Some things just scream Nashville: Titans games at Nissan Stadium, live music at Ryman Auditorium, watching the sun set behind the downtown skyline, and … getting married at the Parthenon. For Maggie Johnson and Kevin Higgins, the latter was a dream come true — the perfect way to celebrate their love for each other and the city they call home!

The bride and groom kiss.Pin
Maggie Johnson and Kevin Higgins said “I do” on May 14, 2022, then celebrated at the Parthenon!

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. “He had a whole day planned,” Maggie says of Kevin’s proposal. The morning line-up included several beloved Nashville activities like perusing the Richland Farmers’ Market, going to brunch, and enjoying the stunning scenery at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden, where Kevin got down on one knee. “My engagement ring was ready before he expected it to be,” Maggie tells us, “so 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 … and kind of funny.”

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. “A 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 didn’t have any clue where to start!” Maggie tells us. On a whim, Kevin asked her, “Would it be crazy if we had our reception at the Parthenon?” Though she was skeptical about the cost and availability, a quick phone call proved it was meant to be. “It was super affordable, available, big enough for the number of people we had, and it’s a public park, so renting it is a charitable donation,” says Maggie. “It checked all the boxes. We didn’t even tour any other venues.”

Invitation suite for Maggie and Kevin's Pathenon wedding.Pin
This gorgeous invitation suite from White Ink Calligraphy fits in perfectly with the classic and timeless theme Maggie had in mind. The watercolor painting of the Parthenon on the reception card was created especially for Maggie by Chloe Tyler.

Although the Parthenon was a done deal, Maggie wasn’t keen on diving into too many of the wedding details right off the bat. “I’m not the ‘anti-bride,’ but I told my mom and grandmother they weren’t allowed to ask me any questions for one month,” she laughs. “I needed one month of no decision-making!” 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 bride’s uncle is none other than renowned pitmaster Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker and Bringle’s Smokin’ 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. “My mom and grandmother took a trip to Charleston last July,” she explains. “We 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 ‘I found the one’ moment. So, I found one I liked, and I thought, Okay, maybe I don’t need to go to the next place.” Thankfully, Maggie changed her mind, and the trio went to Magnolia Bride — a bridal boutique tucked away in a historic building in downtown Charleston. “I tried on three or four more dresses, and the one that I ended up choosing was the last dress I tried on,” says Maggie, who almost didn’t give the dress a second look. “It was in the back, and we passed it but didn’t pull it,” she tells us. But the dress found its way into her hands and wound up being the one. “It was strapless and fitted at the top,” she explains, “then flared out into a pretty, poofy skirt. It was simple but also different, which I really liked.”

Maggie's wedding dress on a hanger that reads "Mrs. Higgins."Pin
A sweet detail, Maggie’s dress from Magnolia Bride hangs on a personalized hanger.
The handkerchief given to Maggie on her wedding day.Pin
“I carried a handkerchief down the aisle with my flowers that my mom also carried in her wedding,” Maggie says. “She gave it to me at the church beforehand, which was really special.”

For her general wedding aesthetic, the bride says she was going for classic and timeless — 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. “Melissa sent us the most gorgeous inspiration deck!” gushes Maggie. “I think colorful flowers are so beautiful, but I always envisioned white with greenery.” And though she initially pictured a green shade for her bridesmaids’ dresses, blue ultimately won her over. “I looked at so many bridesmaids’ dresses, and there wasn’t a shade of green and dress material that I liked,” she says of the dresses she chose. “It was important that my bridesmaids’ dresses felt comfortable and that there were size-inclusive options.”

In a crushing turn of events, Maggie’s father passed away unexpectedly only a month before the wedding. Everyone immediately collaborated to honor him — from vendors to guests to the bride and groom. “My family is so close, and we incorporated my dad and his memory into the day in so many meaningful ways,” says the bride. “We felt his loss, but we also came together for the most beautiful, joyous day ever.” This included celebrating him during first looks. “The original plan was for me to do a first look with Kevin and then one with my dad,” she tells us. Instead, Maggie did a first look with her brother, Turner, to whom she’s super close. “Losing my dad just made it all the more emotional,” she says of the touching exchange between the siblings. “It 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.”

