Winter Wedding Inspiration at The Hermitage

Fall and Spring weddings are the most popular in Nashville, but I think Winter weddings might produce some of the most dramatic and romantic photos. The landscape looks so ethereal in the winter lighting, and the white wedding gowns just stand out so beautifully. After scrolling through some photos from a couple of Winter weddings at The Hermitage I think you'll agree!

Jennifer & Todd

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Kristin Sweeting Photography

Bridgitt & James

Tammy Michelle Photography

Tammy Michelle Photography

Tammy Michelle Photography

Tammy Michelle Photography

Tammy Michelle Photography

Tammy Michelle Photography


Featured Wedding: Holli & Michael

Holli and Michael were married on the grounds of The Hermitage this last October, and it was such a beautiful, heart-felt day with tons of personal touches by the bride and her mom! They created the art for their invites and cocktail napkins, sewed pillows and embroidery hoops for decor, pieced together a dozen book page runners, and so much more! It made Holli and Michael's wedding feel very homey and intimate. 

Enjoy the sweet, romantic photos of Holli & Michael's big day that were captured by their fantastic photographer, Cassidy Carson Lynch at Cassidy Carson Photography.

Holli & Michael's ceremony on the grounds was gorgeous! And Michael helped direct the ceremony rehearsal the evening before since he wanted a non-traditional wedding party up front. The bridesmaids and groomsmen walked in in small groups of different sizes and then stood on both sides.

Holli's very crafty mom designed the invites herself!

The grounds of The Hermitage have to be some of the most beautiful around! The couple is pretty good lookin' too!

Holli & Michael ended the evening with an awesome party in a tent near their ceremony site so that everyone could enjoy a short walk on the grounds at sunset.

 I know what a wedding day feels like as a coordinator, but it's always so much more fun to hear about the wedding day from the bride herself! Holli wanted to share the following about her wedding day at The Hermitage:

"October 10, 2015- a day I will not soon forget!  A day filled with so much joy and laughter. It could not have been a more perfect day!  The weather was beautiful, and after the rain the day before I had been worried.  But the rain cleared to a beautiful sunny day!  Throughout the entire day, I felt like I was floating on air!  Every one worked so hard to make everything look so amazing!  I got to enjoy the day with my bridesmaids and never worried about a thing! The natural landscape of the Hermitage all around us was like a painting, and I'm so thankful that my photographer, Cassidy Carson Lynch, captured it and us so well! 

     Our Ceremony and Reception were both located on the grounds.  What once looked like a blank canvas were now so beautifully covered with fresh flowers from Nashville Bloom, painting an even better picture than I could have imagined! With all the hours we spent on creating door altars and entrances, book page table runners and hand stitched and painted embroidery hoops by my mother, our wedding planner Emily brought it all together for the final touches! It really did feel like a dream! It was a beautiful, cozy, string lit tent with 200 of our closest family and friends where our life began as Husband and Wife! On a piece of land where so much history lies, I'm grateful to forever have the first chapter of our history together begin in such an incredible place! 

    One of my favorite memories of the night was walking through a field just on the other side of where our ceremony was to take pictures as newly weds before going to the reception. The sun was setting just right as Michael and I walked in waist high grass towards the setting sun, as if literally walking off into the sunset!  It felt like a scene right out of Pride & Prejudice, and I will cherish it forever!"

Let's Get Crafty!

If your Pinterest page is full of DIY wedding crafts, then you can't miss our DIY Wedding Class Workshops! We're offering 3 classes this winter that will help you put together a stunning wedding day that's full of your personal style.

Our first class is all about creating the perfect rustic wedding. You'll make a burlap table runner and embellished mason jars and flower votives for your centerpieces. Everything you make you get to take home! I'll also show you when to roll out the burlap and when to reign it in so that your rustic wedding doesn't have to get taken out to pasture. And, did I mention that there will be wine? Enjoy complimentary snacks and beverage while you craft!

The next class we're offering is all about the paper goods that are part of the wedding process. You'll learn how to save on save the dates, how to fake calligraphy so that you can make gorgeous signs and invites, and how to make your thank you cards less of a chore. And, again, wine and refreshments to make the day just a little more fun!

Our final class this winter is all about teaching you how to make a stunning tablescape. You'll learn the "rules" of place settings and the best ways to break them. We'll provide decor and dishes so that you can spend some hands-on time playing and designing beautiful tablescapes to help give you an idea of what you might want to do on your big day! (Pssst! We're of course going to have some wine while we do it all!)

If you're interested, there's more information on our website here! It also includes a link to sign up for each class! Can't wait to see you there!

5 Best Shoe Options for Your Wedding

Nyk + Cali Photography

Nyk + Cali Photography

Shoes! Who doesn't love to buy a new pair of shoes? Luckily, getting married means you have a great reason to do just that! Below are 5 of the best shoe styles for a wedding here at The Hermitage. You'll be taking amazing photos across the grounds, wandering around the historic Mansion, and eventually walking down the aisle! These five ideas take all that movement and uneven ground into consideration.

1. Sparkly Flats

Whimsey Photography

Whimsey Photography

Flats are a great comfort option if you know that your feet tend to get sore easily or if you're a little wobbly on heels. Plus, the sparkles make them feel extra fancy, and they'll be comfortable enough for you to dance the night away.

 

2. Cowboy Boots

cowboy boot.jpg

What's more Nashville than a pair of cowboy boots? They make for easy walking, and they add that touch of Southern charm. Definitely wear them a few weeks beforehand to break them in though!

 

3. Wedges

Amy & Stuart Photography

Amy & Stuart Photography

Wedges are the best kind of heel when you're going to be walking and standing on different terrain. You've got lots of support and don't have to worry about your heel sinking into the grass. These romantic lace ones are gorgeous too! 

 

4. Colorful Shoes

wedding colors.jpg

Colorful shoes add a bit of whimsy to your wedding attire. You can wear some the colors of your wedding to tie in the whole look, or you can buy some stunning blue ones like these. Then your "something blue" is covered!

 

5. Sneakers

Sneakers are great for the sassiest of brides! Not just anyone is cool or brave enough to pull off a pair with a wedding dress! Not to mention, that in sneakers you'll be incredibly comfortable all night long. Here at The Hermitage, the sneakers pictured above are perhaps your best option; they're "The Jackson" shoe from Saucony's commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. It's even got a tiny Andrew Jackson on a horse on the front!


Fall Weddings at The Hermitage

If you're relatively new to Nashville (like me), then you might not know that September and October are two of the post popular months to tie the knot here! The natural scenery, the leaves turning, and the cooler weather make middle Tennessee one of the most amazing places in the fall, and it only makes weddings look even more striking. Here at The Hermitage we're on over 1100 acres, so the vistas are stunning every which way you look. 

I'm slowly getting links to photos from these fall weddings, and I have to share a few of my favorites with you! 

Like Holli & Michael's stunning wedding on the grounds of The Hermitage:

Cassidy Carson Lynch Photography

Cassidy Carson Lynch Photography

Cassidy Carson Lynch Photography

Cassidy Carson Lynch Photography

Then there's Lauren & Jack's wedding that took place at the Cabin by the Spring:

Nyk + Cali Photography

Nyk + Cali Photography

Nyk + Cali Photography

Nyk + Cali Photography

Rachel and Brayden's was one of our last weddings in October, and we caught this photo just as the sun was setting!

Lauren Hanson Photography

Lauren Hanson Photography

If you love these photos and crave more, keep checking back to our blog and check out our pinterest page! I'll be featuring several of these weddings in upcoming posts!