Southern Weddings

Some of our longtime readers may remember this cute couple. Sarah + Ryan were the winners of the mega-popular photo contest sponsored by Brion Hopkins back in 2010, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to feature their dream wedding at the Belle Meade Plantation. The bride happily donned the Melissa Sweet “Prague” gown she first fell in love with online, but it’s her snazzy Hunter boots – and sweet smile – that really complete her wedding day look. (Her more formal but equally adorable glittery kicks are a J. Crew find.) Y’all seem to love chic sweater ensembles just as much as I do, so you’ll probably swoon over Sarah’s cardigan-clad bridesmaids in matching J. Crew ensembles and carrying rustic bouquets from The Enchanted Florist. Mary Alice Sublett of A Delightful Day offered day-of coordination, and Brion Hopkins (naturally!) photographed the lucky newlyweds.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We actually met at Robert’s, a Nashville honky-tonk one week after Ryan moved to Nashville to begin his residency at Vanderbilt. He asked me to dance, I said “yes,” and the rest is history. What can I say? Ryan’s a great dancer.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Heartfelt, fun and perfect.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Ryan’s favorite detail was the dessert table. He’s the decisive one, I guess, because I can’t name one specific detail that was my favorite. I loved everything about the day: the invitations, the ceremony programs, the acoustic guitar/vocal solo during the ceremony, the bouquets, the décor, the lighting in the stables and, most of all, the sheer joy on every single person’s face.
What was Southern about your wedding? Our wedding was very Southern! Our ceremony took place in the horse stables of a Southern plantation, followed by a reception in the adjoining carriage house. We hung magnolia wreaths on every window, and used magnolia leaves as a main element in the floral decorations. For extra seating at the reception, we covered hay bales with ivory quilts and throw pillows. We served mac & cheese out of mason jars, to which I affixed our monogram and tied the lid with a twine bow, and Tennessee brisket. Even our band was very Southern, playing songs that allowed our greatest friends and family to two-step well into the night.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I knew that I wanted an understated and ethereal, yet elegant, wedding dress, which is actually really difficult to find! I looked at what seemed like thousands of dresses in magazines and on websites, and found just one dress that I absolutely loved: Melissa Sweet’s Prague dress. Only one store in Nashville, The Bride Room, carries Melissa Sweet, so I called to see if they also had the Prague. The Bride Room did not have the dress, but they requested it from Melissa Sweet’s showroom and shipped it to Nashville for me to try on the weekend that my mother was visiting. It was the first dress I tried on and, although I tried on other beautiful dresses, I knew all along that I was going to wear the Prague on my wedding day. I am so thankful for the girls at the Bride Room for finding the perfect dress for me!