Sara {ABG Blogger} Shares Her Elegant and Simple Cannery Ballroom Wedding
Friday, May 20, 2011
You may remember Sara, my fellow ABG blogger, who recently shared candid advice in Why I Hired a Wedding Planner. Today, she's back to share her wedding highlight film, captured by First Dance Pictures. Sara also took some time to share her wedding details, the team she hired, favorite moments, and more advice for Nashville brides. She just got married last month, so her insight is super fresh!
Sara + Nate Towne
Wedding: Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
Ceremony: Second Presbyterian Church
Reception: Cannery Ballroom
# of Guests: 175
Budget: $20,000 - $40,000
{Be sure to watch their wedding highlight video from First Dance Pictures!}
Tell us who you hired to create your dream wedding team:
Planner ~ Emily Humphries from Simply Yours Weddings
Stationery ~ I designed all of the paper products for the wedding. The Save the Dates & Thank You cards were printed at Overnight Prints. Our invitations and all pieces that were included, were printed by a local printer (Buford Lewis, Co). We printed the table cards and escort cards at home, and the programs were printed at Kinkos.
Gown & accessories ~ My gown was the Maggie Sottero Desirae style. I bought it at a small boutique in Fenwick, Delaware. My shoes were pink sparkly TOMS, my veil was my Mother’s with the original headpiece removed by Oakwood Cleaners, bracelet was from Macy’s and my earrings were a gift from my groom!
Groom’s tux/suit ~ Nate’s tux was from Men’s Warehouse.
Bridesmaids/groomsmen attire ~ The Bridesmaids wore JCREW dresses and shoes that they picked out themselves. I got the earrings from Money. The Groomsmen wore tuxes from Men’s Warehouse and we got them all green striped socks from J. CREW.
Hair ~ All of the Bridesmaids and I got our hair done at J.Bangs Salon in Green Hills
Makeup ~ Amy Lynn Larwig
Ceremony musicians ~ The church organist, Jeff Moles, played all of the music and our dear friend Megan James sang “How Great Thou Art” during our Prelude.
Transportation ~ I FADDS Party Trolley took the wedding party to the church separately and then together to the Reception. Nate & I took a limo from Grand Avenue Transportation from the reception to the hotel. (Sidenote: I won a contest with Grand Avenue right after we got engaged, so the limo portion was free for us!)
Caterer ~ Flavor Catering
Baker ~ Gretchen from Sweet G Treats
Florist ~ Hillary Robson from Brocade Designs
Bartenders ~ Provided by the Cannery Ballroom
Photographer ~ Betsy Limbaugh Photography
Videographer ~ First Dance Pictures
Reception Musicians (band/DJ) ~ DJ (Paul from Nashville Party Authority)
Guest Accommodations ~ We had blocks of rooms at 2 hotels. The Marriott Vanderbilt and the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt.
How would you describe your style as a couple?
When we started planning, we kept saying that we wanted our day to be “simple but elegant”.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We very quickly figured out that we weren’t “ballroom” people – it just didn’t fit us. When we went to look at The Cannery, we were sold right away. It was perfect – such a simple space, but with amazing details. And from there, we just tried to develop things that would bring our day together. We used our colors (purple & green) for everything – paper goods, flowers and decorations. Since we made all of the paper products ourselves, we were able to carry a theme through all of those as well, which was a little detail that we really loved!
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Can I not say everything? :) We really loved how much all of our guests (over half were from out of town) enjoyed our city! Most of them had never been here so we really tried to make sure they got to experience as much as possible before they left!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
When we started planning, we decided that photography was our number 1, so I’d say that was one of our “splurges”, although it was totally worth it for what we got from Betsy. We also added in videography later on in the planning, which we were going to leave out. But after going through the day, I’m glad we had that because it was such a blur! We saved on a few things. My dress was much cheaper than I thought it would be, and since I bought it in Delaware, no sales tax! We also found an incredible cake baker, Sweet G Treats, and we got so much cake for our money. As far as DIY, we designed all of the paper products, and found great prices for printing each piece. We made some of the decorations ourselves as well. We had signs on our chairs that said MR/MRS that we made, we painted birdcages for the programs and for cards, and we printed out family photos for a table at the reception. We found a lot of great deals on ETSY as well – we got our guest book and cake topper from there for really great prices.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I don’t think we would have done anything differently during our planning. We had a year, which was nice because we could knock out big things in the beginning, then enjoy the holidays and then focus on the details. We really tried hard to make sure we were relaxed as the big day approached so we could enjoy every moment.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Take deep breaths, remember why you are getting married, and ENJOY yourself because it will be over before you know it.
About the Author:
Bethany
My favorite part of the whole day is when a bride and groom walk back down the aisle after the kiss. It only lasts for a few minutes, but the joy displayed from the new Mr. & Mrs. is one of a kind.The genuine happiness that brides, grooms, family members and friends exude during the wedding day is contagious! Every wedding is unique, and being a part of it as a wedding photographer is so rewarding. I feel extremely blessed to document such a monumental day for couples. I’m most excited about bringing more wedding information to brides in Nashville! Nashville has a wide variety of wedding resources and Ashley’s Bride Guide makes it easy for couples to find vendor information quickly. I can’t wait to help couples find their perfect Nashville vendors.
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Posted on May 20, 2011 |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Photography & Videography, Real Nashville Weddings
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Posted on July 11, 2011 @ 2:44pm