Tennessee Weddings

Now for the REALLY good stuff. I’ve probably looked at these images a thousand times. And every time I do, I see something new. Something great. This is the wedding of Libby and Patrick. The wedding that Sarah True designed and styled, that we spent hours and hours on the phone dreaming about, that we built with love for two very special people. And despite the fact that we were literally faced against a natural disaster, the day turned out to be something out of a dream. And Justin and Mary Marantz were on hand to capture every perfect detail, every perfect photograph that would tell the story to perfection.

From Sarah True of True Event, who I respect and adore on an entirely new level after this wedding. She is the most level headed, totally design savvy, can-do anything designer I’ve ever met…literally climbing on tables to hang votives and bussing tables during the reception. Not to mention her insanely gorgeous styling. Yep, she’s officially THE BEST…

The reception was a cocktail party with passed hors d’oeuvres and food stations and one of the most unique venues I have had the opportunity to work at.  I thought it was important to create spaces on the rooftop, where we would shift the energy of the party through the design and detail.  By the majority of the seating and tables we used soft, feminine details, lots of blush tones, hanging pearlescent votives, ruffly chair covers and candelight to create a very romantic backdrop for guests to enjoy.  As the space shifted, around the dance floor we created lounge vignettes that brought in the modern lines in the furniture, bold pops of color, hot pink tones, and black and white zebra pattern carpets that added a wild, exotic detail and fun energy as the band rocked into the night.

From Chase Rivers of Flair, our FABULOUS Nashville based floral guru and generally really awesome dude…seriously someone should give this guy his own show, he’s that good, that creative, that charming.

While we were setting up, I could literally feel the tension and the energy of the day. It was awesome knowing that all of that hard work was slowly transforming itself into the most beautiful wedding ever. And everything was fantastic. Libby was blown away and her guests were too.  I got a call from one of the relatives (older lady) praising us for the work we did.  Everything was so clean and crisp with big splashes of vibrant color.  The chair covers really complemented the flowers with their softness and femininity.

Okay, now I want to walk you through the space and tell you about all of the amazing little details that we infused into the day to make this wedding really special.

Invitations by Laura Hooper…It’s a well known fact that Laura Hooper is a calligraphy and invitation genius, so when she agreed to do Libby’s save the dates and wedding invitations, I almost died. Laura used her chandelier design which literally set the stage for the ENTIRE wedding style. The pale pink icon, letterpressed into the most beautiful paper with Laura’s signature calligraphy text. It was beyond gorgeous.

Rentals by Classic Party Rentals…ALL of our rentals, from the leather ottomans to the reflection tables, from the serving stations to the pretty linens, were by Classic Party Rentals. I seriously cannot say enough about Mark and Allison, the dynamic duo that helped us transform the space. Classic is relatively new to Nashville but from the looks of their inventory and their incredible customer service, I have officially put myself at the top of the number 1 fan list.

Lounge Spaces…each of the lounge spaces was designed to give guests a place to relax, to sip their Sofia champagne, to dive into the amazing apps that Patrick’s sushi restaurant Zumi provided. But more than that, the rugs by Urban Outfitters and the Pillows from various shops, brought a sense of warmth and intimacy to an otherwise very modern space. The leather ottomans and mirrored tables were all swank, but the decor detailing was relaxed and inviting.

Zumi Sushi + Noodle Bar…one of my FAVORITE parts of the whole wedding was the noodle bar that Patrick’s newest venture, Zumi Sushi, provided. Aside from the insanely tasty shrimp sushi appetizers, the noodle bar was a really fun way to share a little of their personalities with the guests and get everyone in on the fun. Noodles were served in take-out chinese containers with a side of chop stix and I swear, I ate three cartons full. If any of you Nashville brides are looking for a really cool element to your dining experience, Zumi is now catering Weddings!! How’s that for cool.

Head Table…In terms of design, Sarah and I set out to make the head table the real centerpiece of the wedding. Although it looks like we had a TON of flowers, we really didn’t. We simply used 95% of them on the head table so that the design looked completely lush and overflowing with peony goodness. We kept all of the other tables super simple with little votive candles and we reused the flowers from the ceremony in the reception space. It was a really practical, money saving way to approach the floral design. Wildflower Linen let us use those AMAZING chair covers which gave the table such an ethereal, pretty look. We hung LED lights above the table, along with the Urban chandeliers. The table was covered in a super simple white linen though was gussied up with a gray runner, milk glass, modern CB2 vases and little mercury glass candle holders. It was STUNNING.

