• Real Weddings

When this bride and groom first got engaged, the bride immediately dismissed the idea of getting married in Miami. The whole beach wedding or tropical theme, while beautiful, just didn't suit this country girl, and she was very attached to the idea of getting married in the church she grew up in. That being said, she got her wish and they said "I do" in her hometown in Tennessee.
We simply can't get enough of her gorgeous gown from Peppermint Pretty. With such a pretty dress and a gorgeous color palette of peaches and pinks, there is sure to be something for everyone in this traditional pink and peach Tennessee wedding. Andrew & Erin Photography captured every beautiful moment of this wedding and all of the images can be seen in the full gallery here.

From the Bride:The quilt was my wedding gift to Dan. I picked out the fabrics, pieced the quilt, and sewed the topper while at my Nana's house right after Dan and I got engaged. My aunt, who is a very accomplished quilter, did the actual quilting for me, and my mom kindly footed the bill for all the material.

The wedding went so perfectly; the details that were important to me were perfectly executed, and the rest was just about throwing a great party without sweating the small stuff too much. I am especially thrilled for Erin of the Peppermint Pretty - that dress was absolutely incredible. Her work truly deserves major attention.

The photos in frames included the wedding portraits of both of our parents, a set of each of our grandparents, and a photo of my great-grandparents on their wedding day. A dear friend of mine hand-drew the frame in the back that said, "The best things in life are meant to be shared," and we burned a candle in the back in memory of our grandparents who have passed away.

Our pew-hangers had pictures of me and Dan growing up, starting with baby pictures in the back and growing older in each photo leading up the aisle, with our engagement photos in the pews right in front of the altar. His photos were on the groom's side, and mine were on the bride's side.

My other aunt hand-selected all of the bottles, teacups, and other flower receptacles for the reception centerpieces during her many thrifting adventures. One of my sisters-in-law and I embroidered the table numbers. Our venue was the Allandale Mansion in Kingsport, TN. Hors d'oeuvres were served in the mansion followed by dinner and dancing in the barn. We had live entertainment by the Nick Carver Band.

I would have given some more thought as to whether I really wanted to plan a wedding from far away. I still don't think I would have necessarily done it differently, but it was a decision I probably should not have entered into so quickly. My job kept me extremely busy, and I was having to hoard my annual leave time for the wedding itself and honeymoon; as a result, I only got to go home to plan two times during our engagement. This meant I didn't get to meet with vendors in person, didn't get to sample catering, had to wait until the very last minute to pick out things like linens, etc. The plus side of this is, of course, that you are forced to cede control to others, i.e. mom and the coordinator - which is a healthy lesson for any bride to learn. But it was very frustrating at times, and I felt pretty disconnected from the whole planning process.

As for budget, I was blessed with parents who were able and willing to pay for most of the expenses, so I am not familiar with the exact amounts for everything. Here are the best recollections I can come up with for what we spent on the major items:
Dress: $900
Ceremony Venue: $300 (with church member discount)
Reception Venue: $1100
Flowers: $1800
Photography: $1800
Band: $3500
Caterer: no idea, this was completely my mom's territory Pies: $500
Make-up: $175
Wedding Coordinator: $750
Invitations: $600 (purchased from Delphine press with a Groupon)
We also paid a pretty decent amount to a rental company for the linens and some of the tables/chairs. I also don't know what we spent on alcohol and the bartenders. A wedding, of course, has a thousand other expenses that rack up quickly and that I also didn't keep up with personally. But these were the big ticket expenses as best I remember.

• Band: Nick Carver Band, Murfreesboro, TX
• Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor Bridal
• Cakes & Catering: A Silverware Affair
• Dress Designer: Peppermint Pretty
• Event Designer: Posh Productions
• Flowers: Connie Timmons
• Jewelry: EidelPrecious
• Makeup: Faces by Ren
• Photographer: Andrew & Erin Photography
• Venue: Allandale Mansion