From Inspiration to WEDDING: The Photography

There is so much that I want to tell you about this wedding…about how even though not everything turned out exactly as we envisioned, it was still complete perfection. About how we had to let ideas go to the wayside, we had to comprise, we had to think really creatively…and yet it all still turned out beautiful. But you know what, there is no better way to tell the story than with the photographs that Justin and Mary Marantz SO beautifully captured. Justin and Mary traveled from Connecticut down to Nashville just for you guys, so that they could devote the necessary time to capturing all of the steal worthy details. And the end result, literally took my breath away.

This next little bit of goodness is from Justin and Mary Marantz, who I owe HUGE for the gorgeousness that they delivered from Libby and Patrick’s wedding. Their photographs speak volumes as to just how talented they are and yet snapping these pics wasn’t even remotely all they did…they carried flowers inside and outside so that they could shoot them in the perfect light. They helped us clean up after two huge centerpieces crashed and spilled water all over the head table an hour before guests were set to arrive. They draped tables, tied ribbons and did a million other little things to ensure that we would be able to document the details to perfection. To say they were amazing is putting it so lightly, it’s almost a crime.

Justin & I are all about amazing details. So when we were asked to shoot a wedding designed by the joint powerhouse of talent that is Sarah True and the SMP crew, trust me we were all over it! For us, we believe that there are two things that separate a stand out wedding from your basic paint by numbers formula: raw emotion and killer details. The first we can’t really help you with (you either have it or you don’t!, but when it comes to the details just a little bit of extra effort can make a huge difference. So we put together our top five tips for all you brides to keep in mind when thinking about what details you’d like to include.

1) It doesn’t have to take a huge budget to have amazing details. What I loved the most about this wedding was that so much of it was do it yourself. I think a lot of brides out there get discouraged if money is tight that they won’t be able to have the beautiful wedding that they want. But in reality, there are a ton of details you can put together with just a little bit of money and good old fashioned creativity. Two of my absolute favorite details were the “keep warm” blankets at the lounge areas. Abby & Sarah could have just put out some stacks of blankets for the guests (or not done anything at all), but just that little bit extra effort (plus some ribbon & a cute tag!) really took this wedding to a whole other level. I really believe that it’s those little unexpected touches, like the blankets and those fantastic sparkly pillows, that make your guests feel like they are a part of something special.

2) Pick things that are so YOU as a couple. The whole point of the details is to make your guests feel like they are being taken care of and for them to get a feel for who you are as a couple, even if they only knew one of you before the wedding day. I loved the small cans of champagne that were passed for the toasts. That was something that Libby & Patrick loved, and I think when you share the things you love with your guests it counts for so much more than just your basic cookie cutter details.

3) Presentation is everything! Don’t just think of the details individually (i.e. one place card), think also of how you can display them as a collective to create a wow factor. As photographers, we love to shoot things in rows or in groups of things as part of their environment. So we absolutely fell in love with the flower display on the head table! Separately, each of the peony centerpieces were really pretty & simple, but when pieced together as a collective all of us were blown away with how it turned out.

4) Set up the timeline with your photographer so they have time to get in to shoot the details before the guests get there. We used to have it all the time, where the schedule of the day had us shooting the bridal party 45 minutes away from where the reception was going on. By the time we got there, cocktail hour was nearly over and the details (signature drinks, escort table, custom drink stirrers) were all but gone. Trust me I know from experience, you work so hard thinking up these details and putting them together and come the wedding day you might not even get to see them. So now we work with all of our couples to make sure we have time to get in there and capture everything for them.

5) Don’t be afraid to do something unexpected. I feel like a lot of brides really struggle with what they think they are *supposed* to do and what they really want to do. But often it can be exactly those unusual details, like the silhouette chandeliers and the zebra striped rugs, that make a wedding stand out from all the other weddings the guest have been to. Don’t be afraid to stamp your day with your own style.

Tomorrow, we’ll be tackling some of the DIY projects that went into the day, as well as photographs from the wedding itself! But coming up next, we have the AMAZING Behind the Scenes film that Julie Hill of Elysium shot for you guys. It’s crazy genius.

Thank you so much to all of the vendors that made this day so very magical...

Event Design: Sarah True of True Events / Photography: Justin and Mary Marantz / Cinema: Julie Hill of Elysium / Floral Design: Chase Rivers of Flair / Invitations and Save the Dates: Laura Hooper / Rentals, Furniture, Linens: Classic Party Rentals / Chair covers: Wildflower Linens /Wedding Planning: Jacki Wickersham and Angela Proffitt of Elegant Weddings by Angela / Catering and Noodle Bar: Zumi Sushi / Cake Flower: Estilo Weddings / Mercury Glass: Borrowed from Yumiko at Hana Floral Design / Welcome Bags: Melangerie NYC / Wedding Photography (to be seen tomorrow): Arlund Imagery / Venue: Pinnacle, Nashville

Elysium Productions, Hana Floral Design, Justin & Mary, Laura Hooper Calligraphy, TRUE Event and Wildflower Linen are members of our Little Black Book, Love what you see? Take a look at their portfolios.

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TRUE Event

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Wildflower Linen

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