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Destination Weds & Honeymoon

Chef’s Market Provide a Taste of the South for Washington DC Bride & Groom’s Houston Station Wedding

Friday, May 31, 2013

Lesli and I were classmates at both Hume Fogg High School (here in Nashville) and Howard University (in Washington DC).  I knew she was engaged because she reached out for personally recommendations via Facebook.   She also used AshleysBrideGuide.com to find local resources (such as Houston Station and Chef's Market) since she was planning a Nashville wedding remotely from the DC-area.   

With all of those connections - I still can't believe that I discovered Lesli's wedding via food photos on the Chef's Market Facebook page!   I didn't even know the food photos were from her wedding until I requested to see the full wedding  and recognized Lesli!  What a small world.

What I love most about Lesli's wedding, aside from her food, was that she and Erik were able to make their 250+ guest reception both intimate and personal.  Their guests got a taste of real sense of their personalities, their loves, and even a taste of Lesli's hometown of Nashville. 

It's my pleasure to share their lovely wedding with you today.

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Lesli + Erik
Wedding Date ~ December 1, 2012
Ceremony & Reception Location ~ Houston Station/Noteable Blends Coffee Lounge
Budget ~ $20-50K
Guests ~ 250

 

Erik and Lesli's Wedding Details

How would you describe your style as a couple?

As a couple our style is a combination of rustic elegance and city chic. Lesli has a simply stated artistic style that is always well put together but laid back and comfortable.  Erik has a polished shirt and tie appeal that borders on corporate sprinkled with flare.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?

Our two styles were exemplified in every aspect of our big day. The venue was a renovated hosiery manufacturing warehouse adjacent to a train track. The renovation maintained the original exposed brick walls and wood beams while adding distinctive modern accents. The room was fashioned with deep purple pintuck satin table cloths that had a look of royalty but each table was finished with custom wood centerpieces, topped with antique mason jars.

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What was the favorite aspect of your wedding? 

Our guests identified their favorite aspect of the wedding as the ability of the space to say so much about our lives and loves. They loved the use of childhood photos in the entry area. Guests commented on the music themed coffee lounge and its tribute to Lesli's home town, "Music City". Our favorite aspect of the wedding was the way the ceremony and the reception allowed all of our guests to be a part of the day and enjoy our favorite things.

Where did you splurge?  Where did you save/DIY?

I would have done the programs, welcome letter for out of town guests, and place cards earlier - not the week of the wedding.

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

The advice we would offer to couples in the midst of there planning is for them to eliminate any aspect of the wedding the two disagree on or discuss more than once.

 

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Erik and Lesli's Wedding Menu

Bo of Chef's Market was willing to tell me all about about Lesli and Erik's menu, which made sense since it was their food that grabbed my attention initially! What was their menu?  How was it created? I had to know it all. Here's what Bo shared:

Erik and Lesli are a really fun couple. When I first met Lesli's mom, JoAnn, she and I spoke about the couple's likes, dislikes, and what they wanted to get out of their reception. They wanted two entrees, but also had to keep their overall budget in mind. We picked two options that are both cost effective...and delicious! With so many guests coming in from Baltimore, D.C., etc - we had to make sure we gave them a good taste of the south without overwhelming them. From the tasting to the day of the reception, Erik and Lesli loved the menu created just for them, and ate every bit of the plate we presented to each of them at their reception.

 

Cocktail Hour
Lavish fruit and cheese display
Accompanied by gourmet crackers and a sweet fruit dip
 

Reception Buffet
Club Med salad station
Locally grown baby greens, strawberries, goat cheese and pine nuts
Sesame seed vinaigrette dressing
Tennessee cheese straw chicken
Boneless chicken breasts fried in a Tennessee cheese straw batter
With a red pepper jelly
Flank steak - marinated, slow grilled flank steak accompanied by a mango salsa
Green bean bundles wrapped in roasted red pepper
Smoked gouda mac and cheese
Assortment of butter rolls, sweet chili cornbread and parmesan herb

 

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Erik and Lesli's Wedding Team:

