Tuesday, May 7, 2013
As a bride who had a lot of guest who traveled to Nashville for my wedding, I can't say that I was the most thoughtful bride. My reception venue required a 20 minute drive from my ceremony location. I did set up a wedding website that included some directions but I didnt really give my guests ideas for local activities. I did make sure my guests enjoyed a cocktail reception while we took formal photos. I also choose a hotel that offered a free breakfast the morning after my wedding. (That was one of my better decisions actually.!) Overall, I'd give myself a B-. I simply just didnt think all of how I could have made different decisions that would have been good for me and for my guests. their needs through. But when you know better, you should do better.
What I now know is that when you are planning a destination Nashville wedding or are catering to many out of town guests, it's important to start with a solid game plan that considers your guests and makes their journey to your wedding as easy and enjoyable as possible. But how do you do that?
I reached out to Jalessa of the Nashville City Club for advice on weddings with a large number of out of town guests. As an all-inclusive wedding location in the heart of Nashville, they attract a large share of out of town brides who 1) love Nashville and have chosen our city for their big day 2) prefer a central, downtown venue and 3) are planning remotely and need a strong team that knows Nashville to help with details. With their expert help, you should have a much better luck planning your destination Nashville wedding and accomodating your out of town guests.
Above images: The Collection
Above images: Dove Wedding Photography
Above images: Scoobie Photographic Images
Above image: Kery Woo Photography
What should brides consider as they plan a destination Nashville wedding or if they anticipate a good number of out of town guests?
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All inclusive venues - They will make it easier as you plan. They are less work for the bride and groom. Unless you go with an all-inclusive venue, you will definitely need a planner.
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Transportation - Be sure that you have a plan. Think this through for your guests. The easier you make their travel, the better.
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Activities - Provide highlights of Nashville and give them something to do. Highlight why you choose Nashville and provide suggesttions for their weekend.
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Staff - Make sure you are comfortable with any vendors that you hire. Make sure they are readily accesible and are good about communication. Develop a good relationship with them because you will be depending heavily on them.
The Nashville City Club was voted the "Best Place to Get Married" and "Best View of Nashville" by TheTennessean's readers. Here's what makes them a favorite place for destination weddings and out of town guests:
1) Downtown location
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easy to get to from any part of the city, including airport
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walking distance to hotels, no car needed to get around downtown area
2) All-inclusive packages
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reduces the number of local vendors to contact, hire
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single contact for most wedding needs - food, basic linen, ceremony, reception, beverages
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complimentary parking for wedding guests
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can host ceremony and reception in one easy location, saving money and travel time for guest
3) Unmatched views of city
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view on 20th floor - great view of city
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unique backdrop - floor to ceiling windows
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voted best view of city serveral years in a row
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great venue that shows off city
4) Walking distance to hotels and nightlife
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so many lodging options all around
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guests don't have to worry about driving to wedding
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with signed contract, Nashville City Club provides couples a list of hotels in area that offer NCC brides discounts on room blocks
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free shuttle to hotels that are not located in walking distance
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walking distance to nightlife on Broadway, Printers Alley
5) Helpful concierge program
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Nashville City Club's concierge has relationships with Nashville event venues like the Ryman and Bridgestone Area as well as restaurants. Brides, grooms and out of town guests can work with the concierge for event tickets, reservations or activity suggestions. Couples can even work with the concierge to plan special events for their bridal party or post-wedding events for out of town guests.
Above images: The Collection
Contact Jalessa at 615.620.1327 for a tour of the Nashville City Club or to learn more about their all-inclusive venue for local and destination brides. (All photos of Nashville City Club weddings and in downtown areas around venue.)
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Advice & Planning, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Monday, May 6, 2013
When guests leave your wedding requesting recipes from your reception dinner, you know you hired the right caterer! Such was the case with Kate and Tony's wedding at Front Porch Farms where guests keep calling, asking for the recipes for the squash casserole and carrot souffle, both signature dishes from Beyond Details, a Nashville wedding caterer. I must admit that I too was shocked by how much I liked those two dishes during my tasting with Beyond Details last year. And I'm a very picky eater!
