Tennessee Weddings

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[field title=”Wedding Colors”][/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

“I love color in all aspects of life, whether it be my clothes, home decor, and obviously when I started thinking about Joey and I’s wedding. I knew from the jump I wanted tons of color. The color palette was all shades of spring pastels, but I had my bridesmaids wear shades of light blue, green, and yellow. ” -Bride Delaney

“Garden Party/Colorful/Whimsical/Dreamy” Vibes. I pulled a lot from my style as inspiration for the wedding, as well as scouring Pinterest and TikTok to bring my visions to life. If you know me, I love a good statement piece (or pieces) in my outfits. I always tend to lean towards classic/vintage style with lots of pops of color and funky pieces, and I have a passion for curating my wardrobe and home decor. I’d say the inspiration for my wedding was a spring garden party with a southern flair. So between a few Pinterest boards and picking out florals and designs that Joey and I genuinely liked, everything fell into place from there.”

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[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

“The fashion was very important to me, and I knew I wanted to have multiple outfit changes. I probably looked at thousands of white dresses while picking out everything I wore for the weekend. Shockingly, though my wedding ceremony dress was the easiest to pick out, I probably tried on less than 10 dresses total, and I chose mine at only the 2nd store I visited. I had dreams of wearing some sort of cape/tulle situation, and unfortunately for me, when I get an idea in my head, I have to execute it. I ended up finding this gorgeous tulle cape from Oliva Oceana Bridal on Etsy that was unreal. This look will probably be my favorite outfit I have ever worn in my life for the foreseeable future. I paired it with a Show Me Your Mumu white mini dress, Sam Edelman nude platform heels that touched the sky, and some big diamond statement earrings. It was a look.” -Bride Delaney

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

“Joey wore a custom suit Friday night and a custom tuxedo Saturday for the wedding. He worked with Chris Blowers at Greiner’s Fine Mens Clothing to get all of his looks together. Of course, he paired everything with his favorite cowboy boots, Tecovas.” -Bride Delaney on Groom’s Attire

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[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Friday night’s rehearsal dinner featured focaccia, romaine salad, antipasto, lasagna, and a groom’s cake – traditional cannoli cake. The welcome party that followed offered guests passed arancinis, an antipasto station, and a cookie table showcasing mini cannolis, Italian sesame cookies, anisette sprinkle cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and Italian rainbow cookies as well as a celebratory bourbon and cigar bar by the outdoor fire pit. Green tomato thin pies, goat cheese and pear crostini, and oysters were passed after the ceremony during cocktail hour alongside the Bride’s favorite Aperol Spritz. A full bar was available all weekend long. The reception menu highlighted Lodge signatures – grilled hanger steak and buttermilk fried chicken served with Tennessee sourwood honey and jalapeno hot sauce. Brioche and jalapeno cornbread were served alongside house cultured butter and accompanied sides of apple salad, olive oil roasted potatoes, beet salad, sweet potatoes (with house yogurt, lime, and peanut), mac and cheese, slow roasted carrots, fresh green beans, and Southern favorite braised collard greens.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Vibrant, over-the-top florals were chosen in shades of pastel accented with bright yellow, hot pink, and blue to create a whimsical and dreamy vibe from the ceremony to the reception space. Beneath the Sperry Tent, massive, live trees in lush green and pink drew the eyes upward, accentuating the beauty of the space and set the tone for a stunning spring garden party. Classic taper candles and a white and wood checkerboard dance floor created a storybook atmosphere for an incredible night of dancing and celebration!

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The three-tiered wedding cake (in classic white vanilla cake with Swiss buttercream) was decorated with a monochromatic floral pattern, perfectly accenting the whimsical floral design of the reception space.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

“The night before the wedding, we had to move the Welcome Party inside at the last minute because of bad weather. The entire day leading up to the ceremony, it was cloudy and looked like the sky was on the verge of opening up. At 4 pm, as the String Trio was playing “Here Comes the Sun” and I walked to the back of the aisle with my Dad, the clouds completely disappeared and the sun made a gorgeous appearance just in time for my walk down the aisle. Everyone in my life knows I am not a crier, so much so that there were running bets if I was going to cry down the aisle. For months, I told people, “There is no chance I will cry walking down the aisle.” As the sun came out and the rush of emotions hit, I cried. A lot. It could not have been more special.” -Bride Delaney

