advantage of it. I love seeing romantic “first looks” and photos shot among the stunning with the trees, pastures, arbors, pond, and barns.
The other thing that couples love is our fun approach to weddings. During the day, groomsmen can fish, swim, play horseshoes and other outdoor games or watch sports in the guesthouse. We offer guests lemonade or tea when they arrive and they also have the opportunity to play outdoor games, relax in the porch swings and rockers or later use our fully-functioning outdoor fireplace to roast marshmallows. It’s all part of the experience.
Picture by The Collection
Picture by The Collection
Picture by Shots by Cheyenne
What made you decide you wanted to host weddings at your home?
When a friend asked me about hosting weddings here, I have to admit it started out as a way of making a little extra money by combining my love of flea market decorating with my experience with events from the music industry. It quickly evolved into an obsession for me and a lifestyle change for both of us. Nothing could happen without Brian (yes I admitted it honey). He builds farm tables, props and custom arbors (not to mention keeps everything running here) and I invite couples into our home every week whether it’s to tour, plan or get married.
People always ask us why and how we do it. My answer is we get to see couples fall in love with our place the way we did when we found it and got married here. It’s a renewed appreciation for what we have built here and for each other. You can’t stay mad at each other long when so much love is around. It’s the best marriage counseling ever!
What is one thing about the farm that you wish more brides took advantage of?
Brian and I love being creative and while we have a ton of props and décor already, we are always wanting to do something unique. We'd love to have more brides work with us to create a truly customized, personal one-of-a-kind event! One item in particular is the small farm tables Brian has made for couples to have their wedding guests sign {a la guest book} and then serve as their sweetheart table for the reception and later a family heirloom. He’s also made arbors, wooden boxes, chalk boards – you have an idea and budget and he can do it. There are unlimited opportunities for special details and customization.
Ashley adds: The ABG team has been to Front Porch Farms and fell in love just like many of the brides that chose to wed at Front Porch. We were a bit apprehensive that it would be worth the drive when we mapped it but we walked away and concluded: 1) The drive is really easy and actually enjoyable and 2) This venue is definitely worth the drive! If they're a great fit for you and your vision, definitely make the drive. It's a must-see venue and isn't as far as you might thing. Give them a call and be sure to let them know you're an ABG reader.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Wedding Venues and Locations
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Monday, January 9, 2012
This weekend, The Inspired Bride event will take place at Houston Station, one of Events Nashville's venues. If you haven't secured your wedding ceremony/reception location, this is a location to consider and this event on Sunday would make a perfect time to check out the space ,while meeting wonderful Nashville wedding vendors. And for brides who are willing to be flexible, Houston Station is offering 15% off Friday or Sunday wedding dates!
There are many reasons why I love Houston Station. While it's off the beaten path, its downtown location makes it an easy drive from most parts of greater Nashville. Once you walk inside, you fall in love with the limitless options. You definitely have to see the space yourself to rule it in or out, but here's my Q+A with the folks at Events Nashville, who manage Houston Station, along with some great pictures that to give you a peek into the space.
Photo: Matt Andrews Photography; Full wedding featured here.
Photos: Contact Houston Station for details
Quick Info About Events Nashville:
Main Contact: Elizabeth Gilbreath
Phone Number: 615.242.1916
Email: elizabeth {at} eventsnashville {dot} net
Learn more via their website: www.eventsnashville.net
Become a Facebook Fan: Houston Station
Follow them on Twitter: @HStationEvents
My Q+A with Events Nashville on Houston Station
The Events Nashville team manages Houston Station and the Ambrose House - our discussion here focused on Houston Station.
How many years have you been in business?
Events Nashville launched in 2008 and the Houston Station event venue opened in 2009.
What do you like most about weddings?
The chance to support each family on such a joyous day—seeing the mother of the bride relax and take her shoes off—You made it!
Photo: Krista Lee Photography
What’s your favorite wedding photo/video and why?
The bride pretending to stab the groom with the wedding cake knife. Brides and grooms, families and guests seem to feel laid back and comfortable having fun at Houston Station.
What is your service philosophy?
Houston Station is a tremendously flexible historic space—each bride and groom have their own special and unique wedding and reception experience. Historic venue spaces, wide open vendor policies, and our capable Events Nashville professionals support every bride and groom on their big day.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? Why should a bride hire you?
Events Nashville sponsors wide open vendor policies and freedom of choice. Not only is this liberating for the bride and groom, but huge savings are provided, especially for food and alcohol budget items, compared to most other venues. Besides a warm and authentic historic ambiance, Houston Station has a convenient in-town location, great load-in access for vendors, full service valet parking, and ample professional support. And for hourly entertainment, we feature the train!
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors—helpfulness, professionalism, style?
