A Winter Affair | Nashville Winter Wedding Invitations

We were introduced to the wonderful winter bride, Anna Shell, through the fine ladies at Big Events Inc, Martha Greenwood and Denise Sikes. It was an easy relationship from the start! For her Nashville winter wedding invitations, Anna knew she wanted a traditional, timeless invitation with a touch of whimsy…which is right up our alley! The traditional invite was on 220lb soft crane paper, which is thick, soft and luxurious. The invitation was edged and letterpressed with charcoal ink. The whimsy came in with the reply card wording, which says ‘the gift of your reply is requested by Christmas Eve!’ How fun is that?! And the reception card might be our all time fav, ‘dinner and dancing and wild revelry to follow.’ Who would not want to attend this wedding? This was the perfect first impression to let her guest know that they were in for a sweet ceremony and a festive reception! You’ll spot classic and whimsical touches throughout the whole wedding. We love the way everything turned out, Anna! – Emily

Enjoy the beautiful photographs from Matt Andrews Photography (and the inside scoop from the bride!) below…

The (Happy!) Couple’s Names: Anna & Shane Emerson

Wedding Date: January 5th, 2013

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Tell us “your story.” Shane and I met in college at The University of Tennessee, but we didn’t begin dating until a couple of years after college…When we did wind up together, we knew very soon that it was going to be for keeps.

Pick three words you would use to describe your wedding. Wintery, warm, and bright!

We love your style! Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic. Shane and I both wanted a winter wedding. Living in the South, we have been to our fair share of (very) warm weather events, and we wanted to do something different. However, I wanted to stay far, far away from typical winter themes. I actually made a no-no list that included things like “absolutely no: glitter, snowflakes, ‘ice blue,’ etc.”

We did not pick wedding colors. I’m not a believer in that. We…added as many pops of color as we could. The result looked beautiful in the pictures taken by our (very talented) photographer. Especially in the outdoor shots, the contrast between winter’s bareness and the colors of the wedding party looked amazing.

For both the ceremony and the reception, the focus was on firelight and candlelight. We loaded the altar at Scarritt-Bennett’s Wightman Chapel with as many candles as it would hold…There was not a single flower inside the sanctuary. Someone told me that people literally gasped when they walked into the church. At the reception, we had three lit fireplaces and more candles covering the Belle Meade Country Club. They were accented by bare branches and flowers. The result was a warm, cozy atmosphere, even in a large space. We did a fair amount of breaking with tradition in various aspects of our wedding…and I can’t recommend this enough. Be fearless in making it yours.

What was your very favorite detail from the day? My favorite part of the day was without question the ceremony. The night was cold and dark and everything got really quiet right before my dad and I walked down the aisle. The chapel bells rang six o’clock and we entered to an instrumental of Coldplay’s “Paradise.” The sanctuary was glowing with all the candlelight. We had scattered our wedding party on the altar because we are both so close to all of them… we didn’t feel the need to have the girls on one side and the guys on the other…It was like a dream. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined it could be.

One thing you wish you would’ve known before you started wedding planning…I was lucky to know a lot after hearing advice from my friends that came before me, but I wish I had been better about not procrastinating! Don’t let any wedding decision or work wait that doesn’t have to!

Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! I absolutely loved working with Emily to design my wedding suite. She was so laid-back and easy-going…We ultimately came up with a final product that fit my vision perfectly. I wanted letterpress on very heavy cotton paper to fit with the cozy winter feeling I was aiming for, and I wanted a touch of fun in the invitations too. I was introduced to Emily because she provided the letterpress option, but it ended up being the perfect match because of her unique and tasteful style. I’m a paper lover, so the invitation suite and other accessories were important to me, and Emily executed them to perfection.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?! Ultimately, your wedding depends upon the team you assemble to help you execute your dream day. EOH custom paper lovelies and the folks mentioned below (particularly our wedding planners) are the reasons me and Shane’s wedding turned out as beautifully as it did. Surround yourself with the best, and the best you shall receive!

