Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 I can attend bridal shows, find great bridal finds but the one thing I can not do is re-walk in a bride's shoes...or gown. My bridal gown fitting days are long behind me. Thankfully, there are blogging brides, like Louise, willing to share their Nashville dress shopping experience! I am so grateful that you take the time and have the desire to share your wedding planning journey with me (and thousands of my closest friends). Guest Post: Louise, a Nashville bride whose great blog can be found at The Thirty-Something Bride The Dress - Round One So, my original dress budget was $850. Go ahead, laugh. I know. For those of you thumbing through all the bridal magazines, dreaming of your gown in all it's glory....don't get too worked up. ALL those gowns are mind-boggling expensive. I know because I've tried them ALL on. I swear, every single last one of them. At least it feels that way. Now, I have to give props to some incredibly patient and thorough saleswomen who did their best to find "the one." First, The Bride Room in Green Hills was my first foray into gown selection. I fell in love with this Reem Acra gown.
Photo courtesy props: Dan Lecca, Brides.com
I did not fall in love with the $$$$ price tag. I tried on about 15 dresses and none truly suited me or had me gasping at my bustled image. One the way out, they offered me a wonderful cupcake from B. Jackson's Bakery. I swear, it was one of the best cupcakes I've ever had. Since we are still in search of a wedding cake, this is still an option. The Dress - Round Two The following weekend, I was all set for round two. I hauled my cookies out to The Bridal Warehouse, somewhere on the outskirts of Nashville. Please note to brides over 30 - make sure you DO NOT visit this shop (or any other, for that matter) during PROM season. I felt like a wrinkled up prune in a bowl full of grapes. This Allure gown was all bling and lace and I was loving it. The price was right too!
Allure style #8488, photo courtesy bestbridalprices.com I also loved these Casablanca gowns. These too were in this Thirty-Something Bride's price range!
Casablanca style #1785, photo courtesy bestbridalprices.com
Casablanca style #1859, photo courtesy bestbridalprices.com However, none of these came to fruition. The more I thought about them, the less I liked them. Onward, ho. Three weeks in and nothing to show but a frustrated bride. I needed reinforcements. Since I am not from Nashville originally, my family is not here to go shopping with me. The girlfriends I trust the most to give me sound fashion advice are also scattered far and wide. It was a tough call, but my young-ish, hip, excitable and fun-loving friend Alecia was up to the task. We headed out to The White Room in Lebanon, TN. Kirsten-Michelle, our northern-but-taking-a-southern-break-saleswoman was just who I needed: a tad brash, no-nonsense and smart as a whip. I choose something like 25 dresses to try on. She looked at me hopelessly and informed me she had only scheduled an hour for our appointment. I told her to stand close with clips ready, that I wasn't messing around. I think she enjoyed the process as much as I did. I tried on the most gorgeous St. Pucchi gown! Sadly, it too was out of my price range.
Sposa by St. Puchhi style #Z195, photo courtesy of brides. com
These were the final contenders when I left that day:
Maggie Sottero Jasmina, photo courtesy jaysbridal.net
Maggie Sottero Harlow, photo courtesy brides.com
Mori Lee style #2215, photo courtesy brides.com
Do you see any relationship whatsoever between any of these dresses? Other than a lace overlay theme, I didn't either. I was loving the tulle pleats at the bottom of the Mori Lee. I loved the slightly vintage look the lace gave the dress. Alecia loved the Mori Lee too, but nothing was just fabulous about any of them. Desperation was settling in for a long winter's nap.
 Stay tuned....
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Bridal Gowns, Men's Attire & Accessories, Real Nashville Brides
0 comments »
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009 Nashville brides and wedding vendors - Are you blogging? If so, I want to know! Simply comment on this post with a link to your website, grab the ABG badge (see below) and I will add you to my link love page so others can find you. In my search for great Nashville bridal blogs, I've realized that Nashville's got talent! We have some of the best bridal blogs around. Every few months, I am going to do a blog roundup, to introduce you to truly "bookmarkable" blogs - some new, some just new to me. Here's a start:
Thirty Something Bride
I so love Louise welcomed perspective on weddings, given from a thirty-something bride. I like her blog so much that she is now a guest blogger on ABG.
