Our Final Elliott Events Design Challenge: Design for 3 Brides with Cave, Earthy and Classic Styles

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

For the last few weeks, I've shared our first and second design challenges featuring the work of Elliott Events.  Through these challenges, it was my goal to show you how Tiffanie, owner of Elliott Events,  works with each bride to create something reflective of their personality, preference and wedding vision.  Take a look at our last design challenge, where Elliott Events was able to create 3 very diverse styles based on each bride.

Ashley & Matthew at Loveless Barn
Their Wedding Design: DIY Meets Country Chic

Ashley and Matthew were married at Nashville's famous Loveless Bar.  Loveless has a country, rustic vibe, which set the tone for her wedding.  To complement the venues look, Ashley wanted a country chic wedding.  She wanted to DIY many of her projects but hired Elliott Events for other projects, such as the wrapped jars.  Together they collaborated to achieve her dream wedding design.   

Stephanie & Billy at Baber House
Their Wedding Design: Grand, Classic Wedding 

Stephanie and Billy got married at Gallatin's Baber House.  They reached out to Elliott Events for a classic but grand wedding.  To achieve their look, Tiffanie created 15 large centerpieces with roses to complement the chandeliers.  

Whitney & Phillip at Lost River Cave (Bowling Green, KY)
Their Wedding Design: Bright, Bold Presence

How do you design for a cave wedding so the design doesnt get lost?  Elliott Event figured it out! When Whitney of reached out to Elliott Events and requested a design that was simple but bright and with pieces that were large enough to standout in a cave,  She didnt want any bling and opted instead for a clean fresh look.  Tiffanie assessed the space, considered Whitney's desires and created a bold concept that was clean and striking in the dark, natural space.

As an all-inclusive planning company, the Elliott Events team is unique in that they offer planning, floral design and draping.  This one-stop resource affords brides a plethora of options without having to work with more than one vendor. But, it really boils down to whether the Elliottt Event's approach works for you.   Contact Tiffanie to get to know her and see if there's a fit.

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Wedding Planners & Coordinators 0 comments »

Modern Meets Vintage at Chris and Dawn’s Traditional, Low-Key BBQ Wedding

Friday, April 5, 2013

You may remember Chris and Dawn's wedding from our mix-gender bridal party feature a few weeks ago.  Their selection of their bridal party based on relationships versus tradition really stood out.  As Dawn put it, we..."didn't want to limit ourselves to people who are all the same sex.  Those are the people we wanted behind us as we said our vows."  

I like their free-thinker approach and what's even more intriguing is how they mixed their free-sprited nature with classic wedding style.  That's a rare combination but one that they pull together effortless.  Notice that while the women in the bridal party all wore the same sophisticated dress, they each girl accessorized in her own way.  They kept it classic while adding their own flair.  As you view more and more of their wedding photos, you will appreciate the elegant yet subtle ways the couple infused their signature style.

Special thanks to jHenderson Studios, whose photograpy the couple considered "the best decision ever." 

Dawn and Chris
Wedding Date ~ October 20, 2012
Ceremony and Reception Location ~ Downtown Presbyterian Church 
Budget ~ $12k
Guests ~ 150

How would you describe your style as a couple?
We are open to new ideas, but value traditions at the same time. We think it is cool how the rituals that occur during weddings have been practiced for so long. We love the antique/vintage style melded with a more modern feel. Chris and I value our free time and like to spend it going on day trips close to home. We like to read, travel, cook, and live daily life together.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Our favorite season is fall, so we naturally had our wedding at that time of year. We wanted to use our favorite things when planning the wedding. Martin’s BBQ is our favorite, we found the band at one of our favorite restaurants due to a chance meeting, We were going for a country Victorian feel with peaches, browns, coppers, dark greens, etc. We used a lot of branches and candles in decorating. We chose Downtown Pres because that played a huge part in how we met. We chose what everyone would wear, but didn’t want everyone to look the exact same. We let the bridal party pick out their own shoes, hairstyles, and accessories. Our family friend that decorated for us was amazing and took all of our ideas and fit them into our budget. We wanted it to be fancy, but low key as well.

What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
The food was so great! Martin’s was affordable for feeding such a large crowd. I am also glad that at the last minute we decided to do a father/daughter, mother/son dance. We danced with them to Bob Dylan’s “Forever young”. Our first dance was to a Ryan Adams song that we love. We had a small after party at the Oak Bar in Hermitage Hotel. We opened up a bar tab and spent some time with our closest friends. It was a great way to unwind after a very busy day.

Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on the invitations. Lemontree Paper Co. did an AMAZING job on our invitations and programs. She really ran with the Victorian/country theme. We saved money by having a family friend (who I trusted and knew was talented) do all of the decorating. The great part about it was that she did all of the shopping and I didn’t have to worry about anything the days leading up to the wedding. We were able to spend less because we went off the beaten path to find vendors. If you go to all the big names in town, it will of course be expensive. There are equally good vendors who are lesser known. We DIYed our wedding favors. I bought 19 pounds of pecans and candied them myself. It was a little more heartfelt than the usual favors you get at weddings. We also saved by not getting a fancy car for the exit. We simply used Chris’s car.

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I don’t think I would have done anything at all differently. It seemed a little stressful at times, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I tend to do things early, so I think that helped out a lot. I had very little to do the month of the wedding.

What advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Have fun with it and don’t get lost in it. Being engaged is fun, so don’t let it slip by being stressed out!

My Wedding Team:
Planner I Myself and a family friend, Sherry Hatchett
Photographer I Jenna Henderson of jHenderson Studios (The best decision ever.)
Gown & accessories I Bridal Warehouse for my dress, family heirlooms from my great-grandmother (pearls and ring)
Men’s attire I Tuxedo Avenue at Bridal Warehouse
Bridesmaids’ attire I Bridal Warehouse
Hair I Parlour and Juke (I get my haircut there and it is the BEST place .)
Makeup I my friend and bridesmaid, Bethany Patchin
Stationery I Lemontree Paper Co. (The owner, Jill Hartline, is amazing)
Ceremony musicians I William Taylor, organist at the Downtown Pres Church
Reception musicians I Grace Adelle and her band
Caterer I Martin’s BBQ out of Nolensville, TN
Cake artist I Sweet and Sassy Bakery in Madison, TN (They also did my mom’s cake when she got married)
Floral designer I Fresh by Carry Ann out of Mt. Juliet

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings 0 comments »

A DIY Bride’s Classic Scarritt Bennett Ceremony Followed by Intimate, Aerial Rooftop Reception

Friday, March 29, 2013

Hillary of Your Day of Fairy Tales has a knack for attracting creative do-it-yourself (DIY) brides who are smart enough to know that they can't DIY their planning!  Take Whitney and Matt's wedding.  Whitney DIY'ed many of her design details but left the heavy lifting on her wedding day to Hillary.  She didn't want to work at her wedding day nor lean on the help of her family or friends.  The result was a day that everyone could sit back and enjoy.

Whitney and Matt
Wedding Date ~ June 16,  2012
Ceremony Location ~ Scarritt Bennett Wightman Chapel  
Reception Location ~ Aerial 
Budget ~ $10-20K
Guests ~ 125

How would you describe your style as a couple?

Our style as a couple is classic, but not stuffy.  Most days, I wearing black with pearls, and Matt will be in flip-flops until it snows! We love our city, being outside in the sun and live for football season!

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?

Our wedding was perfectly “Whitney and Matt”. We wanted the ceremony to be personal yet traditional and have an intimate feeling for our guests while being surrounded by the beauty and grandeur of Scarritt Bennett. We used all black and white décor throughout the ceremony and decorated with simple greenery to avoid taking away any of the essence of the chapel.

With the reception, we wanted our guests to feel like they were at a dressed up party that we would normally throw. We love to entertain outdoors and we absolutely love Nashville, so aerial was a natural choice for our reception venue. We continued with the black and white theme used in the ceremony, but added a fun aqua that made us think of the pool where we met. We also gave koozies as favors which were also a little reminiscent of our meeting. I always wanted to have sparklers for our exit, but they wouldn’t have had the desired effect that I wanted for a day wedding. Instead, we hand punched “sparkles” and recruited our Flower Girls to become Glitter Girls and hand out glittery confetti sparkles for our going away toss.

What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?

My favorite aspect of the wedding was that our wedding party and family got to enjoy our day without having a single responsibility, and I know they agree. We wanted our guests to be fully taken care of on that day, and not have to worry about logistics or clean up. I have been to so many weddings were the family of the bride and groom were stressed and were expected to run the wedding, and we absolutely did not want that for our families. We wanted them to party! This is where Hillary of Your Day of Fairy Tales came in and did a fantastic job of making this happen.

