CHATT
Brides Your city. Your magazine. Your wedding.
Plan yo ur Chatta nooga Weddin g
Vol. 1, No. 1 Spring 2014
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Letter from the Editor Your Wedding Timeline Choosing the Venue Save-the-Dates A Chatt Engagement Becoming a Stress-Free Bride Capturing the Moments
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Barns & Mason Ja
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He finally proposed! We joyfully told both sets of parents and our closest friends. We soon announced the good news to the mass audience of Facebook. Soon after I began planning the big day! I fell in love with Chattanooga when I moved from Michigan in 2011. The lively downtown framed by picturesque mountains and highlighted by the wide variety of outdoor activities made my transition to the south much easier than I had expected. In fact, falling in love with Chattanooga was almost as easy as falling in love with my fiancé. Even before our engagement, we began discussing plans for a Chattanooga wedding. Yet while browsing through the many wedding magazines, I was met with disappointment. I wanted to read something I could relate to—not just pretty pictures. I wanted information specifically for a Chattanooga Bride. But my angst is now your gain! Within these pages, you’ll find the inspiration, practical information, and valuable tools to plan your own perfect Chattanooga wedding without unnecessary distraction. Enjoy!
Ashley
AN
Ashley Noonan Editor-in-Chief 989.304.0047 anoonan@southern.edu
ChattBrides.com
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Your Wedding Timeline Written by: Ashley Noonan
Planning a wedding can be filled with excitement, joy...and stress. Often avoidable stress! So while it’s fun to think about flowers and the perfect playlist, one of the very first things to do is establish a wedding timeline for the
months leading up to your big day. You can have the wedding of your dreams even if you have only a few months to plan it or are blessed with over a year to make decisions. No matter your situation, creating a timeline for your
Set budget -- have the talk about who is paying for what  Choose wedding party + style
wedding will keep you organized and on track so you are not hurrying to finish last-minute details the day before your wedding. Each wedding timeline is different for every bride, of course, yet every timeline is crucial to help
Shop for wedding rings Decide what the groom will wear Have bridesmaids order their dresses
Book venues for the ceremony, reception + rehearsal dinner
Finalize wedding program
Start guest list
Choose baker + finalize cake
Create a wedding website
Reserve rental equiptment (if needed)
Set date
Start registry
10 -12 months
4 - 5 months
6 - 9 months
2 - 3 months
Mail save-the-dates
Finalize guest list + send invitations
Buy your dress
Select music for all events
Research photographers + videographers
Update registry + website, if needed Confirm all suits have been ordered
Sign a caterer Finalize menu with caterer Book the honeymoon ! Choose officiant
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Select gifts for wedding party, parents, + groom
control your budget and to ensure everything gets done. One important item for your timeline is establishing the guest list. This will help determine a budget and your venue. It’s also important to know that when you move past the Pinterest board and start the actual planning process, there is no stopping. If you have over a year to plan, get a few
can actually happen. Keeping organized in the coming months will help with your peace of mind. It also helps you enjoy every moment of your engagement and planning your wedding while making new memories you will never forget.
basics done right away, but wait to consume yourself in the deep, detailed work because the wedding planning will eventually consume your life. If you have less than a year to plan, hit the big items first. Create a top-priority list of must-haves to make your day special and make sure those happen. It’s okay to let a few details go so the wedding day
Have bridal gown fitting
Have final wedding gown fitting
Begin writing your vows, if applicable
Finalize schedule with everyone!
Have bridal shower + send thank yous
Finish writing vows
Research where to get your marriage license
Confirm with all vendors Pack for your honeymoon!
