Friday, May 4, 2012
A real wedding straight from the bride... Brittany actually contacted us herself before Regalo Design could even think to tell us about this beautiful wedding! Regalo acted as the event planners, floral designers, provided rentals, and saved the day when unexpected rain forced the ceremony indoors. Whether from the bride or the vendor, we are just happy to share this wedding with you.
Brittany and Brandon met at his parents house shortly after she moved to Nashville. His parents hosted guests at church for lunch and she attended. Brittany described why this chance meeting lead to a lifelong commitment: "We started spending a lot of time together after that and it didn't take us long to realize how much of an undeniable connection we had. We had so much fun together- we could laugh and talk about absolutely anything. No one had ever made me feel so unconditionally loved or cared about and our individual qualities made each other better." Their sweet love can be seen in their photos... Enjoy!
Brittany + Brandon
Wedding Date ~ September 4, 2011
Ceremony + Reception Venue ~ Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Guests ~ 250
Wedding Team
Planner, Florals, Decor + Rentals | Regalo Design
Photographer | Aubrey Joy Photography
Videographer | Catchlight Cinema
Wedding Gown + Bridesmaid Attire | The White Room
Bride’s Accessories | Vintage shoes, Swarovski crystal + freshwater pearl earrings from my mom, other jewelry from Etsy.com
Rings | Genesis Diamonds
Groom’s Attire + Groomsmen Attire | Street Tuxedo
Hair & Makeup | Marian Carden of Trade Secret, Green Hills Mall
Stationery | Invitations & Calligraphy - Anibella Ink + Paper
Caterer | Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Cake Artist | The Bake Shoppe
Ceremony + Reception Musicians | Nashville Jazz Orchestra
Vintage Furniture Rentals | Four Inch Fold
Transportation | Nashville Wedding Cars (1939 Packard)
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple? How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
I adore the elegance and class of the classic jazz era so I really had fun searching for a band with that sound, a getaway car, and little details that were reminiscent of that period.
The vintage furniture section of our reception was, by far, my favorite, in terms of décor. Mao Thao of FourInchFold vintage rentals did an amazing job styling it and I added old family wedding photos and set up our “Polaroid”-style guest book there. Our guests really enjoyed the personal touches.
I also followed wedding blogs to get a feel for what I really wanted because I wasn’t that girl who started planning her wedding at 5 years old. If I liked something, I tried to incorporate it, whether it was vintage or new, eclectic or traditional. I’m glad I did that. Trying to make each little thing fit into a certain theme is very restricting.
Although our “theme” was elegant and jazzy with some vintage touches, I threw in “Oh The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss as one of our ceremony readings because I read it and it was silly and exciting and I decided I wanted it read at our wedding! It should always be about what you love and what makes you happy.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue....
My something old was my grandmother’s pearl brooch pinned to my bouquet and the earrings from my mom were new. I borrowed my great great grandmother’s handkerchief - I carried just in case I got emotional during my vows…which was bound to happen since I can’t get through an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition without crying my eyes out. And for something blue, I had vintage soft blue heels decorated with a flower shoe clip from Etsy.
My husband also had a “something old” from his mom. She doesn’t have any daughters so she took a piece of her wedding dress and stitched it to hold a small coin that was engraved with “With God, All Things Are Possible.”
What was your most memorable or favorite moment?
We were so glad we decided to do first glance pictures. It was the only part of the day that we had all to ourselves, and definitely one of the most special moments between us. Having him tell me how beautiful I looked and having a chance to talk about our morning was very calming before all of the people descended on us.
Our ceremony was supposed to be outside so the rain was heartbreaking. I had to readjust my vision for the day and it turned out to be possibly more beautiful than I had imagined and no one ever knew it was supposed to be outside. So many other little things weren’t quite right but I think I was the only one who really knew. When you’ve planned every tiny detail, it can be hard to look at the big picture but it’s worth it to just let it all go and enjoy the day.
Our first dance song was “Misty” by Sarah Vaughan. Misty is my favorite song and my dad is an amazing jazz musician and played the saxophone with the band as we danced. It was special to me because he claims he’s not much of a dancer so that was our father-daughter moment.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We planned for 250 and decided a $25,000 budget, which we didn’t exactly achieve. But, we saved SO much money (like thousands!!) with Regalo Design. Everything we booked in their name was tax free and they are master negotiators! The most we saved was on the venue.
