Southall Eden Paperie and Farm Weddings

New Blog Address!!!

2011-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

This blog is no longer active. Please visit our new blog here.

New Wedding Invitation Trends for 2011

2011-01-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

In the coming year brides will be incorporating more organic details  into their weddings, with the focus being on all things personal,  hand-made, and organic. Even for the non-DIY bride, traditional artistic  elements will be popular in wedding stationery.

Folk Art Style:
With current trends leaning towards more personalized, casual weddings,  many couples are choosing to forgo traditional invitations and opt for  stationery that is more like a work of art that represents them as a  couple and their big day. Not only will we be seeing lots of more  rudimentary graphics, but imperfect, hand-drawn fonts will become more  popular as well.

Lace:
Lace is certainly not new to weddings, but it is definitely on the hot  list for 2011. Intricately cut papers such as doilies will be very  popular. On more simplistic budget-friendly stationery, lace graphics  will add the same feel of romance and delicateness.

Stitching:
While most trends tend to repeat themselves over the years, sewn  invitations are brand new to many of us. Hand or machine stitching is an  unexpected element that adds a creative, personalized touch to wedding  stationery, and brides who are looking for a unique "wow" factor are  totally digging it!

Thanks to Jonathan Campbell Photography for the lovely images!

Jennifer and Flint: A Classic Outdoor Nashville Wedding

2011-01-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Photography: Ace Photography
Venue: Southall Eden
Planner: Premier Wed
Catering: Tom Kats
Flowers: The Enchanted Florist
Lighting: JD Lighting and Sound
Rentals: Music City Tents and Events

Top 5 Most Heinous Wedding Stationery Etiquette Blunders

2010-12-31T15:23:00.000-08:00

I'm what you would call a "progressive" wedding stationery designer. I don't  subscribe to Emily Post and I don't believe that wedding invitations have to arrive in a double envelope with an sheet of vellum, but I do encourage brides to always be classy and thoughtful, even if they throw tradition to the wind in other aspects. That being said, here are the Top 5 Most Heinous Wedding Stationery Etiquette Blunders, according to me:

5. Addressing wedding invitations with Avery labels.

Yes, its easy and cheap. No, its not acceptable. You are announcing your wedding, not sending a holiday card, and you want to introduce the event with a personal, classy tone, regardless if you are having an informal wedding. I'm not saying its necessary to hire a calligrapher to address your invitations. A bridesmaid with nice handwriting can do it. Or you can have them printed in a nice calligraphy font. There are even beautiful labels that coordinate with wedding stationery that are acceptable for even the most up-scale events. (And yes, these labels are very popular, despite the fact that your mom may hate them). But white office labels printed at home on the bride's computer will not do.

4. Sending invitations out AFTER the RSVP date has passed. Sometimes it becomes necessary to send out invitations in batches to make sure you don't exceed your venue's capacity. This is understandable. However, please make sure that you give everyone at the very least 2 weeks to respond. Nothing says "You're on our B list" like getting an invitation when the RSVP date is 2 days away or has already passed. 

3. Not sending an invitation to someone you sent a Save the Date to. Many times couples send out Save the Dates before they know a lot of details about their wedding. So what happens if you find out you can't have as many guests as you originally planned? Well, don't put yourself in that situation. If you are not completely sure how many guests you can have, only send out Save the Dates to those people who you absolutely know you will invite. Once you are sure you can invite more people, just send out your invitations a little early and you should be fine. I have also had couples ask if it was ok to not send an invitation to someone who received a Save the Date but has already declined. In a word, no. Assuming the person is someone you are close with (and if they are invited to your wedding, they surely are) they will still appreciate being invited. They may send you a gift even if they can't come, and you should do them the courtesy of sending an invitation. And also, their plans could change. If they are able to come after all, you want them to feel welcome.

2. Writing in/ correcting information on invitations. I once had a bride who had to change her wedding date due to weather-related damage to the venue where the event was being held. Instead of having the invitation re-printed, she informed me that she was just going to "change the date with a Sharpie". Oh. Oh my. Even as an etiquette liberal, this almost sent me to my grave. This is your wedding. Treat it with respect. If your information changes, ask about a reprint. In most cases, if only one piece has to be reprinted (as opposed to the whole ensemble) your stationer can reprint for a fraction of the price of the entire order. And on the same note, be sure you look over your proofs very carefully before placing your order. If there is a mistake you don't catch, the responsibility of paying for a reprint is yours. 

