There were so many beautiful weddings, sessions and moments last year that I wanted to share, I just couldn’t keep up! So I’m determined in this new year to blog as quickly as I can. With that said, I am still playing catch up, but I wanted to be sure that sweet Danielle & Thomas’ wedding in Sevierville were shared.
Their wedding story was in the latest Pink Bride magazine and showed off the talents of their amazing vendors, including Lisa Foster Floral Design, catering by The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, and Sweetheart’s Limousine.
I always love to hear a couple’s story…here is how Danielle & Thomas met and their wedding details from Danielle:
“Thomas and I met through a “kinda-blind date” (we had some Facebook messaging first, haha) set up by a mutual friend. We are the same age, both went to UT, and had many of the same acquaintances, but did not know each other. Neither of us had been on a blind date before and we were both hesitant to go. After our first date though, there was very quickly a second date, third date, and the rest is history! Thomas brought out a side of me that no one else had. He has this happy and positive outlook on life that few have…glass is always half full 😉 On our wedding day, we had just celebrated our five year “dating anniversary.” I think we both knew after the first few dates that this was it, this is who I’m supposed to be with.”
“We got married at First Baptist Church of Sevierville (the old sanctuary). Not only is the church absolutely breathtaking, but it’s also special because Thomas grew up in that church.”
“We did not have a wedding planner. Someone from the church was the coordinator of the actual ceremony and was wonderful, but friends and family did all the decorating, cleanup, etc. at our reception. We wanted our reception to have a super relaxed feel, so we just went with the flow there and didn’t stick to a strict schedule (or really any schedule at all).”
“When it came to flowers, I wanted to pick someone great and be done with it. Flowers were not something I wanted to worry about on my wedding day. Lisa Foster Floral Design had done flowers at other weddings I had been to and the bouquets had always been gorgeous! I am very happy I chose to work with them! I wanted a unique bouquet and with the succulents that were added to mine, I got it. I had so many compliments on how beautiful and different my bouquet was. I loved it so much, I’m actually having it preserved and framed.”
“Elegant Bridals in Augusta, GA is where the bridal gown, mother’s dress, and bridesmaids dresses were purchased. The staff is such a sweet group of Christian women. My dress is by Allure Bridals and the bridesmaids wore Alfred Sung from The Dessy Group. I love that all my bridesmaids wore a different dress that fit their personality. My mom’s dress was beautiful and is by Daymor Couture.”
“My hairdresser of seven years, Jared Hollyfield, from Rock Paper in Knoxville, did my hair, my mom’s hair, and most of my bridesmaid’s hair. He is fantastic. I couldn’t imagine anyone else doing my hair on my wedding day, so he took a day off work and came to Sevierville…so sweet!”
“Rachel Hughes from Blades Salon in Pigeon Forge (and also a friend of mine) did my makeup and it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to do more makeup than I usually do, but look back at my pictures and still look like myself. She did such an awesome job!”
“The groom and groomsmen actually bought suits from Jos. A. Banks instead of renting tuxes. We used the Bearden store in Knoxville and they were great to work with. We were really happy that the groomsmen actually got to keep something for the money they would’ve spent on a tux that day.”
“Our reception was held on open land by the river in Sevierville that is owned by one of our best friends and his family. The reception venue turned out perfect. We actually had one of our first dates at that same spot.”
“Deborah Taylor from Kingsport (423) 288-4359 made our cake and her cake is the best you will ever eat. We had four tiers and there wasn’t a crumb leftover. I cannot wait to have that top layer on our one year anniversary!”
Catering: The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge catered the food for our reception. Thomas and I already knew their food was amazing, but we got so many compliments on how great it was that night. We wanted a casual reception feel so we had barbecue, chicken fingers, and southern sides…yum!
“We used Sweetheart’s Limousine in Kodak as transportation to and from the reception. We had a 22 person SUV Limo take our wedding party to the reception and it was so fun to all be together. It is a 15 minute car ride I will never forget. They also picked Thomas and I back up from the reception to take us to our cottage at the Blue Mountain Mist Bed and Breakfast . The driver was so nice! He helped us carry our bags into the cottage and even offered to take our picture going in.”
Favorite part of planning?
“My favorite part of wedding planning was getting to customize everything for that day to fit our personalities and style. Our wedding was more traditional and then our reception was like a barbecue down by the river with cornhole boards, mason jars, and bridesmaids in cowboy boots. I got a lot of good advice from my girlfriends who told me to stick to what Thomas and I want and like, regardless of others’ opinions. I love that I can look back at that day and honestly say it was exactly how we wanted it. I don’t necessarily think I had a least favorite part of wedding planning; however, as much fun as I had, I am glad it’s over, haha!”
Most memorable part of your day?
“My most memorable part of that day was walking down the aisle and seeing Thomas’ face for the first time that day. I am sure that seeing each other before the ceremony makes some things a lot more convenient, but I wouldn’t take that one moment back for anything. It was the best moment.”
Anything you would change?
“I wouldn’t change a thing about the day. I wish I would have had more time to see friends and family that had traveled to be there, but that’s just something that comes with being the bride or groom. There’s only 24 hours in that day too 🙂 It’s hard to leave the reception though, when you have all your favorite people in one spot!”
Where was your budget best spent?
“I said from the start that the pictures and photographer were really important to me because the pictures are the things from that day you will have forever. If you are looking at this blog, you obviously know our photographer was phenomenal. I am extremely happy with our decision to use Bledsoe Photography and absolutely plan to use Shanell in the future.”
Advice for future brides?
“My advice for future brides is probably the same advice usually given…try not to get worked up about the small stuff and try to look at the bigger picture. As busy and stressed as you are that day, take in as much as you can. The day goes by so fast. Not only was I marrying the love of my life that day, but I was also spending the time before the ceremony with my nine best friends- some who traveled from New York, Hawaii, Oklahoma, etc. just to be with me. How much more awesome could that day get? I’m not saying I didn’t feel or act stressed at all, but I honestly tried to truly let myself enjoy every part of the day- it’s the only wedding day you get!”
Thanks, Danielle! It was a wonderful day!
© Bledsoe Photography
Honored to have Danielle and Thomas as part of my family:)