Mangia! Meet Buca di Beppo, Family Style Dining for Your Bridal Parties

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Whenever someone mentions Buca di Beppo, my stomach starts doing happy little fliips - there's nothing more comforting than a family style meal in this fun, really eclectic Italian restaurant.  We mentioned them in our "Favorite Nashville private party restaurants" list last week, and thought it fitting to elaborate a bit more on them today. 

Buca di Beppo is a great option for your rehearsal dinner, bridal shower or just a fun night out with the girls (boys for you grooms).  Don't forget to order the tiramisu (which Ashley + I love). You can thank us later.

Contact: Buca di Beppo
Address: 1722 Galleria Blvd
City, State, Zip: Franklin, TN 37067
Area of Town: Cool Springs
Main Contact: Holly Curtiss
Phone Number: 615-778-1321
Email Address: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website address: http://www.bucadibeppo.com
Facebook fan page: Bucadibeppo

Overview of Venue
We serve family-style Italian in an eclectic, vintage setting and offer exceptional group menus and banquet packages. Celebrate your upcoming wedding by holding your rehearsal dinner, shower or bachelorette party at Buca di Beppo. We can accommodate groups of 15-200.

Motto/philosophy: “TO BE THE FIRST CHOICE FOR CELEBRATORY DINING”

Payment options accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express & Discover due the date of the event.

What options does your venue offer? Rehearsal dinner, Bridal Shower’s or Bachelorette Parties

What type of room(s) is available? Semi-Private

How many people can you accommodate? Our largest room will accommodate 70 total but we do have capability to have groups of 200.

How many events do you take per day? Unlimited depending on schedule

What are the specialty menu items your establishment features for large events? We offer 7 specialty banquet menus with several options to fit any bride's budget.

Is outside alcohol allowed? Outside wine is allowed however there is a $15 corkage fee per bottle

Is an on-site event coordinator available? Yes

How many people do you have on staff? As needed

What is your pricing model?  $23.95-$53.95 per person

Which bride budget do you serve? All

How far in advance should a bride book your venue? I would book as far out as possible to ensure availability.

When is the initial deposit/final payment due? Payment is due directly after event.

What makes your venue so unique? Our venue is unique in the fact that we create a fun environment with great service and food!

What do you pride yourself on? Customer Service

Be sure to let Holly know that you saw their spotlight on Ashley's Bride Guide when you call her about your upcoming dinner/party!  See what else Buca di Beppo has to offer on their website.

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Posted by Tabitha | Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Cakes & Catering, Wedding Venues and Locations 0 comments »

Your Wedding Questions: Halloween Couple’s Shower, Affordable Invitations, Portable Restrooms

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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.

For the rest of Sarah's answer, visit the Regalo Design Blog!

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.

http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/09/diy-happy-halloween-dessert-table/

Port-o-potty to rent

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.

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Advice & Planning, Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Invitations & Paper Goods, Luxury Wed Finds 0 comments »

We Love Thistle Farms: Great Bridal Party Gifts, Wedding Favors {Spread the Word + We Donate $$}

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Everyone is raving about Thistle Farms - from Opulent Couturier (who first mentioned the organization to me - thanks girl!) to The Thirty Something Bride, who visited Thistle with me and who shared her story on her blog today.

So why are we all in love with Thistle? Because Thistle Farms is a great Nashville non-profit that supports local women while offering great gifts for women, bridesmaids and wedding guests!

About Thistle Farms

Thistle Farms is a non-profit business for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction.  Thistle Farms creates bath and body products that are good for your body and that support and empower our sisters - from Nashville to Rwanda. All of the proceeds go directly to the women in the program for transitional living, counseling, job skills, etc.  While based in Nashville (located on Charlotte Avenue), they are changing lives in our backyard and the entire world!

My Visit to Thistle Farms

To learn more about the group, I was invited to visit Thistle Farms, a day that was life transforming.  The day started with a meditation session where the group of recovering drug addicts, prostitutes, visitors (like me, Tabitha, Louise and the Jonathon Campbell Photography crew), volunteers and staff shared life affirmations.  Listening to their trials, experiences made us all realize that regardless of our backgrounds, our human story was the same - our lives were parallel and that self-love and survival are universal goals.  

The topic of the day was secrets and how their existence keeps us imprisoned while our release frees us.  After sharing my love story last month, I could totally relate.  I could also relate to a group of women working together to raise one another, thereby raising humanity and the Nashville community specifically. 

Pictured above: Carolyn (a Thistle Farms volunteer who invited ABG to visit) + wonderful survivors showing me how the products are made.

Words will not do my visit justice so I encourage you to 1) visit Thistle Farm yourself to learn more about the organization and unique opportunity to help other Nashvillians by introducing your church, girlfriends, fellow bloggers or out of town gift lovers to TF and 2) consider being a Thistle Farms bride/supporter!