Prepare must-have lists for photographer + videographer
Pick up groom's suit
Begin whitening teeth
Prepare job lists for the big day
1 - 2 months
1 - 2 weeks
Get Married! 1 day
3 - 4 weeks Finalize jewlery, something borrowed, something old, + something blue
Prepare envelopes to pay vendors Get manicure, pedicure + massage
Practice first dance...in your shoes! Order programs Confirm honeymoon
Hand out job lists so everyone knows their tasks Gather dress, accessories + emergency kit
Call guests who have not RSVP ' d Rehearsal, followed by dinner Meet with stylists for hair and make-up
Kiss goodnight! ChattBrides.com
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The Barn at High Point Farms
Only a few moments after the many congratulations and well wishes, the inevitable questions come rapid-fire: Have you chosen a date? Where will it take place? What’s the color scheme? Yes. Before you’re even able to wrap your mind around the fact that you’re engaged, you’ve been bombarded with questions you don’t know how to answer. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start finding those answers ASAP! Getting a head start by choosing a wedding venue will help provide one of the most important answers that eager friends and nosey family members crave, but it takes some effort. Some venues book almost up to two years in advance, while others tend to book between six or twelve months before your event. But whatever the case, you want to secure your location(s) as quickly as possible. Of course, you need to choose a venue that reflects your style but also your budget and the number of guests you would like to invite. Check out some of our favorite rustic locations in the Chattanooga area.
Location: Flintstone, GA Seating Capacity: 400 guests Rental Fees: $ 4,500 Wedding or Reception: Both Highlights: Scenic view of Lookout Mountain Website: thebarnathighpoints.com
The Homestead and Gardens
Location: Chickamauga, GA Seating Capacity: 275 guests/ seating for 175 Rental Fees: $ 8,500 Wedding or Reception: Both Highlights: 450 acres of mountain and valley Website: cloudlandstation.com/cms/homestead
Tennessee River Place
Laurelwood
Location: Chattanooga,Tenn.
Location: Signal Mountain,Tenn.
Seating Capacity: 400 guests
Seating Capacity: 400 guests
Rental Fees: $ 1,500 - $ 4,000
Rental Fees: $ 4,000
Wedding or Reception: Both
Wedding or Reception: Both
Highlights: On 1/2 mile ofTennessee River
Highlights: Gardens featured in Southern Living
Website: tennesseeriverplace.com
Website: laurelwoodweddings.com
General Woods Inn
Mountain Cove Farms
Location: Rising Fawn, GA
Location: Chickamauga, GA
Seating Capacity: 150 guests
Seating Capacity: 300 guests
Rental Fees: $ 1,000
Rental Fees: Call for price
Wedding or Reception: Both
Wedding or Reception: Both
Highlights: On-site catering
Highlights: On-site overnight accomdations
Website: generalwoodsinn.com
Website: mountaincoveresort.com
Save S -theDates
ave-the-dates are a new and upcoming wedding trend that more couples are opting to utilize. It can be a fun and informal way to announce your engagement (especially to those not glued to Facebook) while alerting guests of the date to mark on their calendars. Yet while this new trend is gaining momentum, there are a few rules couples should follow before the mass mailing. Written by: Ashley Noonan
Finalize the guest list: How embarrassing would it be for someone to receive a savethe-date without receiving a follow-up formal invitation? Confirm your budget first so you know how many guests you can invite. Your venue choice might also alter how many guests are on the list, so be sure to do the necessary footwork beforehand.
Keep it simple: Save-the-dates are not extravagant. Many couples create a simple postcard to save money or even a magnet, because these things ultimately end up in one spot: on the refrigerator. Also, make sure they are appropriate because everyone will see them. If you have a deep desire to let your creative juices flow, save it for the invitation.
Confirm addresses: Sending save-the-dates confirms addresses for your loved ones so when you’re ready to send out the invitations, you already have a spreadsheet with all the correct information. Confirming addresses will save money and will also ensure everyone gets their cards, leaving no one out and putting you or others in an awkward position.
Don’t overwhelm with information: This is not the time to talk about hotel reservations, directions, and ceremony location. The most important detail is the date. The rest of the stuff will follow in the formal invitation. But do put your website link on the save-the-date for those guests who would like to know more before the invitation arrives.