Clean Plate Club, Monica Holmes—Super creative Planning and Catering
Southern Events for furniture and linens—Terrific value and service
PMC Valet—Great support at the front of the house
Noteable Blends—Rhythmic and melodic coffees Nashville
Nashville Event Lighting—Over-the-top ambiance on a budget
Photos: Jonathon Campbell Photography
Update: I goofed! The original title stated that the discount applies to Fri and Sat weddings but it only applies to Fri and Sun weddings.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Our Featured Advertisers!, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Congratulations to all of you that got engaged on Christmas Day!! I know that you are super excited and the Ashleys Bride Guide team are here to help jump-start your wedding planning. For the rest of the week, we will share our tips to help you make the most of your wedding planning experience and budget. But for this evening, I want to share a sweet deal for those of you that have decided to wed in winter 2012.
If you have decided on a January, February or March 2012 wedding, you can book Houston Station at their 2010 rates! Houston Station is one of Nashville's beloved wedding venues.
If you haven't seen the space, check out the photos below and click through to see read the full features.
(Photo credit and details via this link.)
(Photo credit and details via this link.)
(Photo credit and details via this link.)
Picture it: a venue that is large enough for your ceremony and reception, which allows guests to stay warm indoors; a coffee blending room that keeps guests cozy; and a winter promo that lets you splurge in other ways!
Houston Station is a remarkably open space with a rare, open vendor policy (which means that you select your favorite vendors vs working from a set list of vendors). And, the space is close to downtown without dealing with traffic.
Contact Elizabeth at Houston Station via email {.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)} or phone {615-289-7225} for details on the space and the special winter promotion for ABG readers*.
*Promo is valid for new customers who mention the promo upon initial contact. Not valid for those with current or pending contracts.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Contests, Giveaways, Specials, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Friday, December 23, 2011
We are ending the week with our overall favorite Nashville Real Weddings from 2011. While this is not an easy task, the weddings below are stunning, unique, and overall flawless.
1) eHarmony Love: Kate + Justin's Zoo-Inspired Wedding
Married: May 28, 2011
The two met on eHarmony and fell in love. Then, giraffe keeper Kate married Justin at Scarritt Bennett with a Houston Station reception. The whole day was zoo-inspired with vintage touches; from a giraffe topper to venue's exposed brick. See more of this wedding here.
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Planner: Austin Floyd with Last Minute Planners; Venue: Scarritt Bennett & Houston Station; Photos: Krista Lee Photography; Loved by: Meg of ABG
2) Miranda and Grant's Ecletic Garden Wedding
Married: May 14, 2011
I am a big fan of intimate weddings. I think it takes a lot of guts to slash that wedding guest list in half and focus on what the two of you really want. Not only did Miranda and Grant keep it intimate, they were not afraid to mix gutsy flair with traditional details. You can see their personalities throughout their ceremony and reception and you can tell that they had FUN! CJs off the Square is always a great backdrop for an outdoor Tennessee wedding and Ace Photography captured the essence of their day splendidly. See the full wedding feature here.
Planner + Venue: CJ's Off the Square; Photos: Ace Photography; Loved by Ashley of ABG
3) Bethany + Jay's Franklin Wedding
Married: June 2011
The stunning bouquets and flowers throughout are enough to take your breath away, but then you see the ruffled wedding cake that favors the bride's ruffled dress... Oh my! The details are astounding. For all of the University of Tennessee fans, make sure to check out more photos on Evin's blog - including one of the groom's cake (a replica of Neyland stadium!).
Monogrammed Decor: Bella Grace by Bethany (the bride)
Venues: Brentwood Baptist Chapel + The Factory's Bldg 8; Photos: Evin Photography
4) Liesl + Dean's Intimate, Tuscan-Style Wedding
Married: October 20, 2011
This beautiful couple, shot by Kristyn Hogan, hail from South Africa and Australia. The two met in Florida on a yacht and were together for three years before tying the knot in an ode to the time they spent together in Tuscany. Between their story and their elopement on Mooncake Lake, I was enchanted and hope you are too. Read Kristyn's blog for more info and photos.
Planner + Venue: Historic Cedarwood (along with Jessica Sloane); Photos: Kristyn Hogan; Loved by: Meg of ABG
5) Corely + Jake Combine Two Families at their Opryland Hotel Wedding
Married: June 2011
A wedding in the Crystal Gazebo, celebration in the Magnolia Ballroom - with names like that and the added peacock theme, it's bound to be stunning! And the smiles on the bride and groom, as well as those of their sons, proves that this was a happy union. See Joe's blog for more from this happy day.
Planner: A Magical Affair; Coordinator & Venue: Gaylord Opryland Hotel; Photos: Joe Hendricks Photography
6) Jamie + Andy's Downtown, DIY Wedding
Married: April 30, 2011
Jamie impressed us earlier this year when we first shared her wedding, and we just can't get over it! All of the decor she did herself with the help of family and friends. Her amazing husband even DJed part of their reception. The whole day was an impressive success and in the end, they had a great wedding, but these two are more focused on the long term - having a wonderful marriage!
