Friday, June 24, 2016
I was overjoyed hearing the news that my friend Valerie got engaged to her teen sweetheart John! They are an adorable couple - and they've weathered much of their relationship long-distance. And after 8 years of dating, John popped the question! It was a special day and I have Valerie here to tell the rest of their love story...
Valerie + John
Proposal Date: December 5, 2015
Wedding Date: September 25, 2016
Wedding Location: Belle Meade Plantation
How did you get engaged?
Valerie: On Saturday, December 5, John asked if I wanted to have a 'date day'. I really didn't suspect a thing! We had a leisurely brunch at Marchè, saw Christmas lights at Cheekwood, and picked out our very first live Christmas tree.
In the midst of our date, my sister, Laura, texted me about a double date she was planning with one of our best friends, Meegen. She asked if I'd like to get ready with them before my dinner date with John. Meegen is one of the top hair and makeup artists for country music celebrities, and every time she works her magic on me I feel like a queen. I excitedly joined in the fun. What a treat! Laura and Meegen sat me down and insisted I get ready first, saying that their dinner reservation was much later than mine.
Over a wonderful dinner at Margot, John asked if I'd like to see the Christmas lights at Opryland later that night. We had been talking about this for weeks and I really did want to go. Naturally, I sent texts to our friends asking if they wanted to join. I didn't hear back from anyone - which was very strange. I hadn't even heard from Laura in hours.
The traffic heading to Opryland was at a near standstill. I suggested maybe we go another night - the traffic wouldn't be so bad and our friends would probably want to go too.
John was really adamant about going to Opryland. He's usually pretty flexible and likes to go with the flow - but he was insistent about this. Then his phone pinged with a text - and he tried to hide the screen. Not soon enough! "ETA?" from Laura Howard. What! She was supposed to be on a date and still hadn't answered my text asking where she was going for dinner.
We inched along on the exit ramp to Opryland and everything started coming together. My nails were manicured, I looked glamorous (thanks Meegen!) and all of my friends were hiding from me. Something was up - my nerves shot through the roof!
As John marched through the maze of lights at Opryland, I followed behind in a daze. I don't think I saw a single light. I was anxious, excited, nervous, over the moon, terrified and head over heels in love. The first thing I really did see was Laura, standing in front of the lit up gazebo. Her eyes were huge, realizing that we were making eye contact. She turned quickly and practically dove into the bushes.
When we got to the gazebo, John got down on one knee and we both started crying. After 8 years of dating, this boy I met at Starbucks when I was a 16 year old barista was asking me to be his wife forever!
You can read more about our engagement here on my blog: http://www.thetwentiescrisis.com
How many guests are you expecting at your wedding?
Valerie: 300
What’s your wedding budget?
Valerie: We didn’t establish an exact number. We are just trying to make things as cost effective as possible.
Who have you hired for your wedding team so far?
Valerie: Lighting: Bright Event Productions
Photographer: Anna Rebecca Weddings
Catering: Actual Food (Dan Forberg)
Cake: Yummy Cakes
Hair & Makeup: Libby Barnes and Meegen Pearson
We’re bringing people on one at a time for our budget's sake.
What’s your wedding style?
Valerie: Fun, whimsical and rustic.
What’s your most fun purchase/hire to date?
Valerie: All of them!
Bright Events: John actually worked at Bright Events when he first moved to Nashville. He loved the team and he especially loved working for the owners, Clint and Abby. During his time at Bright he set up lights for a lot of weddings. He got to see first-hand how great lighting transforms each venue. When we got engaged, John knew exactly where he wanted to get married and that Bright could create a perfect atmosphere for the wedding. Bright was the first vendor John wanted to meet with and so far they have taken incredible care of us!
Actual Food: I met Dan Forberg because he does a lot of artist’ catering for tour rehearsals. I fell in LOVE with his food, but also him as a person. He uses as much local products as he can and all fresh ingredients. He is a game changer and I begged him to do the wedding!
Yummy Cakes: Jackie Lewenski, She is a therapist by day, and a baker by hobby. For every cake she makes, she donates a cake to those who can’t afford a birthday cake. She gave us a huge list of cake flavors, icings, and fillings and we chose 5 flavors to have a variety of cupcakes. She is also baking a smaller wedding cake for us to cut!
Libby Barnes and Meegen Pearson: They are the best of the best hair and makeup artists! I have never felt more confident or beautiful then when I am in their presence. They are also some of the funniest people I know.
