Pinterest: The Good. The Bad. The Ugly

Written by Kylie Frock, Event Intern

Pinterest is a fantastic resource for all things weddings. From center pieces to venues to unique wedding favors. We love Pinterest because it gives us the opportunity to see the vision the couple has for their wedding day. Here are some pros and cons for planning your wedding on Pinterest.

Wedding Planner or No Wedding Planner

Pros: You can plan out your entire day on Pinterest from flowers, linens, cake, venue, photographer, lights, catering, and so on. It’s a fantastic tool to use while planning your wedding to make your day perfect.

Cons: Pinterest can plan you perfect day on paper, but when it comes down to the actual day we high recommended a wedding planner. Wedding planners know how to take care of set up, the flow of the ceremony, coordinating with the catering company, the DJ, the florist, and the photographers. They are there to take care of all of that so you can relax and enjoying your day.

Your Wedding Theme

Pros: Pinterest has an abundance of ideas for themes. You may want an English Garden theme for your wedding, but are lacking inspiration. Pinterest will give you all aspects of the theme, and you have the option to narrow your search down.

Cons: Because Pinterest has so many ideas it is very easy to get overwhelmed with your theme. Also, Pinterest has been around for a few years and some of the theme ideas are out of date.

Perfection is in the Details

Pros: Pinterest is great when you are a detail-oriented bride. There are so many great ideas for flowers, cakes, place setting, linens, color palets…..you name it! The best part, many of the pins are linked to the company website where you can order it.

Cons: Details are great, but you can get caught up in them and forget about the bigger picture. For example, the wedding budget. You may love this specific floral arrangement, but the florist can’t make it just like the picture with your floral budget.

Groom ~ Don't Forget About Him! 

Pros: Tuxedos are great for weddings, but if you want something more unique Pinterest has some great ideas. Trends, colors, textures, and styles are all there for you two to choose from.

Cons: You want your groom to be looking great, and we understand that, but does he like the options? Make sure that his suit fits his physique so that he is comfortable all night long. It maybe be hard to find the style you are looking for in your area. We suggest contacting your local Tuxedo Rental Store. Also, let his personality show in his suit. He wants to wear a Super Man shirt under his suit....let him! Its his day too. 

What is your wedding theme?

A wedding style is something that every wedding has. It’s not “stylish”- it is a style. Often times a wedding style is an adjective- romantic, vintage, rustic, whimsical, etc.   It’s because a wedding’s style is what defines it- plain and simple. A wedding style is a necessary part of wedding planning because it helps you to define all other elements of your wedding-  decor, type of reception, food, music and on and on. Your wedding style will also help you when trying to convey to other vendors what your wedding vision is. Trust me on this- you absolutely WANT to define your wedding style!

1. Vintage

What we love most about Vintage weddings is they never go out of style, and quite honestly we can't get enough of them! Whether you love 1930's Art Deco and Great Gatsby-style luxury, or prefer a more homespun 1940's look, a vintage wedding theme always looks great.

Here are just a few of our favorite vintage ideas we have seen from our brides: 

2. Rustic

We like to think that we specialize in the rustic world, and now more than ever farm weddings have never been more popular! Our world famous historic southern mansion and rustic cabin make the ideal background for all the rustic charm. 

Here is a showcase of some rustic charm our brides have brought in to make our venue shine:

3. Romantic

Every bride deserves to feel like a princess on her wedding day. Some of our brides have showed us some romantic ideas for their fairy tale come to life.

4. Whimsical

Extravagant and playful, the whimsical wedding theme varies greatly by definition. Whimsical weddings run from magical, pixie style weddings to over-the-top and naturally dreamy! 

Your wedding decor, cake and favors are great ways to show off your wedding theme to guests. No matter what theme you have in mind for your wedding, we hope these ideas and inspirations can help make your vision a reality!

Top Ten of 2016

We had so many beautiful memories and moments in 2016 that we could simply not narrow it down to just 10 best photos, this year we have decided to separate them into 10 categories. Here are the best of the best in each one: 

10. Place Settings/Decorations: 

9. The wedding parties that couldn't stop having FUN:

8. Our FAVORITE backdrop:

7. The dress of our dreams:

6. The most unique ideas:

5. The dessert that isn't your average cake walk:

4.  These "firsts" that are putting hearts in our eyes:

3. The bridal portraits that are blowing us away:

2. The best finale 

1. The guests that (almost) stole the show: 

Thank you to all our brides, grooms, guests and vendors for making 2016 a wonderful year. We look forward to all the ideas and weddings we will see in 2017! 

