When your wedding venue is as classic as The Venue at Birchwood, you really don’t need too much to make the day more beautiful. Elisabeth and Keylan chose to utilize the stunning views at their wedding venue along with their love as the center for the main focal point of the day; added some florals and called it a day! Include some fun elements like waterfall string lights behind the sweetheart table, dessert table, tennis focus, and sparklers to kick it off and there you have your most fun, classic, and timeless wedding! When you have the dream team by your side, your day is sure to go as planned as well. Thank you John Myers for sharing these gorgeous photos of their most precious day!
Elisabeth + Keylan
The Venue at Birchwood
Guest Count ~130
Tell us about your engagement!
Elisabeth: Keylan proposed at the very spot we met — the Belmont university fountain! We met on college move-in day, both working at Belmont, and we didn’t know how special that moment was. A few years later and a whole lot of love, he proposed at the very same place we first exchanged names, and who knew, from there, that we would now have the same last name! We were engaged for five months before getting married! Engaged in June and married in November — the best!!!
What was the vision for your wedding?
Elisabeth: The vision was classic, timeless, elegant yet simple, and for the main focus to be on us two! The venue itself is so beautiful, that we wanted very little added decor and for the whole wedding to really be the authentic display of our love for each other and for all the people in the room. We also wanted it to be very “us” and we picked things that we really loved in hopes our big day would reflect us really well.
What was your theme and what inspired it?
Elisabeth: No theme really, we just wanted it to be very “wedding” traditional. Our inspiration to be classic was really in hopes that the focus would be on our wedding ceremony and the pivotal moment in time where the two of us became one. We wanted people’s main memory of the special day was to be the overwhelming love in the room. There were some modern elements, like the chapel is bright white and very aesthetic. Also, since it’s a Tennessee wedding, of course the venue had a barn! We aren’t really barn people and we loved that the reception hall was very elegant and classy yet comfortable. The dark woods and simplistic look was stunning. Golden colors, champagne bridesmaid dresses, and lots of greenery! I had some brighter pinks in my bouquet to add some fun to the very effortless look.
Can you share any special moments or highlights from your wedding day?
Elisabeth: It was the best day ever. Perfect weather, golden hour hit right after the ceremony, and there was a slight crisp in the fall air. Keylan and I have the fondest memories of our wedding day. I remember feeling nothing but peace and joy and pure excitement — how it should be. People think we are crazy when we said there was no stress on the wedding day, but it’s true, we had done our planning and preparing for the logistics of the day, and on the actual day, there was one thing to do: enjoy getting married! We exchanged hand written letters to each other before and this was really special for both of us to read beforehand, especially since we did not do a first look. My dad and I did a first look and this was so special. The entrance was a moment I’ll never forget; Keylan’s face when he saw his bride: utter gratefulness as tears ran down his cheeks –it felt like something out of a movie. It was powerful and so special. The ceremony was spectacular and filled with love. Our officiant used to be my pastor, when I lived in FL, and he not only did my baby dedication at the church in FL, but also he was the dean of my department in college, and did my college graduation! He also married my aunt and uncle, which was really neat. The service was astounding and very special, intimate, and a charge to go into the world, stronger, together! The reception was a big dance party with all our loved ones and we all wore sneakers — Keylan is a big sneaker head and this was a fun touch. Keylan crowd surfed, I was held up in a chair like a queen, and Keylan did a lift with me on the dance floor that got the crowd going! We wanted our wedding food to be southern inspired and unique — we had nashville hot chicken and waffles, bbq sliders, mac and cheese along with some fresh and healthy options too! Funfetti cake and a table of little desserts to grab was so fun and very us. A magical sparkler exit under the stars ended the most spectacular day ever!
What are some tips you can share with other brides planning their weddings?
Elisabeth: Keep your eyes on the prize — the only thing that matters is getting married to your best friend, so forget stressing over the napkin color, if you don’t care about it or put focus on it, no one else will. The ceremony should be the focus. Don’t lose touch of what matters. Let your venue do the aesthetic work for you. Less is more. Get married a few months after you get engaged — don’t drag out the planning as you will always find something else and something more to add; eliminate the stress, pick what you like, and move forward! Find ways in the day to highlight all the people in the room who got you two to where you are — the day is also about thanking them!
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
Elisabeth: May your wedding day be the most magical day, but I hope you marry the person who makes every single day full of happiness and love for you. I sure did and I’ll be thanking God for this gift forever!
Again, special thank you to John Myers Photography for sharing us these photos! Check out more real weddings here!