Venue: The Hope Center & The Anchor Fellowship; Photos: Pear Image Photography; Loved by: Sara of ABG
7) Cannery Ballroom Transformed for Julie + Nicholas' Elegant Summer Evening
Married: July 10, 2011
A simple , though lovely, ceremony at Scarritt Bennett would hardly have prepared these guests for the amazing site they would see at the Julie and Nick's reception. The Cannery Ballroom was transformed (in fact, you can watch the transformation on Dove's blog). Intricate details made the room jaw-dropping: crystal and wrought-iron chandeliers, flowers hanging over and overflowing on tables, monogrammed boxes, custom pieces, and even a suspended cake by Jay Qualls.
Planner: Elegant Weddings by Angela; Venues: Cannery Ballroom; Photos: Dove Wedding Photography
8) Sean + Thalia's Greek Orthodox Wedding
Married: July 2011
Greek Orthodox weddings are a true example of devotion and faith. During the ceremony, the bride and groom do not say a word to each other (no vows) as their presence alone is enough to state their devotion to one another. You've got to see the beauty in that! Following tradition, Sean and Thalia's reception was full of dancing, breaking of bread, and there was lots of style with the lovely draping. There was even a bit of teasing - see the blog photos for a shot of the groom with a bottle of Windex ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding").
Venues: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church + Durego; Photos: Joe Hendricks Photography
9) An Australian Marries an American at Kings Chapel: Suz + Philip
Married: October 2011
These two could be models, they are to lovely together! The ceremony took place at the intimate Kings Chapel and the decor was designed by Suz, who chose a vintage theme. Guests traveling from as far as Australia would not be disappointed as the reception hosted an espresso bar from Beve Coffee and chocolate covered marshmallows. See more of the design, treats, and venue on Evin's blog.
Venue: King's Chapel; Photos: Evin Photography
10) Great Gatsby-Themed Wedding: Liz + Jamie
Married: May 21, 2011
Liz and Jamie were married at Cedarwood's unique and amazing outdoor cathedral, with a reception reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. As Cedarwood puts it, moving to the reception, "guests were transported into a wonderland of high stepping vintage style." But words alone cannot do this wedding justice, instead see the full feature on Cedarwood's blog in Part 1 and Part 2, or watch the short video below.
Planner + Venue: Historic Cedarwood; Photos: Dove Wedding Photography
Nashville Wedding Video :: Liz + Jamie from Catchlight Cinema
Really and truly, these weddings are just a few of the highlights from this year. There have been so many great weddings of impressive scale with wonderful vendors; weddings that will be talked of for years to come, but we have one blog post and we must limit the amount shared!! But check out more great Real Weddings that we have featured this year and post your favorites to our comments or our Facebook page. We love being impressed by creative brides and planners!
So here is to a great year of weddings in 2011! We are so looking forward to what 2012 will hold!
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Cakes & Catering, Photography, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Marathon Village, which was originally made up of factories, is becoming one of the hottest neighborhoods in Nashville. A few weeks ago, they added yet another treasure, Marathon Music Works, Nashville’s newest music and event venue. It's a super new venue so you'll want to contact them for more details and to see it in person. Here's high-level info to get you started...
ABG: What makes Marathon Music Works different than other venues in the Nashville area?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS: Marathon Music Works has been designed to meet every type of event need, making it truly a multi-use space. Attention to various details has made it ideal for planners, vendors, event guests, concert goers, and musicians alike. Located in the historic and creative Marathon Village neighborhood, MMW is located in a newly renovated warehouse that dates back to the early 1930's. Marathon Music Works offers an environment rich in history and character with all of the modern amenities.
ABG: What is the capacity of Marathon Music Works for a wedding or event?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS: We offer a versatile layout that can host up to 300 guests for a formally seated dinner, up to 800 for a cocktail reception and 1500 for standing room only. The design of the space makes it easily scalable for all events big or small.
ABG: What are the event rental fees?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS:
Facility Cost: $3,600
A deposit of $1,500 is due upon signing of contract (remainder of balance due 7 days prior to event by check or credit card).
Bartender Fee: $150 per bartender for hosted bars (1 bartender per every 100 guests).
Facility costs include the following:
250 mahogany wooden chairs
(25) 60 inch round tables
(5) 6 ft tables
Exclusive use of venue for up to 12 hours
Glassware for up to 250 guests
Doorman during event
Facility Coordinator to assist on day of event
Cleaning Fee
Set up/Breakdown for tables & chairs
Complimentary Parking with parking attendants
ABG: Are there any restrictions or things to consider when hosting an event at Marathon Music Works?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS: We offer a full service bar and cannot allow outside alcoholic beverages to be brought in. Marathon Music Works exclusively offers full in-house catering services from Flavor Catering & Special Occasions.
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Marathon Music Works is open and ready to host your event! For details of events and concerts, visit their website at www.marathonmusicworks.com.
All images courtesy of Evan Tardy Photography.
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Posted by Newlywed Sara |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Unique Wedding Ideas, Wedding Venues and Locations
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