Brittney and Zach were married this summer at The Governor’s Club in Brentwood, TN. We are thrilled to share this wedding with you, on this last day of 2011. Happy New Year to you all!

We love these last moments between Father and daughter before she is walked down the aisle…

The cake was dee-licious!

Nashville Wedding Talent and family talent that contributed to Brittney and Zach’s special Day

Wedding Coordinator, Florals-  Sarah and Damon of Regalo Design

Venue- The Governor’s Club

Cake- The French Confection

DJ- Fadds Entertainment

Ceremony Musicians- Blue Tone Music

Dress- The Spoiled Lady

We are so excited to finally share Tara & Blake’s engagement session with you all! We had a good time just hanging out with them in Franklin, TN while they had a little stress free time prior to their wedding. It was hot, but that did not stop this gorgeous pair from getting close and lovey…

It was a beautiful day when Alisha and Erik married in Nashville’s Second Presbyterian Church, followed by a beautiful reception at Houston Station, a Nashville Wedding Venue. We are excited to finally share their beautifully detailed wedding with you and we will start with her Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed…well, you know. The earrings belong to her “Mamaw” and were brought home from Japan where her “Papaw” was stationed.  So beautiful!

Awesome Nashville Wedding Talent and family talent that contributed to Alisha and Erik’s special Day

Wedding Planner- A Delightful Day

Florist- Brocade Design Arts

Rentals- Classic Party Rental

Caterer- As You Like It

Cakes- Bride Aunts

Lighting- Nashville Audio Visual

DJ- Robert Luke

Paper Goods- Sister of Bride

Hair/Makeup- Salon FX

Transportation- ASAP Limo

Erin and Jim selected a vivid palette of blue and purple with accents of peacock feathers for their wedding.

The couple opted for a first look to give them time for pictures before their ceremony and they had a sweet moment, as Jim had Erin’s Bouquet to greet her with when she arrived.

…then Erin’s brothers walked her down the aisle and smooched her sweetly before reluctantly “giving her away” …

If you look closely at this next image, you will spot two of Nashville’s own Lorie & Jason Burcham from Nashville Wedding Cake Shop, Crumb de la Crumb seated in the audience.

…then it was time for some celebrating with cake and dancing of course!

Erin and Jim, we wish you a lifetime of happiness together… Love, Sharon & Jonathon

Awesome Nashville Wedding Talent that contributed to Erin and Jim’s special Day

Ceremony and Reception-Kara Torphy, Hermitage Golf Course

Florals – Fresh by CarryAnn

Cake- Crumb de la Crumb

Videography-Matt Reed Cinematic Videography

Brides accessories and cake topper- Etsy

Image by Cyndi Gorteski

Healthy Marriages Build Families

Jonathon once spoke at a workshop for me. He was supposed to talk about wedding photography, but it wasn’t long before he was getting everyone in the room emotional by reminding us what your wedding day really is. Your wedding is the day your own little family is born. It’s the beginning of your story. And the pictures from your wedding will be what get passed down to future generations letting them know where they came from and who their people are.

Beautiful, right? And so true. Getting married is the beginning of your new family, and your first task as newlyweds is to separate from the families you came from (i.e. “leave and cleave”) to healthily start your new one. Here are some things to remember as your new family develops:

1. Values

The most important thing when starting your new family is to be clear about what you value and that the value is shared with your new spouse. If you value time together make a point to plan activities and vacations with everyone. If you value spirituality find a place to worship or practice your spirituality. If you value being creative make sure that your home, time and work show that. Basically, define what your family is about.

2. Traditions

Family serves many functions, but one of the most important functions is the passing down of traditions. The good thing is that since you’re a new family you get to decide which traditions you keep and which ones you toss. The best thing is that those traditions aren’t reserved for the holidays. Your family’s “tradition” of throwing tantrums or avoiding conflict? All of that can go to the trash now that you’re in charge.

we took our boys to show them where we were married, a tradition we want to continue- Santa Barbara, CA 2005

3. Diplomacy

While you’re starting your own family, you are merging into your new spouse’s family as well. This can be tricky for many people because you’re learning about a new set of rules and dynamics. The general rule of thumb is that each partner is the diplomat for your new family to your former family. So if there are issues with your new sister-in-law then your spouse should be the first one to bring it up to her.Most importantly, remember to celebrate the family that got you here and the family you’re about to start.

Image Courtesy of Phindy Studios

Marie McKinney Oates is a pre-marital counselor in Nashville who wants to help as many marriages succeed as possible. She blogs, Twitters and Facebooks like a pro. Check our her blog, Nashville Marriage Studio.

Sharing just a handful of images from a wedding is so hard! We have to actually pick from so many that we love…its like choosing a favorite child (not that we have one!). But seriously, I think it would be a lot easier for us to post 50 of our favorites than to entice you with these little morsels of goodness from Alisha and Erik’s wedding at Nashville’s Second Presbyterian Church and Nashville Wedding Venue Houston Station. We will share a lot more down the road…

We have much for to share from the wedding of Alisha and Erik, details and florals expertly done by A Delightful Day Event Planning and Brocade Designs.  Check back as we catch up on all the blogging we have been slacking on!

Erin and Jim had a beautiful Spring wedding at the Hermitage Golf course just north of Nashville. We have much more to share from this wedding, but here are just a glimpse of my favorites.

Tennessee is known for its beautiful sprawling fields and lots and lots of wide open spaces…we love that! When Keesha and Ben got engaged, they knew that they wanted to married under the TN sky in an outdoor chapel. Built by her Dad and a family friend, the alter created an anchor for the ceremony and was a beautiful place to display Keesha’s wedding dress.

K and B opted for a first look on their wedding day. It took place nearby under a beautiful Oak tree…

After a few shots of the happy couple, it was time to walk down the aisle. Keesha did not have a traditional bridal party, but instead had both of her parents and her sister escort her down the aisle.

…and then it was time for the wedding reception. Decorated with yellow and black, the guests enjoyed bottled soda pop, a home made cookie bar and a wonderful cake created by The Bake Shoppe.

The couple surprised their guests by arranging a ridiculous fireworks display over their wedding location. What a way to close out the night! Congrats Keesha and Ben (and Happy Birthday Keesha!)

Some of the vendors that helped make it all happen…

Amy Lynn Larwig

Nashville Event Lighting

The White Room

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