WEDDING PLANNER & FLORIST/EVENT DESIGN Malcolm and Martha Greenwood, Denise Sikes at Big Events Wedding // PHOTOGRAPHER Matt Andrews Photography // CEREMONY VENUE Wightman Chapel at Scarritt-Bennett Center // RECEPTION VENUE/CATERING Belle Meade Country Club // BAND The Atlanta Allstars // WEDDING INVITATIONS Emily O. Holmes Custom Paper Lovelies // WEDDING CAKE Dessert Designs // BRIDAL GOWN Vera Wang from B. Hughes // BRIDESMAID DRESSES Amsale from The Bride Room // BRIDE/BRIDESMAID HAIR & MAKEUP Harlow Salon // GROOM/GROOMSMAN SUITS JoS. A. Bank // GROOM/GROOMSMAN BOW TIES Otis James

Come back soon for a party post about all things bicycles!

The Not Wedding Take-Aways, pt. ii

The Not Wedding event left us with a notebook full of fresh party (and wedding!) ideas, so we’ve collected a few of the best to share with you today…

We love the idea of incorporating floral graphics through your entire suite of wedding paper products…invites, menus, programs, etc. EOH designed these sweet menus with a floral wreath surrounding a Pablo Picasso love quote. Find something similar here!

We’ve seen leather accents popping up on skirts, dresses, and sweaters…but tablescapes?! We loved this unexpected touch. The caramel leather table runner adds something modern and sleek to reception decor.

The intricate architecture and exposed brick of this venue make a lovely backdrop for wedding party photos. One Cannery Row in Nashville hosts some really beautiful weddings that have that vintage, industrial vibe.

Gold trophies (or cups!) as vases were one of our favorite elements. A small bunch of flowers in deep hues nestle perfectly into the old-school trophy cup.

(In our humble opinion!) Otis James bowties are one of the best locally crafted goods to come out of Nashville. Their cotton bowties in classic patterns like seersucker, plaid, and stripes add a sophisticated, yet playful addition to any man’s suit. Plus, how dreamy is a line full of bowtied groomsmen?!

Suspending armloads of flowers and greenery over a table was unbelievably striking from the minute we walked into the party space! If you could pull off this project, it would totally floor your guests. We picture this being sweet at an intimate dinner party for friends, too.

Matt G Photo shot a fun video of the day that makes you feel like you were there, too! (And we wish you had been!) Watch it here.

Lastly, we want to give a HUGE thank you to the entire Not Wedding team! They were a delight to work with and the magic behind making this whole day come together.

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The Not Wedding Take-Aways, pt. i

The Not Wedding was packed with ideas, so we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite take-aways to inspire your big day (or your next dinner party!) photographed by Declare Photography.

There’s something so fresh and unexpected about a messy bundle of wildflowers. This bouquet was created by Soul Flowers (and how fitting is that name for a spirited arrangement like this?!) You have to check out Soul Flowers pretty site!

When it comes to desserts, we’ve all seen the cupcake, the macaroon, and the whoopie pie phases come and go, but Dale’s brings something all their own to the table-fried pies! They even have a seafoam and coral “mobile pie stand” to boot! Imagine a perfect little golden pie in hand, oozing with “ginger pear” or “candied sweet potato” or “the elvis- PB, banana, and bacon.”

At each place setting, we loved the fabric-wrapped utensils paired with polka dot napkins (inside scoop: the adorable matching runner is on sale here!) Let’s be honest, this project isn’t going to happen on utensils at a 300 person sit-down dinner, but what a sweet, homespun touch for a wedding shower (or baby shower!)

We love the idea of using a mini easel to display table numbers – how adorable is that?! The simple watercolored numbers would be super easy to project to conquer in an hour and would add a delicate touch to the tablescape. We love this idea from Stockroom Vintage.

Floral crowns are everywhere these days, but we just can’t quite seem to get enough! The crowns have such a whimsical and relaxed spirit about them. We picture it hanging on the post of a bed after the party’s close!

Food cards are a way to bring pretty paper products to your buffet. We love that you can coordinate the design to mimic your wedding invite. Request something similar for your wedding suite here!

Keep an eye out next week for a second post with more party ideas inspired by this event!