Prepare to be captivated by Nicole and Danny’s uniquely styled Nashville wedding that seamlessly blends gothic romance with the timeless elegance of 1960s French cinema. This celebration at Mint Springs Farm showcases these two souls who dared to infuse their personal passions into every detail. From a DIY tattoo station to a stunning floral design featuring deep red roses and lush greenery, this wedding is a masterclass in creating a personalized and unforgettable experience. Join us as we explore the enchanting details of this extraordinary day captured by Madeleine Elliot, where love, creativity, and a touch of the unexpected came together in the most perfect of ways.
Nicole + Danny
11.15.2024
Mint Springs Farm
What was your inspiration for the day?
Nicole: We were incredibly blessed to have our wedding at Mint Springs. The rustic wood, dark tones, and stunning nature surrounding the venue fit our vision perfectly. I have always been inspired by 1960s French cinema and wanted to capture elements of that time and place. I focused on pearls, a bold red lip, and a French twist updo. My other piece of inspiration came from my love of darker tones and gothic romance. The black taper candles, red roses, and fairy lights mixed with a lot of greenery captured this vibe to me. I wanted to somehow mesh the two aesthetic inspirations together and the final vision truly came to life in a way I couldn’t even imagine. It blew me away.
How did you make your wedding about you as a couple?
Nicole: Danny and I love tattoos and express a lot through that art form. We definitely wanted this to be a part of our day. We set up a temporary tattoo station (all DIY) so our guests could enjoy the fun of tattoos and they absolutely loved it. We also wanted to bring in elements of where we live in New England. We chose to have clam chowder at cocktail hour, and we had a true New England staple at our dessert bar; apple cider donuts. For the bar, we incorporated two signature drinks that were inspired by each of our dogs personalities which was really fun to add in.
What was your most memorable moment of the wedding day?
Nicole: For me the most memorable part was the first dance with Danny. Aside from the joy of the dance with my new husband, it was incredibly special to look around the room while we danced and see the faces of every single person we love and cherish standing there with us on the most special day of our lives. It hit me in that moment how much love surrounds us.
Did you do anything unexpected, out of the ordinary or non-traditional?
Nicole: I think the most non-traditional thing we did was the tattoo station. It was such a hit. We had six different temporary tattoo options to choose from, each one signifying special moments in our lives.
What was your floral inspiration for your wedding?
Nicole: I really wanted to embrace the darker romance vibe here. Red roses have always been my favorite flower and I wanted to keep that French theme and dark romance vibe though the red roses. We kept the color scheme of the flowers pretty monochromatic with many shades of red across different types of flowers with roses being the focus. We added in a lot of greenery to add depth and more of an enchanted forest feel to the whole floral landscape. Angela at the Bloom House nailed every aspect of the florals. I wanted my bouquet to be deep red roses rich in color and compliment my dark red lip. The shape of the bouquet was a smaller cascade, which I absolutely loved. Since my dress was on the simpler side, I wanted the bouquet to feel different and really special. I also added in a gold locket with a photo of my late father on the handle of the bouquet, which made me feel like he was there with me, walking down the aisle.
Tell us a bit about finding your dress! Where did you get it, what was the designer’s name and style?
Nicole: I went into the dress shopping process really not knowing what I wanted at all. The only thing I knew I wanted was sleeves. I had always envisioned a lacey dress which was the opposite of what I chose. I ended up with a very classic timeless dress. It was form-fitting, off the shoulder, plain white with a long train and buttons down the back, with sheer long sleeves covered in pearls. It made me feel like me. Simple with a bit of something different sprinkled in.
Tell us about your bridesmaid dresses.
Nicole: The bridesmaids’ dresses were from birdy grey. I wanted them to be in black, and they could choose any style they wanted. I wanted my girls to be comfortable and feel like themselves.
Tell us about the groom and groomsmen
Nicole: Danny ended up with a beautiful sort of dark green/grey suit. He chose to add brown suspenders and brown shoes. He was incredibly handsome. We kept the groomsmen in black suits to compliment the girls. Danny got all of the guys matching socks – they had king kong riding a dinosaur on them. Perfectly goofy just like Danny to add a fun touch.
What was your song?
Nicole: Beige by Yoke Lore
Mother/Daughter song?
Nicole: I had my first dance with my Mom. My dad passed away in 2020 so I chose to dance with my mom to Only One by James Taylor which my dad used to sing to me as a baby.
Mother/Son song?
Nicole: Samurai Cop by Dave Matthews Band
Tell us about your exit.
Nicole: We had a fireworks show as a final surprise to our guests. Everyone was shocked and absolutely loved it! After the fireworks, Danny and I went inside for a private last dance while the sparkler exit was set up. It was so fun to run down the path while our guests held sparklers and cheered. It was magical.
Please offer three pieces of advice for couples planning their wedding.
1. Be true to you. If you want to do something that is considered non-traditional but you love it, do it. Always go with your heart.
2. Ask for help. It is an incredibly overwhelming time and can feel all-consuming. Ask your partner or friends and family for help. It is so worth it.
3. If you are looking to DIY a lot of your wedding details, be sure to weigh the effort and time it will take vs just paying someone to do it for you. I found that if the budget allowed, it took a lot of pressure off me to hire someone to do something I thought I could do myself.
Would you have changed anything?
Nicole: I wouldn’t change a thing. This was a day I will remember forever, and everything was even better than I could have imagined. I just wish the day was longer! It’s so true what they say, it’s over in the blink of an eye.
Huge thank you to Nicole and Danny for sharing their Mint Springs Farm wedding at with us!
