I reached out to Linda of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation to learn more about wedding venue options. Aside from being a historic landmark, they offer indoor and outdoor options, making it a great “all-in-one” spot for your ceremony and vacation.
Here’s more about the Belle Meade Plantation. (All photos from Belle Meade Plantation website. Visit their website for photo credits.)
Belle Meade Plantation may be rented for after hour special events. The 1890’s Carriage House and Stables are a wonderful venue for wedding receptions, engagement parties and rehearsal dinners. The BoxwoodGarden boasts grandeur that graciously hosts many of the finest wedding ceremonies each year. Timeless. Elegant. Classic. Just like your wedding day, our grounds speak for themselves.
What options does your venue offer?
Engagement Parties
Rehearsal Dinners
Ceremony
Reception
What rooms are available?
Our grounds are closed to the public each day at 5:00pm making our BoxwoodGarden, Carriage House and Stables all private events areas.
What group sizes can you accommodate? Outdoor & Indoor combined: 250 Max seated
Outdoor & Indoor combined: 300 Max Stand up reception
What catering options do you allow?
On-site catering-yes
Outside catering allowed—yes
Preferred list of caterers—yes
Outside alcohol allowed—yes
Great! Is an on-site event coordinator available?
There is an Events Supervisor that is available throughout the duration of each event to answer questions and oversee the set up and break down of each event.
What is your pricing model?
Room rental fee $1500-$5000
Which bride budgets do you serve?
$$$ (moderate - $20-50K)
$$$$ (luxe - $50K)
What else should brides know about your venue?
We are a historic not-for-profit museum.
Contact Linda at Belle Meade Plantation to discuss your upcoming wedding.
Embassy Suites is opening a new hotel in Murfreesboro, TN in November. I got married at the Embassy Suites in Cool Springs and loved it as a wedding reception venue. I loved the high ceilings, beautiful ballrooms and the free breakfast included in the room rate. This will be a brand new hotel (I love brand new!) and is in walking distance to The Avenue, which offers great restaurants and shopping for your guests. Your guests will appreciate being able to walk to everything they need. I think this will prove to be an amazing wedding venue.
I’m still sleepy but woke up to share my “Fab Friday Finds”…
This Friday, I am focusing on my finds from Perfect Wedding Guide, Nashville bridal show. Now, I will admit that there were great vendors that I probably didn’t get a chance to see because I had my own booth and wasn’t able to walk around as much as I normally do. So, if I missed you - sorry in advance.
New Finds:
1) Pretty Piece of Cake - Leanne of Wonderful Graffiti literally pulled me out my booth to taste their cupcakes. I thought, “Leanne, do you know how many cupcakes I’ve tasted? It’s what I do - bridal shows.” Before I knew it, I was at a pretty non-descript booth and she was pointing at them. So, I picked up the full-sized cupcake (which is rare for bridal shows) and tasted. It was amazing. It was lemon filled with blueberry. I’ll admit, I am not a big fan of palette surprises but when those real blueberries gushed, I was pleasantly surprised. The cake was moist and tasty and oh-so flavorful. There was no way to be pretty eating this cake. Prepare for blueberry teeth but a happy stomach.
2) Lavish Event Planning - Tara makes these lifesize letters that can be used to spell a word (maybe your wedding theme) or monograms. I’m all about wedding day personalization and these letters do the trick. Tara also does a custom painted dance floor. (see floor in the pic below)
3) Chef Penelope - I was only able to leave my booth for like 5 minutes and did a quick scan around the show for fabulousness and food b/c I was hungry. This was the only table that still had food when I did my rounds and lucky for me, it was good food:). Meatballs that left an interesting taste that made me curious. I asked the guy what it was and I think he said plum or something. But, I am a simple girl so he probably said something French and I was like “ok, whatever”. It had a good taste so I was sold.
4) Cakes by Shara - I have raved about Shara before but at the show, she introduced a new offering for the Nashville brides with a modest budget or any bride seeking a great looking cake at half the cost. Anyway, I’ll tell ya more about her “Rent-a-Cake” in my blog next week.
5) Savannah Tea Company - now, I am not a girlie-girl - I prefer Victoria Secret to Crabtree and Evelyn. BUT, I do have an appreciate for neat people/places/things. So, when I met these wonderful ladies (they were toooo sweet), I wanted to spread the word to girlie-girls everywhere.
