After the Vows | A Traditional, But Personal Nashville Bride

Today we are thrilled to feature a very sweet bride who craved a traditional wedding but also knew the importance of personal details. We asked Louisa Lewis, the cutie patootie bride {pictured above} to answer a few questions about her big day!

Number of people at your wedding: 300ish Wedding Colors: royal blue, yellow, gray How long was your planning process? 9 months Wedding Month: June

What vendor went above and beyond for you?

Scobey Photography out of Atlanta, GA. They are the cutest little husband+wife duo you have ever met. I can't brag on them enough! They made us feel SO special and like they felt honored to have the opportunity to capture our day. We felt incredibly blessed to have them!

Where did you find inspiration for your wedding?

I tried to take all sides of Drew and my relationship and wrap it into the wedding! I feel like our relationship has a very traditional feel to it and I've always LOVED traditional, beautiful chapels, so Scarritt-Bennett was just the place for our ceremony! On the other hand, our relationship is super fun (and sometimes weird!) and we have always loved going to the Nashville Zoo together, so it made the perfect location for our reception.

Where did you find the vendors for your wedding?

Ceremony Location: Scarritt Bennett Chapel. It's funny... NOW I know that Scarritt Bennett is an unbelievably popular Nashville wedding location, but at the time I had never seen or heard of it! One of my nursing school classes got moved next to it one day and I just INSTANTLY fell in love when I walked inside. Reception Location: Nashville Zoo. Drew and I loved going to the zoo while we were dating (we were that dorky couple that had a membership together), but I had never thought of it as a place to have a reception until my parents told me the zoo could do nice events! Bride’s Hair: Sarah at Trim Salon. Trim is only the cutest little barber shop in Nashville. Dress Shop: Something Blue is in Hartselle, AL, not too far from my hometown. Flowers: A Village of Flowers. Just found it online. Cake: The Sweetest Day. Again, just found it online. Videographer: Jake Morgan. Went to Lipscomb and does incredible work!

Did you have a theme for your wedding?

Not really... just tried to be classy and fun!

What made your wedding unique?

{from Scobey Photography's blog} "They had worn friendship bracelets for years. The braided kind that you make at camp when you meet someone and want to be best friends forever (and ever and ever). They made them, and kept wearing them, as a daily reminder that their love is built on a firm foundation of best-friendship. On their Wedding Day, moments after their First Look, they cut the friendship bracelets off and replaced them with new ones – a symbol of their new life together as husband and wife – a symbol that they know their love will grow with every passing day; just like it always has."

{from the Bride} Another special thing was my getting ready/reception shoes. I collected old buttons from both of our families and had a friend sew them onto my Toms. It was so fun to look through buttons with our grandmothers and hear stories about them! One of my favorite things about our ceremony was my 4 brothers' involvement. They (and several of the other men in our family) are very musical and I have always LOVED their folk version of Elvis' "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You." It would give you chills, it's that good. They played/sang it beautifully as Drew walked into the chapel at the tail end of it. Of course I couldn't see it at the time, but knowing what was happening made my heart so happy... it felt like my brothers were welcoming my sweet boy to come in and marry their sister. Instead of a first dance, we did a "First Carousel Ride." It was so much more fun that I could've ever expected! We got to ride around and around, smiling and laughing together and waving at all the people we love so dearly!

Looking back, is there anything about the planning process or wedding you would do differently?

Wedding. Planner. Please. :)

What was the best part of your wedding?

First look. Without a doubt. I had butterflies all day, but I soon as I finally saw Drew for the first time that day, I felt unbelievably calm. It was that moment that I was able to let all my worries about whether or not things would go smoothly just wash down the drain. Who cared?! I would be MARRIED to my best friend in just a few short hours!

Do you have any advice for future brides?

I have friends who were perfectly and wonderfully capable of planning every little detail on their own. I was not. I procrastinated, then stressed, then procrastinated some more. If you think of yourself as a procrastinator, hire a wedding planner! It will make the whole planning process much more enjoyable!