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“Last minute I decided to have one of my best friends, Lorin, do my makeup for the weekend. We have been friends for years and she did my makeup for high school prom 8 years ago, so this was really a full circle moment. I also flew in my hair stylists from Florida for the weekend. Alexis and her sister Ana do my hair, my mom’s, and my sister in law’s, so as extra as it seemed I am so happy we did this. I really feel like the getting ready time sets the vibe for the rest of the day, and I could not have gone into all the festivities in a better mood.” -Bride Delaney

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“Joey and I met a decade ago at a New Year’s Eve party our freshman year of high school. In the least cliche way, we are high school (and college) sweethearts.” – Bride Delaney on how the couple met

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Photography: Abigail Malone | Floral Design: Colby West Designs | Wedding Dress: The White Magnolia | Cake: Caitlyn Cox, Pastry Chef at RT Lodge | Stationery: Studio Ack | Hair: Shear Impressions Salon | Groom's Attire: Greiner's Fine Mens Clothing | Ceremony Music: Dogwood Strings | Wedding Venue: RT Lodge | After Party Dress: By Watters | After Party Shoes: Larroudé | Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bride's Makeup: Lorin Lazzara Hutchinson | Bridesmaids' Makeup: Karenna Davis | Draping: Luma Designs | Groom's Shoes: Tecovas | Planning: RT Lodge | Reception Entertainment: The Opulence Band | Rehearsal Dinner Cape: Oliva Oceana Bridal | Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Show Me Your Mumu | Rehearsal Dinner Shoes: Sam Edelman | Rentals: All Occasion Party Rentals | Veil: Oliva Oceana Bridal | Wedding Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Fresh pops of white, garden greens, sky blues[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

“RT Lodge is truly a magical place. I am now the Director of Weddings and Special Events here, and planning weddings is what I thought my dream was until it was my turn to get married. Being an RT Lodge bride is the real dream come true! Growing up in Virginia and always missing home, RT Lodge was the first place in Tennessee I fell in love with – that gave me that warm, welcoming feeling of “home.” The idea of bringing my family and friends to this special gem was an absolute no-brainer. Year after year, I have seen the beauty in our grounds and the love and effort that goes into keeping the flowers and foliage so beautiful. I have always known that I wanted to get married at the Lodge, but specifically during summer, when the trees are lush and full of their natural beauty, and the gardens are bursting with color. Keeping all this in mind helped me hone in on an overall vibe for my wedding weekend – my wedding weekend was Garden Party themed!” -Bride Ali

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[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

“Keeping with the ‘Garden Party’ theme, I chose to add florals into each of my wedding weekend outfits. I wore a short, floral frock with yellow and gold flowers and a hydrangea crown for my Welcome Party. My wedding gown by Ashley Grace Bridal was a timeless look with a twist – a classic sweetheart and flowing train, but in a stunning floral fabric. I accessorized with fun floral earrings and a monochromatic bouquet of white peonies.” -Bride Ali

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[field title=”Food & Drink”]

“For our Welcome Party, a whole pig roast was a must – a true taste of the South for our friends and family traveling from all over. Pre-ceremony, I hosted a “Rosé O’clock” for all of my closest friends! We danced, drank my favorite rosé, and the girls helped me put on my veil when it was time to head to the ceremony. For Cocktail Hour, we served my favorite Watermelon Bites and BLT Bites – something refreshing on a warm July day! For the Reception, we served our favorite Mexican-themed food from The Big Bad Taco Truck along with passed margaritas and local favorite ice cream, Cruze Farm!” -Bride Ali

