Did you know there NASHVILLE WEDDING VENDORS with F RATINGS with the Better Business Bureau!
No pretty pics in todays post - but hopefully my simple message will save you stress and money. I hear nightmare wedding stories about unprofessional wedding vendors ALL the time. Many are well known companies that you see everywhere and have great pictures/designs. But everything isnt as it seems.
As you plan your wedding, it is important that you hire the very best vendors that your money can buy - from a professionalism, creativity and value standpoint. Many consumers, including myself, have hired unscrupulous businesses and it's never any fun to lose your money or be treated unkindly. When I got married, there were no websites like ABG or WeddingWire to help with reviews or local guidance. I hired a wedding videographer who didn't deliver as promised and wouldn't take responsibility for his mistakes. He was rude and I did the best I could to resolve the matter but made sure I let the Better Business Buereau know so that other brides could be on alert.
I recently had another run in with a HORRIBLE carpet cleaning company and am taking steps to 1) recover my costs and 2) submit reviews so that others can be warned. However, what good is submiiting reviews if no one researches a company before they hire? That was my mistake - I was moving too fast, needed their services asap and didnt take time to call around to find a better company. The carpet mishire wasnt nearly as emotional as the wedding videographer because wedding planning is a lot more emotional in general and anything goes wrong leaves a lasting bad taste.
Don't hire bad wedding vendors!
You can hire great wedding vendors. Here are some quick tips that I recommend as you hire EACH wedding vendors.
1) Start by vending local wedding resources via ABG, your wedding planner, friends,, online, bridal shows, referrals, etc.
2) Before you make a call to them, check the BBB immediately!! Search for the business using advance search by wedding categories or search by business name.
3) If they are not listed on the BBB or have a A rating - great! But, there are a few more steps.
4) Spend time googling them - see if brides/bloggers are talking about them positively/negatively. Positive comments? Proceed!
5) Schedule a meeting - get to know them - do you like them? Do they seem honest? Do you get a good vibe? Are they a good marriage of what you want/need vs just being the cheapest? Yes - Keep them on the list.
6) Then, check their website - are they on Twitter or Facebook? Great! Read their communications - go back a few weeks or months even. Follow them. Are they consistent with their personality or do they present one face to you and another (bashing their brides) on Twitter?
7) Are they connected, well liked by others in the Nashville wedding community? If they aren't connected to other wedding vendors and no one is talking about them - that doesnt mean they aren't a great vendor BUT it could mean there is less accountabiity. What's that mean? If someone is well connected in the Nashville wedding community aka has friends and a reputation, they are less likely to mire their image/brand and will be more likely to work with you to resolve any issues. Again, this isnt always the case but sometimes vendors with an established name on the line will work harder to keep that good name.
8) When in doubt, always know that you can contact ABG. We have worked with some great wedding vendors and some not so great ones. We won't tell you not to hire a vendor BUT we will strongly recommend others. READ BETWEEN THE LINES!
Working with a bad vendor already?
If you are having problems with a vendor you've already hired, document your issues via email conversation/certified mail. Work productively to resolve the manner. No one is perfect; it's all about how the company works with you to resolve the issue. That's what counts in the end. Please be fair. Make your concerns/issues known and give them time to satisfy you.
If you can not resolve the problem, contact your credit card company and initiate a dispute. (Always pay with a credit card when you can for this reason.) Submit a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Then, post reviews on ABG, WeddingWire, facebook (if they have a page), etc. ABG will pull any advertiser from our website with 3 negative written reviews from brides.
I hope these tips will save your sanity! You don't need unnecessary stress as you plan your wedding but bad hiring happens to all of us. Be proactive and you'll be fine!
I love love love getting questions from brides and lately they've been really good ones too! Today's bride Q&A features three emails I've received for showers, invitations and bathrooms! It's never a dull moment and I love helping you find solutions to your questions so keep the emails coming!
Halloween themed bridal shower for an engaged couple
Question from bride's friend: "I'm throwing a couples shower that will be Oct 30th. Due to a last minute change in venue (it was going to be at a sports park with volleyball games and burgers not it is going to be a someones home), I'm back at square one for planning. The bride is wanting the couples shower to be a Halloween costume party as well. Do you have any post or resources that comment on how to bring the two together. I'm out of creative ideas."
Answer: I directed her question to Sarah Goude of Regalo Design, one quick thinking planner...