Budget Savvy Bride
Now a blog veteran:), I still had to include Budget Savvy b/c it's super hot and always a favorite. I heart this blog sooo much. And, with Budget Savvy getting married on Saturday (yes she is now a Mrs.) I so hope that she returns to keep us in the loop. (Congratulations!!!! and thanks for all of the link love.)
Chelsea - The Future Mrs. Smith
Adornments - Part Laura's bridal blog / part adornments custom jewelry blog
Planning Sarah Elizabeth - Sarah Elizabeth's blog is chock-full of bridal info. This girl covers everything!
Nashville Marriage Studio - Marie, a newlywed and marital counselor, has one of the best blogs you will find on relationships.
Down South Delights - I am so glad to see that Rita of DSD is blogging b/c on those days when I am hungry, I can check out her catering blog to get my e-fix. I know how great her stuff tastes and love to see what's new in catering. She also gives some great advice on saving money, menu planning, specialty drinks, etc.
Maid to Maiden - Liza is on to something with bridal coaching. Between Marie and Liza - runaway brides can slow down and replace those running shoes for some silky satin Jimmy Choos. Her blog is new but is uber helpful already.
Chef's Market
You've got to check out this amazing gallery of some of their spectacular catering. I don't think it's on their blog but it certainly should be b/c their work is hot!
 
Simply Stunning Nashville
Kristin, a wedding planner and bride-to-be recently launched her blog and it's off to a great start! She has some great upcoming weddings so be sure to bookmark it b/c you'll get lots of ideas and inspiration.
The Bride Room - recently relaunched their couture blog and it's super fancy and yummy.
Something Blue Nashville
Be sure to pay a visit to all of these new Nashville bridal blogs. If you are blogging, be sure to let me know so I can link to you and be sure to link to ABG. (I'd appreciate it).
Link to ABG:
Banner link code:
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Real Nashville Brides
0 comments »
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is back to give us an update on her wedding! Be sure to check out her last post on selecting a Nashville wedding venue to get a great insider's perspective.
Guest Post: Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is a Nashville, TN-based wedding and event planner who is currently engaged to Brian Kaplan, a Nashville wedding photographer. Greetings! When we last left off, my fiance and I had chosen a reception venue, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Now we needed to focus on how to decorate it. First up, a color scheme. I always tell brides to look around their homes for some inspiration on possible wedding colors, chances are, if you like certain colors enough to use them in your home, you'll probably like to see them as part of your wedding. Also, consider the season and location of your wedding; it is much easier to work with the colors that will exist in nature at the time of your wedding and in your venue, rather than against them. For our wedding I knew we had to have some bright green since it's my absolute favorite color and Brian doesn't mind it. In fact, much of our home decor is in shades of green. And since the Hall of Fame has a beautiful brown wood floor we decided to use that color as well. To accent the green and brown we looked to nature! Since our wedding date is in the early stages of autumn, we figured bright oranges and reds would compliment the green and brown nicely. We had an official color scheme!
(our wedding colors)
Next up, my favorite aspect of wedding planning, decor! I spent a few months searching for and collecting images online of ideas and flowers that seemed to work with our colors and then sat down with the immensely talented Hillary Robson of Brocade Designs to make some decisions. We studied the flowers in the images and decided to work with a variety of green hydrangea, green cymbidium orchids, white dahlias, white hydrangea, red dahlias, yoko mums, orange roses, green and amber spider mums, orange calla lilies, and red James storey orchids. These flowers all provided a good range of color and the modern, unique vision I was aiming for. We then broke down each aspect of the ceremony and reception decor and came up with ideas for the bouquets, boutonnieres, church decor, and three different centerpieces in a range of heights to bring some interest to the reception hall. After the wedding I'll reveal the final look since I don't want to give it away with six months to go!