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]”My goal for the reception in the Sperry Tent was simply for the design to just feel like fun! I wanted live trees, Chinese lanterns, pops of color, lounge furniture with floral pillows, and a big unique bar. Colby West and his team did exactly this! They brought trees into the tent and added the lanterns to fill in the peaks of the tent. We also added the Chinese lanterns to the walkway path to the tent to give guests a “sneak peak” on their way to the reception! I picked fun linens that I have had my eyes on for years to make the space feel like me. I wanted cocktail tables everywhere to give off the mingling party vibe. We added uplight to the trees when the sun went down.” -Bride Ali[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]”RT Lodge Pastry Chef, Caitlyn Cox, created the most stunning (and delicious) wedding cake for our reception. She pulled the sky blue color from other elements of my wedding design and created a beautiful floral pattern across the three tiered cake that looked like a painting! It fit the theme of the wedding perfectly and looked lovely styled with unique blue coupe glasses for our toast. We chose tiers of classic vanilla paired with pecan and cinnamon with cream cheese. Yum!” -Bride Ali[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]
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“So many memories! From Thursday evening, Nick and I hung out with Chef Trevor while he stayed up all night to cook the Whole Pig for Friday’s party. Core memory!” -Bride Ali

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]”Nick and I, along with my parents and sister, snuck away from Cocktail Hour to take a moment to see the Sperry Tent in its complete and beautiful state before the reception.
It was so special!” -Bride Ali[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]

“Having the Lodge being a place to have a weekend-long celebration, we got to truly spend time with our guests. Whether that was having breakfast, walking back to our rooms together, or simply sitting in a rocking chair with a glass of wine.” -Bride Ali

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Photography: Abigail Malone | Event Planning: RT Lodge | Floral Design: Colby West Designs | Wedding Dress: Ashley Grace Bridal | Cake: Caitlyn Cox, Pastry Chef at RT Lodge | Stationery: Meagan Titlow | Catering: Big Bad Taco Truck | Makeup: Jemez Horseon | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Ceremony Music: Cliff Dorsey Music | Bridal Shoes: Lulu's | Ceremony Hair: Savannah Nine | Reception Entertainment: The Opulence Band | Reception Hair: Kelli Patten

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

Pink (blush, magenta), lavender, soft yellow, green (lime, foliage)

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

“Sam and I moved to New York from Tennessee a little more than two years ago, and drew inspiration for our wedding from street flower shops—we wanted unpretentious abundance, joy, and a celebration of spring. For our invitations, I found a vintage New Yorker magazine cover featuring a flower shop, and hand-illustrated a modified version, changing the title to “The New Parker” (Sam’s last name) and adding in some personalized details (like adding a bride and groom and our beloved pug, Mo). Various elements of the design were incorporated into our bar signs, table numbers, seating chart, and floral design. I also drew New Yorker-style cartoons depicting a few pivotal moments and core memories in our relationship (such as our first date over bowls of pho), and guests had the option to submit their captions on a display at the reception, which made the most hilarious keepsakes.” -Bride Lucy

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[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

Lucy wore a trumpet-style wedding gown with delicate, feminine details in exquisite floral lace. She chose matching gloves to complete the look and a timeless cathedral veil. “While guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the patio, my hairstylist pulled my loose ceremony curls up into a clean bun, and I added my dress’s removable halter with its gorgeous, dramatic bow––a second look without the second dress!” -Bride Lucy

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]Lucy’s sister wore a beautiful spaghetti strap gown in a stand-out fabric of bright yellow and green florals, which coordinated perfectly with the wedding design and surrounding spring foliage[/field]
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“We were guests at a friend’s wedding at RT Lodge a few years before our engagement, and knew from the second we tried the Gulf Shrimp hors d’oeuvre that RT was the only venue on the vision board. Second to delicious food, our top priority was on-site lodging to allow for a full weekend of quality time with guests. RT Lodge, which typically operates as a resort and restaurant, is closed to the public on wedding weekends to exclusively serve guests of the bride and groom. (And, in our case, to kindly let us blare karaoke into the early morning hours.) Guests from across the country fell in love, just as Sam and I did, with RT’s impeccable Southern charm, idyllic grounds, locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and a staff equal parts talented and kind.” -Bride Lucy

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Abundant florals and fearless design choices set the tone for Lucy and Sam’s wedding. Pastel blooms were accented with lush green foliage and paired with lavender taper candles, velvet linens, and a classic black and white dance floor. The bar was wrapped in a floral print and created a fun, celebratory vibe paired with “The New Yorker” inspired paper goods designed by the bride.[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Lucy and Sam’s whimsical coconut wedding cake featured cream cheese pastry cream, Swiss buttercream, and toasted coconut and was a focal point at their reception – three tiers finished with a beautiful spring green icing and overflowing with fresh flowers!