Planning | Bride & bride's mom
Photographer | Ace Photography
Videographer | AndyCam Productions
Venue | Houston Station
Gown | Allure
Bridal Party | David's Bridal
Men's Attire | Street Tuxedo
Makeup | Ms. Lottye Covington
Hair | Ms. Nakitia Drew
Stationary | Save-the-Date - bbinvitations (Borrowed & Blue) Etsy; Invitations - The Paper Source
Rehearsal Dinner | Chappy's on Church
Caterer | Chef's Market 
Cake Artist | Signature Cakes by Vicki
Flowers | Smith & Rogers
Lighting | Nashville Event Lighting
Rentals | Classic Party Rentals
Transportation | FADDS Party Bus
Ceremony Musicians | Ruthielee Entertainment, Shaun & Annette Gaffney
Reception Music | DJ Spade
Wedding Day Coordinators | Mrs. Terika Dean & Ms. Tanya Singh

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Real Nashville Weddings 3 comments »

Ellen & Gregg Celebrate Love & Music City at Their Country Music Hall of Fame Wedding

Friday, March 8, 2013

Ellen chose to return to Nashville, her hometown, to give her fiance Gregg, as well as their friends and family, a taste of Music City.  It was only fitting that they selected the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for their ceremony and reception venue.  This couple, who met in Boston at Cornell, wanted an elegant, Nashville-style wedding, filled with top-notch music.  And that's exactly what they got when they turned to the team at the Hall.

 

What many of you may not know, because I certainly didnt, is that the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a Nashville landmark for more than one reason.  Not only is it a breathtaking venue, but it houses the best country music collections in its galleries.  It is very much a player in the Nashville country music scene, giving it unique access to some of our city's most talented musicians.  Ellen and Gregg knew this and asked Debbie, Senior Manager of Event Entertainment, to recommend the absolute best bands, given their specific musical tastes.  The result - Debbie took their loose details and interests, hired 3 separate bands - one for their ceremony, one for their cocktail hour and one for their reception.  It wasn't enough to find great talent; Debbie worked with these incredible bands, getting them to learn songs of special meaning to the couple, like the couple's alma mater.

If you love Music City, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has no rivals.

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Ellen and Gregg
Ceremony & Reception Venue ~ Country Music Hall of Fame
Guests ~ 160

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The couple took portraits amongst Music City history and even gave their guests a piece of history in their Hatch Show Print wedding program. The 2-sided Hatch Show Print was designed for the couple's ceremony. The program, with gold ink on cream paper, was stunning and a great keepsake.

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Ellen and Gregg chose to host both their ceremony and reception at the Hall.  They selected the Rotunda for their ceremony, the Curb Conservatory for their reception and the Curb Courtyard for their cocktail hour.  Hosting everything in one, central location was convenient for their guests, many of whom were not from Nashville.  They were able to stay downtown, enjoy the city, even walk to honky tonks after reception.  

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Ellen and Gregg's reception tables were named after country music artists such as Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash.  Each sign contained facts about the musician which made for great table conversation.  The signs were provided by the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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Lindsay of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was eager to tell me all about this couple. "It was cute to watch them together. They are such a nice couple. Ellen had a clear vision but definitely included Gregg for decision making. Their families were involved in the planning and the day. Ellen's father even made a cake out of cupcakes. It was great to see two families become one. It was great to work with them, from beginning to end. It was also nice to handle what the couple needed so when they came to town, they had less stress.""

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One of the reasons Ellen chose the Hall was that it was already a beautiful venue, one that she felt didn’t need to be dressed up. They kept their design minimalistic, classic and elegant which was achieved with all white flowers of varying types. Ivory was the primary color used and mint green accents were added to give the event an elegant, spring look. Green was added via the bridesmaids dresses and specialty lighting.  

While their design was of great taste, the couple's main goal was that their guests thoroughly enjoy their celebration of love, as well as the city of Nashville.

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Wedding Team:

Wedding planner  | Since the ceremony and location were in one location, the Country Music Hall of Fame helped source vendors and handled most of the details, helping Ellen plan her wedding remotely from Boston.