Cake Flower by Estilo Weddings…We kept our cake design really simple. Designed by Bili Mouchow, we simply added a single ceramic flower that Estilo gifted us and it was perfection. The flower was delicate and mimicked a sugar flower beautifully, but since it was ceramic, it also became a wonderful keepsake for Libby and Patrick. LOVE, love, love. Next time, I’m ordering three and making a little bundle on the cake.

Bags by Melangerie NYC….Since most of Libby’s guests would be coming in from out of town, she wanted to do something special for them as they arrived at the hotel. Enter, the PERFECT To Have and To Hold canvas totes by Melangerie NYC. They were the perfect calligraphic element to go with our style and filled with Nashville inspired treats, they made for the sweetest welcome bag ever.

The Milk Glass…we had TONS of milk glass, the most beautiful milk glass you’ve ever seen, all of which let the perfect flowers really shine. Thank you SO very much to Yumiko of Hana Floral Design for letting us borrow all of this goodness and for providing your always spot on floral expertise when it came to choosing the perfect stems to make Libby’s dream a reality.

Flower Rosettes…We used Posh Paperie’s fabric rosette DIY from a few months ago to add a bit of texture to our basic linens. We didn’t have a budget for nice table coverings, so Sarah’s assistant stitched together a million fabric rosettes in white that we layered onto the cotton linens. It was a white on white effect that looked expensive but cost next to nothing. We also made a few pink rosettes to go on our gray runners.

Favor Cards…In lieu of the flooding, our super cute DIY favors had to be scrapped. Instead, we printed cards letting guests know that a donation to the flood victims had been made in their name. Each card was slipped into a glassine envelope and scattered around the lucite trays in the lounge areas.

Menu Cards…We made a really simple menu card come to life by sending it off to Kinkos and having it printed on transparency paper. Set on the silver chargers, the text looked like it was printed right on the glass. It was an awesome effect for maybe $20.

Keep Warm Blankets…Knowing that it could be crazy windy on a rooftop garden (we’d been warned), we wanted to leave blankets for guests to cuddle up with. We found $3.99 white blankets at IKEA and to add a little bit of charm, we tied a tag that said Keep Warm around them with a simple pink ribbon. Again, very little money (we bought 12 total) but left a great impression.

There were so many little ways that we saved money with this wedding. We created clear focal points that really took your breath away and kept the rest of the space really simple. We dressed only the head table from head to toe with chair covers, tablesettings and the prettiest flowers a girl could ever want. We were conciencious of each and every detail that we brought in and made sure that it would really pop. From the $64 Urban outfitter rugs to the $24 Chandeliers, every little details was thoughtfully purchased not only for the price but for the impact that it would make.

And all in all, it turned out spectacular. MUCH more coming up including some killer tips from Justin and Mary Marantz on how to snap an SMP worthy wedding!

Event Design: Sarah True of True Events / Photography: Justin and Mary Marantz / Cinema: Julie Hill of Elysium / Floral Design: Chase Rivers of Flair / Invitations and Save the Dates: Laura Hooper / Rentals, Furniture, Linens: Classic Party Rentals / Chair covers: Wildflower Linens /Wedding Planning: Jacki Wickersham and Angela Proffitt of Elegant Weddings by Angela / Catering and Noodle Bar: Zumi Sushi / Cake Flower: Estilo Weddings / Mercury Glass: Borrowed from Yumiko at Hana Floral Design / Welcome Bags: Melangerie NYC / Wedding Photography (to be seen tomorrow): Arlund Imagery / Venue: Pinnacle, Nashville

So before we get to all of the wedding goodness, the story wouldn’t be complete without telling you about the little (and by little, I mean HUGE) road bump that we encountered just days before the wedding. This is actually for all of you brides out there that are petrified of all of the “what ifs…” You know what I mean. What if it rains, what if it’s too hot/too cold/too windy, what if I forget my vows, what if the flowers wilt, what if no one dances, what if, what if, what if. Well, I am here to tell you that although there is always a chance that one of your what ifs will come true…it’s how you handle it that will really make or break your day. Here’s what happened to us.

photos by Business Insider and the Huffington Post

It was about 19 days from the wedding and we were entering the home stretch. We started working on the DIY projects (mapping out the DIY chandeliers we would make, the fabric rosettes, the fun translucent menus, the chandelier Christmas ornament favors that would celebrate Patrick’s proposal while decorating the Christmas tree…oh the list goes on and on and on). We were busy ordering the rest of the pillows and rugs, flowers and chandeliers, chosen specifically to celebrate this fabulous modern space. We were movin’ and groovin’ with all hands completely on deck. Then we turned on the news.

photos by Business Insider and the Huffington Post

Nashville, our wedding city, was flooding. And not just flooding…they were drowning. Families were literally swimming out of the homes, holding on to only each other. In one fast instant, friends of mine lost everything and Libby’s wedding, which we knew needed to take a backseat to the devastation became a big, fat question mark. After waiting out those first days, waiting to see what would happen, how the city would fare…we began the process of determining whether or not we could still have the wedding.