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

“Music played a huge role in our wedding. We had several guests tell us it felt like watching “a real life Romcom:” – I walked down the aisle to “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin – “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer crescendoed into our first kiss – “Stickwitu” by the Pussycat Dolls was our first dance, closely followed by an invitation to all guests to join us on the dance floor for Santana’s “Game of Love”” -Bride Lucy

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

“Our cocktail napkins featured lines from real notes we had written each many years prior” -Bride Lucy

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“One of the most special moments of the entire day was surprising Sam with a letter that I wrote when we first started dating in 2018, with the hopes of someday giving it to him on our wedding day. We read our letters right before the ceremony, heightening the emotion of my walk down the winding tree-lined aisle, without a preceding first look. It was the first time in my life that I saw my dad cry (and he proceeded to cry all night!)” -Bride Lucy

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“We opted for a siblings-only wedding party, with Sam’s sisters on his side and my brother and sister on mine. Though we both invited all of our closest friends to get ready with us on the wedding day!” -Bride Lucy

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Photography: Jillian Adams Photography | Videography: Foraged Films | Event Planning: RT Lodge | Floral Design: Wither and Bloom | Wedding Dress: Eisen Stein Bridal | Stationery: (Bride) Lucy Fortune | Makeup: Ellie Michel | Hair: Effortless Beauty | Groom's Attire: My Suit | Wedding Venue: RT Lodge | Accessories: jennifer behr | Groom's Shoes: To Boot NYC | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Reception Entertainment: Big City Rhythm | Rehearsal Dinner Dress: Lanvin | Rentals: All Occasion Party Rentals | Tent Drapery: Luma Designs

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

Midsummer greens, yellows, pinks, and brown, with a pop of icy blue and a rich summer red!

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

“Once we decided on a date and location, the rest was easy! A midsummer wedding in the Tennessee mountains with a backdrop like RT Lodge… I mean, come on!! Most of my inspiration was pulled from nature – I wanted our wedding to feel organic to its surroundings, not like we tried to contrive a ballroom wedding in the middle of a field or place a New York bar under a tent. I hoped everything felt natural – like it could have been there all along. I am the youngest of three sisters in creative lines of work – thankfully, we are never short on inspiration! My family relocated to the UK a few years back, and every visit spurs more creative ideas. I love wild English gardens in the summertime and the thoughtfulness Europeans put into all that they do, and I wanted to mimic what we have learned over there in our wedding weekend as well.” – Bride Lucy.

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“When I put on the Demeter Gown from Markarian, I felt cute, fun, and like myself. Turns out I’m obsessed with the return of the drop waist! I also knew I would have a party dress but didn’t know what. I wanted something fun and different. My sister found the Johanna Ortiz sequin maxi about two months before the wedding, and it was a no brainer!” – Bride Lucy

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“I didn’t want my bridesmaids to wear matching dresses because I don’t like being told what to wear (LOL). I told them to ‘where whatever you want’ and it was so fun to see how things came together.” – Bride Lucy.

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“My gracious husband agreed to get married the weekend of his birthday. Friday was a full day that started with an amazing breakfast at RT Lodge and a full dining room of all our guests who stayed on the property. Most spent the afternoon exploring Maryville, golfing nearby, or venturing into the Smoky Mountains. We had a festive evening that started with an intimate and beautiful rehearsal dinner in The Morningside Room bar (my favorite room at the Lodge). We laughed and cried as we shared toasts over a Proper Summer Barbeque dinner. After dinner, all our guests were invited to the Lodge for Welcome drinks, dessert and live mountain instrumental music in celebration of Trey’s birthday!” – Bride Lucy Wedding guests enjoyed a full bar with signature drinks, margaritas and old fashioneds, on Saturday after a stunning wedding on the meadow, surrounded by the lush Tennessee woods. Fried gulf shrimp with remoulade and summer veggie flatbreads were passed as guests mingled before the reception. The delicious reception menu featured sourdough and chive milk rolls, North Carolina trout, prime hanger steak, and showcased the bounty of the summertime harvest with well-composed, seasonal sides such as heirloom tomato salad, watermelon salad, grilled summer vegetables, grilled sweet corn, apple salad, buttermilk mac and cheese, olive oil roasted potatoes, and country style green beans.