First looks for Kevin and Maggie.Pin
Kevin and Maggie share their first look in the West End United Methodist Church courtyard.
Maggie and Kevin smile at each other on their wedding day.Pin
“On the day of our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, my husband gave me a gorgeous gold watch,” Maggie tells us. “He said, ‘I know you already have your jewelry planned, so don’t feel pressure to wear this, but I wanted to get you a wedding gift.’ It was so beautiful that I ended up wearing it.”
The groom and his groomsmen.Pin
Kevin and his groomsmen are looking dapper and ready for some fun!
The bride and her bridesmaids.Pin
Maggie’s eight bridesmaids included Kevin’s sister, Maggie’s cousins, and her close friends from school — both high school at Harpeth Hall and college at the University of Tennessee!

The couple opted to exchange a variation on traditional vows, with their favorite pastor officiating. “West End United Methodist is where I grew up going to church,” says the bride, “so 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 dad’s memorial service a few weeks before.” 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 Maggie’s father. “She brought up my dad and how he’s very missed but also very present in a different way. It was super meaningful,” says Maggie. “We wanted an emphasis on how important the ceremony itself is. Obviously, everyone’s excited about the party afterward, but the ceremony is really important as well.”

The brides waits to walk down the aisle.Pin
“The morning of my wedding, my mom gave me a bracelet from Yearly Co.; they make these gorgeous gold bangles,” Maggie says. “She told me she and my dad talked to each other and agreed to get it for me as a wedding gift. It has our wedding date engraved on the top. So I wore that, and it was really special.”
The bride walks down the aisle with her brother. Pin
Maggie’s brother, Turner, walked her down the aisle.
The bride and groom after the ceremony, in front of the church.Pin
Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Higgins!

After the beautiful ceremony, the wedding party headed to the Parthenon in style — in a trolley! And despite a minor snafu that kept them from taking an extended tour around the neighborhood, the bride doesn’t 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 — a Tennessee Mule in Kevin’s honor and a Paloma in Maggie’s — and the Peg Leg Poker catering team passed out Southern-inspired hors d’oeuvres such as pimento cheese finger sandwiches. “The pimento cheese my uncle serves at his restaurant is a family recipe, so we wanted to incorporate that,” 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. “Kevin and I ate while everyone was at cocktail hour,” says Maggie. “They prepared plates for us that were probably five pounds each.”

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. “It was special for me to have her do the cake because I’ve known her for so long,” says Maggie. “She’s crushing it in her own business!”

The bride and bridal party get ready to board the trolley.Pin
The bride dons a pair of white Crocs for the trolley ride to the Parthenon.
Maggie and Kevin enjoy a quick trolley ride to The Parthenon.Pin
Though their trolley ride was only three blocks long, it was certainly memorable!
Maggie and Kevin share a kiss outside of The Parthenon.Pin
The bride and groom steal a kiss in front of the Parthenon.
The Bridal bouquet shines in the sunlight.Pin
One of Maggie’s favorite wedding details, the bridal bouquet sported a gold pin that served as a tribute to her late father.
Athena inside The Parthenon.Pin
The Parthenon’s 42-foot statue of Athena watched over the reception guests.
The bride and groom cut their cake.Pin
The beautiful four-tier wedding cake from Katelin Hayes included layers such as almond cake with vanilla buttercream and fresh strawberries, and vanilla cake with raspberry buttercream and raspberry jam.
The bride and groom share their first dance at their Parthenon weddingPin
“Kevin and I did our first dance to ‘Moon River,’” she says. “His grandparents on his dad’s side have both passed away, and they were married for nearly 60 years, if not longer. Their song was ‘Moon River,’ so we included that as a tribute to them.”

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 dad’s old Ford F150, the perfect “getaway” took shape. “He went for it and put a bench in the bed of the truck,” Maggie tells us. “My mom’s friends did fresh flowers. They decorated it so beautifully and tied cans to the back.”

A friend Ford F150 decorated and ready the whisk away the bride and groom.Pin
This old Ford F150 got dolled up to help the bride and groom celebrate. Talk about making an exit!
Maggie and Kevin exit The Parthenon in a decorated Ford F150.Pin
The bride and groom are all smiles as they head off to prepare for their Jamaican honeymoon.

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
Bride’s gown: Magnolia Bride in Charleston, SC
Bridal gown alterations: Pattie Talbot at Seam
Bride’s shoes: Kate Whitcomb
Bridesmaid dresses: Amsale
Groom’s 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 Peach for the stunning photos.

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For more jaw-dropping weddings and inspiration, visit our wedding archives HERE!

Jenna Bratcher
About the Author
Jenna Bratcher

Jenna Bratcher is StyleBlueprint Nashville’s Associate Editor and Lead Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville 17 years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.