Nashville weddings

Wear Clothes Out of Your Closet + Give to Charity!  We Love Ellie & Nick’s Wedding at LP Field

Friday, September 23, 2011

How do you recognize a lasting and strong relationship? When the couple believes in compromise from the start, and are eager to make each other happy. Ellie and Nick are such a couple! They compromised on what many consider the "Bride's Day"; they really and truly made it their wedding day. Nick loves sports, so Ellie compromised and chose a location that he would love - hence the decision to marry at LP Field, home to the Tennessee Titans.

Suprisingly, the field really does look elegant! Ace Photography captured absolutely stunning photos of their wedding, the stadium, and downtown! Not only was their wedding grand and elegant, but they put a lot of themselves and what they care for into their day. They even had their guests donate to local nonprofits!

What we love - the charitable aspect, the fact that their bridal party wore their own clothes!  Such a considerate and charitable wedding. Enjoy!

Ellie + Nick
Wedding Day ~ Sunday, October 10, 2010 (10/10/10)
Ceremony ~ LP Field
Reception ~ LP Field, then Sambuca
Guests ~ 125

Budget
$50,000

Wedding Team

Photographer | Ace Photography - reviews
Photo booth | Ace Photobooths - reviews
Videographer | Feria Cinematic Imagery
Stationery | DIY kits from Target and Hobby Lobby
Gown & accessories | The White Room - reviews
Bride's shoes | Stuart Weitzman
Groom’s tux/suit | Macy’s
Bridesmaids/groomsmen attire | Each wore something from their closet!
Hair | Stephanie Russell
Makeup | Andrew Pentacost
Officiant | Amanda Dobra, Golden Dolphin
Ceremony musicians | Rob Higgenbotham, guitar and Vanessa Jackson, vocalist
Transportation | Platinum Limousines
Caterer | Centerplate Catering at LP Field; Sambuca Catering at Sambuca
Baker | Patsy Flynn
Florist | Fresh By CarryAnn
Bartenders | Sambuca’s bartenders
Reception musicians | Laura Vida Band
Guest accommodations | Hampton Inn Downtown and Hilton Downtown – I made sure to negotiate that breakfast and parking were included in their rates so that my guests would not incur any additional expenses.

How would you describe your style as a couple?

Relaxed, Elegant Sophistication

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?

We compromised on locations … My husband has his BA and MBA in Sports Management, and is a HUGE sports fan, so we had the ceremony and first reception at LP Field. To bring in the relaxed elegant sophistication to the football stadium, we used satin instead of tulle or cotton; we had a custom, Swarovski crystaled aisle runner; and we had a landscaper bring in trees, grasses, and flowers.

Then for the main evening reception, we rented out Sambuca (in the Gulch), which is the epitome of Elegant Sophistication. We also brought in a custom lighting gobo [their names and wedding date lit up the wall!]; we incorporated tons of subtle personal touches, and used candles, rose petals, floating candles, etc. to set the tone. We also hung our crystaled aisle runner from the ceiling to make a floor to ceiling statement as guests arrived.

What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?

The personalized messages on the scoreboard from myself to my husband and from the Tennessee Titans to us both. Also, the fact that we collected over 107 lbs of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank and filled a huge basket with travel sized toiletries for the Nashville Rescue Mission. (We are very blessed and it’s VERY important for us to remember those less fortunate and to help out where we can, so in the invitations, we asked all guests to bring canned or boxed food items and travel sized toiletries. Everyone was happy to participate and bring something!!)

Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?

We had four main splurges that were definitely worth every penny: Ace Photography, Feria Cinematic Imagery, renting out Sambuca, and hiring the Laura Vida band. While not a big splurge, we also really loved our Ace Photobooth! It was definitely the hit of the party!!

We saved on the florist by selecting sites that were already breathtaking and that did not need much by way of flowers (since flowers can get very expensive, very quickly). We saved on the cake by keeping it simple (since cakes can also get very expensive, very quickly). We also saved by DIYing the invitations (we used kits from Target) and programs (we used kits from Hobby Lobby).

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?

I would have invited more people. Between LP Field and Sambuca, we had TONS of space. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.

What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?

Remember that no matter what, at the end of the day, it’s the marriage that counts, not the party, so don’t stress over stuff. Also, stay true to who you are and to your vision for your day; prioritize the aspects that are important to you, and spend your resources there. Finally, if at all possible, organize other wedding weekend events so that you can actually spend time with your guests in a relaxed setting … The wedding day goes by so quickly and you are pulled in so many different directions, that it’s really difficult to spend quality time with your guests on the day.

We did a family-only dinner at Sole Mio on Thursday and it was a great opportunity for the families to connect privately. Then we rented out the 3rd floor of the Wildhorse Saloon on Friday, and the upstairs of Jack’s BBQ (followed by a section of The Big Bang Dueling Piano bar) on Saturday, and invited all of the out of town guests, families, and bridal party members to come celebrate with us. This was a great way for out of town guests to experience Nashville landmarks and also for us to spend quality time with those people who traveled great distances to be with us. The quality time was PRICELESS!!

About the Author:

Megan

I’m new to the wedding industry. Before getting engaged I literally avoided any websites for weddings only because I knew, once I delved in, I would become obsessed…. And it’s true. Once I got engaged, I did become obsessed and luckily, about that time, I started working in the wedding industry. So my interest increased on two levels. Now I am a newlywed and still enjoying the industry. I love writing, social media and connecting to people; happily, I get to do all of this with ABG.

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send   Posted on September 23, 2011 | Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings