Elegant & Organic Tennessee Wedding Ideas

Dec 5th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

The Gifford Collective and Gray Kammera Photography came together to create a Tennessee wedding design that combined natural beauty and minimalistic elegance in an old-world setting.

Drawing inspiration from the space at Riverwood Mansion, they chose to incorporate a subtle river theme with blue tones, watercolor washes, river rocks, and organic textures and shapes throughout the tabletop design. We love that Gradient & Hue pulled local flowers and foraged greenery that paired beautifully alongside the small batch ceramic pottery from Christina Cohn Ceramics that enriched the organic vibe.

We think you’ll love how they pulled so many unique details to bring this design together, and hope it inspires you just as much as it did us!

Don’t you just love the beautiful layers this style created? One of our favorite elements were the craft cocktails by Bar Magnolia served on the simple bar cart draped with a fabric bar menu created by Authentic by Frani. It added a fun, whimsical feel, and definitely added a unique element to this romantic look!

VENDORS WHO MADE IT ALL HAPPEN…

Planning/Design/Styling: The Gifford Collective // Photographer: Gray Kammera Photography // Venue: Riverwood Mansion // Florist: Gradient & Hue // Paper Goods/Calligrapher: Authentic by Frani // Silk Ribbon: A Ribbon’s Nest // Pottery: Christina Cohn Ceramics // Rentals: Liberty Party Rental // Cake & Macarons: Baked in Nashville // Cocktails: Bar Magnolia // Hair/Makeup: Cate Hair // Bridal Gown: Melrose by Amy Kuschel // Bridal Boutique: The Bride Room // Ring: Trumpet & Horn

Finding Wedding Inspiration When You’re Ready to Quit Pinterest

Category: WEDDING PLANNING 0 Comments

Dec 5th

by: ELD Team

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

Finding Wedding Inspiration When You’re Ready to Quit Pinterest

Kim Sayatovic of Belladeux Event Design

Trying to get inspired and figure out the design for your wedding can be an overwhelming and exhausting task when you first start planning. Naturally, many couples head straight to Pinterest to get ideas, and while it is definitely a great source of information and inspiration, there are lots of other ways to get ideas!

Look Outside of Weddings

Wedding trends often come from other areas, like interior design and fashion. When you’re feeling like you’ve seen every wedding out there, and still don’t know what to do, pick up an interior design magazine, or better yet, turn on HGTV. Seeing the kinds of styles that are going in homes may help you find new tablescapes or fun textures you never considered.

The fashion runways are another great place to get your ideas flowing again. New color combinations are often debuted, which can be great inspiration for your color palette.

Look Around You

When you’re brainstorming, look up from your computer monitor and see what’s around you. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get up and take a walk outside. Go see a new movie or play, shop at your local farmer’s market, or enjoy a picnic by the lake- whatever is going to get you out and about to help open your mind to new possibilities. Take pictures along the way so that when you do come back to your computer you’ve got a fresh perspective and a whole album of new ideas.

Social Media

These days everything goes on social media, which makes it the perfect place to research ideas for your wedding. Instagram tends to be a favorite choice among couples to showcase their weddings. Search under relevant hashtags based on what you’re looking for (we recommend #weddingideas and #weddinginspiration to start out), and you’ll be sure to find a plethora of photos full of great inspiration. Follow your favorite wedding designers, photographers, and blogs to fill up your feed with pictures of new events and trends that you’ll no doubt want to save for a later brainstorming session.

With these tips in your back pocket, you’ll have no problem putting together your perfect wedding design from start to finish!

An Elegant Green & White Industrial Georgia Wedding

Category: 0 Comments

Dec 4th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

A charming walled courtyard created a beautiful hidden escape for Libby and Jon’s cocktail hour, and then again for their magical exit at the end of their joyous Georgia wedding day. Set at Summerour Studio in Atlanta, this industrial space provided an open, blank slate that allowed them to create an elegant evening with simple and charming details.

We love the neutral palette of white blooms and greenery that Libby and Jon chose to brighten the space while keeping a very classic feel for their wedding style. By adding pops of emerald green and navy blue, along with rich velvet textures, they added a gorgeous touch of elegance to their design. Taylor Dawn helped Libby and Jon pull together an evening of personal touches and sentimental details that we’re thrilled they chose to share with us. From the classic stationery by Anna Sayers Calligraphy, to the gorgeous blooms by Southern Stems and every sweet detail in between (make sure you catch the bride’s story about incorporating pieces from her mother and grandmother’s wedding dresses), every detail was so beautifully designed, creating an understated elegance that blended perfectly with their style.

We hope you enjoy every sweet detail and special moment that Rustic White Photography captured!

Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).

Our vision for our wedding was centered around having all of our favorite people in one spot celebrating. We kept coming back to this when making decisions about the day or prioritizing details. We chose to get married in Atlanta, because it was where I am from, where Jon’s parents lived, and where I moved after graduate school. When picking a venue we wanted indoor (Atlanta weather can be touch and go in May), one spot for the ceremony and reception to avoid Atlanta traffic, and central to the airport, hotels, and fun restaurants. Summerour Studio was a dream come true for a location, style, and convenience for our guests. We also got married Cinco de Mayo weekend, so we took advantage and had our favorite food and margaritas all weekend long!

What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?

The first vendor I called was Tiffany and Robert with Rustic White Photography. Two of my best friends both used Tiffany and Robert for their weddings so I already knew them as people – and they are the best. I trusted them as professionals with capturing our entire day from big moments to small ones; and I trusted them as friends with the ease and comfort they brought throughout the engagement and on our wedding day. They ended up being the ones providing great advice throughout our engagement and also lead us to the best vendors like our DJ and our planner. Tiffany and Robert, and our wedding photos, are such a treasure to us.

What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories)

Our entire wedding weekend was a blast, the best, and a blur. Jon and I have talked about three moments that will forever be engrained in our memory.

One for me was when I walked down the aisle. The ceremony was really important to us and we spent a lot of time carefully picking out music and scriptures that would set the tone for our marriage. When the doors opened and a few friends were playing the last verse of “How Great Thou Art,” I started to cry looking at Jon, the man I was actually getting to marry, standing there waiting for me smiling. Of course then I realized I had to pull it together so my dad and I had could make it down the stairs without falling, but it was the best moment.

The second moment was after we walked down the aisle as husband and wife, Jon picked me up and carried me into the lobby. All of a sudden his brothers and my best friends came running in after us so excited. It was surreal – we felt so loved and humbled and happy.

The third moment was on the dance floor when we looked up, both of us with margaritas in our hands, and saw that everyone – parents, siblings, aunts, cousins, closest friends, everyone – was dancing the night away with us. When will that ever happen again??

Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?

My godmother, Karen, is a saint and an amazing seamstress. I knew I wanted to incorporate my grandmother’s wedding gown in a meaningful way, so Karen took special care in removing and reinforcing lace from her gown, and hand-making my cathedral veil. She also made my garter with a touch of blue, old lace from my christening gown, and a four-leaf clover charm as a nod to our Irish roots. As a surprise for my mom and I, she also made us both handkerchiefs with lace from my mom’s dress. So many sentimental keepsakes thanks to her talents.

My dad has my grandfather’s old Jeep Renegade, which we grew up riding in to go backpacking or up to the mountains. I have so many joyful memories with that jeep. It is my dream car and it was so fitting to have it as the getaway car for Jon and I. My dad and our friend, Josh, spent so much time and effort getting it back into tip top shape. The week of the wedding I did not think it would run well enough, but it was a sweet surprise for me when it showed up at the end of the reception for Jon to drive us home in!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

It takes a village. Throughout our engagement, family and friends were constantly offering to help. We had friends who let us borrow candles or a giant chalkboard, friends who ran errands for us, roommates who went shopping with me for lanterns and listened to so many decisions, family who helped make big decisions and fix up an old car – just so many people who helped make this all come together and helped keep it fun for Jon and I.

When the weekend finally got here, Taylor made all of my plans and dreams come true! She handled everything and exceeded my expectations with her eye for design, her calm demeanor, organized nature, and upbeat personality. There is no way I – or my family – could have relaxed if she was not there to help.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?

My advice for any couple planning their wedding is to just do you, be yourselves. There are so many pressures to make it perfect, to do what everyone else recommends, to spend more money on each item (that quickly adds up), for the day to go perfectly. At the end of the day though, the weddings that are the most fun for both the couple and the guests are ones that are authentically the bride and groom. Do you.

This beautiful wedding day has us feeling so many emotions. With such attention paid to sentimental details (again, the dresses y’all!), and the love and joy this couple shared in their celebration, we are left with full hearts.

Also, remember that courtyard we mentioned? How perfect was it for their send-off?!

VENDORS WHO MADE IT ALL HAPPEN…

Photography: Rustic White Photography // Ceremony + Reception Venue: Summerour Studio // Event Planning: Taylor Dawn // Floral: Southern Stems // Stationery: Anna Sayers Calligraphy // Videography: Matthew R Baxter // Wedding Cake: Pastry Shells // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box // Hair + Makeup: Abby Moorer // DJ: Spontaneous Entertainment // Draping: Event Rentals Unlimited // Wedding Dress: Christina Wu // Bride’s Shoes: Banana Republic // Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids // Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse // Veil: Handmade from my grandmother’s dress

A Blush & Navy Rustic Industrial Michigan Wedding

Category: 1 Comments

Dec 1st

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

A rustic industrial space mixed with soft blush details created an evening of winter romance for Cassie and Patrick’s Michigan wedding. Transforming Journeyman Distillery, an old featherbone factory turned distillery, rich industrial details that added a unique, eclectic vibe were infused to the wedding day style. The wood floors, large warehouse windows, brick walls, and other architectural details allowed this couple to get creative with their design, and we’re loving it!

We love that they not only created a visually beautiful day, but that they spent time creating an emotionally beautiful day with heartfelt moments that will carry them through a lifetime. From the groom and his sister performing during the ceremony, to the special moments and details during their time spent getting ready, this couple truly celebrated in a deeply personal way with friends and family.

A romantic air settled in as they cozied up indoors at candlelit farm tables lined with greenery as the ground outdoors was covered in snow. Make sure you take a moment to catch the sweet details that the bride, Cassie shared with us as she walked us through their wedding day. You’re sure to love this dreamy winter wedding that Tiffaney Childs Photography has shared with us!

Tell us about your attire choices.

I wanted a dress that was different, yet elegant, timeless, and classic. My “dress” was actually two pieces, a skirt and a top! The blush skirt added the uniqueness I was looking for, while the delicate white tank added the comfortable, classic look that made it into a “wedding” dress. And on top of it, I have never seen anything I didn’t love from Carol Hannah–(the dress designer).

Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).

I went into the wedding planning process with 7 Pinterest boards of ideas that needed to be narrowed-down all too quickly. Trying to coordinate every idea, color scheme, table setting, venue, cake concept, and, of course, dress option, down to one cohesive, picture-perfect day was lending itself to being quite the task right off the bat. My mom and sisters bought me a wedding planning binder that became my best friend for the next 12 months. As I started to fill the binder out with vendors, color ideas, a guest list, and every other finalized detail, I could finally see our dream day becoming a reality. However, it wasn’t until we picked our venue that everything finally “clicked”. We had toured everything from a country club to an apple orchard before deciding on Journeyman Distillery. It was an obvious choice for Pat and I.

Having grown up in the same Northwest Indiana-town, we had both spent summers–and even some winter days–up near the Dunes of Lake Michigan and southwest Michigan area. Journeyman offered the most eclectic, romantic, rustically beautiful feel nestled in a small Michigan Town. We decided to hold our ceremony and reception in their large open Warren Hall, complete with cafe lights, factory style windows, and original wood floors–I fell in love with the details of the space, and I was certain our guests would too!

What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?

I would like to think of myself as a relatively “low-maintenance” bride, (though my mother and now-husband may tell you differently!) But my ideas for decor were simple–greenery and candles, cut logs and lanterns, long, family-style dinner tables and small, personal details that would take all of the ideas from Pinterest and wedding magazines and make them ours–unique to Pat and I and the love we shared for each other and for our guests. I wanted the focus to be on a celebration of the covenant of marriage and the fusion of our two families–and while our decor came out beautifully, I believe the love and joy shared on our wedding day was its most beautiful feature.

While I would do the process over and over again in order to relive our wedding day, I would encourage future brides looking to plan their wedding to take the process on with a grain of salt. Understand that there are SO many ideas and concepts out there that can flood your brain with more details than your wedding will realistically be able to handle. Throughout the process, focus on the true reason behind the wedding and the person you’re making a lifetime commitment to, and I promise all of the details will fall into place!

Also, your wedding guests will have no idea whether you picked the $5 water goblet or the $8 water goblet, so save your money for a nice dinner date with your new husband and go with the $5 goblet!

What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories)

The day played out better than I could’ve expected. Every detail–from our incredible bridal party, family heirlooms gifted from my Godmother, mimosas in the bridal suite, the sunny, winter weather, the candid pictures taken in the photo booth, hilarious speeches, donuts for dessert, musical performances during the ceremony, and, of course, my dress, lent themselves to the most amazing wedding day–making all of the planning, decision-making, and occasional turmoil so worth it.

What a beautiful eclectic space that set a fun casual vibe for a perfect evening of celebration! And passed donuts for dessert? That’s not a bad way to end the evening!