Monday, April 16, 2012
Chef's Market and Catering has always been a favorite of mine just from personal experiences with the company - they not only produce great, custom menus for their customers but they are also able to decorate the food tables according to the theme of the wedding. Recently they provided a dessert table with a selection of sweet treats that would make Willy Wonka jealous. The table decor and set-up complemented the couple's gorgeous wedding that took place at the Country Music Hall of Fame. We reached out to Genna of Chef's Market who walked us through what inspired the look and decor of this fantastic dessert buffet and how the Chef's Market team brought it to life according to the couple and planner's vision.
All Photos: SB Childs Photography
What was the inspiration behind the dessert table you created at the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Genna: The bride and groom wanted their wedding to feel very upscale and elegant with a rustic/country influence and their venue (the Country Music Hall of Fame) was the perfect place to pull that off. Their wedding planner, Angela Proffitt, asked us to provide the vintage style table used for the dessert display and with the ‘vintage chic’ look in mind, we did the rest ourselves!
How did you incorporate the bride and groom’s vision into the design as well as the dessert selection?
For the display, we used old windows, lots of earthy textures and vintage styled items like serving trays, milk bottles, and of course the table, to give it a shabby chic feel. We created a moss tiered ‘wedding cake’ to hold the pie pops and used apples under glass, not only for color but also for that rustic influence they wanted.
With it being a fall wedding, the bride and groom wanted to incorporate the season into the dessert selection, so we did lots of apple related desserts (Apple Pie Pops, Baby Lady Apples dipped in Caramel & Chocolate, etc). We also made cupcakes of their choice (Red Velvet, Hummingbird) and had an assortment of their favorite cookies for guests to grab on the go.
What other kinds of desserts can you make?
We try not to limit ourselves when it comes to creating desserts. We love experimenting with recipes and trying new things to make sure our client’s menus are as personalized as possible. Our most popular desserts tend to be cupcakes, truffles, cookies, and dessert shots, but we’ve also done things like mini tiramisu, individual pies, fruit tarts, and more.
What makes a Chef’s Market dessert table stand out?
We have a true passion for creating great food and beautiful presentation. Whether it’s a buffet, plated dinner or a dessert display, we put a lot of energy into making sure it will wow our clients and their guests! We really listen to brides and grooms to make sure we understand their vision for their wedding reception in order to incorporate that same look into any of the food displays we put together.
What a beautiful spread to match a beautiful wedding. Thank you to Chef's Market and SB Childs Photography for sharing the details from the wedding. For more of what Chef's Market can do for your special event or wedding, check them out online at ChefsMarket.com.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Inspiration & Trends, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds1 comment »
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
We know it's challenging to decide between venues where you will host your wedding. Every so often, we read bride comments (on Facebook and review sites) and reach out to venues to gather what we think are the top reasons brides love Nashville wedding venues.
After being available as an event space for barely a couple of years, Houston Station has proven to be a popular choice for special events and weddings. We've seen a few weddings there, some of us may have even attended some events in there. So what is it about Houston Staiton that makes it so popular with people? Here's what some of their brides had to say.
Photo: Joe Hendricks Photography
1) Great Staff and Support
Brides and grooms have found that their planning experience was made a lot easier with the help of Elizabeth of Houston Station, who go above and beyond to make sure everything is set for couples, and that from planning process to wedding day, everyone is stress-free.
"I am still hearing from friend and family how much they enjoyed the set up and atmosphere. The venue is gorgeous and I knew from the minute I walked in there that it was the venue I would pick. Elizabeth [event coordinator] is super professional and personable. I could not have asked for a better experience." - Ashlee, bride
2) No Hidden Costs
Hiring your own vendors can be daunting. Houston Station has a list of recommended vendors with whom they have good relationships but as long as your vendor is licensed/insured, you can use them at Houston Station at no extra cost. You will also not be charged corking fees when you bring in your own alcohol and Houston Station will even provide bar service for you. This open policy is something brides and grooms are so grateful for when it comes to planning because it makes things really easy for them.
3) Unique, Versatile Spaces
With bare brick walls and exposed beams, the main event area in Houston Station is a blank canvas for your vision. This next glowing review is from a mother of the bride who said, "The room with it's wood floors, open beams and brick walls looked fantastic with her vintage theme. However, any theme would look great in the room. It decorates very well and they have everything needed for caterers to set up." The main room has a kitchen and prep area right next to it so there's easy access for your caterers and you won't see them hauling big vats or trash bins through the hall to get where they're going.