They offer a neat tea room near downtown on 8th Ave South, that can host your bridal luncheons, small parties, etc. They have an awesome menu and they even do cakes.
Faves from the show that I already know and love…
1) Sherrell’s Floral Design - I’m really not sure when Tonya of Sherell’s is going to get a website one day, but I promise you - her work is incredible. For now, you can reach her at 615-289-5211.
2) Maples Wedding Cakes - funny story - so Jay comes by at beginning of the show and says that he has an orange cake that I would love at his booth. Honestly, at 20 minutes before show open, he could have said “I have a million dollars for you at my booth” and I would not have really heard what he said. I was going nuts (which is why I am NOT a wedding planner). So, at the end of the show, as I am passing his booth to take my stuff to my car, I see the orange cake and stop in my tracks. As I stand to admire the orange cake, Jay says “I’m still here” and I turn around and he is seated on the bench (worn out!). I didnt even know he was sitting there:). So, I tell him I love the cake and he says “I thought you would”. Then, I remember his comment from 5 hours before…the orange cake!
So, I run to Corrine (Weddings by Reese) and ask if she has a camera, which she does. (She’s a wedding planner, of course she’s always prepared.) She takes a pic of the cake and sends it to me that night. So, ladies - I hustled to get the picture for you - because that’s what I do! Believe me, the cake was even more feroush in person. (Feroush - meaning ferocious, hot, fab - coined by Christian of Project Runway. I can’t get enough of him!)
Anyway, I think it’s amazing that Jay could “read” my style and know exactly which cake I would love, based on my website, booth, etc. Bet he’s “in tune” with his clients. Ladies, this guy is kind of a big deal.
3) Weddings with Reese - She had a booth that could have been my booth’s twin. We really do think a like, probably why I like her so much. She had a beverage bar - with lemonade and coffee and she did the whole flavored syrup thing. Loved it! She incorporates neat details into her events so she always comes with a surprise.
4) A Magical Affair - loved the paper dress and other neat touches!
5) A Delightful Day - loved the black and white table covering and the gorgeous floral arrangement.
As I promised last week, I went on a site tour of Hotel Indigo Nashville, Nashville’s newest hotel. I wanted to check out this fierce hotel for myself. (I am using fierce a lot since it’s my fave contestant’s word on this season of Project Runway - he’s so funny and he’s rubbing off on me.)
Anyway, the hotel is even better in person. I really love this hotel, even if though they snubbed our growing Nashville bridal community by not inviting us to their “Grand Opening” party next week. (To be fair, they probably aren’t even aware we exist.:) But, this hotel is way to cool to be hanging with the same ole’ crowd. We digital divas are the new “in” crowd. Or, maybe we’re the ones hanging in the wrong crowd. Nah…we like our crowd. Perhaps ABG is to weddings what TMZ or Perez Hilton is to Hollywood. And, we’re so cool w/that!
So, the hotel rocked. There’s fab everywhere you look. But, what I like most is:
1) Hotel Indigo is the hottest hotel in Nashville. Hotel Preston would be the second if you’re looking for modern but not the best location. (BTW, I met with Mike of Myrick Studios yesterday and he was the one who reminded me of Hotel Preston. More on him in a few days…remember I called him eye candy in a previous blog? Well, he didn’t forget, nor did his “Dr. Girlfriend”…funny story, stay tuned!)
2) Hotel Indigo is completely out of the box. Randall, the sales manager, is willing to think outside the box since this hotel is all about customization. He took me to one floor of the hotel that has a huge hallway. The beauty is, Randall said that if you were to book all 19 of the rooms on the floor, only 19 per floor, you could literally turn the hallway into a hospitality area or a reception. How hot is that! Your guests wouldn’t have very far to go and you could make the space your own.
Then, he took me to another floor that had another huge hallway, a lounge area and an attached outdoor area that will be decked in a few months. This will allow you to have an outdoor ceremony, come in for a pre-reception, and then head back out for dancing.
So, the options are endless…but, it is only an option for medium to small wedding parties. If you are inviting less than 150-200 guests, Randall can probably find a way to make it work. If you are a funky, mod chick, this is your spot. If you are looking for a formal, traditional wedding spot, keep looking.
Think W hotel meets Music City for vibe and IKEA meets West Elm for style.
