Friday, August 27, 2010
I had the pleasure of meeting Erin Lee of The Collection a while back and thought "she must be SUCH fun as a photographer." Brief background on Erin, she used to play drums in a band (I heart drummers), and she also photographed musicians when she lived in Chicago! In my humble opinion, I think it takes a really talented eye and skill to take pictures of musicians in action and her talent shines through in her wedding photography - her ability to capture the little details and really get a feel for the joyfulness of the day. I could go on but rather than read my thousand words, wouldn't you rather look at Erin's pictures?
Since The Collection is one of newest preferred photographers, we thought we'd share one of their weddings, to give you a taste of their wedding style and skill. Happy Friday everybody!
Featured Blog From The Collection: Michelle & Ray's Cedarwood Wedding
Michelle and Ray’s wedding was one of the most intimate, most enjoyable weddings that I have had the pleasure of photographing in Nashville, and I say this in spite of the fact that Michelle became trapped in traffic and was two and a half hours late. Thanks to efficiency of Historic Cedarwood and the amazing attitudes of Michelle Ray, we were able to get all of their wedding photographs done in considerably less time than normal.
As you can see, Michelle and Ray are two of the most fun people that you’ll ever met and I cannot express how thoroughly I enjoy them.
One of the bridesmaids made these adorable place cards.
Michelle and Ray like so many others in Nashville are here for school. Ray is currently enrolled in school and planning on teaching at West Point. Impressive? I don’t think that anyone at the wedding actually lived in Nashville and because of this, it felt like one big reunion.
Another beautifully done wedding by Historic Cedarwood.
Michelle and Ray, you are wonderful and I can’t wait to photograph your after session!
-Erin Lee
These were such awesome pictures. Cedarwood is a gorgeous location and this looked like such a fun wedding! All the pictures were by Erin Lee of The Collection. Please do check out more of her work as well as more great photography by Krystal and Erin on The Collection's Blog.
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Posted by Tabitha |
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
We usually feature real weddings after the couple's big day. But how are those days created? What goes on behind the scene? How can you take all of those magazine pictures you've torn out and turn them into a wedding design? And, how exactly does a wedding planner take your concept and help you execute?
With the help of Stephanie of You're Invited, we will take you behind the scenes of an upcoming Nashville wedding. As Stephanie shares this engaged couple's wedding details, we hope their wedding planning process will help you develop your own plan or help you understand how an effective wedding planner adds value.
When an engaged couple comes to you, how do you approach finding their wedding vision?
When I start the planning process with a bride, I ask lots of questions to get to know them (this helps me help discover their vision). Questions such as - what colors do you love, what are your favorite things to do, what are the 3 most important aspects of your wedding, what type of experience do you want to create for your guests?
I will also ask the couple to bring in pictures they like, whether they are wedding photos they like, or even just magazine photos. It's amazing what an interior decorating magazine can do to help me understand and create a bride's vision for her wedding. I never want a bride to feel overwhelmed as we start the planning process. Their vision can evolve over the course of the planning process, and doesn't have to be created on day one.
I'm sure you are working with many great couples, helping them plan their wedding. Tell us about one of your engaged Nashville couples. What is the engaged couple's personality?
The bride and groom are extremely professional, family-oriented and fabulous to work with. This will be the second marriage for both, so they wanted to keep this wedding "simply elegant." Also, a lot of traditions that 1st time brides want to use, we won't be doing with this wedding (large wedding party, father walking her down the aisle, garter/bouquet, etc).
What is the vision for their wedding?
The bride and groom both want their families and friends to really enjoy this evening together. They want fabulous food, beautiful flowers and a really fun party.
Have they selected wedding colors/their theme?
Yes, we've actually changed the colors throughout the planning process. When she and I originally met, we knew she was going to have a fall wedding, so those were the colors we chose (bronzes and golds, oranges, eggplant purple, and pops of green). As the wedding planning process has evolved, so have my bride's color choices. We are now utilizing more of the rich eggplant in the main color scheme, instead of as an accent color.
What is the inspiration for their wedding?
Fall and her love of those particular colors
Engaged couple's wedding Picture source: You're Invited.
Which vendors/venues have they hired to date and why were they hired specifically to execute on their vision?
