Before Swoozie's opened in Nashville's Green Hills area, we couldn't wait. We wouldn't be jealous of Atlanta much longer, Swoozie's was finally coming to Nashville! Fast forward, Swoozie's has been here for 6 months or so and...we're still loving it! This love is proving to be no temporary crush. I'll admit, I've visited several times and have been way to excited to chronicle for ABG readers. It really is like a Candyland for big girls...I wanted to shop and see, not take pictures and notes. But luckily, the ABG community always has my back. Latrice has written a blog on Swoozie's that I have been following. Now that her three-part series has ended, she's letting me "borrow" it so I can share all of the goodies with you. I've mentioned Latrice before, she's amazing. She is a shopper like I've never seen. Tons of style and always found at the neatest Nashville boutiques, but I'll spare you more of my blah, blah, blah...enjoy this Friday Find. Guest Post: Latrice of Bridal Opulence, a Nashville wedding plannerSwooning over Swoozie's!
Nashville has some of the greatest places to shop, by far. Just recently in the Green Hills area the brand new Hills Center opened with all the latest trendy boutique like stores. One of my all time favorite specialty stores in the center is called Swoozie's!! This hip little happening spot is the best place for anything gift related or paper/stationery related. I am a huge fan of paper products so every time I go in the store I stay for at least an hour. There so many gift-y books & journals for the newly engaged bride-to-be. This table in the picture carries a Tiffany blue & chocolate theme, which is a really happening color for weddings this season. There were cute little notepads, books, etc that range in price of $12.95 & up. They also offer a printing service at the store and will personalize your items for a small fee, making everything so special. One of the cutest items by far was the "Wedding day survival" kit, which is priced at $34.95 Swoozie's also carries the most creative paperware - that includes plates, beverage napkins & cups - great for that bridal shower, engagement party, etc. Check out this "Because I'm The Bride, That's Why!" foam cup ($6.95) and the "Tie the Knot Bride" beverage napkins ($4.95). Stationery is another reason that Swoozie's has such a huge following of loyal customers. The stationery by far is the cutest I've ever seen, and would make your bridal shower invites, save the date cards & also wedding invitations truly stand out. This is the place for those DIY Brides!! The average price for this category starts at $8.95 & up. So if you are a DIY bride and have a love for stationery.....Swoozie's is the place to be! Selecting the right bridal party gifts can be a huge task if you don't have anything in mind. Luckily, Swoozie's has gifts for both your bridesmaids & groomsmen. Selecting the perfect gift for the men in your party can be intimidating. Swoozie's has the most perfect set of gifts for that hard-to-shop-for man & they also can do monogramming & engraving. I am all about personalization!!! The crocodile leather black flask are a perfect "manly gift"!!! They have "groomsman" engraved on the silver hardware, it looks great. Also, the picture would be a nice added touch that could be given and either place a picture from the bachelor party or your actual ceremony as a thank you gift. Swoozie's also carries a wide array of koozies, which you can never have too many of those. The pictured wedding frame "The Guys" retails at $19.95, this frame is also available in "The Girls" & also "Mother & Father of the Bride" Swoozie's makes it so easy to shop for your bridesmaids & also for your flower girl. There are so many unique and fun gifts to choose from in the store & also on line. We will start with your bridesmaids: in the picture below the black & white motif is amazing! With this collection comes notecards with can be personalized for an additional $5; cute wine bags, coasters etc. Notecards are a favorite of mine. In this age of emailing, a hand written note is always top on list. It's also an etiquette thing as well. So you can never go wrong in getting personalized stationery for yourself or your party. Other ideas that you can pick up at Swoozie's are personalized soaps, carry all bags, burlap initial wine bags & also initial wine stoppers. Wine stoppers start at $14.95 Initial soaps start at $11.00 & Carry all bags start at $19.95 & up Market Tote - Turquoise with Brown Trim Price: $19.95 Perfect little gift for your flower girl! For your bachelorette party, girls night out, Swoozie's can personalize a sash for you to wear so everyone will know it's your special night. Swoozie's...your one stop shop for bridal party gifts with a personal touch!! They also carry the cutest selection of table decor. Currently they have 3 that really struck my fancy & I would like to share them with you. This black & white table setting could be the theme for a very chic bridal shower. Incorporating a Tiffany blue, pink or red to the color scheme would definitely make the color pop!!! Also you could request that your guest wear colors that coordinate with your color scheme. This would create really super cute pictures. For a Nautical or Beach theme: This is so adorable and with a little creativity, you could incorporate sand to your table center pieces for an added effect. Bachelor Cook out: All American Theme This table decor would make for a great afternoon Bachelor cook out with the fellas. You could carry this theme out and incorporate all things baseball. What a fun cookout this would be & I would even suggest renting a cute little old fashion popcorn popper for your guest.
