Friday, April 24, 2015
Using Valentine's Day as their inspiration, Nashville couple Mederia and Sean said their "I Do's" at the beautiful Hotel Preston, surrounded by candles, dim lighting, and roses. Romance was in the air for this elegant wedding, featuring fantastic décor, food, and a photo booth! Photos captured by Roland Photography detailed every exquisite aspect of the wedding, from the gorgeous centerpieces to the lovely ceremony backdrop. Valentine’s is all about exalting love, and so was their wedding!
Take a look at the beautiful pictures that captured the moments when Mederia and Sean said "Be Mine."
Mederia & Sean
Wedding Date: February 15, 2014
Ceremony & Reception: Hotel Preston
Guest: 150
Budget: 10,000 – 20,000
Wedding Team
Photographer | Roland Photography
Videographer | Reflection Cinema
Gown | David's Bridal
Men’s Attire | Men’s Warehouse
Bridesmade Attire | David’s Bridal
Hair | Tamika Hurst
Makeup | Danita Berry
Invitations, Programs | Programs by Boleyjack
Caterer | Hotel Preston
Cake | Publix
Reception DJ : DJ C-Wiz
Chair Covers & Ties : BBJ table fashions
Floral & Lighting Designer | Elegant Weddings and Flowers
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Our style as a couple is traditional.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Our wedding was the day after Valentine's Day, so we wanted a romantic and elegant feel. Traditionally, when you think of Valentine’s Day, the color red comes to mind. I felt cream and gold really amped up the romantic feel!
Our wedding inspiration came from my personal feelings of what brought romance to a space. I thought of candles, red rose petals, and dim lighting! So, I took that and ran with it! For our ceremony, we created an altar area using a draped backdrop in cream, with lighting and four large (white) flower arrangements in tall gold vases on each side of the minister and at the end of the draping. All of the chairs had cream chair covers with red bows. We used an off-white aisle runner framed with red and white rose petals. Coupled with the rose petals, we had large, clear vases with red sand, and cream candles that sat on top: four on each side from beginning to end of the aisle. The lights were dimmed to lend feelings of warmth, elegance, and romance to the room!
For our reception, we wanted the same feel. We used cream linen on the tables with red napkins and gold chargers. Our centerpieces were large, clear vases with red water, a ball of red roses on top, and crystal beading draped around the vases. We chose the Hotel Preston because we wanted to have our ceremony and reception in one place. We knew that would take a lot of work because the ballrooms would need to be flipped in a timely manner. We also needed space for our guests to enjoy a cocktail hour while the staff flipped the space. The hotel accommodated our request for a full service bar along with appetizers and space for a photo booth. I think that the Hotel Preston is a hidden gem! The staff is very professional. They were willing to go above and beyond to make our wedding everything we wanted and more within our budget!
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
My favorite aspect of our wedding was the ceremony, hands down! I married my best friend!!! Our guests' favorites were mixed. Some loved the romantic feel of our ceremony; others loved the décor, food, and party atmosphere of the reception. The photo booth and its props were another BIG HIT!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
I would say we splurged the most on décor! I had a vision, and I wanted everything just as I imaged it on our big day. I would say I saved by doing the planning myself. It may have been stressful and difficult at times, but it was worth it all in the end.
Did any of your Nashville-based vendors stand out as exceptional?
I had two favorite vendors. The first being my wedding coordinator Parthenia Fayne. Although I did the planning myself, she was always a call away if I had any questions. I knew from the beginning I would need a professional to keep everything in order and to keep me stress free the weekend of the wedding. Mrs. Fayne took over a month out from the wedding and she “DID THE DANG THANG!” She understood my vision and made sure all of my other vendors followed through with everything on time.
My second favorite vendor was Roland Photography. Roland and his crew did a great job with getting pictures of our wedding day from start to finish. They captured moments that I will cherish forever! He was also incredibly creative in the staging of our photos; we took pictures all over the hotel and grounds.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Now that the wedding is over I wouldn’t change a thing about my planning process. It was a lot of trial and error, but in the end, great learning experience. I have become a go-to for family and friends who are in the planning process. Why not share my experiences and the information I gathered?
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
My advice: Don’t get so caught up in the details that you lose sight of what the wedding is all about!
