A Quintessential Nashville Wedding at the Parthenon
From a proposal at Cheekwood Botanical Garden to a reception at the Parthenon, this bride and groom celebrated their marriage in true Nashville style!
Some things just scream Nashville: Titans games at Nissan Stadium, live music at Ryman Auditorium, watching the sun set behind the downtown skyline, and β¦ getting married at the Parthenon. For Maggie Johnson and Kevin Higgins, the latter was a dream come true β the perfect way to celebrate their love for each other and the city they call home!
Maggie and Kevin met at Camp Whippoorwill in Fairview, TN, where they were both summer counselors. One thing led to another, and working together turned into an engagement in August 2020. βHe had a whole day planned,β Maggie says of Kevinβs proposal. The morning line-up included several beloved Nashville activities like perusing the Richland Farmersβ Market, going to brunch, and enjoying the stunning scenery at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden, where Kevin got down on one knee. βMy engagement ring was ready before he expected it to be,β Maggie tells us, βso he planned the whole thing in a week. It was wonderful, but very last minute! He had friends of mine fly in from out of town, and everyone was rushing to put together an engagement. It was all perfect β¦ and kind of funny.β
Though the couple moved to Charleston, SC, not long after their engagement was official, they had their sights set on tying the knot in Nashville, where they were both born and raised. Additionally, they landed on having their celebration at the Parthenon. βA week or two after we got engaged, we were driving to Charleston to look at apartments. On our way there, we were talking about reception venues, and we didnβt have any clue where to start!β Maggie tells us. On a whim, Kevin asked her, βWould it be crazy if we had our reception at the Parthenon?β Though she was skeptical about the cost and availability, a quick phone call proved it was meant to be. βIt was super affordable, available, big enough for the number of people we had, and itβs a public park, so renting it is a charitable donation,β says Maggie. βIt checked all the boxes. We didnβt even tour any other venues.β
Although the Parthenon was a done deal, Maggie wasnβt keen on diving into too many of the wedding details right off the bat. βIβm not the βanti-bride,β but I told my mom and grandmother they werenβt allowed to ask me any questions for one month,β she laughs. βI needed one month of no decision-making!β The only pressing concern was securing a date, which she moved forward on after a bit of prompting from her mother; the couple chose May 14 for their celebration. The food fell into place quickly, too, since the brideβs uncle is none other than renowned pitmaster Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker and Bringleβs Smokinβ Oasis. When he offered to cater the event as a wedding gift, the bride and groom accepted gladly. We would, too!
After a short break from planning (the couple had a two-year engagement, so there was plenty of time to take it slow), the bride and groom resumed their wedding focus, with the bride embarking on her dress-finding mission. βMy mom and grandmother took a trip to Charleston last July,β she explains. βWe went to a couple of dress shops, and I tried on five or six dresses. I like to shop, but I was not the bride who was going to have a big emotional βI found the oneβ moment. So, I found one I liked, and I thought, Okay, maybe I donβt need to go to the next place.β Thankfully, Maggie changed her mind, and the trio went to Magnolia Bride β a bridal boutique tucked away in a historic building in downtown Charleston. βI tried on three or four more dresses, and the one that I ended up choosing was the last dress I tried on,β says Maggie, who almost didnβt give the dress a second look. βIt was in the back, and we passed it but didnβt pull it,β she tells us. But the dress found its way into her hands and wound up being the one. βIt was strapless and fitted at the top,β she explains, βthen flared out into a pretty, poofy skirt. It was simple but also different, which I really liked.β
For her general wedding aesthetic, the bride says she was going for classic and timeless β something she can look back on in 20 years with no regret. She chose elegant florals from Melissa Broadwell of Vintage Florals, a beautiful array of white blooms with greenery and pops of blue. βMelissa sent us the most gorgeous inspiration deck!β gushes Maggie. βI think colorful flowers are so beautiful, but I always envisioned white with greenery.β And though she initially pictured a green shade for her bridesmaidsβ dresses, blue ultimately won her over. βI looked at so many bridesmaidsβ dresses, and there wasnβt a shade of green and dress material that I liked,β she says of the dresses she chose. βIt was important that my bridesmaidsβ dresses felt comfortable and that there were size-inclusive options.β
