Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Since I wasn’t able to attend Saturday’s bridal luncheon, Hillary of A Magical Affair volunteered to fill us in on what we missed. Here’s her scoop….
This Saturday, at the splendid The Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville, the Nashville Lifestyles Weddings Magazine hosted their first ever bridal luncheon, featuring the very talented Tara Guerard of Soiree Events, the Letter Olive paper company, and author of Southern Weddings.
Attendees were greeted by the event coordinator (and Nashville Lifestyle’s resident event planner- and future bride to be!) Elizabeth Broyhill, the current bridal edition of Nashville Lifestyles Weddings, & a great note pad and pen. After exiting the entryway, Social Graces told guests about an exclusive event signing at their 21st Avenue store, complete with cake and wine. Before entering the atrium, guests were given a sparkling glass of Korbel champagne. What better way to set the tone for a beautiful afternoon than with a nice glass of bubbly!
The Vendors:
B. Hughes Bridal: Nashville brides in gowns graced the lobby, greeting guests as they arrived with beautiful ladies in couture gowns, from Vera Wang to Badgley Mishka. The dresses were amazing, and B. Hughes had a lovely display table with fresh flowers and photographs. They definitely added to the very upscale and elegant vibe of the Hermitage.
The Tulip Tree: This Nashville event planning service company did the flowers for the luncheon and also provided a gorgeous display of bouquets for brides-to-be. This company started in the 1970s and has fantastic style. You can even order arrangements online or come by their store to talk about the way you can have one of their breathtaking designs for your day. The tables in the luncheon room were all graced with different types of arrangements, from three small short vases in an assortment of spring flowers, or a tall display with orchids and branches. All were breathtaking & absolutely gorgeous.
The official photographer of the day was the fab Mark Couturier. Mark’s photographs capture the timeless elegance of a wedding day, in beautiful, artistic shots that are candid and really embrace the feel and personality of the couple. Mark snapped photos of the guests, lobby, and luncheon talk- we hope his photos will be available for a sneak peek on his website soon!
By far, my favorite table was the Dotted Line’s two table extravaganza display with their printed paper products, fun gifts, and delicious sweet treats. From tiny cupcakes to pink pretzels, The Dotted Line was nothing short of fabulous. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a website, so I took lots of photos to show off their fun display, where everything was in shades of pink, white, chocolate brown, and gold. There were little hatboxes and tiaras that said “bride”, pretty raffle tickets for kisses, hugs, and wishes, and of course- the beautiful paper products. This is a must-stop-shot for the Nashville bride that wants to treat herself-and her guests- to a little pink paper excellence! You can contact them by visiting their store on 2209 Bandywood Drive in Green Hills, or giving them a call (615.385.0101).
Brentwood’s The Premiere Event brought some lovely tablescapes for display, touting that they’re “Not your Ordinary Party Rental and Event Company.” They have elegant crystal barware, Aegean china, silver centerpieces and trays, even oriental fountains and cigar accessories. My favorite: the baroque torchierres featured in their catalogue- they’re amazing and oh-so-unique. Be sure to check out their site.
I sampled some delicious eats from Creme. I loved, loved, loved the display: long, flat glass trays were labeled beautifully, and each delicious offering was on a tiny square dish with Tiffany-blue colored rock salt. Their tablecloth in coordinating colors really added to the look- it was almost too pretty to eat, but eating I did (and my, it was yummy!)
Town and Country limousine offered a great giveaway with a super plush mousepad. I really needed a new one, so I was thrilled. Plus, who doesn’t love useful free things? Not me! Anyway, visit their website to see their great selection of cars from this Nashville vendor that opened its doors in 1989. You can even get an instant quote.
After perusing the vendors, guests mingled in the Hermitage lobby, enjoying Phyllis Taylor Sparks, a harpist that has an extensive repertoire- I even heard the Fray’s “How to Save a Life”. She does all kinds of events, from weddings to dinners, and she’s got a Cd, too. Fantastic!
The elegant luncheon reception treated guests to a glass of Little Black Dress Chardonnay, a delicious chicken breast, spring greens salad with wax beans and a light vinaigrette, and a lovely apple tart. They also had these divine little biscuits that I couldn’t get enough of. The tables were decorated in an array of different sized and shapes of arrangements, all from the Tulip Tree. We ran into Mary Alice & Amber of A Delightful Day (and you can see the arrangement behind them) and had to snap a picture and say “hi.” Soon after lunch, Soiree owner Tara Guerard spoke about three of her favorite weddings, her favorite ideas, her personal approach to event planning, and opened the floor to Q&A.
All in all, it was a great afternoon at the Hermitage hotel!
Hillary
February 5th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Yes I agree! I beautiful show and a great presentation that left us inspired for upcoming weddings! It was great seeing Hillary and Courtney there too!