I'm Amy, and I love to plan and design events! Weddings, parties, corporate events - whatever the occasion, I love to make it fabulous. Thanks for stopping by! It's nice to meet you!
The photos and ideas you see on this blog are a combination of original content and the work of other talented people. It is my intent to always give credit to the work of others. I try to include credits and links on all photos and website references used on this blog. Any references that appear on this blog are simply included because it's a product, person, service or photo that I like. No revenue is generated from recommendations, product mentions or services included on this blog.
Oh the blog love! We are getting a little attention this week for a fun inspiration shoot that I designed. Before we get to the GORGEOUS photos, here's a little background on our project.
A few months ago, I had a little spark of an idea. "Wouldn't it be fun to put together an inspiration shoot?", I asked. I was chatting with Sharon, a friend and 1/2 of the super-talented photography-duo known as Jonathon Campbell Photography. That simple question led us down a road that ended in a gorgeous, detail-rich wedding dream.
This is what happens when you ask some of the best vendors in Nashville to bring their A-game. I showed each of them my little bits of inspiration (and believe me it was a little sketchy at first) and tried to describe the vision that was in my head (not an easy task!) and then trusted them to bring their expertise to the shoot.
I am honored and more than a little awe-struck to work with such talented folks. Without further ado, I give you Art Nouveau/Old Hollywood Glam.
(Disclaimer: This is not a "Real Wedding" feature. Everything you are about to see was created simply to be an inspiration.)
Well, are you ready to hear the ending to this wedding story? Let's see. At last count, we have a few guests trickling in to the reception venue, the ceremony has been postponed, a modified reception is about to begin, and the groom is Missing in Action.
Word had spread fairly quickly to the guests that the ceremony was postponed, so few of them actually showed up at the ceremony site. Those that did were redirected to the reception. The bride was still at the hotel trying to find her groom and their families were now hanging out with me at the reception. Well, except for the groom's father and a few groomsmen. They went to the chapel for a little photo session. (I guess it seemed like a good way to kill time since they were all dressed up.)
Jeff, the ever-resourceful venue manager at Houston Station, finally found an officiant that was willing to brave the elements and conduct a ceremony. The only catch, she needed to help a stranded friend before she could head our way. This could take a few hours, but hey, it was better than nothing. Now, we just needed the bride and groom to give us the green light. Would they still want to get married on this soggy day or wait until they could have their dream ceremony at the beautiful Scarritt-Bennett? We wouldn't have an answer until the groom was found.
Sometime around 1:00 or 1:30-ish our prayers were answered! The groom and a trusty groomsman showed up safe and sound! Yay! They actually risked life and limb to leave their subdivision and return to the wedding. Trust me, the photos of the flooded road they drove through made my heart stop. But there was no time for a tongue-lashing. He needed to talk to the bride and put her fears to rest. Together, they would decide whether or not to go through with their marriage plans.
They weighed the pros and cons of postponement. The families gave their two-cents. And.... drumroll please! The answer was yes! If the officiant could make it to the reception, they would say their vows and exchange their rings on this extraordinary day.
Now on to the photos. Remember that renegade photographer I mentioned? He was still at the chapel. So the families, the bridal party and the bride and groom all convened for wedding photos before coming to the reception. I mean, why not? We had some time to kill and everyone looked so dapper. Finally, I got the call that they were on their way to Houston Station. Let the reception begin!
Yes, we had the reception before the ceremony. Since our original wedding plan was long gone, we just decided to throw convention to the wind. We had about 35 guests (including the wedding party) so the celebration began. Drinks were poured, food was served and coffee was brewed. And finally, the bridal party arrived. This is where the fun begins. Did I mention that the bride and groom are professional ballroom dancers? Oh yes. For their grand entrance, they choreographed a special number with the entire bridal party. So now we have dancing! It's a bonafide party now! And lucky for you, we have a video clip to share. (Just remember, I'm a planner not a videographer.)
Happy days are here again! It's 3:00 p.m. and we get a call from Belinda Leslie (the fill-in officiant) that she found her stranded friend (whew, what a relief) and would be with us in an hour. (At this point, we still had not made contact with the original officiant and I was growing increasingly worried. Thankfully, his call finally came through and he was stranded at home. I was so glad that he had not gotten stranded en route to the ceremony.)
Speaking of the ceremony! Belinda arrived, and we spent a few minutes (literally) going over a ceremony plan. The venue staff put together a little vignette on the dance floor, and I got the bridal party prepped and ready to go. Remember how we don't have any musicians? Right. Can I just say I love all you iPhone addicts? Thanks to technology, we came up with a couple of songs for the processional and recessional and the wedding began. Vows were spoken, rings were exchanged and true love declared.
We finished out the evening with the traditional cake cutting, toasts and first dance. So I guess you could say that it all ended as planned.
Well, except for that bittersweet ending I mentioned. Later that night, I got a call from the bride. Their beautiful new home in Bellevue was full of water. Instead of spending the next two weeks on a warm sandy beach, they would be cleaning and gutting their new house.
This sweet couple remained strong through it all. They took their vows to heart -- "For better or worse" they will survive. No, they will do better than that. They will prosper and love will prevail. Congratulations Alex & Johnny!
