Google+ caroline brewer Archives - Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings

Tag: caroline brewer

Raise your hand if your jaw dropped to the floor when you turned to page 220 of V7 and saw Alexandra and Trevor’s candle-lined aisle in the woods…everyone? Us too!! Not only did this couple have an absolutely gorgeous wedding at the venue where they met and both work, RT Lodge, they also put so much thought into making sure their family and friends were taken care of throughout their wedding weekend. This event planner (Alexandra) and chef (Trevor) have a huge heart for Southern hospitality, and from the events guests were invited to throughout the weekend, to the private dinner served to the bridal party and immediate family before the 8:00 P.M. ceremony, to the food that was served (Trevor created the menu himself using vegetables he grew, meat from his parents’ farm, and food he had preserved), this passion was evident in every detail of their wedding.

Thank you so much to Clark Brewer for sharing this magical day with us!

We knew we wanted to be married in the spring! There is nothing more beautiful than a Southern spring. I love that spring is a new start, and that every year, beautiful blooms start to appear on the bare branches. Suddenly, the trees and fields are full of flowers (and so are the vases in my house). I’ve never been more anxious for spring’s arrival as I was in the weeks leading up to the wedding. The temperatures were at record lows and it was snowing the week before the wedding! Just as I was starting to think our wedding (which I had imagined covered with flowering branches and dogwoods) would look more like winter, the temperatures rose and spring came just as promised!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? Getting to work with Colleen at White Orchid Bridal to have my dress made was such a special experience! The process began by just discussing ideas, and then Colleen drew some beautiful sketches for me. She used a washed silk shantung and silk organza for the majority of the dress, as well as antique laces that she cut, hand-sewed, and hand-beaded for the bodice of the dress. I was in awe of how well she executed the flowing sleeves–they were so romantic! Colleen also made a circle veil and a beaded crown with freshwater pearls for me to wear during the ceremony.

How did you choose your venue? It was easy for us to pick a venue since we work at such an incredible one! RT Lodge is located in Maryville, Tennessee in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. You get RT Lodge exclusively for the weekend and it has 60 guest rooms on-site…since most of our guests were traveling from out of town, the lodge was a perfect fit. Getting to be married at the place where we met and that means so much to us was really special!

From Trevor: I made sure that my groomsmen and I were ready before the time we would start taking pictures, and then I waited and waited. I was told that Alex was just really relaxed and enjoying getting ready with all her friends and family. I anxiously and excitedly paced around the property in my tuxedo for what felt like forever, asking about every ten minutes if Alex was almost ready. When she was, there was a change of plans for the location of our first look. The photographer’s assistant walked me out to where Alex was. I walked down the path that we would walk in just a few short hours to our ceremony site. We took a small dirt path into the middle of the woods, and there she was. I could see her from a few hundred feet away, standing alone in a small clearing among the trees and hanging ivy. It was the most beautiful scene I had ever witnessed. She was glowing from far away and even more gorgeous when I got close enough to see her big, beautiful smile. The waiting, the change of location, everything made it the most perfect moment. Once I saw the rest of our bridal party, I couldn’t stop telling everyone how amazing it was and how beautiful my bride was.

With a 7:45pm ceremony, we knew it would be a long day for our immediate family and bridal party, so Trevor suggested that we serve a family-style dinner for them before the ceremony. At 5:00 P.M., a group of 50 (our bridal party, parents, and siblings) gathered in the upstairs dining room and enjoyed an intimate dinner. This is when we planned for speeches to take place, and we were overwhelmed by all of the heartfelt words from our family and friends–everyone laughed and cried through the entire dinner! Getting to enjoy a delicious meal with all of our best friends, relax, and share sweet memories right before walking down the aisle is a moment in time we will never forget.