I splurged on the band because it was important to me to have live music and the vintage furniture rentals and décor that was set up in our reception space. It was well worth it because that little vintage section was my favorite part of all the décor.
I had high hopes of DIY-ing my accessories and table decorations but, as a medical student, there was just no way I could make that happen. I wanted to make my girls’ birdcage veils as well as my own. I wanted to learn calligraphy for our thank you sign to use for thank you post cards. None of this happened but I had a lot of fun browsing Ebay for the vintage items that I used as table decorations and Etsy for my accessories.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
The day of our wedding, it rained ALL day! So, all of the meticulous planning was kind of pointless. I wish I had been able to just relax more and not worry about the tiny details during the planning process and even on the actual day. I would advise any bride to just enjoy the process and the day and focus more on the love that you’ve found instead of miniscule details because you really have no idea how it will all turn out. And no matter how it turns out, it’s always beautiful because it’s your wedding day and you’re in love and celebrating and nothing else matters!
Thank you dearly to the couple for sharing their day with us!! We're so glad we could provide inspiration in your process and share the outcome! To see more photos of their wedding day, visit Aubrey Joy's blog. And if you are looking for your wedding to go smoothly, even in the face of setbacks or catastrophe, be sure to contact Regalo Design! They've proved their capable here, while their florals and design are just a stunning mirror of the day.
share
Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
0 comments »
Friday, April 27, 2012
We love sharing weddings that feature our favorite vendors, so we were thrilled when Emily Humphries of Simply Yours Weddings and Events sent us this one! Lauren and Brian were married last summer in a beautiful ceremony filled with laughter and love. The details and time that went into this day are evident, and we’re so excited to share it with you! John Gentry Photography provided the images, so sit back and enjoy....
Lauren + Brian
Wedding Date ~ June 4, 2011
Ceremony Venue ~ Belle Aire Baptist Church
Reception Venue ~ Stones River Country Club
Guests ~ 300
My Budget
$20,000 – 50,000
My Wedding Team
Planner | Emily Humphries of Simply Yours Weddings
Photographer | John Gentry Photography
Videographer | 2 Duce 2 Video
Gown + Bride’s Accessories | Arzelle’s
Groom + Groomsmen Attire | Street Tuxedo
Hair | Mindy Ensey and Shannon Baker
Stationary | Carrie Taylor - "Luv Little Boys"
Ceremony Musicians | Musicians (and friends!) from the church
Reception Musicians | Familiar Faces Band
Transportation | Signature Limo
Caterer | Stones River Country Club
Cake Artist | Julia's Bakery
Floral Designer | Lyndell Parks and Henry's Florist
Draping and Partial Lighting | Visual Elements
Lighting & Custom GOBO's | Nashville Event Lighting
Rentals | Classic Party Rentals and Stewart's Party Rentals
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Classic, romantic, and fun.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
My planner knew what I liked and she made it perfect!
From Emily - Simply Yours Weddings:
Murfreesboro roots run deeply into the Bride's family and Stones River Country Club is a staple venue there. It was really fun to take that significant foundation that the venue represents and then totally transform the room into something that reflected Lauren and Brian as a couple. Visual Elements draped the room and worked together with Nashville Event Lighting to give us a softer and more neutral pallet. Then we added pops of color with the linens for some fun and Lyndell Parks used the sweetest and softest flowers to lace it all together with such a summery and romantic feel. It was such a great picture of Lauren and Brian. Take something simple, add some laughter and fun, and then bring it together with romance.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Dancing the night away at the reception.
Where did you splurge?
The band and the flowers
Where did you save/DIY?
In lieu of favors, we decided to do a candy bar. A friend of ours had done one at her wedding and she let us use her jars and containers and we just purchased the candy. If you're considering doing this, don't be afraid to ask your friends who have gotten married about borrowing things they used! Spread the love!
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Make sure you take the time to get to know your vendors before you sign a contract. We had a really long engagement (over a year) and in my excitement I booked one of my most significant vendors first thing without even thinking much about it. Other people we knew had spoken highly of the company so we just signed on without really thinking. After some time, for various reasons, I started second guessing myself. I did not take the time to let this vendor know us, nor did we know them. We ended up breaking our contract with them (losing our deposit) and signing someone else. The person we went with 6 months out from our wedding ended up being a much better fit for us. So take your time and have fun! Enjoy the planning because you only get to do this once!
