Friday, March 12, 2010
When when when are we going to feature a Hutton Hotel wedding? That's been my question forever! Finally, the day has arrived. Thanks to Kimberly, Joseph, their planner Celebrations by Design and their photographer, Shanna Mahoney, I can check out this swank wedding venue vicariously. Yes, I've dined their but seeing a wedding there is quite different. Plus, they included the Parthenon in their wedding day pictures and I so love the Parthenon.
Nashville provides such a beautiful backdrop for weddings, whether it's off in the country on a rustic farm or plantation or at a chic, downtown city setting.
Thanks to Celebrations by Design (planner) and Shanna Mahoney Photography, we get a peek into the special day shared by our bride and groom, Kimberly and Joseph. They really looked like they had a great time from the pictures at Centennial Park to the symbolic ceremony and fun filled reception.
Congratulations Kimberly and Joseph, and thank you for sharing your day with us and all our readers!
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Bride - Kimberly D. Letcher
Groom - Joseph I. Britt (Irvin)
My wedding details - October 10, 2009, 1:00
Ceremony and Reception - Hutton Hotel
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My wedding style
Elegant but Simple and Fun
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My colors and why I choose them
Chocolate Brown and Copper with hints of Salmon and Cream, I just really liked how they complimented each other
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Wedding wow factor
It was not the usually wedding ceremony. It was Biblical based relating to marriage and love. The Preacher (Pastor Chris Jackson) made it very special and added a personal touch. Everyone raved about the food, photo booth, and grooms cake!
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Favors
PhotoBooth pictures with our name and wedding date
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Personalized touches
Props for the photobooth, the Dahlias were from a friend (Sam Mose @ S&M Farms), and cowboy boots as the grooms cake.
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Gift for bridesmaids & groomsmen
The Bridemaids receivied bronze and gold earrings and bracelets. The Groomsman received tickets to a concert.
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Most special moment for me
I have a few special moments: Receiving the necklace from husband to be, which was delivered by his mother (she played the major role in us meeting) that I wore that day. The ceremony in its entirety… including the sand ceremony. We gathered in a room after the ceremony and one of my bridesmaid (Candace Atkinson) gave a toast… it was very emotional. The first dance with my husband as well as my dance with my father.
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My wedding vendors:
Planner & table decor - Celebrations by Design
Cake - The Sweetest Day
Photographer - Shanna Mahoney Photography
Invitations - Invitations Etc. in Gallatin (Julie)
Wedding dress - The White Room
Bridesmaids dresses - Davids Bridal
Dahalias - S&M Farms (Sam Moses)
Floral design - Bouquet and altar pieces and some centerpieces - Village of Flowers
Photo booth - Ace Photography
Ceremony decorations - Events Plus
Flower girl dress - Memories Consignment
Makeup - Mac @ Green Hills
Hair - Al T Moore (the Loft)
My faves – highly recommend
The photo booth! The guests loved it! And the sand ceremony instead of the unity candle. What the sand represents is so special!
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How I found my vendors
I found my vendors from websites like Ashley's Bride Guide, The Knot, Nashville Weddings, local wedding magazines, and referrals from my planner Toni Smith, friends and family.
My wedding rewind
What I would do differently if planning again?
Definitely planning my wedding in the city that I live in from day one. We orginally were having a destination wedding in another state and when we decided to bring it back to Nashville openings were hard to find, but it all worked out in the end!
Biggest waste of time or money?
Every aspect of my wedding was worth the time and money!
Best value for the service/product?
Celebrations by Design (Toni Smith, planner), Asking the florist if I could bring in the majority of my flowers
Neatest find
I rented the flower girl dress from Memories Consignment store in Hermitage, TN.
Anything else you want brides-to-be to know about your wedding, vendors, tips, etc?
Just to enjoy the process and don't stress about things, know it will all work out in the end!! ;-)
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Posted by Ashley |
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
What if I told you you could buy a wedding dress for less while helping the less fortunate? Or, that your bridesmaid could find a killer gown while helping the disadvantaged?
On March 20, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee invites you to the Goodwill Wedding Gala where bridal wear will be sold at deeply discounted prices with the proceeds going to benefit Goodwill.
This isn't just an event for the bride but the perfect opportunity to outfit your mom and your bridesmaids! They will also have bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride dresses and even accessories like shoes, jewelry and veils. Think of how much you'll save, and think about the people you'll be helping out - it's a win-win situation and I don't know about you but I like those odds.
The dresses are sample gowns that have been generously donated by local boutiques like The Bride Room, Arzelle's and A Bride's Storey, just to name a few. These are just a few of the gowns from their look book, modeled by staff members from Goodwill.
