Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Today, I am happy to share my interview with Hillary of Your Day of Fairy Tales. She is 100% focused on serving budget brides and loves finding great vendors / fab finds for less! She sees smaller budgets as wonderful challenges versus liabilities. She's here to rescue the recessionista bride!
Photo: Kate Whitmore
How did you get started in weddings?
I have been around weddings my whole life. My mom is a florist, my grandma is a cake decorator and my dad was a wedding photographer in Illinois. So I guess I come by it naturally! ? I started my company in June 2008 with a year of college left to go. My degree is in Event Planning from MTSU and I love what I do! I wouldn't change it for anything!
What do you like most about weddings?
This is going to sound so cliché, but I LOVE the look on a groom's face when he sees his bride for the first time. Sometimes you get a groom in tears and sometimes you get a groom with a look of excitement on his face. Either way, that is what weddings are most about. The love and relationship between a bride and groom.
What's your favorite wedding pic/video and why?
This photo of my Bride, Kaela, shows true emotion and enjoying your wedding day! She was such a bubbly type personality on her day and you knew she was marrying Wes for all the right reasons!
Hillary's favorite wedding photo is of her bride Kaela as it beautifully captures her wedding day emotion.
Kaela's wedding photos above: Kelli Cohee Photography
What is your service philosophy?
My service philosophy is that every bride should be able to have a wedding planner for their day no matter their budget. Events become stressful and that is where I come in. No bride should have to be under stress during these fun times in their lives.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
It takes a lot to plan a wedding. I can easily handle any given task and am super flexible. I am not going to tell you something can be done if it can't with the budget or resources you have. I believe in honesty and integrity and that is what my business was founded on.
Brides should hire me because of my budget conscious approach to everything. I purposely set my prices where they are so that they are feasible to every budget. If the set prices I have don't work with that couple's budget, then we create a custom package for them to fit their budget.
Your Day of Fairy Tales was the day-of-coordinator for Jordan and Jay's $5,000 wedding. Photos: Kate Whitmore Photography
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors' helpfulness, professionalism, style?
1.) Nashville Audio Visual- Chris and his team are fantastic to work with and the proficiency and style they create are amazing.
2.) Crumb de la Crumb!- Have you tasted their cake!? Need I say more??
3.) Blair from Nashville Party Authority - I have worked with Blair and NPA for many years even before I started wedding planning and they never seize to amaze me! They put on one party!
4.) Mark and Noelle from McCoy Made - They are amazing and Love them to death! Their portraiture is divine and one of a kind.
5.) Ralph Griggs Nashville Wedding Minister- Ralph is a great guy and has provided services to so many of my couples as the officiant of their wedding! He is the best for couples who don?t have a home church in Nashville or aren't spiritual because he can do just about any type of ceremony.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
I read the Martha Stewart Weddings Blog as well as the DIY Bride Blog. Southern Weddings Magazine is another favorite of mine!
Let's discuss current wedding trends....What trend do you love?
I love Lace!!! Brides are using it everywhere and it can be such a tie in for vintage rustic themed weddings! I also love simple groupings of flowers for center pieces. Food trucks are another favorite of mine that I don?
Trend you're sad is gone? Unique wedding bouquets not just in round shapes! Brides see these pictures in magazines of hand tied bouquets, and I wish that they would go back to having varying shapes such as crescents and cascades!
What are your favorite wedding websites? / Neatest wedding find?
I am IN LOVE with weddingbee.comand projectwedding.com. They both have so many inspirational pictures and great DIY Tips. Of Course, Ashleys is my favorite source for all things wedding Nashville!
Advice for brides?
Don't be over taken by the DIY world! Limit yourself to just a couple and go from there! If you have your heart set on that, make sure that you have some assistance from family or a planner. Also, leave Pinterest alone for a while! Not everyone's wedding looks like that!
How should brides and grooms contact to learn about your wedding services?
