GREATER NASHVILLE TENNESSEE WEDDING RESOURCES, INFORMATION AND REVIEWS

New Stuff:

• Day Of Wedding Director - Wedding Rehearsal and Ceremony Director

• Flowers for Your Wedding: Belles Fleurs Custom Floral Designs by Bonnie Colleen Denton

• Williamson County Weddings & Events now has a blog

• Ashley's Bride Guide is an information-rich resource for Nashville brides. I've spoken with Ashley, and she tells me that when she married she had trouble finding the information she needed. So, she has created a resource to provide the information you need for your wedding. She is not a wedding planner, but provides up-to-date info on the Nashville wedding scene and resources. You can sign up free. Best way to see what she is doing is to check out her website.

NASHVILLE BRIDAL CONSULTANTS, WEDDING PLANNERS, WEDDING DIRECTORS:

You've probably already found out there are a zillion details to your wedding.  If that's not enough, who knows how to pull off a wedding! A good wedding planner does. You may feel overwhelmed because you've never done a wedding before, but these directors have successfully directed many. As the wedding minister, I am always excited to see someone like the people listed below in charge because I know I can relax and focus on what I need to do. And you'll be able to relax too and just enjoy the day.    

A Delightful Day Event Planning  /   A Magical Affair  /  Elegant Weddings by Angela    /  

One Grand Affair  /  Randi Events - Laurie Hardman  /  Something Blue Weddings & Events  /  Treasured Weddings by Tonya 

Weddings By Helen  /  Weddings by Jess  /  Williamson County Weddings & Events

Simply Exquisite

NASHVILLE DISC JOCKEYS:

Ralph's Review: I've seen all these DJ's at weddings. They all know their stuff and will give you a lot of personal attention. Each is very friendly and pleasant to work with. I stress that quality in all vendors that couples use... someone can have the best equipment & skill, but if they have no personality, it won't be any fun. I don't believe you will be disappointed with any of these Nashville DJ's.

Spangler Entertainment - Creating Memories with Music

Select Sound - Blake Chaffin

NASHVILLE FORMAL WEAR:

Ambassadors Formalwear - Rivergate @ McHenry Center - (615) 865-4640

Ralph's Review: You can't go wrong by giving Gilda at Ambassadors Formalwear a call. There are some wedding vendors that have been doing it so long that it has turned into a boring job for them. Not so for Gilda. She has a great sense of humor, and puts the fun back into weddings that some people take out. Gilda has a genuine interest in helping couples. She also periodically teaches a class for couples to help them plan their weddings. So she knows more than clothes, and can help you fit it all together. Gilda is very active in the Tennessee Weddings & Events Specialist Association (TWESA) and knows all about weddings in middle Tennessee.

NASHVILLE MUSICIANS:

Nashville Wedding Guitarist - Rob Higginbotham

Ralph's Review: I keep running across Rob Higginbotham at weddings . There must be some reason people keep choosing him for their weddings. Mostly I've heard his soft style guitar music, but he does other things as well. Check out his website to learn more, including info about duets.

Nashville Wedding Violin - Rebecca Baumbach

Ralph's Review: Bach...that sound musical doesn't it! Rebecca is another musician I've started seeing a lot at weddings. Rebecca has played the violin for 20 years, including internationally for weddings and events. You can listen to some selections at her website. 

Going to the Chapel - James Arthur Weinberg

Ralph's Review: I've seen James at weddings and he does a very good job. Check out his website for extensive information about what all he does. James has two degrees from Belmont and 20 yrs. of experience working with wedding music.

Nashville Chamber Players - Classical Elegance of Chamber Music

Ralph's Review: I've heard the Nashville Chamber Players many times and their experience shows. They have over  1,000 events under their belts. They've worked with some big names like Princess Anne, Johnny Cash, James Garner, and Governor Phil Bredesen -  but you don't have to be famous. Diane Davich (the director of the Nashville Chamber Players) will treat you like you are. She has put together a great website where you can listen to samples of wedding music. How about a little Edelweiss or Ave Maria!

NASHVILLE PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Ralph's Review: I don't often see the finished product, so as you would do anyway, you'll look at samples of the work of the photographer you choose for your wedding. Photographers have different styles too. But from my perspective, a key to getting a good result is the personality of the photographer. A photographer must be well-mannered (some aren't) & be able to put you and your family at ease. If your photographer has little tact, it doesn't matter if they have the latest equipment and photographic expertise. If people aren't happy, they aren't going to smile....and when you see your pictures, their unhappiness will show. Listed below are some of the photographers I've seen who have both photographic skill and the ability to help everyone enjoy getting their pictures made.

A1Photos4U.com  /  Ace Photography  /  Harmony Designs Photography  /   Kevin Wimpy Photography  /  McLellan Studio - Sean & Melanie  /   The Photographix  /  Gray Photography

NASHVILLE VIDEOGRAPHERS

Marko Visual Weddings

Ralph's Review: I just saw one of Marko Visual's trailer for the wedding video of a couple I helped out at Historic Cedarwood recently. They do the video-story format and I think you'd be very impressed with the quality of work they do. As always, check of the site for the details.

