Friday, May 20, 2011
You may remember Sara, my fellow ABG blogger, who recently shared candid advice in Why I Hired a Wedding Planner. Today, she's back to share her wedding highlight film, captured by First Dance Pictures. Sara also took some time to share her wedding details, the team she hired, favorite moments, and more advice for Nashville brides. She just got married last month, so her insight is super fresh!
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Sara + Nate Towne
Wedding: Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
Ceremony: Second Presbyterian Church
Reception: Cannery Ballroom
# of Guests: 175
Budget: $20,000 - $40,000
{Be sure to watch their wedding highlight video from First Dance Pictures!}
Tell us who you hired to create your dream wedding team:
Planner ~ Emily Humphries from Simply Yours Weddings
Stationery ~ I designed all of the paper products for the wedding. The Save the Dates & Thank You cards were printed at Overnight Prints. Our invitations and all pieces that were included, were printed by a local printer (Buford Lewis, Co). We printed the table cards and escort cards at home, and the programs were printed at Kinkos.
Gown & accessories ~ My gown was the Maggie Sottero Desirae style. I bought it at a small boutique in Fenwick, Delaware. My shoes were pink sparkly TOMS, my veil was my Mother’s with the original headpiece removed by Oakwood Cleaners, bracelet was from Macy’s and my earrings were a gift from my groom!
Groom’s tux/suit ~ Nate’s tux was from Men’s Warehouse.
Bridesmaids/groomsmen attire ~ The Bridesmaids wore JCREW dresses and shoes that they picked out themselves. I got the earrings from Money. The Groomsmen wore tuxes from Men’s Warehouse and we got them all green striped socks from J. CREW.
Hair ~ All of the Bridesmaids and I got our hair done at J.Bangs Salon in Green Hills
Makeup ~ Amy Lynn Larwig
Ceremony musicians ~ The church organist, Jeff Moles, played all of the music and our dear friend Megan James sang “How Great Thou Art” during our Prelude.
Transportation ~ I FADDS Party Trolley took the wedding party to the church separately and then together to the Reception. Nate & I took a limo from Grand Avenue Transportation from the reception to the hotel. (Sidenote: I won a contest with Grand Avenue right after we got engaged, so the limo portion was free for us!)
Caterer ~ Flavor Catering
Baker ~ Gretchen from Sweet G Treats
Florist ~ Hillary Robson from Brocade Designs
Bartenders ~ Provided by the Cannery Ballroom
Photographer ~ Betsy Limbaugh Photography
Videographer ~ First Dance Pictures
Reception Musicians (band/DJ) ~ DJ (Paul from Nashville Party Authority)
Guest Accommodations ~ We had blocks of rooms at 2 hotels. The Marriott Vanderbilt and the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt.
How would you describe your style as a couple?
When we started planning, we kept saying that we wanted our day to be “simple but elegant”.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We very quickly figured out that we weren’t “ballroom” people – it just didn’t fit us. When we went to look at The Cannery, we were sold right away. It was perfect – such a simple space, but with amazing details. And from there, we just tried to develop things that would bring our day together. We used our colors (purple & green) for everything – paper goods, flowers and decorations. Since we made all of the paper products ourselves, we were able to carry a theme through all of those as well, which was a little detail that we really loved!