If food matters to you, make sure you hire a caterer that you will enjoy and that will offer a memorable experience for your guests, as Kate and Tony did. Learn more about Kate's experience working with Beyond Details via my interview below and contact them for a tasting of your own!
Kate and Tony
September 2, 2012
Caterer: Beyond Details
Venue: Front Porch Farms
What wedding food experience did you want to offer your wedding guests?
Kate (bride): Our guests came in from out-of-state, so we wanted as much of the wedding to be Nashville-infused as possible, including the food. We incorporated Southern dishes, like shrimp and grits and cheesy summer squash, and served local beers to give the menu a sense of place.
Also, we happily eat meat, but many of the members of our wedding party were vegetarians, so we deliberately sought out a caterer that could make enticing, substantial veggie options.
What menu did Beyond Details design for your wedding?
Appetizers: shrimp and grits, stuffed mushrooms
Meal: barbecued chicken, squash casserole, grilled asparagus, carrot souffle, rolls
Dessert: banana pudding, key lime pie, various cakes from Sweet 16th Bakery in Nashville.
What was your favorite dish created by Beyond Details?
Kate (bride): At our tasting with Beyond Details, we weren't planning to get desserts from them since we wanted cake at the wedding instead. Then, we had a taste of their Key lime pie and knew we had to have it, so we ended up ordering pie and pudding from them in addition to the cakes!
We had a half-dozen guests email us demanding the recipes for the squash casserole and carrot soufflé. They were such unique additions to the menu!
What did you most love about creating Kate's wedding menu?
Beyond Details (caterer): Kate was so open to suggestions and we always love a good Southern menu!!
Special thanks to Val and Sarah, their photographers, who did an incredible job capturing their delicious food details.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Nashville-Style, Cakes & Food
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Friday, May 3, 2013
I am elated to feature Megan and Brian's wedding, which took place at the Loveless Barn, a world renowned restaurant and Nashville staple. Samantha of Firefly Events, one of their wedding planners, alerted me to this fabulous couple and shared details about their nuptials, which were vibrantly captured by Evin Photography. In telling me about their day, their planners shared the following, which set the tone for their feature, our wedding of the week:
"When a couple is in love and is focused on their marriage, the wedding seems to fall into place. Such was the case for Megan and Brian. They approached their planning season with such creativity and joy! What an inspiration to brides and grooms everywhere. Megan and Brian took great strides to personalize their ceremony and reception, and it paid off. Their wedding was no doubt inspired by their careers with Disney World, which made for a truly magical day."
- Samantha Reedy and Michelle Meadows, Firefly Events
Megan and Brian
Wedding Date ~ November 10, 2012
Ceremony Location ~ Wightman Chapel at Scarritt Bennett
Reception Location ~ Loveless Barn at Loveless Cafe
Guests ~ 125
Budget Range ~ $20-50k
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Classic with a twist. A bit Shabby Chic.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
There’s nothing better than a timeless look with a little twist. We incorporated our favorite color blue and a little bit of UK swag. With our Honeymoon being in London, we added pieces of London to our Save the Date’s, photos, and reception. Our table markers were different versions of “Keep Calm and…” that pertained to our favorite things. For example, “Keep Calm And Call Batman”.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
The entire day! We spent months planning every detail and the pay off was seeing everything come together. Having so many circles of friends and family members under one roof was great!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Capturing every aspect of our day was important. We splurged on our Photographer and Videographers. MONEY WELL SPENT! Our photos have been the topic of conversation at work and with family. The comment of “This looks like it came straight out of a magazine!” has been said hundreds of times. Some of the ways we were able to save money were on the reception decorations. Cupcake toppers, goodie bags, family window (wedding day pictures of family members placed in each pane), London themed candy bar, cake table decorations, Guest Book (made our own photo book from iPhoto), Sweetheart table decorations, vintage luggage for cards, etc…
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
No, not really. We worked hard together to incorporate all of the special details for the wedding and everything worked out as planned! ☺ (Thanks to amazing Coordinators, Photographer, and Videographers!)
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Planning a wedding is a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it to have the best day EVER for the start of a beautiful life together.