And of course Anna Rebecca Weddings: We knew we wanted to work with her from the moment we met her for an introductory coffee. She immediately put us at ease, talked us through our dreams and fears, and worked with our budget. She is everything we could have dreamed of in a photographer.
What aspect of being engaged has surprised you the most?
Valerie: I had no idea how much closer John and I could get throughout the process of planning a wedding. All of the decisions that have to be made are daunting, but it has been incredible learning how to make decisions with someone else. I’m a very independent, strong willed person, so learning how to be interdependent has been challenging and super rewarding.
What have you most enjoyed about being engaged?
Valerie: I LOVE how much our friends are involved in planning the wedding. John and I are so lucky to be surrounded by the best people and it has been so fun to see their love intertwine with ours.
Tell us about your engagement session. Where did it take place?
Valerie: Revelater Coffee and Jeni’s Ice Cream in Hillsboro Village and Centennial Park.
What’s the significance of the location(s)?
Valerie: We combined our favorite things, coffee, ice cream and Nashville. I live in Hillsboro Village so it was extra special to include my neighborhood.
Who shot your engagement session?
Valerie: Anna Rebecca Weddings
What was it like working with your photographer?
Valerie: She was absolutely incredible! We felt like we won the lottery working with her. She had an amazing eye for detail and provided so much direction (which we really needed haha).
What did you like most about the session?
Valerie: We felt completely spoiled. Libby Barnes did our glam and came with us to all of the locations. John and I felt like we got to give everyone a peek into our normal lives (except with a professional makeup artist and a great photographer following us around, haha). It was so personal and so sweet. Anna encouraged us to be us - which is competitive and fun.
We really had a power team. Libby and Anna Rebecca provided great insight and direction, but they also kept reminded us to soak every bit in.
Would you recommend the photographer and why?
Valerie: Absolutely. Anna Rebecca has an incredible way of mirroring your personality and bringing the best out. She is encouraging, hilarious, and great at providing direction. She asked what our favorite things were and where we wanted to shoot, and then she picked everything else. She is extremely fast at finding where and how she wants to shoot to capture the best lighting. We felt confident and comfortable in her hands!
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Thank you so much for sharing your engagement story, Valerie + John! We love how she incorporated many Nashville hot-spots to make the photos truly "them"! We cannot wait to see photos from their wedding!
All photos by Anna Rebecca
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Posted by Alyssa |
Filed under: Engagements & Proposals, Real Nashville Brides,
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Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Courtney and Jason did plenty of research for the perfect engagement picture photographers. They wanted photographers that could capture their personalities as a couple through candid photographs. After a surprise engagement in April of 2014, Courtney and Jason decided on a venue and photographers Nyk + Cali. Nyk and Cali met them at their Cedarwood venue and made the couple feel comfortable and captured natural, candid photos. Read more from Courtney's perspective on the engagement photograph experience.
How did you and your groom meet?
I “met” Jason initially in the fall of 2011, while out with friends, and immediately had a crush. He was dancing like crazy, had a huge personality, and I couldn’t stop laughing. It wasn’t until a year later in August of 2012 at an FSU (Florida State University) event that we ran into each other again. This time we wouldn’t let each other get away so easily- we went on a date the next week and have been together ever since.
Tell us about your proposal with all the details!
Well, our relationship got serious rather quickly, but I was still in nursing school and we wanted to wait until life settled down a little before I took the next step forward. I was graduating in December 2013 and knew it would be coming soon after that. We were going on a work trip for Jason at the end of April to Ireland and London, and we decided to extend the trip to Paris. I thought for sure we would get engaged in Paris, and I had found this amazing photographer I wanted to do engagement photos with while we were there.
At the beginning of April, Jason’s sister and brother-in-law were in town with their three boys. We went down on Saturday afternoon to his parent’s house to hang out and decided to go to the beach for a grill out at their golf course’s private pavilion. We hung out by the pool all day; I didn’t even shower and just threw my hair in a braid. Not even thinking there was a chance of us getting engaged, I thought I knew for sure it would be in Paris.
As the sun was about to set, I stood up and noticed there was a photographer standing in the distance. At that very moment, I felt Jason’s heart start beating really fast, and by the time I could process anything, he was already down on his knee. I was in complete shock. It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening, and then I realized the photographer was for us. He had hired someone to document it all. She got pictures of him pulling the ring out of his pocket, of us standing together with the ring clenched in his hand, and of the actual engagement. It was truly incredible.