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
Can I not say everything? :) We really loved how much all of our guests (over half were from out of town) enjoyed our city! Most of them had never been here so we really tried to make sure they got to experience as much as possible before they left!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
When we started planning, we decided that photography was our number 1, so I’d say that was one of our “splurges”, although it was totally worth it for what we got from Betsy. We also added in videography later on in the planning, which we were going to leave out. But after going through the day, I’m glad we had that because it was such a blur! We saved on a few things. My dress was much cheaper than I thought it would be, and since I bought it in Delaware, no sales tax! We also found an incredible cake baker, Sweet G Treats, and we got so much cake for our money. As far as DIY, we designed all of the paper products, and found great prices for printing each piece. We made some of the decorations ourselves as well. We had signs on our chairs that said MR/MRS that we made, we painted birdcages for the programs and for cards, and we printed out family photos for a table at the reception. We found a lot of great deals on ETSY as well – we got our guest book and cake topper from there for really great prices.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I don’t think we would have done anything differently during our planning. We had a year, which was nice because we could knock out big things in the beginning, then enjoy the holidays and then focus on the details. We really tried hard to make sure we were relaxed as the big day approached so we could enjoy every moment.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Take deep breaths, remember why you are getting married, and ENJOY yourself because it will be over before you know it.
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Posted by Bethany |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Photography & Videography
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Thursday, May 19, 2011
Engagement photos are, by our observations, becoming more popular with modern, engaged couples. They're certainly a great opportunity to get pictures of the two of you that are timeless and solidify that the wedding is about the bride and groom, instead of just the bride. So is this becoming the norm and is it taking the place of bridal shoots? I went one-on-one with Amber Vongsamphanh of Lotus Blossom Photography to get the scoop on what a Bridal Portrait vs. an Engagement Session entails and why she thinks couples are now opting for the latter.
(Engagement Photography)
(Bridal Portrait)
Tell us a little bit about Bridal Portraits and Engagement Sessions - what are they for?
Bridal sessions are kind of old school. It’s an old, southern tradition that a lot of moms like, more so than daughters. Like I did mine because my mother wanted me to and not because I wanted to. There are advantages to this too – hair trial and makeup trial so I could see how it could look with the dress and I ended up changing my hair on the wedding day because I didn’t like how it looked with the dress.
For engagement sessions, usually it's the first time the photographer meets the couple, it's a lot more laid back than the wedding, obviously, and It’s helpful because we get to know them better.
What are the advantages of having an engagement session?
Once the couple gets relaxed with you as a photographer, they’re more relaxed on the wedding day. So it’s nice to get pictures of people together. It’s also a good time to make sure you really like your photographer’s pictures. Personally, if you could do one or the other I would do engagement over bridal.
Why?
It’s nice to have a record of yourelves before you get married. I love having pictures of the couple more in their element. Sometimes it’s important after your wedding to look back at that. It’s helpful to have the photos to do something with a save the date. A lot of people do guest books, some decorate their weddings with pictures.
Personalized pictures mounted on an easel make the guest table much more interesting.
When do you suggest a couple schedule their engagement session?
I would suggest off season from the wedding so if it’s a summer wedding, try to do the engagement photos late fall and vice versa just to have a different look from wedding pictures. I try to get couples to pick some palce to have significance to them it helps to have pictures that have more meaning. Bring pets. Or somewhere downtown where they got engaged.
What advice would you have for couples making a decision on either?
If you want either of those and you want to have them ready for the wedding tell your photographer in enough time to schedule it to be done. Bridal portraits are usually a big print in a frame on display, figure in editing time and framing it takes a while. At least a month. Take into account alteration times. Scheduling your hair and makeup trials.
Big thanks to Amber for taking the time to chat. Remember, whichever you choose, be it engagement session or bridal portrait, definitely pick the one your heart is set on and don't forget to allow plenty of time to get the pictures together! For more of Amber's work and to get in touch with her for your photography needs, visit her website at LotusBlossomPhotography.com.
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Photography & Videography
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Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Join us, and the Nashville wedding community, to help brides and grooms with life threatening illnesses. The launch party is tonight and is a great opportunity for brides, grooms, wedding pros and anyone in Middle Tennessee to learn more about ways to volunteer or donate.
