“When Jennifer told us that she poured her heart and soul into planning and designing her wedding, we knew every detail was going to be special, and that Jennifer and Gentry’s passion and love for each other would shine through. And that was exactly what we experienced at their sunny Tennessee garden wedding and al fresco reception with dancing under the stars!” – JOPHOTO

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

It’s hard to narrow it down to just one favorite memory… the whole day was amazing. A moment that sticks out though was our first look. It was nice to share that moment, just the two of us. And the way he looked at me… priceless. It was really nice to have so many of our friends and family there to support us and we truly felt the love from everyone around us.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

I DIY-ed as much as I could. I wanted a nice wedding with Southern charm. With the help of my sister in law and maid of honor, I made napkins for the guests to use during dinner at the reception. I mixed solids and patterns and it gave the charm that I was looking for. I also made the Photo Booth backdrop. It was incredibly time consuming but it turned out so beautiful. I also made the flower girl dress. She absolutely loved it and called it her “princess” dress. I also DIY-ed the invitations. I received several quotes for invitations and they started at $1300 and that was just for an invitation and a RSVP card. I think I ended up spending around $350 and did them myself; a significant savings! I purchased the PDF on Etsy and did the rest. I can’t tell you how many compliments I received on the invitations which made me feel good because I saved a ton of money plus I put a lot of time and effort into them. :) …these are just a few of my DIY projects!

Something old, new, borrowed and blue?

I didn’t plan on doing the whole “something old, new, borrowed, blue” thing but it just kind of worked out that way. My something old and borrowed was the same thing. It was a vintage handkerchief that I borrowed from my aunt. My something new was my dress. And my something blue was my garter.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Everyone kept saying to me “you won’t notice all the details at your wedding”. They obviously weren’t DIY brides. I noticed ALL of the details at my wedding because I poured my heart and soul into all of the little details. But what you have to know going into your wedding day is that it won’t be perfect, something will go wrong. For instance, the majority of the reception area wasn’t set up the way it was supposed to be and the song that I walked down the aisle to wasn’t cued up correctly. But you have to try your best to relax on that day and enjoy it because it goes by so fast. Just remember what the day is truly about, love. – Jennifer, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: JOPHOTO // Ceremony Venue: Dara's Garden // Reception Venue: Gilreath Farms // Wedding Planner: Southern Bliss Weddings // Florist: Melissa Timm Designs // Catering: Buddy's // Cake + Desserts: DIY + Rosa's Catering // Officiant: Vernon Corum Jr. (Cousin) // DJ: Drew with Ogle Entertainment // Rentals: All Occasions // Chalkboard Signs: Southern Timber // Engagement ring: Markman's // Wedding Dress: Pronovias // Reception Dress: Watters // Bridal Salon: The White Room // Shoes: Stuart Weitzman // Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff // Bridesmaids Shoes: Sam Edelman // Bridesmaids Jewelry: Charming Charlie // Hair: Salon Visage // Makeup: MAC // Men's Attire: Men's Wearhouse // Men's Shoes: Madden Men // Ties: Tommy Hilfiger // Invitations Printable: The Festive Frenchie