Have each couple who is invited, dress up like a Hollywood couple. Additionally, you can have them dress as a famous music duo or things that go together such as ketchup and mustard or salt & pepper. However, if you want it to be “relationship oriented” as in a “couple’s shower”, I would suggest just sticking to celebrity or Hollywood couples. Have fun this Halloween and get creative with your couples shower.
Ashley adds: Be sure to also check out hostessblog.com. It's THE ultimate source for party inspiration. I found these cute Halloween decor ideas for your party's inspiration.
Question from Annie, an ABG bride:Do you have any recommendations for companies we can hire that rent out portable (port-a-potty) units for weddings? We are doing a wedding at a farm and need to rent a few. What are your recommendations?
Answer: Thanks to Twitter and our always proactive bridal community, we got Annie her answers and it looks like there are several options in town for mobile restrooms!
Kellie Bryson of The Bake Shoppe said, "Stewarts in Murfreesboro has a whole portable toilet division. I use them whenever I need that service. They also have good pricing on the toilet trailer. Because they have a service, they can pump themselves so that saves some. They have regular ones that have handwashing option as well. Sounds like I know too much about potties." Shannon Murphree Bates of Chef's Market recommended Music City Tents & Events (MusicCityTents.com) and Mary Alice Sublet of A Delightful Day suggested giving Classic Party Rentals (ClassicPartyRentals.com).
Beverly Rader King recommended Southern Events restroom trailer. This would be our choice too!
Affordable custom wedding Invitations
This is more so a review (and a great review at that!) from one of our ABG brides. Allyson loved her experience with Prim and Paper and sent us an email raving about this local stationery vendor. We love when brides are pleased and just had to share her enthusiasm with you.
"Just wanted to share with you the a-maz-ing paper vendor for my wedding, who I haven't seen featured here (or anywhere else) before: Prim and Paper in downtown Franklin. I found them because Melissa, the owner, goes to my parents' church; she must be the best-kept secret in the business because I've never seen her on these blogs!
I had to give her a shout-out because pretty much everything she does is custom, and her prices are incredible. Our save-the-date postcards cost less than a dollar each, and they included several pictures from our engagement session! I'm in the process of creating my invitations with her now, and she has just been phenomenal showing me all the options and keeping the price within my budget. She also doesn't limit you to lots of restrictive rules about how many invites you have to order...for instance, I'm ordering normal invitations for in-town guests, and pocket-fold invites for out-of-town guests because they need more information. Melissa is totally willing to do this, and will order whatever random amount of each that you want. Since she puts the invites together on her own, she doesn't have to charge you a ton like some invitation companies who order already-made invitations for you do."
Allyson's Save the Date
Allyson said, "I found Prim and Paper through my mom. I picked my design by flipping through tons of books with examples of invitations that Melissa has designed before. I saw the tree design on another invitation, but wanted to change the colors of the tree and the invitation itself, and the type of paper it was printed on. I also wanted to make it a pocket-fold for out-of-town guests. We did a bunch of proofs with several different variations of colors and design with the tree, different fonts, etc. until we ended up with the final product. It turned out really well! Also I should mention that Melissa has another lady working at the shop named Tracy who's also fantastic."
Tracy and Melissa of Prim and Paper were so nice to answer my questions when I asked them a bit more about Allyson and her experience with them. They said that thanks to her organization and flexibility and fun personality. They were able to create her invitation within the time frame she needed them and were able to stick to her budget. Allyson's invitations were "cocoa with a burnt sugar backer and her invite was done on an ecru linen card stock. She liked the tree motif and the subtle earth colors were perfect for her November wedding. She chose thermography printing for the invite only, which saved time and money."
LOVE the pockets on these invitations! Photos courtesy of Kristen Steele Photography (KristenSteelPhotoraphy.com)
Thanks so much for sharing Allyson! We wish you all the best. Thanks also to Prim and Paper (PrimandPaper.net - website coming soon!) for sharing your pictures. For more invitations and examples of their work, you can visit Prim and Paper on Facebook (facebook.com/primandpaper), or stop by their shop at 400 Main Street in the heart of Historic Downtown Franklin.
Hindsight is 20/20. Even with all of the planning, it's hard to avoid the "wouldas" and "shoulda's". One way to minimize the regrets is to start with sound advice.
Today, we share a recent conversation held with Donald Yeager of Donald Yeager Photography. Our goal was to find out how you can keep from looking back with regret and really capture the details and memories you want to keep from your wedding day. Bookmark this post and refer to it as you interview wedding photographers and make your wedding photography decisions.
Finding Your Wedding Photographer 101: Expert Q&A with Donald Yeager Photography (www.donaldyeager.com/)
ABG: There are some brides who are a little more in-tune with what they like and know it when they see it. But for those who aren't sure, what's the best way to find and pick their photographer?