My Wedding Team:
Planner | Firefly Events
Minister | Jim Harvey
Photographer | Evin Photography
Videographer | Limestone Films, Chattanooga, TN
Gown & accessories | Gown - Oleg Cassini. Shoes - custom made from Etsy and were completely covered in Swarovski crystals. Bride - replica Kate tiara.
Men’s attire | Tux - Men’s Wearhouse with Darth Vader cufflinks from Amazon.com.
Bridesmaids’ attire | Alfred Angelo
Hair | Self
Makeup | Jessie from Parlour 3
Stationery | Love, Ashley Designs, Orlando, FL
Ceremony musicians | Pianist – Diane Dawson, Vocalist – Lynette Dove Harris
Reception musicians | DJ Dan & Co.
Caterer | Loveless Café
Cake artist | Dulce Desserts
Floral designer | Brocade Design Arts
Enjoy more photos from Megan and Brian's lovely Loveless Cafe wedding via the Evin Photography blog.
Megan and Brian's wedding video, courtesy of Limestone Films.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Nashville-Style, Real Nashville Weddings
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Thursday, May 2, 2013
Caitlyn and Alex created their own wedding invitations but knew that for their actual wedding day, they wanted paper goods that were out-of-the box creative, something they knew that couldnt do by themselves. They reached out to Marianne of Quad Deuce Design and shared that they wanted to incorporate the Nashville skyline in their look. From there, Marianne go to know the couple, learned a bit about them as a couple, their love story and sense of style. Together, they collaborated until Marianne created more than Caitlyn even knew was possible!
Caitlyn and Alex's Custom Paper Collection
"Caitlyn & Alex are from opposite ends of the country; she from LA, he from NYC (hence the "NY *heart* LA" logo). They met in Nashville and decided to marry and build their lives here. When Caitlyn contacted me, she had already designed, printed and mailed her own invitations, a simple, modern design featuring the Nashville skyline. Her request of me was to create the rest of the stationery for their wedding, including programs, welcome sign, escort cards, signs, mad libs cards, etc. to coordinate with their modern, classy and swanky theme. I was delighted, as her style very closely matches my own. We began the design process in early June, and by the time of the wedding in September, we had literally "branded" her wedding. ~ Marianne (designer)
Quad Deuce Design created a 6-page booklet style wedding program that included details on how they met, bridal party details, meanings of wedding traditions, and more. The program also was the first peek at the couple's NYLA logo, created by Marianne.
Caitlyn asked Quad Deuce Design to create a welcome sign to greet her wedding guests. Marianne decided to create a permanent piece that would serve as a keepsake. She created a laser cut liece and placed it in a floating frame.
During cocktail hour, guests were given a fun MadLib style card that served as well wishes for the couple. They also learned more about the couple via a his/her card with quick facts.
Quad Deuce Design created a very unique way to direct guests to their table. While it looks like a shimmery poster of the Nashville skyline, it actually is compromised of individual squares, each containing a guest's name. On the back of the square is the assigned table number.
Caitlyn wrote a welcome note for each table that introduced each person at the table so guests got to know one another. (What a great idea!) The welcome note was included in the table setting along with the menu card.
Quad Deuce designed the table numbers that were wrapped around vases.
Caitlyn and Alex professed early on that they were not creative folks, although they greatly appreciated creativity. They allowed Quad Deuce full range, even as far as allow Marianne to name their signature drink, "The Decadent Davies."
After the reception, the party continued across the street. Quad Deuce Design created a directional card and a sign directing guests to grab a coozie for the after party!
"Marianne is a creative genius. My favorite comment from our wedding was from my husband: "Wow, our wedding isn't just classy - it's branded." Marianne designed a whole modern stationery suite that truly was unique to us and really did give our wedding a cohesive, swanky, "branded" feel. She designed amazing signs, menus, special details, escort cards, programs, thank yous and more. The overall effect was stunning. We loved it so much we made a scrapbook of just our stationery. We will definitely be showing off her work for a long time! ~ Caitlyn (bride)
About Quad Deuce Design
Quad Deuce Design specializes in custom invitations and stationery. No two designs are alike, as Marianne tailors every detail to her clients' and their specific event. She takes a limited number of weddings each year in order to give each couple the time and attention they deserve. Please feel free to contact Marianne either by phone (615-474-9517) or email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) with any inquiries.