(our inspiration board)
(detailed picture of our decor inspiration)
To sum up, when choosing your decor, find inspirational images online that spark your interest and bring them to your floral meetings so your florist and/or event designer can get a feel for your style and the look you're trying to achieve. Work with the colors that are available at your venue and during your wedding season. And don't be afraid to think outside of the box, especially if you are on a budget. A good florist will work with what you have and make affordable suggestions to keep you from spending a fortune. Hillary and I decided to do a very large, elaborate centerpiece on only some of the tables to give the room a big impact but keep the rest simple to save money. I cannot wait to see the final result in September!
(more ideas from our second inspiration board)
Kristin - thanks for sharing your insight on choosing wedding colors and decor. Brides - contact Kristin with questions regarding your wedding and also - check out polyvore.com - a great way to create your own inspiration board and save your favorite visual ideas.
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Real Nashville Brides, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
0 comments »
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
On Sunday, I attended the Williamson County Weddings and Events Invitation Showcase held at CJ's Off the Square. I really love CJ's - the venue and the staff - and each time I visit, I love it more. If you are seeking an intimate, outdoor garden soiree for your wedding day, you've got to check out CJ's.
Don't take my word for it - check out this real wedding - Alexis, the bride loved every aspect of her special day, including CJ's and her other wedding vendors... (Note - CJ's Off the Square and Williamson County Events are owned by CJ Dickson. Williamson County Weddings and Events (Wilco Wed) is operated out of CJ's. CJ's is a garden venue and Wilco Wed is an event planning / invitation company.)
About us:
Bride - Alexis L. of West Lafayette, IN
Groom - Abdul A. of San Diego, CA
Our wedding details: November 1, 2008 at 5pm
Ceremony and reception location - CJ's Off the Square in Franklin, TN
Guests - About 65
Wedding Style: My wedding style Elegant and intimate My colors and why I choose them Red and cream- the rich red of a Japanese maple in spring (we just planted one at our first house! It's our favorite tree.)
My theme Asian! We met in Japan so we wanted a tribute to the country where we fell in love (thus the kimonos, ikebana style to the flowers, Japanese maple leaves on the cake etc.)
Wedding wow factor I think that our guests loved how personal and different our wedding was. Since everyone there knew us fairly well, they were able to understand how meaningful every aspect was for us. Favors Bubbles! Personal touches We pulled together a bunch of traditions from our families and our pasts to create something uniquely us for the ceremony:
*We did a ring warming ceremony- where the wedding rings were passed around to all the guests to warm them/bless them/share their joy and love with us and hopes for our long and happy marriage. *A family friend in Europe made a large wedding certificate (like in the Quaker tradition) with calligraphy and gilding for us with our vows written on it and space for all the wedding guests to sign as witnesses. *We had Abdul's brother ordained so he could perform the ceremony for us, so that it would be more personal. He was a little rough, but that made him all the more charming. We got so many compliments on how much more meaningful the ceremony was (of course, I wrote it out from beginning to end so it was more work, but so worth it!).
*My sister and cousin played their euphoniums during the ceremony, playing "Panis Angelicus," a song that has particularly special meaning to my mother's family.
* Abdul's friend and boss played guitar and sang "Why do we marry?" (originally by Lucinda Williams) as well, which was also really meaningful for us. *The best man read a love poem by Rumi, a Sufi poet. *We had a curry faction station for dinner, complete with Halal meat so that his family could eat- how amazing were our caterers!?! It was so nice to have food cooked fresh right before you instead of the more usual buffet.
*We sewed kimonos for the bridesmaids dresses (whoah- that was some work!) and matching ties for the groomsmen.
*We made our invitations, also kimono-like, and my sister drew our monogram which were on the invitations and our cocktail napkins. * Our cake was decorated with Japanese maple leaves from my mother's tree.