Wedding photographer | Austin Gros Photography

Floral design | Garden Delights 

Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Venues and Locations 0 comments »

Wedding Planner + Recent Bride Share Tips for Planning an Incredible, Destination Nashville Wedding

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Dave and Blair's wedding was featured on Wedding Chicks earlier this year. I later learned that their wedding was inspired by their fair-themed engagement photos and took place at Nashville's Houston Station.  

Dave and Blair are well traveled and reside in Los Angeles, CA. Of all of the places they've lived, they choose Nashville for their wedding this year. Nashville is becoming a sought after, destination wedding location so I reached out to Blair to understand why they choose Nashville, how they planned a wedding from hundreds of miles away and how she and her wedding planner, Emily of Simply Yours Wedding and Events designed a wedding with such a personal feel.

Keep reading to enjoy a few photos from Blair and Dave's Destination Nashville wedding and to learn how to plan your Destination Nashville wedding.

All wedding photos by Austin Gros.  

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How would you describe Blair and Dave?

Emily (Wedding Planner): Blair and Dave love the color and fun of life. They really enjoy being on a constant adventure together. They've lived all over the country for different reasons. Their roots are in the South which is part of why they wanted to get married here in Nashville. They have that sweet Southernness about them but also have knowledge and excitement about other parts of the country. They love life, love each other, and love living life together.

Being from Los Angeles, why did you choose Nashville for your wedding?

Blair (Bride): Nashville has a special place in our hearts! Dave grew up in Nashville, and we still have important family and friends there. We also knew we’d have friends coming from all over the country: he went to school in NJ, me in Georgia, we met in Chicago, I’ve lived in Boston, DC, and NYC, and we have family in NC, VA, PA, AL, GA, IL, KY, and more. Practically speaking, Nashville made sense, and we knew our friends would have a great time visiting. But, it was more than that. We absolutely adore that city. It’s the perfect combination of everything we love! It’s urban, but has a smaller-town feel with a strong sense of community. There are skyscrapers and urban landscapes, but in the midst of that you have beautiful parks like Percy Warner and neighborhoods where people actually have yards and trees! There is a lot of urban culture and diversity, but at its core, Nashville has a southern soul with all the good things that brings. It’s kind of like us in that way, we have lived all over the country (currently in CA), but we have southern souls that always draw us back.

 

On planning a destination wedding 

When planning a wedding remotely, how did you make sure out of town guests were accommodated?  

Blair (Bride): Both Dave and I set up travel deal alerts on various travel websites (I like Kayak!), so that when good flight deals showed up, we could let our friends know. A lot of friends from Chicago ended up getting Southwest flights for $80-$90 round trip during a big sale they had. If people are coming from far away, they appreciate when you show concern about their budgets! Another big thing is getting good hotel deals (which again, helps tremendously if you have a planner), and considering things like: distance from venues, and do they have hotel shuttles that will take them to your venues, etc. It’s also good to try and think through if you have friends that will be coming alone who could share rooms with other friends in similar situations—helps them save money! The welcome bags are key, we wanted to make SURE they knew how much it meant to us that they were willing to travel all that way to celebrate with us. Also, make directions to rehearsal dinners, churches, receptions, really clear so that out-of-town guests aren’t running around lost and stressed in a city they don’t know well. I asked Emily to double-check directions I got on Google maps, because again, it helps to have an insider who can tell you the best routes.

Emily (Wedding Planner): With lots of out-of-town guests, book hotels early; pay attention to what's happening on your wedding day. Avoid major Nashville events because it's a nightmare getting hotel rooms 3 months before events like football season for Titans/Vandy games, country music concerts, hockey/Predators games, etc. These could be fun for your guests to do but they might also make it harder for them to get from place to place in traffic or to find an affordable good place to stay. Check the convention bureau. Closer to your date, check for events that might impact traffic.  

What advice would you give brides looking to plan their wedding from another city?

