We are so excited to share this beautiful wedding with you all. Sam + Jessie’s day was the perfect combination of classy venue and exuberant springtime flowers! Don’t miss their answers to our questions to learn more about these two!

                    Meet Sam + Jessie

– How did you meet your husband/wife? What is your dating and/or proposal story?

Sam and Jessie met at Cumberland University in 2014. Sam started working in Athletics when he graduated from CU with his Masters in Business Administration. Jessie graduated from Belmont University with her BFA, then moved back to Lebanon where she began working in the Admissions Office at CU. Jessie had seen Sam around campus several times and thought he was very cute. She made the first move and asked Sam if he ate lunch. Sam said that he did eat lunch and asked her where she wanted to go because he liked her humor. Their first lunch date was at Chick-fil-a in Lebanon, TN. It ended up being the first of many lunch dates. A few weeks later they went on an official date to the Wilson County Fair, filled with bluegrass, fried Oreos and monkey jockeys. And that is where their love story began! After dating two and a half years, Sam had intended to propose on Jessie’s birthday. However, the day before he was so excited that he couldn’t wait any longer! After breakfast and a movie, Sam took Jessie to Nashville to celebrate her birthday weekend. The sun was just beginning to set as Sam took Jessie to Centennial Park. They walked around in the lovely fall weather – it was a perfect, crisp afternoon and the leaves were changing all around. While walking around the lake and talking about life and expectations for Jessie’s 26th year, Sam pulled Jessie to the side and asked her if she wanted her birthday present. She was a little shocked because Sam wasn’t supposed to get her a present with everything else he had already planned for her birthday. He then pulled a little box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal the beautiful ring that Jessie had always dreamed of. “Will you marry me?” he asked. He maybe had to ask again because Jessie burst into uncontrollable happy tears and couldn’t get an answer out! Of course, she said YES! It was the most perfect day, filled with love and excitement for the future.

– What drew you to your venue choices?

One Saturday evening while we were still dating, we decided to attend Mass at the Cathedral while we were out and about in Downtown Nashville. The moment we walked in, we knew that this place was special and were captivated by its beauty. This had to be the place we began our life together someday. It became a dream for us to get married there and we are still blown away that it actually became a reality!

– Are there any particular items that were part of your wedding day that have an interesting story behind them or hold important meaning/value to you personally?

The ceremony was extremely important to the both of us. Jessie’s transition to Catholicism has been a huge part of our relationship. Sam grew up Catholic and Jessie was raised in a Southern Baptist family. When we first started dating, we began going to Mass together every week. As our relationship developed, we knew that we wanted to share the same religious views for when we started a family someday. They truly felt at home in the Catholic Church and Jessie decided to convert. Sam attended every RCIA class with Jessie and supported her throughout the whole process. We actually met the Deacon who married us during those same classes! We have truly grown in our faith together and wanted to begin our life with this beautiful Sacrament that honored God.

– Did your wedding have any particular style themes?

Rustic Romance – A little bit of Southern flair mixed with soft patterns and colors. It was such a romantic venue, but also located in the heart of Nashville – We wanted to have lots of country music and traditional Nashville food for all of our out-of-town guests

– Can you share something you learned through the wedding planning process? (ex: what’s important vs. what’s not? something you’d recommend everyone do?)

At the end of the day, you will be married and nothing else matters.

Planner/Designer/coordinatior: Jet Set Planning

Ceremony Location: Cathedral of the Incarnation

 Caterer: Blue Moon BBQ 

Floral Designer: Fresh Weddings by CarryAnn 

Cake and/or other desserts: Chef’s Market Catering and Ralph’s Donuts

Dress Designer: Pronovias 

 Bridal Shop: The White Room

Groom’s suit: Magnolia James

Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal 

DJ: In Any Event… Sound Productions

Rentals: Art Pancake Party & Wedding Rentals

Makeup Artist: Cory Burket – Trim Classic Barber & Legendary Beauty 

Hairstylist: EC Gerety-Crippin – Trim Classic Barber & Legendary Beauty 

Wedding rings:  The Jewelry Emporium
 

Sarah Sidwell is a Nashville based wedding photographer living in Franklin, Tennessee. Sarah specializes in wedding, newborn, baby, child, family, and lifestyle documentary photography.