Stand aside neutral colors! Because Rachel and Robert’s timeless wedding with colorful flowers is one happy vibe! The floral designs were a big focus in making the design Rachel dreamed of come to fruition. Luckily they had Nashville wedding florist Belles Fleurs to make it happen! Arrangements of orange and pink popped against the olive green bridesmaids dresses, wrapped around the church pews, sprouted through gold lanterns, and softly laid amongst the table decor. The warm hues added a modern touch, but maintained the elegance the pair hoped for. You’ll see just why we love the bright details along with the sweet moments shared between Rachel and Robert in these images from Frawley Photography!
Rachel + Robert
Ceremony + Reception Locations: Benton Chapel at Vanderbilt and The Aertson Hotel
Guests ~ 150
Budget ~ $80,000 and up
How did you guys meet?
Rachel: We met while I was a graduate student at Vanderbilt and he was an architect working on the Divinity School at Vandy. We chose Benton Chapel for our ceremony because that is the place where it all began!
Tell us about your engagement!
Rachel: We got engaged in October in Central Park in NYC. The engagement was 9 months, which was kind of quick, but we were ready to be married!
What was the vision for your wedding?
Rachel: We wanted our wedding to be modern and highlight the beauty of Nashville. We loved having the skyline as a backdrop for our reception. Throughout our planning we said we wanted the theme of the wedding to be “fun”. Our priorities when planning were music, a big dance floor, and great drinks and food. We tried not to sweat the small details too much, but instead focused on things that would make the wedding a good time for our guests. Timeline was a huge priority for me so that guests seamlessly transitioned from the ceremony, to cocktail hour, to reception without much lag time.
What was your theme and what inspired it?
Rachel: Modern, elegant, and timeless. After picking out our venue and my wedding dress, I felt like the rest of the design pieces came together with the setting and dress in mind.
What details were used to create your theme?
Rachel: I wanted to have bright and colorful florals! I think colorful florals add so many more options for what flowers you can use. I also think the colorful florals looked beautiful and vibrant in pictures. We chose a dark green for the color scheme because I wanted my bridesmaids to wear dark green. It was flattering for their skin tones and looked beautiful on them! A decor item I loved was our seating chart. We did records and had each table named after one of our favorite songs. Each guest had a role in the song and we said that when the band played their song they had to make sure their while table was on the dance floor. I thought it was a nice touch because Robert is a musician and music has been a huge part of our relationship. Another detail that I loved were our custom cups. Robert animated us and our dogs all together on the cups. They were a hit!
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Rachel: We definitely splurged on the band and photographer. Music was such an important part of the night and the dance floor was packed the whole time. I could not recommend Biz and the Everyday People more. Photography was also so important to us to document the day. Sam and his wife Jenn were phenomenal and captured so many special moments. They were so kind and made us feel so comfortable. They also found an amazing balance between getting some amazing shots but also prioritizing us getting to spend quality time with friends and family. One thing we “saved” on was not hiring a videographer. Instead, we found a bunch of vintage cameras and set them up for guests to record moments throughout the night. Robert loves editing footage, so he is editing the footage for us. We have already watched a lot of it and there are so many funny and sweet moments. I think it is a less curated version of the wedding than you see from a normal videographer which highlights so many great moments we would have otherwise missed.
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Rachel: Hire a wedding planner. They are worth every single penny and are essential to having your day go off without a hitch.
Can you share any special moments or highlights from your wedding day?
Rachel: From our ceremony to reception was a 0.3 mile walk. Robert is Cajun and in Louisiana weddings have a “Second Line” from the ceremony to the reception. The second line is a parade with live music. We had our own Nashville version of a second line where Robert played accordion and we had all of our musical friends and family members play their different instruments – horns, banjo, guitar, drums, etc. When we started walking, it wasn’t raining and hadn’t rained all day. However, after walking for only about 3 minutes it literally rained on our parade! And by rained, I mean poured on us! We were drenched when we got to the Aertson for the reception. But, it made for such a memorable experience and some really awesome photos and videos. Plus, the Aertson was amazing and got everyone towels to dry off with. As soon as we got to the Aertson, the rain stopped. So literally the whole day it only rained for 5 minutes and it was the 5 minutes we were outside for our second line. I think it has bought us some good luck for our marriage!
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
Rachel: My mom is a wedding coordinator and was so important in making the wedding happen. I could not have done it without her. The wedding was a beautiful showcase of her talent. She is based out of Atlanta and she had only done one other wedding in Nashville for a friend of mine but still helped me find the most wonderful vendors.
Congratulations Rachel and Robert! Thanks so much for sharing your celebration with us!