They are opening another Hotel Indigo downtown, in Printer’s Alley next year. It will not have single and double rooms, just King rooms - definitely not for wedding guests with families. But, if you are looking for a nice place to chill after your wedding, before heading to you honeymoon, it could be an option.
I could live in Hotel Indigo Nashville, for sure!
View full slide show above or check out these quick pics below…
Here are pics of Hotel Indigo, a hot new hotel on West End in Nashville. I’m going for a site tour in the next few weeks but am prepared to love it already! Aside from loving new hotels, I really love modern hotels. It’s ultra chic and oh-so-West Elm looking. Just what Nashville needs!
It’s a perfect option a modern bride. Randall, the sales director, said they can accommodate your wedding ceremony, reception or just your out-of-town-guest rooms. They have an outdoor option that will be available very soon. If you have less than 150 wedding guests, this is a place to consider.
Brides are always looking for a fun and interesting venue to host their wedding reception. Looking for just that venue can be quite a tedious process. A Delightful Day hosted a wedding reception at City Hall back in December and we wanted to share this incredible event space with you. (Ashley introduced it’s new sister site last week, Aerial).
City Hall is a truly unique venue that is used for wedding receptions, but concerts being its main purpose. This warehouse space has large windows looking out onto the 12th Avenue nightlife and also to its other space, BarTwenty3 which is rented out many times in conjunction with City Hall for a cocktail hour prior to the reception.
Elissa, the event coordinator at City Hall, Aerial, and BarTwenty3, strives to fulfill brides dreams and create a elegant reception space. City Hall has a great rental price with the ability to bring in your own caterer and bartending staff is available on site. City Hall has some rentals available as well, but Liberty Party Rentals; is their preferred rental company for all other needs. This being located on 12th Avenue in the Gulch, valeting parking is needed which can be provided by Elissa as well. Here are several pictures from City Hall for the event that we did there back in December.
This is a prep photo to show you how the space looks at daylight - exposed brick, wood rafters, and a blank canvas for you to come in and create wedding magic!
Contact Elissa at City Hall for a site tour. Tell her A Delightful Day (and AshleysBrideGuide.com) sent you! It’s a hidden treasure.
Amie of Simply Exquisite recently visited Murfreesboro’s Carriage Lane Inn, a Tennessee Bed and Breakfast, to see if it was an option for one of her Nashville brides. Since many of you are searching for Nashville-area wedding venues, I asked Amie to tell us a little more about Carriage Lane Inn. Since she’s a wedding planner, I appreciate her insight.
Anyway, here’s what Amie had to say…
Carriage Lane Inn: An Intimate spot with everything you need on your wedding day!
I recently had the pleasure to visit a wonderful venue, Carriage Lane Inn & Reception House, which is located about 30 minutes from Nashville in Murfreesboro. The Reception House is a newly restored historic home that gives character to the bride looking for a small, more intimate wedding or a rehearsal dinner location.
For outdoor weddings, they have a “secret garden” surrounded with magnolias, a backdrop of mature trees and a lovely garden border of flowers and breathtaking greenery. Throughout the house, they can accommodate seating up to 150 people. Inside their reception room, dances can be held anywhere as they have hardwood floors throughout. Carriage Lane provides a wonderful array of products from linens, silverware, silk decorations, candelabras and even decorative columns which are all included in the rental of their facility.
If a majority of your guests will be out-of-town, they will appreciate knowing about Carriage Lane’s Bed and Breakfast, furnished Cottage and Yellow House, which are adjacent to the reception site and very convenient to attend events without the hassle of driving in unfamiliar areas. They also offer a complimentary valet service (over 75 guests). Brides sometimes rent a house for their attendants to stay and have plenty of room to dress.
As a wedding planner, I like to recommend a venue that I feel has a lot to offer my bride on her special day without the additional cost of rentals. Carriage Lane Inn & Reception House can arrange everything, especially when it comes to beautiful décor and greenery for the ceremony and/or reception which can get costly. When you are on a budget, this is an important factor to keep in mind when you are considering rentals for your wedding day. Try to find a place that can provide as much as you need without having to foot the additional costs from other parts of your budget. If you are looking for a beautiful, intimate ceremony and reception location in one, Carriage Lane Inn & Reception House is a great spot to check out!
