A Traditional TN Wedding with Soft, Romantic Details
At this elegant Union Station wedding in Nashville, every detail was thoughtfully crafted for a truly special celebration. Take a look! Image: The Light Seeker Photography
Elizabeth Rogers and John Langham had mutual friends for many years; in fact, John’s brother was married to one of Elizabeth’s closest friends. But it wasn’t until 2021 that the two crossed paths — and sparks flew! Take a look inside this couple’s sweet love story and their beautiful fall wedding, complete with three special musical performances, a focus on local female creators, and champagne from a family vineyard in France.
After years of knowing each other only peripherally, John and Elizabeth connected naturally at a backyard barbecue surrounded by friends and family. In the following months, they spent time together, having ever-longer conversations as they got to know each other better. John was a single dad to son Leo and daughter Arrow, and the couple wanted to be sure the relationship was right before introducing Elizabeth to the children.
Fortunately, the course of this true love ran smoothly! Leo and Arrow knew Elizabeth already as a friend of their aunt’s. So, when John talked to them about finding someone special, they immediately said, “Like Miss Liz?” We’d call that a stamp of approval!
John and Elizabeth got engaged on New Year’s Eve, 2022, in London. “It was truly so magical and memorable, and despite being New Year’s Eve, it was very intimate and private. We took a walk through the Westminster Abbey gardens right after midnight and it was just the two of us,” Elizabeth says.
With her parents’ blessing and his children’s approval, John had an incredibly meaningful surprise: Elizabeth’s great-grandmother’s gorgeous ring, an authentic vintage 1919 piece completely untouched in its original setting. “Trying to keep her grandmother’s heirloom ring a secret while traveling was difficult, but I somehow kept it a surprise!” John tells us.
When it came to planning the wedding, Elizabeth opted to do without a planner and handle everything herself. “It was a huge undertaking, but something I always knew I wanted to do because there were so many special details and moments that I wanted to incorporate,” she says.
The bride chose champagne and blush tones to match her personal style and complement the aesthetic of Union Station. Early on, one of the toughest decisions was the bridesmaids’ dresses, but Elizabeth was thrilled with her selection. Once they were determined, the rest of the choices fell into place.
“I wanted a classic bridal bouquet style, with peonies, dahlias, and large garden roses in an assortment of pinks and creams, primarily flowers, with just light greenery as an accent,” Elizabeth says. The jaw-dropping results are from Larson Floral, owned by Natasha Larson.
And what about the dress? It’s safe to say the bride was truly enthusiastic. “I LOVE my dress! I love it SO MUCH! I wish I could wear it over and over!” Elizabeth gushes.
“Honestly, it’s funny looking back because it was such a process trying to find the right dress,” she adds. “As so many people say, the dress you end up with is not at all what you originally thought you wanted — and that was so true for me. I give so much credit to the associates at Adorn Bridal Shop for picking this dress and encouraging me to try it on anyway, despite my insistence that I did NOT want this style.”
Before the ceremony, the couple exchanged vows in private as a part of their intimate first look. “Our vows were very personal and handwritten for one another,” John says.
John’s children, Leo and Arrow, joined them to exchange family vows, committing the four to life as a family full of love and understanding.
“Leo and Arrow were the Junior Best Man and Junior Maid of Honor in the wedding and are the two most important people in our lives — the two people who will forever be with us in our marriage and can watch our marriage grow every single day,” says the bride.
For the ceremony, pastor Phil Rasmussen incorporated a few sentences from the couple’s personal vows into his wedding speech, and they exchanged traditional vows during the ceremony. The ceremony included a moment of prayer; close friends joined the couple at the altar to pray over the marriage, the vows, and this newly formed family.
The ceremony also showcased the first of three special live musical performances. Elizabeth works in music publishing, and her heart for female songwriters was on full display with the musical elements the couple chose to add throughout their wedding. Vocal artist Gracie Jacob performed “Better Together,” a custom song written by Gracie and fellow songwriters Ellie Rivers and Jazz Davis.
After the ceremony, the 150 guests enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour, with yummy charcuterie and veggie spreads and passed appetizers — a caramelized onion tart, parmesan and truffle arancini with basil aioli, sea scallops, and deviled egg toast.