To learn more about the their wedding day paper and branding, visit the two-part feature on Quad Deuce Design. To see their beautiful wedding photos, visit Caitlyn and Alex's wedding as featured on the McCoy Made blog.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Nashville-Style, Invitations & Paper Goods, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds
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Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The folks at Nashville Event Space manage some of the most stylish venues for weddings and events around town.
I reached out to Bianca, one of their event specialists, to learn more about aVenue, one of their most popular venues. I asked all of the questions that you will need to know as you consider this chic downtown location. Oh - and all of the design shown below is the work of Laurie Hardman and Julia Page of Randi Events, an event team that is available to assist venue couples.
Quick location highlights: stunning blank canvas space, downtown location, outside food and alchohol allowed, event design services available
Photos above: Jonathon Campbell Photography
Tell me about Avenue.
This 15,000 square foot gem sits right in the heart of the growing downtown events district. Its location at the foot of the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge sits just across from the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and the Music City Center. This amazing location makes it the perfect location for any type of event.
When was the business established? 1998
What is your company's motto/philosophy? “We plan an event that no one else can because we make the impossible possible.”
What attracts couples to your venue for their wedding?
aVenue offers downtown Nashville’s most unique event rental option. With a team of designers at Randi Events, we make every event special for every client and guest. aVenue has plenty of historic charm with it’s exposed brick and hard wood floors. Located just off of Broadway, aVenue is a great venue that will definitely impress your guests. Perfect for events large and small, aVenue can meet your every need!
Which bride budget do you serve? Moderate, Luxury
What makes your venue so unique from a service perspective?
Need a wedding planner? No problem! Randi Event designers offer this service. We offer wedding ceremony and reception coordination services not just those that are managed by Nashville Event Space. This service would encompass all aspects of the wedding planning including developing a timeline and directing the rehearsal and wedding ceremony. However, if you have come to us with a wedding planner, we welcome them and are happy to work side-by-side with them to make your wedding day perfect!
Photos above: Nashville Event Space
What is your pricing model?
Rental fees vary based on the day of the week. Peak versus off-peak times may also vary rental rates. Please inquire with the Sales Manager for the Facility Rental venue rental rates. A cleaning fee, facility manager and security fees will be charged in addition to the venue rental.
What payment options are accepted? Payment is accepted in the form of cash, check, cashier’s check or money order. Visa or MasterCard are also accepted. What event options does your venue offer?
We can accommodate both wedding ceremony and reception at aVenue. aVenue is also a great place to host your next birthday party, holiday party, bar/bat mitzvah, corporate meetings and music industry gatherings or any type of celebration.
What type of rooms are available?
The venue features a built-in stage perfect for live music, performances or presentations, a loft space for additional seating and entertaining, and a full basement with a bridal suite and catering area.
How many people can you accommodate?
aVenue can accommodate up to 250 guests for a buffet style seated dinner, 180 guests for a plated, seated dinner and up to 500 guests for a standing reception.
How many events do you take per day?
Nashville Event Space only hosts one event per venue per day allowing each client ample time for set-up and tear-down of their event.
Is outside catering allowed? Do you require couples to use a set list of caterers?
To ensure the great level of service we provide to our clients, we work with a list of approved caterers in our venues. We would be happy to work as a liaison with you and our approved caterers to develop a menu for your event based upon your specific tastes and budget. Clients wishing to work with a caterer not listed on the Approved Catering list will incur an outside catering fee of $7.50 per person. The caterer must supply a copy of their off-site catering license and provide a certificate of liability insurance.
Is outside alcohol allowed?
Yes! When you choose to purchase and bring in your own alcohol, a bar set-ups fee is charged. We hire the ABC certified bartender set and serve all alcoholic beverages. Security is also required for all events serving alcohol.
Is an on-site event coordinator available?
Any client who rents one of our managed venues has the option to utilize our event design services. This service extends to those things which involve event décor and production. Our processional staff is also well trained in Wedding planning so if this is something that you may be interested in please inquire.
Our event designer will work with you every step of the way to make sure the venue is an absolute reflection of your wishes presented throughout the planning process.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Helpful Vendor Interviews!, Wedding Venues and Locations
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