Wish Upon a Wedding Nashville Launch Party - Granting Worry-free Weddings to Brides/Grooms with Life Threatening Conditions
Date: May 18
Location: Wedding 101, The Factory in Franklin
Event Goal: Learn about organization, donate or sign up to volunteer your time, resources
Wish Upon A Wedding is the world's first wish granting organization that grants weddings and civil union ceremonies to couples facing life-threatening medical conditions. Bridal blogger Krista Dial, who is on the Nashville board for Wish Upon a Wedding, extended the invite our way to this free event. Because of our very active and very capable wedding community, as well as access to some of the country's best healthcare organizations, Wish Upon A Wedding has begun its Nashville chapter and we hope to show our support starting with this launch party.
I asked Krista what WUW's presence in Nashville means for our city, "If there is a couple who desperately wants to get married, but due to serious illness or life-altering circumstances, they cannot, we want to come together as professionals in the wedding/event service and healthcare industry, put our talents together as a community to help those couples have their dream weddings." What is really encouraging is that the feedback Krista has received just by talking to people about the organization has been very positive - everyone knows someone who has either overcome and survived or been the victim of a terminal illness or disease. Whether you're a bride, a planner, a baker or a photographer, there is a way for us all to help and this Launch Party on May 18th is a great way to meet like-minded, good-hearted people like yourselves.
Everyone is welcome to join the party, and it's free, just R.S.V.P. at EventBrite.com. Even if you aren't able to attend, please do help spread the word. For more details check out Wish Upon A Wedding Nashville's Facebook Page.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ashley and I were so honored to receive an invitation in the mail to The Bride Room's 10th Anniversary party and fashion show at Houston Station. The Bride Room has a special place in my heart because I bought my wedding gown from them. Personally, they were great to work with, and I know tons of Nashville brides feel the same. It was a beautiful evening celebrated by brides and Nashville's wedding professionals who all came up to show their love and support, and we thought we'd share some of the night's highlights with you today.
The Bride Room-10th Anniversary Party from McNeal Wedding Films on Vimeo.
Delectible sweets from The Bake Shoppe
Nashville stationery designer Arboreal Paper (who did the party invitations) had her exquisite work on display.
The wall of orchids and doilies (all done by hand no less) by Brocade Designs. The decor for the evening was stunning, only outdone by the dresses. Starting with our (and mostly Ashley's) favorite, Nadine by Amsale.
ASHLEY'S FAVORITE DRESS...
"I found my dream bridal gown! I'm in LOVE with this dress!! Love the pockets, the neckline and the sophisticated yet sweet swag!" ~Ashley
The entire evening was pretty magical, each dress as amazing as the next. It really showed the wide selection of styles and dresses The Bride Room carries to fit any height or body style. From long, classic styles to crowd favorites like Nadine, to short and really fun dresses, you'll find what your heart desires there! The bridesmaids dresses were so pretty as well so your bridal party won't be left in your gown's dust. Here are a few highlights from the show.
All bridesmaids dresses by Amsale
Left: Blakely by Amsale. Right: Clara by Amsale
Left: Trish by Vineyard Collection. Right: Krista by Amsale
Left: Tulip top & skirt by Monique Lhuillier. Right: Carter by Vineyard Collection
How much fun would it be to change into these midway through your reception to dance the night away? SO darling! (Left: Sam by Melissa Sweet. Right: Jules top and Jules bottom by Monique Lhullier)
Pretty rosettes that add texture to the sweetest dresses!
(Left: Bijou by Amsale. Right: Bruges by Reverie/Melissa Sweet)
There were so many beautiful dresses all of which you can see in the video of the party taken by McNeal Wedding Films, who were there to capture every moment from start to finish. Thank you also to Donald Yeager Photography who was there to take all these pictures!
Congratulations on 10 fantastic years to Charlotte, Stephanie and Amy of The Bride Room. We're all SO proud of you!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Bridal Gowns, Men's Attire & Accessories, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party
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Monday, May 16, 2011
Anytime I need help with an ABG event, Sarah of Music City Events, is always the first to lend a hand. I know she's busy but she's always excited to not only help but jump in and tackle my to-do list. To me, that demonstrates a true passion for wedding and event planning and her excitement thrills me. With her, no request is too big or small and I think that's important when you hire an event planner. For Sarah, planning is more than a career, it's a delight.