Where did you splurge?

We definitely splurged on the Venues. The first time I stepped foot into Scarritt Bennett, I knew I had to get married there. Matt and I both fell in love with Nashville as children, and we wanted our guests to experience the city we love so much -up close. On a rooftop in the heart of Music City couldn’t have been more perfect.

Where did you save/DIY?

I absolutely loved getting to use my creative side while planning the wedding. I designed and crafted all of the bridal bouquets and centerpieces, made all the programs, and did all of the calligraphy for the invitations myself. We also bought all of the linens for the reception online instead of renting them.

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?

I spent too much time the week of the wedding worrying about things my planner was already taking care of. If I could go back, I would’ve relaxed, scheduled a massage and wouldn’t have waited until 2 hours before rehearsal to have my nails done!  Matt completely agrees.

What advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?

I’d like to borrow a quote from our good buddy, Ferris Bueller. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” While you’re all wrapped up in planning the wedding, stop, look around, and never let anything make you forget how you fell in love in the first place!

Wedding Team

Planner I Hillary Capes-Smith of Your Day of Fairy Tales
Photographer and Videographer I B&B Portraits
Gown I Allure from Bridal Warehouse
Bride’s Accessories I Pearls – Maternal Grandmother, Right Hand Ring – Paternal Grandmother
Diamond Cross – Gift from the Groom, Bouquet Brooches – Maternal Grandmother, Hair Flower – Niki Green of Posh Tots & Co.
Men’s Attire I Men’s Warehouse
Bridemaids’ Attire I David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup I Sylvia Fox-Smith of Seriously Foxy
Stationary I Exclusively Weddings and DIY by the Bride
Caterer I Merchants
Cake Artist I Dulce Desserts
Floral Designer I Bride and Hillary Capes-Smith
Officiant I Ralph Griggs –Tennessee Wedding Minister
Ceremony Musicians I James A. Weinberg, Organist
Reception Musicians I Playlist of the Bride and Groom
Rentals I Music City Tents & Events, Classic Party Rentals
Transportation I Grand Avenue
Guest Accommodations I Hampton Inn, West End

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Real Nashville Weddings 0 comments »

This Saturday!!!  Find Your Wedding Gown for Under $400 at the Annual Goodwill Wedding Gala

Monday, March 11, 2013

This week is truly a dream week for all of you bargain-seeking brides. If you are looking for a steal on a wedding dress, join us bright and early on Saturday morning for the annual Goodwill Wedding Gala.

If you are not familiar with the Goodwill Gala, here's a quick rundown:

The Goodwill Wedding Gala is the ultimate way to save on your wedding dress. The Gala will take place from 6am to 10am on March 16 at the Goodwill Store in Rivergate located at 2101 Gallatin Pike North in Madison, Tennessee.

The dresses:
You will find bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, cocktail dresses, mother of the bride/groom dresses, flower girl dresses, and more from Alfred Angelo, Allure, Eden Bridals, Mary’s, Watters Brides, etc. Most of the gowns are sample dresses donated from local bridal stores and have never been worn.  No wedding gown will be priced over $400!! The sale will also include accessories such as veils, jewelry, shoes and more!

The organization:
Proceeds from the sale of these items will benefit the mission of Goodwill, which is to provide employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

The inside scoop:

• Be sure to arrive early - last year there were 350+ brides in line at 6am to get their dream gown for less!
• Wedding cake from Crumb de la Crumb will be served. 
• Attendees will be treated to refreshments provided by C&K Catering.
• Rhonda Patton Weddings will provide inspirational wedding designs. 
• Pre-owned wedding gowns have been cleaned by Nicholson Cleaners.
• Brides can register to win several prizes from restaurant gift cards to local hotel stays.

To read all about the organization, the event, and our tour of the Goodwill facilities, read our full feature via this link. For more information, visit giveit2goodwill.org or call 615-346-1601.

Before you go, browse the Goodwill Wedding Gala Look Book for a sampling of the looks that will be for sale this Saturday (all for under $400) at the Gala.

How gorgeous is this wedding gown! I can't believe it will be available for under $400 at the Gala.

The Gala will will offer dresses for brides and bridesmaids too!

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Bridal Shows & Events, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party, DIY & Budget Wed Finds 2 comments »