I usually only blog once a day, but today I am making an exception!  Today my best friend’s wedding is featured on Rustic Wedding Chic!!!  I had the true honor of capturing Lori and Ashley‘s gorgeous Tennessee plantation wedding last October and I couldn’t be more excited to see all of their hard work displayed so beautifully on one of my wedding favorite blogs.  Rustic Wedding Chic loves to showcase “real” weddings- filled with creative, dreamy and inspiring photos. Their loyal and engaged followers have made Rustic Wedding Chic a number one wedding blog!

Read more about Lori and Ashley’s wedding in the paragraph below and head over to Rustic Wedding Chic today and leave Lori and Ashley some LOVE!

From the Bride:

Ashley and I met through mutual friends over Thanksgiving Break three years ago. We figured out quickly that we loved a lot of the same activities and both had the same quirky sense of humor. We began dating and it did not take long for us to figure out that this was it. When it came time for Ashley to propose, he wanted it to be really special. I teach first grade and my job is a huge part of my life. To make a long story short, Ashley proposed to me in front of the entire school in the gym. I could have beat him at the time, but would not change our proposal for the world. Our proposal was nothing less than perfect.

We did not wait long to begin our wedding planning process. When we discussed our wedding day, there were several aspects that ran through our minds. Being products of the south, we automatically thought about our favorite college football teams’ schedules and how that would effect our October Wedding. We decided on an open day for our two favorite football teams.

After picking a Southern Plantation as our venue, we knew that our theme would no doubt be Southern Charm with an abundance of burlap, old books, and mason jars. We wanted the atmosphere to beat our wedding: formal yet comfortable. The venue was perfect in itself so I wanted to enhance its natural beauty without overshadowing it. It was easy to begin with all the fun little details. (My favorite part) I am a very detailed person and I wanted everything to scream “Lori and Ashley” as well as match at the same time. My favorite feature of our wedding was all the DIY projects my mother and I created. My mother and I wrapped the mason jar vases in burlap and purple satin ribbon to tie in our burlap runners and purple accents. My mother, bridesmaids, and I tied the twine and handmade ”H” tags onto 180 mason jars for our guests to use to drink from on our big day. I really relished the time I got to spend with some of my favorite people while creating beautiful decor for our wedding.

Our wedding colors were gray and dark purple which complemented everyone. Our menu was a yummy southern meal: baked chicken, baked potato bar, cream spinach, garlic cheddar rolls, salad and banana pudding. Our photographer, Amy Rizzuto Photography, captured every detail and special moment so perfectly. Our vendors were phenomenal and helped create a day of laughter, love and fun! We are so thankful that our families, wedding party and friends were there to help make our special day the best day of our lives.