Vintage Parisian Cirque Inspired Wedding: Jessica + Jerrod

bride and groom

Jessica + Jerrod really wanted to incorporate fun + elegance with the things they love. Jessica grew up in Tennessee and developed a love of county fairs, family picnics on the farm, and string lit fall evenings. She also inherited her mother’s worldly style, her father’s fascination with history, and her grandmother’s adoration for peacocks. Vintage Parisian Cirque became the working theme and while that can invoke some over the top additions, they ended up with just the right balance. The jewel and berry tones, subtle inclusion of feathers, and beautiful vintage accents felt positively homey. Top it off with funnel cakes and string lights, could it get any better?

first look

first look

first look

first look

first look

bride and groom

bride and groom

boutonniere

bride and groom

bride and groom

statement necklace

bride and groom

lake

ceremony

drapes

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Something – the Beatles

Recessional: Love and Happiness – Al Green

First Dance: That’s How Strong My Love Is – Otis Redding

ceremony

ceremony

vintagecircus-wedding-19

balloon flower girl

balloon flower girl

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

We wanted to do something a bit different for the unity ceremony. The thought of having a unity candle without my dad felt very sad. While I wanted to incorporate our families, I wanted to find a way to make it a more uplifting moment. Cedarwood suggested somehow using balloons to fit the theme and at first I thought it would be too carnival-ish. I wanted to keep it classy you know! :) After a bit of research and seeing pictures of the gigantic balloons in soft colors I thought they were beautiful and would be a perfect addition. I also loved the thought of seeing them float away in the meadow. We came up with the idea of having our family members and bridal party write us prayers and wishes for our marriage which were attached to the balloons. My ADORABLE 3 year old niece brought them down the aisle to “Across the Universe” on the ukulele and we released them tied together to symbolize our families coming together through us. We will actually read those wishes for the first time on our 1 year anniversary.

Second favorite moment would be dancing to Rocky Top in the barn played by the bluegrass trio. A dream for any University of Tennessee fan!

statement necklace

kiss

exit

gray dress

bridesmaids

wedding sign

vintage umbrellas

vintage umbrellas

vintage umbrellas

flowers

dinner menu

popcorn


We also had one of our favorite local treats as favors to our guests. Moosehead Kettle Corn proved Dill Pickle, Cheddar Cheese, Cajun Spice, and our favorite, Apple Pie kettle corn which we buy every Saturday at the Farmer’s Market.

first dance


Neither Jerrod nor I are big cake eaters. We agreed early on that we would have cake only to appease our guests, but if it were up to us we’d have funnel cakes instead! A good family friend who lives an hour away called and said the local high school band supporters make funnel cakes as a fundraiser and they would travel to Nashville for our wedding. It was one of my absolute favorite additions to the wedding and it was honestly the best funnel cake I’ve ever had. Undeniably, this is what our guests loved the most from the whole evening.

kiss

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Everyone tells you “enjoy it because it flies by”. That’s true and it does. But for me what I learned was that I was envisioning an unrealistic view of perfection that was actually keeping me from enjoying the planning process. You spend so much time agonizing over every decision and you plug each detail into the “what the day will look like” picture in your head. Circumstances beyond your control make perfection next to impossible and you just have to be able to let it go. Stand by the decisions you want while planning, but try to take the agony out of them. Then once you get to the day of your wedding delete the image in your head of what should be and just enjoy what is. No matter what decisions you made, or what unforeseen changes happened, nothing (even rain) will keep this from being the best day of your life!

photography: Teale Photography // videographer: Zack Wilson // venue: Cedarwood Weddings Nashville, Tennessee // wedding planner, stylist + flowers: Cedarwood Weddings // catering: Copper Kettle // entertainment: Bluegrass Trio + Jace Aaron // cake: Funnel cake provided by local high school band fundraisers // paper goods: You’re Invited // bride’s dress: The White Room (Martina Liana) // bride’s shoes: Badgley Mishka // bride’s accessories: BHLDN (borrowed from the super sweet girl who sold me my dress!) // bridesmaid’s attire: The White Room (Watters) // groom + groomsmen attire: Zara // vintage umbrellas: Bella Umbrella // Giant Balloons

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