Photos by Hannah Elaine Photography
When leaving Cedarwood after their October 25 wedding celebration, Maggie Nichols and Firas Wehbe told us it was “an absolutely perfect day and everything they dreamed and more!”
Starting with a perfect mild and sunny fall day, Maggie and Firas’ outdoor ceremony was an inspirational blend of cultures featuring a reading from “The Prophet” by the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran, Apache and Irish Blessings, and a Hand Ceremony ritual. If you aren’t familiar with a Hand Ceremony, it signifies strengthening the union of Maggie and Firas through their connection of hands and hearts. It’s a great addition to a wedding ceremony!
After the ceremony officially uniting these two hearts, the celebration began! Self-professed “foodies,” Maggie and Firas wowed guests with gourmet food and great wine at every turn. One thing that made the reception so wonderful was the blend of beautiful details and delicious delicacies that kept guests wondering what’s next.
After a lively cocktail reception in the Cedarwood barn (check out the feature blog post, “Mix It Up”) dinner in the Pavilion was a creative combination of local and seasonal dishes by Clean Plate Club : Roasted jumbo shrimp on Falls Mills grits over sauteed local collard greens with collard green confetti, turnip cream soup with apple puree swirl and fried apple crisp, cumin and turbinado rubbed smoked chicken with fall fruit compote, butternut squash bread pudding, wok-charred green beans and homemade breads with Amish butter. That’s what we call country gourmet!
A great dinner is even greater when followed by an oh so yummy designer wedding cake by Patty Cakes. The groom’s “Darth Vader” cake (also by Patty Cakes) was a passionate request from Firas! Who could resist this ominous hunk of dark chocolate?
The natural beauty of the Cedarwood setting, flowers and wedding design were scenic equivalents of gourmet. Maggie and Firas choose organic and seasonal decor with brown linens, burlap overlays, moss green accents and nature’s adornments of pine cones, moss, acorns and fall flowers, berries and twigs. All pulled together by the Cedarwood Design Team, of course!
Firas and Maggie surprised guests with unique favors to take home: custom designed Hatch Show Print wedding announcements designed by Firas featuring their monogram in Arabic! A personal tribute to their union, blending cultures AND a work of art from one of Nashville’s landmark companies. Well done!
Thanks Maggie and Firas for the honor of hosting your beautiful country gourmet celebration at Historic Cedarwood. It was truly delicious down to every detail. Thanks to the talented Hannah Elaine Photography for sharing these images.
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team
Photos by Krista Lee Photography
The setting for Jessie Foster and Brian Strike’s October 24 country elegant wedding was golden, but their love and devotion for each other was the glow permeating every moment of their Cedarwood ceremony and celebration. Krista Lee Photography seemed to be everywhere she needed at just the right time to capture a collection of beautiful images documenting the day (you saw the amazing photos in Part I, right?)
The bride wore a Lee Ann Belter modified A-line ivory Alyssa gown with full lace overlay and sweep train. Jessie’s bridesmaids wore coordinated chocolate brown dresses and Brian and his groomsmen wore khaki slacks.
Wedding floral and design included all the bounty and beauty of Fall to create an elegant country style. Using soft-hued shades of butterscotch, coral, peach and amber, Jessie’s bouquet was romantic with natural seasonable elements including berries and wheat, wrapped with her grandmothers monogramed hankercheif and brooch. We loved Brian’s complimentary boutonniere of bittersweet, copper beech and wheat, wrapped with natural twine.
There was a laid back vibe to the interaction between these friends that translated into some very sincere and fun photos. Although the mood was relaxed, the details of the day were executed with planned precision that made everything seem effortless. Herself a professional who plans development events for the Frist Center for Visual Arts, Jessie was a dream bride to work with. In control, but not controlling, Jessie allowed the day to unfold with focus, flair and lots of fun – an unbeatable recipe for happy guests and a happy marriage!
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Up next…the yummy reception details in Part III of Jessie and Brian’s celebration!
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team
Photos by Krista Lee Photography
We’ve never seen a bride more aglow than Jessie Foster on her wedding day. Jessie became Mrs. Brian Strike on October 24 and the day was indeed golden. Cedarwood was brimming with beauty in every direction we looked. Krista Lee always evokes ethereal images from her cameras and we think these are especially luminous.