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Posted by Alex Engaged Bride |
Filed under: Multicultural, African-American weddings
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Friday, March 13, 2015
The best wedding photos are the ones that you can look at and you feel like you are relieving your special day all over again. Roland's Photography did just that with Nashville couple, Kacey and Erik. The couple chose their hometown of Tampa, FL as their destination for their elegant and classy wedding day. Having seen Roland's work firsthand, the couple was thrilled when Roland's Photography was willing to travel, and bring additional photographers, to capture their beautiful wedding. Using vintage as her inspiration, Kacey and Erik's guests will always remember the impeccable music, savory food, and classic decorations.
Check out this Nashville couples pictures for yourself from Roland's Photography. We promise you will feel like you were a part of their wedding day as well!
Kacey & Erik
Wedding Date: August 16, 2014
Ceremony & Reception Venue: A La Carte Event Pavilion Tampa, FL
Guests (#) 136
Budget $40,000–50,000
Wedding Team
Planner, Caterer, Cake Artist & Floral & Event Design | A La Carte Event Pavilion
Photographer | Roland's Photography
Gowns, Veil & Belt | Olia Zavozina
Garter | thehoneybeeshop on ETSY
Shoes| Badgley Mischka; Antoni Melani with short dress
Jewelry | Crystal and ribbon bracelet by Sara Gabriel BHLDN.COM
Wedding Band/Engagement Ring | Genesis Diamonds
Men’s Attire | Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaids’ Attire | Arzelles
Hair & Makeup | Destiny and Light Hair and Makeup Group
Invitations | The Paper Place
Ceremony & Reception Musicians | Omari Dillard and Band, Inpulse Inc
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Pretty classic, elegant, and simple. We wanted a vintage feel for the wedding.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
I think that the colors helped to create an elegant and vintage vibe. I also think that the suede rose added a bit of a romantic feel without using a color that was saturated or overwhelming. Erik's choice of a dinner jacket and my lace dress also created a vintage vibe as did the choice of black and white anemones as a highlight of the flower arrangements. The gold trimmed tableware also helped to create a vintage feel to the reception. The song we danced our first dance to was also an old classic, "Nothing Can Change this Love" by Sam Cooke.
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
Erik's favorite part was seeing me walk down the aisle while the violinist played "1,000 years." Guests said that they loved the music and dancing at the reception along with the treat table. My favorite part was the minister announcing us as husband and wife!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
The musicians, DJ, decorations for the reception, open bar, and my dresses were a splurges! The dessert table was a place we saved because all the crystal dishes were borrowed. Another place we saved was that we created our own video to play during the cocktail hour.
Did any of your Nashville-based vendors stand out as exceptional?
Roland is awesome. He was my sister's photographer in 2013 and I thought that his team was excellent. It was pretty cool having someone getting shots of the details while other photographers were focused on other things and they had people helping to stage photos as well. He brought two additional photographers to Tampa with him and I knew they would capture great photos. I'm just thankful that he was willing to travel.
The only thing I really remember doing in Nashville was getting invitations. Both of our families live in Florida and we thought t would be easier on everyone to get married there. My mom and Aunt did a lot of the work in Tampa because they live in the area.
The girls at Arzelles were really great about the dress order for bridesmaids and putting all the orders in at the same time for me to make sure they would all come from the same dye lot.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
We could have gone to the courthouse and avoided all the stress :-)
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
No matter how frustrating it may become, remember to focus on the real reason you are expending so much energy planning- to celebrate finding the love of your life.
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Posted by Alex Engaged Bride |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Photography, Real Nashville Weddings
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Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Tired of this cold weather already? Well we have just the event to warm you up! 2 Travel Anywhere is hosting a FREE Honeymoon Resort Planning event, featuring the Sandals Resorts. This event is a must-go if you are wanting to spend your honeymoon with your feet in the sand and enjoying the warm weather that Antigua, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Barbados and the Turks & Caicos have to offer!
The event will be at Studio Wed in Edgehill (1200 Villa Place #402 Nashville, TN) on March 12th between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. Make sure to RSVP via this link.
This is an event you will not want to miss! I'm attending and hope to see you there!