Donald Yeager Photography (DYP): In my opinion one of the most important aspects of wedding planning is the choice of a photographer, because once it’s all said and done the photography is what will remain forever to document the emotions and details of the day. That being said, no bride should rush into making this monumentous decision. I’d recommend that to begin, with brides should feel free to immerse themselves in wedding images. Blogs (like ABG, of course), magazines, websites, and et cetera are all excellent places to begin research.
While seeking out images, take actual notes of the images that you have an emotional reaction to (print them, bookmark them, cut them out and keep them in a binder) as this will help you to identify your own personal style. When you have a nice stack, look through them all and find the common denominator. Usually, one type of photography will stand out from the rest, and while most brides will have a bit of a mix, you will see some kind of majority forming in your favorites pile. For example, you may find that the majority of the images you like the best are documentary or photojournalistic in style, such as the first look between the bride and groom or the flower girl and ring bearer flirting. Or, you may be more drawn to images with post-processing artistry, such as added textures or color enhancement.
After you have established what you are drawn to, start seeking out photographers who present images that are harmonious with the style you love and schedule interviews.
So how many photographers should a bride interview? 3? 5?
I don’t believe there is a magic number to how many photographers you should decide you want to meet with. However, if the number is hovering around 10, I’d strongly suggest the bride re-examine her style and how that it is compatible with her selections. It can be really tempting for a bride to meet with ten photographers whose styles differ in hopes of identifying the style of photography she wants, but I find that generally counterproductive. In the least ideal situation, you may could end up hiring a photographer solely based on their personality, but later discover that their style doesn’t quite mesh with what you envisioned. This is an important decision, don’t rush it. It’s good to take time to evaluate, re-evaluate, and even if everything feels right at the meeting, to walk away and think on it before signing a contract.
Hiring: During the decision process, what are questions the bride & groom need to ask? How, from a photographer's perspective, would you like to be "selected" to be their photographer (chemistry? similar hobbies or interests?)
Bridals magazines, websites, and planners will give you an extensive list of specific questions to ask photographers like what coverage entails, packages, second shooter availability, ect. Since this information is widely available, I am going to recommend some different advice. Just spend some time with your photographer and get to know one another on a personal level. This will help you better judge if your personalities are compatible. Remember, you are hiring this person to follow you around on the most important day of your life. Wouldn’t it be better to hang out with someone you get along with and know personally than someone you don’t know at all?
DYP: The bride's family's roots are in Cuba, and she is very proud of that heritage. She used a book that was full of images from her family's native land as a guest book.
From a photographer’s perspective, the same rules hold true. The better I can get to know my clients personally, the more they are willing to show emotion and allow me to authentically capture their wedding. I love when I show up on a wedding day and I really know who my bride and groom truly are. It enables me to better capture each little nuance from the day; from a bride’s tattoo that her father has never seen...
... to the finally crafted homebrew beer that the groom spent months perfecting.
DYP: The bride took hours upon hours to hand-make each program. She wanted everyone's program to be a little different so she meticulously coordinated so that one program would not look identical to another.
ABG: We just love this ABG bag spotted behind the scenes at a Donald Yeager Photography wedding!
Once the contract ink has dried, how can the couple best work with a photographer to get everything in place for the big day and to make sure the wedding day itself is best captured?
I think that communication and honesty are key—if open communication exists from the get go, I feel that the bride and groom will be all the more comfortable with sharing their expectations and desires. If they are working with a wedding coordinator—a wonderful investment for any bride and groom to make—that professional can help facilitate the exchange of expectations. I always ask my couples if there are certain must have shots or locations that they’d like to see, and I’m always honest with them about the realities of timing and will not hesitate to let them know if something is not feasible.
DYP: This is an image of the bride and her son, Justin. We were getting a couple of shots of the bride and groom when all the sudden he wandered over and just wanted a hug from his happily married mother.
I try to be game for anything and everything, because being spontaneous and having fun usually produces the best shots. I also advise my couples to remember to be flexible with their day—know that things may go awry, things may not go to schedule, things might not be perfect—but with flexibility we’ll make sure that the very best moments are captured. Either way, it all comes down to trust and good communication on both ends, and that’s why starting, and keeping—a dialogue from the day we meet until after they marry is absolutely necessary.
The next picture is from after an epic engagement session - Ben and Amanda insisted that we head over to their house so they could make Ben's family world famous lasagna rolls!
