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With cooler weather and changing leaves knocking at the door, if you weren’t already craving pumpkin everything and snuggling up for movie nights, Katherine and Weston’s Tennessee wedding will push you right over the edge! Their florist, The Enchanted Florist, brought Katherine’s vision of fall colors mixed with pinks, blush, and cream to life with stunning blooms that only made our Blue Ribbon Vendor venue, CJ’s Off the Square, even more lovely. And, those gold pumpkins at each place setting? I think I need a few for my own dining table!

We’re so happy Amy Nicole was on hand to capture this cozy fall celebration!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I imagined dress shopping would be much more difficult than it was. I found my dress during my first appointment, and it was the last dress I tried on. I had tried on about nine dresses and none really felt like “the one,” when y mother and maid of honor pulled out one more. When I tried it on, I felt like a bride, and everyone started crying!

I only had one meeting with my florist, and she brought exactly what I had shown her to life–the fall colors, the greenery, everything was perfect! I still wanted pinks, green, blush, and cream incorporated, even though it was November, and she was able to make it work.

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? At first, we did not want to do a first look, but due to the time of the ceremony, we changed our minds and did one so that there would still be light when we took pictures. I am so glad we decided to do a first look! It got out all of the nerves, and I love the pictures! Amy did such a great job capturing the emotions of the day.

I loved getting ready to walk down the aisle. There were about five minutes when it was just my dad and I, and I was able to reflect on the day and on our relationship.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We set up corn hole for the guests and were able to have an outdoor wedding in November!

Describe your wedding cake. I wanted something simple and classic. I found a cake that I loved on Pinterest, and changed a few things to my liking. We didn’t do a grooms cake, so we made the cake four tiers, each tier in a different flavor.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. He worked at a movie theater and I worked at the Starbucks down the way. I was friends with his boss, and they would come over and get free coffee in exchange for free movie tickets :) We started hanging out more and more that summer, usually grabbing dinner or going to parties together. He finally asked me to be his girlfriend on July 1, 2009!
Tell us all about the proposal! He proposed at the same movie theater we met at! After our movie got out, we were sitting in the lobby just chatting, and I was starting to wonder why we hadn’t left yet. He then said he thought he had seen something in the hallway. When I looked down the hall, all of the movie marquees were lit up and said “Katherine, will you marry me?” I turned around and he was on one knee! It was absolutely perfect and so unexpected.
When did y’all get married? November 8, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 120
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I lived in Memphis for about four months of our engagement and then moved to Franklin. Weston didn’t move until three months later. Planning from another city was difficult, and then planning without the groom present was difficult. We had to schedule meetings around his visits, which was tricky, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle! Wedding planning went pretty smoothy overall.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are enjoying being married. We definitely are going to start a family, but also want to take a year or two to spend time together and travel.

Photographer: Amy Nicole Photography / Planner, Venue, and Lighting: CJ’s Off the Square / Florist: The Enchanted Florist / Cake Baker and Caterer: Main Event Productions / Rentals: Southern Events Party Rentals / DJ: Jason Middleton of Premier DJs / Paper Products: Minted / Bride’s Gown: “Paz” by Augusta Jones / Bride’s Jewelry: BHLDN / Veil: Toni Federici / Hair Stylist: Leah Blanco / Makeup Artist: Lisa Johnson / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “165” by Bill Levkoff / Groom’s Attire: Black by Vera Wang

CJ’s Off the Square is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
5 Comments
  1. avatar Amy Nicole Cherry reply

    Today is SUCH a joy! I’m SO thankful for this beautiful couple to be featured!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

  2. avatar Kelsey reply

    That color scheme is to die for! Perfect for fall.

  3. avatar Tricia reply

    What a gorgeous wedding! I love all the colors and florals. Amy Nicole’s images are always so rich and vibrant! Well done!

  4. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Love the colors used for this fall wedding! Beautiful flowers too!

  5. avatar lisa johnson reply

    i just love the vibrant colors and details of this wedding! such a lovely sweet bride and family!

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If you weren’t already itching to pull out your riding boots, scoop up a #PSL and watch the leaves change, Danielle and Jonathan’s Tennessee wedding will easily have you ready for fall. I’m not sure if it’s the deep violet bridesmaid dresses or the dark wood accents, but it definitely got Lisa and I excited for the fall weddings that will start rolling in soon! After meeting while training for a triathlon (!), Danielle and Jonathan’s relationship grew through a shared love of the outdoors and active lifestyles. When they visited CJ’s Off the Square, they knew right away it was the perfect place for them to pledge their lives to each other!

Thanks to Brandon Chesbro for sending along this gorgeous day!

My something borrowed was a pair of pearl earrings that my friend had worn in her wedding. My something old and blue was a heart cut from my dad’s old blue work shirt that was sewn into my dress.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I found my dress at The Bride Room in Nashville with my maid of honor. I chose a lace trumpet-style gown from the Monique Lhuillier Bliss collection. It was only the third dress I tried on! My mom lives in Florida, so she came a month later to see it. When I tried it on for her, we both cried. I definitely knew it was the one.

Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We had a string quartet play the processional, ceremony, and recessional music. “Canon in D” played when I walked down the aisle. Our first dance was to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. We loved the song and meaning. The father-daughter dance was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole. As a baby, my parents had a toy in my baby crib that played that song. I actually forgot about the toy and the significance of the song until my mom gave it to me a few weeks before the wedding. We both cried.