Noah Liff is the ceremony and reception location site. It is a fabulous new Nashville venue and the Opera Studio is a blank canvas to create an amazing event. Jessica, the facilities manager there, is so great to work with on projects/events.
Left: Ragsdale Lobby. Right: Opera Suite (Photo courtesy of NashvilleOpera.org)
Nashville Event Lighting - I knew I would need Blake and his team to work their magic on this space. We have the ceremony, reception and then a lounge area to create, and I know lighting will be one of the key elements to help accomplish this.
Blue Nova Designs - The bride and I immediately knew that we wanted to drape the walls and the ceiling to soften the look. The team at Blue Nova has been great during the design process offering us multiple options from which to choose.
Jay from Maple's Wedding Cakes - who doesn't love Jay's yummy cake and fabulous design work!
Terry from The English Garden - my bride described her vision to Terry in regards to flowers, and they immediately connected. Terry has an amazing eye for color and design, and will make my bride's vision come to life in his floral design work.
Jonathon Campbell Photography - We love their work and ability to capture even the smallest details. After my bride met with them, she knew Jonathon and Sharon were a great fit for what she wanted in a photography team. She loves the fact that they are a husband/wife team and she loves their portfolio!
Sargeant's Catering - they have a long-standing reputation in Nashville for delicious food and great service. After our tasting with them, we were blown away at how fabulous the food is going to be for this bride and groom and their guests.
Valet One - for valet parking. Becky is so great to work with and very accomodating.
Music City Tents and Events - for rentals-very professional to work with both before, during and after an event.
Tabitha: Fall colors really are elegant. I especially love the way the multi-colored ribbons are tied to the back of the fruitwood chiavari chair in the bottom right corner. Picture source: You're Invited.
What is their splurge item?
Food!!
How are they choosing to maximize their wedding budget?
They are not having a large wedding party; instead the bride has a Matron of Honor and that's the only one who will stand in the front with them.
What excites you most about this wedding?
I am excited about several things - the amazing transformation that will happen to the Opera Studio at the Noah Liff; from lighting to draping to the table arrangements, it is going to be unrecognizeable from its current look. I'm also excited about the "flip" of the Ragsdale Lobby from the ceremony site to the "after party lounge" after guests finish their seated dinner. Third, I'm excited about the interactive dessert concept we're doing for this wedding. It's going to change guest's experience at wedding receptions.
Any words of advice to couples beginning their wedding planning on finding their inspiration?
Look at magazines, surf websites and blogs, and ask your friends what kind of wedding they envision you having. All of those things will help inspire you to create the wedding of your dreams!
For more of Stephanie's work, check out You're Invited's website or their wedding planning blog for more ideas and resources for your dream Nashville wedding!
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Posted by Tabitha |
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Very simple post today: If you have yet to hire your wedding photographer, you are luck! Here's a great one to check out: The Collection, a fabulous wedding company comprised of Krystal, Erin and Jessica. Visit their website and blog, then give them a call. If you book by 8/30 and mention ABG - you get a free iPad to display your wonderful wedding photos wherever you go!!
The Collection photographers are incredible but the iPad limited offer makes them even more delicious!
Call them asap and be sure to check with them regarding specific offer details.
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Posted by Ashley |
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Everyone is raving about Thistle Farms - from Opulent Couturier (who first mentioned the organization to me - thanks girl!) to The Thirty Something Bride, who visited Thistle with me and who shared her story on her blog today.
So why are we all in love with Thistle? Because Thistle Farms is a great Nashville non-profit that supports local women while offering great gifts for women, bridesmaids and wedding guests!
About Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms is a non-profit business for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction. Thistle Farms creates bath and body products that are good for your body and that support and empower our sisters - from Nashville to Rwanda. All of the proceeds go directly to the women in the program for transitional living, counseling, job skills, etc. While based in Nashville (located on Charlotte Avenue), they are changing lives in our backyard and the entire world!
My Visit to Thistle Farms
To learn more about the group, I was invited to visit Thistle Farms, a day that was life transforming. The day started with a meditation session where the group of recovering drug addicts, prostitutes, visitors (like me, Tabitha, Louise and the Jonathon Campbell Photography crew), volunteers and staff shared life affirmations. Listening to their trials, experiences made us all realize that regardless of our backgrounds, our human story was the same - our lives were parallel and that self-love and survival are universal goals.
The topic of the day was secrets and how their existence keeps us imprisoned while our release frees us. After sharing my love story last month, I could totally relate. I could also relate to a group of women working together to raise one another, thereby raising humanity and the Nashville community specifically.
Pictured above: Carolyn (a Thistle Farms volunteer who invited ABG to visit) + wonderful survivors showing me how the products are made.
Words will not do my visit justice so I encourage you to 1) visit Thistle Farm yourself to learn more about the organization and unique opportunity to help other Nashvillians by introducing your church, girlfriends, fellow bloggers or out of town gift lovers to TF and 2) consider being a Thistle Farms bride/supporter!
5 ways to be a Thistle Farms Bride / Supporter!
1) Leave a comment, spread the word and we will donate!
The easiest way to support Thistle Farms is to leave a comment + spread the word! When you share today's post on Twitter or Facebook, ABG will donate $1 to Thistle Farms. How easy is that? Just share this post on Facebook or tweet the link and mention @weddinggirl and @thistlefarms and link to this article (here's the shorten link - http://bit.ly/beMN3W). Simple!
2) Purchase gift baskets for your bridal party, birthdays, new baby or any occasion where a fabulous gift is needed!
For the select few people you've invited to be a special part of your big day, consider personalized gift baskets from Thistle Farms. Filled with your choice of four fragrances (tuscan earth, citrus vanilla, lavender healing and tea tree mint), pick the size of basket filled with handmade bath and body products that fit your needs and pocketbook. Each basket will also contain a personal note from the bride and groom."
We loved this! it would be a great gift for your bridesmaid to pamper them during your hot summer Nashville wedding!
3) Give your wedding guests Thistle Farms favors - from lip balm to scented satchets
Thistle Farms Lip Balm is a perfect one to use at a wedding!...Pick from five scents of handmade lip balms (tuscan earth, citrus vanilla, lavender healing, tea tree mint, unscented – or let us choose a mix of scents), which will be attached to a keepsake postcard with the Bride & Groom’s names and wedding date."
4) Host a Thistle Farms bridal shower
Instead of a typical bridal shower, host a unique Thistle Farms Bridal Shower. Two of our trained employees will come to you, share their personal stories of hope, and tell you about our products. Sample our divine Body Polish...or smell our naturally fragrant candles. Celebrate your special day with women and products that truly say 'Love heals'.
3) Consider a {donation} wedding registry in lieu of gifts
Donating funds to a charity in lieu of giving guests favors is a very socially responsible and heartfelt way to thank your friends and family for sharing in your wedding. Thistle Farms will create a beautiful framed piece of artwork on thistle paper to let your guests know that a donation has been made in their name to the organization.
4) Buy every day products - from geranium spray (aka bug repellant) + candles to shower gel - to pamper yourself!
5) Volunteer and give of your time, love!!
AshleysBrideGuide.com is proud to support them and excited to share the many ways that EVERYONE can support this wonderful Nashville jewel. Special thanks to Carolyn Snell who is a wonderful person and the Thistle Farms volunteer who invited me to visit and to Jonathon Campbell Photography who took time out to not only capture my visit but to meditate + share this incredible experience.
Find out where you can pick up their awesome wedding products via their website or via their Thistle Farms wedding blog post.
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Guests, Gifts & Favors, Inspiration & Trends
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Monday, August 23, 2010
We open the week by shining our spotlight on a new addition to our fine photography community here at ABG. Please welcome The Collection, a group of three very talented photographers whose passion is wedding photography. The brainchild of Peter and Whitney Carlson of Dove Photography, The Collection will add more talent to our ever-growing pool of wonderful photographers from which you can choose for your wedding and special day. We're really excited about this and we hope you are too.
Fabulous Giveaway: ABG Brides, if you mention this blog post and book your photography session with Erin or Krystal by Monday August 30th, you will receive a free iPad courtesy of The Collection!
Meet The Collection: Nashville's Newest Photography Studio
Ashley: this picture makes my heart sing!
Number of Years in the Business:
The Collection is a brand new studio run by professionals who have been working in Nashville's wedding photography industry for over 6 years.
How did you get started in weddings?