In a crushing turn of events, Maggieβs father passed away unexpectedly only a month before the wedding. Everyone immediately collaborated to honor him β from vendors to guests to the bride and groom. βMy family is so close, and we incorporated my dad and his memory into the day in so many meaningful ways,β says the bride. βWe felt his loss, but we also came together for the most beautiful, joyous day ever.β This included celebrating him during first looks. βThe original plan was for me to do a first look with Kevin and then one with my dad,β she tells us. Instead, Maggie did a first look with her brother, Turner, to whom sheβs super close. βLosing my dad just made it all the more emotional,β she says of the touching exchange between the siblings. βIt was really sweet. Turner and I had each written each other a note. Then Kevin and I did our first look. I had been writing in a journal to him that I started on our fifth anniversary.β
The couple opted to exchange a variation on traditional vows, with their favorite pastor officiating. βWest End United Methodist is where I grew up going to church,β says the bride, βso I always knew I would get married there. Funny enough, the church Kevin grew up going to was in Franklin, and his pastor, Carol, got transferred to my church a year or two after we started dating. So she did our premarital counseling and our wedding. She also did my dadβs memorial service a few weeks before.β A wonderful storyteller, Carol wove in stories of how the couple met and what they were most looking forward to in their life together. She even incorporated memories of Maggieβs father. βShe brought up my dad and how heβs very missed but also very present in a different way. It was super meaningful,β says Maggie. βWe wanted an emphasis on how important the ceremony itself is. Obviously, everyoneβs excited about the party afterward, but the ceremony is really important as well.β
After the beautiful ceremony, the wedding party headed to the Parthenon in style β in a trolley! And despite a minor snafu that kept them from taking an extended tour around the neighborhood, the bride doesnβt regret the short and sweet ride, which proved to be a good bonding opportunity for the wedding party (not to mention a great photo op!).
The reception kicked off with a cocktail hour in the Parthenon art gallery, during which the bride and groom took advantage of the gorgeous Centennial Park scenery and snagged their first photos as a married couple. Meanwhile, guests sipped signature drinks β a Tennessee Mule in Kevinβs honor and a Paloma in Maggieβs β and the Peg Leg Poker catering team passed out Southern-inspired hors dβoeuvres such as pimento cheese finger sandwiches. βThe pimento cheese my uncle serves at his restaurant is a family recipe, so we wanted to incorporate that,β says the bride.
For the main feast, guests dined on pulled pork, smoked turkey, and top brisket with corn muffins, yeast rolls, and sides of roasted vegetables, a green salad, and mac and cheese. βKevin and I ate while everyone was at cocktail hour,β says Maggie. βThey prepared plates for us that were probably five pounds each.β
Thanks to a Winterim internship at Dolce Desserts while she was a student at Harpeth Hall, Maggie leaned on her friendship with Katelin Hayes when it came to the wedding cake. βIt was special for me to have her do the cake because Iβve known her for so long,β says Maggie. βSheβs crushing it in her own business!β
Maggie and Kevin had contemplated hiring a vintage or black car service for their wedding departure, but when a dear family friend asked if he could whisk away the happy couple in his dadβs old Ford F150, the perfect βgetawayβ took shape. βHe went for it and put a bench in the bed of the truck,β Maggie tells us. βMy momβs friends did fresh flowers. They decorated it so beautifully and tied cans to the back.β
RESOURCES
Ceremony & reception: West End United Methodist Church and the Parthenon
Wedding Coordinator: Ashley Shannon of Coston & Company
Photographer: Molly Peach
Flowers: Melissa Broadwell of Vintage Florals
Hair and makeup: Kat Marie Makeup & Hair
Brideβs gown: Magnolia Bride in Charleston, SC
Bridal gown alterations: Pattie Talbot at Seam
Brideβs shoes: Kate Whitcomb
Bridesmaid dresses: Amsale
Groomβs attire: JM Street Tuxedo
Stationery and calligraphy: White Ink Calligraphy
Watercolor of Parthenon: Chloe Tyler
Catering: Peg Leg Porker
Cake: Katelin Hayes
Entertainment: Andrew Risinger (ceremony) and Emerald Empire Band (reception)
Transportation: Hello Trolley
Congratulations, Maggie and Kevin! And thanks to Molly PeachΒ for the stunning photos.
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Jenna von Oy Bratcher
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Editorial Operations Manager and Lead Content Editor. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.