Emily (Wedding Planner):  1) You must hire a team that you trust and then trust them - She never met Hillary of Brocade who did her floral design, but Hillary really got Blair. After speaking with me and reading info that Blair provided, Hillary made her own twist on Blair's style. Blair's flowers could not be more perfect. When planning from another city, you have to have a lot of faith in your planner and the vendors that you choose because you are not getting to know the people very well other than email.  

2) Know your priorities upfront - Where do you want a say and when do you want your vendors/planners to decide? Do you want a say in things that require tastes - like cake and catering? Do you want to see the venue in person? If so, you will need to plan to travel to the Nashville. Can you come to town? When? If not, most things can be mailed - like swatches and linen.  

3) Plan in advance - Blair mailed a lot of things  in advance that could not easily brought on the plane. If you are driving to the wedding, also think of what will fit in your car. Talk to your planner, designer to see if you can send them all of your Etsy crafts, etc. Blair's photo booth was entirely DIY. All props purchased from Etsy. She had the items mailed directly to me and I stored them until her wedding. Blair found a dress in Atlanta and left it in Nashville at an alterationist versus flying it to and from California. Think through all of the elements. Communicate with vendors, particularly planner on how things will get from A to Z.  

4) You need a planner. You need feet on the ground; someone who knows the city, people, vendors, and is going to help you, even when it comes to directions to and from your vendor meetings. A planners knowledge will be more than what you can find online.

Blair (Bride): Hire a planner. End of story. Period. Done and done. I was working full-time out in California, which is two hours behind Nashville, making it really difficult to catch vendors at the right time and organize everything. I also didn’t know the city super-well, and I needed someone who could steer me in the right direction when it came to the best florists, photographers, lighting, rentals, etc. It just would’ve been too much without Emily! You need an insider who knows that city well.

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How did you find Emily to plan your wedding?

Blair (Bride): We made a special trip to Nashville to look at venues and try to get some things quickly taken care of (we only had 4 months to plan!), and one of the places we visited was Houston Station. Emily was there setting up for a wedding for that evening, and immediately I loved the design. Since she was there, we thought we’d ask for her opinions on two different venues we were considering, and she was so kind, patient, and gracious! I knew I liked her right away, she just has that effect on people At the time, I was thinking to myself “Surely I don’t really need a planner,” so I took her business card and we went on with our day. Boy was I wrong! Probably less then 2 weeks later, I realized how overwhelming this was, and how much I needed help, so I called Emily to talk details. The rest is history! Best wedding decision I made, seriously. I tell people all the time, if you spend money on ONE thing, get a great planner.

Emily (Wedding Planner): They literally ran into me at a wedding that I planned at Houston Station. They were in doing a tour of the space and we ended up talking forever.  


What were your wedding priorities?

Blair (Bride): My priority was that it felt personal, and that when people came they would feel 1) loved and that they were a part of our story (because they all were in some way shape or form—we are big on the importance of community) 2) they would come in and say, “this is so Dave and Blair” I also just wanted people to be able to relax, have fun, and celebrate in our joy with us! I didn’t have specific priorities when it came to details, at least at first. I’m more of a “big picture” person—so I knew how I wanted it to “feel”, and I had ideas, but I definitely needed Emily to fill in the details

Emily (Wedding Planner): I would agree.  1) Personal touch - I remember when we were on the phone and we were trying to figure out who they were as a couple. I started presenting additional options based on their engagement pics - a lot came from the pics. I said, "What if you did something like an ice cream bar, root beer floats." Then it dawned on her that their wedding should be symbolic of them. At first it was about what she saw on Pinterest, Etsy. But then she realized it should be more about them versus what they saw elsewhere.  

2) Fun time for guests/family - Blair wanted her family and out of town guests really enjoy themselves. It was her mom and cousin's birthday so she wanted to do something fun to thank them for sharing their day with her. She was intentional about representing who they are as a couple, but also wanted to be sure guests knew their presence was appreciated. One way she did this was through great welcome bags. She put a lot of thought into designing perfect bags for her family friends. She also had a vintage popcorn machine from Houston Station which was such a fun element. It was right by the photo booth and people were there all night long. She had Maggie Moos Ice Cream Bar to give guests a fun taste of summer, also a big hit as was their coffee room. Blair and Dave choose a great DJ and stayed on the floor all night long which encouraged guests to do the same. They kept dancing and so did everyone else.

