Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 Today's my birthday so I am trying my best to stay away from the computer and opting for a day at the park, movies, etc. But, it's perfect timing because today I am welcoming Brandi, an ABG bride, who did a full round-up of her favorites from the bridal show, to offer a bride's perspective. I will return Friday with more of my finds but today and Thursday, check out Brandi's favorites. It was surprising that she found some vendors that I didn't even see! She also spoke with vendors and they are offering specials for ABG readers so be sure to mention ABG if you call them. Thanks Brandi - great job! I can't wait to start following your blog. Today's Guest Blogger: Brandi Montgomery, Nashville bride Hello brides, planners, and grooms to be, I am thrilled to give you a review of the recent bridal show. Who am I - a modern/chic bride. I'm on a Kool-Aid budget with Champagne taste. I happen to be relocating states, getting married and starting a new job in the upcoming months, not to mention taking on a step mother role. My fiance' is prior military and I am an inch away from my 30th birthday. I think I've checked all the boxes of majority of you all out there, so grab a pen and some papers, I've got some HOT!!! finds for you all. Although I've attended a bridal show before, I was in no way mentally prepared. I should have know something when my neighbor advised me to wear tennis shoes (I rocked flip flops.) There were short brides, tall brides, Second timers, mothers, groom's (I counted about 30,) all there for the same reason as I - bargains! With my Matron of Honor in tow, I proudly put out my BRIDE badge, but not before stopping to get a picture for you guys. We were greeted with sounds from the Nashville Chamber Players. These guys were great and would make an excellent addition to any cocktail hour, wedding, or reception.
Now a recap of my favorites! 1) Best Wedding/Event Styling - Enchanted Florist
2) Best Floral Design - Accent Designs
What set them apart from the other florists booths: Keven said he loves color and uses it to create an atmosphere for each bride. Kevin designs made me feel as if I stepped into my own wedding reception, complete with bridal bouquets and all. He incorported ostrich feathers into a table scape that brides couldn't get enough off. Warner also had bouquets on hand with different moods. Check out the pic's below including one with me and favorite bridesmaids bouquet.
Tips on booking him: 6 month advance notice if you can, try to steer clear of holiday weekends. Accent Designs-Owner Kevin Warner, 615-833-9710
3) Great Deal - Ace Photobooths NEWS FLASH! I FOUND MY PHOTO BOOTH for $800-"HOORAY!) I had a plan so conquer all the booths, but my curiosity couldn't let me get past a line that started to gather. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE: Retro, chic, mirrored, and graphics can be added WHAT MAKES IT SO HOT!!: The $800 price includes 4 hours with an attendant, a dvd with all of your pics, a choice of black and white or color, pics come up in seconds, if you'd like double prints it's an additional $40 per hour. This was the best price that I've seen online and at the show. You can even change the color of the curtain. What we liked best was the preview of your self and the countdown before the picture snapped. Here is my photo. HOW DO YOU GET IT: There is a $250 retainer which allows you to hold your booth. Its the bridal show special so you need to act FAST!
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Bridal Shows & Events, Real Nashville Brides
0 comments »
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I have become fast e-friends with Lillian, who I mentioned yesterday. We email a few times a week re: her wedding plans and learned that her engagement session took place at Southall Eden, a farm in Leiper's Fork! I was so excited to see her pics b/c I love Southall. Then, she told me that she won her engagement session in a Photo Graphix photo contest. So, I had to know more. Here's what Lillian shared with me and her pics: About the contest:
First submission: Submit an image showing "LOVE" between couples...be creative! And no distasteful images please 
Up for grabs: Free couples shoot session (that's right, sitting fees waived). Can be as relaxed as you want or you can dress back up in your wedding attire...you choose!
We won!
Â
After more than 400 votes, the picture of Craig proposing to me on stage at they Ryman Auditorium won us the contest! I actually submitted it the day after we got engaged, and never expected we would win. Lucky us!
Our engagement shoot As for the shoot itself, I was a nervous wreck until we got to the farm. You see all these amazing photos that are so inspiring and then you stress over your outfits a billion times, but in the end, it's just about capturing this moment in time when you are just blissfully in love with your best friend. Jen and Ann of Photographix were great to just let us interact on our own, rather than stage us too much, and that made us completely comfortable to smile, laugh, kiss and even flirt a little like we do when we're all alone! It made for such a fun, relaxing day for both of us. Craig (my fiance) usually hates having his picture made, but when we were driving back after it was over, he mentioned that he actually enjoyed it a little - a major milestone for sure! I think he was just proud of himself because the photographers said what a great little model he was! Lillian
Thanks Lillian and Photographix for sharing these amazing pics and congrats on your engagement!
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Photography & Videography, Real Nashville Brides
0 comments »
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I love this wedding story, for so many reasons.
The wedding touches:
Since April, I have heard so much about this wedding. From taking place at Baber House, a new Nashville wedding venue, to incorporating a rentacake - one of the first I've seen in use and a photo booth. Plus, the wedding planner was Courtney of A Magical Affair; paper goods were provided by Designs in Paper.
With so many great vendors and touches, I simply couldn't wait to see the pics and here they are! Before I share the wedding, I wanted to share from Cakes by Shara's blog on how you can use a rental:
"The Watson's love Publix cakes so Cakes By Shara designed a 4 tier [faux] wedding cake in custom colors for $300 with a real slice of cake in the back, this cake would have served close to 275 people for the retail cost of $1787. Publix sheet cake cost $75 each for a full sheet cake 1 1/2 inch high. They needed 4 [sheet cakes] so the savings on this cake is over $1100. None of the guests knew that this was not a real wedding cake."
