A Dreamy Tennessee Wedding in the Woods
What do you get when you combine a rom-com-worthy meet-cute and a quintessential fall backdrop? A timeless wedding that inspires, no matter the season. (If you're dreaming of a fall wedding, this is one you've GOT to see!)
Picture this scene: A woman goes to dinner with family at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Knoxville, TN, and strikes up a conversation with a complete stranger. The stranger offers up his table and tells her heβd like to set her up with one of his best friends, who happens to live around the corner from her in East Nashville. They take a few selfies to send to his friend (a cute dentist) because life is short, right?
She and the cute dentist text for a while, but he doesnβt ask her out, so she chalks it up to friendly conversation. Months later, the friend visits, chides the dentist for not asking the woman out, and orchestrates a double date that eventually leads to wedding bells. Sounds like a romantic comedy, yes, but itβs precisely how Liz Long met her husband, Zach Adkins.
And, while that double date may have been the start of something special, it was the coupleβs first solo date at Nashvilleβs Urban Cowboy that officially sealed the deal. After pizza, cocktails, and a neighborhood walk, they realized theyβd found a connection. Five years later, the couple walked down an autumn-hued aisle in front of 170 guests at the gorgeous RT Lodge in Maryville, Tennessee. We love a happy ending, donβt you?
When it became clear the pair were headed for the altar, they worked together to design wedding rings β even though Liz knew an engagement was on the horizon, Zach managed to surprise her with the timing.
βWe planned a random night out at Lockeland Table, and they didnβt have dinner reservations until late, so I suggested we go to Urban Cowboy first,β says Liz. βWe were sitting there having a cocktail, and he suddenly had this huge box.β The proposal was perfect in every way, and Liz immediately booked Nashville-based planner Jessica Sloane to get the ball rolling.
Initially, the couple was set on a weekend-long destination wedding, but COVID threw a wrench in that idea. Instead, the couple refocused their sights on something closer to home. βWe wanted it to be a weekend getaway for our friends and family with a ceremony in the middle,β says Liz.
The couple looked at several venues across the South, including one in Atlanta and one in Chattanooga, but it was RT Lodge outside of Knoxville that struck a chord. βI grew up in Knoxville, but Iβd never been to RT lodge before,β Liz tells us. βZach and I went to see it, and we knew that was it. It has around 57 rooms; itβs super cozy. It was perfect.β
Once their event venue was secured, Liz and Zach began working on the remaining details. βFrom the get-go, Zach was very involved in the planning process, and I wanted him to be,β Liz tells us. βThat isnβt always the case with the groom, but we really wanted it to be our day, so we made every decision together.β
Knowing they wanted to invest in beautiful take-away memories of their special day, they carefully chose photographer Kyle John, who perfectly matched their vibe and aesthetic. βOur photographer fit what we wanted,β she says. βI could see the story behind our wedding, and I can remember the whole weekend just by looking at his photos!β
They booked the florist next, and then Liz set out to find the perfect wedding gown. Lizβs maid of honor flew in, and they went to quite a few dress shops, but Liz had a hunch she would find what she wanted at Nashville boutique The Dress Theory.
βIβve been following The Dress Theory since I moved here,β she says, βso I had a feeling thatβs where I would find my dress. That was the first appointment we went to, and I went in wanting a very vintage lace feel. I tried on a few dresses, but they werenβt right. Then, they came out with a fitted dress. I was like, βI donβt know about this!β But I tried it on, and I was immediately in love.β
When the wedding day finally arrived, the bride took her time getting ready, enjoying a low-key morning and the chance to sip champagne with friends and family in the RT Lodge bridal suite. βThe nice thing is that everything is within a few hundred feet β itβs all on one property,β says the bride. βI just strolled downstairs and got ready.β
As soon as they were dressed and ready to exchange vows, the couple met up for first looks on the mossy path leading to their ceremony site. Fortunately, the weather not only held up perfectly (it was a balmy 60 degrees), but Mother Nature worked her magic on the surrounding area, and the leaves peaked just in time to offer a vibrant fall backdrop.