Krystal Mann started her photography career at the age of 14. She spent much of her time photographing musicians until one of her musician friends invited her to photograph his wedding. She instantly fell in love with weddings and opened her own wedding photography business. Krystal ran her wedding photography studio for over 6 years until she was invited to join The Collection. Similarly, Erin Lee started her photography career photographing musicians. When approached by the owners of The Collection, Erin quickly discovered her love for wedding photography. Although Jessica has only been photographing weddings for a year, she has had a considerable amount of training over the years from her older sister Whitney Carlson of Dove Wedding Photography. Before being hired by The Collection, Jessica photographed weddings for a year with an Atlanta-area photographer.
What do you like most about weddings?
We love the joy and excitement that is involved with wedding days. Every bride's wedding is completely different because every bride is a unique individual. It is so much fun to see all the different ideas that our brides come up with for their wedding celebrations.
What does the name “The Collection” mean?
The name comes from two ideas that make up our business. One comparison is that a display of art pieces is known as a “collection”. We photograph each wedding as a work of art. We are providing a service, but we do not see ourselves as service providers as much as we see ourselves as artists. The name also comes from the fact that we are a collection of photographers and not a studio owned and run by just one photographer.
What is your service philosophy?
The collection exists to bring superior images, along with trusted service, to a variety of brides. When working with a photographer from The Collection, you can trust you will receive excellence in service and the highest quality for your investment.
The Collection is not a co-operative of photographers, but one trusted photography studio supplying a variety of creative and artistic photographers.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
We have a full-time, in-house, staff. Our studio manager is dedicated to giving every bride prompt and thorough service. Our staff of photographic editors maintain the highest quality possible while ensuring the on-time delivery of your images. Working with such a dedicated team allows our photographers the freedom and energy to focus on what's most important: photographing your wedding.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
This is such a hard question because there are so many great vendors to work with in Nashville. If we narrowed our list down to the five vendors that we have worked with the most, it would be: Historic Cedarwood, Maples Wedding Cakes, Nashville Event LIghting, Fresh by CarryAnn, and recently our photographers have been photographing a number of weddings at Country Music Hall of Fame. Each of these vendors are considered some of the best in Nashville and will not disappoint.
Left: Fresh Carry Ann. Right: Maples Cakes
A wedding photographed at Cedarwood
Lighting by Nashville Event Lighting
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit?
Because we have three photographers on our team, it will be hard for you to find a date that The Collection is not available for your wedding.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
We subscribe to style magazines like Vogue, Lula. Some of our favorite blogs are Style Me Pretty, Hundred Layer Cake, Southern Weddings Blog, Poetic Home for style inspiration, and of course Ashley's Bride Guide keeps us up on the scene in Nashville. We love looking around Etsy.com for inspiration. We also attend multiple conferences per year which focus on wedding photography. Of course visiting with brides and other wedding vendors is one of the best ways to keep up with current trends.
Let’s discuss current wedding trends - Which wedding trend do you love?
We love centerpieces that incorporate organic and natural pieces like ferns, moss, wildflowers, branches, and other wood pieces.
What wedding trend do you dislike the most?
When brides feel confined to tradition when planning her wedding day. Each bride is a unique individual and should remember this wedding is hers. It should be as unique as she is, even if it does not fit the "normal rules" of a wedding.
What is your favorite wedding find?
Custom hand-made signs by Chocolate Butterbean (chocolatebutterbean.com).
Yummy wedding blog to add to my bookmarks! Ok, What's your favorite TV show and why?
Every single one of our staff (except Krystal) loves LOST. We do not know what we are going to talk about on Wednesday mornings this year, now that the series is over.
What advice would you give to brides on the wedding planning process in general?
Hire an experienced event planner. The biggest wedding regret we hear from brides and friends is they did not hire a planner. It will save you so much time and keep you away from stress. If you are a DIY bride, at the very least, hire a day-of coordinator. There is no reason you should be conducting on your own wedding day. Expecting your family or bridesmaids to fill this role rarely works out.
When it comes to finding a photographer. Don't base hiring your photographer on how much "stuff" comes in your package. The two most important things to base your decision on should be the quality and style of the photography as well as the personality of the photographer. If you do not get along with your photographer you will remember that every time you look at your photos. If you end up not liking your photographs, It won't matter how big your album is our how many prints you are getting. All these items will be worthless to you if you can not enjoy the art that is printed on them.
I'm thrilled and really looking forward to featuing more of The Collection! View their photography blog for more of their weddings.
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Posted by Ashley |
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