While this book is not wedding themed, it is a great gift for newlyweds or for the girl who is always throwing parties.

One of my favorite sections is the introduction.  There are tons of great tips, planning styles, how to use lighting and decor as well as food and drink ideas.

Instead of breaking down the book by styles, she organizes it by type of party.

• Lighthearted Going-Away Roast
• Yen-for-Zen Garden Get-Together
• Martini Birthday Bash
• Guys-Only Scotch & Cigars Gathering
• Tween Spa Birthday
• Meet & Potatoes Dinner Party
• Sophisticated Retro Baby Shower
• Elegant Thanksgiving Potluck
• Swashbuckling Walk-the-Plank Pirate Party
• Holiday Coffee Drop-In

Every party contains an idea board, tips to make this party fabulous, centerpieces, recipes, how-to projects, happy accidents and much more.

Get this book now:  You're So Invited: Panic Less, Play More, and Get Your Party On!

Unless it is in your contract, you are not obligated to tip anyone. Tipping is optional.  It is a way to say thank-you for exceptional service or going above and beyond.  You are not expected to tip business owners; a positive review online or thank-you note is always appreciated.  You should tip just their employees or staff.  However, you can tip anyone when the service exceeds your expectations.

I hope you had a chance to visit Homestead Manor during their open house.  This venue is now open for weddings and events.

I joined many wonderful vendors to create the experience that evening.  My main contribution was staging and design as well as a few small floral arrangements.

Maury Light Artillery sent reenactors in period clothing to greet the guests and mingle around the grounds.

Photo: Michelle Richardson

Photo: Nicole Scholz

Upstairs a cigar girl, was the hostess.

Photo: Tennessean - John Partipilo

The manor was open for visitors to explore.  Each room had its own decor and feel.

Photo: Nicole Scholz

The whimsical dessert room.  Look at the cake from Eat the Art...

Photo: Nicole Scholz

The beautiful rustic elegant room in a lovely white and silver color palette.

Photo: Michelle Richardson

Photo: Michelle Richardson

Outside the house, Bright Events provided lighting as well as some fun signs.

There was simple decor scattered around the grounds.

As well as beautiful food displays and decor from Clemmie Grace Designs. 

As well as the food truck, local wine, beer and other refreshments.

Photo: Nicole Scholz

Check out this video from John Jordan Films:

Homestead Manor Open House Promotion from John Jordan Films on Vimeo.

It is very common is many ceremonies to have a symbol of the unity of the couple.  This is commonly a unity candle or a sand ceremony.   However, a trend that is both new and thousands of years old is appearing in ceremonies - the salt covenant.

The Covenant of Salt ceremony is used in many Biblical traditions. Salt is referred to in the Bible many times, since it was a very important and valued commodity.   The salt covenant in Bible times was a covenant of loyalty.  

Salt is used because historically salt was priceless and sometimes more valuable than gold. Men were paid for their labor in salt. We still have the word “salary” from the Latin word for salt because Roman soldiers were paid partly in salt.  This history also created the saying "...not worth his salt."

In the Bible, when a contract was made, each party would recite the details of the covenant, put a pinch of salt into the others pouch of salt, and then shake the pouches. It was said that when each grain of salt could be sorted, identified, and returned to the rightful owner, the contract could be broken.  So, once the covenant of loyalty was spoken and made, it was bound on earth and recorded in heaven.  

Check out this salt covenant set on Etsy

On May 2nd, Homestead Manor will be hosting an open house to celebrate its reopening.  Join them as they reveal the updates to the manor and feature preferred vendors and some amazing sponsors.

There will be complimentary champagne, appetizers, valet, music, dancing and much more.  Beer, wine, cocktails and additional food will be available for purchase with the proceeds benefiting the Heritage Foundation.

May 2, 2013

6pm - 11pm

Thompson Station, TN

Sponsor List:

Event Hospitality, LLC
Puckett's Restaurant
Southern Events
Classic Party Rentals
Grand Ave Limo
High Tone Entertainment
Events by Elaine
Bright Event Productions
Java Breeze
Playing by Air
Nationwide Valet
Maury Light Artillery
Nicole Scholz Photography
Mdr Photography
Sweet Ndulgence
John Jordan Films
Monty McInterff
Best Bet
Nashville Audio Visual
Center for Arts
Royal Flush
Lulu Franklin
Pour Taste
Eat the Art
Cigar Station
Exquisite Events
TN Chocolatier
Lipman Brothers
Collier & McKeel
Gordon Food Service
Clemmie Grace Designs

Located about 45 minutes south of Nashville, the area around Columbia TN has a wonderful small town feel.    There are a variety of different venues in and around Columbia and surrounding area.  Here is a collection of venues sorted by location.  

If you are planning a wedding or event, contact me for more detailed information about these and other venues that will fit your event. 

Updated 2022: This list has been updated to add and remove available venues. 

Columbia:

Meadow Hill Farm
A newly renovated 100 year old farm is the perfect place for your nuptials. This gorgeous location can hold 200 guests. 

Puckets Events
Pucketts in Columbia has a restaurant and upstairs event space - Guitar and Cadillac Hall.  This restaurant can seat 120 while the upstairs space can hold 250.  

Memorial Building
This building has been hosting community events since the 1940s. 

Cranford Hollow
A modern, beautiful white barn set on a lovely farm with amazing views. Includes tables and chairs as well as a bride and groom quarters with great views. Grab our free guide to planning your wedding at Cranford Hollow.

Mule Town Lumberyard
This old lumberyard has been restored into a warehouse venue for up to 100 guests. 

Antrim
With 300 acres and a historic brick home, there is something for every bride. 

Ridley 4H Center
This campus has a dining hall, ampitheater, gazebo, and lodge to hold your event from 30 - 400

The Blue Barn
A beautiful large barn set in a rural location. 

Natchez Hills Vineyard
Southwest of Columbia, Surrounded by vines, this venue offer indoor and outdoor spaces as well as inclusive packages.

Hay Long Chapel
In nearby Mt Pleasant, this historic chapel is a great place for small weddings

Black Twig Farms
A beautiful setting for outdoor weddings and ceremonies

The Barn on Bear Creek
A barn venue a few minutes from the interstate.

To the East (Culleoka and Lewisburg)

Cypress Barn at Miller Lake
A large barn with a beautiful setting by the lake.  

Double Creek Farm
A beautiful large new white barn set in the country with a large patio and outdoor fireplace.

Flat Rock Farm
A horse farm in Lewisburg offer rustic elegance

Cascata Springs
An Italian inspired villa by the water

 Echo Valley Farm
A rustic cattle farm offers a farm setting for your event.

Venue 111
A restored 100 year old building on the square in Lewisburg.

To the South (Pulaski and Lynnville)

Milky Way Farm
This farm, built by Frank Mars the founder of Mars Candy offers a large expanse of acreage, multiple barns, a chapel and a mansion to choose from. 

Circle G Ranch
A large equestrian farm with multiple barns and venue options

Rose Marry Farms
A century old restored barn is the background for your special day. 

 Hardy Chambers Farmhouse
This restored 1800’s farmhouse offers a picturesque setting for your event

To the North (Spring Hill & Thompson Station)

Homestead Manor
This space offers an event barn, outdoor spaces, and a historic manor.

Rippavilla Plantation
A historic plantation with beautiful indoor spots for photos and multiple large outdoor spaces. 

Towee Club
This golf course and banquet space is available for your event

Allenbrooke Farms
A 70 acre farm is home to a large modern climate controlled barn.  Lots of beautiful decor and upgrades available.

Venue at Birchwood
This modern barn also offers a charming stone chapel for your ceremony as well as a modern barn with tables and chairs.

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When I first met Kristen and Lance, the first thing I noticed was, of course, the fact that they are stunning.  Then, once I got to know them, I realized that they are even more beautiful on the inside.  They are sweet and fun.

Kristen was in love with all things sparkly and fun, along with a good dose of purple.  Lance came from a family heritage of music and continued the tradition by singing in his own band. 

Kristen had her bouquet custom made with brooches from her grandmother and relatives.

After a first look, they took some time to take some amazing photos!

After the ceremony, guests went to the Westbury House in Columbia, TN. The reception was filled with purple accents and a stunning purple candy bar.   

Old family records were used as a guest book:

The brides cake included more brooches from her family and the grooms cake was a record.

A live band was at the reception and the groom took time to sing for his guests. 

After the reception, sparklers helped cheer the bride and groom to their exit in "Bessie" the awesome '55 Ford Customline

Here is a sneak peek from the after session - Kristen is breathtaking!!