So after I said "yes," I said, "Did my parents know about this?" And he said, “Why don’t you turn around and tell them?” He had invited them down, and they were up at the pavilion the entire time. We all grilled out afterwards and celebrated the night. It was a perfect and intimate proposal and what a shock.
That night, Jason said he had to do it before Paris because I was anticipating it so much and he didn’t want me to wake up thinking “is today the day,” and being disappointed if it weren't. This way we could enjoy the trip entirely as a newly engaged couple!
Once we decided on doing a destination wedding, we immediately contacted Nyk and Cali. Their work was oh-so-AMAAZING!!! After a bit of sorting out dates, details, and rearranging schedules, we booked them! We went up this past January to visit our venue (Cedarwood) and meet with all of our vendors. Nyk and Cali were available that weekend to do our engagement shoot, which worked out perfectly. We did our photos at Cedarwood. We got to check out all the “spots” and got our vision for the wedding.
Nyk and Cali were so easy and just perfect for what we were looking for. Kevin and Joanna (their associates) shot our wedding photos as Nyk and Cali were already taken for our wedding weekend. They, too, were absolutely amazing, and Nyk and Cali did the editing of our wedding photos.
Why did you decide to do engagement pictures?
Well, to be honest, I have a deep love for great photos. Unstaged, natural, candid photos. We wanted to do engagement photos that matched our wedding theme to be displayed at the wedding. Nyk and Cali’s engagement photos online were all beautiful. I think they do a really nice job of not doing “staged”/ “cheesy” couple photos, and we loved that about them. They just have such a natural eye for photography.
Why did you choose the location of your engagement shoot?
We chose Cedarwood. We wanted to get a feel for the property and we wanted the style of photos to match our wedding. Cedarwood is nothing short of amazing.
What characteristics were you looking for in a photographer?
As stated above, we loved Nyk and Cali’s style. They are very real and genuine, and they take great candid photos. In half of our photos we are laughing, and I love that about them; it’s us. Their photos bring out the couple’s personality and I think they get the little details that make each couple unique. Also, many photographers have difficulty with the lighting. I love the coloring of their photo style (not sure how to describe it in the photography world).
How did you work with your photographer to achieve the photos you envisioned?
Well, we just told them to do their thing. Because I love photography so much, I already knew they were good, and I trusted they would capture us in the same great way they had for so many couples before us. They nailed it all. Like I said, they just capture the couple being themselves so that all we had to do was be “us”.
What was the engagement picture experience like?
It was easy and fun. Nyk and Cali are married and work really well together. At one point, Nyk was telling us a funny story and we were all laughing and not realizing Cali was taking photos of it all. They are very easy going, but detailed and professional at the same time.
How did you use your photos for your wedding?
We used the photos for our rehearsal dinner table, welcome reception, and in multiple areas at the wedding, including a large framed photo of us at the welcome table/guest book area.
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Posted by Holly Nashville Newlywed |
Filed under: Engagements & Proposals, Photography,
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Friday, September 25, 2015
Who doesn't love heading to the Bicentennial Mall for a bike ride, and then setting up a picnic with tasty treats from Nashville's Farmers' Market? Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday. That's exactly what Megan thought as she and her boyfriend, Trent, headed out one spring day. However, Trent had a quite different plan in store: a proposal that would turn these Germantown landmarks into places to be forever cherished by the duo.
Learn more about Megan and Trent's engagement, engagement session, and upcoming wedding plans.
Megan & Trent
Date of proposal: April 11, 2015
Wedding date: October 14, 2016
How did you get engaged? Tell us about your proposal.
It was an absolutely gorgeous Saturday afternoon when Trent asked me to go on a walk with our dog, Vita, to the Farmers' Market and through Bicentennial Park. It seemed like a typical Saturday for us, and Trent seemed super casual and relaxed, so, I did not suspect a proposal at all! After walking through the Farmers' Market and to Bicentennial, Trent pulled a blanket out of his backpack for us to lie on with our pup (this did seem a bit over-prepared for Trent, but I still did not think anything of it)! After about 20 minutes of relaxing, chatting, and laughing together in the park, he asked me to marry him!!! It was the best day of my life!
Tell us about your engagement session. Where did it take place?
