Wedding Planning
- Jan 5, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 5, 2019
Planning for one of the best and important days of your life is obviously a bit overwhelming but so fun and exciting. I'm forever grateful for my parents because none of this would've been possible without their love and generosity. It's a once in a life time event for my husband and I, so we wanted to make it as special and memorable as possible! Here is an overview of my thoughts, experiences, and who took part in making an amazing day. My hope is that this can help you if you're planning a wedding or want ideas. Or if you're just reading for fun, enjoy! It all started out with finding a venue...
The Venue & Officiant
In our search for a venue in or around Chattanooga, we found a beautiful location called Howe Farms about half an hour away. We considered a few other places but upon touring and comparing options, we decided on the Apple Barn. The ceremony was just outside of the barn, the refreshments were on the outdoor patio, and the reception with inside the barn.
Our officiant was Pastor Jo Ottinger, whom we've been friends with since he was our chaplain in high school (Mount Pisgah Academy-Asheville, NC). He did a great job of bringing some humor and meaningful thoughts in his message.
Catering
The catering was an important choice for us because we obviously wanted to have great food but also make sure that our guests had a great meal. Being thoughtful about our decisions with this was the least we could do since they came (some from across & out of the country) for us!
We chose Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, who provided drinks, fresh fruit & veggie appetizers, cilantro chicken, vegetarian pasta, mixed green salad, mashed potatoes, and macaroni & cheese. My grandma ordered different flavored popcorn that we served with the appetizers. For dessert, we decided to have a variety because not everyone loves cake. Cupcake Kitchen made our strawberry cream cheese cake (may I say it was heavenly). They also made chocolate, strawberry cream cheese, & birthday cake mini cupcakes. Milk & Honey brought a scrumptious gelato cart including birthday cake, chocolate raspberry, and summer strawberry sorbet. We absolutely love donuts so of course we had to have them! Tasty Donuts dropped off delicious dozens of oreo, glazed, and cherry cake donuts.
The Dress & Suit
In my search for a wedding dress, I went to a couple places with my mom and grandmother in Winston-Salem, NC where my family lives. I found a couple that I liked but didn't love. Besides the quality and price of the dress, another thing to be thinking about is how the employees treat you and your time. At one of the places I went to, the woman assisting me wasn't very friendly and didn't spend much time with us. When she asked, we expressed to her that we weren't planning on buying anything that day since it was my first day trying dresses on. So I guess our visit that day wasn't very important to her, which she made evident in her demeanor toward us (which differed from her attitude toward other guests there). She only let me try on three dresses before she suggested we come back when we were serious about buying. All this to say, don't feel forced to buy something right away. Take your time and consider your options. If the employees aren't kind nor giving quality service, chances are that nothing's going to change when your dress comes in and it's time for fittings.
I finally found my dress at Monica's Bridal in downtown Chattanooga! I had a great experience with two of my bridesmaids who helped me pick it out. I got to try on as many as I wanted, the woman helping me (Stephanie) made me feel comfortable and gave me great advice. The seamstress that worked on my dress did a great job and was super helpful with any questions or concerns I had. When it came time to pick up my dress, they even helped me put it in my car. My shoes were from Kohl's and garters from David's Bridal. I got my husband's ring from Manly Bands and he got my ring from Markmans.
My bridesmaids got their dusty rose dresses online from Azazie and their gold heels from Lulus. My husband and his groomsmen rented their navy suits from The Black Tux. He said that it was a very easy and reasonably priced service, he got to try on a sample before ordering his rental. This is an awesome & affordable way for guys who don't have events to dress up for regularly and don't want to spend a lot on something they're going to wear once. These websites made it easy to get the same shade and style of dresses/suits. I got my stationary from Zazzle and Etsy (where I got my bridesmaids/flower girl gifts). The flower girl, my niece Isabella, wore a dress from Nordstrom that she loved and was perfect for twirling!
Photography & Videography
We absolutely loved our photographers, Alexis Dimmer & Terry Henson and videographers from BEV Weddings! I knew about Alexis from some of my friends and I was following her photography on instagram. So when it came time to choose for my wedding, she was at the top of my list of choices. I knew we made the right choice when we did our engagement photos. Not only was it comfortable and fun, but the quality of photos is amazing. I love that she makes it feel so candid and uses natural light.
When it came to choosing a videographer, I honestly had a hard time finding the quality/look of videos that I liked that was within budget, local to Chattanooga, with the best package deal. Eventually I found BEV Weddings, based in Atlanta, GA, who could travel up to do our wedding. I loved the quality of work shown in their portfolio and the package details were more affordable than others with similar quality. Here is our sneak peak video:
Hair & Makeup
After looking through websites like Wedding Wire and The Knot, I actually found our hair and makeup artists through Instagram! I love that they feature their work from actual weddings and events. This made the decision a lot easier in choosing Alexis Brannan and Melissa Cubberley. They were an absolute dream to have a part of the day! Since it was the middle of the summer, we decided on some elegant updos and half up hair styles. With makeup, I just wanted to have a simple and fresh look that accentuated my natural features. They made getting ready stress free and created stunning looks!
Flowers & Decor
One of the reasons we chose this venue is because of how beautiful it is both inside and outside the barn. We had access to decorations that the venue owners collected and previous couples donated, which made decorating a whole lot easier. This venue also set up all of the chairs and tables. Flowers by Tami did an amazing job with our flowers. Flowers can get expensive pretty quickly, but Tami made suggestions to help us to stay within budget. She designed arrangements better than what I envisioned for the day!
Music
When it came to choosing a DJ, we wanted someone who would keep the good energy going but not try to be the life of the party. We found options that looked good but pricing, availability, and reviews led us to decide with Terry's DJ Services. I really liked that he got on the dance floor to help teach people how to do some of the dances. To be honest, a negative aspect was that he played some songs I didn't request and didn't play some songs I did request. Especially since I spent time and put thought into putting together a list. So I would suggest, no matter who you choose, to double-check/go over your playlist to make sure you're on the same page. Overall, we thought he did a great job and we had a fun time nevertheless!
Registry/Website
I created our registry/website on Zola, a free and easy-to-use wedding tool. I was able to post wedding info like the schedule, travel options, and RSVP. Other nice features included a FAQs page for additional info that people asked or could ask about the day, as well as, a 'Things To Do' page with suggestions of some of our favorite places in Chattanooga. I also included a photos page to share pictures of my husband and I over the years and our engagement pictures.
Images and video credited to Alexis Dimmer Photography and Bob's Eye View Weddings.
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