Bridesmaids Gifts from TheKnot.com

WCW just became an affiliate of TheKnot.com's online store. Follow this link to see all the new and exciting wedding goodies now availble:

Summer Slideshow - DJ & Amanda

August is always a hot one in Tennessee, but we were nice and cool spending the day with DJ & Amanda at their indoor Franklin wedding. Enjoy this slideshow of some of our favorite shots (and definitely one of our favorite Ingrid Michaelson songs)!




Visit http://www.howardphoto.com/ for even more of Michael's amazing work.

Last Days to vote at Ashley's Bride Guide!

The WCW girls had a very tasty Mellow Mushroom lunch with Ashley today (and Jen at Reveal Event Style!) and she reminded us that this is the last week you can vote for her best of 2008 list!

We are so grateful to those of you who've already let us know that you voted for us as your favorite venue, planners, and invitation providers, but if there's anyone else that hasn't gotten to it yet, now is your chance!

Just follow the link below...happy voting!
http://bestnashvilleweddingvendors.blogspot.com/

Think you are too old to send a Valentine?

Check out the cute photo greetings I just found in our webstore. These would make great Save the Dates for a fall wedding or just a fun way to keep in touch with friends and family. Great price too!

25 - $40
50 - $60
75 - $80
100 - $100

Please join us!

Please Join Us For the

1st Annual

Social Invitation Showcase

Sunday, February 22 2009

2-5 pm

CJ’s Off the Square

218 3rd Ave. North

Historic Downtown Franklin, Tennessee

Come and see the latest trends in social paper and invitations featuring all new designs for weddings, baby announcements, parties and more. Browse brand new lines by Monique Lhuillier, Encore Studios, Checkerboard and more.

Register today and a receive a special gift at the show.

This is a free event, but registration is required. Please click here and complete the form.

Pardon Our Mess!!!

The end is near!!! No, not THAT end, but the end of construction on our street. The city of Franklin is hard at work to revitalize the entryways into our historic downtown district and it is a messy process. We've been enduring daily dust clouds and the delightful smell of asphalt since October but there is an end in sight! They have poured our driveway...yeah!!!!...and are almost 1/2 finished with our beautiful new brick sidewalks. Here is what our street will look like in mid-April:

Despite the maze of tractors and construction crews, CJ's Off the Square and the WCW Boutique are still open. Though parking has been tricky, please don't let this stop you from dropping in to say hello.

We are sorry for the many inconveniences the construction has caused our clients. Thanks for being flexible! We can't wait for this to be over and to start enjoying our beautiful new street.

--CJ

A helpful wedding website!

For those of you who have tried to research for your wedding online, I'm sure you've encountered the same frustrating results that we as vendors come up against as well - there are a lot of useless wedding websites out there, bogging up the process!

Now, of course, our readers know that they can get every little thing they need through us here at Williamson County Weddings - if we don't have it, we know someone who does, or we'll find it for you!

But I can't help but throw an appreciative bone to this excellently designed website called Wedding Wire. Facebook junkies like me will recognize the similar layout and features, stylized and customized for the wedding world. We've especially loved the feedback previous clients have left us - I hope newly engaged couples find it helpful and encouraging!

If you stop by, make sure you visit our CJ's and WCW profiles!

A Suprise Birthday Party at CJ's Off the Square

Horray for Birthdays!

Who doesn't like suprises? I know some people say they don't, but when the suprise involves amazing food by Constant Craving Catering, Gigi's Cupcakes and CJ's Off the Square, I think they might change thier minds.

One of my good friends and former neighbors, Jen Cook (of the photography duo The Photographix) recently planned a suprise birthday party for her mom's 60th...and it was full of suprises! Mom had no idea about what was in store for her when a Rolls Royce pulled into her driveway and escorted her to CJ's Off the Square, when Jen and her sisters had an elaborate dinner party waiting for her. Friends and family from all over the country were in attendance and as you can see from the look on her face, mom was floored!

The girls even wrote, directed and filmed a pupet show for thier mom based on her life story. Talk about creative!

--CJ

Alison & Ed - October 11

While we're always keeping our eyes open for amazing new vendors, sometimes its our clients that bring us the goods! Such is the case with Alison and Ed, who were married at CJ's on October 11, 2008. It was a beautiful day and the small, intimate family gathering of 35 guests was exactly the warm, joyous occasion they hoped for.

They introduced us to Mark and Noelle McCoy of McCoy Studio, who took the beautiful shots you see below and were kind enough to share them with us as well. We are certainly looking forward to working with them again this June at another client's wedding at The Hermitage!

Enjoy!

An East Nashville Destination

The WCW staff was delighted to be invited to a Open House luncheon today introducing a new venue in East Nashville called The Ambrose House. The historic home has been painstakingly renovated and is now open for weddings, parties, and corporate meetings of 60-80 guests. They've also formed a warm partnership with the historic Methodist church across the street to offer a chapel or lawn ceremony option in addition to the facilities at the House.

I personally loved the space for rehearsal dinners and smaller private parties such as anniversaries, birthdays, and showers. The staff there, knowing the value of an immaculately planned event, is often willing to work with a variety of budgets when a professional planner is involved. If you have an event in mind, give us a call and we'll be happy to create the right event for you at The Ambrose House!

They also have some beautiful angles for modern bridal portraits - something to keep in mind!

Unique Jewelry for your wedding day!

