A lush garden ceremony amid a sea of tulips, a Mediterranean and Italian dinner, and a dog-themed craft gin bar. Stringed instruments and lyrical touches. This Memphis Dixon Gallery wedding will tickle your springtime fancies.
Before we transport you to their botanical spring wedding wonderland, let’s rewind to the genesis of Maria Ricci and Tommy Fridy. In true Memphis fashion, a mutual friend invited Maria to BBQ Fest 2017, and Tommy was competing on the team. “I saw the cute guy cooking and made a beeline for the grill,” Maria recalls. “We hung out the whole weekend, so I was disappointed he didn’t ask for my number.” But come Monday, Maria had a message request on Instagram.
PinOn April 15, 2023, at 5:30 p.m., 185 guests (and thousands of tulips) watched the Fridys tie the knot at Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
In late 2021, Tommy lured Maria back to the riverside spot where they met under the BBQ Fest tent, using the guise of pre-Chris-Stapleton-concert drinks with friends. Concert? Nope. Proposal? Yep. “It was the perfect intimate moment, just the two of us, back where our story began,” Maria says. The proposal was followed by celebratory drinks at the Peabody.
PinMrs. Post-designed paper set the elegant garden party tone months prior. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
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PinTo be able to sit back and enjoy the process, Maria and Tommy tapped Bella Baxter Events to lead the planning process. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
Over their year-and-a-half-long engagement, Maria and Tommy soaked in the new chapter and began ticking off the big decisions without much timeline stress. They wanted a Memphis venue where the ceremony and reception could be held at the same place. “Memphis is beautiful in the spring if you get lucky with no rain,” Maria says, “and we wanted to take advantage of that.”
PinDixon offered the perfect combination of indoor and outdoor options for the ceremony and reception. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinMaria grew up in Denver and moved to Memphis to attend Rhodes. Tommy is from Puryear, TN, and moved to Memphis to play basketball at CBU. The pair often attended the same Rhodes parties (they had a mutual friend) but never met during college. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
Touring Dixon Gallery & Gardens in April of 2022 — with greenery and tulips showing off — sealed the venue deal. Since Dixon is chock-full of many beautiful flowers and colors, the planning crew sought to enhance the natural beauty, not detract from it. “Our colors were neutral,” Maria says. “Greenery, many whites, creams, muted pinks, and natural wood.”
PinTCB & CO Flowers brought Maria’s garden vision to life with understated, whimsical bud vases and floating candles. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
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Pin“We wanted a simple yet elegant look, and the result was exactly what we envisioned!” Maria says. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
Maria and Tommy spent the day with their closest crews before the bridal party donned black-and-white ensembles. “I love the elegance of black and white, and with all the color of the Dixon flowers, it looked fabulous together!” Maria says.
PinA first look gave Maria and Tommy a moment to read the vows they wrote each other and relieve some nerves. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinAnd the bride had a teary-eyed first look with Dad. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinThis is what we call an FOB power move. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
“If our aesthetic didn’t clue you in already, I love simple and elegant,” Maria says of her dress. “I wanted a timeless dress looking back in pictures, but more importantly, I wanted it to look and feel like me.”
PinMaria customized her Maggie Louise gown to include a simple belt to cinch the waist and buttons down the back. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinLeading up to the wedding, Maria asked Tommy what he thought the dress would look like. “He hit the nail on the head,” she says. Bravo, Tommy. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinThe bride and groom are both close with their siblings, so rather than having traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen, they invited their brothers, sisters, and a close friend to stand with them. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
After exchanging traditional vows, the newlyweds turned toward their 185 guests, ready to continue the party as husband and wife.
PinA string quartet of local talent set the mood for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinFinally … the Fridys! Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
During cocktail hour, guests grazed on a spread of meats, cheeses, dips, olives, crackers, Arancini, Salsiccia Italiana (miniature ice cream cones filled with goat cheese mousse, Italian sausage, and roasted red peppers), and prosciutto-wrapped honey-glazed shrimp floated on trays.
PinMaria and Tommy named the gin and tonic bar after their pups and had a friend draw them. They served three types of G&Ts ranging from fruity to herby. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinMaria and Tommy first danced to “Joy of My Life “by Chris Stapleton, the musical throughline of their relationship. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
“We kept coming back to that Chris Stapleton song. It was part of our engagement story, so it seemed perfect for such a pivotal part of our wedding day,” Maria says. Last year, they finally saw the star live at the Forum, and he played their special song in a genuinely full-circle moment.
PinInstead of a regular wedding guest book, guests signed the record and sleeve of the Chris Stapleton record with “Joy of My Life” on it. It’s framed in the Fridys’ living room. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
Good food was a main priority for the big day. “Chef Phillip Dewayne and Aryen Moore-Alston of Park & Cherry did an amazing job of bringing our vision together,” Maria says.
PinMaria’s Italian/Mediterranean roots were tied beautifully into the farm-fresh menu. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
We are grateful to all our sponsors:
Dinner was served at a duo of microplate stations: kale Caesar salad and stuffed pork tenderloin at the first and stone fruit salad with spinach and feta-stuffed salmon at the second. The dancefloor was fueled by late-night noshes of smashburgers, loaded cheese tots, and soft pretzel sticks with mustard and cheese dipping sauces.
PinThe tent gave perfect greenhouse vibes for this garden wedding party. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinMaria changed shoes but kept her dress on all night. “The bottom was black afterward!” she laughs. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
Because the bride and groom “aren’t big cake people,” they bought a Chantilly cake from Whole Foods for their ceremonial cake cutting. They served their favorite desserts: cannoli from Little Italy, Italian wedding cookies, and lemon bars from Ricki’s Cookies.
PinThe cannoli and wedding cookies are nods to Maria’s Italian heritage, and the lemon bars are Tommy’s favorite dessert that his grandmother used to make when he was little. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
Instead of a formal exit, Maria and Tommy opted to soak up every note of Memphis Soul Revue with all their loved ones. On the raucous bus ride back to the hotel, someone took over the AUX cord and a lovely duet rendition of Celine Dion’s “That’s the Way It Is” by the bride’s brother and cousin wowed the crowd.
PinAs is the case during most spring weddings, the weather was temperamental. “We had a pop-up storm during the reception, but everyone was having so much fun we hardly even noticed — minus the band losing power for a few minutes,” Maria recalls. Image: Mary Kate Steele PhotographyPinAfter the wedding, Tommy and Maria decompressed during a mini-moon at Georgia winery resort Chateau Elan. In September, they embark on a two-week honeymoon through Italy. Image: Mary Kate Steele Photography
“I know it’s easier said than done, and often, I had to take a step back from it all, but enjoy this season of life!” Maria says to those in the throes of planning. “I had to remind myself that everything I could control was taken care of, and the rest was out of our hands. I married my husband, surrounded by the people we care about the most, and that is all that matters!”
Thanks for retelling your wedding tale, Maria!
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint freelance writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant since 2012. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.
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