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Go around and look at the set up so you can soak in every detail. I didn't do this and I feel like there were so many things we had worked long and hard on that I did not get a chance to see in person. However, we had a fantastic photographer so I was able to see a lot of what I missed through their eyes.
share
Posted by Newlywed Sara |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
0 comments »
Friday, April 20, 2012
We recently finished our Smart Bride Bootcamp with the last session at Houston Station where brides got to take a tour of the facilities. So we thought it'd be cool to feature a wedding that took there, so you don't miss out on anything either! Houston Station really is a decor and design playground. When bride and groom, Kelli and Anthony got married at Houston Station, they personalized their wedding with monograms and custom stationery to match their purple and blue theme. The couple worked with Music City Events to create a romantic evening, adding a fun twist with some personalized signature drinks for the evening. Enjoy!
Kelli + Anthony
Date ~ November 12, 2011
Ceremony + Reception Venue ~ Houston Station
Guests ~ 150
Budget
$20,000 – 35,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Sarah Willard, Music City Events
Photographer | Joe Hendricks Photography
Gown | David’s Bridal
Bride's Accssories | Earrings from Macy’s and necklace borrowed from a friend.
Groom + Groomsmen's Attire | Jos. A Bank
Bridesmaids Attire | David’s Bridal
Hair | Shannon Jones
Makeup | Lisa Buckleman, Face the Day
Stationery | Get Relish
Ceremony Musicians | The Little Ensemble
Reception Musicians | MC productions
Transportation | Lifestyle Limos
Caterer | Two Fat Men Catering
Cake Artist | We chose not to have cake! But, we did have a dessert bar by Two Fat Men Catering
Guest Accommodations | Double Tree and Hotel Indigo in downtown Nashville
Our Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
We’re pretty laid back and simple. I’m not sure we have a “style”.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We loved the venue because it was plain and simple. The awesome exposed brick and wood floors are beautiful at Houston Station. It’s like a blank canvas; you could do anything with it. We really like it the way it is though so we wanted the decorations to be simple. Not a lot of frill. The centerpieces were simple and beautiful as well as the lighting. Sarah was a big help with all the decorating and everything really. She would design and create options and we would say yay or nay and she would change it! I’m sure had we had to do it ourselves it would not have turned out as beautiful as it did.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
I loved it all really but probably the food and the flowers. I also really loved the lighting and all the stationary (invites, bar menus, etc) that Sarah designed.
ABG Notes: Kim, another part of Music City Events, hand wrote the entire seating chart seen above on the repurposed window!
Where did you splurge?
Photography, food, and DJ.
Where did you save/DIY?
We saved some by not having a cake. Neither one of us are big cake eaters so it didn’t matter to us if we had one or not. We also made our own welcome bags for our guests.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Nothing about the process! I was happy with the planning. I wish we would have planned better at gathering extended family members for pictures. We don’t have any with Anthony and I both in the picture.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Hire a wedding planner!!!!!
Thank you to Music City Events and Joe Hendricks Photography for sharing these beautiful pictures and details. For more weddings from Music City Events be sure to check out her website and let her know you're an ABG bride to receive their special offer just for you.
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
0 comments »
Friday, April 13, 2012
Kevin and Leah are graduates of our 2011 Smart Bride Bootcamp, but you may recognize them from our 2012 camp. They returned this year to share what they learned while planning their Nashville wedding. If you missed the camp, you truly missed a treat. They were lively, entertaining and very honest about what they loved and learned through the process! I can't sufficiently recap all of their nuggets of wisdom, but here's what you definitely need to know...
Kevin and Leah hired a photographer whose work they fell in love with. While he was a good photographer, he wasn't a good wedding photographer (please know that there is a difference). The photographer lost images from their wedding so they were lucky to have a family friend, Claire Marie Photo, who also took photos that day AND they had hired a pro wedding videographer.
I am happy that Kevin and Leah were still willing to share their photos and their wedding day with us. With or without all of their photos, there is sweet love and a forever marriage for Kevin and Leah and that's all that matters in the end.
