Southern Weddings

BDK and I always say we’d love to live in Nashville someday. There’s just some kind of fun magic in that town! And I’ve got to say that same magic made it’s way to Olivia + Robert’s wedding day! While I’ll always be a classic ballroom reception fan, I can’t help but love this take on the brunch reception. Come one, how cute is the cereal station?! Not only did they have that one adorable stop, they also included a biscuit bar (an SW fave!), Café Du Monde-style beignets, and a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Sounds like a serious recipe for fun!

Thanks to Jen and Chris Creed for sharing such a spirited day with us!

Describe your wedding flowers. My bouquet was made of all-white peonies. Robert gave me an heirloom diamond and sapphire brooch before the ceremony, which we attached to the bouquet. My bridesmaids carried bouquets of assorted white flowers. The flowers at the reception were corals, peaches, and pinks, arranged in assorted antique vases. Geny’s did a great job!

My mom, maid of honor, Kathryn, and I started the day with mimosas. We went to two boutiques in Nashville and were not having any luck finding something in my style and in our budget. As we were walking out of the second boutique, Kathryn picked up an ivory bridesmaid dress. We loved it, bought it about ten minutes later, and celebrated with more mimosas.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My favorite detail was the funny cocktail napkins we used on the bars. I loved seeing our guests laugh at them. Robert says his favorite was when the doors opened and I walked down the aisle. I think he’s trying to one-up me–I thought he would say the bacon on the bloody mary bar.
Did you have something borrowed, something blue, and something new? If so, do tell! I borrowed a sweet friend’s beautiful veil, wore shiny electric blue shoes, and carried a dear family friend’s vintage handkerchief, which turned out to be much needed. My dress was new!

Choosing the music was my favorite part. My dad and I walked down the aisle to “Morning Has Broken” played by a cellist and classical guitarist. It was soft and beautiful, appropriate for our morning wedding. A very talented friend sang “Be Thou My Vision” during the ceremony. We walked/danced back up the aisle to a soulful rendition of “Oh Happy Day,” sung by a friend, along with her sisters and daughter. The sound system didn’t work correctly for our first dances, so after crossing the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge for our reception exit, Robert and I went to Robert’s Western World for a proper first dance. I don’t remember what song played, but we had a blast dancing at one of our favorite Nashville establishments.

I’m from Mississippi and Robert is from West Tennessee, so I would say everything about our wedding was Southern, including the Southern accents that echoed throughout the church and reception. We were married in the morning and had a brunch reception. The brunch menu included a biscuit bar, complete with pulled pork barbecue, fried chicken bites, country ham, sausage, bacon and assorted jams and jellies. Café Du Monde-style beignets were served along with mini quiches and deviled eggs. Guests enjoyed a mimosa bar, a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, and an assorted beer selection from Nashville’s own Yazoo Brewing Company. We used Hatch Show Print postcards for our save the dates and Spirit of Nashville postcards as a guest book for the reception. We reconvened with friends and family on the evening of our wedding at a honky-tonk in downtown Nashville.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The guest list! At one point, we had three different versions of it. My mom had never heard of Excel before the guest list started. I hand-addressed our wedding invitations and now have a new respect for calligraphers.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. I moved to Nashville on a whim, knowing exactly one person here. Fortunately for me, she had a great group of girl friends who have become my best friends. These girls were friends with a great group of guys who lived in the same apartment complex. Robert was one of those guys! After a group dinner at Jackson’s in Hillsboro Village, a few of us decided to continue the night at The Villager. Robert fell in love with me there. He won’t admit it, but there are witnesses. Cheers to the smokiest bar in Nashville, darts, and a spectacular jukebox!
Tell us all about the proposal! Robert lived in the Encore at the time. I walked over after a particularly bad Friday at work. We drank wine, listened to music and talked about dinner plans. I didn’t think anything of it. He called me out to his balcony as the sun set over the Nashville skyline, got on one knee, and proposed. I couldn’t stop laughing. I immediately wanted to call my parents, but he had already taken my phone away because he wanted us to have a nice dinner and enjoy the engagement before telling the world. I was so frustrated–I needed to talk to my mom! We went to dinner at Prime 108 in the Union Station Hotel. As we walked in, I saw my parents and his parents waiting on us in the lobby. That’s when the tears started. It was perfect.
When did y’all get married? May 4, 2013
How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? Around 250
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to do a first look because we wanted to spend as much time as possible celebrating with our friends and family at our reception.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We went with traditional vows. I like the idea that our parents and grandparents promised the same things to each other and it worked out pretty well for all of them.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? A sweet friend read Colossians 3:12-17.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. A friend and coworker recently started a bakery with her husband. We loved knowing that a friend made our cake: five layers of goodness accented by fresh flowers. Robert’s dessert was assorted mini pies. They were super cute and delicious.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Definitely our photographers! We met with them twice before the wedding so that they could get a better idea of our personalities and style. They were so easy to work with during the entire process, and they were both professional and laid-back on our wedding day. They even sent us a “welcome home from the honeymoon” care package that included a cute little wedding album of pictures we hadn’t seen, and invited us to their home for dinner to preview our pictures and design the album. Most importantly, we love our wedding pictures. They really captured the spirit and joy of the day.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Don’t worry about the things you can’t change. I checked the weather forecast at least 100 times the week before our wedding. It changed from 75 and sunny to 44 and rainy. Although the latter proved to be more accurate, we had the best day celebrating with our family and friends.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Hopefully, a house, a baby or three, and lots more fun together.

Written with love by Marissa