Here is what we knew…

Libby’s GORGEOUS gown was lost in UPS space as their facilities were flooded. Thus the search for a back-up wedding gown started, 2 weeks before the wedding.

Her venue had flooded to the second floor of the parking garage and had called off all events for the month of May, Libby’s included. Luckily, we found a back-up, thanks to Jackie and Angela at Elegant Weddings by Angela, though it was pretty different from the original space, which meant that our design concept needed to be re-thought from soup to nuts. Again, 2 weeks before the wedding.

The peony farm that was going to let us scour the grounds for perfect peonies was mostly flooded. Luckily, Chase Rivers had thoughtfully ordered enough flowers in case of an emergency so although it wouldn’t be quite as lush as we wanted, it would still be beautiful.

We had NO time to do the DIY projects that were literally going to make this wedding into something so unique for all of you. Not to mention, with a new space, some of them wouldn’t work anyway. We instead chose the doable ones and scrapped the rest. The favors, the chandeliers, the guest book idea and the lacy luminary bags all got scrapped.

Most importantly, Libby and Patrick made the thoughtful decision that they wanted to move forward with their wedding, despite the forces of nature being completely against them. SMP, along with Sarah, Chase, Justin & Mary (photographers), Classic Party Rentals and Julie at Elysium, all supported the decision 100% and banned together to give Libby the wedding of her dreams. We put back-ups in place for nearly every decision that was made and for those that didn’t have a plan B, Libby gave us full creative freedom to execute the wedding that we knew she would love. She was possibly the most gracious, classy, lovely bride that I have ever encountered and she handled this CRAZY disaster with a sense of togetherness that I can only envy. She was game on…and so were we.

Oh and thankfully, Libby’s dress made it safe and sound. HUGE relief.

Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know the ridiculously adorable couple behind our first ever SMP wedding, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. The inspiration. To design a wedding that would make everyone swoon, we didn’t need to look any further than our friend and beloved SMP designer, Sarah True. Sarah is like a wedding genius and is always surprising me with her mad creativity and sense of design. She was the perfect fit for Libby’s wedding.

From Sara True, lead designer for True Event … Inspired by all things girly, ruffles, texture and pink, Libby dreamed of a wedding every girl dreams of growing up.  She described her vision as modern romance with flair. “–because part of me is all girl, loves ruffles, pink, and sparkle, and part of me loves the downtown skyline and all things modern and a little funky. And most of all, I love the unexpected combination of the two!” Thus we set out to design a style that was just that. Decidedly modern with girly charm.

From Libby…When I first started the wedding planning process, I was a little overwhelmed with the whole notion of a “vision” for the wedding…in fact, the only think I had actually visualized up to that point was my groom (handsome, thick brown hair, insatiable wit…check!).  So at first, when people would ask me about my vision, I felt like the worst bride ever because I couldn’t really describe what I had in mind.  Enter…Abby & Sarah, the wedding goddesses who asked me all of the right questions, and helped me to really discover and put into words MY perfect vision for our wedding day.

After about an hour long chat with the girls, I knew that I wanted our wedding to be an interesting and unexpected combination of equal parts modern and romance–equal parts stainless steel and ruffles. I wanted a monochromatic color palate that included all shades of neutrals, all shades of pink, and tons and tons of texture.  I also really wanted our reception to be a CELEBRATION.  I wanted a party complete with lots of dancing and laughing and of course sushi eating (Patrick owns an awesome sushi restaurant called Zumi). I wanted my guests to have a good time and to really get to take in Nashville!

THE FLOWERS

Now that we had the inspiration for our wedding (and by “our” I mean Libby, Patrick and Style Me Pretty’s wedding…ha), it was time to start thinking about every element and how we would integrate all of Libby’s loves into one cohesive design. First up, the flowers. Libby wanted ruffly, romantic, unabashedly girly flowers which of course, came in the form of Peonys. Sarah and I recruited Nashville based floral guru and designer, Chase Rivers, to help us bring the vision to a reality. Chase is AWESOME and so talented.

From Chase Rivers … As far as the overall wedding flowers, Sarah told me the basics, Peony, garden roses, sweet pea, ranunculus, babies breath. We added some anemones to the mix and weaved in plum foliage and wisteria vine to add texture and dimension. Lucky for our budget, we had a contact who was going to allow us to pull peonies from their peony farm at no cost. It was going to allow us to take the floral design to an entirely new level…every peony lover’s dream. But as fate would have it, that wasn’t in the cards (more on that later), so we ended up ordering the flowers above in the colors Libby was wanting..many shades of pink, pink and more pink.

