Friday, January 18, 2013
Michelle and Kyle wanted a lovely but understated reception that would also give them the space for a fun dance party, which is why they chose Nashville City Club for their reception. With just a few pops of color, candles, and a gorgeous skyline view, they felt no need to add to the lovely venue. Check out their entertaining evening with family and friends -- you can tell how much they enjoyed themselves!
Michelle + Kyle
Wedding Date ~ September 29, 2012
Ceremony Venue ~ McKendree Methodist Church
Reception Venue ~ Nashville City Club
Guests ~ 200
Budget
$20,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Kerry Dunn
Photographer | Angie Davis Photography
Gown | David’s Bridal
Bride’s Accessories | My bracelet and earrings were my “something borrowed/old” from family members. My shoes were my “something blue” by Antonio Melani
Men's Attire | Men’s Warehouse
Bridesmaids Attire | David’s Bridal
Hair | Michelle Lynn Fisher
Makeup | Michelle Lynn Fisher
Stationery | Donna Birtles Gifts
Caterer | Nashville City Club
Cake Artist | Brooke O’Dell, Ice This
Floral Designer | Amanda Jerkins
Reception Musicians | Tasty Face – They were PERFECT!
Guest Accommodations | We reserved rooms at the Union Station Hotel; it was gorgeous!
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Kyle and I are welcoming and fun! We tend to like more classic and timeless styles.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We allowed our wedding party to have fun with their look. The ladies wore black dresses in different styles with gorgeous pops of color in their bouquets. The guys wore tuxedos with bow ties and suspenders; their pocket squares were a fabulous accent to the flowers! The reception was minimally decorated with pops of color and candles everywhere.
Why did you choose Nashville City Club as your venue?
Nashville City Club is so beautiful and understated. We really tried to incorporate the views and scenery of downtown Nashville in our reception. Our guests had choices for dinner at several food stations, as well as multiple “areas” to socialize in.
What package did you get at Nashville City Club?
We rented the full space for the reception only. Food stations and carving stations were a huge hit. And the full bar was great!
Did you select any add-ons to your package or make any special requests?
Jaleesa helped us to incorporate the city skyline with the cupcake tower display we had.
What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
The whole reception was fabulous. The food was good and the drinks were cold! Everything was set up the way we had asked and the staff was outstanding. The evening transitioned from dinner and drinks to dancing so smoothly. All of our guests were having such a fun time together.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on the reception. Food and drink were important to us since our wedding was at night. Nashville City Club helped us design a fabulous menu so that our guests had plenty to eat and drink. The ambiance of Nashville City Club was perfect for our family and friends. Since the Nashville City Club has such beautiful rooms and design we were able to save on lighting and flowers.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I am sure that I would do things different – but my wedding day was fabulous, I loved every minute!
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Everyone will tell you to slow down and take it all in – TAKE THEIR ADVICE!
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Venues and Locations0 comments »
Friday, December 21, 2012
Recently, we featured the new brand of Nyk and Cali, Wedding Photographers, you can view that blog here and now you can see one of the weddings they shot this year! I was drawn to Josh and Alyssa's wedding on their blog partly because they are lovely and quite obviously in love, but I also like their venue! It's new to me and gorgeous. The "barn" looks like it could be transported and live happily in France or Italy, while still fitting perfectly into the Tennessee countryside.
Hope you enjoy their wedding and gather a few ideas for your own!