Thanks for all of the honest and helpful advice! These are great pictures that examplify how finding the right photographer and establishing a good comaraderie with your photographer can really pay off.
For more gorgeous pics, visit Donald Yeager Photography and view his gallery. You'll also find more of his favorite pictures on his blog.
Today's my birthday!! As I celebrate my life I also am thankful for peace of mind, love of self and my wonderful friends in the bridal community. I also want to offer select Nashville brides my unique wedding story in hopes that it will help you in some way...
My Personal Wedding Story
Many years ago - I got engaged and married and had what I thought was cold feet. It wasn't cold feet. It was a gut feeling that something just wasnt right. I'd met an incredible man who loved me dearly, who "fit" my lifestyle and family and shared my values. He seemed to be all that I wanted and needed but something just wasnt right. We got engaged - he designed the most incredible proposal that included a spa day, a picnic in my favorite park and then an elegant dinner with friends to celebrate my saying yes.
But something still wasnt right. I hoped over time it would feel as right in my heart as it did in my head.
The wedding rehearsal was a nightmare - my dad could tell something was wrong. I knew that our connection was off but my fiance assured me that I was just nervous. I wanted to believe him.
We married and started our life. Then, the pressures of marriage arrived. A week after our honeymoon - he lost his income. His family's business went bankrupt. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Given our fragile (and doomed start) we werent strong enough to turn lemons into lemonade but we also didn't have the courage (months after our wedding) to face reality and walk away. Last year, we finally woke up and set one another free to have peace and find true love. Today, we have no regrets. We are both very happy and enjoy our lives. We were blessed with the most amicable divorce ever and still are friends.
Am I thankful for meeting a wonderful man that adored me who I adored? YES! Do I believe we should have ever married? Absolutely not. Had I possessed the courage then that I eventually found, I would have never said "i do". But, without marrying, I would have never started AshleysBrideGuide.com, which is THE BEST THING to ever happen to me! It is my baby, one that he encouraged and supported me to start. So, I am forever thankful to him.
But, the same doesnt have to be your story. If you have ANY doubt - take heed.
I know countless ABG brides who start their wedding planning as excited as every other bride but then wake up to their personal reality and the wedding is called off. I support them and am sooo proud of them. I know calling off a wedding is hard - probably one of the hardest things in life to do. But kudos to the women who were/are courageous enough to do so.
Many divorced women (like myself) were too afraid or confused to do so. Instead, we marry - feeling "cold feet" throughout the engagement and even on the wedding day. Instead of being runaway brides, we immerse ourselves in wedding planning instead of taking a step back to really assess the situation. That was my story and that's one of the reasons that I really want every Nashville bride to take a break from planning and rethink your engagement.
If you have no doubt that your fiance is truly the one for you, THANK GOD! Focus less on wedding planning and start having more fun, enjoy one another and strengthen your marital foundation.
But, for brides-to-be with doubt, take some time to really, really think - trust your gut, seek counsel and ask yourself the toughest decisions of your life.
Helpful "Cold Feet" Resources
1) Here is a great article for smart women who may find themselves walking down the wrong aisle, preparing to marry the wrong guy.
3) Marital counseling and education - Marie of Nashville Marriage Studio is one local counselor that is a good start for your conversation. Contact her to express your feelings and get clarity before you get married.
4) Ask your friends and family - they know you better than anyone and they either see the sparkle in your eyes or don't. Their honest and loving insight might help you see things more clearly.
5) On a lighter note - if you do find that you are engaged to the wrong guy - I Dump for You is a service that will call off your engagement for on $25. http://idump4u.com/
Also - I'm also celebrating our ABG being named BEST REGIONAL BRIDAL BLOG!!!! Thank you for your many votes. We are also a finalist in the BEST OVERALL BLOG. Please vote for us today and tomorrow as a birthday gift to me:). THANK YOU!
When I got married, I had also just started a new job. This isn’t something I recommend, least of all when planning a wedding halfway around the world as well as another wedding here in Nashville two weeks later. Shortly into the 6-month mark, I honestly thought I was going to go insane and the idea of eloping sounded better and better. I’m usually calm, usually a lot less freaked out by stress and I didn’t realize that with all the time I devoted to the planning, I neglected my own wellbeing and had put my Bikram yoga practice on hold. After one particularly arduous day, I had a breakdown and my wonderful fiancé (now husband) said, “Why don’t you go take a yoga class?”
That made such a difference.
Bikram yoga is one of the best things I do for myself on a regular basis and I am excited to be able to share with you today its most wonderful benefits that are going to help you maintain your sanity and (here’s the cherry on top) look and feel awesome for your big day.