THE DETAILS

Because Libby wanted to marry a very girly, pretty aesthetic with a more modern, clean execution we needed to pull together a general blueprint for the products that we would bring in to round out the look. We wanted modern meets girly, in a chic, sophisticated and utterly timeless way. The space itself was this ultra modern rooftop rose garden (sounds pretty bad-ass doesn’t it)…think steel tables and chairs, wooden beams, pyramids overflowing with roses and a killer view of Nashville…all neatly tucked on the side of a skyscraper. Yeah, I know. OK, back to the task at hand. Here are the products that Sarah True and I sourced to really bring Libby and Patrick’s style to life.

The VERY first item that we bought, that ultimately inspired the entire wedding style, was that awesome chandelier from Urban Outfitters. With that, Sarah easily let the rest of the design fall into place. The silver cylindrical CB2 vases would give the ruffly pink flowers a more modern base, the zebra rugs would provide that bit of swank that we needed, the lucite trays would be amazing on top of mirrored coffee tables in our lounge areas and the ruffly pink pillows…well, they were just so gorgeous we couldn’t resist.

We are actually selling most of the products that we bought if you are interested! More details on that later!

THE RENTALS

While we were sourcing the decor elements, we needed to really flush out the design concept in terms of the rentals we would bring in to transform the bare space into an inviting and warm place that guests would want to stay forever. We enlisted the help of Classic Party Rentals in Nashville who literally hit it out of the park. Together with Sarah True, the fabulous designer behind the day, we came up with four defined spaces for our event…4 lounge areas, a dance space, food stations and dining. Click here to see the floor plan.

Although Classic Party Rentals provided ALL of the rentals for the day (I told you they kicked butt), the real focus turned out to be the lounge areas that Mark and Allison at Classic helped Sarah design. Each of the four lounge areas would consist of 2 benches, 2 reflection tables, 2 small square ottomans, a zebra rug, some throw pillows, a lucite tray and perfect floral centerpiece.

So in terms of inspiration and ideas, we had a lot. Add in some fun DIY’s, the most gorgeous flowers you’ve ever seen, a giddy bride, vendors who traveled from four corners of the country and oh, did I mention the Nashville floods that literally left us without a venue until the week before…and you have a real life wedding adventure that I will never forget. STAY TUNED to see how it all turned out. Coming up next!

And here is the dream team that made it happen…

Sarah True of True Event: The BEST designer on the planet / Justin and Mary Marantz: Photographer’s whose work will make your heart stop / Julie Hill of Elysium: Cinematography that you’ll hardly believe  / Laura Hooper: Papergoods that are as beautiful as they get / Classic Party Rentals: Furniture and Rentals that literally transformed the space / Wildflower Linens: Linens that were BEYOND gorgeous /Jacki and Angela of Elegant Weddings by Angela: Planning and Logistics / Zumi Sushi: The groom’s awesome sushi restaurant that catered the wedding (how cool is that) / Chuck Arlund of Arlund Imagery: Libby’s Day-Of Photographer who snapped some gorgeous photographs / Estilo Weddings: The most perfect cake flower ever / Melangerie NYC: The most adorable gift bags ever.

Welcome back wedding gurus. I am not sure I’ve ever been quite as excited for a day of SMP goodness as I am today. If you ever wanted to know how a picture perfect, detail driven wedding was planned, designed and executed…you’re in for SUCH a treat. Today, we’re featuring the first EVER SMP Wedding designed exclusively for all of you by some of our very favorite vendors! And it’s a REAL, legitimate, totally gorgeous wedding from the ground up.

But before we begin, I want to introduce you to the lovely couple. SMP-ers meet Libby and Patrick….world’s cutest couple.

photograph by Arlund Imagery

So, here’s the story. When my sweet, sweet friend from college, Libby, announced that she was tying the knot to the cutest boy on the planet, I squealed with totally honest, no-holds-bar glee. Of course because I was so happy for her, but also because I was secretly hoping she would let Style Me Pretty be a part of her celebration. Well, thankfully, Libby agreed and the adventure of planning and designing a Style Me Pretty wedding began…a feat which is now resulting in a two day extravaganza on SMP. From the inspiration board to the flower choices, from the behind the scenes footage to the DIY projects that went into the day, the next 2 days are going to be an amazing experience. Literally showing you how to build a wedding from scratch.