We said traditional vows, but also included a personal message to each other. My favorite part of Jonathan’s message was that I brought him closer to God.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? CJ’s Off the Square was the first location we looked at in person, and we absolutely fell in love with it. It was an intimate setting that we felt was perfect for our wedding day. We didn’t even look at another venue after that!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? It was an outdoor wedding in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, so that’s pretty Southern to begin with! The food included beef and grits and fried green tomatoes, and we served local craft beer. Our décor included vintage furniture, old whiskey barrels, and burlap and lace table linens.

Describe your wedding cake. Our cake was three tiers with white fondant and raffia around each layer. Two wooden birds that we bought on Etsy, engraved with our wedding date and initials, sat on top of the cake.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Since my family has a dairy farming background, we served cookies and milk as a late-night snack.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met in July 2011 at the Vanderbilt University pool. We are both triathletes and were training for the Music City Triathlon in Nashville at the time.
Tell us all about the proposal! We got engaged on September 7, 2012. It was simple! We were at home one night, sitting on our couch, and I had an eyelash on my cheek (which worked out perfectly for Jonathan). He asked me what my wish was. I had been wanting him to propose to me for months, so I said, “I don’t want to say my wish out loud.” Jonathan replied, “Just close your eyes and say it.” So I said in a quiet voice, with my eyes closed, “I wish you would propose.” When I opened my eyes, he was down on one knee in front of me with the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.
When did y’all get married? October 19, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 100
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? Since CJ’s off the Square is in an all-inclusive venue, we didn’t have many other vendors. Outside of CJ’s, our photographer, Brandon Chesbro, was amazing and so talented. He captured our wedding day and emotions perfectly.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? We are big fans of the all-inclusive venue experience. It simplified the planning process and allowed us to focus on our love for each other and looking forward to our wedding day. I wouldn’t say planning a wedding is “stress-free,” but our venue certainly made it as stress-free as possible. We planned our entire wedding through 2-3 visits with our planner.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Two weeks after the wedding, we raced the Ironman Florida Triathlon as a kick-off to our honeymoon. We look forward to continuing an active lifestyle that we both enjoy, supporting each other in our careers, and having kids in a couple of years.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding? As a wedding gift, Jonathan gave me a journal that he wrote in daily for five months prior to the wedding about how we met, our dates, significant events, and wedding planning. My gift to Jonathan was a personalized leather-bound Bible with our wedding date and a prayer I wrote for our marriage.

Photographer: Brandon Chesbro / Videographer: Brian Johnson / Planner: Amy Parman of CJ’s Off the Square / Venue, Catering, Cake, and Lighting: CJ’s Off the Square / Florist: Enchanted Florist / Rentals: Southern Events Party Rental / DJ: Jason Middleton of Premier DJs of Nashville / Bride’s Gown: “BL1208” by Monique Lhuillier Bliss / Bride’s Hair Accessories: Augusta Jones / Hair and Makeup: Amy Lynn Larwig / Bride’s Shoes: Tory Burch / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “G558C” by Amsale / Men’s Attire: Vera Wang

CJ’s Off the Square is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
6 Comments
  1. avatar Laura reply

    I love the decor of the reception. You can’t go wrong with mercury glass and baby’s breath.

  2. avatar Lisa reply

    Such a gorgeous wedding! I love the flowers they chose–just fall-like enough!

  3. avatar Hallie Deyton reply

    I thought this wedding was very tasteful. Everything from the venue, to her wedding dress, to her bridesmaids shoes was perfection. Love this wedding and the venue space! The flower centerpieces at the table were not overdone and I loved that. It added to the rustic feel of the venue.

  4. avatar Kati reply

    What a sweet proposal story! Made me cry at work! We also did an all-inclusive venue and it really does make things so much simpler (especially because we were planning from another state.) Best wishes to the happy couple!

  5. avatar Taylor Smith reply

    I love the Bible gift she gave him! What a beautiful idea! The pictures are gorgeous and it looks like it was a wonderful day for a sweet couple!

  6. avatar 8 Bouquets That Are Perfect for a Fall Wedding – Fairly Southern reply

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Our Blue Ribbon Vendors are some of the best in the South — of that there’s no question. And by best, we don’t just mean that they excel at their chosen craft, whether it be photography or planning (though they do), but that each is a kind, patient, creative individual who is just bursting to help you make a meaningful beginning to your married life. Please say hello to a few of our newest additions, including several wonderful venues!

Barrington Hill is a private equestrian estate in Florida that has opened their doors for select weddings! Their gorgeous oaks and manor house are the perfect setting for happy nuptials.

CJ’s Off the Square in Franklin, TN provides the best of both worlds — a gorgeous garden venue, and a talented, big-hearted full planning team.

George Street Photo is a talented, passionate group of photographers in Texas who specialize in photojournalistic coverage of your wedding day.

Christi, Lindsay, and Veda make up the Atlanta-based team of Godwink Brides, and all three specialize in natural light photography.

I’m so happy to introduce Grey Snail Press to you today, because J created the invitations for my dear friend Jackie, who is getting married this weekend! I love her casual cursive style.

I love that the work of Huz from Kreative Angle manages to be both dramatic and hearfelt at the same time. He is based in Houston.

RiverOaks Charleston specializes in “event setting and story telling” (by the river and under the oaks, no less), and they do it with an talented planning and floral team that can handle “everything but the dress.”

We recently had the pleasure of working with Raleigh-based Twenty-One Films on a behind-the-scenes film for V6, and I can say that they are as delightful and talented in person as you’d guess from their online presence!

Still on the hunt for your perfect Southern vendors? Check out our whole crop here! Vendors, if you’re interested in applying, please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch!

emily Written with love by Emily
1 Comment
  1. avatar Lily @BarringtonHill reply

    So excited to be part of the Southern Weddings Family. Love Y’all!

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