Chelsea and Chase were married in Nashville, the bride’s hometown. The outdoor ceremony at The Manor House at the Grove overlooked the 18th hole—a sweet nod the avid golfer groom—and was followed by an elegant, tented reception. A pared-back palette of whites and neutrals tied the details of the day together while subtle pops of lush greens in the florals by The Tulip Tree and invitations by Mariée Ami added a fresh feel. Wedding planner bride, Chelsea, was overwhelmed as she looked around her beautiful day realizing “wait, I planned this one for me.” Lucky for us the fabulous Davy Whitener was on hand to capture it all in these stunning images.
What made the wedding special and unique?
Our wedding was in Nashville at my parent’s Manor House. It was always important to me to get married in my favorite city that I called home for so long, so I was happy to have that checked off the list. While there were always those ‘musts’ for me, I had to put aside my planning mind and ask myself what Chase wanted. For as long as I can remember, my stepdad told me I’d marry a golfer. Through my many stages of life I always laughed at that, and then I met Chase! Chase loves golf, so from the beginning I always knew he’d ask if our wedding could somehow involve golf. Never would I have guessed that we’d have the 18th hole at The Grove as our ceremony backdrop, but there we were! I think very often the groom’s say gets a bit overlooked, so it was special to me to include the sport my groom loves most.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
My dress is from Ivory & White in Birmingham, AL. I had always known I wanted a sweetheart neckline and mermaid body style. I went for a sample sale and ended up not buying one at the sale, but it was exactly what I wanted! Simple, yet the closer you get, the more detail is revealed. It was maybe the 6th dress I tried on, but I knew if I kept going I would have gotten lost in the trends and my fear of not being set apart from the many brides I’ve had in the past few years. I’m very happy (and a little surprised) to have stayed true to what I always had envisioned!
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
I think the wedding as a whole was personal on a different level than most, because being a wedding planner, I do this every weekend. It was overwhelming to look around and realize ‘wait, I planned this one for me’. Even the small details were personal because I knew the people behind them; my paper suite designed by my co-workers turned friends, the lighting and drapery done by my sweet office-mate & her incredible crew, the support behind the other planners in the office, etc. It was all very humbling to know how much hard work these people put in every weekend, and this time it was for me. The linens and flowers I chose were just out of design standpoint; the personality of the wedding were the people behind it!
What was the most memorable part of the day?
Honestly, the heat. I have never sweated so much in my life. But it almost made it even more meaningful that we had guests travel in from afar to celebrate us in the debilitating heat. As our wedding album progresses, the more sweaty everyone gets. It really is a treat to see everyone having fun while celebrating us, and it didn’t rain so that’s a perk!
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Chase and I met in college during a pretty hard time in my life. He was my neighbor in our rental homes. I lived in a sun room made of 17 windows, so in the beginning, I despised the boys that kept me up all night next door. Fast forward a few years and one of them is asking me to be their wife! If anyone would have told me that one of those noisy boys was going to be my husband- I would never have believed it!
Chase proposed on a September afternoon. He and my boss planned a fake team photoshoot and as I turned the corner to meet the ‘photographer’, I see Chase standing there. The best part about it was that I had just gotten back in town from a huge outdoor wedding with what we in the industry call a ‘wedding hangover’, and the last thing I wanted to do was get dolled up for a team photo, ha! Thank goodness I did!
Photographer: Davy Whitener // Planning and Paper: Mariée Ami // Florist: The Tulip Tree // Venue & Catering: The Manor House at the Grove // Hair and makeup: Hunter Paige by Parlour 3 // Dress: Pronovias from Ivory and White // Cake: Barbs Cakes // Tent and Dance Floor: Music City Tent // Rentals: 12th Table // Linens: LaTavola and Nuage // Strings: College Grove Strings // Band: Eric Blue Band