So, here’s the deal. We are going to begin with Libby’s design dreams and the inspiration boards that Sarah True and I built to become our starting off point. Then, we’ll show you the heavenly details that Sarah infused into every corner, followed by the live film from Elysium of us sweating our tails off in 95 degree weather building a wedding fit for a queen.

And it will all wrap up with the GORGEOUS wedding that followed. Amazing, right? Sit tight girls and boys, we have much more coming in just a flash!

It’s one of those “kind-of” holidays, so we’re keeping it light on SMP today, trying to soak up the last little bit of fun in the sun that we have. But we know that there are quite a few die-hards out there…so this one’s for you. And it’s a REALLY good one. Seriously good. Like Tec Petaja good. This outdoor bash is southern style, held at Cedarwood in Nashville to be exact, and it is filled to the brim with outdoor chapels and maybe a little country royalty. Any guesses? Needless to say, Tennessee is looking mighty pretty and there is oodles more to drool over in the gallery.

{click here for more Southern splendor in the grass}

A bit about the outdoor cathedral at Cedarwood:

These stately ten feet tall Gothic windows were salvaged from the Douglas Street Church, designed by Nashvillian Hugh Thompson, architect of the Ryman Auditorium, otherwise known as the Mother Church of Country Music. We knew the minute we saw them at Restoration Station, they were destined for continuing sacred service at Cedarwood weddings! After an extensive search, we acquired thirty two antique solid Oak carved church pews to fulfill the vision of our open air countryside cathedral in the Cedarwood meadow.

Photography: Tec Petaja / Venue, Flowers and Decor: Cedarwood, Nashville, TN / Wedding Cake: Dessert Designs / Dessert Tabe: The Petit Four / Catering: Chef Works / Wedding and Bridesmaids Dresses: B.Hughes Bridal and Formal

Some weddings are beautiful and then there are those that are sweet and full of sentiment and once in a while the stars align and a wedding comes along that is all of the above. That is just such the case with this eye popping, jaw dropping gorgeous wedding photographed by Watson Studios. Set in the mountains of Tennessee, these nuptials were a culmination of a very trying year for the bride and groom which resulted in a highly anticipated celebration among friends and family. Be sure to read the Bride’s story below that details her and her husband’s journey to the altar. Congrats Katie and Johan. We are so glad all turned out so beautifully for you two!

{click here for the FULL wedding gallery}

Johan and I met in January of 2009. He from Denmark and I from the mountains of Tennessee, it was an unlikely but meant-to-be meeting: he had made a New Year’s resolution to volunteer, and I was working as the Director of Volunteers at a not-for-profit agency. The rest was history. Though we weren’t officially engaged until July, I’d started carving out ideas for our wedding long before and even bought my wedding dress prior to the proposal (when you know, you know!). The wedding was to be held at the private, mountaintop estate of some dear and generous friends, and I had a pretty clear vision of what our wedding should be: elegant, a touch of vintage, natural, and as laid back as possible.

Sadly, our plans were put on hold last October, when Johan was critically injured in a motorcycle accident. After several months in the hospital recovering from multiple injuries and a subsequent stroke, he had a number of surgeries and months and months of rehab. By March we were finally back to wedding planning, but by that point, we were not only exhausted but on quite a compressed timeline for our early May wedding date.

The fortunate part was that the reality of the accident and the rigors and stress of his recovery completely shifted our perspective: we chose to focus on the fact that we were having a wedding at all and channeled our efforts into ensuring the day was a celebration of our love and what it had already carried us through. Part of this included opting for a more intimate feel, cutting our guest list by more than half and forgoing a traditional bridal party. We also decided not to compete with the beauty of the mountaintop setting and kept the décor to a minimum with a soft color palette.

We wanted to rejoice in not only our love story, but also the blending of our families and cultures along with honoring our very diverse guest list (we had guests from Serbia to Peru and 10 countries in between!) who had offered the love and support that sustained us through Johan’s accident and recovery. We also wanted the day to be very personal, and at the same time, it was important for us that our guests truly enjoy themselves. After a simple garden ceremony performed by our close friend and neighbor, our guests enjoyed a cocktail hour, which progressed to a seated dinner held in a closed tent. True to Danish form (and that of many European countries), we had an assigned “toastmaster” who coordinated a multitude of humorous, heartfelt, and colorful speeches. Our guests completely immersed themselves in the way of traditional Scandinavian toasting (dating back to the Vikings), which includes shouting “Skal!” and then having to make eye contact with everyone at the table. As in the U.S., if people tapped their glasses with their silverware, we had to kiss; except per Danish tradition, we had to stand up on our chairs to do it (not easy in a wedding dress!).