Featured Wedding: Hannah & Luke

September 17th, 2016

Cabin by the Spring

On the morning of September 17th, Hannah and Luke were faced with a forecast of rain for their wedding day. However, this beautiful couple did not let a little sprinkle get in the way of their perfect day. The bride and groom embraced the day with the biggest smiles and their love for each other shined bright enough to clear away the clouds just in time for their ceremony. 

Hannah’s dress was absolutely stunning. All of the subtle details added to the intricate beauty of it. She looked radiant. For her bridesmaid’s dresses, Hannah chose an elegant navy dress with silver beading on the top to add a bit of sparkle.

Hannah and Luke chose to do their first look on the front lawn of the Hermitage Mansion. Luke’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time was straight out of a fairy tale. He spun her like a princess to get the full view of her gorgeous gown. Honestly, it was hard to pick just four photos to showcase these two. All of their shots were beautiful!

Their bridal party was also such a joy to work with! This group had so much fun and you could tell. Luke’s groomsmen in grey suits with blue accents really brought out the color scheme Hannah was going for. The bridesmaid’s bouquets of sunflowers truly brightened the day in the best way.

The couple’s ceremony and reception happened at The Cabin by the Spring. Their outdoor ceremony was able to happen thanks to a nice break in the clouds! The reception was elegantly simple and really captured the couple’s style. The burlap, lace, wood, and sunflower centerpieces created a homey feel that was inviting for all of their guests. I loved their dessert table as it was so personal to the groom! His family has a tradition of having “pie time” every morning and so he thought it was fitting to include “pie time” into the wedding. Family members brought in a variety of pies to be served! It was so unique and personal!

This couple exuded love and had a blast throughout their wedding day. Thank you for letting us be a part of your big day! Best wishes to the new Mr. and Mrs. McKee! 

"Growing up near the Hermitage, I never imagined it would be the place where I would marry the man of my dreams. After our visit and tour of the grounds, Luke and I knew it was the perfect fit for us. The Hermitage had the history, beautiful scenery, and rustic charm we were looking for. The grounds, the garden, and the mansion provided a beautiful backdrop for our wedding and made for some great pictures. We had our ceremony under one of the large majestic trees located near the Cabin by the Spring, and the reception was cozy and intimate inside the Cabin. I cannot thank the Hermitage staff enough for helping to make our day so memorable and stress-free. Lastly, I love that the Hermitage will be a place for us to visit for many years to come and reminisce about our special day" - Hannah McKee, the bride

Venue: Cabin by the Springs

Photographer: Zach & Sarah Photography

You're Engaged! Now what?

Congratulations! You’re engaged! Now what?

With your new piece of jewelry sparkling on your left hand, it’s finally time to put all of those years of Pinteresting to use! All of those details and questions start swirling around and your head and it can be hard to figure out where to start in planning one of the most special days of your life. Don’t worry! I’m here to help.

First, RELAX! You have more than enough time to plan your perfect wedding! Here are the first three steps to get the ball rolling.

1. Decide on WHEN you would like to get married.

• The most popular wedding months in Tennessee are May, September, and October.
• If you're wanting an outdoor wedding, consider later May or the fall months as they are less rainy.

2. Consider hiring a WEDDING PLANNER.

• They know the industry inside and out and can help guide you to the vendors that work best for your vision and budget.
• They have done this whole process before and can help ease the stress of it all for you!

3. Create your BUDGET.

• You can't start booking vendors or your venue until you know your budget, so it's important to figure this out before getting ahead of yourself.
• Come up with two budgets: your ideal budget and then one with the maximum amount you are willing and able to spend. Don't go over that second budget.

Now the fun parts:  compiling a GUEST LIST and beginning to VENUE SEARCH! Compiling your guest list right now does not mean this is the exact list of who you will be inviting to your wedding because things change, but it will give you an estimate of what size wedding you’re looking for. Once you have an approximate guest count and an estimated budget, you can begin to look for the perfect space.

Enjoy this time in your planning process. It’s just the beginning and should set you on the path to create the day you’ve been dreaming about! Make sure you check back next week for the next part of the wedding planning series about CHOOSING YOUR DATE AND VENUE!