Thursday, November 15, 2012
For months, I've heard about an incredible peacock engagement party at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I reached out to Caprice of The Enchanted Florist, who was hired as the floral designer, to learn more. I'm here to share details on their design and their vibrant photos!
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Guru and Neha have known one another since childhood. They knew their engagement was a special occasion not only for them, but also for their friends and family who have watched their love blossom for years. Once they chose Nashville for their location all they needed was a great team to make their event one to remember.
With Neha in school in Massachusetts, Guru, the groom, and his sister traveled from their home in Chattanooga to Nashville to hire a dream team to plan the engagement party. The two started by hiring a planner, Meredith of Bridal Blueprints to manage the event’s plan and Shannon of Southall Eden to design and style the event. After learning of the couple’s vision, Shannon knew that Caprice and the Enchanted Florist staff were just addition the team needed to bring this lavish love story to life.
Guru and Neha wanted a celebration that was as beautiful as their love story. The design should incorporate the peacock, which is India's national bird and is very prominent in their culture.
Beautiful. Storytelling. Peacock-themed.
It was a simple request made simpler by their willingness to hire top notch vendors and let them do what they do best – coordinate and design beautiful events. The couple didn’t care what the team did, they just asked that it be stunning and showcase their love.
Shannon started by creating an inspiration board for the event and went on to design all of the major details – from the monogram to the color palette. She presented the concept to Caprice who then determined the best florals and design elements to incorporate.
Engaged Couple ~ Guru and Neha
Engagement Party Venue ~ Country Music Hall of Fame
Guests ~ 400
Designer ~ Southall Eden
Planner ~ Bridal Blueprints
Floral Designer ~ The Enchanted Florist
Design Team's Photographer ~ Chris and Adrienne Scott Photographers
Enchanted Florist created several dramatic elements for the event. A floral peacock (which took 4 people 2 days to build) met guests as they entered. The peacock, at approximately 8 feet tall, sat in a garden, also created on site by Enchanted Florist - potted plants and all.
Guru and Neha’s engagement party started in the Country Music Hall of Fame's Rotunda where the theme was minimalistic – all white flowers and pops of turquoise were added through lighting and vases. A peacock ice sculpture was the focal point. Concert ticket stubs, photos, and love notes were incorporated into the design to give guests a peek into the details of their love story.
See more from Neha and Guru's engagement dinner design on Friday. Learn more about this wonderful couple via their engagement party video captured by Focal Point Cinematic.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Florals, Details & Design , Multicultural, African-American weddings, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Friday, October 19, 2012
It's not often that you find your wedding venue from a movie, but that is exactly was Jazmine and Catalino did. They chose to have their reception at the Parthenon after seeing it on the big screen! Even with a traditional Catholic wedding and nods to their Filipino upbringing, the two brought a twist to their day with the Grecian-style venue. It was still the perfect spot for them and for a wedding on the edge of intimate (only 80 guests!). And the best part... First Dance Pictures captured the whole day!
The sweet couple's love shows not only in the video, but also in the photos that they've shared with us. Read on for more on their day; then head over to First Dance's blog to learn more.
Jazmine + Catalino III
Wedding Date ~ July 30, 2011
Ceremony Venue ~ Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reception Venue ~ Centennial Park, Parthenon
Guests ~ 80
Catalino & Jazmine - 7.30.11 from First Dance Pictures on Vimeo.
Wedding Team
Videographer | First Dance Pictures
Photographer | JMS Photography
Gown | David’s Bridal
Bride’s Accessories | Earrings and necklace given by my grandmother
Men's Attire | Traditional barong from our country - the Philippines (pants are groom and groomsmen’s own)
Hair | Breon Hair Salon
Makeup | A friend’s mom
Stationery | Scrolls Unlimited (for invitations), programs + table numbers - DIY
Caterer + Cake Artist | Chef's Market
Flowers | Ceremony flowers - Sam’s Club / DIY; reception - Chefs Market
Ceremony Musicians | Church performers
Rentals + Lighting + Reception Musicians | Doug Griffin
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Simple and intimate
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We had to build our style around the Parthenon; our colors were gold, champagne, or beige. We found out about the Parthenon through the movie "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" [part of the film was shot at the Parthenon in Nashville] and we wanted to have our reception there.
Why did you choose First Dance Pictures as your videographer?
We looked for videographers in the Nashville area and saw their website and liked it.
Why was important to have a video of your day? What do you value most from your wedding video?
At first, we weren’t really planning on having a video but I saw a Filipino videographer’s website and how he does his wedding videos. And First Dance’s work closely resembles how he does it. Everything they did were really great.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
The venue is where we splurged the most. We saved a lot on our flowers and the groom/groomsmen’s clothes.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
No, I think we did good. Planning the wedding gave us the chance to bond more and personalize most of the stuff that we had or did for our wedding. And also we definitely saved a lot.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Just prioritize what you need to do first, like the church and reception venue, and then the other things will follow.
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Multicultural, African-American weddings, Real Nashville Weddings
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Friday, June 15, 2012
Nashville vendor, Joon Powell, had the priviledge of photographing an old friend's wedding in North Carolina and we were too excited when she agreed to let us feature this wedding, steeped in Christian and Sri Lankan tradition. on our blog as well! Joon is a photojournalist that really loves to capture a story. Here she captured the story of two cultures uniting at Sam and Chris' wedding and the importance of tradition. We hope you enjoy it as we do!
