Nashville-Style

Stephanie & William Host Modern Wedding at Historic War Memorial at Legislative Plaza

Friday, January 29, 2016

With the help of the Details by Margaret team, Stephanie & William delighted their Nashville wedding guests with an elegant wedding in the heart of the city. Their modern aesthetic against the historic War Memorial landmark paired surprisingly well, as did the neutral colors, and strong architectural elements at every turn.

This was a couple that knew exactly what they wanted and their assured styled say it all. They were also confident in their venue and wedding team, and let the pros take care of the day. And really, what can go wrong when you have the groom's grandfather officiate? Talk about a perfect start.

Enjoy their story and perfect pictures today!

Stephanie & William
Wedding Date: May 30, 2015
Ceremony Venue: War Memorial Plaza (Legislative Plaza)
Reception Venue: War Memorial Auditorium
Guests: 250
Budget: $60,000 – 80,000

Wedding Team

Wedding Details

How would you describe your style as a couple?
We love neutral colors and clean lines. We love modern style, but not over-the-top modern.

Where did you get your inspiration (for decor, style, colors, etc.)?
The colors were basically black and white, which is what I love to wear and decorate with. I wanted a clean, white ceremony and a romantic reception. We did not have many flowers, but the calla lilies popped in the photos, it was perfect!

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
As my mother would call it, “lots of clean lines.” We used lots of white outside with drapery for the ceremony and lots of black inside. The city setting fit our style!

What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
Our guests loved that Will’s grandfather was the officiant. They also loved the location.

Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on location, photography, videography. All things everyone would remember! We saved on food: Loveless was amazing and reasonable.

Who were your favorite vendors and what made them exceptional?
I think all of our vendors were great! Once we made decisions on things, it ran very smoothly.

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I think almost every bride could say they should not have worried so much during the planning process; it all works out! I really loved every aspect of our wedding, and we were (for the most part) on top of the planning. I wouldn’t change a thing!

In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Choose a couple things you really want and be flexible on everything else.

Posted by Ashley King | Filed under: Nashville-Style, Real Nashville Weddings, 0 comments »

Wanderers Robert + Chelsea Davis Travel to the Altar with Their Fave Things in Southern Style

Friday, September 4, 2015

Robert and Chelsea Davis weren’t novices when it came to beginning a journey with one another. This couple traveled to numerous places throughout their relationship, eating well, drinking well, and purchasing growlers in each city as souvenirs. They later turned these brewery beer jugs into décor for their DIY wedding, threw in their love of music, and added Southern mac and cheese! Our favorite part was the photo booth that provided their guests with the ability to add to their album of life.

Read all about this bride and groom's latest adventure below.

Chelsea + Robert
Wedding Date: October 11, 2014
Ceremony Venue: Owen Chapel
Reception Venue: Houston Station
Guests: 135
Budget: $40,000 – 50,000

Wedding Team

How would you describe your style as a couple?
Robby and I met in college while playing in a band. I think that is a good reflection of who we are as people. We love music, traveling, and getting to taste all the delicious foods and beers along the way. I guess our style would be pretty laid back with a lot of laughter.

Where did you get your inspiration?
Being a NJ native, I quickly fell in love with that “Nashville style.” Something about the windows, wooden beams, and exposed brick gets me every time. I knew in a blank space like Houston Station I could do exactly what I wanted. Stylistically, I have always loved the color royal blue and knew it would pop in pictures. As far as secondary colors, charcoal gray looked great on Robby and was less traditional than black, so we went with that as our secondary color. Royal blue and charcoal gray with pops of wildflowers! Southern, rustic, yet a little rock and roll.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
How could you go wrong with a venue like Houston Station!? When we walked into the empty space, my mind started painting the vision I had for our wedding day (not to mention Elizabeth at HS is amazing!). We felt the energy in that empty space and knew it was the place for us. Once we had that picked out, things kinda fell into place. I always envisioned wearing boots with my dress, so I wore them, and so did my bridesmaids. The guys kept it casual with vests and rolled up sleeves.