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Posted by Alex Engaged Bride |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Honeymoon and Post Wedding, Grooms, Groomsmen & Tuxedos , Real Nashville Brides
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Tuesday, February 24, 2015
A trend that’s popping up on everyone’s Facebook news feed and Pinterest wedding boards everywhere are “mismatched” bridesmaid dresses. They are a step away from the traditional bridesmaids dresses, where every girl wears the exact same color, style and even shoes. This new trend gives bridesmaids the opportunity to incorporate their own style into the wedding, while still appeasing the bride. BONUS: bridesmaids will be more likely to wear the dress again!
Some brides request that the bridesmaid’s dresses are all the same length; Source: Bella Bridesmaid's Facebook Page; Amsale gowns
While other brides request the same color.
Source: Q Avenue
Source: Enchanted Florist
Having “mismatched” bridesmaids dresses truly allow the bridal party to stand out during your wedding! These creative touches will not only please the bride, but also make lasting beautiful pictures of the brides closest family and friends!
Check out these local Nashville vendors for “mismatched” bridesmaid dresses:
Glitz Nashville
Bella Bridesmaids
Arzelle’s Bridal
Fabulous Frocks
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Posted by Alex Engaged Bride |
Filed under: Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Real Nashville Brides
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Friday, February 13, 2015
There is nothing like getting married at your family home. It makes an already special day, even more special. Jusk ask Emma and Payton, who were married last summer at Emma’s parent’s home and then headed over to the Stone Fox for a rockin’ after party.
With the help of their musician friends and Emma’s artistic skills, the Bradford wedding was one-of-a-kind and truly represented the couple's style and interests. The couple even drove off in a beautiful vintage car, which was perfectly captured by SheHeWe Photography!
Read all about this elegant summer wedding below:
Emma & Payton
Wedding Date | June 6th 2014
Ceremony Venue | Bride’s Parents Home
Reception Venue | Bride’s Parents Home (After Party) Stone Fox
Guests (#): 425
Wedding Team
Day of coordinator | Julie Fletcher
Photographer & Videographer | Jim & Ilde of SheHeWe Photography
Gown | Jenny Yoo (online)
Veil | made from lace and tulle brought back from a trip to Instabul, Turkey with my sister, mother, & grandmother
Men’s Attire | Gray seersucker suits from Lodge 210 in Rome, GA
Tie | Tie Bar
Bridesmaids’ Attire | BHLDN lace and gray satin with light pink ribbon sashes
Hair | Meredith Sands from Sam & Co Hair Salon
Makeup | Dhante Alderson, BazaarFaceBeaute
Stationery | Invitations from The Paper Place in Nashville; Bride created imagery for the fan programs and guest welcome packets
Caterer | Kathy Ross of As You Like It
Cake Artist | Neeley King of The Sweet Life
Floral Designer | Dawn of Lively Florists
Ceremony Musicians | Bluegrass band from Nashville, TN led by Christopher Capozzoli
Reception Musicians | The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Rentals | DJ Rentals
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Because Payton is a musician and I’m an art teacher, we appreciate creativity, but are still fairly traditional.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Payton found all the musicians to play at the reception and after party with the help of some friends in Nashville. Our friend Drew Beskin sang the first dance songs. I created the artwork for the programs, hotel packets, and coozies. We chose to have the wedding at home and the Nashville after-party at the Stone Fox because they are places we know and love.
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
We really loved how personal the whole thing was. It incorporated our interests, style, and favorite people & places.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on a great band for the Stone Fox and on the food for the reception. We saved by creating the artwork and website ourselves and by not using a wedding planner. Also, the tablecloths were linens from my mother, grandmother and Aunt.
Did any Nashville wedding vendors stand out as exceptional?
We LOVED working with SheHeWe. They are a wonderfuly laid back couple who make you feel at ease from the beginning. We could not have been happier getting to know them and having the beautful photographs from that entire weekend.
All of the people involved with the weekend were amazing. We would recommend each and every one involved for wedding events or any occasion!
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I wish that I took more time to sit back and take it all in. Everything moved so quickly that we blinked and were in the car leaving the reception. It goes by very quickly.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Don’t worry! If you didn’t think of it, odds are your guests won’t either and everyone is just there to celebrate you two.
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Posted by Alex Engaged Bride |
Filed under: Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Style - Classic
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