The menu included signature drinks that John, Elizabeth, Arrow, and Leo concocted. “We had a special afternoon a few months before the wedding, where we each got to craft our own custom drink,” says the bride. “The Union Station bartenders went above and beyond to make it a competition amongst themselves, where the kids tried dozens of the bartenders’ mocktail creations and then got to choose their winner.”
A seated meal started with a lovely beet and arugula salad with eggplant purée, followed by one of three dinner selections: filet of beef (with au gratin potatoes, Cipollini onions, broccolini, and sauce au poivre), pan-seared salmon (with creamy polenta and sauce vierge), or roasted cauliflower steak (with quinoa and farro pilaf, and arrabbiata sauce).
As both Elizabeth and John have a huge sweet tooth, dessert was an expansive spread, all provided by local female entrepreneurs: a stunning wedding cake from Baked on 8th (founder Leah Carmean), ice cream from Jeni’s Ice Creams (founders Jessica and Stephen Rose), assorted donuts from Five Daughters Bakery (founders Stephanie and Isaac Meek and their five daughters), and assorted cupcakes from The Cupcake Collection (founder Mignon François).
In an elegant and unique touch, Lake Dessie Studio (another incredible female-owned local business) worked with Larson Floral Co. to make a custom piece from the flowers at Elizabeth’s bridal shower to display at the wedding. Lake will also preserve the wedding florals into several gorgeous pieces. “Lake is an amazing artist who turned our florals into the most stunning keepsakes,” Elizabeth says. “I can’t recommend her highly enough. It is definitely something to plan for in advance.”
The meaningful touches carried on with the champagne. Elizabeth’s family spent time in France during her childhood; she grew up speaking French and formed lifelong memories and connections. Her family became very close to the DeTaisne family, who lived next door. The champagne featured at the wedding was from their vineyard, Maison Taisne Riocour, located in Les Riceys in the Champagne region of France.
The bride and groom’s first dance was a delight. When the couple first started dating, they talked about songs they loved, a topic dear to Elizabeth’s heart. A few days later, John sent her a link to “Tenerife Sea” by Ed Sheeran with the message, “This is how I feel about you.” The song stayed with them through the entire relationship, and when it came time to plan the wedding, they knew exactly what their first dance would be.
The Father-Daughter Dance was just as lovely. Elizabeth and her father took the floor as talented songwriter and vocalist Tia Sillers performed her hit “I Hope You Dance” in the second of the three live performances. The song began with the bride and her father, but after the first chorus, they were joined by John and his daughter Arrow for their own special father-daughter moment. For the song’s final chorus, they opened it up to all fathers and daughters to join.
The final special musical performance of the night was by another local female artist and songwriter, Eva Snyder, who performed a song she wrote called “Keep Dancing.” It was one of the couple’s favorite songs, and they featured it as an “all couples dance,” encouraging everyone to grab the person they love and come to the dance floor. A beautiful sparkler send-off ended the perfect day as the bride and groom exited onto Broadway through the stunning arched doors that make Union Station so iconic.
For the honeymoon, the couple spent an adventurous, travel-filled foodie week in India, followed by two luxurious and relaxing weeks in the Maldives.
What’s next? The family of four will become five in July, as a honeymoon baby will add to the bliss!
RESOURCES
Venue: Union Station
Photographer: The Light Seeker Photography
Bride’s Gown: Alyne by Rita Vinieris, from Adorn Bridal Shop
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Babaroni
Hair & Makeup: Lips & Locks Nashville
Groom’s Formalwear: Indochino
Groomsmen’s Formalwear: Indochino
Flowers: Larson Floral
Floral Preservation: Lake Dessie Studio
Catering: Stationairy
Processional: Solo Piano – Matt Lipkins
Ceremony Entertainer: Gracie Jacob, accompanied by Joey JacobR
Reception DJ: Matt Lipkins
Reception Singers: Tia Sillers + Eva Snyder
Wedding Cake: Baked on 8th
STYLEBLUEPRINT RESOURCES:
Planning a wedding? Check out StyleBlueprint’s two Wedding Resource Guides. (More to come!):
- StyleBlueprint Nashville’s Wedding Resource Guide
- StyleBlueprint Birmingham’s Wedding Resource Guide
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Gaye Swan
As a professional writer of over 20 years, Gaye is an avid traveler and enjoys highlighting food, culture, and attractions around the South. While Gaye is passionate about life in Memphis, she grew up in Meridian and is still a Mississippi girl at heart.