This  beautiful outdoor fall wedding was a gathering of friends and family to celebrate the love of this couple.

The bride wanted the event to be fresh and natural, much like the venue which consisted of an old log cabin, barn and tents set up for the event.  The venue was surrounded by woods, fields and a creek all creating the secluded and natural feel the bride desired.  The bridal party stayed overnight in the cabin the evening before the wedding sharing laughter and friendship.

Many of the vendors were friends or co-workers of the bride.  The ceremony musicians brought guitars and drums and played hymns and old religious songs. The groom made all of the chalkboard signs. The florist came onsite the day of the wedding and decorated using flowers she brought as well as florals and stems from the nearby field.  The boutonnieres were succulents or wild stems and berries.

Isn't this plaid tie perfect with the succulent. 

The cake was decorated with roses, succulents, and rosemary and herbs from the bride.  It was multiple single tier cakes placed on an antique cake stand.

This wedding was filled with simplicity that highlighted the incredible love this couple shows for each other.

Photographer: 

Lauren Owens Photography

Event Planner: 

Events by Elaine

Venue: 

Hachland Hill

Flowers: FIORI - 

615-838-8381

Hair Stylist: Elise Harding (friend of bride)

Cake: Hannah Lehrer (friend of bride)

If you search the internet for tips to help you negotiate with vendors, you will find lots of articles and advice.  Some of it is good, some OK and some ridiculous.  

This article from The Knot suggests that you "Try your hand negotiating at a flea market to see what talking style works for you."  Sorry, but wedding professionals are not flea market vendors; we don't haggle. 

Telling a vendor what another competitor charges isn't a great tactic.  Here's why....What I charge for wedding planning isn't the same as what another planner charges.  They offer different options and services.  You aren't comparing apples to apples.  You may pay less only to find out that the other vendor had better service or better tasting food...something that is hard to put a price on. 

The advice to be indifferent and prepared to walk away, that works at flea markets not for wedding professionals.  You might miss booking your dream photographer who only takes one wedding that date.  Would you negotiate with the plumber coming to fix your broken pipes that are spilling water across your floors? 

Don't lie to service vendors and call your wedding a "big family reunion."  The tools and supplies that are customarily included at a wedding wouldn't even be packed if you call it a party.  You could be missing out on services that would have been included - wasting you money in the long run. 

Good Negotiating Tips 

It is completely acceptable to tell a vendor your budget, in fact we prefer to know your budget up front.  If a quote comes in higher than you can afford, talk to the vendor.  We can usually come up with really creative ways to meet your budget.  Flowers too high? Ask the florist to suggest cheaper alternatives, such as flowers that are in season or cheaper per stem for the centerpieces and save the best for the brides bouquet.  

If you can be flexible with your date, such as an off-season or a Friday or Monday, you can get great discounts on venues.  Look for ways to simplify which will save you money.  Do you need both programs and fans?  That is easily $200+ out of your budget.   

Be reasonable about your budget and what you can accomplish with it.

Note sure where to start with creating a gift bag insert?  We have 2 free templates to get you started. Download it in the Resource Library.

It is set up as a tri-fold brochure or a vertical rack style and both are pre-filled with local information such as restaurants or things to do around downtown Nashville.  But everything can be customized to fit your wedding and style.  Enjoy!

(here is a sample that a bride sent me to show how easy it was)

If some of your guest are from out of town, one of the best ways to welcome your guests is to have a gift basket or bag sent to their hotel room.  This basket could have a note from the couple thanking them for sharing in the celebration.  If possible create a small brochure filled with dates, times and locations for the wedding weekend as well as contact information.  Out of town guests may appreciate knowing which restaurants your recommend or what are some fun places to visit.  Everything can be packaged in a simple kraft bag or you could choose a nicer canvas bag, bucket or box to match the colors and theme or your wedding. It can also be a nice touch to include items local to your area.

Ideas for Nashville include:

• Map of the city

• Guest book with tourist attractions

• Food samples made locally - Tennessee tea cakes, Goo-goo clusters, Lynchburg candy, Moon pies, RC Cola, small bottle of Jack Daniels, Loveless jams or baking goods, Yazoo beer, or barbecue sauce from one of numerous local resources.

• Postcards - Ranging from Hatch Show Print designs to vintage reprints to typical kitsch

• Notecards - e.g. Belle Meade Plantation, Hermitage Hotel, Nashville skyline, etc

• Local cookbook

• Maps of historic areas such as Civil Wars trails or Country Music stars homes.

• Souvenirs - Guitar picks or record label pins are just 2 of the small items that can be found.

---

Free Download - Gift Bag Insert brochure for Nashville area.

In Victorian times, communicating through flowers allowed individuals to express feelings.  These were commonly used in Tussie-Mussies, small bouquets of mixed flowers.  .  Some of the meanings might surprise brides who now choose flowers based on colors or appearance instead of meaning.