If you are seeking a wedding planner or dont think you need one, keep reading. I'd like to give you some insight into Sarah, her company, her personality and service philosophy. From full-service to day-of planning. large scale to DIY, Sarah's done it all which is why she's among our hand-picked planners and a great choice for your big day.
Tyler Andrews Photography
Contact Info
Name: Music City Events
Main Contact: Sarah Willard
Phone Number: 615-727-3903
Email Address: sarah at aMusicCityEvent dot com
Twitter: twitter.com/MusicCityEvents
Facebook fan page: facebook.com/MusicCityEvents
Number of Years in the Business:
I had to add this up: 8 years in July! Wow!
How did you get started in weddings?
Two of my friends became engaged and I was the Maid of Honor- so the natural planner in me kicked into high gear. I started scouring the internet for the right vendors, bought wedding magazines by the score and threw myself into learning trends and diy projects. It's all I did with both of them for a solid 12 months! 
When their weddings were over I had all this information and was still soaring from the successful events, and offered to help an acquaintance plan her wedding. I vividly remember sitting at my computer at midnight researching for this girl that I barely knew when the proverbial light bulb clicked. I love this. My father owns his own company so I gave him a call and picked his brain on the ups and downs, highs and lows and the "what needs to be done". I got my certification, threw myself into the entire process whole heartedly and here I am!
What do you like most about weddings?
They are pure joy. Yes, there are stressful moments and tons of details and tons of vendors involved in each wedding (on average, 16) but they are so joyful. At this point in a bride's life, this is the biggest thing. THE biggest thing. To be part of that is incredible. I love the bond that it creates between my brides and myself.
What’s your favorite wedding pic/video and why?
It is hard to choose one favorite photograph - especially if you are trying to tell a story! It takes more than one, which is why a compilation is so lovely. This compilation is from LRS's wedding in January 2010. It's been over a year and I still adore it! You can tell in an instance what the feel of her wedding was meant to be. That is what a photo should tell you - the story of the day. These photographs were captured in a beautiful way and pieced together so you could know the story too. From the vintage typewriter to the old library books to the 1920's venue - you know this bride is old-school classic and a romantic at heart!
Jonathon Campbell Photography
What is your service philosophy?
Each bride is different, and therefore so is each wedding. When we work with a bride I work with them. I strive to ensure that their wedding looks and feels like them. I dislike doing the same thing over and over again and I am always looking for innovative ways to layout a reception or to give a popular decor item a little oomph. Guests should be enticed and excited from the moment they receive their invite in the mail. Every detail is finely tuned and executed and it is all done with style!
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? Why should a bride hire you?
Instead of touting myself, I thought I would offer up the words of actual brides. These three lovelies are a previous bride, a current bride and a bride that is in the industry!!
