Many people think of wedding and event design as a big-budget splurge when in reality, it could save you time as well as money. When done effectively, your wedding budget can be maximized. That's the speciality of Dawn Schenkel and her team at Premier W.E.D. who "turn fantasies into memorable realities". They will work with you to hone your overall vision as well as execute on the details so you get what you want.
Ashley's Bride Guide goes one-on-one with Dawn Schenkel of Premier W.E.D.
A Premier W.E.D. client's wedding ceremony and reception at the Schermerhorn in Downtown Nashville
Number of years in the business:
12 with the actual company 1 before on the side.
How did you get started in weddings?
I worked for the largest non-profit in TN handling, marketing, membership, fundraising and special events. Started a family and realized I could have a better schedule and make almost as much doing events on my own. Started Premier W.E.D. and haven’t looked back.
What do you like most about weddings?
The “Dream” finally coming to life for that couple when they enter their wedding. Their faces when they see the details laid out and can finally “see” the results of all the planning is priceless.
What’s your favorite wedding pic/video and why?
No way I can choose this b/c I pride myself on individuality and uniqueness. I have many facets of design and to choose just one would be a shame. I love contemporary design, traditional, vintage, urban, country…it all has it’s place!
What is your service philosophy?
My tag line for years has been “We turn fantasies into memorable realities”. I have seen industry people literally copy that word for word into their websites and/or just use versions of it. That isn’t a statement to just use because it sounds pretty. We mean it! I think the point is….I have always strived to bring to life a vision of the client in a manor that is suited to their personality. The service in that is to “hear, help and execute” the clients needs. Some are more involved than others and that is what makes my job so versatile and enjoyable! It’s an honor.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? Why should a bride hire you?
I am as logistically sound and organized as I am creative. When I was younger and hadn’t met my calling it was a curse. I was never satisfied in my job. Now I am blessed to share my gifts (because I think it is a gift to have that balance) with others.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors?
A Village of Flowers - Creative, kind and they get my design sense.
Keoni K Photography- Humble, and a great visionary
Liberty Party Rental - Always a friend in the business Jason Davis
DJ - Goes above and beyond his job requirements to help me, which in turn helps the client.
BBJ Linen - service and of course, quality.
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit?
I’m always available! ☺ I have 3 directors that balance our availability. I try to never turn business away. Not to say I don’t think there are great men and women out there that could be a good referral.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
Wedding magazines of all kinds, I follow the fashion industry a lot (I feel it has a huge hand in event design) and I certainly don’t watch the reality shows! They drive me batty!
Which wedding trend do you love?
Vintage weddings
Which trend do you hate?
Party buses for guests.
Which trend are you glad is gone?
Dollar Dance, twinkle lights and tulle
Which trend are you sad is gone?
Porcelain wedding cake toppers
What are your favorite wedding websites/ neatest wedding find?
etsy.com because of it’s uniqueness and it’s been a couple of years now, but the ring bearer bowl was my favorite. It’s just now becoming popular.
What's the one thing you think a budget bride should always make it into a budget:
A WEDDING PLANNER AND DIRECTOR!!!
What's one way brides can save money/be more economical?
All in one wedding location/ and or no alcohol
For the platinum bride, what is the one thing youve always wished a bride would add?
Out of state rental items that are non-existent in TN.
What would be doing if you did not work in weddings?
Interior Design
Favorite TV show and why?
Used to be Lost but now nothing….no time to watch TV
Last vacation?
Vegas Baby!
What are you reading?or last thing you read?
The Power of a Praying Wife, NY weddings, and Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum Novel series. I admit to needing a little, what I call…Bubble gum for the brain sometimes. I have to let my mind rest.
Just curious, what advice would you give to brides on choosing a florist?
Compare quotes and apples to apples. Don’t get two different design schemes and try to compare…it never works.
What is the biggest misconception about your industry?
The biggest misconception is that they can’t afford me or any wedding director much less a planner. (Again…two totally different jobs!) My most budget minded client I have had to date just said…..”You can’t afford NOT to have a planner!” She didn’t understand that until getting further into the process and seeing the tricks I pulled and the favors I asked for to get her wedding in the right budget.
Does your company do anything special that a green bride might want to know?
We offer vendors who specialize in green products. Catering, invitations, rentals, etc.
We hope this spotlight on Premier W.E.D. and the fantastic pictures that Dawn has shared inspire you - they really are spectacular. For more information on Premier W.E.D., you can visit their website where you'll see more pictures and events they have done on their blog. You can also follow them on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook!
You're Invited Gifts, Paper and Events is a one-stop shop for your custom wedding needs. Their Belle Meade event boutique offers wedding planning, event design and custom invitations.