Leah + Kevin
Wedding Date ~ November 6, 2011
Ceremony Venue ~ Riverside Chapel SDA Church
Reception Venue ~ Mere Bulles
Guests ~ 275
My Budget
$10,000 - $20,000
My Wedding Team
Venue + Caterer | Mere Bulles
Planner | Dayna Jaye, a family friend
Photographer | Claire Marie Photo
Videographer | FullFrame Digital Cinema
Gown & Accessories | David’s Bridal, Etsy
Groom’s Attire / Groomsmen Attire | Ambassador’s Formal
Bridesmaids Attire | The Bridal Shoppe of Murfreesboro
Hair | Sarah Purcell, friend of the bride
Makeup | Shea Moore of MAC
Stationery | Invitations were designed by Octane Designs in Lexington, Ky.
Programs were designed by the couple and printed at Copy Express in Murfreesboro
Personalized thank you notes from Design in August (see them here: designinaugust.com/stationery-hello/).
Ceremony Musicians | Seth Costner, Rich Brinsfield, Troy Logan, Travis Logan, Raffeal Sears, Deaundrea Walker, Royce Mosley, Danelle Corbin - friends of the bride and groom
Reception Musicians | George Seay, groomsman (geetheblogger.tumblr.com)
Cake Artist | Cupcake Collection
Floral Designer | The bride had her bouquet designed by a family friend
Guest Accommodations | Hilton Suites Brentwood
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
We'd describe our style as modern, sophisticated, simple, classy, modest and slightly quirky.
Bride heads down the elevator to the couple's first look as friends watch from above.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Though our budget and guest list may have occasionally had more influence than we'd like, we would often sit down and think of ways to turn lemons into lemonade. By that, we mean that we worked to ensure every element felt like "us."
Before the ceremony began, we played a video that we had created a year prior to announce our engagement on Facebook. While the bridal party waited for the ceremony to begin, we had a big UNO tournament where everyone played, even the bride in her dress! Then, we expressed our love for music by having what we jokingly call a "mini-concert" with five songs performed during the ceremony. Kevin sang his wedding vows in the form of an original song. Leah even convinced the entire wedding party to collectively sing "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles.
As for decor, we wanted the atmosphere to reflect the simplicity of the fall season with lanterns with lighted candles lining the center aisle. The flower girl tossed leaves instead of flowers.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Our wedding day was truly a day of love, family and friendship. Though there were some stressful moments leading up to the wedding day, we would not have replaced any of it for the world! We had a large bridal party – 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen – and it was so great to see our friends establish lasting friendships among themselves outside of our relationships with them. Being surrounded by all of the love was definitely our favorite part of our wedding day.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Our biggest splurge was our videography and our “after party,” or second reception at Mere Bulles. Before getting engaged, Leah knew that she wanted to work with Full Frame Cinema and we adjusted our budget to accommodate her wishes. And we’re so glad we did! They were everything and more that we could ever hope for in a vendor.
As far as the second reception, we knew that we were going to have a large number at the ceremony and we wanted something a bit more intimate for our bridal party and family members. We had a dessert reception at the church immediately following the ceremony for all the wedding attendees. Later, we hosted an invite-only "after party" at Mere Bulles in Brentwood, where we were able to relax, eat, dance, and spend quality time with our closest friends and family.
We saved by enlisting the help of family and friends whenever possible and appropriate. For example, Kevin's aunt is a talented artist and seamstress. She hand-made all our boutonnieres and corsages. She also contributed to several of our other ideas for decor. Other family members and friends helped us decorate the venue. A close family friend even offered to help coordinate our wedding, and it was one of the most valuable gifts we received.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
We would have got our coordinator involved earlier in the process, compensated more of our volunteers for the sake of increased accountability and secured references on vendors of high-ticket services. Regarding the vendors, it would've been more useful to discuss the experience of working with someone outside of only the wedding day.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Pay for the aspects you consider to be priorities (i.e.. photography, videography, decor, etc.), and leave DIY projects and assistance from volunteers to details you consider flexible and less vital.
share
Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings
1 comment »
Friday, April 6, 2012
I had the pleasure of meeting Erin and Josh at our 2011 Smart Bride Boot Camp. Over the 3 week camp, they shared their vision for their wedding and what mattered most to them. This was a couple in love and one with a signature style, so I couldn't wait to see how they would personalize their wedding to ensure it represented them, authentically.
We featured their fun engagement photos last Fall (which you can view via this link). And today, we are excited to share their wedding photos to inspire you to stay true to what's unqiuely you.