For their first dance, they chose a song by Bryan Adams that has a harmonica solo in middle of the song. Dave whipped out a harmonica and started playing and the bride just started laughing. It was so sweet - such a funny surprise. It was funny and so personal.

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Blair and Dave's wedding inspiration board
 

 
On designing a whimsical wedding 
 

What inspired your wedding's design?

Blair (Bride): So many things! I love color, always have, so I was drawn to colorful weddings. We both are pretty playful and laid-back, so we knew a formal style wedding wouldn’t be for us—we wanted something that felt casual, relaxed, and just screamed “fun!” When we did our engagement pictures, we ended up doing a lot of them at a place out here called the Balboa Fun Zone, which is essentially a mini-amusement park. We had such a blast there, and that’s what really sparked the initial idea of doing a spin on a “carnival” theme.
 

Tell me about your engagement session and the elements from the session that were incorporated into your wedding?

Blair (Bride): Our engagement pictures were taken by one my best friends, who happens to be the most incredible photographer, Michelle Scott of Michelle Scott Photography. We absolutely loved how they turned out...and since they had that carnival, fun vibe to them, we had to use them. Emily had the great idea to use them in the hallways as a design element, by blowing some of them up and hanging them with ribbon on the walls. We also used them throughout the venue on tables, etc (i.e. they were perfect for the candy and popcorn table!).

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Blair and Dave's engagement photos by Michelle Scott Photography

 

In what ways was an "Nashville" incorporated into the theme? 

Blair (Bride): Yes! In our welcome bags that we gave to out of town guests, we had RC Colas and Moon Pies, tips on our favorite places in Nashville for them to check out, and little jars of jam from Loveless Café. People loved that! Our music playlist was filled with many old-school country songs that we loved growing up. And Houston Station in and of itself has Nashville history, along with the music café inside. We also made sure to have some Tennessee Titans gear in our DIY photo- booth (Dave is a HUGE fan!)

Emily (Wedding Planner): Invitations were designed by Rachel Jasper. They were a twist on the Hatch Show Print style; they complemented the fair theme. From beginning, the invitation captured the essence of Nashville, established that the wedding would be very Southern and Nashville.

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What did you love about the wedding's design?

Blair (Bride): EVERYTHING! Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where to begin! It just all came together so beautifully! I loved that the carnival theme turned out colorful and fun, but also beautiful, elegant, and subtle at the same time. I’ve seen many weddings online that go over-the-top with bright colors or a carnival theme, and I didn’t want that to happen. Emily did an incredible job with that aspect of taking my vision and making it come true perfectly! Some of my favorite things were: the pinwheels in vintage mason jars as table centerpieces, the vintage popcorn-maker that greeted our guests, the mustache table cards, our incredible sweetheart table complete with scrabble place cards designed by Emily, the root beer float and ice cream bar with striped straws, the pinwheels tucked into the bouquets, and Hillary’s floral magic all over the place! I also loved the chalkboard signs for the bar and the photo-booth that you did. Honestly, it was just perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing!

Emily (Wedding Planner): I had so much fun putting their wedding together. Blair and I would get on the phone and it was so much fun to being so creative and it was very different than anything I've ever done. I haven't even put their folder together because of how much I loved their wedding. I especially liked decorating the entrance hallway at Houston Station. I love that Houston Station lets us hang stuff. I created 3 picture displays to put up their engagement photos along with brightly colored ribbons. I liked their candy bar and popcorn bar which brought in the fair food theme. The mustache look is really popular now but at that point, it was new and fun for me.

I loved watching Blair get excited by finding silly little things like vintage popcorn bags on Etsy and then pinwheels that could be created from any paper, which she used for table decor.