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Alyssa + Joshua
Wedding Date ~ May 19, 2012
Ceremony Venue ~ Trinity View Farm, Franklin, TN
Reception Venue ~ One @ Cannery Row, Nashville, TN
Guests ~ 275
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Budget
$20,000 – 50,000
Wedding Team
Photographer | Nyk & Cali, Wedding Photographers
Planner | Susan Smallwood of 12 South Events
Gown | Watters, The White Room, Birmingham, AL
Bride’s Accessories | Hairpiece: The Wish Jar on Etsy.com; Earings: Stella & Dot; Necklace: Gift from the Groom; Ring - Right Hand: Grandmother's; Bride's Wedding Bands: Tacori
Men’s Attire | Suits: Jos A. Bank; Groom's Tie: J. Michael's
Bridesmaids Attire | J.Crew
Hair + Makeup | Gabrielle McKellar
Stationery | Handmade by Bride, transfigurecreative.com
Caterer | Flavor Catering & Special Occasions (Brentwood)
Cake Artist | The Sweetest Day (Nashville)
Floral Designer | Steve of Garden Delights (Franklin)
Ceremony Musicians | Piano: David Hampton; Cello: Hitashi Yamaguchi; Guitar: Rex Schnelle, Charles Garrett
Reception Musicians | Live Revival
Rentals | Music City Tents & Events & Southern Events
Lighting | personal pieces from West Elm
Transportation | We used our own vehicles
Guest Accommodations | Marriott Cool Springs
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Industrial Modern Americana
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We kept the palatte and themes based on natural textures like rope or wood, and added clean, crisp, neutrals and bright whites. To bring familiarity and boldness, several tints of blue were used as well as industrial/commercial typefaces.
Also, Josh and I did our best to make our guests feel like they were each a part of the family. This was done through the hand-crafted and personalized wedding stationery, as well as making sure that each and every guest had a place to relax and share in the meal during the reception.
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Why did you choose Nyk + Cali as your photographers?
The natural style of their photography fit well with the style of the wedding. Their photography was real.
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What was your favorite aspect of the day?
It was never a free-for-all. There was a lot of care put in to making sure that each guest had a special place and knew exactly why we wanted them to be there.
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In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Hire a great team. I loved the team that put this wedding together for me. I have never met a more willing group of vendors. Whether it was creating a whole new flavor of cake, making sure the taco bar was perfect, staying late to tie intricate knots out of tobacco cloth, or creating a suspended wreath exploding with flowers, this team was ready and willing to make the picture in my mind come to life. Thank you all.
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Photography, Real Nashville Weddings4 comments »
Friday, November 2, 2012
Sometimes, we get lucky and stumble across amazing weddings that our photographer friends post on Facebook -- and I'm not just talking awesome photos; by amazing I mean, out of the ordinary and especially eye-catching! Thus is this wedding from Matt Andrews Photography. He posted and we begged to share with our ABG brides. Why? Because this Alabama couple really did an amazing job with their destination wedding in Nashville!
First stop: the Belmont Mansion where our couple said their vows. Next, the guests were invited to a reception at Mere Bulles Restaurant - with dinner and dancing. But the party didn't stop there; they kept going with an after-party gathering at the Wild Beaver Saloon. That is how you make the most of your time with your guests! Plus, their guests got a nice taste of our southern hospitality and tradition.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Kendra + Jacob
Wedding Date ~ July 28, 2012
Ceremony Venue ~ Belmont Mansion
Reception Venue ~ Mere Bulles
Guests ~ 140
After Party ~ Wild Beaver Saloon
Budget
$20,000 – 50,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Mary Natalie Hester
Photographer | Matt Andrews Photography
Second photographer | Lisa Beth Anderson
Venue & Caterer | Mere Bulles Restaurant
Cake Artist | Lori of Crumb de la Crumb
Ceremony Musicians | Blue Tones Music
Reception Musicians | Jeffery Davidson
Rentals | Gray napkins from Southern Events.
Gown | Paloma Blanca from The White Room in Birmingham, AL
Bride’s Accessories | Shoes: Grace Footwear (Sienna) - The White Room in AL; Fun after-party shoes: DSW sale rack - we personalized them with K and B rhinestone letters at the toe (we replaced the jewel that came on the shoe with our own from Michaels); Earrings: Ross Simons; Garters: hand made by Burcu Rona via Etsy; Blue opal necklace: my mother’s from Australia; Ring on my right hand: my great-grandmothers wedding ring; Sapphire bracelet: a gift from Jake - bought in Mexico on his bachelor trip.
