What's Trending? Wedding 2017

THE LOOK
Modern & Industrial Vibe
We’ve seen a little bit of the more modern and industrial look come in at the tail end of 2016. Couples are anticipated to include a mix of metallic and whites into their color palate to achieve this look. Incorporating softer, brushed metallic metals like copper, bronze, and rose gold will be much more popular. Holding receptions in warehouses with an industrial vibe paired with modern décor is a combination made in heaven. 

Florals
In 2017, the floral trend will shift more towards natural looking arrangements and decor. Lush garlands of cascading blooms have been a booming trend as of late. Whether they are used as tabletop runners, replacing centerpieces and traditional runners or adorning ceremony altars, these garlands of greenery create a natural and romantic focal point. Additionally, brides are choosing natural blush tones and succulents to round out their floral arrangements. This trend is absolutely stunning. 

THE MEAL
Comfort Foods & Family Recipes
This trend has been slowly making its way to the top of couple’s wish lists for their receptions. Incorporating foods that the couple grew up on is becoming increasingly popular on wedding menus as it is a way to make the event even more personal. If you love your grandmother’s meatballs or your dad makes the best fried chicken, we’re seeing couples bringing those recipes to their caterers to craft a meal around these favorites. Not only are the family’s recipes being brought into the big day, but we’re seeing more and more receptions where the bride and groom’s families are making all of the desserts. Whether it’s a plethora of pies or a variety of cookies, this trend is sure to hit the spot.

Local Booze Selection    
With the growing hype of local craft breweries and distilleries, couples are choosing to include a taste of their wedding city into their receptions. Whether that’s creating a signature cocktail using liquor from the area or offering a beer flight of local selections, this is a trend that adds in a little local flair for your guests to enjoy. Especially here in Nashville, TN, we have quite the selection to choose from!

THE CEREMONY
First Looks
I love that couples are shying away from the traditional and embracing the first look. To me, it creates such an intimate moment for the bride and groom before the ceremony where all eyes are not on them. It allows the couple to get rid of a lot of the nerves they may have about not seeing each other before they are walking down the aisle. Not only all of that, but it makes for some stunning and heartfelt photos too! Some of my favorite wedding photos are those taken during a first look. 

2017 is shaping up to be one trendy year for weddings! Looking forward to seeing all of these in the weddings here at The Hermitage!

Featured Wedding: Katie & Michael

Katie and Michael’s wedding day was one to be remembered. They were one of the most easy-going couple’s we’ve had the pleasure of working with. Their family and friends were so supportive of the pair that it was hard not to be excited for their big day! The beautiful October weather allowed Jason Tucker Photography to capture some beautiful moments.

Tucker Photography

The natural blush tones of the bridesmaid’s dresses and flowers worked seamlessly with the light purple and gray of the groomsmen’s tuxes. Their florist, In Full Bloom, created gorgeous arrangements that matched their color scheme to a tee. We couldn’t help but gush over the little flower girls in their dresses! They were so cute! Katie & Michael chose a ceremony under the trees in front of the Cabin by the Spring.

For their reception, the bride chose plum table cloths and natural centerpieces. It was a non-stop party for the pair after their nuptials. All of the guests enjoyed the live band and danced the night away. With ribbon wands and lavender pieces being thrown, the couple made their grand exit to their classic blue Jaguar getaway car. It was a night to remember! Congratulations Katie & Michael!

Tucker Photography

Wedding Venue: Cabin by the Spring

Wedding Coordinator: Shannon Thomas at the Hermitage

Photography: Tucker Photography

Flowers: In Full Bloom

Catering: Two Fat Men Catering

Getaway Car: Matchless

Lighting: Nashville Audio Visual

Cake: Signature Cakes by Vicki

Featured Wedding: Marissa & Henry

Everyone looks gorgeous on their wedding day. It's a mixture of all of the joy, adrenaline, and, for us ladies, spending more than 5 hurried minutes on our makeup! Marissa and Henry, though, have to be one of the most gorgeous couples in the history of weddings, and they are so loving and trusting of each other that it makes them beautiful people on the inside and out. 