Turning Point Productions -

Ralph's Review: Take a look at this site. The video examples are very impressive. As many weddings as I've been a part of, I found myself wanting to watch all of these. I'll warn you though, even if you thought you might not have a wedding video, you could change your mind after watching these.

Nashville Wedding Information:

Reviews of Nashville Wedding Locations  -   Nashville Wedding Service Providers  -  Free Bride's Name Change Guide   

Choosing a Nashville Wedding Minister (video)  -  How to Get Your Tennessee Marriage License

Nashville Wedding Elopement

Nashville Wedding Venues Reviews:

Riverwood Mansion  -  C.J.'s Off the Square - Springhaven Mansion - Union Station Hotel  - Centennial Park Sunken Garden -

Two Rivers Mansion - Opryland Hotel Weddings  - Buchanan Log House - Nashville Wedding Chapel -

Historic Cedarwood - Legacy Farms - Houston Station - Country Music Hall of Fame - Hermitage Hotel -

Carnton Plantation - Cool Springs House - Rock Castle - The Baber House - Blackhaven Gardens - Loveless Cafe

Belle Meade Plantation - Cheekwood Gardens - The Nashville Zoo - Front Porch Farms - Nashville Parks

Scarritt-Bennett Center - Skinner Chapel

Updates!!

• I've finally written some new posts that I've wanted to do for some time for couples. They are listed on my Free Wedding Guides page. There are some other posts there written by wedding pros you might like too. The free guides include an info-graphic on getting your license, 3 ways to write your own vows, real-world wedding ceremony ideas, and more.

• If you'd like to see a video brief segment of a wedding ceremony I officiated, go here. This was a wedding at Scarritt-Bennett, and there's a humorous out-take during the vows (about two minutes and a half in). Very nice couple and family!

• I was the "pretend" wedding minister on the TLC show What Not to Wear at the Hermitage Hotel as a surprise for a local wedding florist. If you like, watch here.

Thank-You Notes

<sub>Hi Ralph, I wanted to write to let you know how thankful Sam and I are for you! The ceremony was perfect in every way. We received so many compliments afterwards about how wonderful it all was. The wording of the ceremony especially. It would not have been possible without you. Thank you...from the bottom of our hearts. We are truly blessed to have found you. I also wanted to give thanks to you for the promptness of our marriage certificate. When we got back from our honeymoon on Monday 10/12 it had come in the mail that day and was waiting for us. I was able to go the next day and get my name changed on my license before going back to work on Wednesday. Thank you again SO MUCH for everything!!! Sincerely, Audra & Sam

Ralph, We just wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being the minister at our ceremony! We loved how fun and easy the marriage counseling was. I really enjoyed being able to write our own ceremony online with you as well. I loved your style, and it wasn't your typical cookie cutter ceremony! The sand art turned out great and my favorite was when TJ and I read our vows. That was a very important day for us, and you made it so special to be the presenter of our love! God Bless you and your family. Keep up the great work in all you do for the future. You have shared a special time in our lives, and we appreciate it! We will definitely refer you to anyone we know getting married in the future! Thanks! TJ and Selina

Ralph, We are running off to our honeymoon, but wanted to send you a quick photo of our BEAUTIFUL wedding. You did such a great job - we received so many compliments about your service. Literally, everyone was moved to tears by the service. And, you made the whole process easy and FUN! Thank you so much. You have a true gift and we are so pleased you could share it with us! Thanks, Nicole

Just a note this morning to thank you so much for your wonderful addition to our daughter's wedding. Everyone there felt your warmth and kindness throughout the ceremony - it felt as if you had always been our pastor!  We are so happy we found you, and now you are forever a part of our cherished memories of the day... -Matt & Regina

Mr. Griggs, I just want to tell you how thankful we are to have had you as a part of our special day. Everything was so easy and went smoothly. We are certainly going to tell everyone of you fantastic service. It was a pleasure to meet you. We wish you all the best in the upcoming holiday season!
Thanks a bunch, Jacqueline and Philip

Dear Ralph....we cannot thank you enough for playing such an important role in our most special day. Without us knowing you very well, you really seemed to fit us as a minister. The ceremony was more than we could've ever asked for. I felt a calm spirit come over me that I'd never felt before...you didn't just marry us, you allowed our family & friends the genuine opportunity to experience what we feel in our hearts....and we thank you for that." -Bethany & Josh</sub>

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How are the winners determined? The WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards ™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are awarded solely based on the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds. Awards are determined by a combination of four factors: Overall rating (quality), total number of reviews (quantity), review performance from 2011 (recency), and consistency of reviews from year to year (consistency). This year's recipients represent the top 5% of WeddingWire's vendor community, across all service categories and all regions throughout the US and Canada.

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