In 2004, I attended a wedding and received a cd as my favor. I wasnt too disappointed because it featured Outkast's I Like the Way You Move which was my song at the time...Fast forward. In 2008, cds are a thing of the past. (Sorry if thats your favor.) But today's couple are letting the iPod be their dj and are weaving their personality into every aspect of their wedding. So, here's a story I love! Renee is a Nashville recent bride. But, she is also a Nashville wedding vendor. (Funny how so many of us become wedding vendors after our wedding. What was life like before my wedding...oh yeah, health care marketing...thank God my beau proposed and introduced me to this wonderful world of weddings.) Anyway, Renee was no different. She got married and struggled to find the perfect wedding song, one that wasnt off the shelf, one that spoke to their relationship, feelings. So, what's a girl to do? When in need, we invent. She created Nashville-based Charmed Life Music and now creates original wedding songs for modern brides like us. Renee's wedding was recently featured on TLC The Wedding Story which I missed but am anxiously awaiting the day she places it on her site for us to enjoy. For now, check out her amazing music. I love her wedding song CD (which you can buy or you can download individual songs). Or, for brides who want everything custom, she can create a song all about your wedding, relationship, etc. It's More Than a Song is another Nashville songwriting company that writes custom wedding songs. Ellen is amazing and so is her team.
Bottom line, take advantage of our city's talent because only Nashville offers amazing talent in every coffee shop and studio. And if your groom prefers Tupac over Music City's finest, let me know. I know amazing hip-hop producers in Atlanta who can write a Kanye/Ludacris-type custom song just for him! His groomsmen will flip!
Reception location: Governor's Club in Brentwood, TN Number of wedding guests: 120
My Wedding Style: My wedding style? Classic & modern My wedding colors and why I chose them? Brown and green- wanted to represent spring colors and I have always loved green My wedding theme? Springtime My wedding wow factor? Our guests loved the Appletini drinks we served at the reception, also loved the personal touches like the tribute to our wedding party in the program and the Granny Smith apples used as place settings
My wedding favors? Brown boxes of green jelly beans My personal touches? Banjo groomsmen cake, personalized tribute to our wedding party in the program, photographs of us on the table with the seating charts, signature cocktail (Appletini)
My gifts: Bridesmaids - monogrammed pocket mirrors, Groomsmen - monogrammed silver cuff links, and Kids - Books My special moment: When my dad gave speech before dinner and cried as he recounted memories of me growing up. Also his prayer before the dinner where he asked God's blessing for me and Marvin. So special. My Wedding Vendors: Planner: A Bride Idea - loved working with Lindsey, she made our day so special and exactly what we wanted. Cake: Dulce Desserts - Juanita at Dulce Desserts is great to work with and quite a hoot! I had more compliments on her cakes than anything else. They were exactly what we wanted and the banjo cake was perfection. She really does beautiful work and makes the whole process really fun.
Photography: Angela Disrud Photography - loved working with Angela. She was easy going and very friendly to everyone- she created a calmness with our friends and family. She listened to us carefully and incorporated everything we wanted into our pictures. She capture our wedding day beautifully and our engagement pictures are the most unique I have ever seen! Transportation: Matchless Limo - great limo service and very friendly driver. The jaguar made for some great pictures and very relaxing ride to our reception.
Linen: T&M Rentals - they had really nice linens and we loved the green glass charges that we use under the dinner plates. They were really easy to work with and had one of the few tents left in Nashville right before our wedding. DJ/Lighting: Select Sound- Blake is very easy to work with and very professional. He did a wonderful job with the lighting and was very consciences of our budget. He kept everyone on the dance floor with his music selections. Flowers: Geny's Wholesale Florist - Joan was so nice to work with and her arrangements were beautiful! She had great ideas and helped guide us through the process of selecting flowers.
