A soft color palette, a timeless aesthetic, and a scenic setting — get ready to swoon! Mariah and Slade’s romantic garden wedding at CJ’s Off the Square is filled with pretty details and lots of charm. The sun was shining and the abundance of greenery couldn’t have looked better as the two shared the sweetest first look before exchanging their vows in an outdoor ceremony. Their summery celebration continued into the evening with statement patterned plates atop the tables, a fun champagne wall, and beautiful white wedding cake with perfectly placed florals. If ever there was a day that will make your heart smile and flutter all at once, this is it. Amanda May Photos captured it all and we’re excited for you to see it below!
Mariah + Slade
8.15.2020
Franklin, Tennessee
How did you meet?
Mariah: We met in our first college class. When Slade walked into class I knew I had to meet him! We started getting dinner every week after our late afternoon class and the rest is history.
What is your proposal story?
Mariah: On the day of the proposal we were going to go hiking but it ended up raining. Slade knew I was disappointed we didn’t go hiking and he proposed anyways on our apartment balcony.
Tell us a little bit about your wedding!
Mariah: Our vision for the wedding was a fun celebration in a romantic setting and CJ’s Off the Square’s historic home and gorgeous garden was perfect. We chose a blue color scheme because we both love the color and it complements the venue so well. We chose CJ’s Off the Square because first of all it’s beautiful, and second of all the staff is amazing and we knew we could trust them with our wedding. CJ and her team gave us peace of mind throughout the planning process and wedding day. We chose a classic style for a timeless look.
Tell us about your attire choices!
Mariah: While wedding dress shopping my goal was to find a dress I loved, that I felt beautiful in, and that fit the venue’s vibe. I didn’t have a particular designer or style in mind. I chose dusty blue bridesmaid dresses because I love the color and it’s flattering on a lot of people. The bridesmaids chose from a few dress styles in the same color and material for a cohesive look that still allowed them to choose the dress style they were most comfortable in. We chose navy blue suits for the groom and groomsmen mainly because my husband loves navy blue suits and it complemented the dusty blue dresses well.
What was most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
Mariah: The most important thing was finding a venue that fit our style and budget and would give us peace of mind. We splurged on a few decorations that we really liked in particular. We chose CJ’s Off the Square’s edison bulb chandelier above the dance floor and the champagne wall. We chose to skip having a photo booth to keep the focus on the celebration and the dance floor.
Tell us about your wedding flowers!
Mariah: Our flowers went along with the simple blue color scheme. I wanted the arrangements to be lovely and have a romantic feel without overpowering the rest of the wedding style and venue. I went with a hand tied look for the bouquets because it looks romantic to me and I chose soft and summery white and blue hydrangeas, white peonies and roses.
Tell us about your wedding cake!
Mariah: Our wedding cake had two tiers of red velvet and one tier of bourbon vanilla bean.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Mariah: Our favorite part was celebrating with our close friends and family. The funniest thing that happened was Slade, the groom, accidentally getting the garter caught in the chandelier during the garter toss.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Mariah: Decide on what the most important parts of your wedding day are to you and shape the rest of your wedding day around those things.
Beautiful couple, beautiful day! Thanks for sharing it with us, Mariah and Slade!
If you loved this romantic garden wedding at CJ’s Off the Square, here are some more summer wedding ideas!