Our engagement session took place in Germantown, where we live. We also took pictures at Bicentennial Park where Trent proposed!
What’s the significance of the location(s)?
We absolutely love where we live and the vibe of Germantown. The cute homes, phenomenal restaurants, and fun people (and their dogs) make it an ideal place to live in our eyes. And, obviously, we had to go back to Bicentennial Park where he put a ring on it!
Who shot your engagement session?
SheHeWe Photography (Jim and Ilde Cook)
What was it like working with your photographer?
We were semi-nervous prior to our engagement session because we are not models and really did not know how to pose, what to do with our hands, etc… Fortunately, our photographers were AMAZING and made us feel so at ease that our nerves went away immediately. They gave just enough advice on how to pose, but still allowed us to be ourselves and look natural.
What did you like most about the session?
I liked that Jim & Ilde made us feel so comfortable during the shoot! We had a total blast and I think it really shows in our pictures. It was also pretty cool having little Vita in the pics, too!
Would you recommend the photographers and why?
100% Yes!!! I have actually already recommended them to my Nashville friends!! They are the best!!
Let's talking wedding planning. How many guests are you expecting?
150
What’s your approach to budgeting?
We're using it as a guide but have some flexibility
Who have you hired for your wedding team so far?
Photographer - SheHeWe Photographers
Venue, Planning, Floral - Mint Springs Farm
Bartending Services - Apertiff Events & Cocktails
Band - The Downtown Band
Hair & Makeup - Leslie Ellis (Locks by Leslie)
What’s your wedding style?
Rustic Vintage Elegance
What’s your most fun purchase/hire to date?
My wedding shoes!! They are Badgley Mischka Pasquel Burgundy Satin Bow Pumps. I pinned them on Pinterest because they go with my ‘burgundy/marsala’ color scheme; however, they were sold out on their site! After a few hours of intense online shopping, I ended up finding a pair in my size on eBay.
What aspect of being engaged has surprised you the most?
I was actually surprised at how involved my fiancé has been with the planning process. We have a similar aesthetic. I, however, can be fairly indecisive at times, so it is nice to have a partner that was willing to help with those tough final decisions!!
What have you most enjoyed about being engaged?
I have enjoyed truly everything about being engaged! I love calling Trent “my fiancé,” I love searching for inspiration on wedding blogs like Pinterest, Instagram, etc., and I love sharing our engagement/love story with people!!
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Posted by Ashley King |
Filed under: Engagements & Proposals,
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Tuesday, September 15, 2015
It’s not often that a proposal happens at the same time a photographer is snapping pictures for another engaged couple! We were delighted to hear of a happy accident from Nashville photographer, Micah G. Robinson, who shared how he discovered a man about to propose to his girlfriend while in the middle of another engagement session. Talk about fate!
Micah couldn’t help but snap a few photos of a couple that never thought they’d have a time capsule of their engagement moment. Through the power of social media, he was able to track down the lovely couple, and we got a chance to speak with the future bride!
Shelby and Coleton met during a summer speech class on June 4, 2012. Three years later on the exact day they met, Coleton proposed near the Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville in front of all of Shelby’s best friends, who were there celebrating her birthday. The shock turned to tears and excitement for the young couple!
“I am beyond excited to marry Coleton, to start our lives together, and to share this moment of a lifetime with all our family and friends.” Shelby and Coleton are to be married October 7, 2016 at Belle Meade Plantation.
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Posted by Taylor |
Filed under: Engagements & Proposals, Photography, Real Nashville Brides,
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Monday, August 24, 2015
Regalo Design has done it again! First off, who would even think of helping grooms plan their proposal?! It's so smart and helpful but definitely not a service that most folks would even think of as an option. (Nashville grooms thank you.) Not only do they offer this specialty service, but they make sure each one is unique.
Take Ben's proposal to Betsy. We won't spoil all of the neat details. We'll just say that their proposal included a Nashville scavenger hunt, a pro photographer (aka Amber of Smith Studios Photography) who did a killer job capturing it all, and a perfect plan by Regalo Design to ensure its success.
This has to be one of the cutest and, of course, best-orchestrated proposals ever! There's adorable video, details, and photos galore on the Regalo Design blog. Click here to enjoy!
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Posted by Ashley King |
Filed under: Engagements & Proposals, Grooms, Groomsmen & Tuxedos , Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Unique Wedding Ideas, Wedding Planners & Coordinators,
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