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A CHATT
Engagement Photo provided by: Jordan Correces
Michelle Cancelado, an emergency room nurse at Erlanger, was caught completely off guard when her fiancé, Edgar De Leon, proposed on the stage of the Chattanooga landmark, the Tivoli Theater. Edgar and Michelle attended the Big Band Fever music festival on Valentine’s Day. Michelle loves classical music and played the violin for many years. Edgar knew it was the right location to propose. The couple’s longtime friend and local photographer, Jordan Correces, says he had wanted to do a photo shoot with the couple but for “obvious” reasons to everyone except Michelle, the shoot continued to get delayed until the proposal. When the couple first entered the theater, a small string ensemble was “practicing for an
evening performance.” Michelle was told an elaborate story of how they were able to shoot in the Tivoli because the group was only practicing. Then Jordan asked Edgar if he wanted to do “the pose they had talked about.” With that, the ensemble began playing the wedding march and Edgar got down on one knee. Michelle was at such a loss for words, she forgot to say yes! “My knee was actually starting to hurt,” Edgar shares laughing. Once Michelle said yes, the happy couple made their way outside, where the bride-to-be saw her future name lit up brightly on the Tivoli marquee. “I was overwhelmed but so excited!” Michelle recounts. The couple is planning a May 2015 wedding. ChattBrides.com
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The Art of War Wedding Planning:
5 Easy Tips for Grooms Written by: Joey St. Amant
Let’s all face the undisputed truth: The modern wedding wasn’t invented with the male species in mind. If it had been, AT&T Park in downtown Chattanooga would be booked as the wedding cathedral yearround; the terms “tailgate reception” and “rehearsal dinner keg” would be featured in every wedding magazine from here to Nashville. Floral shops would be replaced with Game Stops. And finally, the happy couple would ride off into the sunset not in a limo headed to Key Largo, but on a Harley headed to the Tennessee Aquarium. Now, if you’re like most guys, the idea of an overly involved, pastel flowered, saccharine music-dotted ceremony isn’t something to eagerly anticipate. Every urgent request for your opinion about scented, ivory-colored invitations seems to cast a foggy pall over the glorious anticipation of your wedding night. But if we told you that the best day of her life would equal the greatest night of your life, wouldn’t it be worth investing a little time and effort to make it happen? That’s why we’ve picked five essential pieces of advice to help make just a little wedding day planning pay awesome dividends not only later that night, but for years of wedded bliss to come...
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Photo provided by: Caressa Rogers
credits, you might as well be an extra earning scale. At times, you’re nothing more than a warm body for a nice tuxedo. Bride, bride’s mother, maid of We’re going to assume that you’re already honor, bridesmaids, and the wedding coordinator engaged and that you have a full year to plan the all supersede you along the way. And why not? She ideal Chattanooga wedding ... starting now! Yet loves you in part because for the past few years, why not let her know now you have her back by she’s been number one in your life. Why would making a few key decisions quickly? Even if your plans have to change in six months because of some that change now? Sequoia-triggered zombie apocalypse, squaring away a few important choices tells her you’ve been (4) Get “Educated”—aka, “Google it” thinking about her wedding day nearly as much as she has. (Be genuine with every choice, but don’t Imagine the thrill in your wife-to-be’s heart oversell it either!) We suggest that within a week or when you tell her, unprovoked, “Hey, honey, I two, you pick your best man and groomsmen and just checked into getting our wedding license and show her the list. found out...” She’ll think you’re a genius, and nine-out-of-nine women in Chattanooga like (2) Fight the Battles that Matter— geniuses. That’s a win-win. So get informed. Read through this magazine, in fact, even if you have and Not a Single Battle More to go to a dark place in your own apartment while your friends play “Grand Theft Auto 17: Geriatric It’s important that you decide now what you Gangster