A Weekend in Chattanooga

If you're looking for the perfect weekend for your out-of-town guest to get a taste of the real Scenic City, look no further! We have put together the perfect 3-day weekend guide to make sure your guests see the best of the best!

Friday Afternoon:

After traveling to Chattanooga to celebrate your special day, your guests are sure to want to wind down, or should we say, "wine" down! Make reservations for your out-of-town guests to have a glass of wine at Tony's Pasta Shop & Trattoria in the Bluff View Art District. There, they can also enjoy historic Chattanooga, breathtaking views of the Tennessee River as well walk through the entire Bluff View Art District- the perfect spot for all ages. However, you can't go to Tony's Pasta without trying their hand cut pastas! After your rehearsal dinner, pop in to see your guests and let them know your must-have Tony's plate! 

But wait, there's more!  Tony's is not all the this area has to offer.  There are so many great restaurants in the area, such as, Back Inn Cafe, Rembrandts coffee shop.  The Bluff View Art District definitely fits its name featuring stores and galleries and offers an impressive, outdoor sculpture garden. It is also situated steps from the Hunter Museum.

Southside is another good option for dinner or play. The Flying Squirrel, FEED, STIR, Alleia and the Terminal are all some of Chattanooga's most favored restaurants and bars that are right next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo.  Southside has a great night life too, so your Friday night with your out-of-town guests does not have to come to a quick close.  Just don't make it too long of a night, because you've got a big day in the morning!

Click here to find directions and menus!

Saturday Morning:

While you're getting dolled up, it's a must for your guests to grab brunch at The Bitter Alibi on Houston Street! They'll be greeted with mouthfuls of southern flavor with a creative twist! Once they've filled their bellies to the brim and enjoyed a Mimosa (or two) they can spend an hour or two shopping just down the road on Warehouse Row.  Featuring stores like Anthropologie, J. Crew, and Yves Delorme, the Row has a great selection, but he building's historical architecture with modern touches make it a sight to see all in itself!

Click here to find a list of stores Warehouse Row features!

Saturday Afternoon:

While shopping in Warehouse Row can be exciting, make sure your guests know to save some time for the award winning Tennessee Aquarium! They'll see exhibits all the way from the mountains to the sea! The River Otter Falls, Penguins Rock, and Alligator Bayou won't disappoint! If you have a few guests that are more for the delicate side of wildlife, the Butterfly Garden exhibit filled with exotic flowers will be their favorite spot! Before they know it, it'll be time to put their dancing shoes on and head to the main event- your wedding!

Sunday Morning:

We are sure your guests will have had such a great, long Saturday night, they may want to skip breakfast and shoot for brunch! And we know just the place! Adelle's Creperie is a brunch must! Their savory crepes are made to order and extremely customizable. They also have a lean list of omelettes and a few southern favorites such as waffles!

Sunday Afternoon:

Before your guests head home, you must encourage them to head up the mountain to check out Rock City! It's a wonder of nature featuring large ancient rock formations, over 400 plant species, and a panoramic view where they can see 7 states! If walking around enjoying all Rock City has to offer makes them work up an appetite, no worries! They don't even have to leave the park because they can enjoy a hot lunch at the Big Rock Grille where hamburgers, sandwiches, and chicken fingers are the norm!

Consider creating a special RSVP card for each activity that way you'll know ahead of time who would like to attend so you can call ahead to get discounted group prices! Another fun treat for your guests is a weekend welcome letter that lists the itinerary of the eventful weekend to come.

If you have many out-of-town guests, consider joining them on a few of these Chattanooga adventures to get as much quality time in as possible and to let them know just how much you appreciate them making the trip!

Happy Planning!

Soirées

Vendor Spotlight: May Flowers

April showers bring May Flowers and this year it also brought a big move!

We set down with the owner of May Flowers, Christy Staven, to discuss the move, her goals, and who a May Flowers Bride is!

                                               Photo by: Bamber Photography

You can now find May Flowers at 800 N. Market St. in Chattanooga, TN and it couldn't be a more perfect spot to showcase their floral talent! The history of the building is a story all in itself! It was actually built in 1920 and served the community as a local market! Christy said she couldn't be more honored to carry on its story.

Christy told us she is also so excited about her new space because of the amazing, open floor plan. As soon as you open the doors, you are welcomed by tons of shelves full of gorgeous rentals May Flowers has to offer. Once you take a few steps in, you can see Christy's amazing team in the back designing away for your big day! You can also see a large cooler where the flowers are stored and a small desk where they get down to business! It all comes together to create magic!

Photo by: Amanda May Photography

Christy said that her main business goal is to add more weddings each year and to gain larger-scale events. Best news is, since she opened in 2013, she has hit her goal every year!

We wanted to know a bit more about who a May Flowers Bride is. Does she like traditional flowers or trendy, loose bouquets? Or is she somewhere in-between? Christy assured me she is all the above! With classic, traditional training from Mississippi State, but also an ability to follow trends and keep up with the latest, Christy and her team at May Flowers can do it all!

Christy said, "We like to look at nature as inspiration. With classical training, nature, and then following trends, I like to think we are a happy blend of all those things."

On a scale from 1 to 10, a May Flowers Bride would fall towards the 10 side of loving and appreciating flowers! A May Flowers Bride is also someone who is laid-back, fun, and able to trust the professionals.

