From Traditional Vows Straight Into a Dance Party, This Couple Knew How to Celebrate Their Day
Friday, May 11, 2012
When Amy, lead planner of Swizzle Events, told us about this lovely, Tennessee wedding, she started her description with, "Laura Beth and Matthew are a sweet couple with a quintessential sense of style. When we began working on their wedding plans, Laura Beth shared that she wanted a timeless, Audrey Hepburn style combined with a fun nightclub environment. Challenging? Maybe. Fun? Definitely."
Amy and the bride, Laura Beth, really speak to the day's higlights! And of course, the photos from Erin at The Collection are a perfect complement to walk you through the style and design.
Laura Beth + Matthew
Wedding Date ~ June 25, 2011
Ceremony + Reception Venue ~ Manchester - Coffee County Conference Center
Guests ~ 200
Budget
$20,000 – 50,000
Wedding Team
Planner + Floral Designer | Amy Thomas with Swizzle Events
Photographer | Erin Lee from The Collection
Gown | Paloma Blanca from Arzelle’s in Nashville
Bride’s Accessories | Lemon quartz and diamond necklace received before ceremony as a present from groom; pearl bracelet from officiate/close family friend Judge Vanessa Jackson; earrings from Arzelle’s; wedding ring custom made by Giles Dunn
Men's Attire | Custom-fit black suit with black tie; wedding band from Hammer Jewelry in Collierville, TN
Bridesmaids Attire | Blue, one-shouldered cocktail dress by The Dessy Group
Hair | Courtney from Impressive Creations Salon in Tullahoma, TN
Makeup | Meredith Wiseman
Stationery | Mrs. Post Stationery in Memphis, TN
Cake Artist | Jay Qualls
Ceremony & Reception Musicians | Burning Las Vegas
Lighting | Nashville Event Lighting
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Matthew and I are traditional and classic, so we wanted a wedding that reflected our taste and style, but we also wanted to incorporate unique elements into the ceremony.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We chose a blank ballroom as our ceremony and reception site because we wanted a large, open space for our untraditional ceremony. We also knew that Amy (our wedding planner) was a creative event designer, so we wanted to give her space to showcase her talents. Our venue was a wonderful space for this project. We wanted a cocktail hour (technically, half hour) before the ceremony began. So, the guests arrived and received cocktails and passed appetizers. Then, we asked them to create a part in the ballroom, and I entered with my dad.
We had the ceremony with our amazing family and friends surrounding us. It was like being in an intimate fishbowl. We truly felt like everyone was taking part in our vows, and that is exactly what we wanted—we wanted our day to be about us, but we also wanted it to be about our family and friends because they mean so much to us.
As for the colors, we chose a blue color palate because I love blue and white china. My mom and I have been collecting pieces since I was a kid. We’ve found odd and end plates, cups, dishes, etc. in various places, so we have a lovely collection. I wanted to incorporate the pieces into our décor, so we asked Amy to find linens, lighting, and other design elements in every shade of blue to complement the china accent pieces. Every table had gorgeous white flowers and greenery surrounded by mine and my mother’s china collection. It was not only beautiful, it was special and sentimental because it was more than just rentals—these are pieces I now incorporate into my home with Matthew. Whenever I see them, I’m reminded of our beautiful, blue wedding.
What made you choose to do a dual approach to your wedding day with traditional vows and nightclub-esque reception?
Well, I’d say that our ceremony was non-traditional. My close family friend is a judge, and, since she became a judge, I wanted her to marry me (even before I found my groom!). Since it would be inappropriate for her to stand in a church and marry us, we had to think of alternate locations. We wanted tradition and classic elements, but we also wanted an intimate setting followed by a celebration. This wedding was a perfect combination. We had traditional elements, like a bridal party and traditional vows, but we also did it with people literally standing beside us.
Also, we thought of this day as a celebration of our love and commitment to one another, so we wanted our family and friends to have a good time. That’s where the nightclub-esque feel came into play. We didn’t want to cause discomfort from formality. We wanted our guests to feel at ease in a laid-back, fun setting complete with good food, great music, and wonderful company. It was great that no one had to drive to the reception. We said “I do” and the fun instantly began. It was a magical night.
How did Swizzle Events make your vision come to life? Did you enjoy working with Swizzle?
I loved working with Amy/Swizzle. She is a dream maker. She was patient, kind, creative, and positive. Our path to the wedding was not paved with perfection; there were bumps along the way. We changed venues, we changed concepts, we changed the ceremony. Amy listened to our thoughts, and made our ideas come to life. If something we suggested wasn’t practical, she told us, but she also told us ways to make it better. She took our thoughts and turned them into something better than what we expected—you can’t always say that about event planners. Amy did wonders with lighting, rentals, and linens. We had a blank ballroom that she turned into this amazing, swanky nightclub with tall cocktail tables, elegant floral designs, and sleek white lounge furniture. It took my breath away.
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
We had several compliments on our unique ceremony. People kept telling us that they felt like they were a part of our vows. That touched me more than I thought it would when we initially designed the ceremony. I love that people felt like they were involved in that special moment. We also had a lot of positive comments about the band. People love to dance, and Burning Las Vegas is a ball!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
The band, Burning Las Vegas, was the best splurge we made! They are one rocking good time. Huge crowd hit! We had to scoot people off the dance floor so we could do our exit—no one wanted to leave. While we did not save on invitations, we did choose not to do thermography, which saved money without taking away from the beautiful print. We also decided not to do individual welcome bags. Instead, we reserved one room at the guests’ hotel and filled it with food, drinks, maps, itineraries, and other goodies. We called it our hospitality suite. It became more of a “hang out” room, though, which was a great place for mingling.
Also, we gave the bridesmaids a long, large calla lily tied with a blue ribbon and surrounded with some small greenery instead of giving them each small bouquets. They were beautiful and sleek and helped us stay within our flower budget.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I wish I would have taken more pictures. It all goes by so quickly!
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Fun is the best thing to have.
From Amy of Swizzle Events:
"Our venue gaves us a blank slate that was transformed into a fusion of classic Southern beauty and contemporary club. Sleek white lounge furniture mixed with traditional table seating provided a supper club atmosphere that allowed plenty of room for dancing. And with Burning Las Vegas on the stage, everyone danced the night away! Using even the smallest details in the design plan, we deliberately blended the two styles - classic Southern blooms of blue hydrangea alongside sophisticated white orchids, chic linens and specialty lighting for the night club feel with a menu that highlighted southern delights. A clean, classic color palette of blue, white and green provided a common thread throughout the details.
Perhaps most importantly, Laura Beth and Matthew wanted their wedding day to be remembered as a fun celebration. By keeping the ceremony efficient and succinct, the reception became the focus of their wedding. To create the sophisticated party that they wanted, we spent a great deal of time planning the flow of the evening. The timeline was precise and involved an orchestration of many subtle details and cues from lighting to music to placement of the bridal party. As the guests arrived, they enjoyed cocktails and mingled with the bridal party and family. Thirty minutes into the cocktail hour, subtle lighting changes were executed and the bridal party smoothly took their places in the center of the room. As the band played 'Unforgettable', Laura Beth was escorted into the room and met Matthew as he waited surrounded by their bridal party, family and friends. Once Matthew was told to 'kiss his bride', the celebration kicked into high gear and cocktail hour transitioned into dinner and dancing, dancing, dancing!I was truly honored to share in the planning and coordination of their fun, sophisticated wedding celebration. Laura Beth and Matthew's wedding encompassed a fusion of two distinct styles that created a memory to last a lifetime.
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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Posted on May 11, 2012 |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
