Nashville weddings

Thad + Nechica: Fun-Loving, Emerald Green Affair at Historic Rock Castle

Friday, November 11, 2011

A few weeks ago, we spoke with Elaine of Picture This Nashville who told us about a super fun wedding where she provided a photo booth.  It turns out that the couple, Thad and Nechica, were the same couple that submitted their engagement photos for one of our contests, small world.  We were only too happy to have Picture This Nashville to recommend their wedding for a feature.

Thad and Nechica are definitely in love! And they took their love for each other, along with their love for fun, and created a great emerald green wedding at Historic Rock Castle. Who wouldn't have fun at a dance party with a virtual photo booth to capture the night?  Their photo booth from Picture This was a hit with their guests who loved it as it contributed to a fun, lively and lovely wedding day. 

Enjoy their late summer wedding, captured by Ted Logan from Babies and Brides Photography.  Hopefully, you'll gather some ideas on how to spice up your wedding, while keeping it lovely and elegant!

Nechica + Thaddeus
Date ~ September 3, 2011
Ceremony + Reception ~ Historic Rock Castle
Guests ~ 175

Budget

 $20,000 – $50,000

Wedding Team

Planner | FaMitah Buchanan (elegant-expressions.com)
Photographer & Videographer | Ted Logan - Babies and Brides Photography, Video and Sound
Virtual Photo booth | Picture This Nashville
Rentals | Grand Central Party
Gown | Bridal Warehouse
Bridal Accessories | Etsy.com
Groom’s attire | Tuxedo Avenue
Groom's Custom Shoes | nikeid.com (the bride + groom both had apple green shoes!)
Groomsmen Attire | Tuxedo Avenue
Bridesmaids Attire | David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup | Sherita Leslie (sheritaleslie.com)
Stationery | DIY Invitations - Hobby Lobby
Ceremony Musicians | Spangler Entertainment – Live Trio
Reception Musicians | Spangler Entertainment 
Caterer | 8 Lavender Lane (division of Angels Catering)
Cake Artist | Dream Cakes - dreamcakesetc.com
Floral Designer | Bouquets by Brenda (bouquetsbybrenda.com)
Guest Accommodations | Hyatt Place

ABG sidenote: ever wonder where a bride finds her vendors? (Besides our blog, of course!) Well, we asked Nechica! She met Grand Central Party at a bridal show - check out our event listings here - and they introduced her to their all-inclusive offering. Pretty impressive. She also found her makeup artist through our very own Tabitha! Nechica liked ABG on Facebook and stumbled into meeting Tab. We all have great ideas - just ask!

Wedding Details

How would you describe your style as a couple?

Trendy, Carefree, Grown and Sexy, Fun-Loving

(ABG adds - this is an action shot of the couple jumping the broom, an African-American wedding tradition that we love to see.)

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?

We incorporated personal touches of our style throughout the ceremony and reception. My husband had a special pair of shoes made, and I had my reception dress altered to fit our fun loving and trendy style. We also made a special “Emerald Elixir” cocktail and napkins that we served during the reception to set the mood and get everyone ready to party.

Why did you decide to hire a virtual photo booth instead of a more traditional step in photo booth?

Virtual photo booths are more flexible and very easy to use because you have attendants there to walk you through the process. You also have more fun because you are not cramped in a small booth. The virtual photo booth is more carefree and spontaneous. We hired Picture This because it is a one stop shop vendor for the virtual photo booth. They have the photo booth equipment, attendants, and they even arrive with their own tables and linens. All you need to provide is power. The program is very easy to follow. If you have any question or problems Picture This is there to help you with their system setup. The day of the event they worked with the planner for the best location and made it easy and comfortable for our guests.

Did the virtual photo booth add to the reception atmosphere? Did your guests enjoy it?

The virtual photo booth definitely added great entertainment to our reception. Guest were easily entertained during the cocktail hour and while we finished our wedding party photos.

Picture This enjoyed the day - here's their synopsis!

What a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the guests arrived happy and excited to see Thad and Nechica become husband and wife. Picture This was honored to be a part of all of it. After the new Mr. and  Mrs. exchanged vows in front of the lake at Historic Rock Castle, the happy couple danced their way to the reception area and this is when the party really started!

Picture This Nashville has done a lot of weddings in our short time in the business, but this wedding party was a hoot. The photo booth photos rocked and the guests had a ball.  And around 10 pm, the first rain drop was felt and shortly after that the skies opened. The groomsmen threw their jackets over the systems and everyone grabbed a piece of equipment to get our computers to safety. What an adventure to say the least!

What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?

The emcee from Spangler Entertainment, David Simms Jr, really did a good job getting everyone involved in the reception. At the beginning of the reception, David had both relatives of the bride and groom come together on the dance floor for a fun group dance. It was a great way to help family and friends relax and get to know each other.

It was a true dance party! Their "send off" for the night was an exit to The Black Eyed Peas, "The Time (Dirty Bit)".

Take a peek to the left and you will see the groom's cake - an iPhone replica!

Where did you splurge?

Our splurge was on catering. Our guest enjoyed appetizers of stuffed mushrooms, tri-color tortellini with marina dipping sauce, cheddar dill wedding cake with assorted crackers, and a chocolate fountain during our cocktail hour. Then, dinner consisted of orange cranberry glazed chicken breast, stuffed pork loin with mixed vegetables and loaded mashed potatoes.

Where did you save/DIY?

We saved on DIY invitations from Hobby Lobby and had our programs printed by the Thad’s cousin at Carter Graphics. We also saved on DIY bar service. We were able to provide all beverages during the cocktail hour and reception for our guest.

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

No, I don’t think I could’ve done anything differently. I believe the best thing I did was attend a bridal show. It really helped me understand the wedding process and all the different vendors needed for a ceremony and reception. 

In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?

Invest in a wedding planner! They are great assets to your planning process and really take the pressure off the bride and groom the day of the event. I would recommend our planner at Elegant-Expressions.com.

Thanks again to Picture This Nashville for directing us to Thad and Nechica's lovely day. If you're interested in having a fun, new photo booth (a touch screen kiosk that can be set up anywhere) then make sure to contact Picture This Nashville and tell them you heard about them on ABG to receive a special offer!

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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