They have a very special, time-sensitive offer for ABG readers: Now through August 10th, ABG readers receive $150 off any wedding consultation package when you mention ABG plus an additional 10% off any event/wedding invitation. Definitely give them a call soon and be sure to mention that you're an ABG bride!
To give you a taste of their work, I am excited to feature a recent photoshoot by You're Invited, captured by Jonathon Campbell Photography. You're Invited's Summer Soiree photo shoot was, put simply, exquisite. The great thing about this Summer Soiree design is you can contact You're Invited and have them plan your bridal shower, bridesmaid luncheon or event and they can recreate the exact look below OR you can use the concept as inspiration. Either way - they can help you from plan to design. It doesnt get much easier than that!
Stephanie Alexander & Anna Peebles of You're Invited
Guest Blogger: Stephanie Alexander of You're Invited Events - Bridal Luncheon Summer Soiree
The photos capture the perfect bridesmaid's luncheon. Hot pinks and lime greens are a combination I love with the white which really pops against those colors. This invitation was the inspiration for this hot pink and lime green Bridal Shower/Bridesmaid’s Luncheon. Oftentimes, I will take an invitation and use it to help develop the overall look and feel of a party. If you need inspiration for your next party, I encourage you to visit an invitation/stationery store for ideas! Birds are a hot trend right now, in both décor and invitation design.
We packaged the invitations in little white boxes that had been lined in hot pink raffia. I love non-traditional ways of sending a fabulous invitation.
I chose a 60” square table with fuchsia satin linen, and a 48” round table with a lime green linen for the food and beverages. I love using a mixture of square and round tables at parties. I also chose white chiavari chairs. The crisp white really pops against the pinks and the greens. For the 60” square table where guests were seated, we used 4 large green topiaries, a glass pitcher filled with lime slices, wheat grass in ceramic containers and little bird boxes (to continue with our bird theme) and lime green Caspari placemats. In addition, we used monogrammed Pickard china for the placesettings. This Pickard china is extremely popular for bride’s wedding registries. (Rentals were courtesy of Music City Tents & Events).
For this particular arrangement, I used Bells of Ireland, pink larkspur, green curly willow and hot pink dried floral accents. In addition, I filled 8 bud vases with pink sweet peas. I placed these bud vases around the table near each guest’s place setting.
Putting the fresh dogwood blossoms in the jars is brilliant!
I created bird sticks for the dessert shooter glasses. The dessert shooters were strawberries and cream trifle and key lime and cream dessert shots. I wanted to incorporate the pink and green into the food and beverage table as well. I also served sparkling pink punch and rimmed the etched antique glasses with pink sugar. In addition, I utilized glass bird containers in varying heights, and Anna filled them with fresh dogwood blossoms. Another decoration I used on the food and beverage table was wheat grass in wooden boxes. To add another dimension, I added sweet pea stems to the boxes for a pop of pink color.
Dessert shots are a fun, one-serving option
This set up could also be taken indoors, we just happened to have a fabulous day with gorgeous weather but you could create this inside in a beautiful dining area or a screened in porch. A good party can be done indoors or outdoors and as a planner, I always have a back-up plan. If it had rained that day, I had the screened in porch ready to go at the house we shot these pictures at.
Absolutely delightful! Thank you so much for filling us in on the shoot. and thank you to Jonathon Campbell Photography for sharing the pictures with us. What blew me away was the fact that Stephanie did everything herself - the food, the arrangements, the beverages and the dessert. So this set up can be done regardless of your budget and whether you're a D.I.Y. bride or if you have a limitless budge to hire vendors such as You're Invited.
As a Nashville wedding resource, our goal is to help you find great services and products for your wedding that are available locally. We love Nashville and know that just about everything we need can be procured in our amazing city!
When we learned about Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co, we just knew their gourmet chocolate would be a great wedding favor option for brides. They make their own stone ground dark chocolate in a variety of flavors that not only are beneficial to you* but also taste really really good.
Customize your own chocolate wrapper with your initials and message to your guests.
We heart Olive + Sinclair
They were kind enough to let provide chocolate bar swag to our SATC party guests (which they loved!). And just the other day, Ashley sampled and swooned over Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Gelato at Brave Gelato. Can you say delish! If that weren't enough, when Gwyneth Paltrow was in Nashville filming a movie, she visited Olive & Sinclair and gushed on her site, GOOP.com that "the chocolate itself is some of the most flavorful we've ever experienced and the combinations were amazing"...It's good stuff!
The company
Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co. was founded by Tennessean Scott Witherow who was the generous source of the chocolate bars donated to the party. Scott is a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef whose resume boasts several of Nashville's most innovative restaurants with skills excelling in the pastry department.
Made right here in the heart of Nashville, Olive & Sinclair's chocolate comes in delicious flavors like Mexican Style Cinn-Chili, 67% or 75% dark chocolate, coffee (which has bits of coffee beans in it - so good), salt & pepper and my personal favorite, sea salt. In fact, I'm nibbling on some right now for inspiration**! They produce 330-600 pounds of chocolate a week in their McGavock Pike factory and store and you can get the chocolate there or at several local stores!
