A Nashville Wedding

One of the most poetic things I like to say about my marriage is that it has been blessed by green and growing things. In July 2016, my husband, Matt, proposed to me at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris and in August 2017, he married me in a greenhouse in Nashville, Tennessee.

Matt and I both grew up in Tennessee–him in a small town north of Nashville known for its strawberries, and me in bluesy, soulful Memphis. We chose to get married in August under the heat of the summer sun, where my bridesmaids and I could wear breezy, billowy dresses and everyone else could sweat their faces off. Did I mention that we hosted our reception in a greenhouse?

The truth of the matter is that we wanted to book this particular greenhouse come hell or high water, and the only date that was available during our time frame was August. Despite all temptations to book another venue, we knew this was the only place for us, and just prayed for an unnaturally cool August day in the American South.

Long Hollow Gardens has long been a place of refuge for me and Matt.

It is bright, spacious, airy, and verdant, with two long, open greenhouses, wooden cocktail bars, fairy lights, chandeliers, fountains, and plants everywhere.

The fields outside the main greenhouses have recently been transformed into vineyards that have just started producing grapes. A quaint white farmhouse stands at the opposite corner of the property, playing host to the spotless and beautiful bridal suite and kitchen.

Just outside the farmhouse, a grassy lawn offers chances for corn hole and other games, while a tree-lined allée makes the most stunning framing for couples’ photos.

Being Catholic, Matt and I had our wedding ceremony at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in downtown Nashville, right across the street from where I attended law school.

Its lofty, gold-flecked ceilings, white-and-pink marble altar, and high, tall windows gave our afternoon ceremony the perfect sense of warmth and solemnity.

Just as our priest had promised, as we said our vows at 2:30pm, the sun tilted down from heaven to shine directly through the stained glass, creating a rainbow effect across our faces.

At Long Hollow, we danced around the reception hall taking photos with every plant in sight, skipping down the allée, lounging on the white sofas in the farmhouse, pushing each other on a tree swing, and romping around the vineyard at sunset.

Our guests enjoyed a Nashville favorite–Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Truck, which arrived late at night to serve its famous lavender ice cream. My 90-year-old grandma said it was one of her favorite parts of the whole day.

Looking back, it seems that we got more compliments on the venue and the food than any other part of the day! Wildberry Catering did a phenomenal job with the food–to this day, people still comment on how great it was, and I’ll always be thankful for their friendliness and expertise!

Some guests gave speeches while we sat beneath a ten-foot-long bouquet of faux purple wisteria that we bought after seeing it inside an Anthropologie store during a shopping excursion.

After inquiring after the display in the store, we were told that it was an art installation that could be purchased by making a donation to the artist’s choice of charity. We were thrilled with the way it looked hanging in the greenhouse.

A good friend and extremely talented artist, Rebecca Mullen of the The Honest Brush offered to paint our wedding, and it has since been a cherished piece of art that we keep hanging in our living room. The texture and color still brings a smile to my face.

The rest of the night was spent dancing with friends and family, grabbing bites of cake when we could, and sneaking away for more photos.

At the end of the night, a sparkler send-off from our guests wished us a good night. If you’re ever visiting Nashville and yearn to get away from the honkeytonks on Broadway, take a trip north through Tennessee’s rolling hills and pay Long Hollow a visit! You won’t regret it!