A Magical, Fall Wedding at the Historic Merrimon-Wynne House

Caroline + Hayes’ wedding was as magical as it gets! Caroline and Hayes decided to have their ceremony and reception on the lawn at the beautiful, historic Merrimon-Wynne House. It was a gorgeous fall day and the string lights covering the lawn added such a dreamy feel once the sun went down. The florals from Hathaway Floral Design were so elegant with mixes of pink, white, and green - a classic feel with feminine touches. This couple was the absolute sweetest to work with and everything was executed perfectly on the wedding day!

Vendor Team:

Planning: Kelsy Green with C&D Events / Photography: Luxe & Pine Photography / Venue: The Merrimon Wynne / Florist: Hathaway Floral Design / Catering: Rocky Top Catering / Lighting: CE Rental / Rentals: Party Reflections / Hair & Make Up: Tease and Blush / DJ: DJ 360

Jessica + Kellen, An Elegant Spring Wedding

Kellen and Jessica's wedding day very much represented them - laid back, full of their favorite people, elegant and meaningful! They enjoyed an outdoor, early spring ceremony followed by cocktail hour on the lawn. Guests moved into the ballroom for a coursed dinner and dessert service. Sugar Euphoria truly outdid herself by creating the most delicious and beautiful mini dessert samplers. The tables were adorned with beautiful herb potted plants and larger greenery centerpieces for a modern, yet classic feel.

Planning + Design: Becca with C&D Events / Photography: Alaina Ronquillo Photography / Venue: Rose Hill Events / Floral Design: Sweet Love Blossom / Stationary: Shop Goldie Mae / Catering: Rocky Top Catering / Rentals: CE Rental / Hair + Make Up: Ashley Mooney / Desserts: Sugar Euphoria

Educational: Five Items to Think Through When Planning Your Big Day

Starting the wedding planning process after you are engaged can be a daunting task. Friends and family that know I am a wedding planner will often ask me: Where do I start? There are 5 items to think through when you get started planning your big day!

Budget: It is really important to sit down with your fiancé and family to discuss the budget for your wedding. I know this can sometimes be an awkward conversation, but it is much better to discuss this upfront so you have a good idea of how much money you have to spend. You wouldn’t want to start planning a dream wedding to find out that it is just not going to fit into your budget. Having some basic idea of how much you would like to spend will really help you to get started. 

Date: The general timeframe of when you’d like to get married is also a huge part of starting the planning process. Are you hoping for a wedding during the prime spring or fall seasons? Or are you looking for a summer or winter wedding? Are you looking to get married relatively quickly, or would you like to take your time and have a long engagement? Usually these decisions are based primarily on the couple, but it could also be good to consult key family members and bridal party that may have conflicts during certain times of the year. It is also good to select several dates that would work for you, to give you some flexibility once you start touring venues. 

Location: The general location of your wedding is one of the first things that you will think about when you start planning. Are you interested in a wedding local to where you live, or is a destination wedding of more interest to you? Maybe you want to get married in your hometown, but don’t currently live there. You may be able to get more for your budget in certain areas, so that is a consideration as well. I also highly recommend hiring a wedding planner if you are going to have a wedding in a different location than you live, it’s so nice to have someone in the area doing the groundwork for you. 

Guest Count: Another thing to consider early on in the wedding planning process is how many guests you plan to invite. This can be one of the hardest parts of planning a wedding, so you don’t have to decide exactly who you are going to invite at this point. It can help to put together a draft list of who absolutely must be there and who you’d ideally like to invite. Maybe you want an intimate 35 person wedding, or maybe you are all in on a 250+ person party. You will definitely need to have an idea of this when you start looking for a venue, so it’s good to consider early on. 

Look and Feel: The last item that is super helpful to start thinking about when you begin planning is the overall look and feel of your wedding. Are you looking for something really formal and elegant, or is something laid back and relaxed more your vibe? Again, you don’t need to nail down the specific details at this point, but think about what is most important to you in your wedding. What do you want your guests to walk away with? Having an overall vision for what you want will help you throughout the entire planning process! 

Hopefully these steps will help you to get started on your wedding planning. If all of this is totally overwhelming to you, then a wedding planner can help walk you through the process and make it a lot less stressful :)

All the best, Kelsy