Friday, February 25, 2011
It's daunting enough planning one wedding, but Terri Ann and her fiance (now husband) Berchaun planned two weddings while still living in New York City - one wedding in South Africa and another here in Nashville at Historic Cedarwood. How'd she do it? She relied heavily on AshleysBrideGuide.com (yay!) and other online resources to find the perfect plan and resources for her wedding.
Thanks to Historic Cedarwood, Phonix Capture {South Africa) and Daniel Meigs Photography {Nashville) who all played a role and allowed us to share this wonderful wedding journey.
First, they wed in South Africa...
I absolutely LOVE this couple! When you meet them, you just want to know more. In fact, I remember asking Shannon of Southall (where Terri Ann works) "who are they"? They are so sophisticated, stylish and cool all around, that I noticed from afar. But once Terri Ann shared her wedding story, I could't wait to see their wedding photos!
They had the guts and vision {kudos} to wed in a completely different continent and found amazing wedding resources - including their photographer {Phonix Capture}. They were aided by Guided Safaris who Terri Ann mentioned was soo helpful and took care of so many details.
Read all the details on Terri Ann and Berchaun's African wedding via Cedarwood's blog.
Then, they celebrate with family in Nashville...
Cedarwood's blog has the full story on this fabulously exotic wedding. Intrigued? Want inspiration? Check out part 1, part 2 and part 3!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Real Nashville Weddings
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Friday, June 11, 2010
A few week ago, I was stuffing swag for my Sex and the City party and stumbled across a brochure from Sandals - The Martha Stewart Collection. I immediately was distracted and stopped stuffing bags and started daydreaming.
If you know anything about me - you know that I love to travel and dont like to plan / coordinate. For that reason, I am not a wedding planner but a bridal blogger! So, the Sandals Destination Wedding option, which offers "themed" wedding packages - was the best thing Ive seen all year:). It would be perfect for a bride that wanted to get away but still wanted a beautiful, no-fuss wedding.
Here's the scoop:
Martha Stewart has created 6 wonderful wedding themes that you choose from. You simply contact your Sandals wedding specialist. (A Delightful Day specializing in Sandals weddings and honeymoons.) Then, you choose you theme and get packing!
My favorite themed wedding is the Flutter of Romance. It's is pink, girly, whimiscal. I love butterflies and especially the butterfly entrance!
Chic and Natural is elegant, green, simple. This is very grown up and sophisticated. I like that too:).
Island Paradise is modern, sleek, vibrant and dreamy. This would be my second choice. I like the reception table decor.
Beautiful Beginnings is contemporary and the purple pops!
Seaside Serenade is so romantic and best represents a beach theme. Aqua and red is still a hot color combo.
Vision in White is a classic wedding theme.
I love them all and think the whole "choose your own theme" concept is a great new option for a destination wedding.
For destination wedding or honeymoon info - contact A Delightful Day/Sandals Honeymoon at 615.938.0711.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon
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Thursday, May 20, 2010
I love this destination wedding story! Plus, this bride designed her own stunning wedding dress. Be sure to check out the highlights below and then visit the Myrick Studios blog for more photos and details on Carissa's destination wedding...
Guest Blogger: Charissa Cowart Carnall (bride to be) for Myrick Studios
When it comes to planning for the big day, everything has to be perfect, the ring, the dress, the location, and of course the guy you’re marrying! I realized that finding the right guy and knowing he’s “the one” happens when you “just know,” same with the dress, and the church… but the wedding photographer? Of course! There’s a click that happens between the bride and every vendor involved in her special day.
So it might surprise you that Myrick and I had never met in person prior to my Bridal Portraits (which I drove 7 hours for from south Alabama to Nashville, TN for). Myrick and I found each other on Twitter because we shared the same last name – Cowart. At the time, I had just become engaged and was beginning the search for the perfect wedding photographer, but it took me a few weeks of casual twitter-conversation with Myrick before I even knew he was a photographer.
After seeing his website and then speaking with him on the phone I knew he was the one! It was the constant contact on Twitter though that gave me the “click”. When a business trip took me to Nashville we decided to also schedule my bridal portraits to save on extra travel. That bridal portrait session sealed the deal for me; I was stoked to have Myrick (my long lost cousin – or so we think) part of my very special day! And you can see why!
You gotta visit the Myrick Studios blog for more photos and details on Carissa's destination wedding.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Photography
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I recently attended an open house at Events at 1418 and the Parisian theme was based on the movie Julie & Julia. (If you didnt see the movie, it's a film that contrasts the early career of chef Julia Child in Paris and aspiring chef (and Child-fan) Julie.)