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“I am the youngest of three sisters in creative lines of work – thankfully, we are never short on inspiration! My family relocated to the UK a few years back, and every visit spurs more creative ideas. I love wild English gardens in the summertime and the thoughtfulness Europeans put into all that they do, and I wanted to mimic what we have learned over there in our wedding weekend as well.” – Bride Lucy

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The couple served a 12-layer cake sourced from Outer Banks that was sliced and passed to guests.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]”The meadow provided a perfect summer backdrop for our ceremony accompanied with string music by Dogwood Strings. Trey kissed the bride, we transitioned to a quick cocktail hour back at The Main Lodge, and then into the Sperry Tent for our reception and dancing the night away with LoveStruck Party Band.” – Bride Lucy[/field]
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“Another special detail is that I did all of the paper elements myself! I’ve always been creative and knew from the beginning I would want to try to save on budget and design my own paper products and web design, but I didn’t want to sacrifice quality. I was working with a stationer at the time and decided to dive head first into the project. I loved getting to design every detail of my save the dates, invitations, and day-off materials like dinner menus, hand-painted hurricanes, bandanas that were passed out on the dance floor, and so much more! The cohesive experience was really important to me. I wanted our closest friends and family to experience something with each piece of paper they received in the mail, every time they navigated our website for travel information or recommendations, and, of course, throughout all the details of the wedding weekend. Turns out I may have a knack for this sort of thing! I launched my own business shortly after our wedding and am enjoying getting to help people curate a cohesive experience for their events from the very beginning.” – Bride Lucy

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“The most special part of our wedding weekend in my mind is having everyone in one place for the celebrations and all of the time in between! Having a venue like RT Lodge, where family and friends could be together morning, noon, and night, made our weekend so much more relaxing and allowed us to catch up with the people we love most. I often hear that during their wedding, the bride and groom won’t have enough time to properly say hello and catch up with everyone, but that wasn’t the case for us, and I am so grateful!” – Bride Lucy

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Photography: Hannah Mayson Photography | Videography: Magnolia Wedding Films | Event Planning: RT Lodge | Floral Design: Floressence Flowers | Invitations: Lucy Barfield Creative | Ceremony Venue: RT Lodge | Reception Venue: RT Lodge | DJ: Lovestruck Party Band | Groom's Attire: The Black Tux | Ceremony Music: Dogwood Strings | Wedding Venue: RT Lodge | Accomodations: RT Lodge | Beauty: Kelli Patten | Beauty: Donna Bruns Guttenburg | Bridal Shoes: Loeffler Randall | Bride's Dress: Markarian | Groom's Shoes: Tecovas | Location: RT Lodge | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: RT Lodge | Rentals: All Occasions Event Rental

Having a “first look” is one of the many tough wedding decisions couples face now-a-days. You and your photographer will go through all the reasons to – or not to – to suit your particular timeframe. Today, we have a bride who didn’t just have one “first look”… she had three! Her grandfather…. her father…. and her groom… we love the idea and the pics from Christy Wilson Photography.

From Christy at Christy Wilson Photography… What makes a couple like Matt and Kaitlin so memorable to me is the air of sweetness that surrounds them. A kind of sweetness that is strong and uninterrupted. Each picture I took of them truly showcases the depth of respect and love they hold for each other.

Nothing captured this better than the moment they first saw each other as bride and groom. With tears in their eyes (and mine), they spoke to each other with the most sweet and gentle purpose.

This deep affection spilled over into moments spent with their family and friends. Especially the moments with people like Kaitlin’s grandfather who drove from hours away to make sure he was there for that special day. 

Matt and Kaitlin’s stunning spring wedding took place at RT Lodge that is tucked away into the quaint East Tennessee college town of Maryville. There was no shortage of natural, woodsy and simply unforgettable scenery at this unique wedding destination. And the gorgeous, sunny, spring day made this a location fit for a fairytale as you will see in these timeless photographs…

Family and Friends happily enjoyed the beautiful outdoor reception that offered the tastiest food! The buffet of delicate main courses and sides was an exceptional compliment to an unforgettable evening.

