Day after day we fall in love with the sweetest details from all kinds of weddings. We’re constantly falling for dreamy gowns, luxe florals, delish cakes, and handmade centerpieces. But as much as we love the pretty deets, we love the couples even more. The SMP couple is amazingly sweet, adorably in love, and is usually full of so much wedding know-how. Like these two lovebirds. Married at Historic Cedarwood, their wedding – as seen by Lotus Blossom Photography – was a true reflection of the “them” we got to know in the bride’s sweet write up below. Click here to see more!
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During college, I spent a semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy. While it was hard to spend four months apart from my future husband, seeing brides take photos in the Piazza del Duomo and being surrounded by the rolling hills of Tuscany made it the perfect opportunity to start wedding planning (I did not let the fact that Adam and I had only been officially dating for few months slow me down). My roommates and I spent our afternoons selecting our dream engagement rings from the jewelry stores on the Ponte Vecchio and browsing bridal gown websites while sipping wine on the balcony. A few years later, with a real-life dream ring on my left hand, it was time to turn my Italian daydreaming into reality.
While Florence is remarkable, there was another city that we turned to inspiration for our wedding day. When I moved to Tennessee for college, I fell in love. Not only with the man I would marry six years later, but also with the epic beauty and irresistible southern charm of Nashville. To me, the city is filled with friendly people, country style, and memories of falling in love. So when the time came to plan our wedding, we knew Nashville was going to play an important role.
My design choices were driven by a desire to capture the rustic wonder of Tennessee and share it with our family and friends. When we first stepped onto the property of Historic Cedarwood, we were smitten. The classic red barn and stunning landscape offered the perfect setting to begin our marriage, and I was jumping at the opportunity to combine the staff’s style expertise with my overflowing list of ideas for personal touches. I spent my weekends either working on DIY projects or browsing local flea markets and antique stores for inspiration. I collected crocheted doilies to top our hand-sewn floral table runners, and mismatched antique dessert plates on which to serve our pink ombre cake. I spent months daydreaming, weeks shopping, days designing invitations, and hours embossing programs, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Despite the burn mark on our dining room table from ironing our hand embroidered save-the-date handkerchiefs, and the pin-pricks on my fingers from sewing our escort card pennants, it was all worth it.
With green gingham accents, strawberries and sugar on the tables, and burlap favor bags filled with cornbread and jam, our wedding offered sweet country charm while maintaining our “bright and happy” color scheme. I carry with me a plethora of beautiful memories. I can still feel the lace of my gown as my sisters zipped me in, hear the notes of our first dance song, and taste the mini ice cream sandwiches at our reception. I thought it would be hard to decide my favorite part, but looking back on the magic of the day, it is not hard at all. The best part is carrying these memories as a married woman, as a wife to the man of my dreams.
Photography: Lotus Blossom Photography / Floral & Event Design: Cedarwood Weddings / Ceremony & Reception Location: Historic Cedarwood / Save the Dates: Designed and made by the Bride / Invitations: Designed and illustrated by the Bride, printed by CatPrint / Vintage Stamps for Invitations: The Paper Nickel / Dress: Vera Wang, Dinah / Shoes: Elise in Old Gold by Kate Spade / Necklace: Break of Day Necklace from BHLDN / Headpiece: Fanciful Fields Halo from BHLDN / Bridesmaids Dresses: Kate Spade Jillian Dress in Desert Rose / Bridesmaids Gloves: Veranda Wrist Gloves from BHLDN / Bridesmaids Shoes: Me Too Sadie Wedge Sandal from Nordstrom / Groom and Groomsmen Tuxes: Black by VeraWang from Men’s Wearhouse / Groomsmen Ties: Green Diamonds Tie from The Tie Bar / Bridal and Bridesmaids Hair: Trim Classic Barber & Legendary Beauty / Bridal and Bridesmaids Makeup: BBC Salon / Fur Bolero for Exit: Arctic Hare Bolero from BHLDN / Ice Cream Sandwich Cart: The Sugar Wagon