Hope and Jason's wedding was all about enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.  They all gathered at a venue north of Nashville.  The fall weather was amazing for their outdoor event.

The ceremony took place on the dock with friends and family watching from the bank.  Guests sat on hay bales covered with burlap or quilts.

Since the couple didn't want to do a first look, they each stood on either side of the door and held hands for a moment which resulted in this adorable shot. 

With a color scheme of purple and green and the girls in their boots, the venue was a perfect choice.  

This amazing old truck belonged to the groom father.  

Wine bottles made for a fun guest book that the couple will enjoy for years. 

After dinner was dessert...and there were lots of great options.

The brides cake...

The grooms cake as well as cupcakes in a jar. The cupcakes were great!

Later the ice cream truck came by...

Guests had a great time dancing the night away on the upstairs deck. 

Since the groom worked with beekeeping, the favors were small jars of honey and the gift went into a bee box.  So cute!

Instead of the traditional send off...the couple had guests throw popcorn.... it was a sea of popcorn coming down and the bride and groom loved it.

One last photo....

Hope & Jason - Wedding Highlights from Golden Cinema on Vimeo.

Vendors

Venue: Sycamore Springs

Catering: Kathy's Sugar and Spice

Photography: Funky Diva Photography

Videography: Golden Cinema

I knew when I met Sarah and Steve that their wedding would be fun! Well fun is an understatement; I think some of the guests called it epic.  Since most of their guests were coming from out of town they wanted to throw them a party, including both traditional elements as well as non-traditional ones.

Their wedding adventure started in downtown Nashville with the cityscape as a background for some great photos and a sweet first look.  Check out the fabulous mismatched bridesmaid dresses!

They and their bridal party enjoyed traveling around the city before their journey led them north to a rural retreat for them and their guests. (And being late because of a marching band competition, lol) With guests arriving from around the country, the couple wanted the day to be an enjoyable fun filled day with Nashville “country” charm. 

After arriving at Smiley Hollow, the ceremony took place in front of the large stone fireplace. 

The couple was so happy they literally skipped down the aisle when the left  :) 

Guests then enjoyed the food and BBQ made onsite. Beer steins and mason jars were provided for family and friends.   

DIY signs made from painted mirrors added to the decor.  The wagons and vintage signs are all part of Smiley Hollows charm. 

Instead of wedding cake, the birde chose to offer guests Danish Kringle from near her hometown in Wisconsin. 

The couple included their adorable dog in the festivities.  

Family and friends provided the entertainment with different music groups performing for the guests.  

The DIY photo booth from picture frames and props was a hit with the guests.

Vendors:

Photography: Rory White  http://rorywhite.com

Venue: Smiley Hollow  http://www.smileyhollow.com/

Florals: Thomas Michael

Have you seen the colors for spring 2014?

Dazzling Blue is the color for spring.  The collection includes a nice selection of both pastels and bolder shades.  They combine well together or with other pastels for that soft spring look.   Some of these colors have been influenced by the Royal family while others from Old World elegance with a few taken from nature.

I can already see these colors influencing spring and summer weddings. 

Updated January 2020

If you are a bride on a budget, here are some venues around Nashville that will help you save. There may be trade-offs such as fewer amenities or more restrictions.

1. The Martin Center

Located in Brentwood.   This facility is a community center, but offers facility rentals after hours and weekends. 

Notes: Includes tables and chairs for 200

2. Cool Springs House

Located in Brentwood.  This old home in Crockett Park is a beautiful setting for a smaller wedding.

Notes: Some tables and chairs.  No dancing in the house.  

3. Cedar Forest Lodge

Located in Cedars of Lebanon Park.  This historic lodge holds 80 guests in a rustic and natural setting

Notes: Includes tables and chairs for 80.  Books up very early.

Other great state parks are Fall Creek Falls and Henry Horton

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4. The Foundry

Located in Nashville.  This historic, artsy building can hold up to 150 guests. 

Notes: Has a few tables.  No alcohol allowed.

5. Amqui Station

Located in Madison.  This historic train station has a large outdoor pavilion that holds 200 seated.

Notes: Will need to follow the facility policies.  Tables and linens available for rent.    

6. Smiley Hollow

Located in Goodlettsville.  This venue includes indoor and outdoor space as well as catering.  Includes tables, benches, food and non-alcoholic drinks. 

7. Stone Hall

Located in Hermitage.  This historic house starts at $150 an hour.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you purchase something. However, it will not cost you anything extra. We are a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that links to Amazon.com

8. Monthaven

Located in Hendersonville.  This old plantation house is used used as an art gallery. 

9. Camp Marymount

This summer camp location has a lodge, chapel and cabins .   

10. Fiddlers Grove

An historical village with multiple locations for weddings. 

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This Houston Station Nashville wedding was both simple and beautiful.  The bride wanted to throw a fun get together for her out of town guests to welcome them to town.

Look at this sweet first look.

The ceremony was held at a nearby church.

Beautiful touches were everywhere.

Look at this adorable seating chart cards

Look at these fun details that were captured before the wedding:

The bride and groom and their bridal party snapped a few photos and then the party started.

Afterward the bride and groom made a beautiful escape.

Vendors:

Photographer: Betsy Limbaugh

Reception: Houston Station Nashville

Catering: Chef and I

Flowers: Belles Fleurs

Cake: Beckers Bakery

Rentals: Southern Events

Almost every engaged couple creates their own wedding website.  However, there are so many websites that can help you with every aspect of your wedding from floorplans to decor to apparel.   Here are some popular ones and some you may not have heard of.

Planning
Here are some of the best websites to help you plan your wedding everything from finding vendors to managing guest lists.

Perfect Wedding Guide:  This site offers ebooks, planning tools and a mobile app.

My Wedding: Here you can collect ideas, manage your budget and create your own website.

My Wedding Workbook: Create a wedding website, share inspiration boards and manage RSVP's.


Inspiration

Lover.ly:  Discover wedding trends, explore by category or color.

Cloud Parade: Search and shop by color, style or category

Refinery29: This wedding section offer how-tos, inspiration and shopping


Community

Wedding Bee Offers the best online community and blogging brides

Offbeat Bride The site for brides who celebrate everything offbeat and unique.


Classifieds

Bravo Bride: Good deals on new and used wedding supplies

Recycle your Wedding:  Buy and sell in this community.  No fees.

OnceWed: In addition to DIY wedding inspiration, you can find used wedding dresses.

Tradesy:  Fashion resale made easy


Photos

WedPics This site gives you both a website and an app to collect guest photos

GuestShots Lets your collects photos and videos from your wedding guests

I was honored to be asked to help contribute to the Grand Opening of the new Grays on Main in Franklin.  The event was amazing. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds turned out to tour the building.

Photo: Jill Begin

A video was shown about some of the history of Gray's drugstore.

Photo: Jill Begin

And then came the countdown to the lighting of the iconic sign. 

Photo: Jill Begin

I had so much fun designing this tent and helping with the ice cream floats that were given to guests.  Some of the Gray's staff was dressed in vintage style clothes of the 50's.

Some of fun details:

Some of the hardworking staff staying very busy. 

Be sure to visit Gray's, taste the amazing food and pick up a t-shirt.

Rachel and Steven were married on a family farm in Alabama south of Huntsville.  Rachel pulled a lot of the inspiration for the flowers from natural and wild looking flowers.  She chose a color scheme of brown, green and orange with white as a background.

Coffebreak roses, green mini poms, baby kale( specifically in her bouquet), hypernium berries, billy balls and Queen Anne's lace were some of the beautiful flowers in her bouquet and centerpieces.   I had so much fun creating all the floral arrangements for this wedding.   

Succulents

 and flowers from the family garden were placed in small pots for favors for the guests. 

A tractor was brought out for a fun and hands-on photo booth. 

The evening was filled with fun and dancing as the sun set across the pastures.  

Vendors:

Flowers: Events by Elaine

Cake: Crazy Daisy Cakes

Catering: Ashley's Creative Catering

Photographer: B&B Portraits - Michael Saliba

Videographer:  B&B Portraits

DJ: Zoot Suite Riot

While this book is not wedding themed, it is a great gift for newlyweds or for the girl who is always throwing parties.

One of my favorite sections is the introduction.  There are tons of great tips, planning styles, how to use lighting and decor as well as food and drink ideas.

Instead of breaking down the book by styles, she organizes it by type of party.

• Lighthearted Going-Away Roast
• Yen-for-Zen Garden Get-Together
• Martini Birthday Bash
• Guys-Only Scotch & Cigars Gathering
• Tween Spa Birthday
• Meet & Potatoes Dinner Party
• Sophisticated Retro Baby Shower
• Elegant Thanksgiving Potluck
• Swashbuckling Walk-the-Plank Pirate Party
• Holiday Coffee Drop-In

Every party contains an idea board, tips to make this party fabulous, centerpieces, recipes, how-to projects, happy accidents and much more.

Get this book now:  You're So Invited: Panic Less, Play More, and Get Your Party On!

Unless it is in your contract, you are not obligated to tip anyone. Tipping is optional.  It is a way to say thank-you for exceptional service or going above and beyond.  You are not expected to tip business owners; a positive review online or thank-you note is always appreciated.  You should tip just their employees or staff.  However, you can tip anyone when the service exceeds your expectations.