Friday, April 11, 2014
Danielle and Kyle's goal was to treat guests to a memorable Nashville wedding. With the help of their wedding planner, Sarah of Music City Events, they did just that. Starting with a rehearsal dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and ending with a wedding reception at War Memorial, their wedding was all about their love for one another, their love for the city of Nashville and showcasing both to friends and family.
Danielle & Kyle
Wedding Date: July 27, 2013
Ceremony Venue: Scarritt-Bennett Wightman Chapel
Reception Venue: War Memorial Auditorium
Guests: 220
Budget: $30,000 – 40,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Sarah Willard with Music City Events
Photographer | Amelia J. Moore Photography
Videographer | Yeah Yeah Creative
Gown | The Bride Room
Bride’s Accessories | Carrington’s Couture Alterations
Men’s Attire | Jos. A. Bank
Bridesmaids’ Attire | The Bride Room
Hair & Makeup | Harlow Salon
Stationery | Vistaprint and DIY
Caterer | Two Fat Men
Bartenders | Hamilton Bar Service
Cake Artist | Homestyle Bakery
Floral Designer | Fresh by CarryAnn
Ceremony Musicians | Denise Locke Heard-pianist
Reception Musicians | The Malemen Show Band
Rentals | Music City Tents and Events
Lighting | War Memorial Auditorium
Transportation | Matchless (shuttle from hotel), Hello Trolley! (trolley from ceremony to reception), Lifestyle Limousines (Rolls Royce – reception to hotel at the end of the night)
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Kyle and I are very fun loving and social people. We love spending time with friends and family. We are big sports lovers (Preds, UK basketball and Clemson football!) so we chose a July date so it wouldn’t interfere with any of our sporting events. Crazy, I know. We wanted our wedding to portray who we are and what we love.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
When our wedding planner asked us to give her some words to describe how we envisioned our wedding, one of the first words Kyle said was “memorable.” We wanted to provide an unforgettable night for all of our friends and family.
We looked at many different “music venues” for our reception site. We wanted a place that had some history along with sticking to our Nashville theme. On our tour of War Memorial Auditorium (WMA), we were told that it was actually the home of the Grand Ole Opry before the Ryman. Once we heard that, we knew immediately that it was the place for our reception. In the dressing rooms where Kyle and I would be eating dinner was a photo of Roy Acuff playing on stage at WMA when it was the Grand Ole Opry. We loved the history WMA had to offer and that photo is now hanging in our house!
Our colors were grey, orange and purple. The orange and purple came from my love of Clemson football. I’m a Clemson graduate and wanted small splashes of that included in our wedding. Jessica at Fresh by CarryAnn did an amazing job of incorporating the orange and purple into our bouquets and centerpieces. Our décor was very simple. One of the reasons we chose our venues was because we knew we didn’t have to spend a lot of money on décor. All of our venues were naturally beautiful.
What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
Our favorite aspect of the wedding was the reception as a whole. Our band did a fabulous job at keeping everyone on the dance floor all night long. It still makes me smile (and tear up a little) remembering how happy I was to look around and see all the people we loved most in the world having such a good time. The band even kept guests there long after they would have normally left (ahem…our Pastor)! The food, drinks and entertainment all played such a huge role in how much we enjoyed our wedding reception. We had a sparkler exit as we left War Memorial and that was one of our favorite memories (…and one of our favorite photos!).
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on our band and our photographer/videographer. Most of our friends and family were traveling from out of town so it was important for us to have them on the dance floor all night long. And we succeeded! The photographer and videographer were important to us because we knew that, even as hard as we tried, there would simply be things that we wouldn’t notice or couldn’t take in. We wanted our memories to last forever and our photos and video do that for us.
We saved on the invitations and programs. I found a grey damask fabric that I loved at Hobby Lobby, so my grandmother used it to sew all of our table runners. I also made white hydrangea wreaths for the front doors of the chapel. It wasn’t worth it to pay almost $150 per wreath for live flowers because they would die! Now I can use these wreaths on my own front door and they have a great memory to go with them!
Here's our wedding video. We love it and love to share it...plus it was one of our splurges. :)
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
One of the most talked about things by our guests was how they loved the Cocktail hour in the War Memorial courtyard before the reception. Our signature cocktail of champagne watermelon sorbet and appetizers were served. During the cocktail hour, Kyle and I had a private dinner in the Roy Acuff dressing room. We thought that by doing this, we would end up having more time to visit with our guests after we were introduced. I don’t know that we could have necessarily changed what we did and still had time to eat dinner, but we do wish we had been able to spend that time with our guests and enjoy the cocktail hour too. We really felt we missed out on something that we had planned and it turned out to be a very nice touch to our wedding day.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Wedding planning is stressful, but be sure to stop, breathe, and take it all in every once in a while because before you know it the wedding day is here and gone. (Second sentence, sorry!) Really try your best to catch the details of all of your hard work on your wedding day because it will be one of your favorite days, but it goes by so, so fast.
Bride Danielle with wedding planner, Sarah of Music City Events, on the trolley
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Posted by Ashley King |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Videography, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Venues and Locations, Wedding Style - Classic,
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Thursday, April 10, 2014
Danielle and Kyle, whose wedding we will feature tomorrow, kicked off their wedding weekend with a celebration of Nashville by hosting their rehearsal dinner at Hard Rock Café! What fun!
When I asked Danielle about their wedding festivities, here's what she had to say...
"We absolutely love Nashville and that really became a theme when we were searching for venues. Since we knew so many of our friends and family members would be traveling from out of town, we really wanted to choose venues that would showcase Nashville and the history of Nashville’s music scene.
Our rehearsal dinner was at Hard Rock Café, which provided an amazing view of lower Broadway. It was great for all the out-of-towners to experience the Honky Tonks and all that Nashville has to offer."
The couple arriving on the red carpet for their rehearsal dinner.
Guests signed a guitar for the couple.
Planner | Sarah Willard of Music City Events
Photographer | Amelia J. Moore Photography
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Posted by Ashley King |
Filed under: Nashville-Style, Wedding Venues and Locations,
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Monday, April 7, 2014
Unless you book your date over a year in advance, it's nearly impossible to find a Nashville venue for a fall wedding. However, The Noah Liff Opera Center has released three Saturday dates - September 6, 13 and 20 - that are now available for weddings.
The Noah Liff Opera Center is one of Nashville's most modern wedding locations. It's also a favorite venue for couples looking to host their wedding ceremony and reception in the same location. If you are recently engaged or have struggled to find a great venue for fall, don't hestitate because these dates will go fast!
To discuss your September wedding, contact Sarah at (615) 832-5242 for more details.
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Posted by Ashley King |
Filed under: Wedding Venues and Locations, Wedding Style - Modern,
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Thursday, March 27, 2014
Sambuca is always a wonderful option for dinner, drinks and a night out on the town – but it is becoming one of Nashville’s hottest venue options for wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners of all shapes and sizes.
When planning an event, flexibility is key. From the amount of space needed, to different menu and entertainment options. Do you envision a chic and modern hors d’oeuvre reception with a view of the city lights in a beautiful glass-enclosed space? Or maybe a more traditional affair with warm, romantic elements such as velvet curtains and wrought-iron candlesticks complete with a multi-course sit-down dinner?
Sky Loft:
Great view of downtown Nashville; Perfect for wedding reception, lounge or small ceremony.
At Sambuca, both are possible under one roof in their unique, versatile space. There are actually more than half-a-dozen ways you can utilize this hip restaurant to make your wedding dreams a reality.
Take the top-floor for instance. You can reserve the entire space, including the exclusive upstairs bar that has a stunning balcony overlooking the restaurant PLUS the jaw-dropping Sky Loft, or you can split the two up and rent the Sky Loft and the bar separately.
Main Area:
Can be used for ceremony or reception with live music.
Or for an even bigger guest count (up to 500!), you can reserve the entire restaurant and treat your guests to passed cocktails with a view of the city upstairs and dinner and dancing in the Balinese Dining Room on the main floor, complete with live-music and a second bar. Oh, and did we mention that a live band is included for any couple that rents the entire restaurant? Yes, it is!
Cozy Spaces:
Can be used for greeting guests or for guest lounging.
Maybe you’re a bride interested in having a day-time celebration? Well, Sambuca is offering an all-inclusive package for events that conclude before 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. This package includes room rental, DJ, passed appetizers, a delicious buffet and a photo booth all for $50 per person!
Exquisite Food:
All inclusive or a la carte menus make wedding planning easy!
At Sambuca, the options are truly endless. Give their event coordinator, Dana, a call today at (615) 248-2888 to start planning your bridal luncheon, rehearsal dinner, wedding reception or after-party.
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Posted by Newlywed Heather |
Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Wedding Venues and Locations, Wedding Style - Modern,
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Friday, March 21, 2014
For Chicago couple Joscelyne and Michael, Nashville holds a special place in their hearts. Not only was it the city where they had spent a memorable New Year’s vacation, but it ended up ultimately being the city where Michael would ask Joscelyne to be his wife. So, it comes as no surprise that Nashville would be the couple’s first and only choice for an intimate destination wedding with their closest family and friends.
Nyk + Cali Photographers were on hand to capture the charming and colorful vintage-style ceremony and reception which both took place in the rolling hills of Tennessee at beautiful Front Porch Farms. The unique and colorful décor set the scene for what was to be a fun, memorable evening and the folk band kept the guests on the dance floor all night. Actually, the bride and groom’s guests had such a great time that by the end of the night they…. Well, I don’t want to ruin it for you. See for yourself in the photos below!
Joscelyne & Michael
Wedding Date ~ October 4, 2013
Ceremony & Reception Venue ~ Front Porch Farms
Guests ~ 79
Budget ~ $20,000
Wedding Team
Planner | That would be us
Day of Director | Kathy Best, owner of Front Porch Farms
Photographer | Nyk & Cali Wedding Photographers
Gown | Bridal Extraordinaire
Men’s Attire | Trunk Club
Hair & Makeup | Katie Russo
Invitations | Paper Doll
Caterer | Chef & I
Floral Designer | Lauren Atkinson
Ceremony & Reception Musicians | Cumberland Collective
Rentals | Southern Events
My Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
We love old charm, vintage furniture and character, as well as classic, casual style.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
I honestly felt like every detail was us to a T!
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
Everyone LOVED the venue and how intimate the entire experience was. They raved about the music (which was only a few cover songs, mostly a fun folksy type of sound) and the food! The entire day felt so natural and Kathy truly made her home feel like ours. Our guests had zero worries because we shuttled everyone to the venue and back home.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We actually didn’t have any DIY. We stuck to our overall budget, but that is only because we did a lot of research on how much each aspect (photographers, caterers, bands, etc.) would cost.
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
These are wise words from our photographers - Remember, at the end of the day, this is about your marriage, not the wedding.
When things felt stressful or overwhelming during the planning process, we tried to remember that the only thing that mattered was us. This put everything into perspective. We strived to have a wedding day that felt natural and totally us, something that would give our guests an experience full of memories and NOT feel like just an event.
To see more photos from Joscelyne & Michael's wedding, visit their featured wedding on Nyk + Cali Wedding Photographers' blog.
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Posted by Newlywed Heather |
Filed under: Destination Nashville Weddings!, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Venues and Locations, Wedding Style - Rustic, Farm ,
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