All images by Joon Powell Photography.
Sam + Chris
Wedding Date ~ June 11, 2011
Ceremony + Reception ~ Ballantyne Hotel
"About 15 years ago, I met Sam at summer camp in Cullowhee, NC. Last weekend I got to photograph her wedding! She and Chris’ exuberance made the whole event so beautiful and fun. Sam’s family is Sri Lankan so there were a number of traditions I had never seen before, such as the lighting of an oil lamp, and tying the couple’s little fingers together and sprinkling blessed water on them. The women wore fantastic sarees and I had some of the best food I have ever tasted. After the men donned their penguin suits, they ate oysters just before the ceremony. I thought that was awesome. Sam’s sister’s toast was especially memorable to me. She talked about how Chris doesn’t just get Sam, he delights in her. I just love that." ~ Joon Powell
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"After the men donned their penguin suits, they ate oysters just before the ceremony. I thought that was awesome. Sam’s sister’s toast was especially memorable to me. She talked about how Chris doesn’t just get Sam, he delights in her. I just love that." ~ Joon Powell
If you are interested in Joon's photojournalist approach to weddings, then be sure to contact her and tell her you found her on ABG! View her blog for more of her work.
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Posted by Megan |
Filed under: Multicultural, African-American weddings, Real Nashville Weddings
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Friday, May 25, 2012
When Tanya, a family friend, called to discuss weddings with my mother and I, there was no doubt that she had a clear vision for her wedding day. Tanya was a no-frills, modern bride. She wanted a muted and classic color palette with elegant but minimal decor. With a background in architecture and graphic design, she was drawn to historic venues and clean lines, and wanted to design some things on her own.
She knew what she liked and didn't like, and she clearly articulated where she needed help. She needed only a few ideas, a couple of recommendations for wedding professionals, then she and her mom took it from there. They planned everything - from A to Z - and my enlisted my mom (church wedding coordinator) to help coordinate the ceremony and reception.
I love a decisive, independent thinking bride! It makes everything less stressful and makes it more likely that the wedding will be a true reflection of the couple, as was theirs.
Today, I am happy to share with you Tanya and Andre's elegant wedding at Nashville's Union Station. A wonderfully classic, all-inclusive venue, Union Station was the perfect location for this history-loving couple. It was a beautiful event with a timeless look, which was just what the couple wanted.
All photos by Mark Denman Photography.
Tanya + Andre
Date ~ June 11, 2011
Ceremony + Reception Venue ~ Union Station Wyndham Historic Hotel
Guests ~ 275
My Budget
$20,000 – 50,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Geraldean Smith, Clementine King, AshleysBrideGuide.com
Photographer | Mark Denman
Videographer | Michael Morn
Gown | Arzelle’s
Bridal Accessories | Bracelet – Charming Charlie, Necklace – Gift from parents
Groom’s Attire / Groomsmen Attire | Charcoal Grey Tux, Yellow Bow Ties from Bridal Warehouse
Bridesmaids Attire | Bridal Warehouse (Quarry (grey), Dessy - Alfred Sung Collection (they picked from four different styles to wear)
Hair | Simple, pulled back into a classy bun.
Makeup | Narkieta Neal Makeup – Nikki Campbell with Blu Artistry
Stationery | I did them myself (tp.graphics) and printed them at Jive printing
Ceremony Musicians | String Quartet from The Innocenti Strings, Soloist – Patrique Fortson, Pianist – Chad Hammonds
Reception Musicians | DJ – Josh Merritt
Caterer | Union Station Wyndham Historic Hotel
Cake Artist | Dulce Desserts
Floral Designer | The Enchanted Florist
Guest Accommodations | Marriott, Brentwood, TN
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Modern/Contemporary
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
After having picked a venue full of history and historical architectural elements, we felt the best style to complement this backdrop and our personal taste was that of a contemporary vibe. We incorporated this style through our choice of colors (charcoal grey, yellow, white and black), our attire (simple, elegant wedding dress and sleek tuxes), floral choices (white and yellow Calla Lilies as prominent flower), and the design of the stationery.
Our desire was to keep all the elements simple and elegant so as not to compete with the history of Union Station, but to subtly complement it with pieces of today.
What was the favorite aspect of your wedding?
What I enjoyed most of my wedding was being surrounded by so much love. Having all our friends and family from near and far just left the atmosphere with such joy, hope and happiness. It was as though sharing that love with everyone was the glue that brought everything together and made the day so memorable.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
I splurged on my dress and on the venue. Why not?! I saved by designing my own stationary (wedding and reception invitations, programs, etc.) Having experience in graphic design saved us a pretty penny.
With everything being in one location, we didn’t have to worry about transportation, and with having several musically gifted friends, we were able to save when it came to the music.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
No, not really. I took advantage of the knowledge and connections around me. I think if I had of tried to figure out and do everything on my own, the day would not have turned out as wonderful as it did and I would have been stressed beyond measure. It’s great having family and friends to turn to for help, support and direction.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
If you set out trying to have every detail perfect, you’ll just become stressed and overwhelmed; you’ll miss the simplicity and joy of it all!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Multicultural, African-American weddings, Real Nashville Weddings
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