The bars each come wrapped in a chic, stylish wrapper and the entire package is a visual treat. The wrappers are designed by local printing company, Spirit of Nashville and are just stunning. Each time I buy a bar I feel this urge to frame the wrapper! It's that pretty!
Custom wedding chocolate bars for favors or gifts
What Ashley and I are most excited about is Olive & Sinclair's wedding chocolate! The rich, delicious dark chocolate flavor which is sure to please everyone who has a bite. But the special part about this is the wrapper which has a bride and groom on it, and a place where you can print your initials and a message for your guests. This is such a fantastic gift for out-of-town guests and/or wedding favors to really give your guests a personalized piece of Tennessee to take with them.
They need at least three weeks notice to get the bars ready so for those of you who haven't picked your favors or haven't thought of the perfect item for your gift bags, get in touch with Olive & Sinclair to discuss.
I'll leave you with video of Scott and his team at Olive & Sinclair hard at work, creating the bars from start to finish. Visit the Olive & Sinclair Blog to see what else they've been up to and find out what new flavors they're going to have for us later this year. I, personally, can't wait.
Video courtesy of Josh Anderson
* Did you know that dark chocolate can be good for you? According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, dark (not white or milk) chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants and has been shown, in some cases, to lower high blood pressure. And we all know about pressure when it comes to planning a wedding! Decision made - chocolate favors it is!
When we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of wedding planning, it's easy to overlook what's at the core - a marriage. Once in a while, we meet a gem of a bride whose vision isn't all about the glitter or themes but one who cherishes the moments that she wanted as part of her special day, with lots of unique personalized touches that were such a joy to see. For Lauren and William, their wedding was a day spent with family and friends from near and far, one that was capturedl in gorgeous photographs, and super fun photobooth pics.
Simply Vintage - Real Wedding Feature submitted by Photo Booth Nashville
Bride ~ Lauren Stephens
Groom ~ William Branson IV
Wedding Details:
April 10, 2010, ceremony 5:00 pm, reception 7:00 pm
Ceremony- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Franklin, TN (pivate ceremony, family only)
Reception: Houston Station, Nashville, TN
Approximately 140 guests at reception
Wedding Style:
What was your wedding style?
This is hard for me to pin down. There were definitely a lot of vintage elements, but the reception felt like a really fun mix of vintage and urban.
What were your colors? Why did you choose them?
Light Pink + Gray. The colors had the vintage feel I was going for.
What did you use for inspiration? {magazines? blogs? websites? etc.}
I mostly used blogs for inspiration. East Side Bride, Once Wed, etc. (Ashley adds - be sure to check out the East Side Bride's feature on Lauren's wedding. It's honest, candid and hilarious!)
Wedding Scoop:
What was your wedding WOW factor? {What did your guests love?}
There were a lot of things that continue to be talked about. One was the Photo Booth Nashville. The other? I played a song for my husband w/ my guitar and harmonica at the reception. I guess not many people had seen a bride with a guitar + harmonica holder.
What did you give as favors to your guests?
We had a photo booth, so the “favors” were the printed photo strips.
How did you personalize your wedding?
There were a lot of things that made our wedding very reflective of us. (Of course the photo booth + my guitar playing helped). The groom’s cupcakes had skulls on them, which is something of a theme in our apartment. My family + extended family are from Louisiana and we had a lot of guests from the wedding from Louisiana, as well. When we left, we had a Second Line Parade. It is a New Orleans tradition in which a brass band plays and those who follow twirl a parasol and a white handkerchief in the air. It was a way for us to bring my home state to our wedding.
What did you give your bridesmaids and groomsmen?
My sister was my only bridesmaid, so I ordered her a monogrammed Lucite tray. We gave our dads ties from Psycho Bunny, and we gave our cousins who were readers/ushers monogrammed money clips. I also had hair lovelies made for some close friends + female cousins from Oh My Deer on Etsy.
What was your most special moment of the day?
Pinning down one special moment would be pretty difficult, since the entire day was phenomenal. But actually walking down the aisle with my dad, seeing faces of my family smiling at me, and seeing William waiting for me at the end would probably have to take the cake.
Did you have kids at your wedding? What did you do for them?
No, we didn’t have any kids at the wedding.
Did you Do It Yourself? Or, did you leave it to the professionals?
I honestly have to say that I am NOT much of a DIY-er. However, my mom did take on a couple of projects. One being that she hand stamped 100 handkerchiefs with fleur de lis + tied them with a cute ribbon for our second line parade.