Calligraphy: Allison Moore did beautifully on the invitations, seating charts and place cards. My Wedding Rewind: What I would do differently if planning again? I would have taken a few more pictures of us at the mansion, Given the DJ a list of songs we wanted to be sure were included (missed dancing to a few of our favorites); would have had a monogrammed hankie that I used during the day and could make into a pillow or save for our daughter to use one day. Biggest waste of time or money? Sparklers and matchbooks because we weren't allowed to use them (should have checked that before ordering) Best value for the service/product? Loved our invitations that we got from Jean M, very reasonable and unique Neatest finds? Glass chargers from T&M Rental and the banjo cake from Dulce Desserts Something Borrowed: Tip for Nashville Brides-to-be: Remember that the day isn't about the bride, but a celebration of the union between you and your husband. I so dislike the brides that clearly have an agenda to make this their day and be the focus of attention. Of course you will be the focus of attention, but we took the approach of doing everything to make our guests feel welcomed and to convey that we spent the time to make the event relaxed and inviting and to let everyone know how much our families and friends meant to us. We had overwhelming comments about how the event seemed so relaxed and comfortable for our guests- we loved that.
Hey Nashbrides, I just got off the phone with Shannon, my girl over at myOWNvitations to learn a bit more about their open house. (BTW, she did the fabulous black, white and red wedding invitation that's on my current love list - see below.) Anyway, you know I love wedding stationery and wedding cakes so I am super-duper excited about their upcoming invitation open house. I've never been to a paper party (but I've certainly been to a million jewelry/pampered chef and beauty product parties against my will). But, this is a must-attend party if you are a modern, stylish Nashville-area bride who wants custom wedding invitations and paper that makes your statement.
(Shannon says: This Asian-inspired invitation with concise, modern wording let's everyone know that your wedding will be a party to remember! The coordinating origami folded program is held closed by bamboo skewers. What a fun twist!)
Shannon's invitations are all about the paper - she uses the most interesting textures for her invitations. And, because all of her work is custom, she can do all of the coordinating pieces like labels for your welcome baskets, save the dates, etc, which you'll see first hand at the open house!
(Shades of orange and coral work great for both summer and fall weddings. The shimmery metallic backer adds an elegant touch to this invitation.)
The party will be held at a super-chic downtown Nashville loft and will be a lot less congested/rushed than a bridal show where you have to scream just to talk and can forget about discussing important questions - like prices, timeline, customization, etc. At this event, Shannon promises that you can expect one-on-one q&a with the designer. You know you're in love with these invitations too. Your wedding invitations set the tone for your wedding. So, contact myOWNvitations asap to rsvp for this wedding paper party. This event is open to Nashville's most stylish brides, planners...and geeky bloggers like me. See ya there!
(A pale blue paper embossed with a bold pattern adds interest and texture to this classic patterned invitation. The layers are held together with a single crystal brad.)
(Pink and gold have been a wedding scheme favorite even before Martha said it was cool! This imported fuchsia cotton paper is flocked with a beautiful gold pattern. Add a shimmery gold ribbon and a rhinestone buckle and you have an invitation that is absolutely regal!)
(Strawberry is a fresh new take on the ever-popular pink! It's paired with chocolate in this contemporary geometric pattern to create an invitation that is simple and modern, yet interesting. Who doesn't love a chocolate covered strawberry?)
(What better way to make your invitation represent you as a couple than adding a cute photo? The invitation is wrapped in a shimmery plum jacket and tied with a delicate organza ribbon.)
Anyway, be there or be square (...my throw-back phrase today). No seriously, if you want a hot invitation that wows your guests, come out and see the latest in wedding invitation fab.
This article is our first in our new series called Weddings 101: What You Need to Know Before You Hire. Enjoy this thorough, informative article from a Nashville wedding expert.
Guest Post: A Magical Affair, a Nashville event and wedding planning company.
