Your Luxury Wedding Deserves More Than a Template Website.  Try Something New!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

I'll be the first to admit a custom wedding website isn't for everyone.  But if you are sparing no expense for your big day, hiring an enviable wedding photographer and having the day of every bride's dream, you simply should not settle for a template wedding website.  Don't get me wrong, they do the job for 95% of brides.  However, if you're an uber-luxe girl, you need a website that speaks to your style and resonates with your audience.

Something New is a start-up company that builds luxury wedding websites.  They are located right here in Nashville and they make killer websites with tools that simplify your life.  They offer two products: 1) a custom website that the they build for you and 2) a DIY class for couples who want a custom site but are willing to get their hands dirty.  The DIY soirée takes place on May 16th.  

AshleysBrideGuide.com followers can take $100 off the class or the custom service.  Details on both can be found via their website, www.somethingnew.us.  

share

Posted by Ashley King | Filed under: Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, 0 comments »

From Beyoncé to Bach, Harpist Kirsten Agresta Copely Provides Live Music at Nashville Weddings

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

When asked what new wedding find our readers might love, Toni, of Celebrations by Design, raved about Kirsten Agresta Copely, a talented musician in Nashville that provides a unique take on both traditional and modern wedding music.

Kirsten is an acclaimed harpist that has played on shows like "the Today Show" and "Late Night with David Letterman."  She’s also played with numerous musical artists, including Mrs. Carter (aka Beyoncé), and for royalty.  (Check out her gallery here.)  When she's not traveling with legends, she offers her musical talent at weddings in Nashville and around the country.  She can play anything from classical to your favorite modern love song.

Live music at a wedding can add so much dynamic and interest to the event.  It provides something that recorded music just cannot.  Read more below about Kirsten and what she has to offer.  Be sure to check out her website for some samples of her beautiful music.

What can having a live musician at a reception or ceremony add to a wedding?
Live music provides the ambience for a wedding event and reflects the personality of the bride/groom.  Whether the music is traditional or modern, the versatility of the harp offers endless possibilities.

Are you able to play “our song” or other songs we request?
I have a vast repertoire of songs from classical to popular, and am also open to transcribing a song for the harp if it’s possible to do so.

Are we able to meet and plan before the big day?  If so, what should I be prepared to have with me (questions, examples of music, etc.)?
I offer a complimentary consultation with you and your betrothed to choose your ceremony music at my studio.  You can bring ideas for music with you, or allow me to play some examples of different choices for you.

Do you have a video we could share with our readers?
I do not have a video available for posting, but any interested clients are welcome to visit my website for more information, sound samples, and media.

share

Posted by Holly Engaged Bride | Filed under: Bands, DJs, Music, Reception Entertainment, Photo Booths, Unique Wedding Ideas, 0 comments »

The Frosted Affair Debuts 2015 Wedding Cake Collection Designed By Celebrity Cake Artist, Jay Qualls

Monday, May 4, 2015

Ashley's Bride Guide sat down with Amy Millslagle, owner of delicious cake shop The Frosted Affair of Green Hills.  Her talented team, along with fabulous designer Jay Qualls, debuted their new collection of wedding cakes for 2015 earlier this month and we were fortunate enough to pick her brain and learn more about the inspiration behind these jaw-dropping designs.

Can you tell me a little bit about your inspiration for you new 2015 collection?  What are your team's favorites?  Which style was most popular at the debut event?

The Frosted Affair’s 2015 Wedding Cake Collection was inspired by numerous sources:

- Bows, embellishments, lace, and ruffles from newly released wedding dress designs

- Vintage music lyrics

- The newly released 2015 Pantone colors

- The growing popularity of gold, glitter, and bling!

- Bride’s own personal wedding invitation!

We love all of the designs, but, as our designers have said, it makes me happy when we get to paint with gold, push the envelope with modern, painted, distressed hexagons, and create items with some of the latest techniques including wafer paper and edible images.

All our guests had their personal favorites, but the black and gold glitter cake was a hit!  Also, everyone had fits over the 3 groom's cakes in the collection – Casino Night, Beer Can, and Vintage Tool Box.

What makes this collection stand out?

The designs are fresh, new, and executed extremely well.  However, when you look at the collection as a whole, it doesn’t all look the same.  Inspiration has been drawn from many sources and the outcome is many distinct designs– each as unique as our wonderful brides!

For brides who aren't familiar with your designers, can you give me a little bio?

At The Frosted Affair, we have two lead cake artists in addition to a team of bakers, cake pop artists, and cookie artists!  Laura Grizzel, lead cake artist, is a graduate of Southeast Culinary & Hospitality College, Bristol, Tennessee, and is originally from Gate City, Virginia.  Amanda LeSaicherre, lead cake artist, is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, and originally from Ponchatoula, Louisiana.  These two phenomenal artists have over 15 years’ experience.

