Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Yes. You've seen the photos of gorgeous weddings at Houston Station. But what you may not know is that 90% of Houston Station couples use the Blending Room to extend their reception. Which got me to thinking...how many couples actually choose Houston Station for the Blending Room? Inquiring minds want to know! With this being Music City, there is a clear attraction to a post-wedding reception lounge that allows the couple to host an after party. Plus the aroma of gourmet coffee, blended in-house is equally appealing.
The Blending Room is definitely a great complement to a Houston Station wedding. As a lounge across from the main reception area, the Blending Room is cozy, eclectic, and houses Noteable Blends, a mobile coffee-bar. Both the lounge and the coffee are the domain of Scott Davis, a coffee aficionado who is as passionate about great music as he is about creating a great coffee experience.
Top left photo by Ace Photography; top right photo by Jonathon Campbell Photography; bottom photos by Noteable Blends
The Blending Room: a Multi-Purpose Lounge with Musical Stage!
Scott tells me that The Blending Room has a "live, active stage" with musical instruments. If you or your fiance are musicians, you can have a music set after your wedding and invite friends and family to partake.
The space can be transformed into many configurations to allow its use for various events, including a rehearsal dinner, groom's room, cocktail party, or even for a parent wind-down area once the party really gets started in the main area of the venue!
As you can see from the photos I've included below, the space is cozy and full of personality. We even hosted a workshop here and the room went from being set-up in church style (yes - they have real pews) to reception style for our bride class. You can use the props and tables available or you can have the seating cleared and rentals brought in, from cocktail tables to long, square tables.
Above and below: Various jam sessions in a number of room configurations.
Noteable Blends, a Coffee Experience You Can Take Anywhere
From presentation to coffee favors, Noteable Blends has you covered. This mobile coffee bar, located in Houston Station's Blending Room is a gem for coffee lovers! Noteable Blends can be added to your reception, whether it's hosted at Houston Station or not. If you have a Houston Station wedding, you can opt to serve gourmet coffee to your guests. If not, you can work with Noteable Blends to set up a coffee bar at your venue. The options are truly limitless.
If you are coffee lover, Scott can create custom blends for your coffee reception or guest favors. Noteable Blends can also create a coffee experience for your bridal shower, creating a signature blend for your maids, based on their personality and taste preferences. This would make a gift they won't find anywhere else!
Noteable Blends is a mobile coffee unit serving custom blends.
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Noteable Blends creates custom blends for couples that can be served at the wedding and guests can take home a bag, doubling as your favor.
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This gorgeous couch that sits in Notable Blends is a wonderful prop for photos! (Photo: Amber Beckham Photography)
Except where noted, photos courtesy of Houston Station / Noteable Blends
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Inspiration & Trends, Reception Entertainment, Photo Booths, Unique Wedding Ideas, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Monday, June 4, 2012
Chef's Market recently hosted a Sweet 16 (16th anniversary party) and debuted a "Build Your Own Cupcake Station." I'm a huge fan of edible entertainment for weddings or parties of any kind. It's a great way to feed your guests, in an interactive way, and it gets them up, out of their seats and mingling.
According the the Chef's Market blog, "Jessica Henson, the newest member of our Catering Department, designed the layout, the flavors and the decor. She did an amazing job on presentation and Kathy, one of our head restaurant chefs, worked behind the scenes to make the cupcake station come to life. Jessica chose to do mini cupcakes because they’re that perfect ‘sweet bite’ people crave at the end of a meal and using smaller cupcakes gives people the opportunity to try more flavors without getting overly full."
"The cupcakes came in five different flavors with a variety of toppings and homemade cream cheese icing, including:
Banana Split Your Britches – Banana/Cherry with nuts
Hot Chocolate – White Chocolate/ Milk Chocolate Swirl
Lynchburg Lemonade – Lemon cupcakes
Ultimate Chocolate – Chocolate cupcakes
Vanilla Ice – Vanilla cupcakes
Toppings – Graham crackers, blackberries, blueberries, chocolate raisins, marshmallows, honey roasted peanuts, strawberries, heath bar
‘Build Your Own Cupcake Stations’ are so much fun and they give guests the chance to customize their dessert which is something they’re sure to enjoy. A station like the one we set up for the ‘Sweet Sixteen’ party would be perfect for a wedding reception, bridal/baby shower, birthday party, or girls night in."
The Cupcake Bar is just one creative way that Chef's Market reinvents food for weddings. If you are a foodie and want them to create a custom menu for your day, contact their prolific chef/design team at (615) 851-2433.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Inspiration & Trends, Unique Wedding Ideas
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Monday, March 12, 2012
First of all we'd like to extend a huge thank you to StudioWed for pushing back their open house so you can come to our Smart Bride Boot Camp, which starts tomorow. This doesn't mean there won't be a StudioWed Open House, quite the contrary, the date has just been pushed to Thursday, March 15. So to tide you over, we thought we'd give you a glimpse at one of StudioWed's newest vendors that the ABG team is quickly becoming giddy about...