Men’s Attire | Michael Kors gray suits bought from Men’s Wearhouse. They had matching grey and yellow socks from Express.
Bridesmaids Attire | Alfred Sung (material: dupioni / color: quarry) from Bella Bridesmaids in Birmingham, AL
Hair | Mary Malone
Makeup | Davina of Artistry Salon
Nails | The Nail Bar in Franklin
Stationery | Grooms mother, Jana Whittington
Floral Designer | Elaine McCord
Transportation | Matchless Limo
Guest Accommodations | Loews Vanderbilt, Four Points by Sheraton in Franklin, and the Baymont Inn & Suites in Brentwood
Refreshments for the bridal party during the day (breakfast and lunch) | Jason’s Deli
Dance Studio | Arthur Miller in Marietta, GA
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Classic with a fun flare! We love to travel and spend time with family and friends, but we also really enjoy camping, hiking, running (we are running our first half together this year), remodeling our home, and cooking together! We try and keep the kid inside us alive (we LOVE Disney world and got engaged there), but we also both work really hard - Jake is an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed Martin and I am a clinical psychology graduate student at the University of Georgia.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We chose colors that were timeless (gray and ivory), but I wanted to incorporate a fun summer color as well, so I chose yellow to spruce things up a bit! We wanted a venue that was unique and had an antique vibe so we chose the Belmont Mansion. We also really liked how it was a historical site!
We were really interested in providing AMAZING food for our guests so that's partially why we chose Mere Bulles (it also had a unique feel). We chose Nashville because we wanted friends and family to come to a destination that had a history and was also CLEARLY southern (since I am originally from Alabama and my dad’s family is from Tennesee). We wanted our guests to expereiince live country music, BBQ, and of course the mechanical bull!
We also took dance lessons and our first dance was to Nat King Cole’s “L.O.V.E." to incorporate more of that classic feel. My dress was a form-fitting gown with lace details that seemed to have that classy yet slightly vintage feel, BUT my after party dress was more fun and modern (rhinestones and short!).
To incorporate our love for travel, we made cards from pictures of places we had been together instead of table numbers (e.g. guests sitting at “Cinderella’s Castle” instead of Table 1). Finally, to show our love for family and friends we had pictures hanging up with clothes pins around the dance floor of us with everyone who was coming to the wedding (we tried to have at least one picture of everyone who was invited!).
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
I think many of our guests really enjoyed the food and the wonderful service at Mere Bulles! Our favorite aspect was probably taking pictures with Matt and Lisa. They really managed to get everyone having fun and all the special moments in our day.
You are our first wedding to feature at Belmont Mansion! Would you recommend the venue to others? Why did you choose this as the place to say I do?
Yes! I thought it was perfect for the type of “feel” that I wanted. I chose it because it was indoors (too hot to be outside in the south in July….) and was so much more beautiful than a typical hotel ballroom. That way we didn’t have to spend a lot of time and money decorating a space. In fact we had minimal decorations and the place looked great! The only hitch with getting married at Belmont is that you can’t start the wedding before 6 p.m. (because it's a historical site that people can visit) and there are no bathrooms upstairs for the bride!
Why did you choose Mere Bulles for your reception?
We REALLY wanted to give our guests amazing food….better than a lot of wedding food we have had! We also liked that it was not one huge ballroom. That way guests that wanted to be away from the dance floor could sit and talk (and still hear!).
What do you value most from choosing Mere Bulles?
The staff was amazing to work with! They were so pleasant to all of our guests and the event ran as smoothly as we could have wished! They also packed up all of our presents, cards, and left overs for us!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on the photographer (but he was MORE than worth it!), the dance lessons, and my dress. We really saved with table decorations (I made a lot of mason jar candles), escort cards/favors (I made mason jars with recipes for peach sweet tea), invitations and programs (Jake’s mom is a graphic art designer and she made them for us!), and Save-the-Dates (we used postcards from the Belmont instead of having special cards made).