When it comes to good eats at your reception, it's all about taste. In this blog, we're going to talk about how the time of day says a lot about what your guests expect you, as a host, to provide on your big day. While your wedding is the biggest day of your life, to your guests, it's still a party. And yes, it is your party, but you want to keep in mind that it's important that you consider your guests while planning your reception. Remember that they are the people that have driven cross-country to share in your special day, and that they would probably like more than cake and some saltines at the end of a 24-hour drive. If you can only afford cake and saltines, trust us, forego the saltines and make it the best cake-only reception you can. Receptions are one of the main things that your guests remember from years to come. The tales of your wedding will usually begin with the crazy stories about Aunt Milda drinking a few too many Chambord-laced champagnes, or how the two of you busted out the craziest first dance anyone had seen. Either way, making your reception memorable means creating good memories, and those aren't the kind that start with "remember when Billy and Mary had saltines and spam at their reception? My, that was interesting." Work with your budget to create a memorable (in a good way) reception. A caterer is one of your big five planning items: Locations (ceremony & reception); photography; style (casual reception or awesome extravaganza event); dress; and yes...the food! Catering should follow after you've determined these three things: 1. Your budget (trust us, you want to figure that one out FIRST-- there's nothing worse that getting your heart set on a sit-down, plated dinner and then finding out you have the budget for saltines and cake), 2. Your location for your reception, and 3. the time of day. This blog will focus on the time of day and how it impacts your catering choices. The Brunch or Lunch Reception (10 am- 1 pm) - If you have an ceremony between the hours of 10 in the morning & 1 in the afternoon, your guests will generally expect a brunch or lunch to follow. Lunches are a great way to save money, because you can bring in the elegant elements you'd like to have at a dinner, but for less. For what you'd spend on a buffet at dinner you can do as a sit down at lunch. Luncheons, as you know, are usually smaller, daintier affairs, but there's no limits on what you can serve: lobster & steak works just as well as soup and salad! For planning the perfect brunch reception, do your research. The best research? Eating, of course. Go out to Sunday brunch and see what you like best. Do you want to have something your guests can customize, like an omelette station or a belgium waffle bar with exotic fruits and syrups? Wanting to do alcohol? Offer bloody mary's, mimosas, or some fresh champagne. For the quintessential Sunday brunch, bring in fresh country ham, biscuits, and gravy. There's a lot you can do to create an elaborate, sumptuous breakfast that will keep your guests talking for years to come. The Mid Afternoon Reception (1-3 pm) - If your soiree falls between 1 & 3, it's safe to serve light refreshments. This is the ideal time for the cake and punch reception with a few light bites, like tea sandwiches, dips, and fruit. You could also do something fun and offer a wine tasting reception, with assorted fruits and cheeses. This is a very stylish alternative that helps you to save money (because you need less food and less service staff!) If you choose this option, a great rule of thumb for the wine tasting party is to choose 3 reds and 3 whites with varying levels of sweetness. You can offer your guests the favor of their wine tasting glass at the end of the afternoon, and get jiggers that measure out a precise 1 oz pour for each taste. A standard wine tasting progresses from sweetest to driest wines, with food pairings along the way. Talk with your favorite local wine shop owner for tips on selecting affordable wines for your reception. By limiting the tastes to one ounce, you can save on wine and food while delighting your guests with an upscale and unique party offering that they'll remember for years to come. - The Dinner Reception (4-7 pm) Anytime between 4&7 implies that you are going to serve your guests dinner. The popular option in the south is a full buffet with mixed heavy appetizers. This is by far a cost effective option to the seated, plated dinner. You can spice things up a bit by trying the newest trend: soup shooters! Roving trays of soup replace the standard passed appetizer in advance of the buffet dinner, giving your guests plenty to talk about as they marvel over your genius style. Plus, soup can be a very cheap option to appetizer offerings. If the weather's warm, serve a gazpacho with chilled tomatoes. If it's cold out, you could try this yummy purreed butternut squash soup. Either way, it's fun, cool, and cheaper than puffed pastry wrapped lobster bites. Either way, when your guests come at dinner, and you serve alcohol, make sure that you offer them enough for keep their stomachs full before hitting the road. It's your responsibility as party host to ensure that your guests don't over indulge in your alcoholic beverages and that you have food for them (and alternate beverage choices) for them to enjoy. If it's not in your budget to provide a full meal and you want to have an evening wedding, perhaps pick our next option. The After Hours Soiree (after 7 pm) -- If you are hosting a ceremony after 7pm, it's safe to assume your guests have eaten and you can try some of the more trendy reception offerings, like a dessert buffet (mmm) or even a late-night finger food extravaganza. Do you and your husband to be love sundaes? Then have a sundae bar? Big into Pizza? Have a pizza buffet. Later evening weddings & receptions allow for you to try a bit of the unconventional, and you can often do so with less expense. For the perfect dessert reception, go with desserts that are exotic and fun (and different from wedding cake). Try tiramisu bites, cheesecakes, or custom-made chocolates to wow your guests and delight their sweet tooths. Or, if you want to do something fun and a bit upscale, offer some delightful dessert wines to accompany the dessert offerings. Port Wine, Ice Wine, and Champagne are delicious selections, but so are custom drinks, like a chocolate martini, Bailey's Irish Cream, and signature coffees can all be delightful options (and tasty offerings) for your guests to enjoy! Ashley adds:Ready to hire your wedding caterer? Down South Delights and Larrivieres on the Square are two of my favorites, both yummy. Want more? Check out my directory of Nashville caterers.
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