From a Sewanee love story to a black-tie Nashville celebration, Addison and Seve’s wedding was the definition of elegant but fun. The couple met at the University of the South and started dating junior year. After a proposal full of surprises, including a hidden photographer, a party bus of friends, and a best friend flying in from Dallas, they said “I do” before celebrating at Belle Meade Country Club. With a timeless blue and green palette, an all-white peony bouquet, playful stripes, and a show-stopping first dance choreographed by Curtsy Ballroom, Addison and Seve’s classic Nashville wedding was a party no one wanted to end. Keep reading for the full wedding story, planning advice, and vendor details!
Addison + Seve
Ceremony: Scarritt Bennett Chapel ~ Reception: Belle Meade Country Club
Guests ~ 300
Budget ~ $80,000+
How did you guys meet?
Addison: We met our junior college at Sewanee the University of the South we had known each other leading up to it, but didn’t start talking and dating until Junior year
Tell us about your engagement!
Addison: I thought the proposal was going to happen on Easter, and Seve had all of our family and friends in on convincing me! But about a month before Easter, we went to Sewanee for a reunion weekend, and little did I know, he had planned an entire surprise proposal. We spent the night at one of our favorite couples’ houses in Sewanee, and they were in on the surprise without me having a clue. The next morning, we went to brunch with them before supposedly “stopping by to say hello to Professor.” In reality, Seve had hired a photographer to hide under the arch where I always waited for him after class. I was SO convinced he was proposing on Easter that when I saw the photographer, I actually told Seve we were interrupting someone else’s surprise proposal! Then, he got down on one knee. I still wasn’t convinced and said, “You don’t even have a ring!” Sure enough, he pulled out the most gorgeous ring I think I’ve ever seen and proposed! After we took pictures, he took my phone, claiming he didn’t want me telling anyone until we had told our siblings. He said our parents were in Nashville, and we were just going to have a small dinner together. Well, we showed up at his parents’ house, where both sets of parents were waiting, and just when I thought that was the end of the surprises, our siblings walked out! Then, he had coordinated with my maid of honor and best friend, who flew in from Dallas to surprise me. And just when I thought the surprises were finally over, a party bus pulled up FULL of our friends! We headed to my favorite bar, where he had reserved a room, and had the absolute best night ever… Or so I thought, until our wedding night!
What was the vision for your wedding?
Addison: My vision for our wedding was for it to feel classy and elegant, yet fun! I wanted it to have the feel of a black-tie affair while still reflecting our personalities. More than anything, I wanted it to feel like one big celebration—a party where everyone was having the time of their lives and nobody wanted the night to end. And that’s exactly what we achieved!
What was your theme and what inspired it?
Addison: We didn’t necessarily have a specific theme, but I had a color palette of blues and greens and wanted everything to feel timeless, classic, and elegant while still being fun! I wanted the overall look to feel elevated without being stuffy, and for the entire day to reflect our personalities.
What details were used to create your theme?
Addison: We didn’t necessarily have a specific theme, but I knew from the get-go that I wanted a palette of blues and greens, gorgeous florals, and lots of greenery. I wanted everything to feel timeless, classic, and elegant while still being fun! I also knew I wanted an all-white peony bouquet, which had been my dream since I was a little girl, so getting to carry one on my wedding day was so special. And I’ve always been a sucker for stripes, so we incorporated them throughout the wedding wherever we could! They added that extra touch of classic charm while keeping everything fun and true to my style.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Addison: Our two biggest splurges from the very beginning were the band and the photographer, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing! When my brother got married, he had the same band we did, and years later, everyone was still talking about how incredible they were. I knew right then that they were the exact band I wanted for our wedding, and from what I’ve been told, I think everyone agreed they were the best! For the DIY details, I designed our menus on Canva and made tambourines with stickers and ribbon that we passed out toward the end of the night. I also wanted to incorporate personal touches throughout the evening, so we hung wedding photos of our family members above the bar. I thought it was such a sweet and special way to honor our families and bring a little piece of their love stories into our own celebration.
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Addison: My biggest piece of advice is to make sure your wedding reflects who you are as a couple. You don’t want it to feel like a trendy wedding that could belong to anybody! You want guests to walk into an event you’re hosting and immediately feel your style, your personality, and all the little touches that make it uniquely yours. Also, don’t get lost in the sauce! It’s so easy to do, but remember that you’re looking at your wedding under a microscope, while your guests are walking in with fresh eyes on the day of. Give yourself some grace and don’t be too hard on yourself. One thing Seve and I made a point to do was stay by each other’s side as much as possible throughout the night. I wanted us to experience the same day together rather than end the night with two completely different sets of memories. It’s hard when you’re being pulled in a million directions to say hello to everyone, but we made an effort to hold hands in the crowds and never leave each other’s side on the dance floor. Looking back, I think that made the night even more memorable. We have all these fun photos of the two of us dancing, laughing, and celebrating together, surrounded by our favorite people. More than anything, we got to experience it all together, and that’s something I’ll always cherish!
What was it like working with Curtsy Ballroom for your first dance?
Addison: Curtsy Ballroom and Morgan were amazing to work with! Seve and I are not dancers by any means, and I had already pushed my luck convincing him to do a couple of dance lessons. But I really didn’t want us to just stand there swaying back and forth on the dance floor with a million eyes staring at us! We reached out to Morgan just a month before the wedding (nothing like doing things at the last minute!), and she was so responsive, flexible, and accommodating. She even came to Seve’s office for private lessons! She was incredibly patient with us as we figured out how to put together a fun first dance with moves that two very amateur dancers could actually pull off after only two or three lessons. When the big moment finally came, everyone went CRAZY! I think the shock of seeing us pull off some of the moves we did made it even better. We had so much fun with it, and I’m so glad we stepped outside our comfort zone. I can’t recommend Morgan and Curtsy Ballroom enough!
Can you share any special moments or highlights from your wedding day?
Addison: Picking just one favorite memory from our wedding day is so hard, but one moment that will forever stand out is walking out of the church after being announced as husband and wife. Our friends stood up cheering, clapping, and hollering, and it felt like something straight out of a movie! It was the most surreal moment. We were both brought to tears, completely overwhelmed by the love, support, and excitement surrounding us. After looking forward to this day for so long, getting to experience that as our very first moment as husband and wife was something we will never forget. Our first dance is another memory that will always make us smile! As I mentioned, Seve and I are not exactly known for our dancing skills, so no one expected what we had up our sleeves. We pulled off all our moves, hit some perfect photo-worthy moments, and completely stunned our family and friends. Both sides of our families came up to us afterward saying they had no idea what we had been working on during the final month of our engagement. Seeing everyone’s reactions and getting to share that fun, unexpected moment together made it even more special!
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
Addison: It was simply the best day of our lives!!