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I really wanted Jake to see me for the first time when I walked down the aisle, but maybe in hindsight I would have taken pictures first so that we were earlier to our reception and had more time to dance/chat with guests!
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Remember to let yourself enjoy this process and make the decisions that make you happy
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Cakes & Food, Real Nashville Weddings1 comment »
Friday, October 19, 2012
It's not often that you find your wedding venue from a movie, but that is exactly was Jazmine and Catalino did. They chose to have their reception at the Parthenon after seeing it on the big screen! Even with a traditional Catholic wedding and nods to their Filipino upbringing, the two brought a twist to their day with the Grecian-style venue. It was still the perfect spot for them and for a wedding on the edge of intimate (only 80 guests!). And the best part... First Dance Pictures captured the whole day!
The sweet couple's love shows not only in the video, but also in the photos that they've shared with us. Read on for more on their day; then head over to First Dance's blog to learn more.
Jazmine + Catalino III
Wedding Date ~ July 30, 2011
Ceremony Venue ~ Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reception Venue ~ Centennial Park, Parthenon
Guests ~ 80
Catalino & Jazmine - 7.30.11 from First Dance Pictures on Vimeo.
Wedding Team
Videographer | First Dance Pictures
Photographer | JMS Photography
Gown | David’s Bridal
Bride’s Accessories | Earrings and necklace given by my grandmother
Men's Attire | Traditional barong from our country - the Philippines (pants are groom and groomsmen’s own)
Hair | Breon Hair Salon
Makeup | A friend’s mom
Stationery | Scrolls Unlimited (for invitations), programs + table numbers - DIY
Caterer + Cake Artist | Chef's Market
Flowers | Ceremony flowers - Sam’s Club / DIY; reception - Chefs Market
Ceremony Musicians | Church performers
Rentals + Lighting + Reception Musicians | Doug Griffin
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Simple and intimate
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We had to build our style around the Parthenon; our colors were gold, champagne, or beige. We found out about the Parthenon through the movie "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" [part of the film was shot at the Parthenon in Nashville] and we wanted to have our reception there.
Why did you choose First Dance Pictures as your videographer?
We looked for videographers in the Nashville area and saw their website and liked it.
Why was important to have a video of your day? What do you value most from your wedding video?
At first, we weren’t really planning on having a video but I saw a Filipino videographer’s website and how he does his wedding videos. And First Dance’s work closely resembles how he does it. Everything they did were really great.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
The venue is where we splurged the most. We saved a lot on our flowers and the groom/groomsmen’s clothes.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
No, I think we did good. Planning the wedding gave us the chance to bond more and personalize most of the stuff that we had or did for our wedding. And also we definitely saved a lot.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Just prioritize what you need to do first, like the church and reception venue, and then the other things will follow.
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Multicultural, African-American weddings, Real Nashville Weddings0 comments »
Monday, October 8, 2012
We asked Vicki of Signature Cakes by Vicki to explain to us the importance of a cake artist and what it really means to be such - from experience level to creditable standing. Vicki truly explains the importance of finding a professional in all aspects of your wedding, including your cake. Today, you may think you want to cut corners with your cake... But will you think that on the day of your wedding? What about after? With Vicki’s help, we will try to guide you in having no regrets after your wedding. We want to guide you in researching vendors that will help your wedding run smoothly and efficiently. Right now, we’re focusing on cake!
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It’s often said, “The wedding cake is to the reception what the wedding gown is to the wedding ceremony.”
What would you say is the definition of a Cake Professional? Cake Artist? Baker?
Cake professionals, bakers, and cake artists are not necessarily the same thing. A “Cake Professional” is someone who has years of experience, a good reputation with reviews to back it up, and works in a professional environment. And from them you may receive a lovely, well-decorated cake. However, they may be more concerned with producing simple cakes and may not be up to date on the current trends, couture styles, and innovative techniques.