Another bride said, "The space itself is gorgeous and very flexible; we were able to fit our vision for our party into this location with plenty of room to spare!"
4) "Bonus" Rooms with Personality - Notable Blends, Bride & Groom Suites
Speaking of "room to spare," Houston Station offers several spaces separate from the main event hall for various uses. One popular place is the coffee bar, Notable Blends. Said one mother of the bride, "We used the coffee room for a quiet spot for guests to go visit and watch the video of the bride and groom which was a big hit." (Review here.) When you rent the room for special events, coffee service comes with it and is served by coffee connoisseur and owner, Scott Davis.
The room can be used for cocktail hour while the main room is being flipped, and it's also a great space for more intimate occasions like showers and bridal brunches.
Nothing takes up more time than having to transport yourself and your wedding party from one place to another. The bridal and grooms suites are spacious, furnished rooms in which brides have gotten ready and that relieves them of another point of stress on the wedding day. Said one bride on the bonus rooms, "We were able to use the bride room to get ready and take pictures all day, so I was able to see some of the reception set up...it was flawless, beautiful, and I was completely stress free. Also, Scott with Noteable Blends is just the best. Our guests LOVED having the back room as a little coffee lounge."
Photo: Amber Beckham Photography
Photo: J.Henderson Studios
Photo: Matt Andrews Photography
Photo: Houston Station
ABG Notes: This gorgeous couch that sits in Notable Blends is a wonderful prop for photos! (Photo: Amber Beckham Photography)
Photo: Lane Photography
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ABG Notes: There are two huge television in the groom's suite which will keep the guys entertained. (Photo: Austin Gros)
ABG Notes: Huge windows bring in lots of natural light, perfect for when getting your makeup done. Houston Station provides furniture, garment racks, and mirrors. (Photo: Austin Gros)
Couples and even their families and guests love Houston Station for its gorgeous weddings and are quick to recommend it to others for the above reasons and more. To find out if they're perfect for you, visit their website here or give them a call about your wedding. Don't forget to tell them that we sent you!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Wedding Venues and Locations2 comments »
Friday, March 16, 2012
My job rocks. I get to look at beautiful weddings from blogs and I get to share my favorites with you. Today's favorite is from Cedarwood, a historic wedding venue known for its designer weddings. The wedding is a beautiful, antique-inspired event from last Fall with really cool details. I'm not sure which I liked more - the vintage photographs and props or the custom signage - but I'm sure you will enjoy it all!
Heidi + Jason
Wedding Date ~ September 23, 2011
Venue ~ Cedarwood
From Cedarwood:
Oh my goodness, how we adore our bride Heidi’s Maggie Sottero “Rhianna Royale“ wedding dress in the delicate color called light gold. No one can illuminate a gorgeous bride and her gown quite like Ace Photography. Seriously, there are so many stunning photos of this bride and her groom Jason at their September 23 Cedarwood wedding, it took three selection sessions just to narrow down our favorites for this post.
Autumn is a glorious time for an outdoor wedding, with warm weather and a touch of fall peeking through the end of summer. Heidi and Jason balanced their romantic pastel-hued wedding with rustic moss, wood, and burlap, as well as autumn-colored accents - including Jason’s southern-chic paisley print bow tie!
Vintage jewelry, bouquet rosary, family heritage photo table, heirloom quilts, and embroidered monogrammed jars of homemade apple butter for guests favors made the wedding personal and unique. A friend of Heidi and Jason gave them original art featuring Cedarwood’s historic house, barn and truck (we love it!) for wedding guests to autograph instead of a traditional guest book — a perfect, steal-worthy idea! Just as original are the custom art-calligraphy chalkboard signs Cedarwood created for Heidi and Jason’s ceremony ‘program,’ seating chart, and bar menus. Kudos to Karen, our resident artist, who keeps raising the bar on Cedarwood‘s custom signs!
Other favorite details from this wedding include Heidi and Jason’s vintage cigar box ring bearer ‘pillow’ – almost as adorable as the little guy himself – and their trio of wedding cheesecakes! There’s so much to enjoy about this beautiful southern soiree! What’s your favorite detail?