It was such a fun experience and really out of my box. I love Southern rustic but this wedding was totally different and I was excited the entire time we planned. It helped that Blair was too, which was really fun for me as a planner because she was so giggly on the phone. Blair also let me invest in their relationship as well as her creativity. I love walking my brides down the aisle when I've gotten to know their love story.

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Nashville-Style, Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Florals, Details & Design , DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Venues and Locations 3 comments »

Having a Non-Nashville, Destination Wedding? Hire the Right Photographer, Wherever You Wed

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

While we love Nashville weddings, we understand that many of you will choose another destination for your big day. Choosing vendors can be difficult when you live in a different city, or even country, than where your wedding will take place. But, you can hire many of your favorite and trusted Nashville wedding professionals and take them with you, especially photographers and planners.  

Myrick of Myrick Studios is a Nashville wedding photographer that many brides hire for their local or destination wedding. After you see his destination wedding photos, you will understand why. His ability to shoot anywhere is demonstrated in his portfolio.  

Whether you choose to hire a Nashville wedding pro of someone from your destination location, there are factors to consider that will help you hire the right photographer, wherever you wed. We talked to Myrick, who is clearly an expert, to get some insight on how to choose the best photographer for your destination wedding. 

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WHO TO HIRE

ABG: How should a couple hire their destination photographer? Is it better to bring a photographer with you from your hometown or to hire someone who is familiar with the area you will be getting married in?

MYRICK STUDIOS: I think it is better to hire someone from your hometown or someone that you know as opposed to someone from your wedding's destination. I have heard so many tragic stories where the couple selected this beautiful destination and the hotel or resort included one of their photographers and they ended up getting their photos back and they are just not what they expected. After the wedding, you have one thing to hang on to forever.. .your pictures. If you go with someone from home, you are able to establish a relationship beforehand, which adds a trust factor. The relationship between the couple and the photographer is the most important thing in getting great photos.

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ABG: What are the advantages to doing it that way?

MYRICK STUDIOS: A bonus to bringing someone with you from home is the amount of time you are able to spend with the photographer before the wedding day. For destination weddings that I am hired for, I like to spend time with my clients. I meet with them and get to know them before we leave, I ask questions about their vision for their wedding day and then once we are there I will shoot the rehearsal, the wedding and sometimes we do "day after" sessions as well. If you hire someone on location they will usually just show up for the wedding, do the job and leave.

 

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ABG: What type of questions should a couple ask as they interview each photographer?

MYRICK STUDIOS: 1) how long they have been in the business; 2) do they work with an assistant or alone; 3) do they use lighting (if so, what type); 4) will you receive all of the images on a DVD. I always offer a DVD of the images with all of my packages.

 

HOW TO PREPARE

ABG: What things should a couple talk to their destination photographer about before the wedding day?

MYRICK STUDIOS: Once a photographer has been chosen, your timeline is an important thing to talk about. It's important to know how long I will be at the destination with the couple to understand how much time we will have together. When I shoot a destination wedding, I ask that I can stay where the family and bridal party are staying for the night of the rehearsal and wedding. This helps me get to know the whole wedding party outside of the wedding day format, which helps me get to know their personalities better and how the family relates and interacts.

 

 

ABG: You’ve done many destination weddings before – how do you have to prepare differently than when you shoot a wedding at home?

MYRICK STUDIOS: Having the travel plans laid out is really important. Making sure I have my passport ready, if necessary, along with any other travel documents is key. I also try to get to the destination a day or so early to scout out some beautiful spots to shoot. And also arriving early gives me a chance to connect with the bride and groom to make sure that we are all on the same page and if there's anything else that they need from me while I am there.

 

ABG: What advice would you give a bride and a groom who are planning a destination wedding to get the absolute best photography they can?

MYRICK STUDIOS: When you're investing the money, you want to make sure the photographer knows how to use natural light and artificial light. They should know how to make the best of the location you have chosen (sunshine, sunset, etc). Spend time researching and looking up photos that you want or styles that you like and share those with photographers you talk to.

 

 

ABG: What are some of the most common problems that can occur during a destination wedding? How can couples be prepared ahead of time to avoid those?