The touching wedding: I'll let Myrick tell you about this amazing couple and their story...
Guest Blogger: Myrick Studios is a Nashville-based, wedding photographer.
Engraved on the inside of their rings, it reads "True Love Waited". It's so incredible to actually come across a couple who did it, well, they didn't "DO IT". Brittany and Lawson waited. They vowed to each other and to God to remain pure until their wedding night. What an awesome story and what a privilege it was to capture this moment. In this sex-craving culture that we live in, it's so inspiring to to meet a couple who had the strength to say no to all of the temptation that surrounded them and to say yes to each other. True love waited. Meet Brittany & Lawson. May God continue to protect and bless this marriage.
Visit Myrick's blog for even more Watson wedding pictures.
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Photography & Videography, Real Nashville Brides, Real Nashville Weddings
0 comments »
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009 Like many of you know, finding the perfect dress (within budget) is a challenge. Today, Louise shares more from her bridal gown dress search and hopefully her story will serve as a reminder that your dress is out there:). Louise certainly keeps it real - don't believe me - check out her blog. The girl is just funny. Oh - check out a great pic from a wine tasting at her home that I attended last week. We were sampling wines for her wedding. I know nothing about wine so I just followed Jonathon Campbell's lead. Good thing Louise didn't take me gown shopping with her. I am very agreeable.
fun night - thanks for the invite! I enjoyed meeting everyone - the time flew by way too fast.
Good luck with your gown search! Guest Post: Louise, a Nashville bride whose great blog can be found at The Thirty-Something Bride The Monday after my visit to The White Room, I started hitting the Internet hard. I found Faccio Bridal was near my office so visited them up one afternoon. While they have a beautiful store filled with gorgeous dresses, they were mostly $2000 and up. I didn't even try a dress on. Boo. Hiss. A week or so before, I had gone to another, smaller Bridal Show at The Frist Museum where I met A Bride's Storey shop owner, Melissa. I called her up and made an appointment at her uber-cute shop in Murfreesboro, TN. My appointment ran late, but Melissa didn't even bat an eyelash. She was incredibly patient as I tried on dress after dress. I loved these two gowns from Essense of Australia:
Essence of Australia style #CJ155, photo courtesy of essensedesigns.com
Essence of Australia style #D841, photo courtesy of essensedesigns.com
I left the store empty handed with a heavy heart.
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Attire & Accessories, Real Nashville Brides
0 comments »
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, May 9, 2009 I really look forward to seeing weddings by A Delightful Day. I kept asking ADD when they would feature a Nashville wedding. A few weeks ago, they featured Shannie and Craig's wedding but because the wedding was in Destin (vs Nashville), I didn't feature it. BUT it was a gorgeous wedding!
But, Shannie and Craig returned to Nashville to celebrate. What a great idea!! If you want a destination wedding but want to share your celebration with people unable to attend, return home and have a fantastic soiree. Your Nashville celebration can be as lavish or simple as you like. The key is to keep everything wonderfully you. I certainly considered a destination wedding and if I'd seen other brides who'd done something like Shannie did, I might have seriously considered it. Alas! A wedding celebration to feature by A Delightful Day! I know you will love it as much as I did. Today's Guest Blogger: A Delightful Day, Nashville Wedding & Event Planners http://www.ADelightfulDay.com I hope you enjoyed Shannie and Craig's intimate ceremony on the beach in Destin. Once the bride and groom returned, it was time to celebrate with all of their family and friends unable to come to Destin. The celebration continued at the University Club on Vanderbilt's campus with a cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres reception. The day before was the devastating tornado's that hit Murfreesboro and we were so thankful that the weather was beautiful for their big day. To continue the colors of fuchsia, black with accents of apple green and polka dots, we created three different styles of centerpieces with lots of candle light, a must for the bride. Events Plus provided draping for the main ballroom to accent the decor chosen by the bride, Classic Party Rentals provided the chair covers, and lounge furniture was rented through Music City for the guests to relax. Amazing cakes were created by the wonderfully talented Maples Wedding Cakes incorporating the bride's colors and a custom groom's cake showed Craig's favorite thing in the whole world, muddin' as we put it in the south! Music City DJ's provided the entertainment and the bride and groom with their bridal party created the ultimate mix for a rockin' bridal party entrance dance. Enjoy the wonderful images taken by Evin and Jessica of Evin Photography!
We incorporated beautiful fuchsia florals containing hot lady roses, tulips, dahlias, Gerbers (the bride's favorite), and carnations. Each votive was tied with a coordinating polka dot ribbon and river rock was used to incorporate the black color.
(Ashley adds: Wow - this is a spectacular centerpiece - flirty, feminine, simple and fun)
The pink carnation was used to represent her college sorority Phi Mu.
This is the actual sticker that is on his 4 wheeler that the cake was modeled after! Too funny!
The monochromatic candy bar was set up with our candy buffet jars and scoops and adorably accompanied with black bags with a label of their monogram that is on the bridal party shirts and monogrammed napkins.
At the beginning of the song they were dancing for their "first dance" to Wonderful Tonight... Then:
It was awesome! Shannie and Craig did have a very sweet first dance later on in the evening to Brad Paisley's "It Did".
I love the ring shots... especially this one with the rock candy sticks off the candy buffet.
Thanks so much Shannie and Craig for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful day! We had a blast and wish you two many, many years of happiness and joy! It was a delightful one! ~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner http://www.ADelightfulDay.com
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Real Nashville Brides
0 comments »