* I made all of my jewelry, excepting my hair combs which my sister made for me. I also made cufflinks for Abdul with engraved symbols that have special meaning to us. My jewelry had calla lillies (matching my flowers!) and a Tennessee pearl drop(did you know that some of the highest quality pearls in the world are grown right here in Tennessee?!). * Halfway through the reception, Abdul and I changed outfits from traditional American to traditional Indian/Pakinstani type garb. * In following with the traditions of Abdul's family, his mother put together a tray with henna, candy, and she sewed a lot of wraps to go over the henna on people's hands. So at some point after cutting the cake a small table was brought out with the henna and everyone present participated in getting henna on their hands. The spots lasted for about 2 weeks so everyone had a small reminder of our reception.
* About half way through the reception, our photographers put together a little slide show and set it up so everyone could see a few of our pics- they really enjoyed that. Gift for bridesmaids & groomsmen Bridesmaids - I made silver earrings with calla lillies for them. Grooms - Handmade ties of same fabric as bridesmaids kimonos
Most special moment for me Turning towards my husband after being declared husband and wife for the first time. So many years building up towards us being married, and that was the first moment of a long life together. For the kids in our bridal party umm..the photographer took some cute pictures.. My Wedding Vendors: Wedding planning, vendor coordination, day-of organization - Amy Parman with Williamson County Weddings Cake - The Bake Shoppe Catering - A Catered Affair Photography - Gray Photography Video was taken by his sister Invitations - Adornments!! (us!)
Attire - Bridal Gallery of Franklin - for bridal gown and mother of bride dress Tuxes- we bought a new suit for Abdul and had the guys all wear their own black suits Custom engagement ring and wedding band - Adornments! Reception music - Blue Tone
Flowers - Enchanted Florist Lighting - Nashville Event Lighting
Table decor - we did our own How I found my vendors Gray Photography and Amy Parman at CJs!! Also Blue Tones - only they could have gotten EVERYONE at our party to get up and dance!! My favorite vendors Most of them I found through Amy of Williamson County Weddings. When we couldn't find what we wanted through her recommendations- we made it ourselves! I did hit up a bridal show, but it was so overwhelming that I didn't feel like I got the chance to make a connection with any potential vendors at all, so I really just ended up relying on my wedding coordinator's advice and online searches. My Wedding Rewind: What I would do differently if planning again? Plan our honeymoon for a different location. New Orleans was a bit of a miss for us. Biggest waste of time/money? Our honeymoon in New Orleans Best value for the service/product What we did ourselves- if we'd had to pay someone else to do it for us, we couldn't have afforded to have as nice of a wedding. Best find CJ's Off the Square!! Advice for other Nashville brides - It seems like there's always going to be one big issue that your families are going to have problems with during your wedding planning.. For us, it was the clash of our families' religions. We had to play it very carefully to strike the right balance between a Christian and Islamic/ religious yet secular ceremony so that everyone felt comfortable, yet included. That way everyone could just support us and be happy about our getting married. That's also why we included certain aspects (ie. playing "Panis Angelicus" and having the outfit change and henna) so they could see themselves in us and as a part of our future. It couldn't have worked out better, despite the rocky times during the planning, our wedding was perfect. So my advice to other brides is to just be aware that there is going to be "something" that will be difficult for people to get onboard with- whether it's why you're not choosing the traditional church wedding, why you're not getting married at your hometown, or even something smaller like who you choose as your bridesmaids, or who you invite. If it's something that will be critical to making your wedding right for you and your husband, feel free to stick to your guns, they'll come around if you explain it well. But if it's something you know will make everyone feel a little bit easier, more a part of what you're doing, to do it that way then you should seriously think about it. You don't need to make every little thing about you, yes it's your wedding, but no one like's a bridezilla in reality. And really, you'll enjoy your wedding so much more if you know that everyone there is really happy. I know that one of the moments when I was finally able to take a deep breath and relax was when I looked around during the reception and realized that everyone was having fun and getting to know each other. My parents-in-law were even dancing. -After doing my wedding, we decided that we really enjoyed taking care of all those fun, personal details that made my wedding so special- so we decided that the business we were opening should include that so we could help other brides have those special details too.
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Real Nashville Brides, Real Nashville Weddings
0 comments »
Friday, February 13, 2009
Meagan and Jerry are newlyweds that I met at the Franklin Bridal Ball last year. They were super hype at the bridal show and I loved their energy and collaborative approach to wedding planning. It was great to meet a groom as interested in their big day as the bride.