Wedding Vendors:
~ Planner: Elegant Weddings By Angela (ElegantWeddingsbyAngela.com)
~ Cake(s): The Bake Shoppe
~ Caterer: Chef’s Market
~ Photographer: Laura Dart, D'art Photographie (DartPhotographie.com)
~ Stationery: Save the Dates were designed by my best friend, Megan Willoughby. The wedding invitations were SMOCK, from Salutations in Charlotte, NC. Tags for handkerchiefs + photo booth reminder were made by Erin Duffy at Social Graces in Hillsboro Village. ~ Bridesmaid Dresses: I only had one bridesmaid: my sister. We had her dress made by a wedding store in Charlotte, NC called Hayden-Olivia. This is also where I bought my wedding dress.
~ Rings: We had our rings made.
~ Music: For the ceremony, we had a good friend, Dan Hochhalter, play violin. At the reception, the Malemen were our band and they ROCKED. Everyone loved them!
~ Decorations/Detail:Nashville Event Lighting, Photo Booth Nashville
~ Bridal Gown: Vineyard Collection
~ Tuxes: No tuxes. Our dads + the groom had their suits made.
~ Accessories: Veil was made for me, purchased at Hayden-Olivia in Charlotte, NC.
~ Flowers: The fabulous Chase Rivers.
~ Transportation: We hired a trolley to take our family members who attended the ceremony from the hotel downtown to the church in Franklin. For that, we used Franklin Trolley. The bride + groom left the wedding + reception in a Packard that was owned by a friend of the bride.
Who were your favorites? {the ones you would highly recommend to your best friend}
Elegant Weddings By Angela. Hands down. She + Susan Able (our coordinator) helped guide us through the previously unavigated waters of the wedding industry and I did not feel that they let us down one time. All of the vendors they recommended were completely professional + helpful. I would recommend Houston Station (HoustonStationNashville.com) to ANYONE. Jeff Thornhill, who runs the place, is unbelievably helpful. Chef’s Market also went above + beyond.
Wedding Rewind:
What would you do differently if you could start back at the beginning?
Honestly, there aren’t a lot of things about the execution of the wedding that I would have done differently. (Let me also add that none of this could have been done without my tireless mother). However, I would have been more specific about the photographs I wanted taken at the reception.
What do you consider the best value for the service and product?
I have to say, Chef’s Market is the absolute way to go for catering in Nashville. They have catering down to a science. They are professional, helpful, great with logistics, and the food is great! I honestly would recommend them to anyone.
What was the neatest thing you found for your wedding?
It is more of an emotional thing than anything else. But all of the people who love you most in the world are all in one room, some coming from far, far away. It is an amazing thing to share that day with people who love you that much.
What was your biggest {and best} splurge?
This wasn’t built into our budget, so I have to say that the photo booth definitely takes the cake. We have the most hilarious pictures of our friends, and you can definitely tell which ones were taken later in the night. Everyone is STILL talking about it, 2 months later!
Congratulations and all the best to Lauren and William!
Pictures courtesy of D'Art Photographie (dartphotographie.com) and Photo Booth Nashville.
I am very excited to announce that StudioWed (our site sponsor) is giving away the diamond necklace below! Yes, it's gorgeous and Tabitha and I want it, but it's for a special Nashville bride. Here's how you can win the necklace.
How does the studio work?
StudioWed is a (free service) wedding planning studio.
You make an appointment with Leigh or Mary Alice (the lovely owners) and share details about your wedding. They listen and help you find great wedding vendors based on your style, budget. Their goal is to help you create the wedding day of a lifetime! And, when you visit this month only, your visit qualifies you for an entry in the diamond necklace contest.
StudioWed Nashville Diamond Necklace Giveaway
Here's all you have to do to enter the giveaway for the beautiful bling:
1) Be a Nashville bride or planning a Nashville wedding
2) Have wedding vendors that you still need to hire. If you've already hired all of your vendors, the Studio will not be as beneficial so the contest is open to brides who are still hiring wedding professionals.
3) Contact StudioWed (615.739.5477 or leigh at studiowed dot net) now to schedule your "diamond giveaway" appointment. Your appointment must be between July 7 and July 31.
4) Visit the Studio and get entered to win the necklace!
Nashville brides - this is THE time to check out StudioWed. Get complimentary wedding planning help, meet great professionals and maybe win some diamonds! If you are not a bride, please spread the word via Facebook + Twitter so your brides can win the bling!
(If you attended our SATC party as a StudioWed brides, your name has automatically been entered into the drawing for this beautiful diamond necklace. Because many of you weren't able to participate at that time StudioWed is extending the drawing til July 31st to give all Nashville brides a chance to win. All you have to do is call StudioWed and make your appointment to see Leigh and Mary Alice and let them connect you with some of the best wedding vendors in town!)
At Ashley’s Bride Guide, we’re always on the lookout for innovative and exciting wedding ideas.
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