Though our road from engagement to wedding day was wrought with stress and uncertainty and was anything but typical, our journey truly culminated in a celebration that meant the world to us…and was world of fun for our guests. We couldn’t have asked for a more special time with our families and closest friends. SKAL!!!!

Photography: Dan & Natalie Watson of Watson-Studios / Wedding Coordinator: Sonya Scott of  A Perfect Day / Flowers: Pat Felts of Clay Pots / Catering/Cake/Cupcakes: Tony McClanahan of First Fruits / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Shoes: J Crew

Last but certainly not least is this uber chic engagement party sent to us by Annabella Brandon of Asian Bees Photography. This may not be a rehearsal dinner, but it still has PLENTY of steal-able ideas for ALL of the numerous shindigs you throw before the big day. So modern and cool, who doesn’t love a rooftop cocktail party? We happen to be huge fans.

{see more of this engaging engagement here}

A jazz trio band and chips and guacamole hors d’oeuvres? Sold. Congrats on your engagement Jenni and Chris. We can’t wait to see what you do with your wedding!

Photographer: Annabella Brandon of Asian Bees / Venue: Madison Hotel, Memphis, TN / Event Planner: Social Butterflies / Flowers: Karin Woodward of Haute Horticulture / Music: Gerald Stephens Jazz Trio / Furniture, Linen and Textile Rentals: Mahaffey Tent and Party Rentals

We just couldn’t resist showing you the video from Golriz and Devon’s whimsical wedding. As if it weren’t enough that these two are so creative and so artistic, they also sing adorable songs together! I don’t think it gets much cuter than that. Check out their video from Full Frame Cinema to see just how quirky and fun this day was. Congrats you two on a fabulous, heart-felt wedding!

Golriz + Devon :: Trailer from Jeffrey Holland :: FFDC on Vimeo.

Videography: Jeffrey Holland of Full Frame Cinema

One of the things that we love so much about weddings is that every single one is so different, so unique. All of those personal touches really make the wedding world go ’round and this Nashville wedding is the perfect example of that. Golriz and Devon make up the insanely cute, quirky couple behind the day and they created such a one-of-a-kind event filled to the tippity top with creativity. Ryan Lash was there to capture soo many wonderful snippets. The art installations alone have us squeeling with glee. Be sure to check out the gallery for more from this DIY couple.

{click here for the FULL wedding gallery of Nashville artsy goodness}

Devon and I wanted every ounce of our wedding to burst with creativity, but we had a very tight budget. This was actually a blessing as it forced us to be really creative and think outside the box. It also meant we had fun adventures to pursue together like hunting for the ‘perfect’ couch on Craigslist!

One of the biggest priorities for us was making the event space feel really cozy and intimate. We achieved this by setting up a cozy nook in the corner with a colorful and intricate backdrop. We hung paper strips to the ceiling to create a beautiful paper chandelier, with twinkly lights that peeked out between the strips. Behind us we hung strands of handmade fabric flowers that myself, a good friend and my mom had spent weeks creating out of an assortment of vintage fabrics.

Art Installation: Devon had always dreamed of creating an art installation with vintage televisions, umbrellas and bare light bulbs…so this was his chance! We hunted high and low for TVs that had big knobs and dials – the sales staff at the thrift stores must have thought we were mad! Devon figured out a way to connect all the bulbs to one switch and even installed a dimmer (yes, I’ve obviously married MacGyver).

Other DIY projects: For our wedding favors we printed CDs with songs that we had written & recorded and placed them in hand sewn fabric sleeves made out of assorted vintage fabric. We then hung the CDs off ribbon with miniature clothespins so guests could pick one up as they left.

Photo booth – in the corner of the room we set up a photo booth. This element was a hit with our guests and we have hundreds of photos that captured the fun they had. Inside the booth I had placed a box of assorted props, hats, wigs etc. and a chalkboard so that guests could write personalized messages for us.

Unique guest ‘book’ – in lieu of a guest book we had a huge stretched canvas on an easel. We picked a very specific palette of colors and had each guest paint a heart in one of the grids. Now we have a beautiful piece of art to take with us as we start our lives together!

Cake toppers – my mom hand-stitched adorable little fabric birds with wire feet – my bird even had a little bouquet and Devon’s had a yellow bowtie! They made great props for our photographs.

Cupcake stand – instead of purchasing/renting a stand for our 150 cupcakes we built one (using Cetaphil containers and cake boards!)

Photography: Ryan Lash / Videography: Full Frame Cinema / Event Space: Marathon Village, Nashville TN / Wedding Dress: Handmade by the bride’s mother / Shoes: Office / Groom’s suite: Costume National / DJ: Joel Price / Cupcakes: Effie Sahihi / Makeup: Neda Ferdowsi / Hair: Salon Genevieve

There is something so sweet about this little wedding. Photographer, Natalie Watson, sent it our way and I have to say…it completely charmed me. From the adorable couple to the pretty, understated details, I heart everything about this adorable affair.

Tosha & Will’s soft, intimate hometown wedding took place in Greeneville, Tennessee. The couple had a traditional service followed by an intimate dessert reception all done at the church. Every aspect of the wedding was made personal — the grooms pie made by Will’s grandmother, an acoustic guitar was played during ceremony by Will’s uncle, the table numbers were created from a cedar tree in their backyard, the get away 46 Ford Coupe was provided by Tosha’s great uncle, the couple was married on Will’s grandparents 61st wedding anniversary.

As for the details, the couple used their old love letters as ringbearer pillows and held the letters they read right before the ceremony, they hung old photographs of couples in their lives (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.) For the dessert reception, Tosha & Will took a huge piece of plywood and painted it with chalk board paint and used it as a seating chart. You can see more of the wedding right here.

Vendors: Location at First Presbyterian Church, Greeneville, TN / Photography by Dan & Natalie Watson, Watson-Studios / Flowers and Catering: Beverly at Main Street Catering (Jonesborough, TN) / Wedding Cake: Embree House Wedding cakes (Jonesborough, TN) / Groom’s Pies were made by Will’s grandmother / Programs were made by Jessica Miller from JessLehry Designs and thebudgetsavvybride.com

I thought that this Mad Men inspired wedding was totally adorable, totally fun. Photographed by Tara Kneiser of Dixie Pixel Photography, this wedding is vintage inspired goodness and for me, it’s the definition of a really whimsical wedding. One that you will find so many steal-worthy details. Super, SUPER cute stuff here people.

The cute, cute couple was married in a backyard affair this past October in Tennessee. Blush Weddings and Events did the coordination, flowers by The Flower Pot and Catering by Luxe Catering. That adorable dress was made by Colleen Moore of White Orchid Bridal in Knoxville and the bridesmaids dresses were found on Etsy.

Here are a few words from the fabulous photograher, Tara…

This wedding was a DREAM.  Dianna worked over a year to make it the perfect backyard affair.  Her beautiful dress was custom made by Colleen Moore of White Orchid Bridal (local to Knoxville, Tn).  They were very inspired by the TV show “Mad Men” for their wedding.  There were so many delicious details, it’s best to just have a look!  I have not yet blogged this wedding on my blog, and the images haven’t been posted anywhere.

SO. STINKING. CUTE. Thank you so much to Tara Kneiser of Dixie Pixel Photogaphy for sending us such a treat. It’s the icing on the already really yummy cake.

Before we dive back into the adorable wedding that we are currently devouring, I wanted to mention…for any of you that are dreaming of starting a stationery business we are chatting all about it over on BackStage. Starting with the invitation company that I started, we are working through all of the ins and outs of taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Come join in!

Ok, back to the task at hand. I really think that if Etsy could build a wedding of their own, it would be this one. All of the little details that the bride provided are kind of amazing, kind of awesome actually. She found a ton of inspiration right here on SMP and in turn is inspiring brides to no end with her own affair…

From the lovely bride…

The wedding day went by in one beautiful flash, which is why I’m glad Heidi was there to capture the elements that were so important to me. I tried very hard to make the wedding meaningful and creative without spending tons of money. I made our caketoppers out of salt and pepper shakers, elements from my mom’s wedding dress, clay and a vintage letterpress stamp found on Etsy. A friend of mine made my veil from the tulle of my mom’s veil. And another friend designed our programs based on a unique invitation design I found online.

I tried to use all Etsy vendors for everything, and only went to non-Etsy vendors when I couldn’t find it there. I love supporting artists, and Etsy is an endless supply of wonderful crafters. Using the lanterns was an easy way to avoid flower centerpieces and a nice gift for our wedding guests. Not a single one was left at the end of the night! Plus, we saved tons of money by buying them in bulk and on sale at TJ Maxx and Marshal’s.

The things you couldn’t see in the photos were the beautiful songs my now-husband wrote and recorded for the processionals. He played everything on cello, guitar and keyboard and it turned out so gorgeous. He based the melody on the song he wrote to propose to me. His is the John Benjamin Band.

From Heidi Ryder, the fabulous photographer…

You guys are going to find so many steal worthy ideas tucked inside this wedding. It’s funny, just as I was editing this post, I got an email from the bride thanking me for featuring her big day. She said, “I was such an avid reader of your blog when I was planning our wedding and found endless amounts of inspiration in your lovely posts. I hope that my wedding can serve as the same inspiration for other brides looking to make their wedding beautiful and unique…”

And you know what. It SO will.