Marissa and Henry are also world travelers! During their entire wedding planning process, they were living in Dubai, so we had a lot of Skype sessions to make sure that they had the wedding they wanted even though they couldn't be here to do it all themselves. It was an ideal spring wedding, full of soft colors, a little, lucky rain shower, and this happy couple, who took off the next day for their Sri Lanka honeymoon! If you love what you see, be sure to scroll all the way down for the list of their rock star wedding vendors!

Seriously, they look like they could be models! Their wedding photos  are so dreamy!

Marissa chose soft greens and purples for her wedding colors, and we're enchanted with her bouquet!

Then there's our trusty golf cart! It's not a Hermitage wedding unless you get an a ride around the grounds!

Marissa and Henry wanted to tie the knot outside and chose to do so under one of our largest trees. A little sprinkle started during the ceremony, but the wedding party and most of the guests were completely sheltered by the canopy of leaves above them. The light rain made it feel like a moment out of a romantic movie.

Apparently, Henry likes donkeys, so he had to get a quick picture with Homer, who's stomping grounds are on site.

Marissa and Henry are history buffs and wanted to incorporate the history of the Hermitage into their wedding somehow. They chose to organize their seating chart with presidents instead of numbers, so guests could look up their name to find out if they were at the Thomas Jefferson or Teddy Roosevelt tables. The images of the presidents even had a subtle purple tint so they would match the decor! 

Since this was a destination wedding for everyone, Henry and Marissa wanted to stick with some classic Southern food. Everyone got a taste of Nashville!

The swagged lights Marissa decided to add in the Cabin looked amazing and added just a little more magic to the evening.

It was such a perfect day for this amazing couple, and we're so glad we got to be a part of it!

Here are the wedding vendors who helped make their day perfect:

Venue: Andrew Jackson's Hermitage- Cabin by the Spring 

Planning: Emily Piepenbrink at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage

Photography: Emily Lester Photography

Rentals: Liberty Party Rentals

Lighting: Nashville Audio Visual

Catering: Two Fat Men

Florals: GreenFinch Floral Design

Cake: Dulce Desserts

Ceremony Music: Avery Bright

DJ: Nashville Party Authority

The Toilet: Your Wedding's Unspoken Hero

Photo by Felix Andre Skulstad

I won’t lie, I love a nice bathroom. Bathrooms are like life’s little rest stops; they afford small breaks for you to relax and collect yourself. If you’re female, they allow for some fantastic bonding moments as we can never seem to go to them alone. So today, I’d like us all to take some time to think and appreciate the wiz palaces at our weddings.

First, as a bride, you should definitely give some thought to the restrooms at your wedding venue. This is the place where you and your closest bridesmaids will be undertaking the herculean task of holding up your dress while you try to relieve yourself while not being able to see the commode. So… make sure there’s more than one restroom because you never know how long that will take. Then make sure that there’s at least one stall that can hold four of you standing at once. Don’t you already feel more grateful for that commonplace piece of porcelain?

Second, think about all the ways (beyond the obvious) that bathrooms will help your guests. When your Cousin Sarah’s new baby is wailing for a diaper change, the bathrooms come to the rescue. When Uncle Pat gets chocolate icing all over himself, the bathrooms come to the rescue. When one of your bridesmaids needs to have a very intense, very private conversation with her friend about the fact that she’s still single, the bathrooms come to the rescue. Your guests will appreciate that you’ve made the restrooms as comfortable as possible for their moments of crisis.

This leads us to the fact that restrooms are a popular place at weddings. Everyone will visit them at some point that day. Because of that, I think it’s fun to include them in your decorating plan as well. Add a flower arrangement, a basket of supplies (hairspray, deodorant, etc), or even some cute bathtub baby photos of you and your groom on the countertops of your venue’s restrooms. Since everyone will end up washing their hands (we hope), the bathroom countertop is a great place to decorate!

Going to the bathroom isn’t something most folks think about when planning or attending a wedding, but it’s one of the most vital aspects of them. So let’s stop forgetting about that important little antechamber and start celebrating it. Hooray for the humble toilet!