We have such talented clients and we love to brag about them! Alexis & Abdul were married here at CJ's in November (blog post soon to come!) and it was a gorgeous day.

Photo courtesy of GrayPhotograph.com

All of Alexis's jewelry was especially made for the day and was remarkable! After running into her and her sister Laura and the Bridal Show last week, I wanted to give all our readers a chance to see their work as well. You can visit their website, http://www.adornments-online.net/ to see more. Make sure you check out one of my favorites - the Black Pearl Twisted Collar!

Need a getaway?

We often get asked about what inspires and invigorates us in our line of work, to which CJ, Kelsie, and I of course have varying responses. But if there's one answer we share in common it is definitely The Biltmore! Located just outside the charming Historic town of Asheville, North Carolina, it is a favorite vacation destination for all of us. Only a 4 hour drive from Nashville, its an easy weekend trip for you & your fiance or even a girls' weekend with your maid of honor!

This nineteenth century country retreat of George & Edith Vanderbilt really does offer something for everyone. For the adventurous type, try the fantastic fishing, hiking or even the Land Rover Driving School (who doesn't want to tear around a private driving course in killer car?!). For relaxation, visit the Biltmore Inn's spa, walk through any of the Estate's gardens, or luncheon at the Deerpark Restaurant (a fav of mine and Kelsie's!).

And no trip is complete without visiting America's most frequented winery! This is an excellent chance for your and your fiance to pick out some delicious and affordable wines for your wedding, while getting a weekend away together from the hustle and bustle of planning! A particular favorite of ours are their Century blends - the bottles are beautiful and both blends are well balanced and guaranteed to be crowd friendly.

While you're there, make sure you stop in to Downtown Asheville - lots of great shops and restaurants. We suggest tapas and a Blood Orange Spice martini at Zambra on Walnut St!

A visit to the Biltmore (or even just a glass of their wine) always reminds us of just how delightful entertaining can be. We hope you find the same!

Here's a little snippet of our stay last summer!

The classic "self-portrait" approach! The views are simply indescribable.

A fantastic lunch at the Deerpark Restaurant - absolutely one of the most serene meals I've ever had!

Enjoying tapas at Zambra in Downtown Asheville. Not to be missed!

Michael & Melanie - A Winter Wedding!

When my dear friends Michael & Mel asked me to help with their wedding this last winter, I was so excited! One of the things I love most about being a wedding planner is the not only all the fantastic new clients I get to meet because of my job, but also the chance to work with friends and family I already know and love on their special day!

The wedding was a beautiful Brentwood church followed by an afternoon reception at The Factory at Franklin. Mel's dress was stunning, and we carried the soft, romantic style of her look into the entire wedding, sticking with a chocolate, blush, and cream color scheme. One of my favorite parts of the day was their wedding cake - Amy at The Bake Shoppe hand wrote the lyrics from their first dance song - "Forever" by Ben Harper" on to each layer! The favors were handmade and were a tribute to the breast cancer survivors in their families, accompanying by a donation made by the bride & groom.

Enjoy the slideshow!

Let them eat Cake!

After nearly 150 weddings, I'm afraid to even imagine how many slices of cake that would mean I've sampled. It's a hard life but someone has to do it! I'm nearly caked-out, but two bakeries keep me coming back for more - The Bake Shoppe and Maples Wedding Cakes. Favorite flavors? Lemon and Red Velvet, respectively! Yum.

Here are some of our favorites from the last few years...

The Bake Shoppe

Maples Wedding Cakes

Rachael & Rusty - October 3

The first weekend of October is officially my favorite weekend to have a wedding at CJ's, or in Tennessee for that matter! The weather is always great and we're just starting to see the very beginnings of fall. So I was thrilled that one of my favorite clients coincided with my favorite weekend! Rachael was so great to work with - a ball of energy and great taste! I especially knew we'd have some magic when I connected her with Caprice at The Enchanted Florist - I was sure they'd be a match, and they simply loved working together!

We also were lucky enough to meet Brooke Rainey, a friend of Rachael's, who shot their wedding. She's a talented up and coming photographer and we'd encourage you to visit her site to see more! http://www.brookeraineyphotos.com/

Enjoy! You can see more in their slideshow here - http://brookeraineyphotos.com/RachaelandRusty/.

Exclusively at the WCW Boutique!

Brand new for 2009, the Monique Lhuillier Fine Paper collection has just arrived and it is stunning! Each invitation was inspired by Monique’s exquisite bridal fashions. Just as she uses the most beautiful fabrics, laces and accents in her gowns, her invitations are crafted with the finest papers, ribbons and printing processes.

The Monique Lhuillier Fine Paper Collection features:
- the richest and heaviest invitation papers and matching envelopes
- luxurious pocket invitations
- beautiful satin ribbon “sashes” and bows
- letterpress, genuine engraving or thermography printing options

We will premiere this beautiful collection Saturday, December 3 at Weddings: The Bridal Show at the Nashville Convention Center. Visit our booth to receive a $50 gift card toward any invitation or stationary purchase from the Monique Lhuillier Collection.

We also invite you to visit our showroom in downtown Franklin to view our complete selection of custom invitations for today’s bride. We meet by appointment only around your busy schedule so that you will receive outstanding customer service throughout your visit. Call or email today to schedule an appointment.

(615) 465-8099

The “WilcoWed” Team can’t wait to share our latest looks with you!

Sincerely,

CJ Dickson
cj@williamsoncountyweddings.com
(615) 465-8099