Started by Bikram Choudhury and introduced to America in the 1970's, Bikram's Beginner Yoga Class is a sequence of 26 postures put together systematically for optimal benefits. The postures don't change, just your individual practice which gets stronger and deeper with each day. According to their website BikramYoga.com, Bikram yoga (popularly known also as "hot yoga") should always be practiced in a Bikram certified yoga studio by a qualified instructor who has undergone proper, strict training.
Lucky for us, we have an affiliated Bikram studio here in town. Bikram Cool Springs is run by Tennesse native Sandra Lee who has been teaching this yoga since getting certified in 2007. Sandra’s studio has classes everyday taught by her and her team of qualified instructors. "It's never too late, never too bad, and you're never too old or too sick to start from scratch" as Bikram likes to say. People of all ages practice Bikram yoga the world around and its longevity and popularity are due largely to the fact that it has such obvious, long-term benefits. Take it from me, you'll even see results after just a few classes - better posture, better focus and even your clothes fit better! It's pretty amazing!
The Thirty-Something Bride has been practicing BIkram yoga on and off since 2006 and told us, "It's the best 90 minutes a bride (or a groom) can spend on herself. While the heat might sound daunting - or even be a bit overwhelming for your first class, it's actually a wonderful thing! You don't need to be a yoga expect or guru or anything like that. Every class is a "new" class of flexibility and experience, regardless of how long one has practiced. You'll sleep better, eat better (it just happens!), feel better and stress just melts away. It's the best thing a person can do for their entire body, soul and psyche!"**
The 26 postures in a Bikram yoga class in a sequence that works and stretches every part of your body, head to toe, inside and out.
Now doesn't that sound exciting? "The best thing a person can do for their entire body, soul and psyche" pretty much sums up the mental, physical and emotional benefits you could get by treating yourself to a Bikram yoga class. I personally have been practicing Bikram yoga for seven years now, quitting the gym shortly after I started in 2003 and I have never looked back. One of the biggest benefits of this yoga is the mental clarity it brings. It has given me the ability to think clearly and concentrate on the moment instead of being all over the place and that really helped me manage my time better with the two weddings and new job.
Sandra explained why this is a common effect of the class: "You are given 90 minutes to focus on nothing but yourself. The yoga helps you tune in with how your body moves and feels and teaches you to stay in the moment. Even those who are still on their third or fourth class area amazed at what it does for their concentration because they are finally able to sleep well at night and wake up feeling refreshed."
This is also a great way to focus on yourself. "My students sometimes come in to treat themselves to 90 minutes of 'me time' before returning to real life." In the frenzy of wedding planning, it's so easy to lose yourself. We always stress that your wedding day needs to be more than the flowers, food and the guest list and that it needs to be about you so rewarding yourself with Bikram yoga just might be the thing you need to keep things sane!
Know what else is amazing about this yoga? You burn at least 600 calories in one class without the wear and tear you get from high-impact cardio exercise. At approximately 105 degrees fahrenheit (the heat is to aid in the detox and flexibility factor) the sequence of yoga poses you go through in 90 minutes will make you sweat, detox and burn. "Your heart rate is raised and lowered, as if you are doing intervals on a treadmill. You get a workout that will make you stronger, more flexbile, it cleanses your body and it makes you feel better overall. The weight loss part is a bonus." Sandra told me. Don't even worry about being in great shape to start, the point is to do this to get yourself in better overall shape. Sandra stressed that this class is at one level only and you don't need to have any yoga experience to know what you're doing "This is Bikram's Beginner Yoga Class and it's for all levels and all ages. You work to your ability and and the progress comes at the pace that's right for you."
In case you're wondering about how just doing yoga can build any sort of muscle tone, well, you should just take a look at Biikram himself. The man is well into his 60's and is in better shape than some guys half his age!
Bikram Choudhury teaching at one of his seminars. Sandra reassures me that the teachers do not ever stand on you in class.
But like Sandra said, the weight loss is a bonus. As a bride-to-be, it's the stress of planning that can get to you and that can distract you from what's important - you and your fiance and the life upon which you're about to embark together. I could go on and on and on about how great this yoga is but it's best to try it out for yourself. Maybe even bring your fiance and take classes together because it is a wonderful bonding experience and could take your engagement and marriage to an even greater level! Here's a video from Bikram Cool Springs with testimonials from their students. Enjoy, and I really hope you'll give it a shot soon - maybe I'll see you there sometime!
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