Located in the heart of Music City and only minutes away from downtown, the Marriott at Vanderbilt is a wonderful location for weddings, receptions, and rehearsal dinners.

At the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt you will discover a range of choice amenities and wedding packages set up into 3 tiers. The team at Marriott have provided these options to get you started and are our suggestions to make your special day memorable and excellent for all involved! Although these options are pre-selected, they will mold each package into what you envision on your special day. Whether it’s decked to the nines or simple and sweet, we will customize your package so it personally reflects your style.  Each wedding package includes the following:

• Experienced Event Staff and Dedicated Banquet Captain
• Set Up and Tear Down
• Tables, Chairs, Glassware, Flatware and China
• Discounted Event  Parking
• Upgraded guestroom for Bride and Groom
• Reception area until 10pm.
• Table Numbers and Holders
• Polished wooden dance floor
• Staging and basic electric for entertainment
• Choice of Hotel floor length linen with coordinating napkins:
• o   White floor length, Black floor length
• o   Black overlays, Ivory over lays, Gold overlays
• o   Black, White, Gold and Red Napkins
• Chef’s Tasting for up to (4) attendees
• Cake-cutting & Service
• Up to (3) votive candles on each table to enhance your centerpiece
• (1) Square and/or round mirror at each table to enhance your centerpiece

Catering:

The Marriott at Vanderbilt has exceptional catering with many options to choose from! Diondra McKinley, the Director of Catering Sales is no stranger to making her client’s feel comfortable and setting Weddings up for success! With the help of Executive Chef, Dean Donnell and their Banquet Supervisor, they will work as a team to ensure everything from the food to the table linen is exactly what you wanted. Dean and Diondra will be by your side during a 4 person tasting to ensure you experience firsthand what will be presented at your Reception.

Visit their website for a complete list of food options!

Lastly, Hotel Blocking:

Marriott Vanderbilt is able to offer fantastic options and incentives if you book both your guestrooms and rehearsal dinner or brunche with them. They generally do hold Brides accountable to pick up 80% of their contracted guestroom block. If the Bride also books their rehearsal dinner, brunch or reception with them, they have the option to provide a courtesy block for up to 15 guestrooms/night based upon availability. Marriott tries to provide our Brides with discounted/upgraded suites on the evening of the Wedding based on availability.

We absolutely love the Marriott at Vanderbilt.  Their dedicated staff works tirelessly to ensure your day is perfect for not only you but for all of your guests as well! From the first time you walk in the door, you will be greeted with a smile and taken into the Marriott family. The Director of Catering will provide all of the tools to help make your decision as easy as possible, continue working with you into the planning phase and finally will be there the day of your Ceremony and/or Reception to ensure everything is excellent.

Come see what the Nashville Marriott at  Vanderbilt has to offer for your special day, because your BIG day is all about the SMALL details!

The creative event rental experts at Southern Events Nashville always bring southern charm and amazing service to Nashville brides.  Below is their preview of what to expect this Fall in Nashville Weddings!

The Evolution of Vintage: Vintage Opulence

All things retro and vintage have had a serious moment in the party-planning world as of late. But change is coming as this popular trend evolves into the next big thing: Vintage Opulence!

Highlighted by the popular Great Gatsby remake, coupled with mid-century inspired industrialism, metallics are seeping into traditional vintage themed event decor and creating one stylish statement! Vintage Opulence is part romantic, part 70s-chic and loads of glam. Expect to see a lot of gold and silver contrasted by layers of texture and pattern.  Mason Jars will be replaced by Mecury Glass and soft color palettes will find room for a bold accent.  And we can’t wait!  Below are some of our inspiring images curated from around the web highlighting this trend to come.

Metallic Moment: Victorian Gold Luxe Linens

We were delighted to showcase our  Victorian Gold Luxe Linens at the 2013 Heritage Ball. Gold linens certainly create a statement but are much more versatile than you may expect. Pair these with crystal chandeliers and lavish centerpieces for elegant extravagance. Or put them with our  rustic cross-back chairs for a relaxed romantic effect. The possibilities are endless.

These linens will be popular during the holiday season and now is the time to begin thinking about your holiday party’s decor. We offer a wide range of linens to choose from in our  Speciality Line and our staff is happy to help you choose the perfect look for your event.

3 Tips to Keep Metallics Classy and Chic!

Metallics add an instant allure and warmth to any event or home decor.  However, when working with shiny metals, it’s easy to quickly take your metallics from classy to tacky.  Below we share our best tips on incorporating metallics to create a breathtaking result whether you’re hosting at home or away.

1. Make metallics your focal point. A stunning gold coffee table or gilded mirrors create dramatic impact in a room as a focal point without overwhelming the space.  A cake table draped in a gold linen or glittering chandelier over your buffet table will create a similar effect for a special occasion.

2. Mix your metallic details. Throw pillows printed in metallic gold and silver (shown below with other inspiring images curated from the web) are a modern detail to any space, and by mixing two or three different metallics you create unfussy layers and avoid an over-done, matchy-matchy look.  Effortless style is what you are after.

3. Keep it subtle. When in doubt, less is more. Style your home using metallics as an accent such as book covers, a gold lamp or bronzed paper weights.  For your next dinner party, subtle accents on a tablescape such as a metallic placecard holder or gold-rimmed china create a dazzling affect.

Visit the Southern Events blog for more tips and inspiration when it comes to event decor and beyond!

Looking for the perfect invitation? Or how about a logo for your wedding that’s totally customized for you? In this week’s vendor spotlight, we show you how Hardink Calligraphy can satisfy all your needs for lettering! We’ve asked Elizabeth Hardin, owner of Hardink Calligraphy, to give us the full details!

What all does Hardink Calligraphy do for weddings?
They do custom invitations, custom envelope addressing, drink labels, name tags, and anything you could want! They also have new notepads for your bridal to-do list or even your new monogram. If you have something in mind not listed, Elizabeth is more than happy to make something new that is completely personalized for you!

How did Hardink Calligraphy get its start in the wedding industry?
Elizabeth says she started out in this business by searching for the perfect invitation for her own wedding! When she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for, she decided to try to make one herself. Then things just rose from there! She knows from firsthand experience how tricky it is to find the perfect invitation and brand for your wedding, so she’s more than welcome to work with you on what you envision for your day!

Where else can you see Hardink’s beautiful creations?
Hardink Calligraphy has been mentioned on a few national websites and in many publications such as Southern Weddings Magazine V5 and Enchanted Brides Magazine. Elizabeth also has been working with Bella Figura, a letterpress company based out of New York that specializes in printing letterpress invitations and who also offer the largest collection of letterpress wedding invitations anywhere in the world. They now feature six of her twelve styles!

We were curious to know Elizabeth’s favorite lettering style…
She says, “-It might sound silly, but asking me to choose a favorite style would be like asking me to choose a favorite child. I love them all for one reason or another! But my three most popular styles are Eastman, Creekmuir, and Lincoln.”

Your perfect wedding has just ended and now it’s time for an amazing and well-deserved vacation…but the last thing you want to do during the planning process is frantically try to book flights and hotels for your dream getaway. With the help of Carlie Finch of 2 Travel Anywhere – an elite honeymoon travel consultant – planning the perfect, relaxing honeymoon is a breeze. Carlie is a certified Sandals specialist and 2 Travel Anywhere is committed to searching for the best honeymoon free of charge. In a recent interview with Carlie, I was able to get all of the details on the perks of hiring an experienced honeymoon consultant.

Why is this is a better option than a do-it-yourself travel website?

There are so many reasons why you should consider 2 Travel Anywhere, LLC to plan your dream honeymoon. We are not your typical travel agency. We specialize in honeymoon planning and making sure that the two of you have nothing to worry about but enjoying time together. The internet is filled with information about travel, and it takes a lot of time to sort through everything to find exactly what you are looking for. You can spend those countless hours on the internet searching for the best honeymoon spot and still not find what you want. Contacting us to help book your dream honeymoon is stress-free. We will send you as many options as you like until finding the perfect option, saving you from being stressed out about where to start.

In today’s economy, budgeting and getting the best deal for your money is always important. That’s why Carlie works with your budget.

Every couple has their own budget. The question is what type of honeymoon do you want? When deciding on your budget, you must think about activities: spa date? dinner on the beach? or maybe something different the both you may enjoy doing. We will make sure you have your once in a lifetime honeymoon within the budget that works best for the two of you.

So what makes planning your Honeymoon different than planning any other vacation?

Your honeymoon should be more than just your typical vacation. You typically only get one honeymoon, so you want this once in a lifetime experience to be a trip you will remember the rest of your lives. The honeymoon is about the two of you celebrating the beginning of the rest of your lives in the destination that matters most to the two of you which is so much more than your normal vacation.

For those of you who have already booked a hotel or honeymoon destination, here is some last minute advice from the honeymoon guru herself:

Definitely be sure to start gathering the items you want to bring with you for your honeymoon a few weeks before the wedding. Be prepared the week before your wedding! The last thing you want to worry about is packing your bags, so be sure to try to and pack early. When it comes to your honeymoon, you can never be too prepared. Be attentive to how much you pack: too much and your bag will be over the weight limit of 50 lbs. …too little and you may have to buy some things you didn’t pack. Also, be sure to bring a copy of your wedding invitation or marriage certificate with you. Most resorts want proof that this is your honeymoon. Some resorts will offer something special for the two of you celebrating your honeymoon.

There you have it! All of the tips and tricks on how to achieve the honeymoon of your dreams. Contact us at elizabeth@studiowed.net to set up a consultation with Carlie. You will be glad you did!

~Aaron Shirley