So many elements came together for Jessie and Brian’s day – including a surprise transition from clouds to almost perfectly blue skies. Since Jessie and her amazing mom, June Foster, had prepared for the worst weather contingency (we love it when forecasts are wrong!) the sunny day was even more satisfying. Golden light, crisp autumn air, colorful foliage, wedding flowers in muted fall colors – all masterfully blended by Krista Lee Photography.
There are way too many images worthy of featuring from this wedding to fill just one post. This one attempts to share the natural beauty and happiness of this day.
If you’ve ever wondered about the advantages of bride and groom seeing each other before the ceremony, these amazing images show the potential for unhurried, romantic and natural shots. No post-ceremony rush! Thanks Krista Lee for sending us a photo disk so we can share even more of your talent with our blog readers.
Happy Holidays Jessie and Brian. May you ring in the New Year with the promise of a blissful life together.
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team
Photo by Melissa Prosser Photography
Merin Wagner and Austin Haynie from Cumming, Georgia are getting married at Cedarwood September 18, 2010. They snagged a Saturday early for our upcoming wedding season and we have planned some incredible details for their Rustic Romantic Cedarwood wedding.
For those of you who didn’t get a Saturday for 2010, please don’t discount the value of Friday and Sunday weddings! If most of your guests are local - great. If most of your guests are coming from out of town – even better! Give your guests the chance to take a mini vacation, and they will love you for it! Getting the venue you love is worth the compromise.
For those of you who are newly engaged and ready to reserve your wedding date even further out, Cedarwood is now officially taking reservations for 2011. Don’t delay if you have your heart set on a specific date or day of the week. Saturdays will fill up fast!
We love Merin and Austin’s engagement photo – taken in an overgrown corn field – by Melissa Prosser, an Atlanta-based photojournalist specializing in documentary wedding photography. The photo is ideal for Merin and Austin’s Save-the-Date cards to set the tone for their rustic romantic wedding style. And….we ♥ weeds shots!
Worth noting: Cedarwood has a new source for custom designed Save-the-Dates incorporating photos at a great rate. Ask us for details.
Congratulations Merin and Austin! We are thrilled Cedarwood is your wedding venue!
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team
Photos by Shaun Ring Photography
This post is actually an introduction to the upcoming coverage of the November 14 wedding of Jessica Gira and Billy Manning – our last wedding of the fall season but certainly one of our favorites. Compelling couple and fantastic wedding with so much to blog about.
Lexington, Kentucky photographer Shaun Ring posted images from the wedding on his blog, and we are so buzzed, we had to share them right away! This was Shaun’s Cedarwood debut and his perspectives are personal and poetic.
Shaun sets up this wedding beautifully, so we invite you to read his intro below, then click here to pop over to Shaun’s place for more blog photos and wedding slideshow!
“For once in my life, I’m at a loss for words. I want to tell you how amazing this wedding weekend in Nashville was for me, but I swear—every word feels inadequate. For someone like me who gathers energy and inspiration from my surroundings, this wedding was nearly too much for me to handle. I seriously felt overwhelmed visually, emotionally, at a soul-level. Let me try my best to explain this and not sound like a babbling fool…
Jess and Billy are like gravity. They draw together effortlessly, and never with an ounce of pretense or show. They are 100% comfortable with themselves and each other, and it shows in the easy spirit they carry. This sentiment echoed throughout the whole weekend. Everyone was warm and festive. Like a much overdo family reunion. I’ve never seen so much hugging, and I’m a hugger from way back. Love it.
The venue? Seriously? I could shoot there for an entire wedding season and still never capture that much beauty. Historic Cedarwood is THE ideal place for a wedding and reception. The facilities, the grounds, the food, the service—perfectly connected.
Okay…I can sense that my words are falling short. I’m going to shut-up now and let you enjoy these images!
Gorgeous, right?”
YES. Absolutely Gorgeous! We are inspired by your talent, Shaun. Thanks for your gracious comments about Cedarwood!
