With all the uncertainty of planning a wedding, Laura and Taylor knew one thing was for sure – they were getting married on their five year anniversary of their first date. And with the help of Nashville wedding planner Ad Astra Events, it happened! Their casual, cool wedding at The Reserve at Fat Bottom Brewery was laid-back, had vibrant colors, and was complete with the prettiest DIY details. These images of their wedding at The Reserve from Sara Bill Photography give us pure joy and there’s no doubt these moments are about to put a smile on your face too!
Laura + Taylor
8.8.2020
The Reserve at Fat Bottom Brewery
From Ad Astra: Laura and Taylor initially wanted a laid-back, indoors East Nashville feel for their wedding, but COVID changed everything, and an outdoor ceremony felt perfect for an intimate ceremony. The couple made many changes due to COVID, but the one thing they wouldn’t budge on? The date – Laura and Taylor got married on the five year anniversary of their first date. Laura said she “wanted the wedding to feel like us”, which meant lively, colorful, and relaxed. We opted for muted linens with vibrant wildflower inspired florals. The wedding party attire was classic blue and gray to provide a summery neutral backdrop for all the flowers.
Laura and Taylor love music and vinyl records, so they wanted to have a few of those touches. They did their own guestbook and their seating chart were vinyl records that had been written on with gold metallic sharpie. Laura also designed all the program, table cards and seating cards myself. They also included a framed photo of their parents’ wedding photos and some of the vases they used were Laura’s grandmother’s. Any advice they would give to couples looking to get married in the near future? Hire a planner! With or without the uncertainty of the pandemic, it is so helpful to have someone who has done this before and whose main focus is your big day!
How did you meet?
Laura: We met online!
What is your proposal story?
Laura: Right before the holidays, I came home from work to find our rescue pup, Cinnamon, with the engagement ring tied to her collar. Taylor then came around corner and proposed. It was sweet and special for the proposal to happen in our home with our dog! We then got to spend the next few weeks celebrating over the holidays with all our family and friends.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding.
Laura: We initially wanted to have an East Nashville focus with our locations, but COVID changed all that and an outdoor location felt perfect for our intimate ceremony. I knew I wanted our wedding to feel like us, which meant lively, colorful, and relaxed. We opted for muted linens with vibrant wildflower inspired florals. Our wedding party attire was classic blue and gray to provide a summery neutral backdrop for all the flowers.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Laura: Taylor wore a vibrant navy suit from Jos A Banks. Laura wore an A-line dress with a blush undertone and lace detailed overlay from Brides by Glitz.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
Laura: We knew wanted to invest in the experience elements for guests–good food and drinks. We also prioritized photography and florals. Things like videography we chose to skip.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Laura: The intimate feeling of the ceremony was so special.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
Laura: Completely obsessed with the flowers that Echoes of Eden did. She captured my vision of doing wildflower-inspired florals but in a modern, not rustic way. Gorgeous tones of pinks, corals, blue, purple, orange, and yellows were throughout all the arrangements. We also loved the addition of the greenery wall at the reception.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
Laura: Done by Baked In Nashville. The top layer was strawberry with fresh strawberries and the bottom layer was confetti cake for some extra fun!
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
Laura: We love music and vinyl records, so we wanted to have a few of those touches. We did our guestbook and seating chart were vinyl records that had been written on with gold metallic sharpie. I also designed all the program, table cards and seating cards myself.
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
Laura: We included a framed photo of our parents wedding photos and some of the vases we used were my grandmother’s.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Laura: Even though our plan wasn’t for an intimate wedding at The Reserve, we really loved being able to spend more time with our closest friends and family. Our advice? Hire a wedding planner! COVID or not, it’s so helpful to have someone in their corner who has done this before and whose job revolves around making sure your wedding is just how you want it to be!
Congratulations Laura and Taylor! Huge thank you to Ad Astra Events for sharing their casual, cool wedding at The Reserve at Fat Bottom Brewery with us and to Sara Bill Photography for such amazing photographs!