Toasts were made and tears were shed, happy ones of course. And the energy of the night kept going strong with an incredible live band. I think the band and the guests kept each other going all the way to the end! Kaitlin, Matt and guests all danced the night away and ended it with an impressive sparkler send off! 

Be sure and see the day – and all the love unfold – in this short wedding film from Along With You!

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Photography: Christy Wilson Photography | Florals: Colby West Designs | Dress : Jim Hjelm | Cakes: Magpies | Stationery: B Designs | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Revelry | Band: The Company Band | Suits: Suitsupply | Wedding Venue: RT Lodge | Dress Boutique: Wedding Angels Bridal Boutique | HMUA: Grow Knoxville | Video: Along with you

While this whole wedding makes me stop and stare, it’s the little details that are the most impressive. From upscale Chinese takeout boxes full of petals to custom booklets for each guest with their own Chinese zodiac inside, this couple paid homage to the Bride’s family in the most creative of ways. Natalie Watson captured each and every one of them and this gallery is bound to keep me entertained for hours.

From the Bride… When Jonathan (J for short) and I started thinking about what we wanted the “feel” of our wedding to be, we knew we wanted the day/weekend to be not only be a celebration of our love for one another, but a celebration of the love we have for each and every guest that was there. After all, each one of them had played a role in helping shape the beautiful person that would stand before the other at the altar! We really wanted to make sure all the guests knew how much they meant to us. As we’re both accountants, we were definitely budget conscious, but at the same time we wanted to offer the best of everything! Best food, band, personalized favors, bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts… So we decided to go with quality rather than quantity… and with the help of my lovely bridesmaids, amazing vendors, and wonderfully talented MOH/florist/wedding planner, we were able to make this happen for the 110 guests that arrived! (Something to note about my MOH and vendor of all trades, Alex Stockton – my cattleya orchids for my bouquet came to us with just the bloom and no stems! So she actually had to take the stems of other flowers, and hand wire each of the blooms! Talk about fulfilling her maid of honor duties!)

The Saturday of our wedding weekend began with a savory and delicious breakfast, followed by bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts. The bridesmaids were given the softest, heather pink, Lauren by Ralph Lauren shawl collared robes and Kate Spade wristlets, either in a neutral beige or a maraschino cherry red.The guys were each given a bottle of Jack Daniels and little tie pins. After gifts, we all got ready and headed down to the outside stone fireplace, already lit, to have a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony.

The tea ceremony consisted of my “lucky ladies in waiting (my wonderful bridesmaids)” pouring tea, and J and I serving it to our guests 2 by 2. The guests in return for the tea would offer small gifts in the special Chinese red envelopes along with their blessings and any words of wisdom they had on marriage. Custom has it that the tea should be poured only by those that you denote as having been very lucky and blessed in life, so they can pass a little of that luck to you and your spouse!

As our guests were arriving to the American ceremony, where we would exchange our vows, they were greeted with craft papered Chinese take out boxes for a petal toss exit. My parents own a store, so my MOH/planner and I really wanted to tastefully incorporate that aspect of my life into the wedding. So we thought, what better way to do that than to customize “upscale” Chinese take out boxes that displayed our very own created wedding monogram (thank you Word!).

After the ceremony, the guests were guided to the escort table that displayed stone-colored ceramic fortune cookies, each containing the guests’ “fortunes” as to which table they were to sit at. When they arrived to their table, there sat a tailor-made booklet, individually customized for each of the guests, tied with a ribbon, enticing them to open the booklet and “Discover their Chinese Zodiac.” I had made sure as we were compiling our addresses to take note of every guests’ birth dates, even if they were unable to attend.

As the guests left, they were given a bottle of wine that displayed our wedding monogram, and given a note that said: “In addition to this favor, J and I decided to donate to our local animal shelter in honor of our 3 pets, who are all tucked in, sleeping the night away. We also make the pledge to make this same donation every year at this time to commemorate the commitment we made to one another and to show thanks for this special day!” This was a really important aspect to us, because so often (and how can you not) we get swept away in all the beautiful details of planning a wedding, that sometimes we forget how lucky and blessed we are, and so we wanted to pay it forward to something we hold dear to our hearts.