And the Number 1 Most Heinous Faux Pas 

1. Including registry information with your wedding invitation. No, no, no. Do not do this. Do not do this at your house, do not do it with a mouse. Do not do this in a box, do not do it with a fox. Do not do it, Sam I am. Your wedding invitation is a way to extend your desire for the recipient to be with you on your wedding day because of the importance they have in your life. It is NOT a way to tell them what gift you would like to receive from them, regardless of whether or not they attend. Attending weddings can be very expensive, especially if there is travel involved. The decision about a gift should be left to the guest. If she wants to know where you are registered, she can ask someone close to you, or find your registries online with very little effort. "But wait," you say, "When I registered at Target they gave me little registry cards to enclose in my invitations." Yes, they did, but they should not have. Those little cards are the devil's work and should be discarded immediately. Probably shredded first, and preferably disposed of in a toxic waste container. I love me some Target as much as the next girl, but the fact of the matter is that they have a vested interest in your guests purchasing your gift from them. They have no concern whatsoever whether or not you look tacky. That part is up to you! Exercise restraint!

Shannon

Meg and Josh: Part 2

2010-12-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Photography: The Parsons

Venue: Southall Eden

Planning: Premier Wed

Decor: Vintage My Wedding

Catering: Unique Flavors

Flowers: Village of Flowers

Lighting: JD Lighting and Sound

Meg and Josh: A Stunning Nashville Vintage Country Wedding

2010-12-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

Like many Nashville transplants, Meg and Josh both came to Music City to pursue their music careers. Oddly enough, their paths converged when they were both finalists on the television reality show Nashville Star. And not only are they talented singers and songwriters, they are also ridiculously talented wedding photographers in their own right! You may have also noticed that Meg kinda has a knack for decor ;) Their quaint vintage wedding in September was one our favorites to date.

Photography: The Parsons

Venue: Southall Eden

Planning: Premier Wed

Decor: Vintage My Wedding

Catering: Unique Flavors

Flowers: Village of Flowers

Lighting: JD Lighting and Sound

How to Control Your Guest List

2010-12-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Congrats to all you happy couples who just got engaged over the holidays! Starting to plan your wedding is such an exciting time. I'm sure one of the first things you'll realize is that weddings are NOT CHEAP and the more guests you have, the more money you will spend. So, how do you control your guest list so that catering is not eating up (no pun intended) your entire wedding budget? Here are some tips:

1) Be realistic about who you want/need to invite. If you have not seen or talked to the person in two years, you probably don't really need to invite her, even if you were invited to her wedding 7 years ago. Think about who is important in your life in the here and now, and focus on those people. Nobody wants to offend people, but remember this is YOUR big day and YOUR budget. Don't feel like you have to invite everyone you have ever been friendly with.

2) Consider having an adults-only wedding. More and more people are doing this, and it really is ok and doesn't make you an evil person! In most instances, caterers and venues consider a human being one person regardless of age. If you have a limited budget or your venue has a limited capacity, its OK to opt not to invite your co-worker's 4 year old (who won't remember or care) so that you can invite another college friend instead. If you do choose to go the No Children route, have family and friends help you spread the word verbally. You will also want to make sure the invitation is addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" only, and you might consider having your RSVP card say "___ of 2 will attend" so that the couple will understand you are only reserving 2 spots for them.

3) Have you RSVP cards printed with two different RSVP dates. As a stationery designer, I frequently do this for clients. Say your wedding is on October 1st. You send out your first batch of invitations to your family and closest friends in mid July with an RSVP date of mid August. As you receive "No's", you send out more invitations, which have an RSVP date of September 1st. It's a great system that really works, but PLEASE be careful that you do not send Batch A invitations to people who will be talking to Batch B people. That can get really tacky, if you know what I mean.

4) Remember that not everyone you invite will attend. As both a stationery designer and a venue owner, I would say 95% of the weddings I have worked on have turned out to have LESS guests than the couple originally expected. Based on my own experience, combined with some informal internet research, I think its safe to say that usually about 75% of your invited guests will attend. Unfortunately even if 100% want to come, people have work obligations, prior engagements, family commitments, and financial situations that will prevent them from doing so. So even if you're wanting to invite 300 people, its probably worth it to take a look at a venue with a capacity of 250. Also remember that some people who RSVP that they are coming will end up not showing up (which is totally rude, but that's another story...) But likewise, you may have a few people show up who did not RSVP.

In summary, remember that this is YOUR day. Of course I don't advocate being a Bridezilla, but when it comes to the guest list, both space and money make it necessary to make some tough decisions, and you should not feel guilty about it. Now open up those excel spreadsheets and get started!!

Shannon

The Smart Bride Wedding Planning Bootcamp

2010-12-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Before you attend your first bridal show or hire your wedding vendors, check out The Smart Bride: a Wedding Planning Camp designed to help you get smart!  AshleysBrideGuide.com has teamed with recent Nashville brides and wedding pros to equip you with secrets, insider tips and advice that will save you money and your sanity. We were honored to be asked to speak at this event!  