What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
Fat Man Mac and Cheese. Hands down. But, aside from that deliciousness, they liked the photo booth and having a flip-flop bucket available for their dancing feet. One small detail that several guests noticed was that our centerpieces were beer growlers (or jugs) from breweries in all the cities we visited throughout the last four years. Each growler had a travel tag tied to it with a story from our trip and our favorite beer.

Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on food, alcohol, and photography. We wanted our guests to enjoy themselves and see what Music City is all about. Likewise, we wanted to have beautiful memories from our wedding day so photography was just as important. We saved a ton of money on invitations as I made them all on my own. I also planned the whole thing with the exception of hiring a day-of coordinator (Elizabeth @ HS) which I HIGHLY recommend. We also saved a lot of money on flowers. While Whole Foods arranged the bouquets and boutonniéres, my family members and bridesmaids helped me arrange centerpieces with matching flowers also ordered from Whole Foods.

Who were your favorite vendors and what made them exceptional?
What a hard question! From the minute I met Karen at Two Fat Men, I knew our wedding would be in good hands. I felt the same with Elizabeth at Houston Station. As I walked down the aisle at Owen Chapel, my Dad accidentally stepped on my cathedral length veil, ripping it off my head. Unsure of what to do next, I looked over my shoulder to find Elizabeth telling me to keep going down the aisle. Their professionalism and guidance made our day so incredibly fun.

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
I probably would have relaxed a little, haha. I had a vision of what I wanted our wedding day to be and my parents did not always see things the way I did. When our wedding day arrived, though, they were shocked and extremely pleased with how it all came together. If I could do it all again, I would worry a little less.

In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Don’t put so much pressure of yourself! Breathe. Things will go wrong and the show will go on. ☺

Posted by Holly Nashville Newlywed | Filed under: Nashville-Style, Real Nashville Weddings, 0 comments »

Give Your Wedding Guests a Piece of the City with Uniquely Nashville Wedding Favors

Monday, August 10, 2015

Nashville is home to some of the most interesting wedding gift ideas in the country. Why settle for the boring, generic gift bags filled with party favors your guests or wedding party won’t use or will most likely throw away? What a waste of money! (And no one wants that!) Instead, try giving the gift of Nashville. Music City is one of a kind, just like your wedding, so give your guests or wedding party what they deserve - a uniquely Nashville gift, and help out a local-born business while you’re at it. You can’t get more Nashville than that!

Photo via company's website

Nashville Themed Gifts

The Anderson Design Group is a great place to get a ton of creatively designed, Nashville-themed gifts. These exceptional gift options can be anything from posters and puzzles to coasters, coffee tins, and magnets. The design of all the things at the Anderson Design Group adds a vintage look to your gifts while still keeping your choice notable. This wonderful shop is located on 29th Avenue North, or gifts can be bought online.

Of course there are many other stores that have Nashville-themed gifts. They’re a dime a dozen on Broadway, but sticking to the businesses that grew from Nashville, and in turn helped Nashville grow, will not only support the locals, but also give your guests a one-of-a-kind Music City experience they can hold on to for years to come.

Photo

Chocolate

Yep! I’m suggesting candy - chocolates to be exact. GooGoo Clusters are one of Nashville’s oldest treats and happened to be the first combination candy bar. These delicious bites of heaven might be small, but they’re definitely worth it, and giving a couple clusters to your guests is definitely full of Nashville spirit! GooGoo has many other options for gifts like T-shirts, mugs, and much more, but the chocolate is definitely the best.

Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co., a relative newcomer, is another chocolate gift option. This locally based artisan has been an instant favorite.

Photo via company's website

Coffee

Very few people dislike coffee, and if they don’t like the taste, the smell is sure to get them. Why not treat your guests to their own bag of coffee from local Nashville businesses? Davis coffee is some of the most aromatic and robust coffee in the area. Although there are multiple ways to enjoy Davis coffee, you can smell it yourself by venturing into Davis Cookware & Cutlery Shop located on 21st Avenue. My nose can't help but fall in love with the smell as soon as my foot is in the door, so maybe yours will, too!

If coffee from the Davis vendors isn't what you're looking for, buy a bag from others like Bongo Java or Frothy Monkey and still get a taste of Nashville. These bags of coffee are not only useful and delicious for your guests or party, but they’re a piece of Nashville everyone will love. No money wasted here!