Vendors:

Planner: Events by Elaine 

Photographer: Visions by Valeisha

Ceremony: Maury Hills Church

Reception: Westbury House

Catering: Classic Catering by Julie

Lighting & Videography: Osborne Studio

Bouquet: Whim Wed

Floral: Columbia Carriage House

Cake: The Sweet Life

Chalkboard signs have been a trend in weddings for the last year or so and will continue to be so.  They can be used to lend a rustic, vintage or indie trend to any wedding.

Simple DIY chalkboards can be used as programs or signs adding a nice simple touch. 

If you are wanting a more artistic option, check out Custom Chalk here in Middle TN.   They offer amazing and custom options.

At your wedding, you probably want everything to go smoothly with no disruptions.  So what happens when there is a problem?  Who gets to tell you uncle to stop drinking or make sure your ex-boyfriend doesn't crash the wedding?

Source

Your new best friend - your wedding planner.

See we have no problem telling someone that have to leave the building or aren't allowed to attend.  If they are in the wrong place, we will tell them to please go to where they need to be.  It isn't that we are cold and heartless.  It is that we know what has to be done and we are detached from the emotions of the situation.  At the end of the day, we don't have to be related to them or stay friends with them like you do.  Having a wedding planner can save your relationship while still keep things running smoothly.

Jessie and Justin were married at Dyer Observatory in Nashville on a beautiful summer day.  One of the first things that Jessie told me was that she loved the color pink.  We worked together to include her favorite color as well as Justin's art background.

A fun summer picnic was part of the feel that we tried to include.  Using an old family marriage license, I created their wedding invitation.  

The bridesmaids wore mismatched dresses that they chose themselves. 

Instead of table numbers, each table had a picture of a work of art with a theme of the stars or planets combining Justin's love of art and the observatory. 

Guests were treated to picnic style food and a lemonade bar with 4 kinds of lemonade and garnish with personalized mason jars.  There was also homemade limoncello. 

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, selected friends and guests brought homemade cakes for guests to enjoy. 

Later that evening, the Sugar Wagon arrived with custom ice cream sandwiches. 

Such a sweet couple.....

Venue: Dyer Observatory
Photographer: Alan Hudson
Florist: Trellis Designs
Catering: BEP
Dessert: Sugar Wagon
Invitation: Events by Elaine
Rentals: Liberty Party Rental
Transportation: Grand Avenue
DJ: Ryan Crosslin

Some of the benefits of hiring a wedding planner aren't on the usual list.  One of the perks and advantages of hiring a wedding planner is that they aren't related to you.

They aren't your family or friends.  They will give you an unbiased opinion about ideas.  They aren't trying to please everyone in your family...just you, the bride.  While they respect and value traditions, the won't try to convince you of something because "it's always been done that way."  Having someone who isn't emotionally invested can be a life saver.  We can step back and look at the big picture and find the compromise.

See more photos from this wedding

We can help negotiate through tricky situations.  Dealing with family can sometimes be one of the hardest aspects of wedding planning.  Navigating through these family issues with a neutral person can save your sanity and relationships.    

Read: 8 tips for dealing with family during your wedding

As brides, you are overwhelmed with inspiration on a daily basis.  In addition to TV shows and magazines, there are daily blogs.  Then there is Pinterest and other wedding collection sites such as lover.ly. 

At what point do you get bored looking at weddings?  Does everything start to look the same?

Check out this awesome article at Mountain Side Bride from a photographer to wedding bloggers...

" I’ve seen gorgeous wedding photography shot by colleagues turned down for publication. Why? Because not all of our weddings include brides sporting bird nests in their hair, or pretty, young Anthropologie-swathed bridesmaids, or meticulously stenciled miniature burlap dinosaurs holding up place cards made from the recycled issues of Rolling Stone, or weddings held in obscure meadows that can only be reached via bush pilot or a team of sled dogs. Sound over the top? It is, but you publish this stuff daily! So what is the reality behind many weddings?

Sometimes our clients get married in churches, country clubs, or even a VFWs (oh yes… it’s true!).
Sometimes they wear a simple silk wedding dresses, or employ florists instead of roaming the hillsides of Sweden picking wildflowers the morning of their weddings. Sometimes they are doctors, lawyers, or police officers who are too busy to make custom bird cake-toppers and who don’t have access to a baby-blue vintage bicycles. Sometimes their weddings are simple/normal/average."