A “Baker” is someone who understands that the cake is food first and foremost! Wedding cake should be the dessert of a lifetime, but too many times it tastes no different than a grocery store birthday cake. True Bakers pride themselves on the quality of the ingredients and the deliciousness of their confections.
A “Cake Artist” fulfills the first two parts, but also must have the ability to design and produce edible works of art. They should be adept at working with fondant, gumpaste, and modeling chocolate. They should have the ability to make sugar flowers, form animals and all types of embellishments. They must be talented at fondant draping and color mixing. A Cake Artist will pull a vision from their brides and grooms and be able to communicate the design on paper. Cake Artists have years of experience producing edible works of art. It is paramount that the bride and groom have someone build their cake that is qualified in all three categories. The cake should melt in your mouth and delight your guests. It should be a pleasure to all the five senses.
The cake above is "Under the Sea" themed with sugarpaste coral and seashells, and sculpted to appear like a seascape - a true example of a cake by an artist.
How is that different from a hobbyist, perhaps a talented hobbyist at that?
I often have people (brides, mothers of the bride, aunts, and friends of the bride) come up to me at the bridal shows and ask me questions about how to make certain aspects of a complicated wedding cake. They often say that it is a hobby but that they want to make their “daughter’s” wedding cake. I have found that in this situation it is often about the budget. Depending on the situation, I usually discourage it because a wedding cake is just so important. Ask yourself how much you would have paid if your cake is ruined or isn’t delivered?
Now the “talented hobbyist” is usually someone who has taken classes and has a some experience. It’s certainly possible that they could do a good job on your wedding cake. But, designing, baking, building, and executing a wedding cake is not only cuisine and art, it is engineering. The bride needs to ask herself if she wants to take a risk on the day of her wedding. It may be that the risk is worth it to her, but she must understand that she is taking a chance that it may not be the cake that she wanted or envisioned. Even worse, she might not receive her cake at all.
From modern to seasonal; Vicki gave the fall cake as a great example of something different for upcoming weddings.
"It has fondant bark all around it to match the tree stump plateau that the bride and groom had made. They called several "cake artists" that all said it wasn't possible to make the bark... Tada!"
Why should brides always turn to the professional, just as in any other wedding vendor?
When a bride, groom, and often a mom, start planning the wedding, it is so much fun! The discussions are usually about color, pretty dresses, flowers, and decorating. There’s a wish book with pictures of everything. It’s new, exciting, and fresh! But, as time passes in the planning process, it tends to get far more complicated. Decisions can become daunting and difficult to make. Every little thing costs money and not every little thing is as important as the main ingredients to a wonderful reception. Tension can build and cause disagreements and the closer you get to wedding day, the more pressure there is. I cannot tell you how many brides I have heard say, “I just can’t wait to get it over with. I don’t care about anything anymore.” Now that is sad – planning your wedding should be a joy of a lifetime.
So how can you avoid the pressure and tension? First, do a great deal of research by searching online and attending at least one large bridal show. That will allow you to come up with a realistic budget based on the costs for your wedding in the area where you live.
Assembling a team of professionals is the best way I know to enjoy not only your wedding day, but to enjoy the process of planning as well. In fact, hiring reliable, trustworthy, and experienced professionals can make the whole week of the wedding fantastic. As a bride, wouldn’t you rather enjoy spending quality time with your groom, family and out of town guests rather than running around town seeing to details and making phone calls to check on your “vendors?” Therefore, start hiring the most important vendors at the beginning of the process. By most important I mean, ceremony location, reception location, caterer, cake professional, photographer, musicians/DJ, florist, and wedding planner.
With all the major categories handled, now you can spend the rest of your budget on all the less significant details and all the things you’d like to have, but didn’t know how much you could afford. Now you can have fun and know that all those professionals will do their job. Remember: choose wisely, there are no “do-overs” on wedding day.
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Cakes & Food0 comments »
