March 28th, 2019
When he proposes at her family lake house, what better way to keep the wedding just as personal than to have the reception in his backyard? You know what they say: location, location, location. Yes, that is mostly used in real estate, but the same is true for weddings. Carl and Frances really embraced the sentiment of the at-home wedding. From the prominence of roses that mirrored the gardens to the lounge area on the landing over the swimming pool, they kept the perfect touch of backyard elegance and romanticism of the at-home wedding.
The Couple: Carl + Frances Grote
Wedding Date: September 8, 2018
Location: St. Georges and Home of the Groom, Nashville
Tell us “your story” in a few sentences. We were in the same friend group in high school and our families have been friends forever. So we have known each other for a while just as friends, he went to MBA and I went to Harpeth Hall. After college we met up again at a New Years Eve Party at The Ruby and talked to one another all night. The following day he asked me out on our first date and we have been together ever since.
Pick three ways you would describe your wedding. Romantic, garden-feel, and classic/southern.
Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic. I really wanted to embrace the location, at home weddings are so special. There were tons of roses in the garden so our main flower was the garden rose. We used pale pink, tan, and greens in the flowers. We also used a lot of tan koko loco roses from California, which were amazing. The colors for the wedding were tan, white, and sage. Bridesmaid dresses were sage and looked lovely with all the greenery. We had custom painted bars from Please Be Seated in tan and white, and a custom brown and white dance floor. Also, the pool was partially floored to make a “landing” with lounge furniture.
What was your favorite detail from the day? Carl is an amazing dancer, so our first dance was my favorite part, “Hallelujah I just love her so”, by Ray Charles. Second, his college band played the final song of the night “Good Lovin’”, which was amazing. Carl played the piano and it was a huge hit.
What is one thing you wish you would’ve known before you started planning your wedding? I am a meeting and event manager and have coordinated weddings before. So I was pretty familiar with the process, but I would say just knowing your style is good and being confident and decisive about your decisions. (Don’t over complicate it!)
Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! Emily did an amazing job on my invitations. The paper was a nice linen finish, so thick, and the letterpress was perfect. We needed a nice taupe gray color to blend with our wedding colors. Fabulous job.
Frances is the epitome of the classic southern bride. She is simply lovely! Lovely to work with, has lovely style and planned a lovely wedding with wedding planner Jenny Corts. (Can we mention the gorgeous flowers and the lounge area over the pool!! To die for!) Frances was a joy to work for and design with. It is always helpful when a bride knows what she wants and what she does not want. I always encourage brides to tell me ‘no’ or suggest another font…only helpful because the end result is always better! We want our brides to LOVE their wedding suites and feel pride in sending them to their guests. For the wedding suite, we used a luxurious paper with a custom taupe letterpress ink. Letterpress is a classic printing method, where each invitation is pressed by hand and leaves a stunning impression in the paper. It portrays elegance and let’s the guests know that they are in for a wedding that will be timeless! There are so many talented vendors in Nashville and we were honored to have been chosen to work with Frances and Carl! Cheers to the Grotes!!
DRESS Isabelle Armstrong // VENUE St. George’s Episcopal Church // PHOTOGRAPHER Kristin Sweeting // WEDDING PLANNER Jenny Corts // PAPER Emily O. Holmes // FLOWERS Flwr Shop // CATERER Dani Kates // CAKE Leland Riggins // RENTALS Nashville Tent and Awning & Quest Nashville & Bright Event Productions & La Tavola & Lendable Linens & Please Be Seated // HAIR AND MAKEUP Debbie Dover
June 18th, 2018
What says “day of your dreams” more than a magical garden of greenery and strung lights? In every detail, the focus of whites and creams with hints of gold seamlessly folded into the draping greenery. This beautiful southern wedding transformed a barn into a garden that dreams are made of.
The Couple’s names: Ann & Donnie Young
Wedding Date: August 5, 2017
Location: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church/Saddle Woods Farm, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Tell us “your story” in a few sentences. We met through a mutual love of all sports. Donnie coaches at my alma mater, Vanderbilt University. We dated for 2 ½ years before we got engaged. Donnie caught me totally by surprise and proposed in the athletics department at Vanderbilt, where we first met.
Pick three words you would use to describe your wedding. Classic, southern, clean
You have awesome style! Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic. I wanted a very clean, classic, and fresh wedding. Our wedding planners were fantastic and they helped bring my vision to life. We used a lot of whites and creams, some gold and lots of greenery
What was your very favorite detail from the day? It is virtually impossible to name just one. I love how it all came together! The ladies at Big Events did such a beautiful job of transforming the barn. If I had to pick one favorite detail, it would probably be the way the ladies incorporated the greenery into the décor. It brought that garden feel into the reception.
What is one thing you wish you would’ve known before you started wedding planning? We worked with Big Events a couple of years earlier on my sister’s wedding, and I was so impressed with their work. They thought of every detail, and I knew they would do a wonderful job on my wedding. They make sure there are no regrets!
Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! I had a very particular vision for my wedding invitation. It is the first introduction for your guests to the tone of the wedding. Emily was so lovely to work with, she listened to what I wanted, and made helpful suggestions. The invitation turned out perfectly!
This bride, these colors, these photos – BREATHTAKING! We felt honored to work with Ann and the talented team at Big Events on this wedding suite. We love an invitation where the font fills the entire paper with lovely script in letterpress. So luxurious, so classic and so personal at the same time. The color choice for this suite was on point as well! It’s soft, romantic and bold in all the right ways. Thank you, Ann and Donnie, for letting us help you set the tone for your lovely lovely wedding!