Registration is free for a limited time so reserve your seat today.

Tessa and Chase Part II

2010-12-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

Venue: Southall Eden

Planning: Williamson County Weddings

Photography: Photographix

Lighting: Nashville Event Lighting

Catering: A Catered Affair

Cake: Paige Holloway

Stationery: Southall Eden Paperie

Hair and Makeup: Unruli Salon

Tessa and Chase Part I- A Vintage Country Wedding

2010-12-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

This couple's style absolutely blew us away! Chase proposed to Tessa in late August, but with his rigorous schedule touring as a dancer, they wanted to get married as soon as possible. We enlisted the help of the talented Williamson County Weddings and just two short months later we had a one of our most beautiful weddings yet. In addition to having a sharp dressed bridal party with amazing style, the couple decided to be creative and have their ceremony on the hillside under a tree, with guests seated on covered straw bales. Tessa was no less than stunning walking up the hill and there was not a dry eye in the crowd when she reached Chase at the altar. Live music by their talented friends added a beautifully personal touch to the ceremony, and everyone got a great laugh out of the couple's unexpected choice of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Starting Something" as a recessional song.

Venue: Southall Eden

Planning: Williamson County Weddings

Photography: Photographix

Lighting: Nashville Event Lighting

Catering: A Catered Affair

Cake: Paige Holloway

Stationery: Southall Eden Paperie

Hair and Makeup: Unruli Salon

Enter to win $1,000 OFF venue rental!!

2010-11-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies, we have BIG NEWS!!

One lucky bride is going to win a coupon for

$1,000 OFF the rental price of the farm

for her wedding or rehearsal dinner!

Click HERE to enter.

Please include your name

and your fiance's name.

The big giveaway will take place at our holiday open house on December 1st. We will draw the winner's name at 7:00 sharp, and you MUST be present to win and show photo ID. The coupon is good for any available date in 2011 (remember we don't do July or August weddings because of the heat, but everything else is fair game).

**Event must be booked by April 1, 2011. Winner must comply with Southall Eden contract. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other special offers. **

Southall Eden Holiday Open House

2010-11-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Interested in booking a farm wedding or a unique barn rehearsal dinner at Southall Eden? Come by our holiday open house on Wednesday, December 1 from 5-9 PM to check out the property, enjoy some tasty treats, get some decor ideas, and join in the merriment ;) To get on the guest list, you MUST email terri-ann@southalleden.com or call us at (615) 775-4080.

Katie and Jordan- A Beautiful Nashville Farm Wedding

2010-11-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Elegant Farm Wedding- Ashlin and Dustin

2010-08-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Venue: Southall Eden
Planning: Premier WED
Florist: A Village of Flowers
Catering: Constant Cravings
Photography: Image Trick
Lighting: Jason Davis

Trends in Wedding Invitations for 2011

2010-08-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Eco- Friendly Papers
Eco-chic is cool, not to mention it fits perfectly with the "Anthropologie-esque" wedding craze. The wide range of available eco-friendly papers makes having wedding invitations that are lovely AND earth friendly easier than ever before. As always, our standard printing paper 100% cotton that is made from the by products of textile mills in a wind powered factory, but the options don't stop there.

Paper embedded with wildflower seeds can be planted after use to grow a beautiful reminder of your special day.

Tinted kraft paper, shown above in olive, creates a more customized look than standard brown kraft paper.

Shades of Turquoise

Teal, aqua, turquoise, and all their color wheel neighbors are in demand this year, and are sure to carry over to 2011. In fact, Pantone has named turquoise the Color of the Year for 2010.

Line Art

Brides are drawn to invitations with line art because they are elegantly simple and classy. It also evokes that vintage feel that is so popular right now.

Photos by the amazing Jonathon Campbell Photography.

Luxury Farm Weddings by Williamson Co. Weddings

2010-08-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to partner with the talented planning forces behind Williamson County Weddings to bring a limited number of couples a Luxury Farm Wedding experience in 2011! Enjoy the impeccable style and quality you would expect from CJ's Off the Square, but in the beautiful open setting of the farm.

To inquire about available packages or to have a customized package created especially for your big day, contact CJ at (615) 465-8099.

Rustic Decor Rental Items for Farm Weddings

2010-08-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Oh  how I love to decorate, and oh how I love to shop! Since opening up the  farm for weddings, I have been collecting decor items that I think  would be an asset to "my girls" as they plan the perfect look for their  big day. Beginning in 2011, each bride who books her farm wedding at  Southall Eden will receive a $300 credit towards our  inventory of rental items. Choose from rustic barn wood and antique tables, various types of lanterns and chandeliers, glass apothecary jars, and more!