Although I could go on and on about all the lovely and endearing details that was so wonderfully captured by Natalie Watson, of what we consider to be the best weekend of our lives (thus far anyway!), I’ll leave you with what I have shared above and hope that the pictures can tell the rest of our story. We hope you enjoy!

Photography: Natalie Watson | Floral Design: RT Lodge | Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Shoes: Kate Spade | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Monique Lhuillier | Bridesmaids' Dresses: BCBGMAXAZRIA | Catering : RT Lodge | Hair And Makeup: Bangs And Blush | Band: The Pink Cadillacs | Groom's Attire: ASOS | Groomsmen's Attire: Zara | Groomsmen's Attire: The Tie Bar | Wedding Venue: RT Lodge | Tent: RT Lodge | Bridal Salon: Joan Pillow Bridal | Bride's Robe: Ryan Seacrest Distinction | Bridesmaids' Robes: Marina | Earrings: Rent The Runway | Father Of The Bride Attire: J.Crew | Getaway Car: Regal Carriages | Mother Of The Bride Dress: Ralph Lauren | Planning: RT Lodge | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: RT Lodge | Veil: Vera Wang

You always hear stories about brides who try on one gown – and know it’s the one. But almost all of them go on to savor the experience and try on a few more… just to be sure. Not this bride. This bride knew the moment she put her gown on that this was it. She simply knew. Just like she knew when she got engaged, there was no need for a long engagement. He was the one – it was time, and two short months later, they would marry. From the dreamy photography by Watson-Studios and the delightful bouquets from Mulberries, this Tennessee wedding is charming beyond belief. See the full gallery here.

From the Bride… Sam and I had been dating for over 4 years. When we decided to get married, we knew we didn’t want to have a long engagement.  We were engaged in June and set our wedding for August 25! We were so excited to lock in Natalie and Dan Watson as our photographers shortly after.  It all happened very fast! We both love the outdoors and knew we wanted to have our wedding outdoors, somewhere with a woodsy feeling.  After seeing the RT Lodge, we knew that was the place.  I did have a few things on my wish list, though, for my wedding…

1) my dream husband 2) my dream dress 3) great photography 4) our family at the wedding 5) as little stress as possible!

We decided to have a small, intimate wedding with family only.  Most of our immediate family were able to come, and our total attendance ended up being 22 (24 including the photographers)!  Having such few guests at the wedding allowed us to really slow down and enjoy the experience.  We didn’t have to rush around and say hello to everyone… we were able to have entire conversations with everyone and even enjoy the food made by  the RT Lodge. It was incredible!

As far as planning a wedding goes, I was a novice.  The RT Lodge pretty much covered every detail… all I had to do was send a few preferences about food, location of ceremony, etc and boom… it was done!  I enjoyed meeting with Samantha from Mulberries to pick out flowers and met with a local woman from Maryville who made our cake!  I ordered a few things from Etsy and Ellis (the RT Lodge wedding planner) took care of absolutely everything else!

Thanks to the small size of our wedding, our families were able to participate in the wedding.  We served communion to our guests after Sam and I took communion and then my dad and Sam’s dad prayed over us with our families surrounding us. It was an amazing experience! I can honestly say I had my dream wedding.  Every single moment was a blessing.  Our day was full of joy and fun and time with family, and there really was no stress.  Honest! I feel very blessed to have had such a wonderful experience and am grateful to all those who supported us and celebrated with us and helped the day be such a delight!

From Samantha of Mulberries… Sarah wanted a soft palette of light blue, green, and cream. She loved textural elements such as gray-green succulents, scabiosa pods, and touches of sword fern.  We agreed on tweedia, which is the small light blue star-shaped flower, to bring in a hint of blue. Green Dutch hydrangea, ivory garden roses, and pieris japonica completed the bouquet.  Sam’s boutonnière was one of my favorites – a combination of a small succulent, scabiosa pod, pieris japonica, touch of tweedia, and sword fern wrapped in burlap ribbon. 

Sarah had such a great relaxed attitude and was a joy to work with. She wanted simple elegance in a classy rustic setting, and the end result was a stress-free beautiful day, celebrated with only their closest friends and family. 

Wedding Photography: Watson-Studios / Wedding Venue + Catering + Planning: RT Lodge / Floral Design: Mulberries / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal