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One of Carolyn and Kyle’s first serious dates was a trip together to Nashville. Needless to say, that trip went well, because a few years later, they hosted their destination wedding in Nashville to celebrate with all of their very favorite people! They enlisted The Gifford Collective to plan their big day at ONE Cannery Row —a historic venue in the city. Florists Gradient & Hue added romance to the industrial space with greenery dripping from the huge wood chandeliers and white and dusty peach arrangements. Paper goods were by Darby Cards with calligraphy by White Ink Calligraphy and the cake was by Baked in Nashville. Lucky for us, Lindsay Campbell Photography was on hand to capture all the love in ‘Music City’ in these gorgeous images.

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from the photography: Carolyn and Kyle are the type of people who instantly connect with pretty much everyone they meet. They each have the most contagious smiles. The most genuine care for others. The most positive manner of speaking. When you’re with Carolyn and Kyle, they are focused on you. Present, engaged, joyful, thoughtful, and so in love with each other. They never stop grinning, and they didn’t stop grinning at each other their entire wedding day.

ONE is a historic, industrial space on Cannery Row in Nashville, and it was the perfect place for Carolyn and Kyle to celebrate their wedding. After a teary, emotional ceremony surrounded by exposed brick and lush florals, guests enjoyed views of the Nashville skyline during cocktail hour as ONE was transformed into the perfect space to eat, drink, and dance the night away. There were heartfelt speeches and romantic dances, and Carolyn and Kyle laughed and cried and took the time to thoughtfully greet each of their guests. Always grinning, and always hand-in-hand.

But their favorite part of the day was their send-off: “At the end of the night, (the MC) encouraged all the guests to come in for a group hug. Instead of dispersing, though, our guests stayed in the group hug formation and sang along with ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole (“Izzy”). So there we were, standing in a circle of our dearest friends and loved ones, newly married, feeling so much love and hope and joy radiated toward us as we all sang and swayed. Truly unforgettable!”

Photography: Lindsay Campbell Photography // Planning & Design: The Gifford Collective // Floral Design: Gradient & Hue // Paper Goods: Darby Cards // Venue: ONE Cannery Row  // Calligraphy: White Ink Calligraphy // Bride’s dress: Ines Di Santo // Bridal Boutique: Wedding Salon of Manhasset // Cake: Baked in Nashville // Beauty: Annelise Carey // Hair: Brooke August // Rentals: Music City Tents // Lighting & Draping: Nashville Audio Visual // Ceremony Entertainment: The Corwin Trio // Reception Entertainment: Request Premier // Catering: G Catering

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Krstyn and Nabeel’s beautiful, intimate wedding took place at Hoffan Haus, a Fredericksburg, Texas bed & breakfast in the very same courtyard where they became engaged!  Taylor Bible Weddings planned and designed the event which showcased a stunning palette of berry and blue. The florals are showstopping (and also created by the planner) in a vibrant array of pinks and deep reds that pop against the deep french blue of Nabeel’s three-piece tuxedo. You can see all the beautiful details and joy of their day in these lovely film images by Lucille Photo.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We were married at our favorite bed & breakfast in Fredericksburg, Tx – The Hoffman Haus in the very courtyard of our proposal!

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I found my dress designed by Amy Kuschel at Unbridaled in the Sawyer Silos in Houston Heights. I knew I wanted something less traditional and heard great things about the shop which has stores in Austin in Houston. It was the third dress I tried on and instantly fell in love with the simple design and beautiful lace overlay.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

My husband is from London and I grew up in Texas. Introducing him to some of the great “Texas staples” has been one of my favorite things since we met, even though he doesn’t always agree on their greatness (how can you not LOOOOVE Tex-Mex??). But Whataburger is something he instantly understood – so having a Whataburger popup as our midnight snack along with sweet swag for everyone was certainly a personal touch that everyone loved!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

We had a really memorable day and our photographer Lucy Strove captured all of the laughter and joy in a  perfect way. My favorites would be the first look because it was just us before things kicked into high gear and our dual rap session during the reception that really got the crowd going! A HUGE thanks to my planner Taylor Bible for convincing my DJ (Aaron Ward) to play the uncensored version of Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow”…I’m not sure that happens at a lot of weddings!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met during Labor Day weekend 2016 after a pool party in Midtown (Houston). My girlfriends and I met his friends there and they invited us to another bar which we accepted. Somehow he was not a part of the initial meetings but as I was talking (loudly) to my girlfriends on the sidewalk and he came across the street to ask me my name (in his very lovely English accent) and we hit it off immediately. After almost 2 years of dating he took me on a trip to Fredericksburg and found the most beautiful bed & breakfast and booked a wine tour (score!). Right before the wine tour Saturday morning he walked me under the trees into the courtyard of the Hoffman Haus and asked me to marry him! I said YES and the rest is history!

 

Photography: Lucille Photo // Planning + Coordination: Taylor Bible Weddings // Floral Design: Taylor Bible Weddings // Invitations: Basic Invite // Venue: Hoffan Haus // Dress Designer: Amy Kuschel // Dress Boutique: Unbridaled // Hair and Makeup: All Dolled Up ATX // Catering, Cake, and Bartending: My Own Chef // DJ: DJ Aaron Ward // Bridesmaid dresses: Vera Wang // Rentals: Class A Rentals // Rings: Ben Bridge Jewelers

 

When we first laid eyes on Jocelyne and Thomas’s wedding, it was hard to pull away from the show-stopping ruby-red, pink, blush and white florals—they are STUNNING. But, it’s the groom’s description of their vision—how they got to Blossom & Vine‘s florals, and all the details of their day—that has us smitten. The day at Patapsco Female Institute, or as Thomas refers to it “the Greek revival style ruins of a Civil-War-era-girls’-finishing-school-turned-Gilded-Age-summer-hotel-turned-World-War-I-veteran’s-hospital that felt a little like a forgotten wing of Hogwarts tucked away on a wooded hilltop in central Maryland” was planned by Blue Canary Events and introduced with gorgeous invitations by Shore Calligraphy. Read as Thomas explains how the couple created a special day that was truly “them,” with rain, and love and cheer and beautiful images by Alice Che Photography.

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From the groom: We initially talked about having a vintage, organic, outdoor, springtime wedding. And I suppose if you wanted, you could probably find pieces of each of those descriptors reflected in various elements of our actual wedding. (I say “probably” because if I were being totally honest, I’d admit that I still don’t know quite what all those words mean–and certainly not strung together like that.) But the truth is, as we wound our way through our sixteen-month-long engagement, the wedding-planning-by-checklist-of-abstract-adjectives approach gradually gave way to a simpler directive: the wedding–every detail of it–should feel like us.

And there could not have been more appropriate way for us to plan our wedding. One of the most important lessons Jocelyne and I have taught each other is that, when you’ve found your person, preconceived notions of what a relationship should look like go out the window. Even if you had long thought that your ideal partner would be an NPR-listening, hybrid-pickup-driving vegetarian, you may just discover that your soulmate checks none of those boxes (being, instead, a political moderate who enjoys munching mediocre chicken fingers while taking in a Nats game)–and that the life the two of you will build together is something new for both of you. So that’s what we did. From the venue–the Greek revival style ruins of a Civil-War-era-girls’-finishing-school-turned-Gilded-Age-summer-hotel-turned-World-War-I-veteran’s-hospital that felt a little like a forgotten wing of Hogwarts tucked away on a wooded hilltop in central Maryland; to the favors–a hundred of our favorite books, from all stages of our lives; to the officiant–Thomas’s boss and good friend from the best job (and, perhaps, year) of his life; every aspect was uniquely, weirdly us. Jocelyne’s lifelong obsession with dinosaurs meant that, of course, she’d process to the Jurassic Park Theme Song. (And our collective obsession–that none of our family seemed to share–with an odd, internet mashup of Shut Up And Dance With Me and Video Killed The Radio Star meant that a string quartet arrangement of the former 2 would serve as our recessional.)

Thomas’s love of fruit led to a smattering of fresh, ruby-red strawberries amongst the otherwise white and blush and candy-apple red floral arrangements (as well as a tier of white cake with blackberry buttercream and passion fruit curd in a cake that was otherwise designed to, as Jocelyne said, “be as chocolatey as possible without literally being brown”). And songs that our parents introduced us to as young children turned into the backing tracks for our mother-son (Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay) and father-daughter (Doo-Wah-Diddy) dances. (The unbridled enthusiasm of the latter–which Jocelyne’s dad had been choreographing for months–can’t be adequately described here. Suffice it to say, whatever you’re imagining, it was better.) Even Jocelyne’s dress had our fingerprints on it, as she rejected the idea of an off-the-rack purchase, and instead opted for a custom-made combination of halves of two different dresses by Eve of Milady.

And now, that’s really the defining thing that has stuck with us: that whatever it was that we built, it really felt like us. One of my favorite pictures from the wedding (of the literally thousand-plus pictures that our amazing friend-slash-photographer Alice sent us) is of the two of us standing just outside one of the venue’s stone window frames, looking in at our friends and family on the dance floor, warmly lit by the light of about a thousand candles. There are precious few opportunities on your wedding day to pause and reflect, but (thanks to Alice’s foresight) we were lucky enough to have the chance to step back and take in the full view of that enchanted evening that we had created together.

Photography: Alice Che Photography // Planner: Blue Canary Events // Second Photographer: Inloveness Photography // Florals: Blossom & Vine// Calligraphy: Shore Calligraphy // Venue: Patapsco Female Institute // Dress Designer: Eve of Milady // Wedding Dress Boutique: Elegance by Roya // Hair: Ashley Taylor // Makeup: Tymia Yvette // Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Bakery
// Catering: Main Event Caterers // Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals // Band: The Finns by Sam Hill Entertainment

Emily and Emerson’s Charleston nuptials at Lowndes Grove incorporated many of the typical southern wedding design details including a plantation courtyard ceremony, florals by and topiaries by Out of the Garden, letterpress and (rainbow) wax seal  invitations by Alaina Polander and romantic white gowns and veils. However, the LGBT couple felt confident in their freedom to “throw tradition to the wind” in much of their personalized details. The “curated vibe—to relax and celebrate” of the day planned by our friends Ooh! Events included the couple getting ready together with all of their bridesmen and bridesmaids, a rendition of the Pulse Orlando Lin Manuel Miranda speech during the ceremony (not a dry eye in the house) and ditching all typical reception activities and instead dancing from start-to-finish. Emily and Emerson had a joint goal of staying “calm and present” during the day and they did it with joy, style and huge smiles as seen in these images captured by Brooke Boyd Photo + Film.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From Emily: Being an LGBT couple we felt like we had a lot of freedom to throw tradition to the wind. While most of our wedding was as much of a cliché southern wedding as you can get, there were a lot of really personal details. We started  the day by doing yoga together and meditating guided by a friend. After yoga and meditating, we were able to spend the morning getting ready together with our closest friends. Getting ready together relieved all pressure; so many people love the suspense of seeing your wife walk down the aisle, but we wanted everything to be as calm and fun as possible. I think that made our wedding so unique. The entire day had a curated vibe – which was to relax and celebrate. We didn’t want anything to feel stuffy or posed and tried really hard to stay calm and be present. I would also argue the most unique part about our wedding was the amount of dancing – we skipped the activities once the reception started and instead never left the dance floor. We had two people do the worm, one person break dance, my sister did a split, and someone slid through another’s legs. WILD.

Tell us about the gowns and where/how you found them!

Emerson and I started off by going to New York with our best friends. We looked separately all day and neither of us found the dress, but we both agreed it was too hard not to share with the other. A month later, I went to Wedding Belles in New Orleans with my mom and sister and tried on the Jenny Yoo Riley I had seen in New York. Just like that, I was done! I loved so many dresses, but this one just fit the day best. Emerson on the other hand tried on dresses about four more times, when she finally tried on a Sarah Seven dress at Lovely Bride in DC and knew it was the one. It was perfectly simple with just enough modern edge to feel like her.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

  1. Emerson picked out every single song that was played that day. To her, music creates the atmosphere, so she went through and chose from the prelude to the exit (and yes the afterparty). My favorite pick from her was the DJ set kicking off with “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked it” by Katy Perry.
  2. We also picked every word spoken in the ceremony with our priest. Without question the best part of the wedding (and I highly recommend everyone use this in the future) was when my friend read Lin Manuel Miranda’s speech following the Pulse Orlando shooting. It’s safe to say there wasn’t a dry eye when she got to the “and love, is love, is love, is love, is love” part.
  3. We didn’t do a traditional wedding party; Emerson has two brothers and I have two sisters so they are the only people who stood. We did ask our best girls/guys to dress within the color palette and get ready with us. We were worried it was going to be cold, so each girl laid a fur stole at their chair and exited in it.
  4. Emerson’s brother and “Man of Honor” gave the best speech I ever heard. It began with “I’ve been knowing Emerson since the early 90s” and the highlight was “I never dreamed I’d be a bridesman one day, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to be one today.”