Heather and Ben were married in a gorgeous ceremony at Hermitage Hotel.  Although she was traveling for a lot of the time during planning, Heather and her mom created many DIY elements for her wedding.

The red, white and black color scheme added a very elegant feel to the day.

Each guest was given a small box of flower petals to throw as the couple left the ceremony. 

This elaborate and ornate cake matched many of the details on the brides dress.

Look at this great groom's cake - the WKU mascot

Custom framed escort cards for all the guests

A candy bar was one of the many details the bride provided for her guests. 

The color scheme added an elegant feel to the reception.  Red roses were the centerpieces throughout with red napkin rings, black napkins and an assortment of crystal candle holders. 

Check out this awesome kids table!

The head table was in the middle of the room.  The bride and groom had red and white pillows for their chairs.  

The bride changed dress for the reception

As a cheerleader, the bride performed a few stunts for her guests. 

The bridesmaids and groomsmen having some fun during photos. 

So beautiful!

Nashville Wedding Video :: Heather + Ben from Catchlight Cinema on Vimeo.

Photographer:  Matt Andrews Photography

Venue Name:  Hermitage Hotel

Videographer:  Catchlight Cinema

Makeup Artist:  Shelly Nicole

Cake Designer:  Signature Cakes by Vicki

DJ: Brandon Cummings

Dress:  The White Room

Flowers: Belles Fleurs

Stationery:  Prim and Paper

Ceremony Music:  Blue Tone Music

Tuxedos: Street Tuxedo

Photo Booth:  Aww Snap!

This Sunday, November 4th will be the "Here Comes the Brides" bridal show in Franklin.

The show will held from 1 - 5 pm at the Factory in Franklin.  There will be lots of prizes, a fashion show and the bridal wars games.

Print this image for 2 free tickets.   I hope to see you at the show.

If you are a DIY bride, this book should be your encyclopedia.

It is filled with ideas and projects for different styles of weddings from vintage to modern.  Each project gives the difficulty level, category (decor, ceremony, etc), time estimate, when to start before the wedding, whether it is a group or individual project and finally the cost for supplies (not tools).  This key is what makes this book so friendly for both experienced crafters and newbies.

In the front is a list of places to find inspiration as well as materials ranging from the usual to unique.  In the back is an appendix with multiple resources.  First is a list of tools broken down by type and usage.  Next, is a list of website resources arranged by project style.  Following that is a wedding planning timeline and then a guide to invitations.

The book is broken down into six distinct wedding styles.

• Retro homespun
• Girly romantic
• Happy graphic
• Organic minimal
• Modern classic
• Found

Each style contain nine projects in the style and color palette.  There are unique ideas for each section.

Check out this great book:  

Handmade Weddings: More Than 50 Crafts to Personalize Your Big Day

Yesterday, I visited the intimate bridal show at McConnell House.  This is truthfully my favorite kind of show; It is smaller, intimate and allows for more mingling.  Guests and vendors had time to talk, visit and enjoy the afternoon.

McConnell House is a beautiful house with multiple large rooms.  In addition to weddings, he versatile space lends itself to corporate events and private parties.

Some of the many great vendors in attendance were:
(Disclosure: I am not a photographer.  These were quick photos with my phone)

High Tone Entertainment provided the music and lighting for the event

John Jordan Films was in the entry showing brides his fabulous videography options.

The makeup and hair for the fashion show was provided by Marz and Bishop's Salon

The bar was giving complimentary champagne as well as multiple St. Germain cocktails

The apparel was provided by Arzelle's and Street Tuxedo

Flashtastic Photo booth was providing guests with a fun memento of the day. 

Something Detailed  had a display of their gorgeous invitations and stationery. 

Check out this great idea for a "guest book".  The front has a variety of phrases and Scriptures along with your wedding date.  The back (see sign on far right) has your name and space for all of your guests to sign.   Richard - 615.474.3034

Southern Events staged a stunning table with some of their rentals, as well as inspiration books for the brides.  All of the florals for the day were provided by Green Finch Floral Design

Cake and desserts were provided by Wolfe Gourmet Cakes.  Look at the Smores bar...

See photos from the fashion show.