We absolutely love sharing your real weddings on Once Wed! It’s always so exciting for us to see what couples choose to highlight and focus on. For Liz and Warren, they had about 9 months to plan their wedding, which wasn’t a lot of time in their busy city of Nashville. Liz has always wanted a fall wedding, so plans began for this gorgeous celebration.
An outdoor ceremony was held around the reflection pool at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden, and we’re convinced there could not be a more gorgeous spot than this one! That view overlooking the forest is just stunning. They moved inside for the reception, to the Belle Meade Country Club. Even though they had a guest list of 250 people, wedding planner and florist Jessica Sloane (one of our Premium Vendors!) managed to create an intimate atmosphere that perfectly fit with the couple’s dreams for their wedding day.
Read on for more from the bride, Liz:
“I always knew I wanted a fall wedding, so when Warren proposed in mid-December of 2015 in our Nashville home, we had around a nine-month timeline to plan the wedding. For a booming city like Nashville (the city in which I was born and raised), nine months is not a lot of time to plan a “dream wedding” as venues and vendors get booked a year or more out, so from day one I went into the planning process with an open mind. That mindset was put to the test when we discovered that the only feasible day that we could have the wedding was my birthday.
The ceremony, which took place around the Cheekwood Botanical Garden reflection pool with 100 of our closest family and friends, was stunning. The location is surrounded by decades-old boxwoods, stone statues and sweeping views of the hillside, so we let the natural beauty of the venue take center stage and simply set out white chairs and a few floral arrangements. The casual and intimate feel of the day was carried through at the 250-person reception at Belle Meade Country Club with family-style tables in the dining room, and my wedding planner and florist were able to make it feel like we never left Cheekwood with beautifully styled vignettes throughout of wildflowers, loosely arranged florals and lots of greenery, including vine-covered Italian string lights over the outdoor dance floor.
From the perfect weather to my relaxed and supportive friends and family that allowed the day to happen stress-free, I can honestly say that, in the end, my dream wedding was realized. After all, there’s nothing quite like blowing out your birthday candles on a four-tier wedding cake!”