Photo by: Jennie Andrews Photography

"I love to see someone who is so inspired by flowers and is able to come up with some ideas but allows us to actually take that and run, putting our own twists and our own suggestions on something specific. Someone that is open to our creative freedom is my ideal client."
                     -Christy Staven

            Photo by: Cinderella Photography

There is so much more that goes into floral design than what meets the eye. Christy said she receives the flowers at the beginning of the week and will prep them and place them in the cooler to keep them fresh. Then, beginning Thursday they will start designing for whatever event the weekend brings! And designing continues all the way up until hours before your event to ensure every last petal is in its place!

Event days are Christy's favorite part because everything they have worked so hard on all comes together to create their vision. You may have 2 staff members or as many as 5 or 6 to create the event space you have envisioned!

         Photo by: Lanie Kay Photography

Are you getting ready to meet with May Flowers for your upcoming event? Here's some things you may want to have picked out ahead of time:
-Style
-Theme
-Colors
-Inspiration Photos

But, if you're overwhelmed and unsure, not a problem! May Flowers will walk you through every step.

With these April showers coming to an end, we are full of excitement to see those sweet May Flowers at our upcoming events!

                                                Photo by: Bamber Photography

If you think you just may be a May Flowers Bride, you can check out some of their amazing designs on their social media pages:
Facebook: @MayFlowersChattanooga
Instagram: @mayflowerscha
Twitter: @MayFlowersCha
Pinterest: @mayflowerscha

Or you can email Christy directly at christy@mayflowerscha.com or call the office at (423) 486-5320.

Happy Planning!
Soirées

2015 Spring Wedding Trends

           April Showers bring May flowers. It also brings this years spring wedding trends. We have seen        

    five that you will be seeing throughout this season.

            Rose Gold

Move over blushing bride. Rose gold is here to bring the light pink hue to this years wedding. Not only is it a softer take on the bold gold, it pairs with almost all of this seasons color combinations. Think of it as the floral or pastel of metals. It is spring. “Florals for spring? Ground breaking”.  –Devil Wears Prada

Edible Favors

After a long night of dancing the night away, party guests might be ready for a late night snack or maybe something to nibble on while they travel back home the next day. Why not send them home with an edible favor? Maybe you and your significant other love Krispy Kreme donuts? Maybe Moon Pies are your thing? Maybe you really love moon shine and want your guests to have a good time after your wedding. What ever your palate may desire will be perfect take home gift for your guests.

Boho-Glamorous

Every bride should feel like a princess on her wedding day, but why feel like a princess when you can feel like a goddess? This isn’t a spin on your sororitys toga party. This is Aphrodite walking down the aisle to her wedding. There’s nothing simple about this trend as you become one with the earth and have flowers in your hair. It is an effortless looking trend. This trend also transcends outfits and has morphed into an atmosphere. You will see it take many forms from flower-crafted crowns to jewels adorning her fantastically unconventional outfit.

Crafted Drink Stations

These are becoming increasingly popular recently. Guests are now able to enjoy a variety of drink options and the set up of the drinks is usually its own decoration.  You can usually have a variation of teas or lemonade and even a variation of craft beers or the couple's favorite liquor for your guests to enjoy. Bourbon bars have become a trend in itself. Guests enjoy a signature drink or their own creations. 

Calligraphy

Calligraphy displays a sense of patience and style and is also beautiful. Whether its gold lettering on a colored card, black ink against a white paper, or even chalk on a chalkboard, we can’t get enough of calligraphy.  

Spring Blossoms and Wedding Tips: May Flowers Tells All

We are in for a treat today. Mayflowers is telling all in the world of spring flowers! Keep reading for tips, tricks and inspiration for your spring wedding:

At May Flowers we love working with brides and weddings in any season, but we especially love spring weddings because of the variety of flowers available and the fabulous spring color palettes. There are lots of ways to approach choosing wedding flowers, but one of the easiest ways is to start with color. Once you’ve got a color palette determined, your florist can make suggestions about which flowers will fit well with the décor of the venue, the wedding party’s outfits and the overall feel of your wedding.

For a romantic blush and ivory wedding, fluffy flowers like garden roses, hydrangeas, peonies and
ranunculus work fabulously. Adding velvet dusty miller, pink astilbe or silver brunia berries really completes the romantic feel of the bouquet with a little bit of texture. These bouquets work well as tight mounds, but you could also create a looser bouquet and add green or pink hanging amaranthus to give it graceful asymmetry.

One of the best things about spring is a blooming garden. This atmosphere can be recreated with pastel wedding flowers of many different textures. Hydrangeas are always a good option along with roses, anemones, lisianthus, delphinium, and daisies. There are also several options for greenery, like maidenhair or sword fern fronds, eucalyptus, or a salal and ruscus combination. These bouquets often combine lots of different varieties of flowers so they can be on the large side. They are typically looser to create a more fresh-picked feel that can be accentuated by hanging amaranthus, ivy or ferns.

For a brighter and more whimsical bouquet, go for flowers like dahlias, anemones, proteas, roses and ranunculus. These flowers will fit almost any color palette because they come in so many different colors. Good choices for textural flowers or pops of color are yellow billy balls, Dr. Seuss-esque green trick, sweet William and fragrant wax flower. Greenery options include seeded eucalyptus, ferns and salal.

Whether they come in with no specific ideas beyond colors or a whole Pinterest page dedicated to flowers, May Flowers will work together with brides and grooms to create their perfect wedding day.