 

What was the most memorable part of the day?

There was one moment before the ceremony started when my veil kept pulling my hair and I started getting really nervous. Emerson could sense I was nervous and pulled me into a room and said “forget it, don’t wear the veil” and gave me a big kiss. At that moment, all fears were pushed away because I knew I had picked the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Emerson and I met the summer of 2014, when I had just graduated college and was about to move to DC. After our first date, we didn’t spend a single day apart that summer. So much so that Emerson volunteered to make the 17 hour drive with me to DC. Even though we had no intention of being in a long distance relationship, we were inseparable. Mine and Emerson’s lives fit perfectly together. We had the same values, same drive, and liked to leave parties at the same time. She is the perfect complement to all of my weaknesses and makes me a better person on a daily basis. Through the last five years together, we’ve moved seven times, had two college graduations, and embarked on brand new jobs in brand new cities. We’ve been through ups and downs, weddings, funerals, a home renovation and so much more, but through it all, Emerson made me grateful for every day. Knowing this I finally decided it was time to seal the deal so I snuck around with Susie Satzman and designed her dream ring. Over her birthday, we spent a week at home in New Orleans at my parents’ camp. One morning while we were watching the sunrise over coffee and blueberry cake donuts, I decided that was the moment. I began acting super weird and insisted she put on cute pajamas (because I wanted a good picture) and she replied “What? No. Weirdo” it was 5:30 am. Our dog had hurt his paw and she kept trying to pay attention to him and I was trying to get her to pay attention to me! Finally I started my speech and she asks “are you proposing?” and I was like “oh my gosh no” as I pulled out the ring! At this point, Emerson is thoroughly confused, laughing, and crying. Regardless, SHE SAID YES and we celebrated that night at the place her parents got engaged.

Coordination/Rentals: Ooh! Events // Photographer + Videographer: Brooke Boyd Photo + Film // Floral: Out of the Garden // Invite Suite: Alaina Polander // Venue/Catering/Bar/Cake: Lowndes Grove // Emily’s dress: Jenny Yoo, from Wedding Belles Nola // Emerson’s dress: Sarah Seven Belmont dress, from Lovely Bride // Hair: Slate Bridal Hair + Make Up // Make Up: Marisa Warren, Sarah Early, Slate Bridal Hair + Make Up // Yoga Instructor: Isabel Groedel // Ceremony Music: Bespoke Strings // Band: Tyler Kitchen + The Right Pieces // Guests Transportation: ACW Limo // Getaway Transportation: Lowcountry Valet

 

 

 

 

Carolyn and Charles celebrated their love with a stunning autumn soiree designed by the one-and-only Kaella Lynn Events. Beautiful, gathered florals by Laura’s Floras take center stage. A sunset-inspired palette of deep yellows, bright corals, sherbets and dusty peach come to life in a spectacular ceremony arch and sprawling table arrangements. The mood is both delightful and elegant at the reception at The Barn at Green Valley (private estate) with long farm table seating and dusty blue linen accents. The Brightline Studio introduced the day with romantic calligraphy and the Pretty Please Bakeshop punctuated the event with a three-tiered cake adorned with climbing florals. The event is a vision of bold, fall colors and we could not be more entranced by all the lovely images captured by Meg Smith Photography.

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Photographer: Meg Smith Photography // Wedding Planning and Design: Kaella Lynn Events // Florist: Laura’s Floras // Paper goods: The Brightline Studio // Venue: The Barn at Green Valley (private estate) // Bridal Gown: Louvienne via Lovely Bride SF // Cake: Pretty Please Bakeshop // Bridesmaids dresses: Reformation // Grooms Suit: J Hilburn // Caterer: Paula Le Duc // Rentals: Standard Party Rentals // Lounge: One True Love Vintage Rentals // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Quartet: Synchronicity Strings Entire Productions // Band: Audio Via Elan Artists // Lighting: Got Light // Hair & Makeup: Skyla Arts Beauty