DRESS BHLDN // ACCESSORIES shoes: Christian Louboutin Follies Strass // VENUE Ceremony: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Reception: Saddle Woods Farm // PHOTOGRAPHER Austin Gros // WEDDING PLANNER DeDe Scheibe & Lacey Fuson with Big Events // PAPER Emily O. Holmes // FLOWERS Martha Greenwood with Big Events // CATERER Kristen Winston Catering // CAKE Desert Designs by Leland Riggins // LINENS BBJ Linens, Over The Top Linens, and La Tavola Linens // RENTALS Music City Tents and Events and Please be Seated // LIGHTING Bright Events Productions // DRAPING Quest Events // BRIDESMAID ATTIRE Bill Levkoff // GROOMSMEN ATTIRE Michael Kors from Lauber Clothing // MAKE-UP Amanda Gros // BAND The Atlanta AllStars
May 18th, 2018
It’s all in the location. At least it definitely was for Blake and Jordan when creating the desired aesthetic for their gorgeous summer wedding. With the focal point on the magnolia flower, Belle Meade was an effortless and perfect backdrop. From hightop Superga’s under the wedding gown to the sunlight through the magnolia trees, Blake and Jordan’s wedding day cultivated a wonderful sense of whimsy.
The Couple’s names: Blake and Jordan Blankenbecler
Wedding Date: June 10, 2017
Location: Belle Meade Plantation, Nashville, Tennessee
Tell us “your story” in a few sentences. I (Blake) moved to Nashville in 2015 for grad school. A friend invited me to a shrimp boil over Labor Day weekend. I figured it would be a good idea to say yes to the invite seeing as I had just moved to town and needed friends. Lo and behold, the shrimp boil was at Jordan’s house. He liked my shoes (leopard print high top Superga’s) and I liked how he made me laugh. After we kept running into each other, Jordan asked me on a date and it didn’t take us long to fall in love. On our wedding day, I wore white high top Superga’s because it was only appropriate!
Pick three words you would use to describe your wedding. Classical, whimsical, beautiful
You have awesome style! Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic. We wanted Belle Meade to be the backdrop of our wedding because it is just so lush and green and beautiful. We knew we wouldn’t have to work hard to make it beautiful because the setting already is! They have magnolia trees around the entire property and the white flower against the dark green crisp leaves was a stunning detail to us. We decided to make the magnolia flower the theme of our wedding and we are so glad we did! Both Jordan and I have a pretty classic and refined style. We went with colors for both the bridesmaids and the groomsmen that would stand out against the green backdrop. We spent time accentuating the beauty that was already there and couldn’t be more happy about how the day turned out!
What was your very favorite detail from the day? The light was absolutely magical! A guest told us our ceremony was like being in the Garden of Eden. Walking down the aisle with my Dad – we were both crying – then getting to see Jordan and FINALLY marry him in front of out most important people… hands down the best. Also, I can’t go without mentioning the dance floor. The.Most.Fun.Ever!
What is one thing you wish you would’ve known before you started wedding planning? Decision fatigue is a very real thing. Give yourself three options for everything and make the decision from those three. Oh, and wedding planners are God’s sweet sweet gift to brides and their moms! At first, my mom and I didn’t see the value of a planner, but as we got deeper into the wedding planning waters, we knew we couldn’t do it alone. Lindsay was such a God-sent to us as my mom and I had never planned a wedding before!
Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! We ADORED our paper lovelies!! The stationary was a very important detail to me as I think it sets the tone for the wedding and I am just a sucker for all things paper. Emily was a gem-and-a-half to work with. She was able to see our vision and make it personal to a T! They honestly turned out better and more beautiful than I imagined and I have Emily to thank for her creativity and beauty she put into every detail.
Blake and Jordan were the ideal clients. They were laid back but knew exactly what they wanted – which made designing super fun and easy! With the magnolia as the centerpiece, we had to add it the invitations! A watercolor magnolia was the perfect fit. I also loved how they picked an oversized font for the bride/groom names with a watercolor effect that had grey tones changing throughout the letters. Their suite was a perfect example of how a wedding invitation can be flat printed and look exquisite! They also added southern vintage stamps which added a wonderful additional to the suite. They knew exactly where to add the special touches. Great taste, a touch of the southern whimsy, and a couple full of love and laughter truly made for a joyful celebration! Thank you, Blake and Jordan, for allowing us to be a small part of such a deeply important day.
Anything else you’d like to tell us? It takes a village to make an event like this happen! I couldn’t have done it without the help of my mom and dad…they worked so hard to make this day beautiful and I’m incredibly grateful for their love and support!
DRESS Ladies of Lineage Bridal Boutique // ACCESSORIES earrings Anthropologie, shoes Superga Sneakers // VENUE Belle Meade Plantation // PHOTOGRAPHY The Image is Found // WEDDING PLANNER Lindsay Rothrock // PAPER Emily O. Holmes // FLOWERS Shannon McLaughlin // CATERER Infinity Events & Catering // CAKE Amanda LeSaicherre // RENTALS Liberty Party Rentals // BRIDESMAID ATTIRE Weddington Way // GROOMSMEN ATTIRE Tailors’ Keep // MAKE UP Tina Davis // HAIR Alyssa Krauss
