Southern Weddings

It doesn’t get much more Southern than a front porch, and when said front porch is the namesake of a beautiful farm venue outside of Nashville, Tennessee, it’s safe to say that you have the attention of the Southern Weddings gals! Christine and Drew chose Front Porch Farms as the venue for their spring wedding, and they loved hosting their out of town family members and friends there. One of their most special guests? The pastor who officiated their ceremony–he had predicted Christine and Drew were perfect for each other a year before they met, and even set them up on their first date!

Thank you so much to our dear Blue Ribbon Vendor friends, Landon and Jordan of Landon Jacob, for sharing this lovely day with us!

The pastor who married us had been trying to set us up for over a year. As chance would have it, we were both in other relationships, but that didn’t stop Matt (our pastor) from still trying to get us together. Finally, when the timing was right, we went on a brunch date. After leaving our first date, Drew called his brother and said, “Mark my words, I am going to marry that girl.”

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes!! I’m a wedding photographer, so I know that the day can already be a bit of a blur. I think the first look can be even more intimate of a moment, and it takes nothing away from walking down the aisle. Drew was not sure about doing a first look, but now that we have done it, he thinks it was the best decision. We got sweet photos before the wedding, and we got to spend more time together by seeing each other before the ceremony. It was a favorite moment of the day!

We chose songs that had personal significance in our relationships with God. The wedding party walked down the aisle to “Before the Throne,” and I walked down the aisle to Phil Wikham’s “Divine Romance.” We also played a bluegrass version of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” They were performed by our talented friends, singer-songwriter Jake Ousley and songwriter Jeff Pardo. After we said our vows, we walked out to “Your Love is Lifting me Higher.”

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The pastor who married us is the man who predicted our marriage a year before we met, and the one who finally got us to go on a date.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? Most of our guests were from out of town, so we wanted a venue that allowed our guests to stay in downtown Nashville and experience all that we love about the city. We also wanted a place that had good lighting, was beautiful and didn’t need much additional decor, and was budget friendly.

We had organic bouquets of peach, burgundy, white, and pink Juliet garden roses, ranunculus, anemones with navy centers, peonies, and Queen Anne’s lace, mixed with an assortment of greenery, including seeded eucalyptus and clematis vine. We tied bouquets with a variety of lace and ribbon, and the boutonnières were also all wrapped with different ribbon or gold wire. The table centerpieces were in wooden boxes, and we mixed in wood slices with milk glass, blue mason jars, old books, and brass candle holders. We also had greenery garlands around the menu and bride and groom chairs.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. This is one area where we saved money, but didn’t feel like we cut corners. We ordered three cakes, all with buttercream icing in different textures, and we added flowers for the decoration. The cakes were delicious, and they were from Publix! Drew LOVES chocolate chip cookies–he is literally a cookie monster! Chocolate chip cookies and milk for the groom’s cake were a no-brainer. We had 2%, skim, and almond milk available for guests to have with the cookies.

Tell us all about the proposal! I love to travel. Early one morning, Drew came to my house and woke me up, Starbucks in hand, and told me to pack my bags while he made us breakfast tacos, because we were headed to a destination that was 70 degrees. I was pretty confused and started to list off the design meetings and engagement session I had scheduled, but he assured me he had contacted all of my clients and taken care of everything. As we scanned our ID’s at the airport, San Diego came up on the screen! Once we arrived, we rented a convertible and headed straight to La Jolla beach, where Drew proposed at sunset. He had made three boxes representing when we met, when he fell in love with me, and then him asking me to be his wife. Each box had journal entries he had written and photos. It was extremely significant and special. After that, we got a glass of wine at Hotel de Coronado, followed by some late night McDonald’s. We were able to stay with some of Drew’s friends in San Diego and spent a few days exploring the city.
When did y’all get married? April 18, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 160
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance was to Tristan Prettyman’s “All I Want is You.” One of our favorite memories of the wedding day was our last dance. We had everyone clear out of the reception and we shared our last dance alone to “Wagon Wheel,” which was the first song we ever danced to together.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I did! My something borrowed was my veil (which I only wore walking down the aisle); it belonged to one of my bridesmaids. My blue was my blue suede Cole Hann wedges. My old was the diamond on my engagement ring; it was my grandmother’s that she gave to me. My new was my Stella York wedding dress!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We recently moved to Fort Worth, Texas from Nashville and bought our first house! Drew is working at Watermark Community Church as the director of student ministries, and I’m working on starting my photography company, Declare Photography, and my interior design company, Christine Zeiler Interiors, in Fort Worth.

Photographer: Landon Jacob / Planner and Paper Products: Christine Zeiler / Venue: Front Porch Farms / Florist: Catherine Wilson / Cake Baker: Publix, Catering: Bacon & Caviar / Rentals: The House Nashville / DJ: Tim Hiber / Calligraphy: Four Hats Press / Print Layout: Arboreal paper / Invitation Template: How Lovely Paper / Bride’s Gown: “5703” by Stella York / Bride’s Jewelry: Jessie Jordan / Hair Stylist: Leslie from Katie Russo / Makeup Artist: Katie Russo / Bride’s Shoes: “Nike Air Wedges” by Cole Haan / Menswear: J.Crew / Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan

Written with love by Lisa