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Opting for a traditional-meets-modern ceremony, the bride and groom chose a hybrid of traditional vows and personalized nuances. βWe did traditional vows, but we wove in a lot of our own messaging that was specific to us,β says Liz. A super small bridal party made for an intentionally intimate affair, with Zachβs dad serving as his best man and Lizβs longtime friend serving as her maid of honor. Additionally, the couple asked a dear friend to lead the message, and Lizβs childhood pastor was on-hand to conduct the vows.
Once the ceremony came to a close, and the happy couple was pronounced husband and wife, guests headed to a cocktail hour, where they enjoyed a cheese and charcuterie station as well as a crispy phyllo appetizer with country ham and asparagus. Meanwhile, the newlyweds celebrated with a few minutes alone.
βKyle took a couple of photos of us, and then we were able to go to the room I got ready in,β says Liz. βZach and I had a little plate of hors dβoeuvres and signature cocktails β I had a cranberry gin and tonic, and he had a maple old-fashioned. It was nice to sit and be giddy about just getting married!β
As guests gathered for the seated reception, they located their table assignments on a grand, fall foliage-covered wall, then proceeded into the tent, where greenery and florals adorned every table. βWe wanted it to be a very organic feel,β the bride tells us. βOne of the reasons we were drawn to Colby, who did our flowers, is heβs one of the only vendors that RT Lodge allows to forage on the property. He made many centerpieces (and our ceremony arch) from leaves and limbs that he foraged in East Tennessee.β
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Having attended a total of 12 weddings between them in recent months, the bride and groom had solid ideas about what they wanted for their reception. Additionally, RT Lodge has an esteemed chef and pastry chef, so it was a no-brainer for the couple to settle on a seated dinner with a fantastic dessert bar to follow.
House-smoked meats, along with seasonal farm-to-table dishes, made for an exquisite dining experience for guests, beginning with a salad course of arugula, apples, and bacon. The second course, surf and turf, featured ribeye and shrimp with chimichurri, accompanied by asparagus and mashed potatoes. The dessert bar, in all its glory, showcased the two-tiered wedding cake flanked by fall-inspired confections such as pear cider caramels, cinnamon sugar doughnut holes, German chocolate cheesecake bites, and lemon curd macarons.
As dinner wound down and live music commenced, the newlyweds enjoyed their first dance β a serenade from dear friend Trevor Terndrup, lead singer of the rock band Moon Taxi. Guests got in on the fun, too, filling up the dance floor and dancing to tunes from the reception band, Number One Party Band. Plus, aΒ late-night French fry station offered guests a snack as they sipped cocktails and danced the night away.
When the reception festivities officially came to a close, the bride and groom led their guests to the lodge fire pit, where the celebration continued with conversations around the bonfire and a sβmoreβs bar. Liz and Zach reveled in the opportunity to spend as much time as possible with their family and friends, which brings Liz to her advice for future brides. βThere arenβt many points in your life when everyone who loves you from across the world is gathering in one place to celebrate you,β she says, βso donβt lose the aesthetic and feel thatβs truly you. Let the energy of the weekend be authentic. Our whole weekend was very us, and it was perfect.β
We couldnβt have scripted it better if we tried!
Thank you for sharing your special day with us, Liz and Zach! Special thanks to Kyle John Photography for the images.Β
RESOURCES
Ceremony and reception venue: RT Lodge
Planner: Jessica Sloane
Photographer: Kyle John Photography
Caterer: RT Lodge
Flowers: Colby West Design
Stationery: Katherine Kelly Design
Calligraphy: Shelby Reece Design
Hair and makeup: Amanda Gros
Brideβs gown: Pronovias from The Dress Theory
Brideβs shoes: Loeffler Randall
Jewelry: Mociun (bridal wedding rings), Consider the Wldflwrs (groomβs wedding band)
Bridesmaidsβ dresses: Revelry
Groomβs attire: John H. Daniel Custom Tailors
Cake: Caitlyn Cox, pastry chef at RT Lodge
Ceremony music: Dogwood Strings
Reception band: Number One Party Band
Rentals: The McCabe CompanyΒ
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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.