We chatted at the show and they told me they were huge fans of ABG!
A few months later, I received the most posh and elegant save the date and wedding invitation. Talk about classy! The invitation alone generated anticipation but I had a date conflict.
So when A Delightful Day posted a sneak peek, my mouth dropped. Everything was spectacular and I was so jealous and disappointed that I couldn't attend. BUT, there are always pictures!! Big kudos to the ladies at A Delightful Day and Gray Photography for helping Meagan and Jerry create and capture the day of their dreams! Congrats to Meagan and Jerry and thank you for sharing your day's details with us. ABG readers - prepare to be amazed and grab your cheat sheet...
About us:
Bride - Meagan of Aqua, TN; Dickson County High School, MTSU and Nashville School of Law
Groom - Jerry of Owosso, Michigan
Our wedding details: November 8, 2008
Ceremony location - West End Church of Christ Nashville, TN
Reception location - Botanic Hall at Cheekwood Botanic Gardens
Guests - 145
Wedding Style: My wedding style Classic, Elegant and Timeless. I like classic and elegant things throughout my everyday life so I wanted the wedding to reflect the same style. I hope that in years to come my kids will be able to look at the photos and not laugh at our hair or outfits. I think the wedding could be reproduced in any time period (give or take). My colors and why I choose them Navy blue and fuchsia. I have always liked navy, pink and white in all types of situations and I think it has a classic look to it. I also did not want the groomsmen to be in the typical tux but in a suit. I like having the wedding party wear one color and have the other color represented in the flowers. I also don't think these colors are overwhelming or trendy.
My theme I don't know if I had an exact theme besides carrying the style throughout. I love the classic look of the silver trumpet vases for the centerpieces and the silver mint julep cups as well. I just don't think you can go wrong with it but everyone has to make their wedding their own!
Wedding wow factor I think that our guests loved the overall look of the reception, the food and they seemed to really notice the details that were evident in how hard we had worked to make this our day.
Favors We did a replica of a favor cake from the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings, the fall 2008 issue. It was a lot more work than we expected to find the boxes and ribbon and then to actually make them. My husband did a lot of work on it which was very sweet. We filled each box with Hershey kisses that said Just Married on the flag. I had really worried about getting the perfect favors, but nothing really suited us. I think this was the best because it was a pre-wedding project that we could do together.
We also gave away matches to light the sparklers with when we left the church. I was so happy to find a company online that could reproduce the design that Sweet Life Designs had created with our names in the sloop font. I am addicted to this font but it was perfect to match our style.
Personal touches We did use “Meagan & Jerry as designed by Sweet Life Designs throughout on the programs, gobo, matches, aisle runner, etc. Also my grandfather used to play Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain by Willie Nelson for me on his guitar when I was growing up. While most people have probably never heard Willie Nelson at a wedding, it was important for me to have it played at the beginning of the ceremony as my father lit a candle in remembrance of him and my grandmother. In addition, my best guy friend from high school was a bride's fellow and stood on my side. I would not want him anywhere else!
Gift for bridesmaids & groomsmen Bridesmaids - Personalized bags in the wedding colors from Swoozies. I was so excited that they had the exact colors! Also a pearl necklace and pearl drop earrings from Buchanan Ink. Grooms - Coordinating ties for the suits Parents - A replica of the wedding invitation engraved into a silver tray from Amy's Unique Gifts in Brentwood. I really loved this gift because it is a beautiful reminder of the day and all of our roles in it.
Most special moment for me I think it would be the trip down the aisle. I had purposely chosen a church with a long aisle because I wanted to take my time getting down it. I could not believe it was happening but was so happy. Also during the ceremony we had the minister read notes aloud to one another that we had not previously seen. In Jerry's note he referenced an acrostic that I wrote during the first few months we were dating. When he pulled it out of his pocket, I just laughed and laughed because I could not believe that he still had it. It was a great moment. I loved seeing the reception hall for the first time before the guests were let in as well. It took my breath away. It was all that I had dreamed of and worked so hard to plan with Mary Alice. It was gorgeous. It was something I told Mary Alice on the first day we met that I would be most interested in and she made it happen.
