Fairytale-Inspired Wedding: Cassi + Chris – Part 1

Fairytale wedding

We could NOT be more excited about today’s amazing two part wedding feature: a completely magical fairytale-inspired affair designed by Bettina Hamblin. Cassi + Chris hosted an intimate celebration amid the beauty of the Knoxville Gardens & Arboretum in Tennessee. And as far as their enchanting theme is concerned? Cassi reveals, I have had a major love for Disney, and Disney love stories, ever since I can remember.  I’m also one of those girls who have been planning my dream wedding my whole life.

She provided many of the props herself + worked closely with her stylists + caterer to bring the unbelievable setting to life. And the lovely Jessie Holloway was there to capture it all to complete perfection! Let’s hear a little more about Cassi and her love, Chris, and their main inspiration for their unique wedding:

When Chris and I found one another it seemed almost like we were living out one of those fairytales that I am so fond of.  He is the most perfect guy for me and I am so thankful that we were able to find one another and share this life together.  A love like that deserves a great celebration so once his perfect proposal happened I got to work. We had a somewhat long engagement so that we would have time to plan things and enjoy the process, which I strongly recommend to new brides and grooms.  I knew that I wanted to incorporate that Disney love story fairytale vibe into our wedding, but I also knew that I didn’t want it to be in a cheesy or over the top way.  I wanted our guests to be able to feel the love that we had for one another once they entered our wedding, and I knew I could come up with details and décor that would create that kind of ambience.

Wtoo wedding dress

red heels

sisters

sisters

fairytale first look

The cutest first look complete with a vintage story book!

fairytale first look

Fairytale wedding

Fairytale wedding

Fairytale wedding

Fairytale wedding

vintage boutonnieres

groomsmen

gettiing ready

We couldn’t be more in love with Cassi’s gorgeous pink wedding dress. She definitely looks like a princess herself!

fairytale bridesmaids

fairytale bridesmaids

moss covered books

fairytale inspired bridesmaids bouquets

Whimsical Gatherings adorned unique brass objects with florals for each bridesmaid to carry. What a seriously fun idea!

Fairytale wedding party

Wtoo wedding dress

vintage ring holder

shoes

fairytale book backdrop

And this backdrop is pretty unreal, right?! Cassi shares, I had this idea to have a giant storybook as our backdrop with some of our story written on it.  I mentioned this idea to our florist and to my surprise they said they could make this a reality for us!  I told them that I wanted the book to look somewhat antique and that I wanted it to have greenery and flowers cascading around it so that it would appear to have been there in the ground for a long time.  They executed my vision perfectly and I was overjoyed to see the finished product. 

And the team at Whimsical Gatherings tells us a bit more about how it was made, The book backdrop was made in our garage (foam insulation board, foam slab, velvet, muslin, gold paint, canvas, and lots of glue and duct tape!) and then painted by our head designer, Colby West with help on graphics by Jude Staunton. The setting took two days for us to install and many months of designing and planning with Cassi — she is such a gem! :)

fairytale book backdrop

fairytale ceremony

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Cassi: The most memorable moment for me was when Chris started reading the vows that he wrote for me. It was so special to hear him say the words that he had specially prepared for me to hear that day. To hear him profess his love for me, in the most sincere moment, in front of all of our family and friends was something that I will never forget and will cherish forever.

Chris: As fast as our wedding day seemed to go by, I still have so many great and fond memories of that day. I don't want to be cliché and say it really was when I saw her walking down the aisle to me! Don’t get me wrong, I do remember that. I remember as she started down the aisle everything around became a blur, all I could see was her, and her bouquet of course. She was trying to cover up her face because she was crying. All I could do at that moment was think how lucky and blessed I truly am to have her. And how is it that I was lucky enough to be with her, so beautiful, so smart, so full of life. Even with all that being said, I am going to have to say my most memorable moment was when we were being announced walking into the reception as Mr. and Mrs. Frazier. We became family that day. She was and is everything I ever wanted. Seeing all those people there, for us, that was an amazing, memorable feeling. Seeing our families hang out over the years before this day was nothing compared to seeing them come together as one in that moment. Our friends there with us, celebrating us as we walked in. It truly was an unforgettable moment.

fairytale ceremony

fairytale ceremony

fairytale ceremony

Was that not a seriously well-put together + refreshing scene?! We love couples who go the extra mile to make their day totally special and perfect for the two of them! Be sure to stop back by in a bit because you definitely won’t want to miss Cassi + Chris’ gorgeous reception!

photography: Jessie Holloway Photography // venue name: Knoxville Gardens & Arboretum, Knoxville, Tennessee // event design: Bettina Hamblin // planning: Bettina Hamblin // florals: Whimsical Gatherings // wedding dress: WToo // hair stylist: Jeremy Wann // makeup artist: Face by Raymie // videography: Peerless Films // catering: luxe catering // music: Ogle Entertainment // cakes: The Sweetery + Cheryl McMillian Cake Design // rentals: Restoration Rentals // lighting: Ogle Entertainment // invitations: Fourth Year Studios

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