We are also grateful for the priviledge to work with amazing clients like Jess and Billy. You are perfect together! Jess and Billy: Your letter to Cedarwood melted our hearts ♥ (read it on comments!)
Stay tuned for more!
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team
Photos by Hannah Elaine Photography
Maggie Nichols and Firas Wehbe are an international couple – Firas from Lebanon and Maggie having lived in Spain – who have sophisticated tastes when it comes to the culinary arts. They wanted to treat guests at their October 25 Cedarwood wedding to a natural, organic old Tennessee setting while dining on gourmet food that represented both Frias’ Mediterranean roots and their southern home in Nashville.
After their outdoor garden wedding, Maggie and Firas invited guests to the Cedarwood barn for a pre-dinner cocktail reception. Hors d’Oeuvres included: Baby Lamb Chops with Coriander Chutney, Petite Tarts with Pear, Thyme and Oregon Blue Cheese, Asian Tuna Tartar, Baba Ghannouj, Feta, Olives and Pita. My mouth is watering already … and these delicacies preceeded a gourmet reception dinner in the Pavilion by the oh so yummy Clean Plate Club.
So what does a cocktail reception in the Cedarwood barn look and feel like?
Join us for a really fun ‘taste’ of the experience through a short slide show we’ve put together with some great journalistic-style photos byHannah Elaine Photography.
We know… now you want to see more photos from this wedding. So do we! The ceremony, reception and details are dreamy and we look forward to blogging more about Maggie and Firas’ country gourmet celebration.
Hats off to Maggie and Firas for creating a naturally chic, upscale cocktail reception. For the romantically rustic space, hats off to the Cedarwood barn!
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team
Golden Details: Jessie and Brian Part III
Photos by Krista Lee Photography
Jessie Foster‘s definition of a perfect wedding starts with a warm and inviting setting with tons of details pulled together without looking like it and not a detail forgotten. Our translation: beauty at every turn, seamlessly coordinated design, pampered guests and a fun party!
The coordination of details for Jessie Foster and Brian Strike‘s October 24 Cedarwood wedding was impressive. Warm spiced cider as guests arrived (via chartered shuttle), a ceremony congregational hymn (Come Thou Font of Every Blessing), ceremony music by Craig Duncan Musicians on guitar and mandolin featuring songs like “The Tennessee Walt,” live bluegrass music for the lively cocktail reception in the barn, ”Southern Palmer” signature drinks with Firefly sweet tea vodka served in mason jars, hay bales draped with our vintage printed tablecloths – all aspects that showered guests with southern hospitality.
And there’s more! Here’s a random list, including some fantastic photos by the fab Krista Lee Photography.
Jessie’s dress and boots (designer gown with kickers – so cool!) … the guy’s joke-around “boutonnieres” … Brian’s real boutonniere with a shaft of wheat (repeated in Jessie’s bouquet and on the wedding cake) … the artistically drawn chalkboard dinner menu and bar menu (and the rustic handwritten cocktail bar menu in the barn-wood frame) … burlap linens and fall flowers nestled among pumpkins, bittersweet vine and candles… table numbers using “Spirit of Nashville” postcards of Nashville icons … late night party food including “Pigs in blankets” with gourmet mustards … custom designed Patty Cakes wedding cake …. Brian’s Pumpkin flavored groom’s cake with hand made marzipan fruits (also by Patty Cakes) … rustic craft and twine place card-tags hanging in the barn with clothespins … the lively cocktail reception in the Cedarwood barn with Jessie’s dad, Larry Foster, ringing the dinner bell to send guests to the Pavilion for a delicious dinner by Panache Catering … their cinematic slide show … the bride and groom’s wedding toast with orange juice (a family tradition) … paper lanterns decorating the dance floor that was hoppin’ all night long … a beautiful golden day transitioning to a cold fall evening (making the sunny warm day even more special) … the gracious note we received from Jessie’s folks (read it in comments below!)
Thanks for sharing so much of your work, Krista Lee. Jessie and Brian, your wedding was golden and you are definitely gold.
For anyone who missed ‘the rest of their wedding celebration story’, be sure to read “Parts I and II” in the Cedarwood blog!
Linda & the Cedarwood Event Team