Photo via company's website

Nashville Gift Bags

If you wanted to go all out for your guests or wedding party - especially those who aren’t from Nashville - try giving them a few different pieces of the city and create your own gift bag. Maybe a combination of GooGoo Clusters, a bag of coffee, and a mug plus the coffee tin from the Anderson Design Group is more what you're looking for. Mix and match to find the perfect combination for your wedding! Gifts from Nashville can also be found at any of your favorite restaurants or small shops located all around town! If you and your significant other happened to meet at a specific place in Nashville, why not treat your people to a gift of Nashville and your own history?

Posted by Taylor | Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Nashville-Style, Guests, Gifts & Favors, 0 comments »

Food Truck, Coffee, Charitable Dresses? Delana + Paris Share Their Delightfully Eclectic Wedding

Friday, July 10, 2015

Who ever said weddings couldn’t be a mix of simple extravagances that leave the party guests wanting nothing more? Paris & Delana Tackett rented out Houston Station with the goal of providing their guests a range of wedding delights, including a food truck from Smoke Et Al and baristas serving coffee from Noteable Blends. Their reception truly encompassed the Nashville style, with a hint of their romanticism.

Check out this amazing combination of simple pleasures that made the wedding a solitary occasion...

Delana + Paris
Wedding Date: September 6, 2014
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Houston Station
Guests: 180
Budget: $20,000-30,000

How would you describe your style as a couple?
We are very classic, but appreciate some eclectic aspects of décor and clothing. We both have an appreciation of fashion. When it came to our wedding, we wanted to make sure that we could look back in 30 years and know that we hadn’t picked anything that was too trendy! We appreciate aspects of classic, rustic, and romantic styling and that was the direction we wanted to take our wedding.

Where did you get your inspiration?
Everywhere!! I worked in bridal for several years before my current job at Anthropologie, and I have always stored away inspiration from events that I loved. In the “Pinterest age” that we live in, there are so many ideas that it can almost be overwhelming to sort through it all. I knew the color palette that I wanted and a few key ideas that I didn’t want to stray from, and I made everything else fit those elements.

How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
The venue was the first thing we picked. Houston Station is a blank canvas that has potential to fit so many different styles. Even artists have moved into the studio space that is connected to it called Fort Houston because of the raw beauty it provides. We wanted classic and timeless with a hint of romanticism that was relatable to everyone. I wanted my guests to walk in the room for the ceremony and have the feeling of being in a church, which is why we did drapery for the ceremony. When they pulled back the drapes for the reception, we wanted the whole dynamic to change and focus on everyone being comfortable and having fun! We used a lot of natural décor to blend in with the exposed brick and beautiful hardwood that our venue already had to offer.

What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
The atmosphere in general! Our main goal was for everyone to have a great time and celebrate with us, and we were very successful. So many of our guests were so complimentary of how beautiful everything was, but none of it would have mattered to us if they hadn't had a good time and been able to share such a special moment with us. They arrived to a valet to park their cars, enjoyed a special and personal ceremony, were able to partake in coffee, cocktails, and appetizers during our cocktail hour, and then ate and danced the night away. Some of our favorite pictures are of everyone dancing and enjoying our reception. We couldn’t have asked for anything better than that!

Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Our big ticket items were photography, event rentals, DJ and lighting, catering, and the venue cost. We were able to save on flowers by having a family member and former florist design our bouquets and centerpieces, and she made the flower girl dress. We did our own makeup, attire (the guys got to wear their own suits and the girls were able to get dresses at a sale price).

My dress was also very affordable and the alterations at A Special Touch are free! Rather than having an open bar, we only served beer and wine at the reception, and Houston Station allows you to bring in your own alcohol as long as you have a licensed and insured bartender serving it, which is a great cost-cutter!

My family and I did a lot of DIY and I was able to get several things for a discounted rate as far as décor and accessories. The main thing we saved on was stationery…my motto was that “if it was going to go in the trash later, I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on it.” A friend, Leigh Vail, did our Save the Dates and a beautiful window display that correlated with the Nashville skyline for our heritage table. Then we did most of the rest of it ourselves. We used Vistaprint for most of our copying and printing and only spent about $500 for our Save the Dates, invitations, programs, and Rehearsal Dinner invites.

Who were your favorite vendors and what made them exceptional?
Streetlight Republic Photography was phenomenal! From the first time we met them, we felt like they were not only great photographers, but also exceptional people! You could not ask for better!

One thing we knew we wanted was a food truck, and Smoke Et Al was fantastic! Shane was so easy to work with, and the food was delicious. Also, we had our rehearsal dinner at Frothy Monkey on 5th Avenue and we were so impressed with everything. We live a couple of blocks away and had been there several times, but were absolutely blown away by our food and the atmosphere they provided.

We splurged a little on renting out the attached coffee shop at our venue called Noteable Blends. Since we had to do a flip between the ceremony and reception, we wanted everyone to feel like they had plenty of space to enjoy themselves outside of the bistro tables and appetizers that were served in the hallway, and we couldn’t have been happier! Our guests loved the option of going in there to relax and have a barista make them any type of coffee you can imagine, which was a good option for your non-alcoholic beverage drinkers! Some even purchased bags of coffee to take home with them! Elizabeth Gilbreath at Houston Station was amazing to work with as well. She is a wealth of knowledge as far as vendors, and doesn’t pressure you in any way. We only visited one venue, and that was the one we went with!

Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Honestly, no. This is a question that you get from people a lot once it is all said and done, but we have no regrets. Our ceremony was beautiful. We loved our officiate because he made this time, the ceremony, so special. Our reception was so much fun and we made sure to take the time to enjoy it ourselves. We left for an amazing honeymoon the next day (Cocobay Resort in Antigua), and can’t wait to go back! It all came together perfectly and we were able to have our dream wedding!

In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Remember to take the time to enjoy what you are doing and remember the reason you are here, to marry the person you love. It can be so easy to get swept away in the tiny details and planning, but if you take the time to take a deep breath and appreciate all of the time, planning, and people involved in creating this day for you, it will be perfect!

Posted by Taylor | Filed under: Nashville-Style, Real Nashville Weddings, 0 comments »

Project 615’s Tees Make Great Wedding Favors or Bridal Party Gifts And Celebrate Nashville!

Thursday, March 5, 2015

It can be super challenging to find creative wedding favors that your guests will actually want to take home with them after the wedding. In Nashville, gifts like jars of jam, sunglasses and shot glasses are great fun, but for the bride who wants to splurge, here's a fun Instagram find with plenty of local flavor...

If you haven't heard of Project 615, head on over to their website and check out the incredibly unique and wonderfully soft LOCAL t-shirts. These guys have everything from "Nashville Nicknames" and "Female Legends" to "Keep Nashville Bearded" printed on the front of their t-shirts. They even do custom orders, so if you want to see Aunt Petunia wearing your big day for years to come, Project 615 might be the perfect option. The best part - Project 615 is a local nonprofit that donates 100% of their profits to help restore the homeless community in Nashville. Project 615 will leave you and your wedding guests feeling the Nashville love.

Photo Credit: Reymark Palcon

Posted by Engaged Bride Olivia | Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Nashville-Style, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party, Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Guests, Gifts & Favors, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Unique Wedding Ideas, 1 comment »

« previous entries

Search Blog by Topic:

Find Your Wedding Pro Team:

fabulous sponsors

Upcoming Events

See all upcoming events »

Say Hello!

At Ashley’s Bride Guide, we’re always on the lookout for innovative and exciting wedding ideas. Send us your wedding tips, creative ideas, or your own wedding photos to share.
We’d love to hear from you »

Nashville weddings

Nashville-Style

Stephanie & William Host Modern Wedding at Historic War Memorial at Legislative Plaza

Wanderers Robert + Chelsea Davis Travel to the Altar with Their Fave Things in Southern Style

Give Your Wedding Guests a Piece of the City with Uniquely Nashville Wedding Favors

Food Truck, Coffee, Charitable Dresses? Delana + Paris Share Their Delightfully Eclectic Wedding