Special Thanks to all who went the extra mile for this wedding:
Hether & April - my talented and hard-working assistants
Scott Davis - Notable Blends, for putting together our sound system and serving up the BEST coffee delights in Nashville Houston Station - Jeff & his staff who went above and beyond to make it all work
J&M Corporate Catering - Rick & his excellent staff who came out in the midst of the storm
Belinda Leslie - you saved the day! Thank you for officiating!
Ryan Kenner & Uncle David- photographers extraordinaire!
Unless you've been under a rock and missed the national news this week, then you already know that our beloved Nashville experienced a flood of catastrophic proportions last weekend. What you probably hadn't thought about, is that many couples were planning to get married that same weekend. You guessed it! One week ago, I was smack in the middle of trying to save a wedding from near disaster.
Before we get into the harrowing and sometimes funny moments that occurred over the weekend, let's take a moment to fully realize the impact that mother nature had on our fair city. It is being described as a 500-year Flood. I won't lie, I had to look this one up. Basically, it means that the odds of a flood of this proportion happening again in any single year is 0.2%. Let me repeat that. 0.2%. To say that we were caught of guard is an understatement. There were places full of water that no one ever imagined would flood. Places like Interstate-24.
Looking back, I should have realized on Saturday (this was a Sunday wedding) that we were going to be in for a wild ride. But, I was determined to play the optimism card and keep everyone positive. So, in the midst of rehearsal and reception set-up, I focused on the tasks at hand and paid little heed to the pouring rain. (The tornado sirens should have been a giant red flag also.) Reports of flooded streets slowly trickled back to me, but I was in a bubble of time with no internet access or television at the venue. We diligently placed tables, threw linens and set glassware and centerpieces. By early evening, it was time to head home. This is when the crisis at hand really sunk in. Images of rushing water and buildings floating down the interstate were all over the local TV stations.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. Our wedding venues were downtown, and so the entire bridal party and all of the immediate family were staying in a hotel nearby. They were able to easily get to the venues, so the show must go on. My two assistants and I decide to divide and conquer. One met me at the reception venue to put on the finishing touches. The other went straight to the ceremony venue, where she then spent the next five hours wading through water and directing wayward guests, family members and a renegade photographer. (We love you Ryan, you're just really crazy!)
Our greatest problem of the day was not a flooded building. Our crisis centered around all of the vendors, family members and bridal party members who were stranded and could not get to the wedding. Calls were streaming in one after another and we quickly realized that we would have a modified plan at best. By 10:30 a.m. we decided to delay all plans for a couple of hours while we watched the flooded streets and took inventory of what was still available.
Over the next hour, I received calls that the following people would not be able to get to the wedding:
The ceremony musicians
The band for the reception
One bridesmaid and her parents who were staying near Opryland Hotel
One groomsman
Two flowergirls
The wedding trolley
The florist
And, the officiant (actually he was MIA and we were very concerned for his safety)
So what's a girl to do? We weighed the pros and cons of what we did have available and what could be done to salvage the day. The main priority during all of this was everyone's safety. The bride and groom were amazingly calm and flexible all morning. We all agreed that no vendor, guest or family member should be placed in harm's way. And, since we had no officiant, we couldn't have a ceremony. (Or so we thought! But more on that later.) We did have a huge, delicious wedding cake, a coffee bar, a beautifully decorated reception venue, a partial menu from the caterer, and a full bar. By lunchtime, we decided to have the reception with those who were able to come to the venue. The ceremony would be postponed until a later date. Most of the immediate family and bridal party were from out of town, so they had no where to go and nothing to do while we waited. And who wants to see a perfectly good cake go to waste?
We put out an APB for everyone to meet at Houston Station at 2:00 and the party would begin. Now here's where things get a little hairy. While I'm sorting out vendors and making an action plan, the groom decides to return to his home in Bellevue with one of the groomsmen. I'm not sure why he did this. Perhaps something forgotten that he couldn't live without. While at home, he realizes that rising water from a nearby river is getting precariously close to his house. I'm a little sketchy on what happened while he was there, but I do know that he seemed to be gone a long time. What's worse? The bride and his family are unable to reach him by cell phone. Tense times indeed!
Folks begin to trickle in to the reception venue. Since we had no band, the venue manager and our coffee guru set up a make-shift sound system and we "entertain" (I'm using this term loosely) guests with whatever CDs and Ipods we can scavenge. Will the bride and groom join us? Since he is MIA, we don't know. But lo and behold! If we find the groom, we may just be able to save the day and actually get them married. While the groom is missing, we manage to call every officiant we can think of looking for a replacement. Just when we thought it was a lost cause, the venue manager finds someone who might be able to get to us in 3 hours. O.k. so it's a remote possibility, but we have to try. Only now the bride doesn't know if she wants to go ahead with a make-shift ceremony. You know, the whole missing groom issue. So, we wait. Will he be found? And if so, will they still get married today?
I'll fill you in on Part 2 later this week. Oh the madness! Can you stand the suspense? I'll give you a little hint -- there is a bittersweet ending to this wedding story. Stay tuned!
Curl up in a comfy chair, take a sip of that oh-so-good coffee and enjoy our little piece of the wedding world. You'll find inspiration mixed with practical advice and a few things we think are super duper. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you!
I'm Amy, and I love to plan and design events! Weddings, parties, corporate events - whatever the occasion, I love to make it fabulous. Thanks for stopping by! It's nice to meet you!
