Multicultural Nashville Wedding

Today’s wedding, sent to us by Ariel Renae Photography, has the sweetest story to go along with an equally sweet wedding. Jennifer and Morgan met in college when Morgan came from Paris to play tennis in America, and the rest was history for these two lovebirds. Every bit of their wedding at Nashville’s Historic Cedarwood is full of love and precious attention to detail, thanks to the wonders of Cedarwood Weddings!

From the bride, Jennifer: Morgan is from Paris, France and came to the United States to play college tennis. We met in undergrad at Middle Tennessee State University in 2007. I was raised in a small town in west Tennessee. We met on April 14 at a tennis match, began dating shortly after and were together for a year before I moved to Memphis for pharmacy school. Once Morgan earned his bachelor’s degree, he joined me in Memphis before transferring within his company to work in his hometown of Paris, France. We logged quite a few frequent flier miles traveling back and forth from the US to France to see each other! In August of last year, I was in New York visiting my sisters when Morgan showed up with a surprise proposal! After my resounding YES, we began planning a spring wedding.

We wanted a small, intimate ceremony and reception where each guest felt special and involved. Because many of Morgan’s family and friends were visiting Tennessee for the first time, we also wanted to show the beauty of the southern countryside and a bit of history. We chose Cedarwood because it is a historic farm with gorgeous grounds, and it is also elegant but comfortable with a very romantic ambiance. The Cedarwood design team helped us style our celebration in a symphony of soft tones using cream, blush and peach. Candle chandeliers were everywhere and mason jars hanging from the trees around the property were truly magical.

We also wanted to offer our guests a variety of settings, and used Cedarwood’s vintage barn for cocktail hour and had our ceremony on the expansive open meadow, before inviting guests to the pavilion for a grilled feast and dancing. Personal tributes to our relationship and our families were everywhere, from the US and France flags greeting guests from the historic house, to our Eiffel Tower dessert table, and treasured family photographs. We made sure to include a bit of southern food, and served BBQ sliders and mini biscuits with country ham and peach jam at cocktail hour before offering a more international menu for dinner. Vintage medicine bottles were incorporated into some of the décor as a nod to my profession as a pharmacist.

Morgan and I decided not to see each other before the ceremony, and I was touched that he became emotional when I joined him at the altar. The beautiful green hills surrounded us and the natural beauty of the setting added an element of enchantment to the wedding. It was also fun to hear the intermingling of English and French languages throughout the day and to see everyone having a great time – a perfect reminder that happiness and love transcend any barrier.

Wedding Location: Nashville, TN / Photographer: Ariel Renae Photography / Event Design, Styling, Flowers and Decor: Cedarwood Weddings / Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero “Juliette” / Hair and Makeup: Fallon Erwin / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BCBGMaxAzria / Groom’s Attire: Smuggler / Wedding Caterer: Chef Christopher / Wedding Cake: Patty Cakes / Ceremony Music: Rob Higginbotham and Rebecca Baumbach / Reception Music: Jace Aaron Entertainment / Officiant: David DeRocher / Transportation: Grand Avenue / Wedding Invitations: Cassie Castellaw