For the kids in our bridal party Jerry has two boys and we wanted to include them but not overwhelm them. They each escorted one of our mothers down the aisle and back. It was a good opportunity for them to be included but not have to stand during the entire ceremony.
My Wedding Vendors: Planner: Mary Alice Sublett of A Delightful Day. She helped plan and coordinate everything perfectly!
Cake: Maples Wedding Cakes for the wedding cake and the Sweetest Day for the groom's cake Caterer: Cheekwood. The chef was so fun to work with and really helped us create a great menu that fit the fall atmosphere Photos: Gray Photography. They did our engagement session, bridal portraits and the entire wedding day Video: Nashville Wedding Videos Invitations: Buchanan Ink. I am so grateful to Beth for being patient with me. The invitations were one of the most important aspects to me. I loved them.
Bridal gown: Preownedweddingdresses.com I originally bought a dress that was not ultimately the dress. The dress was one I had found at The Bride Room but did not purchase due to price. When I returned to The Bride Room to purchase a veil, I tried it on again and truly realized my mistake. At that point the wedding was a month away and my only option was to find it online. Somehow I did and it was perfect. The Bride Room is my adopted bridal salon and they were so good to me. I bought my veil and jewelry there before I even had the new dress! I love Stephanie.
Bridesmaid dresses: Ann Taylor. I worried about finding navy dresses that would photograph navy and not black. These dresses were perfect and fit my style to a tee. This was another item that I changed my mind about. Originally the ladies chose a different dress but they didn't buy it because they could tell I was not happy with it. They were right when I called them a week later to change to the Ann Taylor dresses! Suits: Men's Warehouse: Almost all of the men were from out of town and this was the best option
Rings: Village Jewelers DJ: Blake Chaffin of Select Sound was our DJ for the evening. Live Music: Wedding Musicians Company provided the quartet for the ceremony. I loved the quartet and actually waited in the balcony of the church prior to the ceremony just to hear the music!
Decor: Amber Housley of Sweet Life Designs. She also did a fabulous job on our programs, Save the Dates, menus and more
Flowers: Vintage Florals
Transportation: Matchless Limo. We had the white Rolls. It was so glamorous. How I found my vendors I found Mary Alice through ABG! I found Gray Photography by searching online. The rest were found through Mary Alice or reading other local brides' blogs. My favorite vendors Mary Alice of A Delightful Day, Gray Photography and Maples Wedding Cakes. I had a perfect team of vendors but these three stand out above the rest. Mary Alice is a pro and makes you feel like the only bride she has. Gray Photography was amazing. I have gotten so many compliments and have so many pictures to choose from that are gorgeous. They are a great couple. Jay at Maples also works very hard to understand the look of the cake you are going for. Plus I don't think cake could taste any better! My Wedding Rewind: What I would do differently if planning again? Nothing. I would stop every time I felt that it was not fun anymore. The whole process should be fun. When it isn't, just take a break!
Biggest waste of time/money? I had a lot of people who rsvped yes and didn't attend. This left us with empty seats and dinners that had been made and thus paid for. If they would have let me know ahead of time that their plans had changed, I could have consolidated tables. I would have used the saved money for a photo booth or just actually saved a good amount of money. Best value for the service/product Mary Alice Sublett. She was there for me whenever I had a question and did not make me feel awkward for having so many! I don't know how I would have ever done it without her. Also http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com . I bought a Reem Acra dress for a quarter of what I would have paid at a shop. Best find I really like our rehearsal invitations by Pose Prints which I found on ABG. They were so cute! Advice for other Nashville brides Don't feel rushed into making decisions. It is ok to sleep on it for a night or so before making the decision. I am so happy that I changed my mind about a few of my ideas. If you are not comfortable with something or not excited, take that as a sign that it is not the right choice.
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Real Nashville Brides, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
0 comments »
