With a wedding theme revolving the prohibition, you bet this themed affair is filled heritage. From the Bride’s Hey Lady heels, to the rustically arranged blooms, to the cookbook favors, I Love You Too Weddings captured it all (including some pretty incredible cocktails) here!
From Modern Vintage Events… Caitlin and Luke are a couple who truly know what they want. Their intelligence and attention to detail made everything about their day truly reflect who they are as people and as a couple. We themed the wedding after the Prohibition era. They brought in elements from both of their hometowns and from the things they loved. Caitlin and Luke lived in a building that has so much history and beautiful architecture, the church where they got married had the same beautiful vignettes. Their reception site was a renovated factory that had a perfect mix of modern architecture and historical pieces.
When it came to colors Caitlin described her palette as a summer palette that had been out in the sun and faded over time. This muted palette was perfect for their wedding in September. We used flowers there grown locally and arranged them in tin cans and bottles. The tables were named after literary couples who had positive stories. Caitlin and Luke tied in heritage wherever possible; they brought photos of their parents on their wedding day and gave cookbooks with family recipes as favors.
We brought back cocktails from another era with the French 75 and served local beer on the bar. The band, The Jake Leg Stompers, kept everyone entertained with Prohibition era music as well some recognizable new music. The evening ended with a second line and hugs and cheers from friends and family.
From the beautiful Bride… We met through online dating, but it turns out we were both grad students at the same university (kismet!) and we even knew some of the same people! We were really slow about dating though and our family and friends gave us a lot of grief. We had our first date in July of 2011, and we were slowly starting to see each other more and more. At some point in October, we finally decided that we needed to define things, which was mainly just “So, we’re dating, right?” “Right.” Unfortunately, we were so casual about it, neither of us remember when this actually happened (nor do we remember the exact date of our first date). My younger brother was thoroughly offended that we didn’t have an anniversary, so he arbitrarily assigned us October 12th. A slow start was more in line with our personalities, and it gave us both room to welcome the other into our lives more fully. Of course, the first thing Luke said when we set our wedding date was “At last! A REAL anniversary!”
Our approach was to try and capture as much of the Nashville vibe as we could. Almost all of our guests were from out of town and we really wanted to showcase the city that had been the start of our lives together. We wanted things to be personal for us and representative of our city. One of my favorite details was how we did the table names. Instead of numbers, we chose couples for our favorite books – not necessarily well-known, but ones whose stories were *good.* Our printer made up false book covers and we wrapped them around old books to label the tables. In the same vein, I gathered up quotes from literature about love, my parents printed them, and put them in picture frames to decorate around the bar and gift table. Sonnet 116, my favorite poem by Shakespeare, was the centerpiece of that element. And now (as soon as I can find the space in my apartment) I can hang up the frame as a reminder of our wedding day.
Our first big choice was our wedding planners (well, actually I bought the dress before hiring planners, but Luke wasn’t there for that!) and planner(s) you like and trust are essential. I wouldn’t do a wedding without them. We mainly went with their recommendations and were never disappointed. Your planner and your photographer, it’s almost as important that you think you can get along with them as that you like their work. You’re going to spend some very stressful hours with them, so make sure that your personalities mesh well! A planner and a photographer who can keep you calm will be a great thing come crunch time.
My absolute favorite part of the day was the 15 minutes we got alone during the cocktail hour. We were whisked away to a separate part of our reception venue while everyone else was downstairs chatting and snacking. The venue staff sent us plates of appetizers and glasses of water and cocktails and left us alone. It was a glorious moment to just… revel in the fact that we were now married! And, it guaranteed that we got at least some water, some food, and some of our cocktail before we started glad-handing everyone. Not only do I recommend fitting this into your day, I’d say it is essential. The rest of the day is about what looks nice, what photographs well, what the mammas want, what will be fun for your guests… this moment is well and truly about the two of you.
Photography: I Love You Too Weddings | Floral Design: Turnbull Creek Farm | Wedding Dress: Timeless Bride | Cake: Dulce Desserts | Ceremony Venue: West End United Methodist | Reception Venue: The Rosewall | Bride's Shoes: Hey Lady | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Alfred Sung | Catering: M Street | Hair And Makeup: One10 Makeup | Band: Jake Leg Stompers | Groom's Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Photobooth: Picturebooth | Planning, Design, & Coordination: Modern Vintage Events