May 26, 2019 was my own wedding day, one year ago today. If you had told me on that day that just a year later we would be celebrating in quarantine due to a global pandemic, I would not have believed you. We had plans to return to Tennessee or perhaps head to a beautiful tropical beach but just as we started to plan, we went into lock down instead. However we are planing our own at home celebrations- including reliving our day a little through videos, photos, and a cake!
A little about our day. We got married at Marblegate Farm, located on the banks of the Tennessee River. We wanted warm hospitality to be the guiding force for our wedding. Part of the reason we chose Marblegate is because it’s a private family farm, personal is what they do best. We wove classic wedding details throughout the wedding, with a slight modern twist. I designed the stationery to rely on traditionalism but with modern restraint. We wrapped our invitation in a vellum wrap with the blue Smoky Mountains around it- a detail we carried throughout the wedding. Fun fact- the vellum was my idea but it was Ryan who came up with the idea to make it the blue Smoky Mountains!
To enhance the warm vibe, we choose garden style flowers, loose and organic, as if picked that morning from the family garden. In fact our florist even foraged for some of the blooms! The ladies in our bridal party wore soft blush colored chiffon dresses of their choice from Jenny Yoo. Which was great because that warm vibe became literal when a freak heat-wave hit and our wedding wound up being 94 degrees- which you could never tell from the photos.
We elected to do a first look, a decision I made after watching couple after couple have beautiful private moments together before their ceremony. Ryan was against it but would later admit it was a great moment. We cried together, and it was the first time that day I final relaxed. The ceremony overlooked the river, and seemed to fly by. The funniest part was the priest forgot to have us kiss so we waited until our bridal part processed out and then had our kiss then- thought the guests were quite concerned we had forgotten too!
Our vendor team was absolutely amazing. I could wax about each of them individually for hours. My only regret is that because they live and work in Tennessee, I wont get to work with them on a wedding! Check out the links at the end of the gallery.
All in all it was a beautiful day- picture perfect quite literally. I think the most surprising thing (and something we commented on during the day) was actually how slow things seemed to be moving. Everyone talks about the wedding day “being such a blur” but for us, every moment had space for us to take it in, absorb and really treasure it.
Our wedding video: https://vimeo.com/352427571
Photographer: Amanda May Photos
Venue: Marblegate Farm
Wedding Coordinator: Simple Bliss Events
Videographer: Lance Cook Films
Florist: Colby West Design
Cake: Magpies Bakery
DJ: Music in Motion
Hair & Makeup: Bangs and Blush
Dress: Say Yes for Less
Dress Designer: Anne Barge
Bridesmaids’ Dress Shop: Jenny Yoo
Groom’s Suit: Suit Supply
Groomsmen’s Suits: The Black Tux
Chargers & Sweetheart Plates: Pretty Little Wedding Co
Stationery & Signage: Silver Orchard Creative
Rentals: All Occasions Party Rentals
Caterer: Bradford Catered Events
Second Photographer: Brittany Sidwell Photography