Belles Fleurs

Baby's breath - innocence
Bells of Ireland - luck
Cabbage - Profit
Calla Lilly - modesty
Carnation, Red - deep love
Carnation, Striped - refusal
Chrysanthemum - truth
Daisy - gentleness
Dahlia - elegance
Dandelion - flirting
Forget-me-nots - true love
Gardenia - ecstasy
Hydrangea - heartlessness
Iris - good news or message
Lily - purity
Lily of the Valley - return of happiness
Orchid - refined beauty
Peony - shame or bashful
Ranunculus - radiant with charm
Rose, Pink - grace
Rose, Red  - everlasting love
Sunflower - lofty thoughts
Tulip - declaration of love

Import flowers

These are just a few of the common flowers and their meanings.  Find more flower meanings.  Next time you select flowers for a bouquet whether for a wedding or just your table at home, think about their meaning and the message you are sending to others.

You see this mentioned on every planning site, in every magazine and every community of brides....Get everything in writing!

But, somehow that message doesn't seem to make it to every bride.  The wedding day arrives and the flowers are delivered and the bride is surprised when there are tiny yellow flowers in her centerpieces.  She hates yellow...however, she never put that in writing in the contract with the florist or even put it in an email.  The florist doesn't know that the bride hates yellow and so has to make changes onsite, or the venue manager or wedding planner has to remove the offending yellow stems.

It you absolutely want something a certain way, shape, size, color, etc, then put in writing with that vendor.  The same goes if you detest a song, flavor, or color.  Wedding vendors do their best to provide you an amazing day, but they aren't psychic.  So many misunderstandings can be avoided by giving specific lists or descriptions to your vendors.  

Now that we have worked on some of the overall details and the ceremony; it is time to focus on the reception.  The reception takes both the largest amount of time the day of your wedding as well as the largest amount of money.

We already looked at picking the overall feel for your wedding.  Thinking about that decision, picture your reception location.

• Hotel - Modern
• Hotel - Historic
• Banquet hall
• Private Home/ Backyard
• Tented/Outdoors
• Country club
• Barn/Rustic
• Historic venue/Plantation
• Offbeat venue - art gallery, museum, etc

Food plays an important part of the reception.  Not just what is served but how the food is served impacts your wedding. Which style fits your wedding?

• Heavy appetizers
• Full buffet
• Served sit down meal
• Food stations
• Casual buffet/picnic

• Smaller vases of flowers with votives
• Centerpieces that are large and detailed
• Unique centerpieces that are personal to you and the groom - stacks of books, travel landmarks, etc
• Tables have alternating but balancing centerpieces
• Details on guest and favor table that complement the wedding theme
• Lighting around the room

Before picking any vendors or deciding on any colors or decor, it is important to determine your wedding style.  This starts by taking your ideal dream wedding and the weddings you are drawn toward and pulling the details that appeal to you.

Start with the time of year - What season do you prefer?

• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

What is your wedding personality?  What kind of wedding photos are you drawn toward?  (You can pick more than one)

• Modern
• Fun/Party
• Casual/Rustic
• Retro/Vintage
• Glamorous
• Asian/Zen
• Old-fashioned
• Floral/Outdoor
• Elegant

Have you always dreamed of a fairytale dress or of everyone having a great party?  For every couple there are some items or events that are more important than others.  These answers will help determine where you should put your focus and your money.

Rank these in order of importance:

• Wedding Dress/Tuxedo
• Photography
• Flowers/Decorations
• Ceremony
• Honeymoon
• Reception

Think about your ceremony.  Where do you picture your ceremony taking place?

• Family church
• Historic church
• Small chapel
• Garden
• Rustic - Cabin/Fireplace
• Beach
• Backyard/Outdoors

Stay tuned for Part 2

When you need something fixed at your home, you hire a contractor, electrician or plumber.  You don't hire them because they can fix it cheaper than you. Nope. While you look at their fees, that is not why you hire them.  You hire them because they have knowledge, experience, a skill set and resources.   They can handle the job efficiently without inconveniencing you.

This same mindset is the one you should use when hiring wedding professionals.  Which vendor will handle the job at your budget while reducing your frustration and stress?  We spend years gaining knowledge and experience while networking to learn the best vendors for each budget and style.   This is why you hire a professional.

I had the pleasure of helping Tommie and Greg with their Zen inspired wedding.   Their ceremony took place at the Japanese gardens at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens while their reception took place at a private home.  Tommie was a breathtakingly gorgeous bride as well as one of the sweetest people I have met.   Divine Images took so many amazing photos that I had a really hard time choosing which ones to use.

See more great photos of this wedding. 

Some of the wonderful elements incorporated at the ceremony included parasols for the bride and bridesmaids and a butterfly release at the end of the ceremony. 

Instead of a traditional guest book, guests signed small rocks that were placed into a Japanese meditation garden.  

The reception took place at a home decorated in the same Japanese feel. There were hanging Japanese lanterns, and vases with orchids throughout.   The Chef and I prepared delicious food throughout the evening.  

Vendors:

Ceremony: Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

Reception: Private Residence

Photographer: Divine Images

Catering: The Chef and I

Florist: Bellevue Florist

Harpist: Amy McKinney

DJ: Cale Carver

Videographer: Dynamic Video

Makeup: Leah Elmquist

Hairstylists: Gordon & Co and  Mary Malone

Officiant: Lynne Jacobs

Rentals: Grand Central