Wedding Inspiration

What do I do now? The Looming Pandemic Question for Engaged Couples

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

When I planned this wedding shoot, I had no real concept of a pandemic or any imaginings that the world would be able to shut down for months at a time. (My sister would say I should read more books…). But it’s here, we’re living history out, and we have some not so fun wedding topics to cover. So I thought, even if the topic isn’t beautiful, the image overall should be! Because, at the end of the day, marriage, the commitment of two people to one another, LOVE - that is beautiful.

So let’s get down to it.

You’re engaged, you’ve started planning,  you’re mid-planning, you’re about to postpone, you just postponed, your wedding is later this year… Whatever stage you are at, I know you are feeling uncertainty. While I cannot calm all of your fears, or give you absolutes, I will provide the best advice I can.

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

1. Plan Your Wedding

You have likely dreamt of your wedding day from the moment you were born or the moment you said “yes!.” Either way, the planning process is wrapped up in the excitement of your wedding day. So, keep planning or start planning your wedding.

Even if the process has changed, there is still plenty to do! You can do a “cake tasting to-go” or spend some of your online hours searching for the perfect invitations. Hopefully, you have a planner and the two of you can find creative ways to continue.

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

2. Get Married

Even if you had to postpone your ceremony and/or reception. Even if it’s just the two of you, go ahead and get married - if you’re ready and you’re able to do so in your county!

While a marriage starts with love and companionship, there is also a lot of practical things tied to your commitment that you do not need to put off just because you’re delaying a large gathering of family and friends. Maybe you’re purchasing a home, moving in to an apartment together, ready to change your name, or want to join financial accounts or insurance - practicality is important and part of doing life together.

Your commitment might only be witnessed by the officials present, but your marriage is rooted in just the two of you, no matter what your ceremony consists of. A pandemic definitely falls into the “in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer” category. 

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

3. Be Prepared

If your wedding is scheduled to occur anywhere from June 2020 to spring 2021, be prepared. The “current” predictions will not be current when this is posted because they are ever changing and really, no one is sure what will happen. Most are assuming Covid-19 will return in the fall and into the 2020-2021 flu season. And until a vaccine is fully established, there may be more periods of social distancing and isolation.

Part of being a planner is preparing for the worst, so that is my advice: prepare for the worst. How? For starters, instead of having a “b list” of guests to invite if your “a list” is unable to attend, have a “c list” of 50 or 25 people who you would invite if small gathering measures are put into place. Again, this may not happen. But it is better to be prepared now by knowing how you would cut your list down, than to be surprised and have to scramble to reduce your guest list.

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

4. Stay Connected & Keep Celebrating

Just as everyone is recommending, it is good for your mental health to find way to stay connected to your friends and family. Even if you have never been into video chatting, give it a try. Have a virtual happy hour with your friends! Celebrate and find a way to embrace that your wedding will forever be remembered as occurring during a pandemic! I know it’s not fun... but it’s unique!

5. Pray & Know Your Feelings are Valid

We can all use some prayer. Pray this pandemic passes, a vaccine is found, and that we can have the biggest blowout party to celebrate! Pray for peace and patience. It’s just a season, but a hard one.

Lastly, it’s ok to be sad, disappointed, frustrated, scared. We’re all feeling it, but you have the weight of planning a joyous occasion in the midst of it. I’m here for you, my team is here for you.

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio
Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

Thank you to my lovely vendors who never imagined I would use this gorgeous shoot for an informative blog about a pandemic (neither did I)!

Event Planner: Locklane Weddings & Events
Venue: Wilburn Street Studio
Photographer: Alyssa Joy Photography
Rentals, Design, Florals: Mayker
Linens, Tableware: Music City Tents & Events
Paper Goods, Calligraphy: Clover Paper Co.
Models: AMAX Talent & Creative Agency
Makeup: Morgan Jae Beauty
Hair: The Label Closet
Ladies Attire: The Bride Room
Guys Attire: Street Tuxedo 

Nashville Wedding Planner | Locklane Weddings & Events | Alyssa Joy Photo | Wilburn Street Studio

Modern Wedding Inspiration at a Historic Nashville Manor

Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry 

And they lived happily every after...

Our story begins with a lovely couple, Jeff and Sarah, who had a deep desire to become parents. Last summer, I planned a fundraiser to help them with a domestic adoption. The best news? On May 3, they welcomed a lovely little girl into their family!

Our shoot was featured on Every Last Detail - Greenery & Peach Vintage Eclectic Wedding Details. Caley Newberry Photography captured the shoot that starred our lovely parents-to-be as the models. Let's chat about the style shoot, but stay tuned for more on the fundraiser! 

Feather+Oak, stylist, describes the shoot design:

We wanted an intimate family feel, as if the property had been in the family for generations, but we also wanted to modernize it for today's couple. We balanced the home's historical color palette with a romantic color story of fresh greens, pinks, and whites. The use of Civil War era flatware and a 125-year-old cake stand alongside Christina's beautiful modern ceramics marry the past with the present. To further modernize the overall style we created a frothy pink veil to pair with our lovely bride's modest Olia gown. The result is at once historic, modern, and organic

Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Fireplace + Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + King Prothea Bouquet + Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry

The venue, GranDale Manor, is a classic Southern home with a twist, it was a part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. After being neglected for years, the current owners completely restored the home in 2011 and kept the Greek Revival design intact. 

Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry

Our design began with securing GranDale Manor. The yellow walls, the original fireplace, and a painting of pink roses influenced the details. 

Knowing that greenery was growing into one of the hottest wedding trends, Feather+Oak designed a gorgeous mantle piece with florals from Rachael Ann's Event Design.

A Mint Macaroon was inspired by the painting to create her custom watercolor invitation suite! Pink roses were also incorporated into our stunning cake by Baked in Nashville

We paired Feather+Oak's custom pink veil with a two-piece Jae and Sasha dress by Olia Zavozina. All of our vendors pulled together a wonderful shoot at Feather+Oak's direction (make sure to watch the video below!).

Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry
Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry

Wedding Planner: Locklane Weddings & Events
Venue: GranDale Manor
Photographer: Caley Newberry Photography
Styling + Prop Rentals: Feather+Oak
Videography: Kalimana Film Stories
Ceramics: Christina Cohn Ceramics
Cake + Baked Goods: Baked in Nashville
Hair + Makeup: Jenna Roberts
Invite + Calligraphy: A Mint Macaroon
Dress: Olia Zavozina
Florals: Rachael Ann's Event Design

Locklane Weddings & Events + Greenery, Pink, Yellow Wedding Inspiration + GranDale Manor + Caley King Newberry