Laid-Back Alabama Bride Finds Nashville The Perfect Location For Her Wedding Day
Friday, November 8, 2013
When Katie, of Florence, Ala., was in search of a location for her wedding to her now-husband, John, of Lexington, Ky., there was only one place that seemed to fit their personalities and central enough for both of their families to attend: Nashville.
Katie is the antithesis of a ‘bridezilla.’ After a mishap with her first wedding gown that caused her to purchase another (which you’ll read more about below), the Alabama native took it all in stride, determined to create a wedding day that was a true reflection of herself and her groom. Not one element of this wedding was anything but what they wanted, from the music sung by Katie’s sister-in-law to the personalized bourbon balls (in true Kentucky fashion) as wedding favors.
It’s refreshing to hear the story of a bride and groom who decided what they wanted for their wedding day and uncompromisingly pursued that vision. Here are more details about this wedding of the week:
Katie & John
Wedding Date ~ June 15, 2013
Ceremony & Reception Venue ~ ONE (above Mercy Lounge at the Cannery)
Guests ~ 200
Budget ~ $30-40K
My Wedding Team
Planner, Floral Designer, Lighting & Rentals | Sarah Goude, Regalo Design
Photographer | Amelia J. Moore
Videographer | Maui Video Productions & Adventure
Gown | J. Crew
Bride’s Accessories | My mother’s pearls and veil, grandmother's bangles, & Sam Edelman & Toms Shoes
Men’s Attire | Street Tuxedo
Bridesmaids’ Attire | J. Crew
Hair & Makeup | Blowout Co
Stationery | William Arthur/Regalo Design
Caterer | Flavor Catering & Special Occasions
Cake Artist | Signature Cakes by Vicki
Ceremony Musicians | Kate Beckett, Trip Bower, & Heather Wurm
Reception DJ | Brian Snyder Entertainment
Transportation | Music City Bus
Guest Accommodations | The Renaissance Nashville Hotel
Wedding Rings | GoldAdore Fine Vintage Jewelry on Etsy & Kirkland Jewelry, Dothan, AL
Guest Bag/Gift Supplies | Nashville Wraps
Over-sized Balloons | BalloonsFast.com
Monogrammed Koozies | TotallyWeddingKoozies.com
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
I would say that John and I are very laid back people who like to have a good time. I am somewhere between a hippy and a prep and John is very practical. We both think being comfortable in your own skin is more important than pleasing others. We wanted to have a wedding that made everyone feel welcome, and we wanted a mix of modern and traditional things.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
When I first talked with Sarah, I told her that we wanted a modern venue. Since so many of our guest were coming from out of town, we wanted a venue that was in the heart of downtown Nashville, and ONE at The Cannery was perfect. It was also really important to us that our ceremony and reception be in the same place. We didn’t want to waste time busing people between the ceremony and the reception. I spent a lot of time on Pinterest getting ideas for décor. I knew that I wanted to incorporate metallics with lots of color and greenery. I also wanted my bridesmaids to be able to pick their own style and color of dress, and JCrew was perfect for that. For the flowers, I told Sarah that I wanted lush greenery with light colors and pops of bright pink flowers.
I had a major fiasco with my dress. I bought a dress at a boutique called Twirl in Lexington, KY, but the seamstress that I found in Nashville totally screwed it up, and I felt horrible in it after it was altered. I sold that dress on preownedweddingdresses.com and then bought my dress at JCrew. I ended up loving the J. Crew dress even more than my first dress and it was half the price. You can read all about that fiasco on my blog. I also wore my mother’s cathedral length veil from her wedding to my father as my something old.
To personalize our ceremony, my sister-in-law Kate Beckett, a singer-songwriter in the Nashville area, performed most of the music. We choose modern songs, and I walked down the aisle to Kate’s song “Saving Grace” that she wrote for John and I right after we got engaged. My brother’s childhood friend, Trip, accompanied her on guitar and her friend Heather sang harmony. Also to incorporate tradition into our ceremony, we did a foot washing ceremony just as John’s two older sisters had done at their weddings.
For wedding favors, I ordered monogrammed koozies and matches and John’s mom, Janet Bunge, made 400 homemade bourbon balls in honor of John’s Kentucky heritage.
What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
The ceremony music and the cake! We got a lot of compliments on the music that Kate performed for our ceremony. I think our guests liked that the music was modern and they really enjoyed the personal nature of Kate’s performance. The cake was some of the most delicious wedding cake I've ever tasted! John picked out all the flavors of the different tiers: vanilla almond, chocolate hazelnut, raspberry, and spice cake all with buttercream. We also had a chocolate bourbon cake for the groom’s cake.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We ended up splurging a bit on food and alcohol. The food was really great and John and I were one of those couples who actually got to eat at our own wedding!
To save money, I made our Save the Date cards myself, and I also ordered our wedding invitations directly from William Arthur’s website instead of going through a stationary store. Remember that wedding invitations usually end up in the trash. I also made the programs for our guests’ hotel gift bags, and I crafted big balloons with streamers for décor in our bar area. We also saved by having a DJ instead of a band. John and I both have really diverse music tastes and we knew that a DJ would be better at accommodating our selection of songs.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I wish it had been colder the day we got married. I was really hot in my dress and at one point I even changed out of it into my pre-wedding outfit…I told you I was laid back. The only thing I regret about my wedding was sweating.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Don't let the wedding get in the way of the marriage, and get a wedding planner; Sarah made the day!
About the Author:
Ashley King
Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Until then, Find me on Google+.
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Posted on November 8, 2013 |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Style - Classic,