Kellie Bryson, owner of Events at 1418, A Catered Affair and the Bake Shoppe worked with her joint teams to completely transform the space - from decor, desserts and catering - and to create an Ode to Paris evening that inspired Nashville brides and entertained event professionals. Being the simply girl I am, I asked Emily of Simply Yours Weddings to guest blog today, as her palette is much more sophisticated than mine. She appreciates fine wine and fancy food so she'll do a much better job describing the delicious details.
Guest Blogger: Emily of Simply Yours Weddings & Etc.
On a night in downtown Nashville, you don't have to look far for food, laughter, and fun. On this February night, Events at 1418 took us on a trip back in time and across the pond to a Parisian dinner party inspired by the recent film "Julie & Julia". Kellie and her talented team held nothing back as they created an atmosphere of incredible food and drinks as well as a beautiful display of all they have to offer.
From their sweet and accommodating bartending staff to their colorful chefs, down to the beautiful linens and tablescapes, all of it was produced right there within their exposed brick walls! Events at 1418 is a perfect venue for a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception! They literally have everything a planning couple would need right at their fingertips! Plus, they want to make each event extraordinary so they let the creative juices flow resulting in complete event concepts.
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Many of the items served were straight out of Julia Child's cookbook (with a special A Catered Affair twist)! My personal favorite was the beef bourguignon. SO good! They served it as an appetizer over french bread, and I could not keep myself from going back for more! They also served many of Julia's dessert recipes, such as apple tarte with cinnamon creme fraiche, chocolate almond cake, and raspberry bavarian, just to name a few! They did such a great job finding sweet ways to incorporate their theme into the decor and the food. I know this would be true for any other event held at this wonderful location for couples just like you!
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Of course, a sweet soiree like this one, brings out tons of fun people to eat, laugh and mingle! Here are a few shots of some of Nashville wedding people Ashley and I ran into!
From Left to Right - Amy Thomas of Swizzle Events, myself, and Rhonda Hendricks of Joe Hendricks Photography!
From L-R Rhonda Hendricks of Joe Hendricks Photography, Dawn Stoika of the The Bake Shoppe, Amy Thomas of Swizzle Events, myself and Ashley!
So brides, if you are still looking for a reception or smaller party event space such as a Bridal Luncheon or a Rehearsal Dinner, look no further than Events at 1418! They will take incredible care of you for your event!
Thank you to Kellie and the whole team at Events at 1418 for an incredible evening!!
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Posted by Simply Yours Weddings |
Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Makeup, Hair, Health, Beauty , Photography, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Here's a super fun wedding with a modern twist, courtesy of Lotus Blossom Photography, who always manages to capture such joyful aspects of a wedding.
What ABG loves about this wedding is that just because you're having a destination wedding doesn't mean that you can't hire {great} Nashville wedding vendors you love/trust...or still check out ABG for ideas everyday:).
Thanks Cathryn and Michael for sharing your special day with us!
Bride - Cathryn Renee Kelton of Nashville, TN
Groom - Michael Robert Formichella of Long Valley, NJ
Ceremony - Memorial Chapel, The campus of Emory and Henry College in Emory, VA
Reception Location - The Martha Washington Inn and Spa, Abingdon, VA
Guests - 100
My wedding style
I would say our wedding style was classic with a slight modern twist. I kept the color scheme simple, but elegant with black and ivory, and used classic cut A-line dresses. Our modern touch came from using tropical flowers for the arrangements. It added a sophisticated touch of color.
My colors and why I choose them
We used black and ivory. Black and white is such a classic combination, and everyone looks good in black. I chose ivory instead of white because my dress was ivory.
My theme
I didn’t start out with a theme, but it ended up being lace. My dress had lace trim, therefore I ended up choosing bridesmaid and flower girl dresses that incorporated lace in their designs to carry the theme throughout all the girls. It ended up looking gorgeous having the lace common to everyone.
Wedding wow factor
Our guests loved the candy buffet we had at the reception. We bought apothecary jars in various sizes and filled them with various candies we purchased at bulk warehouse stores.
Favors
In lieu of wedding favors we provided black and white organza bags at the candy bar for guests to take home their favorite candies.
Personalized touches
Other than the standard monogrammed cocktail napkins everyone has, our cake had our initials incorporated into the design.
Most special moment for me
It’s hard to pick a most special moment because there were so many, but I would have to say during our rehearsal dinner, Mike’s sister and her partner who are in a band called Driftwood Fire, dedicated a song for us and sang for everyone.
What I did for the kids in my wedding
I bought our flower girl two My Little Ponies for being in the wedding. She was more excited about her ponies than getting to wear her princess dress.
Gift for bridesmaids
I bought each bridesmaid a necklace with their birthstone in the pendant. I also ordered a tote bag set that I had monogrammed for each of them.