It's not easy to pull off a theme like "industrial, American vintage with a depression-era feel", which Erin and Josh described as their wedding style, but they did! Their colors are soft and the yellow is a strong contrast to the rustic touches and sweet lace. It's rather unique, which is perfect since Josh and Erin are a unique couple! They completely let their personalities shine as the highlight of their day. And Becca Yager did an amazing job of capturing all the details, making you feel like they traveled back in time to say "I do."
We hope you enjoy their photos as much as we do!
Erin + Josh
Wedding Date ~ November 19, 2011
Ceremony Venue ~ Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reception Venue ~ Marathon Village
Guests ~ 100
Josh + Erin from Ryan Bernal Films on Vimeo.
My Budget
$13,000
My Wedding Team
Planner | Me!
Photographer | Becca Yager
Videographer | Ryan Bernal
Gown | The Perfect Dress, Toms River, New Jersey
Bride's Accessories | Fascinator - Tessa Kim
Groom’s + Groomsmen Attire | Levi's jeans, J. Crew blue gingham shirts, vintage boots, Wickham House wool bow ties, Urban Outfitters suspenders
Bridesmaids Attire | Kerried Away Couture custom dresses
Hair | Michael at Trim (12 South)
Makeup | Giovanni at Trim (12 South)
Stationery | Invitation - Wedding Paper Divas; self-designed "Things to do in Nashville" sheet; engagement photo printed on Shutterfly; all tied in twine by us! Programs - self designed with help from a friend.
Reception Musicians | History of Painters (band), Josh Mock (groom, DJ); Kevin Buster (DJ)
Transportation | Rented a 2012 Chevy Tahoe from Enterprise
Caterer | Down South Delights
Cake Artist | Aunt April's Bakery
Cupcakes | Cupcake Collection
Macarons | Sweet 16th
Floral Designer | We did this ourselves using rusted tin cans and dried flowers
Guest Accommodations | Hilton Garden Inn; Extended Stay America
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Josh and I are both lovers of all things vintage and American. Nashville is a perfect place to live for both these things, providing an endless amount of history, and countless antique and vintage shops to find perfect pieces to decorate with, like old wooden crates, rusted tin cans and vintage lace tablecloths.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We started off with a gray, navy blue and autumn yellow color theme. We picked Church of the Assumption in Germantown for our ceremony because it needed zero decoration to look perfect, allowing us to focus our energy on decorating the reception venue at Marathon Village. For our wedding party we decided that, given the old Marathon factory as our setting, dressing everyone in something classy and comfortable that conveyed a stylish, Depression-era vibe would be perfect.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Decorating! We did everything ourselves. It was so much fun doing all the shopping and crafting to come up with everything. Everyone said they'd never seen a more custom-fit wedding, which I think was a testament to the DIY effort we put into it. I truly loved the way the lace tablecloths looked over the colored linens and our custom-made, Hatch Print style vintage wedding poster people signed instead of a guest book.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We definitely splurged by getting a videographer at the last minute, but I have to say that bringing on Ryan Bernal was probably the best big-money decision we made. We are also glad we spent on such a great photographer as Becca Yager. We saved thousands by DIY-ing the decorations like the rusty tin cans and Scrabble boards, borrowing a lot of decorative items from our friends at the store Old Made Good and buying used books from McKay's, which we later got some money for by selling them back! A good friend also inspired our programs by drawing a caricature of us, which we ended up using for our wedding programs, which we designed and printed ourselves.
We also saved by having my brand-new husband, Josh, DJ half the reception (an idea he couldn't pass up, which ended up being one of the most fun moments of the night) and having our friend Kevin take over for the rest of the night. Having people who get your musical taste plug in their laptops is so much nicer than hiring some unknown wedding DJ that plays the same stuff every weekend. We truly loved working with every one of our vendors. They were all so professional and accomodating.
Rita from Down South Delights was especially helpful, getting her catering team to match our decor, and everyone who came said our Thanksgiving-style turkey dinner was the best wedding meal they'd ever had. She also was extremely helpful in helping me avoid several of my very tricky food allergies.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Honestly, I wish I would have let the bridesmaids pick out navy blue dresses in the style of their choosing. While Kerried Away Couture did a great job in the end, I could have saved my girls stress and time since I trust them to find something perfectly to their liking. We also wish we had coordinated our families better to get better family photos before the reception. Turns out it's really hard to get 40 people in the right place at the right time! But overall, we have no major regrets!
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Set a vision and stick with it no matter what others think, and if anything goes wrong, don't worry: you'll still be married at the end of the day!
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings
0 comments »
