Beneath the autumn sky on a sweet November day, Karri and James said I do. Their intimate wedding at Percy Warner Park proved to be the perfect spot for three of their close friends to join them in uniting amongst the fall foliage. The colors were as warm as the smiles these two shared throughout the day with Darien Photography there to capture the love. Almost a year later, they were able to celebrate their love once more with all their loved ones having a reception at 21C Museum. The color and artistic touches of the venue were on par with the creative style of Karri and James. All in all this two-part celebration is filled with such personal touches and details that are really such a joy!
From the photographer: Karri and James tied the knot on the most beautiful November Fall day, probably the peak of autumn color in Nashville.
Theirs was the epitome of a #tinyweddingbiglove If there’s something good that happened during the pandemic is that we learned to pivot, to adjust, and to create. We also have learned that we should not take people and things for granted. Karri and James put their marriage first. Their wedding only had 5 people in it, and a Jeep! Karri and James are so lucky to be neighbors with their best friends Liz and Olaf, the only guests, along with their officiant, Karri’s longtime friend Addison, who flew to Nashville from Phoenix just to marry them.
It was an honor to photograph their ceremony and some portraits for them. Their love for each other filled the air…even the trees looked happy!
To be honest, I really want the intimate weddings that flourished during the pandemic to stay current. Couples tend to stress so much to please others instead of creating an experience that celebrates the uniqueness of their love. Weddings can be celebrated however and everywhere you want them to be!
From the photographer: I love getting to know all the couples I photograph, but I have to say that I enjoyed getting to know Karri in particular for the way she tells stories, James describes her so well as an “animated storyteller.”
Karri and James met on the dating app Bumble. Here on her own words: “He wanted to meet for coffee one Saturday morning. I was terrified to meet in the morning because there’s no real escape if we aren’t connecting. Evening dates I would just say, “Oh! I have a big meeting in the morning and need to go home.” Work can’t bail you out of a bad weekend date… I wasn’t nervous to meet him until I got in the car that morning and I distinctly remember the thought that rushed through my head, “he could be the last guy you go on a date with.” I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind. We met at Red Bicycle in Germantown and I passed him in my car. He was so attractive. 🙂 We met and our coffee date turned into walking around Germantown and we finally ended up behind City House chatting by a fire pit. I had made a hair appointment months before he and I met and I was supposed to be there at noon. I was almost late to my appointment because we talked for so long.”
“We got engaged just before our four year anniversary. We do a lot of hiking, biking, and baking together. I can spend lots of time with him and not get annoyed (something I never thought possible).”
They chose Percy Warner Park for their wedding because “It’s beautiful and we walk there a lot. James used to trail run there.” Choosing the perfect spot within the park was a fun adventure. Karri wanted to have a few photos of them in James’s old jeep with a “just married” sign, which was so much fun. We took a drive around the park right after taking those photos and it was the perfect way to end the photoshoot before it started to rain. They went off to have a celebratory dinner at Miel and ate their honey cake. “James has known the owner since she opened the restaurant 12 years ago. We recently moved a block away and with COVID, she has brought some normalcy and elevated our stay at home date nights the past few months. We are so excited to celebrate there!”
About their rings and details: “Liz’s friend knows the jeweler who made my rings that James designed. I’m also wearing moon earrings she made. I’ve always had a fascination with the moon and early on in our relationship we would go on full moon hikes…James loves technology and loses things so he’s getting a ring that tracks his heart rate and other things. He’ll most likely lose it so he didn’t get a special made ring.”
Their wedding day was truly the most colorful of the fall season. The leaves were at their peak, and the couple’s happiness filled the air.
After almost a year, they finally celebrated with the rest of their friends and family at 21C Museum and Hotel in downtown Nashville. It was filled with great fun and memorable moments. They had candles for their guests to light, as a very intentional way to incorporate their loved ones into their own version of the unity candle ceremony. It was as symbolic as it was beautiful.
Karri is a very talented hobby baker, so she wanted the cake to be beautiful, delicious, and by a local baker. James wanted the cake to feature his Korean heritage and his love of tacos. Karri enlisted Hannah Beasley from “Buttercream is best” to bake two cakes, in Hannah’s own words: “it was so fun to get to make a bride and groom’s cake for Karri’s wedding. It’s always an honor when another baker trusts you to make a cake for them. Fondant tacos and the Korean flag are two things that I have not been asked to do before, and I would gladly do them again. Especially on the same cake.”
Karri and James put their relationship first when they decided to get married, and created a unique wedding experience around it. I hope more couples follow their example and really get to celebrate in their own personal way.
Huge thank you to Darien Photography for sharing Karri and James’ intimate wedding at Percy Warner Park and reception at 21C Museum. We’re honored to share such a fun-loving day!
