Congratulations Charles and Victoria! Their wedding photos are absolutely beautiful, captured by Wind and Gold Photography. They were also featured in Nashville Bride Guide! Read the article below:
Romantic, moody, and elegant, oh my! Prepare yourself for what’s ahead because this timeless wedding at Noelle Hotel is giving us so much pretty inspiration to fall in love with. With a clean, yet intriguing color palette of black, white, and burgundy, Tori & Charles filled the venue with the most gorgeous floral arrangements from Wildflowers LLC and contemporary decor courtesy of Liberty Party Rental to boot. They even made sure to add personalized touches thanks to the help of White Ink Calligraphy and with Jayde J. Smith Events there to coordinate the day every element came together flawlessly. Their fall soiree was perfectly captured by Wind and Gold Photography with photos that are bound to impress you as you scroll through!
How did you guys meet?
Tori: Charles and I met in September of 2017 at Ormsby’s bar in Atlanta, GA thanks to a dating app called The League. We played shuffleboard and drank Stellas all night long and within a few days, Charles asked me to be his girlfriend at the Tennessee football game at Mercedes Benz Stadium. I had never rooted for UT in my entire life, but I happily wore his 16 jersey to the game.
Tell us about your engagement!
Tori: Charles proposed on October 24, 2020 at the Ryman Auditorium. It is our favorite music venue to go to and we’ve seen some of our favorite performers there countless times since moving to Nashville. Charles booked tour tickets for a Saturday morning and I truly thought nothing of it because I’d tried to get tickets in the past but it didn’t work out. We spent the morning lounging around our condo and it didn’t hit me that something could be up until we got inside the Ryman. While the rest of the attendees followed through the paths, reading and listening to the exhibits, Charles was walking me straight downstairs to the stage. We were completely skipping the actual tour and jumping to the end where you can take a photo up on stage. I started to tear up as we waited in line and cried my eyes out when he got down on one knee. I am so grateful that photographer was there to capture the moment!
What was the vision for your wedding?
Tori: I always expected to have a summer wedding, so when the date was set for November I really struggled to redefine my vision. I wanted our guests to feel extremely welcome and for their to be a great party with lots of food. I give all of the credit of the actual design of our wedding to our florist, Wildflowers LLC. She asked me for a few key words that I wanted people to use to describe our wedding and I said romantic, moody, and full of florals. We kept nearly every detail white and black, with hints of gold. The only color I wanted in our day was our florals, which were a mix of deep reds.
What was your theme and what inspired it (e.g. farm, garden party, contemporary, modern, vintage etc.):?
Tori: I mushed this in with the other question (above). It’s hard to describe a theme beyond romantic and detailed.
What details were used to create your theme (color scheme, decor items, florals etc.)?
Tori: We used as many flowers and candles as our budget could hold. The only color in our day came from our florals, so I wanted them to be the star. We also used White Ink Calligraphy to bring special details to each guest, including custom name cards on each menu and a beautiful gold mirror seating chart.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Tori: I may get hate for this – but I was absolutely against being a DIY bride. I know my skillset, and crafting is not in the cards for me. I chose to splurge on the florals mainly, with the venue being the majority of our cost. The venue was truly spectacular and the food they provided was delicious, so I would say it was worth the splurge! I saved by only hiring a coordinator for 30 days out. I am hyper organized and knew that I could tackle 99% of wedding planning alone. However, those 30 days out were worth every penny!
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Tori: The #1 thing that helped us as a couple was to set out a list of categories (cake, florals, DJ, etc.) and my husband got to pick (5) things he wanted to have input on at the very beginning. That way, I had the freedom to make decisions with my mom without feeling guilty, and he got to have full say in the elements that mattered most to him. Of course, if your partner wants to be involved in everything, let them – but this was the best situation for us.
Can you share any special moments or highlights from your wedding day?
Tori: One thing I am really grateful that I did was a first look with my girlfriends. We kept our bridal party extremely small (for the South) but I wanted my close friends to still be part of those special moments. I adore the photos and those few minutes alone with my girls before walking down the aisle.