From the beginning, Trevor and I knew we wanted to do a candlelit ceremony. While we were scouting ceremony locations, we realized it would be harder than we thought to find a place dark enough at 8:00 P.M. to hold a candlelit ceremony. We finally found a perfect spot, but it did require a bit of walking (and a bit of creativity). We had guests arrive at 7:00 for a cocktail hour, where they were greeted with trays of champagne and farmhouse tables full of house-made breads, charcuterie, and cheese. At 7:45, everyone ventured into the woods for our ceremony. The aisle was over 60 yards long and was lined with over 1,000 candles. Our family and friends helped us collect antique candlesticks and candelabras for the ceremony. We would get giddy calls from people after they found an antique candelabrum for us–everyone got really into the search! It was fun!

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? I loved getting to surprise Trevor with the song I walked down the aisle to. I will never forget the look on Trevor’s face when the strings started playing “Swept Away” by the Avett Brothers. The ceremony was so emotional and everyone seemed so in the moment. I will never forget looking around; the candlelight looked so romantic and Trevor and I were just squeezing each others’ hands so tightly as we were saying our vows. It was a moment we had talked about so much, and we were taking in every second!

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did a traditional Episcopal ceremony, so we did not write our own vows. The ceremony does include a series of beautiful prayers for the couple. There is something so powerful about saying the same prayers that have been prayed for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Did you include any Southern traditions in your wedding? We buried a bottle of bourbon at our ceremony site a month before the wedding to keep the rain away! Trevor collects bourbon, so he loved the idea of this Southern tradition! He has a few bottles of Pappy Van Winkle and decided our wedding day would be the perfect time to try the 20-year. While everyone else headed to the ceremony, we stayed back and dug up the bottle. I have to admit, I was a little nervous that the shovel might break the bottle while he was digging it up. Luckily, the bottle didn’t break and we got some great pictures.

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. Our wedding cake was honestly the most beautiful one I have ever seen! Lisa Cunningham at Ovenart is an incredible artist. She made over 250 gumpaste flowers that completely covered the cake. The flowers on the cake were the same ones that we used throughout the reception: dogwoods, peonies, variegated ivy, anemones, and garden roses. Her flowers were so lifelike that everyone thought they were real! The cake also tasted delicious! It was hard to choose a flavor, but we finally settled on coconut cake. We also had our baker at RT Lodge make “pecan sandies,” which are our favorite cookies.

I was an Alpha Delta Pi at the University of Tennessee, so we did a sorority sing during the reception. The other event coordinator at the lodge was an ADPI at Auburn, so I even pulled her into the circle. She still had on her earpiece and microphone–I loved it!

Someone told us to remember that ultimately, the day was about our love for one another, so we needed to take time for just the two of us during the wedding day, stay by the other’s side, and dance a lot. This was the best advice! I have heard so many brides and grooms say that they were so busy greeting guests that they barely saw each other. We have so many great memories together from that day!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Trevor and I were both hired at RT Lodge around the same time and became pretty quick friends since we were the same age and both new to the Lodge. I always noticed how kind Trevor was, and was always impressed by how intentional he was with all of the other employees. He always went out of his way to ask people about their lives, and it was clear he had a huge heart. We got to know each other some at work, but didn’t spend any time alone until he asked me out three years later. I had been in a relationship, so he told me he had been patiently waiting for the right time to ask me out. I will never forget when he offered to cook for my friends and their husbands on his day off. He invited everyone to his home and made a delicious meal for 15 of my friends! He loves me and my family and friends so well!
Tell us about the proposal! On the morning Trevor proposed, I had been working in the garden, setting things up for his birthday dinner. Trevor knows how much I love to receive snail mail, so he had planned to have a package set out for me. He placed the package on a little table by the garden and headed to go get the ring. As soon as he set it down, I was curious! I saw that it was addressed to me, so I took off with it in my hands and headed toward the house. As soon as I got inside, I ripped it open and pulled out a print (that Trevor had made by The Happy Envelope, a wonderful husband and wife team who also made our invites) that read “ Alexandra, you are my best friend and one true love. You’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible. Would you do the honor of spending the rest of your life with me so that I may spend every day doing the same for you? Love, Trevor.” I was in complete shock! I realized I had probably just messed up his plans, and in a panic, I tried sliding the print back into the envelope. Finally, Trevor came in (with tears already streaming down his face), got on one knee, and asked me to be his wife! Our families arrived shortly after, and we decided at the last minute to call and invite all of our friends to join us for dinner. We all dined outside by the garden that evening with our parents, siblings, and friends–it is a beautiful memory!
When did y’all get married? April 26, 2014
How many loved ones attended your wedding? 250
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? We wanted our guests to feel as though they had escaped to a magical place in the woods. We were very inspired by the season and wanted to incorporate lots of foraged ivy and spring flowers…I wanted the tent to look like an overgrown garden! I have always loved A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so that served as a huge inspiration for the overall feel: romantic, whimsical, ethereal. I have always been drawn to very organic, free-flowing arrangements that are reminiscent of the flowers in Dutch still-life paintings. That was really the inspiration for the flowers, and we even used different Dutch still-life paintings to line the envelopes of our invitations, and for the fry cones that were passed as people entered the tent.
Briefly describe your wedding flowers: We used tons of garden roses, peonies, variegated ivy, ranunculus, dogwoods, lilac, anemones, lily of the valley, and bridal wreath spirea. My sister (who was my maid of honor) carried a bouquet, and the rest of my bridesmaids walked down the aisle in pairs and held hands. We did it to be a little silly at first, but I had so many people comment on how sweet it was. Our group of friends is so close, so it was fitting!
What’s next for you as a couple? We are enjoying working together as husband and wife! In our spare time, we are hoping to get a group of farmers and chefs together to volunteer and start a farm-to-school movement to improve the school lunch programs in our areas. We are passionate about teaching people how to grow and prepare their own foods, and we hope to encourage families to spend more time together at the dinner table.

Photographer: Clark Brewer Photography / Day-of Styling: Caroline Brewer Styling / Venue, Catering, Planning and Design: RT Lodge / Florist: Jame Loope of RT Lodge / Food Truck: Hoof / Cake Baker: OvenArt / Bride’s Gown, Veil, and Crown: Custom by White Orchid Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Ann Taylor / Bride’s Jewelry: Dannijo / Hair and Makeup: Bangs & Blush / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan / Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Paper Goods: The Happy Envelope / Custom Illustration: Anja Mulder / Rentals and Linens: All Occasions Party Rentals / Tent: Sperry Tents / Band: The Pink Cadillacs / After-Party DJ: Special Notes / Ceremony Music: Dogwood Strings / Guestbook: Custom by Velvet Raptor

lisa Written with love by Lisa
6 Comments
  1. avatar Stephanie Scholl reply

    Yes, my jaw definitely dropped!! I bookmarked this ceremony in SWv7 and have referred back to it dozens of times! This couple did an incredible job of making such a show-stopping, breathtaking, unique, and meaningful ceremony – one of my favorites, for sure.

  2. avatar Stephanie reply

    I absolutely adore this wedding. RT Lodge shares its property with my alma mater, Maryville College. It’s so wonderful to see that beautiful area captured so perfectly!

    • avatar Clark reply

      Thanks Stephanie! There is something in the water in the Maryville area, from Blackberry to RT Lodge, I love everything I shoot there. RT Lodge’s staff, especially Alex and Trevor, make that place so special. It’s my favorite place to shoot these days. So beautiful.

  3. avatar Sandra reply

    I enjoyed reading this so much!! I always love reading about Southern weddings, but it’s even more special when I see faces of people I know and adore!!

  4. avatar Jessica reply

    I love the burried bottle of bourbon tradition. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Congratulations

  5. avatar Classic Wedding Invitations reply

    Simply breathtaking!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

Reply to:
close

As much as we love our wedding features around these parts, we have a special space in our hearts for our Southern Newlywed At Home column. From adorable spaces to insightful interviews, it’s been such a joy to get a peek into the hearts and homes of some of our favorite couples this year! We were inspired by each and every one of the 16 newlywed nests we featured this year, and thought we’d take a walk down memory lane before kicking off 2015 with a whole new group of married friends!

Best mix of feminine + masculine: Emily and Bryan’s Florida home (photo by Shay Cochrane)

Best use of color: Katelyn James’ Virginia home (photo by Katelyn!)

Best use of neutrals: Landon and Jordan’s South Carolina home (photo by Landon Jacob)

Best apartment living: Caroline and Aaron’s 600 sq. ft. Texas home (photo by Michelle Boyd)

Best porch: Erin and Ben’s Mississippi home (photo by Jean Allsopp)

Coziest home: Erin and Todd’s South Carolina home (photo by Courtney Dox)

Most adorable small space living: Meg and Josh’s Texas home (photo by Amanda Marie)

Best city living: Mattye and Woody’s Alabama home (photo by Jacob Blount)

Best dining room: Clark and Caroline’s Tennessee home (photo by Clark)

Best bunk room: Jessica and Jeremy’s North Carolina home (photo by Jessica)

Best wallpaper: Emily and Colby’s Texas home (photo by Apryl Ann)

Best home office: Amanda and Tyler’s Texas home (photo by Heather Rowland)

Best pattern play: Kelly and Andrew’s Alabama home (photo by Jean Allsopp)

Best bedroom: Natalie and Huey’s Maryland home (photo by Natalie)

Best use of wedding china: Abby and Alex’s Alabama home (photo by A Bryan Photo) (also, best chicken names)

Best re-use of wedding decor in a home: Christina and Blair’s Texas home (photo by Jen Dillender)

You can see all of our Southern Newlywed features right here. And stay tuned to the blog the week after Christmas, when we’ll be sharing our Most Memorable moments from a year of weddings!

emily Written with love by Emily
4 Comments
  1. avatar Yours Truly Wedding Albums reply

    Beautiful homes! Love the 2 huge white dogs!

  2. avatar Lisa reply

    What an amazing round-up! Love the wisdom and inspiration every single one of these couples shared!

  3. avatar Liz reply

    This series is my new favorite part of SW!

  4. avatar Kirsti reply

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE this new series in SW! It’s so fun to read the different things that make each home and marriage work because there truly is no cookie cutter for your relationship!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

Reply to:
close

The word I kept coming back to when I read through Caroline and Clark’s interview, and looked through their photos, is simple. They seem to enjoy the simple things in life (Jeni’s included!); they strive for simple, clutter-free, meaningful spaces in their home; and their relationship seems simple and uncomplicated in the best way possible. Simple doesn’t have to mean stark, though, and in the case of the Brewers, it definitely does not. Their home is warm and inviting, thanks, I’m sure, to Caroline’s touch (she’s a stylist and visual merchandiser at Anthropologie!). Think she’d make the trip to North Carolina to work a little magic on my home?! Friends, please enjoy this lovely Nashville family!

Big hugs to Clark for taking these photos, and our friend Tec Petaja for the photos of Clark and Caroline! P.S. How much do we love that Clark titled the wedding day gallery on his site “marriage”? A lot! :)

The Southern Newlyweds: Caroline and Clark Brewer
Years married: 4
Where you live: Nashville, Tennessee.
Tell us your love story in one sentence. We met at a high school soccer game when I was 15 and he was 18 – it was love at first sight!

Do you rent or own? We bought our home a little over two years ago in the 12th South area. We love it so much that I don’t think we will ever leave! Clark says he wants to die in this house :) We are really central to most everything in Nashville and we are basically surrounded by all of our closest friends, so we’re excited to sink our roots down here.
Tell us about the process of moving in together. Since we’ve been married, our style has really changed, morphed, and blended into “our style.” We often collaborate on decorating decisions and we trust each other’s opinions–which has been really fun. My tip would be to buy what you love, not just things particularly for a certain space. If you love it, it will all come together!

What different decisions, if any, would you make for your registry if you knew then what you knew now? I would have registered for more serving pieces. We love opening up our home and entertaining those we love. More serving pieces would definitely get put to use!
Who cooks dinner? It’s usually a joint effort. I cook and he cleans, or we cook together.
What is your go-to weeknight meal? Weekend meal? Our go-to meal when we are super busy is out! Either Burger Up, Crankie’s Pizza Truck, or DeSano’s pizza. If you are ever in Nashville, you can’t go wrong with any of those spots! If we stay in, an easy, go-to meal is chicken fajitas with all the fixin’s.
What’s your favorite place to find recipes? Lately, I have been really into Against All Grain, by Danielle Walker. If I am looking for comfort food or something foolproof, Pioneer Woman never disappoints.