Heidi Ryder is the incredibly photographer behind the affair and she has been sweet enough to share some of the details!

In love. Madly in love. We have so much more from this delightful wedding, including the full resource list, on the way! Thank you so much to Heidi Ryder for sending such a treat our way!

I have the cutest, most adorable, most steal-worthy wedding coming up next but before I share…I wanted to show you these pictures from the equally sweet rehearsal dinner. The event was sent to us by the fabulous photographer behind the day, Heidi Ryder, and is ALL charm.

I mean seriously. How stinking cute is this? The vintage floral linens, the sweet centerpieces, the CELEBRATION sign. Madly, madly in love with all of it. Oh and they actually had an Elvis impersonator to celebrate their Memphis roots. Yep, they are that cool! The full wedding is coming up next!

We originally posted Carey and John’s wedding slideshow on Saturday, because we thought it was a great reminder about how sweet, peaceful and joyful weddings can be!   Their great photographer, Eric Laurits had set the images to music on his blog, and gave us permission to play the slideshow over here on Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book Blog post.

But now that it’s Monday again, back to the hustle and bustle of the workweek, we wanted to share just a few of our favorite still shots from the wedding slideshow …

From Carey and John’s Tennessee wedding by Eric Laurits …

Their love for one another came through loud and clear all day long.

For the whole “story” … Carey and John’s Tennessee wedding from Eric Laurits .  {click on the arrow or controls below}

Don’t you feel better after watching that? Joyful. Classic.

A quote from Eric’s blog: “Never be afraid to show the world how truly beautiful you are. It is the greatest gift you could ever give. Be joyful. Seek the joy of being alive.” We think his photography celebrates just that.

You’ve probably already seen this amazing “wedding,” as it’s been ALL OVER THE BLOGS, but it’s so ridiculously good, I couldn’t resist. Shockingly good. Tec Pataja shot the incredible photographs for Nashville Lifestyles magazine, bringing together the creme de la creme of artists and vendors to design a day that is right out of heaven.

I know that this isn’t exactly news, but holy cow. Every time I look at the photographs I turn into a school girl with her first crush!

Oh my. Make sure to check out Tec’s blog for the full rundown of vendors as it’s basically a laundry list of the industry’s best. But, I have to say, along with the perfect photographs, it’s the styling that is completely and totally blowing my mind. And who else but Joy Thigpen was the voice behind the look!

I MEAN COME ON!!! The shabby chic, vintage, kind of eclectic place settings. The perfect flowers, the mismatched glassware. The freaking horses. Does it get any better than this?

For any girl who loves that down home style, that backyard chic look that is becoming more and more popular these days…this wedding must be your one and only. You’ll find more inspiration than you thought was humanly possible by devouring the images that Tec has up on this blog right now. Head on over but buyer beware, it’s scary good. Scary good people.

More to come from around the blogs!

If the first wedding we featured today was the prettiest wedding I have ever seen, this is a close second. But, in a totally different way. I spotted this wedding on Simply Bloom Photography and have stalked them for the last two days so that we could feature it on SMP. It’s just that good.

Sara and Jay were married in Cool Springs, Tennessee, just a few miles away from my college stomping grounds. Take it from this Nashville girl…Cool Springs is a lovely, Southern town filled with charm and style that is hard to match. Just look at the centerpieces. The perfect pink centerpieces are enough to make me jump for joy!

Oh and the gorgeous bride inscribed each block of wood by herself. LOVE.  Simply Bloom is going to be adding to this perfect little collection of photos over the coming days so make sure you check back often!

No feature about Little Black Book photographer Angela Talley would be complete without a few of her especially luminous photographs of the little ones …

Jennifer and Kevin’s wedding at Playa Del Carmen in JANUARY was just an amazing day all-around.

But the fun had just begun …

Jennifer and Kevin were married at Playa Del Carmen in January. What a fabulous place for a winter wedding!

Angela has this instinctive sense of romance, spirit and finesse … all rolled up into one incredible photographer!

More of Jen and Kevin’s wedding to come …

Imagine you are standing next to the love of your life with your nearest and dearest just a stone’s throw away.  Imagine you are standing on a tropical beach, ready to burst with anticipation because you are about to marry him. The sky is threatening rain, but for some glorious reason, you could care less …

That’s where the story begins …

Angela Talley, one of Style Me Pretty’s sensational Little Black Book photographers captured Jennifer and Kevin’s wedding day with her distinctive style and unrivaled quality. We have tons of the most incredible images from the day coming right up … so stay tuned!