Here's the crazy amazing part: You won't pay more than $400 on these dresses. So if you thought you couldn't afford a great dress, well, now you can!
So call your girls, tell your mom to clear next Saturday morning and head over to the Goodwill Wedding Gala and get that gown you thought you couldn't have. Follow this link to see a sample of a some of the Goodwill bridal gowns.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I absolutely LOVE the red and blue color combo for just about anything - from home decor and fashion to weddings. The funny thing is - I painted my home office red and turquoise in 2006 and didnt even think about the palette for weddings...until I started seeing fabulous inspiration boards like the one by Opulent Couturier below. I have yet to tire of these two colors combined and hope to see many more weddings in these super popular colors.
The Background:
Latrice of Opulent Couturier is back to inspire us once again and to demonstrate how event styling for your wedding day can work.. Tablescapes are a great way to design your dream wedding reception, incorporating elements that you love.
The Inspiration:
Image Credit: Row 1: Top Left: thefurniture.com, 2nd from left: highheelsblog.com, 3rd from left left: thetwistedsifter.wordpress.com Row 2: Left upper: gallery.weddingbee.com, Left lower: rosannainc.com Center Image: maisonluxe.net Right Upper: etsy.com/shop/Allofyou Left lower: blog.bellasignature.com Row 3: Left: etsy.com/shop/RachelJasperDesign 2nd from left: etsy.com/shop/toybreaker, 3rd from left: etsy.com/shop/weddingsandsuch Right: athome.kimvallee.com
The Wedding Tablescape:
How did these pictures collectively inspire the wedding tablescape you created?
This tablescape, was very fun concept! Red & turquoise is always a fun color palette to style around. Several of the elements challenged me the think outside of the box in order to show vintage inspiration.
Which elements were most important?
Absolutely the vintage Coca-Cola bottles! All of them were from a personal family collection that I always thought would be pretty cool to incorporate into a tablescape design. The Coke filled individuals bottles were extra special because they were bottled in my birth year, right here in Nashville!!
The "Love Garland" (www.etsy.com/shop/bekahjennings) added a personal flair to the table. I encourage clients to incorporate as much of their personality into their wedding style as possible.
What type of bride did you have in mind for this tablescape?
This tablescape appeals to a whimsical/fanciful bride that is not afraid to think outside the box & do something a little different with the tablescape style. When incorporating the vintage Coke bottles, this would also work with a wide range of other vintage beverage bottles as well as vintage milk glass vases.
What do you love most about the elements of this design?
I love the simplicity of the tablescape, yet it really pops with the red & turquoise color palette. The white floral stems from Hillary of Brocade Designs & the square menus from LePenn Designs really made the table come to life!!
What would you add if you were to do again?
I would add the blue tinted water goblets for another added pop of color.
Whats the most lavish aspect of the tablescape / whats DIYable?
The most lavish aspect of the table would have to be the linen & floral stems. The red pintuck linen were from Connie Duglin Linen. DIYable: I would say locating the vintage beverage bottles. When I work with a bride that wants to incorporate vintage style elements, I encourage them to shop local thrift shops, seek out family members & also Ebay & Craigslist are great resources.
Photography Credit: Donald Yeager Photography
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends
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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I've got more great wedding finds to share from the Her Nashville / Focus bridal show, just in case you missed the event.
First up, b. Hughes Bridal and Signature Events, two wonderful wedding resources! b. Hughes Bridal displayed their spring collection of bridal gowns. Ruffles, feathers, and flowers are in, as you can see! These styles would look great with vintage and rustic themed weddings. Signature Events has a vibrant personality and was recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. You should check them out! They do exceptional things in weddings here in Nashville.
Up next, a catering company called Clean Plate Club. They provided tasty brunch treats in the form of omelets that beautiful morning. They looked and tasted exquisite! So often brides forget that a brunch reception is a great and budget friendly alternative, especially for Sunday weddings. And, really, who doesn't love breakfast?! Ashley certainly did! She chowed down on a cheese omelette while I enjoyed a Mimosa.
Bacon and Caviar was another catering company offering up deletable brunch treats. They served smoked salmon patties with a salad. It was delicious! Their drink of choice was fruit tea, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Truth be told, I'm really particular about my tea, too. If you get a chance, try their fruit tea.
Of course, after those brunch treats, you'd need something sweet. At the bridal show, there were two bakeries - The Bake Shoppe and Cupcake Collection. Each had their own kind of yumminess.
The Bake Shoppe featured cakes inspired by the latest in bridal gown trends. If you missed their series, read about wedding cakes inspired by bridal gowns part 1 and wedding cakes part 2 only on ABG! The Cupcake Collection had some tasty treats as well. My favorites were the sweet potato cupcake, which tasted like spice cake, and the red velvet cupcake. I'm not usually an icing person, but both had deliciously creamy ones.
The Bake Shoppe
Cupcake Collection
Music City Events had another great spring tablescape. They used a soft green linen with white accents on the table. The hydrangeas were also a great touch for the spring tablescape. It would look great for a vintage or rustic style wedding, as well.
Wedding 101 looked great as well. It is a great FREE resource for brides in Nashville and the Middle TN area. They had shabby chic decor as well. This is really prevalent in weddings right now. So, if you're looking for a theme, this could be a good one!
Eyecandy Salon is a hot salon that is all about glamour. They are located downtown and have great pricing for all brides! The salon is also planning a bridal extravaganza called Bridal Carnevale. It is planned for April 18th and has a complete facebook page dedicated to the festivities.
Geny's Wedding and Events floored me as soon as I walked upstairs. I don't know if they did it on purpose, but they took the splashes of red in the Noah Liff Opera Center and ran with it. They used one of my favorite color schemes - red and damask - that I think can be used for any season. To brighten it up, they used green, which lightens the darkness of the black and makes it a perfect spring or summer palette.
It was a great bridal show that showcased wonderful wedding resources. Hope my recap will help you find a few additional ideas or resources for your big day. Thanks to Kristyn Hogan lifestylye photographer for all photos.
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Posted by Cassandra |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events, Vendors & Venues
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Monday, March 8, 2010
The Her Nashville bridal show is my new favorite bridal show! I loved the venue, Noah Liff Opera Center, which boasts a beautiful, open and airy ambiance that made the show seem very LA:). Seriously, I felt like I'd been transported to a different city. Not that I don't love Nashville but the show had a very different vibe than any I've attended in the past.
I attended the show with Cassie, who is here to share all of our favorite wedding finds with you.
Enjoy ~ Ashley
On the last weekend in February, nFocus and HER magazine hosted a bridal brunch at the Noah Liff Opera Center. The center is centrally located; close enough to all the hottest spots downtown without all the noise and traffic. If you haven't visited the site yet, you should. It is a great new Nashville wedding venue and perfect for any bride! The center is perfect because it will compliment any color scheme, especially with the little pops of red throughout the whole place. I particularly like the drama and sophistication of the red spiral staircase.
Another great thing about the Noah Liff Opera Center is the ambiance and lighting. The floor to ceiling windows are a great touch and would look spectacular at night. Think of the stars twinkling on your wedding night. A great compliment to the twinkling stars in the night sky is the lighting. The small, smartly placed lights overhead look like stars and hang oh-so-delicately. The lights also echo the spiral staircase with their cylindrical appearance.
StudioWed had a gorgeous set up right as you walked up the stairs. Their tablescape was perfect for a spring wedding. The linens were charcoal gray with an accent of a soft, pale green for the napkin linens. They complimented each other in a fabulous way and looked stunning next to the floor to ceiling windows. The ladies of Studio Wed also had a mini candy buffet set up in coordinating colors. In particular, I really enjoyed the coke flavored candy. It was too cute! Their floral design was provided by Brocade Design and were spectacular.
(Notice the cute canvas tote bag on the bride's arm? It's an ABG bag!)
Designs in Paper gave away super cute mini scrapbooks! They were very festive and were filled with the cutest papers. Also given to the brides to be were buttons. The buttons said "Future Mrs." with the new first letter of your last name. I snatched one up for myself, as well as scrapbook since I am a bride to be. Plus, they were just too adorable to pass up. Designs in Paper is great because they do more than stationery. They offer cake toppers, specialized confetti, and other paper goodies.
Faccio Bridal displayed superb dresses for a spring wedding. They were flowy, detailed, and accentuated the waist. The bridesmaids dresses complimented the bridal gowns well too. They echoed the strapless look of the gowns but in a beautiful fushia color, which is perfect for spring and summer weddings. I also enjoyed the use of the sash on the flower girl's dress; it matched the bridesmaid dresses, which is a great way to tie in the colors.
Creative Designs and Events had another great spring/summer tablescape. They used black and yellow with hints of silver and gray. It was a perfectly simple design and would look great for an evening wedding. The yellow roses were a great added touch to brighten up the design and the space. The candles added great ambience too. I also loved the custom invitations and menu cards that used the same patterned fabric.
More highlights tomorrow! Thanks to Kristyn Hogan lifestylye photographer for accompanying us and capturing our favorite finds.
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Posted by Cassandra |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events
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