I had the pleasure of filming John & Olivia’s wedding at one of Nashville’s most beautiful wedding venues, Long Hollow Gardens. With a dedicated bride/groom cottage, amazing lighting inside the greenhouse, and plenty of photo/video ops around the property, Long Hollow Gardens is a gorgeous backdrop for the biggest day of your life! View Longhollow Garden’s website here.
How did you both meet?
We met during my (Olivia’s) freshman year at UAB; John was an RA on my floor of the dorm. We shared many of the same friends, and I was more formally introduced through a friend when we visited the church where John helped with music.
What was your first date?
A Birmingham coffee shop called Urban Standard! We had our “define the relationship” conversation there. 😉
How did John propose?
He made sure to fake me out first. He initially took me to the Vulcan statue in Birmingham but pulled out a Ring Pop and said, “This ain’t it, fam.” We took off to a little spot that overlooks the city (where we had frequented with friends), and he proposed there.
What was the vision for your Long Hollow Gardens wedding, the style/color/theme? How many guests?
Since we were getting married in December, I wanted to have some wintery elements without being too over-the-top (no dancing Santas!). I chose mauve & cranberry as our primary colors in order to be a little festive but not resort to a classic Christmas red. Our venue’s limit was ~200 people, so we invited about that many, but the actual guest count was smaller because of holiday travel. We didn’t mind the smaller crowd and more intimate feel!
Why did you choose Long Hollow Gardens as your wedding venue?
We chose the wedding venue because it was already so pretty on its own and would not need tons of decoration. I also liked that it was a little out of the ordinary.
Describe your Long Hollow Gardens wedding ceremony. What made it unique/special?
Honestly, the thing that made it more special to us was that it was officiated by our pastor, who knows us very well and has seen our relationship develop over the years. We highly recommend getting an officiant who knows the couple well! Sidenote: I guess it was a little unique that we had my childhood dog come down the aisle in a wagon.
Describe your Long Hollow Gardens reception. What made it unique/special?
Our reception was pretty lively, with all of our friends making sure to keep the dance floor alive. Nothing was super out of the ordinary, but the speeches given by parents & members of the bridal party were special to us.
Describe the flowers used for your floral arrangements at Long Hollow Gardens.
The arrangements had burgundy ranunculus, red peonies, and an assortment of roses (blush, tan, and white), in addition to plenty of greenery.
What was the inspiration for your wedding cake or what did you love about it?
We planned on having many accents in our decorations and loved the gold leafing + trail of florals on the side.
Describe the favors for your guests and why you chose these.
We didn’t have any favors, per se, but we did do our “send-off” with biodegradable “snow” to add to the wintery feel.
What was your favorite part/memory of the day?
Probably dancing to “Last Dance” with friends and family right before our send-off!
What was your first dance song and why?
“Take the World” by Johnnyswim. The song is about “ordinary” love being a fairy-tale in itself, and being able to take the world no matter what.
What is one piece of advice you have for another bride trying to plan her wedding?
Give yourself time to plan! I was planning during my senior year of college, so things were hectic. Help yourself out and give yourself a little more time than you think you may need.