Main Contact: Hillary Capes-Smith, Owner and Planner
Visit our website: YourDayOfFairyTales.com
Call us: 615-497-3070
Email us: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tweet us on Twitter: twitter.com/urdayfairytales
See our boards on Pinterest: pinterest.com/urdayfairytales
Photos: B&B Portraits
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Helpful Vendor Interviews!, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Friday, May 10, 2013
Today's guest blog contributor is Emily of Simply Yours Weddings, a favorite Nashville wedding planner and brand new mommy! She and her crew of hand-picked wedding pros recently came together to showcase a lovely new wedding venue, Belle Meadows Farm, via a styled photo shoot. The theme was nothing other than Pioneer Woman. I've definitely not seen that concept before. Love Nashville's innovative wedding pros.
I'll let Emily tell you all about the venue, their photo shoot and why she loves Belle Meadows for Nashville brides.
"It all started with the venue. I happen to know the family that owns the venue and I knew they were hoping to open up their gorgeous (and then functioning barn) and turn it into a venue. Belle Meadows' barn is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The Wilsons (the owners) have an eye for beautiful things. You can tell from the minute you approach the property in Lascassas that they put such intentionality into the design. At the time of the photoshoot, it was still a functioning barn with their horses and sweet little donkey living in its stalls. But even then, the barn had a ½ kitchen, a bathroom, a porch full of rocking chairs, and a wood-burning fireplace with a flatscreen television hanging over the mantel. The land itself... there seems to be no end of possibilities for photos, ceremonies and more. Not to mention it was the cleanest animal barn I have ever been in!
Since then, they have moved all the animals out, knocked down their stalls and started creating a big open space that can be used for any number of purposes and layouts. They have also added saloon-type bar and finished their GORGEOUS Bridal Suite. The options of where you can have your ceremony, the various ways you can set up a reception, even for a 200 person guest list, continue to grow. I think that in itself makes it a welcome addition to our Middle Tennessee venue options!
With that in mind, I wanted to pull together some of my dear and talented friends and flex our muscles to create something fun and beautiful as well as show off the potential of the venue. The barn, the Wilsons' home and the land it sits on is breathtaking. After I visited the venue a number of times, I could not wait to show it to Jennifer and Courtney (my collaborators!) and let our imaginations run wild. Once all the pieces came together, Jennifer and I loaded up all the goodies we own personally into our cars and just got to playing! We wanted to just let the inspiration come naturally in that space with the weather, the Fall, the Barn, the Bride... and it just flowed out of us all day long! All of the items you see in the pictures are rentable from either Jennifer or myself with the exception of the farm table (from Southern Events) and the chairs (from Stewart's Special Events.)
The bride you see pictured is a former bride of mine and Courtney's from last Spring named Katie. She was so gracious and willing to put her divine JLM Couture dress back on and play in the fields with us. Her hair and make up were styled by Sammie Peterson, a wonderful h&m artist out of Murfreesboro. (Who also happens to be a dear friend of mine! I fully believe in showing off my talented friends) ;)
However, when we were planning to do this, Jennifer and I also started hatching a side plan. We have a deep love for all things involving the Pioneer Woman. She is a blogger who turned her love for food, photography and fun into two amazing cookbooks and now a TV show on the Food Network. We took our mutual love for her food and her spirit and we decided if we were going to put all this time and effort into an inspiration shoot, we should use it to our advantage and have a party! So after all the pictures had been taken around the farm, and all the styled shooting complete, we set up a gorgeous table with more friends (Kristin Vanzant, Kristen Steele, and Becca George) and settled in for a crock pot style- bring your favorite Pioneer Woman recipe party! It was a perfect Fall night to settle into the smell of fabulous food, the gorgeous surroundings and lots of laughter. As the sun settled behind the trees, we lit a fire in the fireplace along the side porch of the barn, gathered all the rocking chairs around the hearth and enjoyed the mess and wonder of s'mores. We sat there together as women who love this industry and love being creative in new spaces, and we all agreed that Belle Meadows is a perfect place to celebrate ANY event with friends and family.
So brides - no matter where you are located in Middle Tennessee, you should check out this venue! It is located off of the main highway that runs through Lascassas which is accessible either by driving through Murfreesboro or via backroads off I-40. It is worth the trip for your guests to come and enjoy the beauty of the Southern countryside in all its glory and for you to find a place you can enjoy for your special day!"