Meet Hardink Calligraphy, a custom stationery/calligraphy company that I have a feeling you'll love too.
Hardink is owned by Elizabeth, our Twitter pal, who is a Nashville calligrapher. Out of her own need for unique, cool calligraphy when she was getting married, Elizabeth began designing and hand-lettering her own work. From then on, she's worked with brides to create their own hand-lettered paper products for their special occasions - be it showers, personalized stationery, or for their wedding invitations.
(Photo credit: Donald Yeager)
(Photo credit: Donald Yeager)
I asked Leigh Barker, who runs StudioWed why they picked her as one of their vendors and I could just hear the excitement in her voice, "She has fantastic, whimsical, gorgeous calligraphy and she's easy to work with and affordable." Leigh also mentioned something special that Hardink does which she recently treated herself to. "We had her create a stamp for my husband and I to use for return addresses!"
ABG Notes: This would be such a cool way to address your RSVP envelopes or cards!
Hardink Calligraphy is one of the vendors that StudioWed hand-picked for their studio. This makes it really easy for you to plan your wedding because they believe in their skills and know them very, very well to help you piece it all together. During their free, monthly open house, you get to speak to Leigh and Mary Alice about each vendor and ask all sorts of questions with no obligation whatsoever. So mark your calendars for March 15 and RSVP soon!
All stationery images courtesy of Hardink Calligraphy
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Invitations & Paper Goods, Unique Wedding Ideas
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Marathon Village, which was originally made up of factories, is becoming one of the hottest neighborhoods in Nashville. A few weeks ago, they added yet another treasure, Marathon Music Works, Nashville’s newest music and event venue. It's a super new venue so you'll want to contact them for more details and to see it in person. Here's high-level info to get you started...
ABG: What makes Marathon Music Works different than other venues in the Nashville area?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS: Marathon Music Works has been designed to meet every type of event need, making it truly a multi-use space. Attention to various details has made it ideal for planners, vendors, event guests, concert goers, and musicians alike. Located in the historic and creative Marathon Village neighborhood, MMW is located in a newly renovated warehouse that dates back to the early 1930's. Marathon Music Works offers an environment rich in history and character with all of the modern amenities.
ABG: What is the capacity of Marathon Music Works for a wedding or event?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS: We offer a versatile layout that can host up to 300 guests for a formally seated dinner, up to 800 for a cocktail reception and 1500 for standing room only. The design of the space makes it easily scalable for all events big or small.
ABG: What are the event rental fees?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS:
Facility Cost: $3,600
A deposit of $1,500 is due upon signing of contract (remainder of balance due 7 days prior to event by check or credit card).
Bartender Fee: $150 per bartender for hosted bars (1 bartender per every 100 guests).
Facility costs include the following:
250 mahogany wooden chairs
(25) 60 inch round tables
(5) 6 ft tables
Exclusive use of venue for up to 12 hours
Glassware for up to 250 guests
Doorman during event
Facility Coordinator to assist on day of event
Cleaning Fee
Set up/Breakdown for tables & chairs
Complimentary Parking with parking attendants
ABG: Are there any restrictions or things to consider when hosting an event at Marathon Music Works?
MARATHON MUSIC WORKS: We offer a full service bar and cannot allow outside alcoholic beverages to be brought in. Marathon Music Works exclusively offers full in-house catering services from Flavor Catering & Special Occasions.
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Marathon Music Works is open and ready to host your event! For details of events and concerts, visit their website at www.marathonmusicworks.com.
All images courtesy of Evan Tardy Photography.
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Posted by Newlywed Sara |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Unique Wedding Ideas, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Tabitha, Horace (our guest groom) and I are back with our final recap of the Perfect Wedding Guide bridal show. Overall, we loved the show! Loews Vanderbilt made a great location; the vendors were super nice; the show was well operated and there was lots of creativity. We had a great day and met lots of great new wedding vendors and were happy to see many of our wonderful website sponsors.
While we could'nt cover all of the show's wedding service providers, we'll cover a few of our remaining favorites today - from photography and photo booths to music and unique services.
First up, the photo booths...
Ace Photo Booth's video photo booth
A Video Photo Booth - Ace Photobooths
acephotobooth.com
Tabitha: It was almost more fun watching the people in the photo booths as it can be to get in one. Everyone seemed really pleased with their pictures. My favorite was when the two girls (pictured above) both showed their ring fingers to the camera. Alas, my amateur photography skills didn't capture it properly!
Ashley: Yeah, I'd agree. I think photo booths are a great addition to a wedding reception and this one takes video! So, not only are you entertained taking pics but you share the fun by watching your friends inside! As the bride and groom, you get to watch everyone's shenigans over and over and enjoy their personal messages, recorded especially for you.