Groomsmen
Mike chose his groomsmen's gifts based on each one's hobbies. He bought his best man a nice pocket knife, one groomsman is into art, so he bought them a set of nice artist pencils. The other three groomsmen are his fraternity brothers, he bought them Max (from Where The Wild Things Are) bobble heads because Max is their mascot.
My wedding vendors
Photography: Lotus Blossom Photography
Dresses: The White Room
Hair: Hannah Young
Invitations and Bridesmaids’ tote bags: Exclusively Weddings
Cake: Brenda Maus (Rocky Mount, VA)
Reception and Rehearsal Dinner: The Martha Washington Inn and Spa
Ceremony: Memorial Chapel, Emory and Henry College
DJ: Grant Smiley (Abingdon, VA)
My faves – highly recommend
Bridal gown/bridesmaid dresses - The White Room
Hair - Hannah Young
Photography: Lotus Blossom Photography
The Martha Washington Inn & Spa
How I found my vendors – bridal shows, wedding planning resources, friends:
My sister bought her wedding dress from The White Room which is one of the reasons I decided to get my dress and bridesmaids’ dresses from them. The biggest reason though is they have an amazing selection, and the girls are wonderful to work with. It is worth the short drive to Lebanon to check them out!
Hannah Young has been a long time family friend, she did my sister’s and my hair for my sister’s wedding and our hair looked beautiful.
Amber of Lotus Blossom Photography and I have been friends since middle school. She’s been interested in photography as long as I’ve know her. I couldn’t think of anyone else I would have wanted to do our pictures. We have gotten so many compliments on the quality of our pictures, I HIGHLY recommend Lotus Blossom Photography to anyone.
Mike and I met in college, which is why we chose to get married at Emory and Henry College. The town of Abingdon, VA reminds me of Franklin, TN. It is very historic which beautiful old buildings dating back to the late 1700’s. We chose to have our rehearsal dinner and our wedding reception at The Martha Washington Inn because it is a beautiful Plantation home, and the service is amazing. The staff was easy to work with and the food was wonderful. If you are thinking about having a beautiful mountain wedding, please give them a call. Not only do they do receptions, they can also do weddings.
My wedding rewind
What I would do differently if planning again
I gave myself a lot of unneeded stress trying to make everyone happy. Everyone, especially your parents are going to have an opinion and will want something a certain way. While there are compromises that have to be made in planning any wedding, I finally learned that you have to put your foot down sometimes, because you can’t please everyone, and most importantly you need to please yourself.
Biggest waste of time or money?
Decorations at the church, you’re at the church for a short period of time, and no one really notices them. I’m glad we just decided to do pew bows, but we didn’t even need to do that.
Best value for the service/product
Lotus Blossom Photography, you get two photographers to cover your event, not just one. Hannah Young, she does beautiful hair and doesn’t cost a small fortune. Artificial Flowers from Michael’s - we were able to have tropical flowers in the fall at a fraction of the cost.
Neatest find
We found beautiful inexpensive apothecary jars for our candy bar at Hobby Lobby.
Advice for other Nashville brides?
1. Don’t feel like you need to go to the big box bridal stores for your dresses. Independent boutiques have better selections, and you’ll be surprised that their prices are very similar to what you’d find at the chain bridal stores. Besides, you don’t want to have the same dress as 1000’s of other girls. Those of you getting married right after college, please think of this. I had 7 friends get married the summer after we graduated college, and they all went to a chain bridal store. A few weddings had the same bridesmaids’ dresses, but in different colors. The nice thing about an independent bridal store, if you don’t like one aspect of a dress’ design, you can have it taken off or you can have something added. They don’t do this at the chain stores.
2. Your bridesmaids, and groomsmen for that matter, are spending a lot of money for you. Get them something nice in return. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Go shopping after a major holiday and you’ll get great deals on nice things. I got my girls a diamond and birthstone necklace from Kohl’s as part of their presents. They were $100.00 necklaces on sale for $30.00. Shop around and wait for sales, I was able to pick up my girls’ tote bag sets from exclusivelyweddings.com on sale. They were normally almost $50.00 for the set, I got them for $20.00.
3. Give yourself at least a year to plan. You don’t want to be rushed, this process is stressful, and you don’t want to make yourself crazy. We picked one or two things to take care of a month, because we did that, two months before my wedding we had all of the planning finished. I had time to sit back and enjoy the last few months of being engaged.
4. Think about artificial flowers. They’re much cheaper than real flowers. The tropical flowers we used would have cost us a fortune if we used real flowers. Our artificial flowers looked so real, people at the reception tables had no idea the centerpieces were fake until we told them.
5. Lastly, have fun. Wedding planning can be a huge headache, but it doesn’t have to be. Stay calm, learn to compromise, and enjoy this period in your life. It goes by before you know it!
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Posted by Lotus Blossom Photography |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Real Nashville Brides, Real Nashville Weddings
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