Jay Qualls, celebrity cake artist, joined our team as a wedding cake consultant in the fall of 2014.  He has helped inspire our team creatively as well as transform our beautiful shop where brides can have a one of a kind cake consultation.  Jay is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and opened Maples Wedding Cakes.  While he no longer owns Maples, he continues to be one of the leaders in the cake industry with his unique sense of style in cake design, teaching, product development, and business consulting.  He has starred in two national television shows, season one of "The Next Great Baker" and season two of ABC's hit reality show, "The Taste." 

What is your price range?

Pricing is extremely simplified.  For the most part, brides can have any cake design they want between $6.50-$7/serving with a 100 serving minimum.  This way, you can get exactly what you want without having to ask each time, how much does this one cost?  Our groom’s cakes are custom priced based on difficulty and size, and start at ~$100.

How can brides see/taste this new collection?

At The Frosted Affair, couples enjoy a complimentary tasting and consultation in our private wedding consult space.  Consultation appointments need to be scheduled at least three days in advance, ideally on a Monday or Tuesday when possible.  Our room has beautiful furniture, a large wall of cake inspiration, and classical music playing softly in the background.  Traditionally, we taste our five most popular flavors (Strawberry, Almond, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Red Velvet) accompanied by your choice of champagne, wine, or water – just the way you will eat it at your wedding!

Brides meet with one of our lead cake artists, who sketch your custom dream cake on site.  Once booked, the sketch is yours to frame and put out at the wedding and then eventually put in your wedding scrapbook.

You can also see our collection online at http://www.thefrostedaffair.com or on our social media sites!  Or, just pop in!  We're located at 2209 Bandywood Drive, Nashville, TN 37215, 615-856-1903

share

Posted by Engaged Bride Olivia | Filed under: Cakes & Desserts, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, 0 comments »

Antiques And Elegance Are In Abundance At Ross And Jennifer’s Traditional Wedding In Shelbyville, TN

Friday, May 1, 2015

Jennifer & Ross married in front of 270 guests at The First Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville, TN.  As one of the oldest in their town, the church served as the perfect backdrop for the bride and groom's ceremony. 

The couple turned to Regalo Design to help orchestrate their vintage-themed day.  With heirloom china, a designer gown, and loads of personalized DIY details throughout, their magnificent day allowed the couple to share their favorite things with their family and friends. 

Take a peek into their wedding via our interview with Jennifer. 

Jennifer & Ross
Wedding Date: August 9, 2014
Ceremony Venue: First Presbyterian Church, Shelbyville, TN
Reception Venue: The Fly Arts Center, Shelbyville, TN
Guests: 270
Budget: $30,000-40,000

Wedding Team

Planner, Floral Design, & Lighting | Regalo Design
Photographer | Katherine Birkbeck
Videographer | Dallas Wilson Video Productions
Gown | Lazaro/Bridals by Lori (Atlanta)
Bride’s Accessories | The White Room (Murfreesboro, TN)
Men’s Attire | Men’s Warehouse
Bridesmaids’ Attire | LulaKate
Hair | Tracy Layne of Tracy’s Trends
Makeup | Brides by Lisa
Stationery | Save-the-dates/programs by Regalo Design; invitations by Sofia Invitations (Etsy)
Caterer | Southern Connections Catering
Cake Artist | Southern Connections Catering
Ceremony Musicians | Personal friends
Reception Musicians | JD Music
Rentals | Southern Events
 

Wedding Details

How would you describe your style as a couple?
I would describe us as old-fashioned.  We have always said we were born in the wrong decade.  We also share a love for books.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
The theme of the wedding was vintage.  From the mismatched heirloom plates to being married in one of the oldest churches in our town, we tried to bring an elegant antique feel to the wedding.  We incorporated our love for books by using distressed, old books as décor pieces for both the ceremony and reception.

What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
The décor, food, and cake!  There were just too many great things to pick one!
 

Where did you splurge? 
Rentals: We could have gone with less expensive simple white plates for the reception, but the heirloom china plates truly captured the vintage theme we wanted.

Videography: This was not originally in the budget, but the importance of having a professional capture your special day became apparent throughout the planning process.  Looking back, we are extremely happy with our decision to hire a videographer.

Photographer: From the beginning we knew we wanted to splurge on photography.  There is only one chance to capture our special day and we wanted someone we could trust to provide great quality.  After weeks of research, I found Katherine Birkbeck via the Wedding Photojournalist Association.  Katherine did not disappoint!

Where did you save/DIY?

Wedding favors: My mom saw the bride and groom pretzels on Pinterest and decided to try making them herself.  They turned out beautifully and saved us a great deal on wedding favors!

Books: We acquired the books for the ceremony and reception décor from multiple sources.  First, we bought old books from Goodwill (everything is 50% off on the first Saturday of every month) and our local library (sold the books for $1/each).  We then spray painted the books different vintage pastel colors and distressed them with sandpaper and coffee.  We also borrowed old books from friends.

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Honestly, no!  Looking back only justifies our decision to hire Regalo Design as our wedding planner!  They truly made the planning experience a joy for everyone involved!

In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Remember that at the end of the day you will be married to the love of your life, which is truly what matters the most!

share

Posted by Jenn Dobbins | Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Style - Rustic, Farm , 0 comments »