Horace: I enjoyed all of the photo booths; they varied to give you a better plan to pick the best one. The jury is still out.
A Mini Photo Booth - Nashville Photo Booths by Snyder Entertainment
nashvillephotobooths.com
Tabitha: Snyder Entertainment's photo booth was a little less bulky which makes it easier to fit larger groups of people in the picture. It seemed to appeal to lots of brides who stopped and chatted with them.
Ashley: Brian of Snyder is such a great guy and I love that his booths offer couples a scaled down version of some of the larger booths. As you can see, it could fit just about anywhere.
Wedding Photography - The Collection
thephotographycollection.com
Tabitha: Always a pleasure to see these ladies. You can't miss their booth, it's set up like a cozy living room in which you can view their good work and chat with them. Very inviting, very personable, just like their photographers.
Ashley: The booth was like a mini-studio that spoke well for the company - vibrant colors, great eye for details, and super cool team of approachable, customer-service focused, fun photographers. You can tell a lot about a company based on their presentation; always trust the initial impression. The Collection was inviting and warm - just like their team of photographers. And, their wedding photography is outstanding.
L - R: Jessica, Erin & Sarah of The Collection (Thanks for the picture ladies!)
Wedding Photography - Roland's Photography
weddingsbyroland.com
Ashley: I really like this couple! They love what they do and it shows.
Horace (groom's perspective): They were quite helpful and had a great collection of their work. They really know how to capture the moment.
Tabitha: Roland and his wife were super friendly, I really liked the tile photo frame (pictured) and thought that was a cool way to have your picture on your wall. I wonder if you could make that part of your backsplash in your kitchen?
Roland's debuted the above framed work where images are printed on tile rather than paper.
Wedding Photography - Scoobie Photographic Images
scoobiephoto.com
Tabitha: I was impressed by their guarantee that couples get online viewing of their finished wedding images in just 7 days. They also make discs to give to parents of the couples so no more annoying "Can you email me that picture with you standing here with your dad again?" from either parent!
Ashley: Ditto. I think what Scoobie Photographic offers is truly rare. His turnaround time is unheard of. He also offers a traditional style of photography which parents and classic brides love!
Pretty Stationery - Designs In Paper
designsinpaper.com
Tabitha: It was so simple, but I really liked the "mom" tealight holder. That'd be a great place holder at the head table. You could even have one that says "Just Married" or "Mr" and "Mrs" for the bride and groom. Possibilities = Endless!
Ashley: This booth was so popular that I could barely get in it! But, I've worked with Designs in Paper for years and know that they can do ANYTHING with paper - from paper bouquets to buttons to one of a kind wedding invitations.
Funkalicious - Party Patrol
partypatrolonline.com
Tabitha: I wish DJ Kelly was able to break out some funky tunes to get the party started but it just wasn't that kind of show I guess. One thing's for sure, he was really cool and friendly, two things I'd like from my DJ.
Ashley: I was shocked to see Kelly so laid back. Normally, he is in party mode, as you can see on my funny video from a previous show here. If you need a wedding DJ, he brings the party!
Definitely Dapper - Street Tuxedo
streettuxedo.com
Tabitha: It seems like each time I see Street Tuxedo's booth at a bridal show, they've added more colors to their rainbow of swatches. The guys who modeled their tuxes were certainly very sharp-dressed men! Hopefully that encouraged the brides at the show to use Street Tuxedo for their grooms.
Ashley: Street Tuxedo gives Nashville grooms swag! Their team keeps a pulse on the latest in grooms fashion. I believe in supporting local businesses and love that Street Tuxedo is a Nashville-based, family-owned and operated business. When you go into the store, you will meet someone from the Street family. As such, they value each customer. Their inventory is also local so they can quickly get what you need.
Horace ( groom's perspective): They had a nice selection of tuxes with the wide variety of tie designs.
Great Idea - Music City Sitters
nashvilleweddingsitters.com
Tabitha: Why didn't I think of this? What a great idea. They provide games, toys and entertain your guests' children so everyone has a wonderful time at your wedding and no one has to leave because of a cranky child. Brilliant.
The Groom's Perspective
Horace's take on other wedding vendors at the bridal show:
Olia Zavozina: The wedding dresses were eye catching and definitely got a response out of the attendees.
Catch Light Cinema: I was really impessed with how the company makes you the star of your wedding day.
Tuxedo Avenue: Tuxedo options for the groom were limited but they seemed eager to accommadate.
(Message for wedding pros + show producers: Horace would have liked to have seen more vendors in these categories: spa, transportation, favor vendors, fitness, lighting vendors.)
Be sure to read our recap of our favorite of the show's wedding planners, designers and florists and wedding cakes and catering.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Attire - Bridal Gowns, Wedding Dresses & Accessories, Bridal Shows & Events, Grooms, Groomsmen & Tuxedos , DJ, Band, Lighting + Transportation, Unique Wedding Ideas, Wedding Resources
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