Oh for the love of books! Lauren + Michael’s book-inspired wedding was a day to remember. The couple opted for a small intimate wedding at their home in downtown Murfreesboro, TN. With the help of many great local vendors, their backyard was turned into a vintage-inspired garden a la Anthropologie! The bright cobalt and yellow touches were oh so cute along with Lauren’s simple, classic tea length wedding dress from ModCloth. Photographer Erin Lee Allender was there alongside the couple to capture their “I dos” all while making them feel at ease and comfortable on their wedding day! Take a look at the photos below (and a word from bride, Lauren!)…
Lauren + Michael
Private Residence
8.26.17
How did you guys meet?
Lauren: My dream job has always been a librarian, but I decided to go to law school. I met Michael my last year of law school through a work connection while I was working for a publishing company. He’s a librarian (insert heart eye emoji here) and we just clicked. He had me at “my favorite book genre is Victorian fiction.”
Tell us your proposal story!
Lauren: Michael proposed the day I graduated from law school at my graduation dinner at The Southern. I loved having my family there. He really planned it to include everyone and that made it special. There was so much to celebrate!
Tell us about your wedding day!
Lauren: Michael and I got married in the backyard of the house we now live in, which made it feel very special. The house is a small cottage on our favorite street in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It really framed the rest of the wedding. We went for easy and elegant, with books as decorations and small personal touches. I wanted to feel like I walked into an ANTHROPOLOGIE catalog. Our vision was a laid-back cocktail party with yard games. We didn’t do dancing, but it erupted spontaneously!
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Lauren: Our first look was probably our favorite part. I got ready at my parents house a street over from our home. Michael walked over from our home with Cooper, his dog. I walked out to meet him and it was so nice to have an intimate moment before the craziness started.
I loved being surrounded by our families and closest friends. Because we had such a small and intimate setting, a lot of our friends who didn’t know each other prior bonded while sitting together and playing games.
A funny aside, we got married the night of the Mayweather v. McGregor fight. We ended up buying it and watching it with our late night guests. We always say it was the first big marital fight.
I also have to give a big thank you to our photographer, Erin Allender. Michael and I both HATE taking pictures. She kept it fun and kept us laughing.
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
Lauren: The house was our big heirloom- it belonged to my parents and we moved in shortly before the wedding. I would not recommend moving and planning a wedding at the same time.
I also loved that we were able to include our dogs in our wedding pictures. It meant a lot that our whole “family” was able to be present for our big day.
What was most important to the two of you while planning?
Lauren: We spent most of our time on little details and these made our day. We wanted it to reflect our personalities, which is why we chose book centerpieces. We also wanted it to reflect how much we love where we live and tried to keep vendors local.
The most important thing became our DINOSAUR CAKE TOPPERS. Michael and I both love Jurassic Park (the original book and movie) and it was one of the first things we bonded over.So when I saw these dinosaur cake toppers from Etsy shop, WMCoutureDesigns, I had to get them. The seller was able to match our outfits perfectly- even down to the billy buttons in my bouquet.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their wedding?
Lauren: A wedding with all your favorite things and people can be done for under $10,000 with the right planning! Staying local can really bring down the cost. I would also say to make sure your wedding is a reflection of yourselves and add little fun touches that make it about you!
Erin! Thanks so much for sharing all about Lauren + Michael’s day! You can check out more of Erin Lee Allender’s photography work here and also be sure to follow her over on Instagram!
Sources
Erin Lee Allender/Private Residence/Privet & Vine/Tasty Table Fine Event Catering/Publix/Stewart’s Special Events/Nothing Bundt Cakes/ModCloth/J. Crew/Kate Spade
