Nashville weddings

Heather + Arnold’s Fall Wed Goes Southern-Style with Help from Mrs. J’s Catering + Front Porch Farms

Friday, July 6, 2012

Heather and Arnold wanted a wedding that celebrated their southern roots. They selected Front Porch Farms, very fitting, The Enchanted Florist, and Mrs. J's Baking and Catering as the dream team to bring to life their clear wedding vision. Mrs. J specializes in southern food and she worked with Heather and Arnold on their family-style reception, which was intimate and deliciously southern!

Celeste, owner of Mrs. J's Baking and Catering, describes the food she served to enhance the theme: "This wedding had a focus on family and friends - they wanted the feel of a family reunion and wanted to make sure that everyone had fun and had time to talk and be together. To enhance this, we served the food family style with a menu of southern favorites."

They got exactly what they wanted for their day!  Keep reading for Heather's recap and images from her lovely day.

Heather + Arnold
Wedding Date ~ November 5, 2011
Ceremony + Reception Venue ~ Front Porch Farms
Guests ~ 80

Budget

$20,000 - 50,000

My Wedding Team

Planner | My mom and I did the majority of the planning. We did have help by my aunt, Julie Johnson, and Kathy Best of Front Porch Farms, who was able to coordinate on the day of the wedding.
Caterer | Mrs. J’s Baking and Catering (family style service)
Bartender | Lamar Durr
Photographer | Jonathon Campbell Photography
Photobooth | Laci of Barefeet Photography
Photobooth Styling | Kathy of Front Porch Farms
Gown | Vera Wang, David’s Bridal (Ceremony Dress), Bridal Warehouse (Reception Dress)
Groom’s Attire / Groomsmen Attire | Men’s Warehouse in Murfreesboro, TN.
Bridesmaids Attire | J. Crew
Hair | Sarah Adams
Makeup | Katie Russo
Stationery | I custom designed our invites with Jill at LemonTree Paper Co. She was great!
Cake Artist | Dessert Designs
    Wedding Cake: 3 Tier, ivory with ruffles and blue flowers
    Groom’s Cake: Apple cake with caramel icing
Other Desserts | S'mores stations by Front Porch Farms
Floral Designer (Bouquets) | The Enchanted Florist
Florals Designer (Tables/Reception) | bride’s Aunt Julie Johnson
Ceremony + Reception Musicians | Band - Gary Jenkins and the Thundering Hearts(garyjenkins.net)
Rentals | Southern Events and Front Porch Farms
Lighting | Front Porch Farms
Transportation | Grand Avenue Transportation. We rented a bus to transport guests from the Renaissance hotel to Front Porch Farms.
Guest Accommodations | Renaissance Hotel, Downtown Nashville.
Officiant | Bob Johnson - grandfather of the bride

"For appetizers: fruit, cheese, and cracker display with bourbon pecan brie; thick cut ham on sweet potato biscuits; and spinach artichoke puffs." ~ Celeste of Mrs. J's Baking and Catering

"The main course was chicken lester and pork, apples and Jack Daniels; a spring green salad with strawberries, pecans, and goat cheese with poppy seed dressing; haricot verts (aka French-style green beans) with lemon and garlic; macaroni and cheese; sweet potato casserole with pecan praline topping; hash brown casserole; baskets of yeast rolls; and Mexican corn bread muffins. We had a bar with mason jars for fruit tea, unsweetened tea, sweet tea, and water." ~Celeste

My Wedding Details

How would you describe your style as a couple?

Relaxed and fun-loving.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?

We chose our venue, Front Porch Farms, because it literally felt like home! We loved Kathy and Brian (the owners) as soon as we met them and the venue served as the perfect location for an outdoor ‘rustic chic’ fall wedding. We wanted the day to be a celebration of our Southern roots with a bit of vintage flair. We wanted our guests, a small group of close family and friends, to feel welcomed by a delicious, family-style dinner, a memorable setting, and a fun night of dancing.

One special highlight was that Arnold’s friend, Corey Foster, created and brewed a special beer for the day: The Harnold (a combination of our first names!) It was the perfect mix of everything that we both love, and a unique way to celebrate the day.

What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?

We saved a few minutes during our photography ‘first look’ to privately share the wedding vows we wrote for each other. It was special to have a quiet moment together in the midst of the busy day.

Our guests mentioned that they loved the southern family style dinner and the s'mores station with homemade marshmallows! They also had a blast dancing to our band, Gary Jenkins and the Thundering Hearts, who played a diverse mix of songs that were special to us.

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

We definitely splurged on the photography, but we couldn’t be happier that we did. Seeing our wedding come to life again through the photos was worth every penny!

My very talented aunt, Julie Johnson, designed and arranged the flowers for the reception which saved quite a bit of money. My mom and I designed all of the tablescapes, including creating the napkins and burlap table runners. I also made the chalkboard labels for the Mason jar seating chart and all of the table numbers.

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

We both regret not hiring a videographer. The day truly flies by, and I wish we could relive those moments on video. I also wished that I had hired a wedding planner! We planned the whole wedding in 3 months, and it made for some very hectic weeks! Both my mom and I were still arranging details up until an hour before the ceremony, which was a bit stressful.

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

Don’t overstress the small details because while the wedding is a beautiful and memorable event, the best feeling is being able to start your lives as husband and wife.

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.

See more posts by Megan »

send   Posted on July 6, 2012 | Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings