Southern Weddings

What the first thing that catches your eye in Jessica + Dane’s down-home Tennessee nuptials, shot by The Photographix and planned by Dawn Schenkel of Premier Wed?  If it’s the magnificent autumn bouquet from Enchanted Florist, you’re not alone!  Special SW secret: the bride based her entire wedding design around the beautiful blooms in her rustic bouquet.  The next best thing?  The bride’s custom-designed gown from Romantic Creations!  Come back soon: we’ve got more awesomeness to share!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story. We met at church in a Sunday school class. Dane had been involved in the group for a few years, and I was new to the area. The youth minister told Dane to introduce himself to me as we both had a similar story.  While at school, my family had moved from South Carolina to Nashville. My parents thought I should give school in Tennessee a chance and I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to Nashville. Dane was moved, also kicking and screaming, to Nashville shortly after he graduated high school in 2002.  His parents sold their business in Michigan and prepared to open one in Nashville, and did not want Dane to begin his freshman year alone with no family close by. Poor Dane found all this out a matter of weeks before he was to leave! Dane came over to me, introduced himself, and a few nights later we went to a movie and stood outside talking for a few hours. Since then, we have been inseparable. And, I might add, we LOVE it here in Nashville and might never leave!!
Describe the proposal. Dane took me to Chicago: he wanted the moment to be perfect. Everyone thought that he was going to do it at dinner the night we got there, so when I woke up the next morning, I had several text messages, like “Show me a picture!!” I, not even realizing that they might mean a picture of THE RING, sent them pictures of Chicago out our window! Dane’s plan was to take me to the botanical gardens, so we went there and right when Dane was about to “pop the question,” a family unpacked a picnic a few feet away. By this point, I was definitely starting to wonder what was going on with him – I could tell he was nervous! We ended up going back to the hotel, and it was there, standing by the window that he finally asked me. It was perfect and we enjoyed the moment before calling our families. I loved having time together before we went home just to focus on each other and savor the time.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Elegant, bright and happy.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I found a bouquet on a wedding website and fell in love with the color palette. It varied as I planned, but I knew I wanted a color palette, not just a few specific colors. That little bouquet started me off- it captured Fall for me in an elegant way and gave me something to work from.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? I loved how our dresses came together. I also loved the pop of the flowers against the dresses. I really wanted my flower girls to have these bronze dresses, but they were sold out in their sizes. I ended up frantically ordering some last minute, and they couldn’t have worked out better. It wasn’t until I saw the pictures that I realized the hems of their dresses mimicked mine, and I love that. I also loved their dark boots.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Probably the Italian street fair lighting. This made the outdoor space feel more enclosed and less open. It made the space elegant but also kept it casual.