Ashley + Nick | Backyard
THE PLANNING
Ashley and Nick booked our Backyard Package for their fall wedding. We love working with couples through our backyard package as it allows for a lot of creativity leading up to the wedding day! For one of their first meetings, the couple, parents, and maid of honor met with RE Owner, Kellie, at their property. This was such a fun way to be able to get to know the couple and ensure our team would be the right partner for their group! Chelsea, the maid of honor, was also a huge help throughout the entire planning process to come, so it was great to meet her right away!
Kellie had a few more meetings with them both in her office and on site at Ashley’s parents backyard. They had built a new pole barn, which was perfect for the wedding and their 250 guests! With our Backyard Package, we create a layout of the location with all of the logistics in mind. Since the pole barn was one big open space, we added pipe and drape to part of it to create a nice prep area for the RE team, the caterer, and the band. This also created the perfect backdrop for the band! We assessed where guests would be walking up from the parking lot to ensure good flow, and ensured that the bathrooms from PleasureLand RV were very accessible but hidden. We absolutely love turning blank slates into venues!
On the Thursday before the wedding, the RE team was on site when Apres delivered the tables, chairs, etc. We used this time to prepare the site as much as possible before the big day!
THE MORNING
The ladies started their morning by getting ready in the upstairs portion of the home. Marissa from Maven Collective and Andrea Reis joined them to perfect their hair and makeup! Meanwhile, the guys were downstairs to get ready, but spent a large majority of their morning in some fun outfits! ;) The RE team then helped the guys pin on their boutonnieres and Ashley slipped into her stunning boho gown.
Meanwhile, the RE team was busy greeting vendors, setting up, and watching the radar as there was rain in the forecast. The couple also had a few people that arrived to help set up the ceremony chairs. Not long later, the Red Dirt Road Band rolled in with their huge tour bus! Which also happened to be Taylor Swift’s first tour bus (a fun fact for all our swifties out there)! As the band did their sound check, we got super excited to hear them perform later!
The couple then did their first look followed by lots of portraits and group photos with their wedding party. The couple’s dog, Pickles, even joined for a few pictures on one of our sofas! We’re obsessed with how they turned out!
THE CEREMONY
Luckily the rain held out, so we were able to proceed with the outdoor ceremony in the backyard! Ashley and Nick provided the arch, which was beautifully decorated by Wild Orchid. Red Dirt Road Band managed the couple’s ceremony music via a device, and the RE team worked with them to cue the timing. There were 7 attendants on each side, who made their way swiftly down the aisle. Ashley made her grand entrance escorted by her dad. She looked absolutely stunning! Right on que, Pickles who was the ring bearer, did a great job running down the aisle to his parents! We can assure you he got plenty of aww’s from the guests (I mean look at him)!
The couple shared a sweet ceremony surrounded by their loved ones in a location that was special to them. Talk about a perfect wedding day!
THE RECEPTION
When the ceremony wrapped up, we moved the aisle flowers to the head table and moved the chairs into the barn with the help of a few guests. Right when we got everything moved inside, it started to pour rain and didn’t stop all night. Although there was a ton of rain outside, guests were all safe and sound in the barn!
Guests were enjoying an appetizer charcuterie board from Just North of Memphis BBQ & Catering, along with drinks provided by the couple that were served by Liquid Motion! Everyone was also encouraged to use the telephone guest book from After the Tone.
The barn had been transformed into a stunning venue for the reception! They used our wood tables for the head table, our bar for Liquid Motion to serve from, and our wine barrels for cocktail tables. Apres draped the pole barn with fabric and twinkle lights which gave it that perfect touch of romantic elegance! Along with these items, the couple provided the pallet backdrop that was behind the head table and the greenery wall that was used for the photo station.
Once it was time for dinner, guests used the seating chart to find their seats. The tables were beautifully decorated with items provided by the couple. This included milk jars with baby’s breath, candle holders, lanterns, and vases with pampas grass.
Once everyone was settled, the wedding party did a super fun grand entrance with the girls coming in together, then the guys, followed by the couple. We love how much everyone enjoyed this moment! Everyone then dove into the delicious buffet dinner provided by Just North of Memphis BBQ & Catering. For dessert, guests indulged in Sweet Cakes - Nothing Bundt Cakes, while the couple did their cake cutting with a small cake from Lunds & Byerlys. These sweets definitely hit the spot after the big buffet meal!
The couple snuck away with Nicole Ashley Photography to get a few sunset portraits as the weather had cleared up a bit. Needless to say, we are obsessed with these photos!!
As dinner wrapped up, we took the buffet tables down and got the dance floor ready. The songs for the couple’s first dance and parent dances were played from a device, then Red Dirt Road Band kicked into action to get the party started!
The band had a setup like nothing we had ever seen before at a wedding. It was truly a performance and gave guests a night to remember! They had everyone dancing and were a breeze to work with! We also set out light up foam wands and blow up props, per the couple’s request. These items were a hit on the dance floor!
Ashley then made a reappearance in her dancing dress, custom denim jacket, and white boots. We LOVED this look and all the fun late night photos that came with it! Nicole Ashley Photography always knows how to capture the vibes perfectly!
The night wrapped up with plenty of dancing and a late night snack of Domino’s Pizza. There was also a school bus shuttle from Barthel Charter available to give guests a safe ride back to the hotels. The RE team also made sure everything was cleaned up and packed away per our clean up package that the couple added on. Overall, it was an amazing day!
Ashley + Nick, thank you for having Rustic Elegance on your team! Planning with you and your families was just as fun as celebrating your love!
Huge thank you to Nicole Ashley Photography for sharing these wonderful photos with us! If you want to see another wedding that we’ve done with her, be sure to check out THIS blog. Fun fact, it’s about one of our team member’s wedding days!
VENDORS
Venue: Bride’s Parents Home
Caterer: Just North of Memphis BBQ & Catering
Bar Service: Liquid Motion
Dessert: Sweet Cakes - Nothing Bundt Cakes / Lunds & Byerlys
Rentals: Apres
Band: Red Dirt Road Band
Florist: Wild Orchid
Photographer: Nicole Ashley Photography
Transportation: Barthel Charter
Hair: Maven Collective
Makeup: Andrea Reis
Bathrooms: PleasureLand RV
Guest Book: After The Tone
Coordinator: Rustic Elegance, Kellie and Kierra
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol