Friday began at The Russell, where C & D hosted their guests for the weekend; an intentionally relaxed and meaningful start that carried the tone set the night before.

Having been legally married the year prior, this moment was not about formality, but about presence. They chose to revisit their vows in a way that felt personal and grounded, surrounded by the people who had supported them from the very beginning.

As family and close friends arrived that afternoon, they were welcomed into the lobby with beer, wine, and champagne already waiting; an easy, unstructured arrival that allowed everyone to settle in and reconnect. Beneath the Russell’s stained glass windows, guests gathered as C & D entered together, side by side, reflecting the kind of partnership they had already built over the past nine years.

Officiated by their friend A, the ceremony felt intimate and deeply personal. Rather than writing something new, they reread the vows they had exchanged a year prior. Words that had already been lived in, now shared again in a new setting with their closest people surrounding them. It was simple, intentional, and quietly emotional.

After a kiss, the two slipped upstairs to the balcony overlooking the lobby, where Carly’s brother offered a short, heartfelt speech below.

Friday: A Vow Renewal & Welcome Party in East Nashville

An Evening Designed to Feel Like a Gathering

From there, the group made their way through East Nashville to Low Bar, where the evening shifted naturally into something more social and celebratory.

Dinner featured BBQ from Noble’s, one of C & D’s favorite local spots, chosen intentionally so their guests could experience a place that felt familiar to them.  An open layout created space for conversation to flow easily between groups.

The energy of the space carried the night forward. Karaoke in the back, pool tables in play, and a steady rhythm of people moving between conversations gave the evening a sense of ease, less like a scheduled event and more like a night out with everyone you love in one place.

Details throughout the evening reflected their personality: a colorful and expressive dress code, a donut spread from East Park Donuts & Coffee, and a crowd that leaned fully into the spirit of the weekend.
As dinner wrapped, the rest of the wedding guests joined in, turning the evening into a full welcome party, one that felt inclusive, lively, and entirely unforced.

For C & D the priority was never just the wedding day itself, it was the experience of the entire weekend.
With guests traveling in from across the country, they wanted to create space for connection beyond a single evening.

Friday became exactly that: a beginning that felt intentional without being over-structured, social without being performative, and centered entirely around the people who mattered most.

It set the tone for what was to come, an unfolding celebration built on presence, personality, and shared experience.

Saturday: A Disco Garden Party at Eastside Bowl

If Friday felt intimate and grounded, Saturday expanded into something entirely different: high-energy, expressive, and unmistakably C & D. 

Hosted at Eastside Bowl in East Nashville, the evening was designed as a full experience rather than a single event. With multiple spaces unfolding throughout the night, guests were invited to move freely, each room offering something new, while the overall flow remained seamless and connected.

The design leaned fully into a disco garden party vision, drawing from the venue’s 70s character. Color, texture, and light played throughout the space, creating an atmosphere that felt both nostalgic and fresh, vibrant without feeling overdone.

An Open, Layered Cocktail Hour

Guests arrived into the lounge for cocktail hour, where the tone was immediately set: relaxed, social, and full of personality.

An acoustic set played in the background as drinks flowed and conversations picked up where they had left off the night before. A mingling magician moved effortlessly through the room, creating small moments of surprise and interaction that carried throughout the evening.

It was less about a formal transition into the night and more about a continuation, an environment designed for guests to settle in, explore, and engage at their own pace.

Dinner & A Celebration of Personality

From there, guests were welcomed into The Venue for dinner, where the design and experience came fully to life.

Each table was intentionally mismatched, layered with different colored linens, varied napkins, and an eclectic mix of taper candles and holders. The result felt collected rather than styled, reinforcing the playful, expressive tone of the evening.

At each place setting, guests found a beaded bracelet handmade by the bride, inspired by Taylor Swift-style friendship bracelets. Each one doubled as a place card, personal, unexpected, and something guests could carry with them throughout the night.

The experience at the table was just as thoughtful. C & D assigned “party officers” to each table, each equipped with a tambourine and a single directive: keep the energy up. It was a small but defining detail that immediately broke down formality and invited guests to participate in the atmosphere.

Dinner itself followed that same approach. A slider bar and taco bar from Chef's Market replaced anything overly structured. With chips and queso already waiting at each table, the meal was easy and crowd-pleasing. 

As guests settled in, a heartfelt speech from their best friend brought everyone together, grounding the evening briefly before the energy began to build again.

Music, Movement & A Night in Motion

As dinner came to a close, the transition into the next phase of the night happened naturally. A live saxophonist moved through the space, guiding guests out of their seats and toward the dance floor, less of an announcement and more of an invitation.

From that point forward, the night unfolded in layers.

The 58 Lounge became the center of the dance floor, where a high-energy band carried the momentum late into the evening. Carly changed into a second look—a more streamlined silhouette—marking a subtle shift as the celebration moved fully into party mode.

At the same time, other spaces remained open and active. Bowling lanes ran throughout the night, the photo booth drew guests into the lobby, and moments like cake cutting happened organically rather than as staged interruptions.

Dessert carried its own personal layer. Guests were served wedding cake made by one of C& D’s closest friends. One of the cakes was topped with custom figurines of their two cats, a playful detail that felt deeply personal without taking itself too seriously.

In the lounge, an espresso martini bar and desserts offered a pause between dancing, an opportunity to reset before moving back into the energy of the room.

Late Night & An Unstructured Finish

As the night carried on, the pool lounge opened for a late-night after party, complete with arcade games, pool tables, and late-night snacks.

Guests moved easily between spaces, choosing their own pace and experience throughout the evening. There was no single focal point, no rigid structure, just a continuous sense of energy, movement, and connection. Exactly the way C & D envisioned.