Julie and Jonathan in Nashville Lifestyles Magazine

2010-08-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Big congrats to Julie and Jonathan, our amazing clients whose wedding was featured in the latest edition of Nashville Lifestyles. I had the pleasure of custom designing Julie's wedding stationery from the Save the Dates right down the the table numbers and thank you notes.

The Happy Couple

Their gorgeous reception at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Siblings: Its such as shame this family got cheated in the good looks department...

Folded place cards were displayed on a bed of greenery.

Save the Date on stainless steel paper featuring the Nashville skyline.

Julie chose to use photos of the couples' travel for her table numbers.

Vendors:
Wedding planning: Dawn Schenkel, Premier  W.E.D.
Floral designer: Terry White, English Garden
Stationery/Invitations: Shannon  O’Kelley, Southall Eden
Photographer: Sarah and Zach Henson, Tomorrow’s  Memories
Venue: Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Hair: Alicia Powell, Altra Salon
Makeup: Jana Hilton
Gown: Justin  Alexander, Prada shoes

Romantic Barn Wedding with Red Roses

2010-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Vintage Country Inspiration Shoot

2010-08-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

We are so delighted to have this shoot featured on Martha Stewart's Wedding Wire blog!

“The inspiration elements for this shoot were twigs and lace. We wanted to play up the natural elements of the venue, but also create an ultra romantic setting. The altar was created by hanging a sheer ivory panel from a horizontal tree limb and framing it with lace panels on either side. The twig and crystal chandelier created interest overhead, while a simple antique table served as a resting place for candles. We incorporated soft, romantic flowers in shades of white, pink, and coral by hanging mercury glass lanterns with shepherd’s hooks on either side.

For the table scape, we incorporated the element of lace with an ivory overlay on top of the deep coral linen. The lace theme was repeated in the delicate ivory vases that held small bouquets of soft peonies, hydrangeas, and spray roses. Overheard, we suspended natural twigs, which were adorned with spray roses and mercury glass ornaments. An antique heirloom dresser was used as a cake table, while sheer panels along the back of the reception area mimicked the sheer panel of the altar.

The invitation was printed on a shimmery ivory card stock in a romantic script. The outdoorsy element was subtly incorporated by housing the invitation in a fan shaped pocket of luxurious embossed paper, embellished with a coral ribbon and square vintage style rhinestone. The coordinating stationery and accessories also utilized the shimmery ivory paper with pops of coral and pink.”

Photography By: Jennifer Cook and Ann Carroll at Photographix

Location: Southall Eden

Dress: The Bride Room (designer is Melissa Sweet)

Stationery: Southall Eden Paperie – Shannon O’Kelley

Cake: The Bake Shoppe

Hair and Makeup: Kara Gaylor

Event Design: Southall Eden – Shannon O’Kelley

Florals: Southall Eden – Jennie Watkins and Shannon O’Kelley

Rentals: Music City Tents and Events

FREE Save the Dates for weddings at Southall Eden

2010-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

For a limited time only, receive FREE custom printed Save the Dates when you book your farm wedding at Southall Eden within 7 days of your initial visit.* Choose your favorite design and color scheme from our new specialty line, designed exclusively for weddings at the farm. You will receive a complimentary digital proof via email, and your order will be printed and ready to go within just 7 business days! * White envelopes included. Limit 125 per wedding. Color customization available for a $30 fee.

Jessica and David: A Beautiful Couples shoot

2010-06-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

This adorable couple was celebrating their first anniversary and put their wedding attire back on for a photo shoot by Photographix. Check out the photographers' blog post here.

Invitation Trend: Plantable Wildflower Seed Invitations

2010-05-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

photos by Jonathan Campbell

Finally, a TRULY eco-friendly wedding invitation. These invitations are printed on paper that contains wildflower seeds. When the festivities have passed, your guests can actually plant their wedding invitation in the ground! The paper decomposes, while the seeds grow into lovely flowers that will always be a reminder of your special day. They even come with matching seeded envelope.

Barn loft is ready to party!

2010-04-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

We are so pleased to announce that our barn loft has a brand new floor and is ready for fabulously rustic weddings and receptions! Imagine it: pretty string lights overhead, your favorite flowers bunched around the 100+ year old wooden beams, one of Nashville’s many talented bands playing, and everyone you love around you! This is a 1250 square foot space that can be used for a dance floor, seated reception, or even your ceremony. Capacity for seated dinners is approximately 90 people, but the capacity for cocktail receptions or dance floor can be much more.