Nights.” Visit our website chattbrides. really care about. It might seem as if you’re just com and download a Chattanooga wedding planner playing that character who “sparkles” in some checklist for dudes. Then follow up on those things awful young adult novella, but you are actually she can’t tackle herself. going to genuinely care about a few wedding day details—it could be as important as your vows or simply about whether its boxers or briefs (go with boxer briefs, dude)—but either way, at times your (5) Be Ready to Listen at Anytime fiancée and you are going to disagree. Fight the battles that matter to you personally and make it Yes, we know...if you hear another conversation clear why. She might not like that you disagree, but about dinner wear and seating placements, your it signals to her that you’re invested. In every other head is going to implode. Guys don’t have time for case, defer to what’s most important in your life: that—we’re too busy watching Star Trek reruns and her wishes! playing Texas Hold ‘Em. But whether your bride has an army of friends to support her or whether you’re all she’s got, she’s going to need you to vent (3) Always Remember Who Is her frustrations. You’ll wonder, “Didn’t we just talk about this?” You’ll think, “Not again!” You’ll want Most Important to ask, “How much is this going to cost?” These are all worthwhile things to spew out of your mouth, Oh, wait. You thought your favorite uncle, “Gassy Gary,” was the most important part of your but when you’re just listening, you’re actually saying a whole lot: “You’re her guy. You’ll always be wedding? You think you’re numero uno? Let’s fix her guy.” that right now—on the list of wedding movie
(1) Make a Few Quick Decisions
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BBride
ecoming a worry-free
Written by: Ashley Gohl
Where has the time gone? She still needs to put on her dress, makeup, and style her hair. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, scrambling around trying to make everything perfect—feeling worried and anxious. She lights the candles, places the nametags on the tables, sets the glassware, talks with the entire venue staff, and coordinates with the caterer. She makes sure every single detail is perfect and will not delegate her plans to anyone. She is exhausted and counts down the time till the ceremony and reception ends—all she wants to do is sleep.
Julie McAfee, wedding and event coordinator at Port Gamble Weddings in Port Gamble, Wash., tries to help women like this unfortunate bride, but often the women will just not let go of the control. Thus, the bride has a troublesome day that could have been worry-free if she had followed this advice. Photo provided by: Jordan Correces
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1.
Hold on to your Benjamins
Spending over the budget is very easy when planning a wedding. There is money to be paid for the photographer, dresses and tuxes, flowers, food and so much more. Jessica Campbell, owner and planner of Truly Timeless Event in Chattanooga, believes the most important thing for a wedding is setting a budget. “Set it and stay within it. Try finding alternatives to the expensive items on your wedding list. You don’t want to regret
[going over your budget],” says Campbell. The couple should also be aware of hidden costs within a wedding. They should set aside money for when surprises arise, such as taxes and gratuities, rental transport and even postage stamps. Simple expenses can expand quickly when planning a wedding. A bride will worry less if both she and her groom plan a firm budget and stick to it.
“It is always nice to want things to be perfect, but life happens,” says McAfee. Nothing is perfect—a bride shouldn’t let stormy weather or rowdy family ruin the celebration of the wedding. McAfee says aiming for perfection can only disappoint the bride. The woman’s expectations of a perfect day can ultimately become her main worry. Also, a bride wanting the wedding of her dreams will leave her completely exhausted.
The website Pinterest can be especially bad for a bride in the middle of planning their weddings. Most posts are picture perfect, which can be quite discouraging when everything doesn’t seem to be going perfect. Pinterest can be a good source for inspiration, but brides shouldn’t expect perfection. Weddings will never be as perfect as the pictures in Pinterest. A bride will worry less if she sets realistic expectations in the details.
The more chores a bride has to do on her big day, the less time she will have to make memories with her friends and family, take photos, or simply enjoy her wedding day. “The first thing that pops in my head is the word ‘delegate,’ ” says Nicole Melton, lead event coordinator of Soirees, a service designed to help with weddings, parties and events in Chattanooga. “The more you delegate, the more everyone feels included and, in the end, everyone is calmer and happier!”
So many brides get overwhelmed trying to do everything themselves, when in reality, there are so many people who want to be included and help out. Melton believes a bride should utilize those who want to help. A bride can have her creative best friend design the bouquets, have her talented mother bake and design the cake and cupcakes, have her efficient dad schedule all the rentals, and have her adoring fiancé be by her side with all the wedding plans. A bride will worry less if she lets friends and family help out.
2. Avoid the Pinterest trap
3. Welcome help with open arms
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Capturing the Written by: Ashley Noonan
The big day has come and gone. The flowers have wilted and the honeymoon relieved the overwhelming stress that built-up leading to your wedding. Life is returning to normal but one thing to look forward to (besides being happily married for the rest of you life) is the lasting memories by the person you entrusted to capture your big day. Sadly, each year too many newlyweds find themselves disappointed as they scan through photos that tried to capture their special, once-in-a-lifetime day.
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Caressa Rogers, a destination photographer based in Chattanooga, has shot over 35 weddings and understands the process of a wedding is far different from other types of photography. “It’s a special occasion where stress is present and lots of things change. You have to have a full sensor.” Photos provided by: Caressa Rogers
Although she spends on average 20-30 hours on each wedding, Caressa believes it is an honor and a blessing when a couple asks her to be a part of their day. She is continually evolving her style by reading blogs and watching tutorials. “I don’t want to copy what they do. It won’t be me.” However, she sees photography as constantly growing where endless potential lies ahead. ChattBrides.com
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Caressa’s style can be described as clean and timeless, yet still portrays a deep emotion with a unique perspective. With each picture, Caressa tries to capture a glimpse of something different, yet beautiful. When choosing a photographer, it is important to find a professional who fits your style but also your budget. Potential photographers understand this is one of the biggest decision you will make when planning your wedding. Caressa suggests asking to see a full gallery tailored to your specific requests so you will not be met with disappointment. Have proper etiquette: if you are interviewing other potential photographers, be honest and open. Along with the role of photographer, Caressa explained the responsibility sometimes includes being a mediator. She expressed how important it is to be open with your photographer so they can be aware of any awkward family circumstances or other situations you may not feel comfortable in. Before the wedding, your photographer will probably deal only with you and perhaps your fiancÊ. On the wedding day, they will deal with everyone.
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If you are considering having a rustic theme wedding, a major hurdle Caressa has often faced is dark lighting issues. Using candles as the main source of light for an evening reception is not enough, for both your guests and photographer. However, this problem can be fixed by simply adding extra string lights. Since most rustic ceremonies take place outside, Caressa also suggests having an inside back-up plan that is just as good as the original location. ChattBrides.com
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Caressa is an advocate to use the same photographer for engagement and wedding pictures, if possible. From her experience, the groom tends to struggle with showing intimacy while another person is present. This allows your relationship to naturally grow while allowing any nerves about PDA or intimacy to almost disappear before the wedding day. “We do this for a living. Seeing a groom hold and kiss his future bride isn’t awkward for us. It’s our job.” Caressa strives to create a strong relationship with each client and has had several brides turn into friends.
More couples are steering away from the tradition of not seeing each other until the bride walks down the aisle and instead share an intimate moment before the ceremony. Caressa has seen couples choose between both options. She respects whatever decision the couple chooses to make, although she loves the organic and intimate moment of “the first look.” 18
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If they do choose the first option, Caressa stands an appropriate distance away while the groom is able to take the first look at his beautiful bride. “He can touch her and kiss her. They take how ever long they want.� Caressa can be described as a romantic at heart. She loves the wedding industry. Although it is filled with lots of stress, capturing joy and love is clearly a passion for this Chattanooga photographer.
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