5 ways to be a Thistle Farms Bride / Supporter!

1) Leave a comment, spread the word and we will donate! 

The easiest way to support Thistle Farms is to leave a comment + spread the word!  When you share today's post on Twitter or Facebook, ABG will donate $1 to Thistle Farms.  How easy is that?  Just share this post on Facebook or tweet the link and mention @weddinggirl and @thistlefarms and link to this article (here's the shorten link - http://bit.ly/beMN3W). Simple!

2) Purchase gift baskets for your bridal party, birthdays, new baby or any occasion where a fabulous gift is needed!

For the select few people you've invited to be a special part of your big day, consider personalized gift baskets from Thistle Farms. Filled with your choice of four fragrances (tuscan earth, citrus vanilla, lavender healing and tea tree mint), pick the size of basket filled with handmade bath and body products that fit your needs and pocketbook. Each basket will also contain a personal note from the bride and groom."

We loved this! it would be a great gift for your bridesmaid to pamper them during your hot summer Nashville wedding!

3) Give your wedding guests Thistle Farms favors - from lip balm to scented satchets

Thistle Farms Lip Balm is a perfect one to use at a wedding!...Pick from five scents of handmade lip balms (tuscan earth, citrus vanilla, lavender healing, tea tree mint, unscented – or let us choose a mix of scents), which will be attached to a keepsake postcard with the Bride & Groom’s names and wedding date."

4) Host a Thistle Farms bridal shower

Instead of a typical bridal shower, host a unique Thistle Farms Bridal Shower. Two of our trained employees will come to you, share their personal stories of hope, and tell you about our products. Sample our divine Body Polish...or smell our naturally fragrant candles. Celebrate your special day with women and products that truly say 'Love heals'.

3) Consider a {donation} wedding registry in lieu of gifts

Donating funds to a charity in lieu of giving guests favors is a very socially responsible and heartfelt way to thank your friends and family for sharing in your wedding. Thistle Farms will create a beautiful framed piece of artwork on thistle paper to let your guests know that a donation has been made in their name to the organization.

4) Buy every day products - from geranium spray (aka bug repellant) + candles to shower gel - to pamper yourself!

5) Volunteer and give of your time, love!!

AshleysBrideGuide.com is proud to support them and excited to share the many ways that EVERYONE can support this wonderful Nashville jewel.  Special thanks to Carolyn Snell who is a wonderful person and the Thistle Farms volunteer who invited me to visit and to Jonathon Campbell Photography who took time out to not only capture my visit but to meditate + share this incredible experience.

Find out where you can pick up their awesome wedding products via their website or via their Thistle Farms wedding blog post. 

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Guests, Gifts & Favors, Inspiration & Trends 9 comments »

Fabulous Favors for Your Nashville Wedding, Bridal Shower

Monday, August 2, 2010

To have or not to have favors? This is a question that I've often pondered.  Many times, the favors brides give their wedding guests aren't exactly the most useful and end up as clutter in your guest's home (or in their trash bin).  Finding a favor that are appreciated and memorable can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. 

Latrice Cushenberry of Opulent Couturier is an event stylist, wedding planner and my go-to retail shopping guru! She knows how and where to find tfabulousness for your wedding (or wardrobe) and has a flair for wedding favors.  She sent us some of the best selling favorites from her online bridal/baby favor store, Opulent Favors. I must say I love everything she sent and think you will find them a great option for your wedding, bridal shower or even baby shower guests.

Opulent Couturier treated our Sex and the City party guests to these stemless wine glasses.  They were a hit with everyone and how could they not be? They're a simple, classy gift that pretty much everyone can use.

One of my favorite Opulent Couturier goodies is the diamond wine stopper below.  Opulent Couturier treated our ABG brides to these at our party and I wanted one but couldnt get my hands on an extra!  

Add a little bling for your bottle with these adorable favors!

Surprise, surprise, I love receiving edible favors! And you can't have enough mints! Especially when they come in such pretty packaging.

I absolutely adore damask. These candy boxes are by Kate Aspen, one of the lines Opulent Couturier carries.

The pink mint boxes are from Kate Aspen; The mod monogrammed bottles and boxes as well as the brown boxes are from Event Blossom.

If you have a garden party or outdoor wedding planned, your guests will love you even more when you give them something with which to cool down.  These fans by Event Blossom (available via Opulent Couturier) are utterly pretty and come in a variety of colors.

Form AND function! We know how hot it gets here in the summer!

I do appreciate candles as favors. It's something lots of people will take and use. The tins are also from Aspen Grove and aren't the Event Blossom birdcage luminaries just adorable?

These are a couple of the lines Opulent Couturier carries but if you're looking for the perfect favor that will fit your vision definitely  get in touch with Latrice.  Aside from what she already has available, she will also work with you to find the favor that best suits the theme of your wedding and event.

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Guests, Gifts & Favors 0 comments »