Jennifer Hamilton of Jennifer Hamilton Events and Emily of Simply Yours Weddings
"Kristen Steele of Kristen Steele Photography, Becca George of Modern Vintage Events (not pictured) and Kristin Vanzant Photography brought food to the party for fun following shoot."
Photo Shoot Team:
Planners & Designers | Simply Yours Weddings and Jennifer Hamilton Events
Photography | Courtney Davidson Photography
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
For the last few weeks, I've shared our first and second design challenges featuring the work of Elliott Events. Through these challenges, it was my goal to show you how Tiffanie, owner of Elliott Events, works with each bride to create something reflective of their personality, preference and wedding vision. Take a look at our last design challenge, where Elliott Events was able to create 3 very diverse styles based on each bride.
Ashley & Matthew at Loveless Barn
Their Wedding Design: DIY Meets Country Chic
Ashley and Matthew were married at Nashville's famous Loveless Bar. Loveless has a country, rustic vibe, which set the tone for her wedding. To complement the venues look, Ashley wanted a country chic wedding. She wanted to DIY many of her projects but hired Elliott Events for other projects, such as the wrapped jars. Together they collaborated to achieve her dream wedding design.
Stephanie & Billy at Baber House
Their Wedding Design: Grand, Classic Wedding
Stephanie and Billy got married at Gallatin's Baber House. They reached out to Elliott Events for a classic but grand wedding. To achieve their look, Tiffanie created 15 large centerpieces with roses to complement the chandeliers.
Whitney & Phillip at Lost River Cave (Bowling Green, KY)
Their Wedding Design: Bright, Bold Presence
How do you design for a cave wedding so the design doesnt get lost? Elliott Event figured it out! When Whitney of reached out to Elliott Events and requested a design that was simple but bright and with pieces that were large enough to standout in a cave, She didnt want any bling and opted instead for a clean fresh look. Tiffanie assessed the space, considered Whitney's desires and created a bold concept that was clean and striking in the dark, natural space.
As an all-inclusive planning company, the Elliott Events team is unique in that they offer planning, floral design and draping. This one-stop resource affords brides a plethora of options without having to work with more than one vendor. But, it really boils down to whether the Elliottt Event's approach works for you. Contact Tiffanie to get to know her and see if there's a fit.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Friday, April 19, 2013
It all started with an email from Scott of Scott and Kristin Photography, informing me of a new wedding venue, The Frontier Room at Whiskey Bent Saloon. A new venue is music to a bridal blogger's ears! We live for new venues, vendors - anything that gives brides great new options.
It's with great pleasure that I share high level details from Jill and John's Nashville wedding. Their ceremony was held in the venue's courtyard; the reception was held in their Whiskey Room. Scott and Kristin have more photos and details via their blog so be sure to view it. I've enjoyed working with Scott on this feature. He certainly seems like a great photographer if I might add:).
Wedding Team
Venue | Frontier Room and Plaza at Whiskey Bent Saloon
Day-of Wedding Coordinator | Your Day of Fairy Tales
Dress | Something New, Borrowed and Blue in Cincinnati
Rings | Shane Co.
Flowers | Alternative Blooms on Etsy
Food | Jim 'N Nick's BBQ
Dessert | Publix Bakery
Officiant | Rev. Stephen Seymour with Unforgettable Ceremonies
Videographer | B and B Portraits
Band | Delicious Blues Stew lead by Shannon Williford
Ceremony Music | Robert Thompson
Cake Toppers | Ready Go on Etsy
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Real Nashville Brides, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Thursday, April 18, 2013
All Nashville wedding planners offer full wedding planning service, which means they take care of just about everything from vendor selection to every detail - from your proposal to your departure for your honeymoon. I highly recommend full service planning if you can find some way to fit the service into your budget, if you have to save somewhere else, a full service planning will save your sanity.
If you have cut everywhere possible and still can't hire a full planning package, there are two other options: month of coordination and day of coordination. Very few Nashville planners offer this limited service but Regalo Design offers full service as well as month-of and day-of-coordination.
What's included? See details below and contact Regalo Design at 615-482-1350 for a complimentary consultation.
Either way you go - please hire SOME help. You will thank me later.
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Left: their studio; Right: Damon and Sarah
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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