If there were ever a wedding MADE for Nashville, this is it. It’s pretty and romantic and oh so southern, but it’s still rustic enough for the hunter groom – whose cowboy boots didn’t look at all out of place. Of course, we would expect nothing short of wedded brilliance from Cedarwood Weddings, and wedded brilliance is what we got judging by Evan Baines Photography‘s stunning images. An entire gallery – five pages deep – full of brilliance!
Click here to see the full image gallery!
Back in 2007, Jeff’s roommate from Mississippi was dating one of my roommates from Vanderbilt. The whole group started hanging out together but Jeff was on the quieter side so it took me a little bit to warm up to him. But once I saw his dance moves, I was sold! We were from two completely different upbringings; mine the Midwest suburbs of Cleveland, OH and him, the southern country of Meridian, MS. However, we realized that are close-knit family units and underlying values were very similar. Since then, I have introduced him to a lot of different cities in the US (and all of their golf courses) and taught him about the love and passion (and agony!) of professional sports teams. And Jeff has taught me that I have to be quiet when hunting deer and invisible when hunting turkeys. Oh, and it’s not correct to pronounce the “g” on “huntin.”
After dating for 4 years, marriage was definitely in the discussion. With an impending weekend seeing my parents, I had an idea something may be coming soon. But on the Tuesday before I left, I arrived home with take-out Panera dinner to a very relaxed and non-chalant Jeff and decided it wasn’t happening this evening. We ate dinner like nothing out of the ordinary until I (finally!) walked into my bedroom to see a dozen pink roses and something sparkly in the middle of one. Very confused and shocked, I turned around to see Jeff on one knee asking to marry him! I later discovered he had not only asked my dad for my hand in marriage, but he also consulted with my grandfather and my older brother, all the important men in my life!
I am a girly girl and Jeff is a rugged outdoor hunter and fisherman. It was really important to me to pick a venue that I loved and he would feel comfortable in as well. He is not suited for a blacktie hotel ballroom! My mother and I searched and searched around Nashville and nothing was perfect until we pulled into Cedarwood’s parking lot. We just looked at each other and said, “This is it!!”. It was the perfect combination of romantic elegance and rustic charm. When I brought Jeff back for his approval, he heard a turkey gobbling in the distance and knew that was a great sign! I felt Jeff and I can pretty much be summed up by our wedding shoe choices, I wore gold sparkly Jimmy Choos and he wore black ostrich cowboy boots. Cedarwood captured that juxtaposition perfectly!
Our inspiration was soft romance with touches of rustic, natural elements. I used light pink, blush, and ivory for most of decorations and incorporated dark wood chairs, burlap, and black lanterns for the balance. For the soft, romantic elements, my bridesmaids wore baby pink chiffon dresses and my lace dress had chiffon ruffles on the bottom to add to the softness. I think the two best indications of our inspiration were our table settings that had ivory table cloths, burlap runners, light pink peonies, and dark Fruitwood chairs. And our pink and white ruffled wedding cake sat on top of a real slice of wood! My biggest inspiration was from Cedarwood’s own website and Style Me Pretty. I loved all of their gorgeous outdoor weddings that both posted. Jeff can attest that I became obsessed checking both websites for updates! It was the highlight of my day.
Jeff comes from a Christian family and I come from a mix between Judiasm and Christianity. We wanted a ceremony that wasn’t necessarily religious but included our love and faith of God. We stood under a Chuppah, the Jewish symbol for a new home that we will build together, and draped across the top of it was my late grandfather’s tallis, or prayer shawl. I had lace from my mother’s wedding dress wrapped around my bouquet and I carried the same bible down the aisle that she, and my cousins, carried on their wedding day. The diamond in my engagement ring was a gift from Jeff’s late grandmother to his grandfather, so it is especially meaningful to his family. My pearl bracelet that I wore was my “something old” from my grandmother and my garter was “something borrowed” from my best friend and Matron of honor. She also had a blue dress tag sewn into my dress with our wedding date monogrammed for my “something blue”. One other fun element was our recessional back down the aisle was to Jimmy Cliff’s song, “I can See Clearly Now”, the same song that my parents walked down the aisle to 35 years ago!
Photographer: Evan Baines Photography / Wedding Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Flowers and Decor, event styling, planning, and directing: Cedarwood Weddings / Hair: Brea and Melanie from Salon FX / Makeup: Meredith from Private Edition / Bride’s gown: Paloma Blanca from Arzelle’s Bridal Boutique / Bride’s shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids dresses: Ivy and Aster from Bella Bridesmaid / Groom and Groomsmen suits and ties: Jos. A. Bank / Groom’s boots: Lucchese / Caterer: Copper Kettle / Entertainment/Music: Burning Las Vegas, booked by Liza at Prime Source Entertainment / Jewelry: Schreibman Jewelers / Invitations: The Lettered Olive by The Dotted Line / Save the Dates and Programs: DIY by bride’s mother and cousin / Other paper goods: Designs in Paper / Rentals/linens: Cedarwood