Nashville weddings

Dear Ashley: We Answer Your Nashville Wedding Questions on Boudoir Photos, Burgers, Gowns + DJs

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

I'd like to share questions that we've received from ABG readers like you, on a variety of topics. From rehearsal dinner food to finding a DJ, I hope our advice helps you too. And if you have questions of your own, email us via this link.

Photos: Dove Sweets

Question from Nashville vendor:

Hey Ashley! Thought you might be able to help... I have a client wanting to do boudoir photos - she is is super sweet girl and want to set her up with someone who would be very tasteful and make her comfortable and have fun.

Any thoughts?

I have already seen these sites:

jxcreative.com/portfolio/boudoir + smittenboudoir.com + brookekellyphotography.com + dovesweets.com

I would so appreciate your advice! Thanks, Sara

Answer from Ashley of AshleysBrideGuide.com (ABG):

Hey Sara!

I am only familiar with Dove. They do great work. Unfortunately, I don't know the others. I know that the gals at The Photographix do boudoir as does Bombshell Creative. I know them both. Tell any of them that I sent you.

Question from Nashville bride:

HI there! I'm a huge fan of your blog. I'm from Nashville originally, but now live in NYC. My wedding is going to be in Nashville in June and your website has given me so many great resources! So a huge thank you! I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer to and I thought you guys might have an idea. I'm looking to hire someone the night before my wedding to simply grill hamburgers and such. I don't want to ask family or friends as I want them to enjoy the celebration. Do you know of anyone who might offer such a service? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks so much!  ~Kate

Answer from Ashley of ABG:

Hi Kate! Glad our blog has been helpful. We love hearing from brides and learning how they are using our site during their planning. I do hope your planning is going well.

Off the top of my head, here are a few suggestions:

1) Explore a wedding caterer
2) Consider a food truck - like Mere Bulles or hossburgers.com
3) Hire a private chef. You can start by reaching out to a few caterers that you've considered or even local restaurants that you love. They may have chef that offers private service.

Here's a response from our Twitter friend Lindsey, lead planner of Dandylion Events, who is always willing to help us with questions from brides! As you see, she recommends Backyard Burgers.

Question from Nashville bride:

I am newly engaged and trying to navigate through the options of choosing a wedding gown. What is a trunk show and what is a sample sale? I'm trying to decide on what is the best option of getting a nice dress but not paying full retail price, since I am on a tight budget. Is there a certain season for sample or trunk sales? Looking through previous posts it seemed like a lot of sample sales were right before the holidays. Please help!

Answer from Tabitha of ABG:

A trunk show is usually held by a bridal boutique showcasing a designer they carry. For example, The White Room will have trunk shows for their designers (Maggie Sottero, Pronovias, etc.). What happens is the designer's or company's rep brings their latest line and their popular styles to the store for the day or a couple of days. You can make appointments with the boutiques to try the gowns on to find your gown. Typically the designers will offer a discount or a special of some sort if you purchase that day. There are also trunk shows for bridesmaids lines so be on the look out for those. A sample sale is when you purchase a sample gown that the store has had on their racks. Those will probably require cleaning and fixing - here's a post about it: Is A Sample Sale Right For You?

Sample sales are great because the gowns have been marked down. However, they've been tried on and worn and dragged around so they may or may not be in the best shape. The link I just included will give you the options you have if you decide to go that route.

Visit boutiques' sites and blogs, they usually post the sample sales they have and if you follow them on Twitter or Facebook they're great about announcing their trunk shows as well. All the best and congratulations on your engagement!

Here's a list of some sample sales from last year. We can't promise they will be the same this year but you can contact the salons and find out if they have set dates for 2012.

Left: Vera Wang Fall 2011 collection from VeraWang.com. Right: Oscar de la Renta Fall 2011 gown from Oscardelarenta.com

Question from Nashville bride:

I am researching DJs in Nashville and it seems like everyone is around the same price. I'm not familiar with DJ services in town, so I wanted to check to see if you have any first-hand experience with some that you could recommend? Thank you so much!

Ashley of ABG:

Personally, I've attended events by Kelly of Party Patrol and Spangler Entertainment. Both were a lot of fun. I've heard nothing but good things about Cosmo Creations. Hope that helps! You can't go wrong with any of them.

About the Author:

Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide

Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Happy Planning.

See more posts by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide »

send   Posted on June 13, 2012 | Filed under: Advice & Planning, Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Cakes & Food, Music, Lighting + Transportation