I don't know about you but, personally, my favorite detail is the sheer happiness on the happy couple's faces in the pictures. I know, cheesy right? But there's nothing like seeing a bride and groom truly enjoy their day and that's what tends to happen when the Cedarwood team is there to see you through from start to finish.
There are plenty more pictures from Heidi and Jason's big day so check out the complete blog post here. We've got many more beautiful weddings from Cedarwood to feature so definitely look forward to them. Thank you to Ace Photography and Linda at Cedarwood for sharing this beautiful wedding with us, we can't wait to see more!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Venues and Locations1 comment »
Monday, March 12, 2012
First of all we'd like to extend a huge thank you to StudioWed for pushing back their open house so you can come to our Smart Bride Boot Camp, which starts tomorow. This doesn't mean there won't be a StudioWed Open House, quite the contrary, the date has just been pushed to Thursday, March 15. So to tide you over, we thought we'd give you a glimpse at one of StudioWed's newest vendors that the ABG team is quickly becoming giddy about...
Meet Hardink Calligraphy, a custom stationery/calligraphy company that I have a feeling you'll love too.
Hardink is owned by Elizabeth, our Twitter pal, who is a Nashville calligrapher. Out of her own need for unique, cool calligraphy when she was getting married, Elizabeth began designing and hand-lettering her own work. From then on, she's worked with brides to create their own hand-lettered paper products for their special occasions - be it showers, personalized stationery, or for their wedding invitations.
(Photo credit: Donald Yeager)
(Photo credit: Donald Yeager)
I asked Leigh Barker, who runs StudioWed why they picked her as one of their vendors and I could just hear the excitement in her voice, "She has fantastic, whimsical, gorgeous calligraphy and she's easy to work with and affordable." Leigh also mentioned something special that Hardink does which she recently treated herself to. "We had her create a stamp for my husband and I to use for return addresses!"
ABG Notes: This would be such a cool way to address your RSVP envelopes or cards!
Hardink Calligraphy is one of the vendors that StudioWed hand-picked for their studio. This makes it really easy for you to plan your wedding because they believe in their skills and know them very, very well to help you piece it all together. During their free, monthly open house, you get to speak to Leigh and Mary Alice about each vendor and ask all sorts of questions with no obligation whatsoever. So mark your calendars for March 15 and RSVP soon!
All stationery images courtesy of Hardink Calligraphy
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Invitations & Paper Goods, Unique Wedding Ideas0 comments »
Friday, March 9, 2012
As I write this post, it's pouring rain outside, so thankfully this real wedding is bright and full of warmth! Photographer Donald Yeager captured this pretty, yellow themed wedding at the Bluegrass Yacht and Country Club and we hope that, even though the temps are starting to drop again for the weekend, the pictures from this real Nashville wedding keep you warm and cozy. Enjoy!
Cati + Patrick
Wedding Date ~ October 8, 2011
Donald Yeager: "Cati was working at Baskin Robin's and Patrick strolled in one day to unknowingly meet the girl he was going to marry. That makes their story so sweet. Not only did they meet in her hometown, but they were also wed there. Cati was enthusiastic from the beginning of her wedding planning to the moment she walked down the aisle. Her laid back attitude and specific style made planning a breeze.
Patrick and Cati have this very special chemistry-- it was incredible just being around them. Their love radiates and it is easy to see why they belong together. This love is easily evident in the images from their big day. I was happy to be able to document the day with such a gorgeous bride and handsome groom."
ABG Notes: Love the playful nature of these pictures. The guys' dark grey suits are a pretty contrast to the light grey dresses and bright florals.
ABG Notes: Always fun to see varying styles of bridesmaids dresses in matching fabric. A good alternative if your girls are shaped differently!
Venue | Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club's Ballroom
Photographer | Donald Yeager Photography
Lighting and DJ | Spangler Entertainment
Wedding Cake | Cakes Galore
Groom's Cake | Baskin Robbins
Wedding Coordination | Nashville Event Planning
If there's one thing you can count on from Donald Yeager Photography it's pictures that exude happiness and fun. He's such a personable, friendly and sincere photographer who puts his couples at ease to get the best pictures. For more of his work visit his website at DonaldYeager.com. For more pictures from Cati and Patrick's wedding, visit the Bluegrass Yacht and Country Club's blog here.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Photography, Real Nashville Weddings0 comments »