Which room in your home is your favorite, and why? This spring, we decided to clear out our guest room, paint the walls white, and add some plants to it. We already have a guest bed upstairs and we felt like the bed in the guest room was just taking up space, so we decided to simplify. It has created the perfect haven for practicing yoga after a long day at work. It feels calming and tranquil.
What most makes your house feel like home? I think having it filled with friends and family. Clark and I love to entertain, so our house feels most like home when tunes are playing and the house is filled with laughter and the smell of something good cooking in the oven.
Where do you splurge and where do you save when decorating? We have invested in classic staple pieces, like our couch and art, and try to save on quirky, decorative accessories. I often find fun things that I may not love forever at Target and TJ Maxx.

What is your favorite memory from your wedding? It sounds so cliché, but my wedding day really was the best day of my life! I think my favorite part of the day was walking down the aisle to my sweet husband. Knowing the meaning of the promise we were about to make was thrilling and overwhelming.
How do you remember your wedding in your home? We love prints and we have our favorites from our wedding framed around the house. Also, our photographer gave us a print box and a wedding album that we look at from time to time to remember the day.
What’s your best tip for balancing your relationship and other life priorities? Life can get crazy when we are both working, hanging out with friends, and trying to keep up with the hustle and bustle of life! Finding the time to slow down, sit across from each other at the dinner table, and connect face-to-face really helps us refocus on what is truly important.
Do you have a favorite date night idea to share? Taking a walk is one of our favorite things to do together. It’s a fun way to enjoy our neighborhood, and it’s free! Some of our best conversations and ideas have come from just being outside without any distractions. Leave your phone at home!

What is one small way you love or serve your spouse? One way Clark serves me, which I love, is that he leaves me notes when he makes my lunch. He is the sweetest!
Do you have children? We don’t have kids yet, but can’t wait for this one day!
Before getting married, I wish someone had told me… how hard it is to divide time between both families during the holidays! Having both in-laws in Nashville, we often feel spread thin trying to see everyone in such a limited amount of time.

What is your favorite part of being married? Getting to do life every day with my best friend–does it get any better?
What has been the most surprising thing about marriage? How much fun it is! So many people give you advice before you get married and it can be a bit discouraging. I think if you are both on the same team working towards the same goal, it can make a huge difference. And it doesn’t hurt that we laugh A LOT!
In 2014, our family is most excited about… some upcoming job changes–I am currently working at Anthropologie as the Visual Merchandiser, but will soon be stepping out to pursue other freelance opportunities, as well as help Clark with his photography business. This change is bittersweet, as I love my job at Anthropologie, but we both feel like this is the right time to make the change. Wish me luck! :)

We’re so grateful to Clark and Caroline for sharing their hearts and home with us! Be sure to follow along with them:
Clark Brewer Photography | Clark on Instagram
Caroline Brewer Styling | Caroline on Instagram

P.S. We’d love to hear from you! Our hope is to feature REAL couples in the South – your inspiring friend, super talented cousin, or neighbor with the cutest house – the kind of person everyone would love to “e-meet.” If that sounds like you or someone you know, take a peek at our Southern Newlywed submission page and shoot us an email!

emily Written with love by Emily
6 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    These two could not be cooler! Love their cozy home and their favorite/most surprising things about marriage!

  2. avatar Morgan Moore reply

    This house is SO cool and Clark and Caroline are absolutely adorable!

  3. avatar Josh Gruetzmacher reply

    Love their space! That painting on the mantle is especially rad.

  4. avatar Stacy {Woodsy Weddings} reply

    The colors and artwork are fantastic. Love that light blue wallpaper in the bedroom, a statement piece!

  5. avatar Charlotte Turtle reply

    This home is too cute and so inspirational. I’m taking notes!

  6. avatar We Want You in Southern Weddings V7! – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] this photo of Clark and Caroline Brewer from their Southern Newlywed […]

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

Reply to:
close
Top