MYRICK STUDIOS: I think the biggest key is just being relaxed and that's one of the things that I love most about destination weddings. I shot a wedding in Gulf Shores, Alabama and right after the couples ceremony they were informed that the tables and chairs were not set up yet for the reception and it was going to take an hour for this to get done. Well, you know what, their 100 guests were totally ok and not stressing at all because they were all at the beach, with their families and friends and just enjoyed one another while watching the beautiful sunset.. It seems that with destination weddings, a lot of the stress of timelines and schedules seems to fall to the wayside.

Another problem that I have seen involving destination weddings is not having back up gear. I've had lights go bad while I was shooting but fortunately I had back up lights with me. I've even had one of my cameras go bad but thank God for backups! There is also more opportunity for travel issues to come up when you are away from home. The best way to prepare is to just make sure that everyone is aware of everything they need to get to the destination and be there on time for the events that have been planned!!

 

destination wedding photographer nashville take to own location

 

YOUR DESTINATION WEDDINGS

ABG: What are your three favorite destinations/destination weddings to date?

MYRICK STUDIOS:

Jamaica.

Ecuador - I spent a week here with the bride/groom and their families. It was such an amazing opportunity to shoot not only the wedding, but their engagement portrait two days before their wedding!

Aruba & Cancun. I shot at both of these locations this year, and in both places it was myself, my assistant, and the couple. We were not only the photographers, but also the witnesses!

 

ABG: What is your dream location to shoot a destination wedding?

MYRICK STUDIOS: Hawaii for sure!

 

Visit myrickcowart.com to see more of his incredible portfolio or to book Myrick Studios for your wedding. Remember, our readers receive $500 off of your package. Just mention ABG when you first contact Myrick Studios.

All photos courtesy of Myrick Studios.

Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Photography 0 comments »

Little White Dress for Your Reception or Honeymoon; Get Yours at The White Room

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Melanie of the The White Room brought to our attention the growing trend of the “the little white dress” - or as most of you know it, the reception dress. These reception gowns are in huge demand. Not interested in taking off your dream wedding frock for your rececption? Some brides opt to wear one of these cute dresses to their rehearsal dinner or to a romantic, honeymoon dinner!

The White Room has two locations and between the two, they have an amazing collection of designers. We pulled our favorite little white dresses from the plethora of designers carried at The White Room.  

 

V-Neck, Slim Dress

the white room, little white dress, v-neck, sexy, wedding

Left Photo: Sottero & Midgley, Eliza; Right Photo: Allure, Style 940

 

Sweetheart, Slim Dress

the white room, little white dress, sweetheart, sexy, wedding

Left Photo: Allure, Style 951; Right Photo: Enzoani, Giovanna-D

 

Sweetheart, Flowing Skirt

the white room, little white dress, sweetheart, sexy, wedding

Left Photo: Allure, Style 935; Right Photo: Maggie Sottero, Isadora Ann

the white room, little white dress, sweetheart, sexy, wedding

Left Photo: Maggie Sottero, RD1105; Right Photo: Sottero & Midgley, Isabella Leigh

 

Illusion Bateau Neckline

the white room, little white dress, bateau neckline, lace

Left Photo: Maggie Sottero, Abigail; Right Photo: Blue by Enzoani, Elkedra

the white room, little white dress, bateau neckline, lace

Going for a more vintage look? Try an off-white or ivory!
Left Photo: Pronovias, Concierto; Right Photo: Pronovias, Cabriolet

 

Sparkly + Sexy

the white room, little white dress, bateau neckline, lace

Mix it up even more and go for full on sparkles! Silver is the perfect compliment to white!
Left Photo: Pronovias, Cadena; Right Photo: Pronovias, Halifax

 

Interested in a little white dress for your reception or rehearsal? Make sure to contact The White Room! For Lebanon, call 615-449-9756, and for Murfreesboro, call 615-848-5262 to make an appointment today. (There is no guarantee that the dresses featured above will be available but you are sure to find something you love if they can't order it for you!)

Posted by Megan | Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Destination Weds & Honeymoon 0 comments »

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