"Sarah wanted to make our wedding as much about us as it could possibly be. Whether it was that extra phone call freaking out over a vendor or the budget, there is always a friendly, non-panicked voice on the line which will go that extra mile to make sure your event turns out brilliantly. Sarah has a great sense of how to capture your vision and make it into something truly amazing. Strengths- friendly (not pretentious), great vendor relationships (always knows who to call), not afraid to take charge, very easy to work with, very organized, easy to get a hold of, and wants to find the best vendors for you within your price range (and already knows who these people are)." ~ Meridith, married May 2010
"Sarah is the real deal. She doesn't fluff, she's fun, flexible, doesn't overcharge, and is completely understanding. Sarah W. spends an extensive amount of time getting to know her clients and extends herself to make each bride feel like her wedding will be the event of her dreams. She incorporates creativity and keeps expectations realistic. My fiancé loves the fact that when Sarah touches base with a new vendor decision, she offers up choices that fit our style and budget, never misleading us. Honestly, being a bride is easy with Sarah as your right hand woman!" ~Sarah P. who married her Love in January 2011
"Sarah's ability to creatively embrace challenges and problem solve on the spot, while keeping cool under pressure is a rare and wonderful trait in this business. Sarah embraced our modest budget, constantly evaluated how to get the biggest bang for our buck, and always worked on creative ways to maximize our day." ~ Jessica, marrying May 2011
Krista Lee Photography
Tyler Andrews Photography
Left: A beautiful wedding Sarah helped put together at the Parthenon. (Images from A Music City Event)
Right: A happy couple after their outdoor ceremony. (image from Scott Hammaker Photography)
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
~ Belles Fleurs Designs is just simply fantastic. I love working with Bonnie and her assistant Anastasia. They rock! There is nothing that Bonnie cannot create - and I've thrown her some curves! She is punctual, has wonderful style and always works within my clients budgets, suggesting the proper flowers that will work for them.
~ Jessica Sneed: Noah Liff Opera Center is an amazing facility nestled in the West End area. Jessica is one of the best people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. She works tirelessly for the couples who are marrying in her building and she's a planner's dream come true. The venue itself is breathtaking with spectacular architecture. It was built with events in mind and can hold both the ceremony and reception!
~ Hamilton Bartending Services is another favorite. They are always available when I call on them, Jesse is a treasure trove of information and always provides me with correct numbers for anything I need (even if he's not working that event!) regarding the bar and all that it requires.
~ Gregory Byerline is a favorite photographer of mine. I love his style, I love his presentation and I love how passionate he is about his work. He has a different take than most (not all, but most) photographers in Nashville and I like different. He is extremely professional and very quick to respond. Gotta love that!
~ Dulce Desserts (DulceDesserts.com) has some deliiiiicious cakes! Juanita can rock your socks when it comes to her designs and the flavors of her cakes. Have you seen her butter cream cake? They look like fondant! So smooth! Juanita loves what she does and excels in it. She is also one to give brides plenty of options, and that is something a bride needs and appreciates these days.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
Believe it or not, one of my faves is Architectural Digest. I do read wedding sites, blogs and magazines such as Brides, the Knot and Weddings Unveiled. But there is something about inspiration that comes from the "odd" source! It just seems to thrive and connect with the bride. I look for inspiration based on each individual client. I never look "wholesale" for several brides at once. I base a couples' wedding on them, and that is how it should be. I have a goal to never have a "stamp" look to any of my events. I do not want industry peeps to see an event that I designed and think "oh right, she always does that". I like to creatively think inside, outside, on top of, below and beside that box!
McCoy Made
Gregory Byerline Photography
What are your favorite wedding websites? / Neatest wedding find?
I love Pocket Full of Dreams. I like staying fresh by looking at overseas blogs and sites. They have a different take! I also like Elizabeth Anne Designs.
For "budget savvy" brides: what's the one thing you think should always make it into a budget?
You should always allot part of your budget for lighting and nice/personal invitations. The invitation is the first thing your guests see and it really sets the tone for your wedding and (let's face it) whether or not they will even attend. If it grabs their attention - they will not want to miss the rest! Lighting is also essential for your reception, at the very least. It completes a room and adds so much to the ambience and feel of the evening. It can take guests from a relaxed dinner setting to a No-One-Can-Stay-Off-the-Dance-Floor setting in a twinkle!
Where can we find you if you’re not working with a bride?
When I am not with a bride you can find me zipping around town with my awesome kiddo, Michael. He's such a precocious 6 year old and we are all the time going from swim lessons to soccer practices and games to the Frist or the Zoo or wherever! He loves what I do and likes to hear about the weddings and the "princesses".
JenM Photography
For more information on A Music City Events visit their website at AMusicCityEvent.com or give Sarah a call to see how she can help you put your wedding together!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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