Guests Dug Into a Southern Biscuit Bar at This Gorgeous Nashville Wedding

Kevin Wolcott came up with an epic plan for his proposal to girlfriend Mayra Lelli: He’d whisk her away on a hot air balloon ride, and then propose as they glided through the air. Unfortunately, bad weather kept the couple on the ground, but that didn’t stop Kevin from making his move. “We went to the spa instead,” says Mayra. “The proposal was a success anyway.”

The couple’s wedding, however, went exactly as they planned. “I wanted our wedding to be a fairytale, as I imagine most brides do,” says Mayra. They envisioned a refined-meets-bohemian garden-inspired celebration in Nashville, Tennessee, with a color palette of ivory, blush, rose gold, greens, and subtle pops of blackberry. And with Kristyn Hogan there to capture it all, you can see for yourself that the day was nothing short of magical.

“I was so impressed with Kevin’s romantic plan to propose to me in a hot air balloon that balloons became a symbol of our relationship and were featured on everything from our wedding invitations to our signage,” says the bride. The romantic suite paired a whimsical illustration with modern calligraphy, all tied together with twine and mailed off in a pale pink envelope.

Mayra chose a champagne-colored Lazaro wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and cascading tulle skirt with horsehair pickups. When she selected the gown at the now-famous Bridals By Lori, designer Lazaro Perez just so happened to be at the salon, too. “We met, and he sketched the dress on me,” the bride says. “I framed the sketch and displayed it during our reception.”

While bridesmaids wore rose-quartz knee-length dresses with lace detail, the couple’s flower girl donned a pale blush tulle dress and a fresh floral halo. Mayra carried a hand-tied bouquet of anemones, silver brunia, ranunculus, roses, stock, dusty miller, scabiosa, and tulips. Using Mayra’s own bouquet as the inspiration, her florist differentiated the smaller arrangements with a few extra blush-toned flowers.

“Kevin wanted to surprise me by picking out his own outfit,” says the bride. Other women might have been worried, but Mayra gave him the green light and was happy with his choice: a fitted light gray suit paired with a white tie. The couple’s ring bearer wore a coordinating light gray suit and the cutest felt derby hat.

The couple chose Historic Cedarwood, a Nashville farm estate that dates back to 1835, for their big day, and immediately knew they wanted their ceremony held outside on the property’s well-tended lawn. Before Mayra walked down the lantern-lined aisle with her father, the ring bearer led the way with a sign that read, “It’s too late to run ’cause here she comes.”

The pair exchanged traditional vows in front of an altar made from a patina garden gate that was draped in asymmetrical fresh flowers in hues of white, blush, and blackberry.

“I loved the elegant southern estate feel of Historic Cedarwood,” Mayra says of their venue. And since there are several spaces to explore within the property’s grounds, the bride and groom planned a celebration that would take friends and family through their favorites. The rustic-chic black barn was the first stop for cocktail hour.

Inside the barn, guests could enjoy passed canapés of tomato basil, buffalo mozzarella caprese salad skewers, and pastry shells with chicken salad.

“Also, in lieu of a guestbook, and to facilitate table assignments, I provided Polaroid cameras and family name cards with table assignments, which were hung on a twine line in the barn during cocktail hour,” says Mayra. “As an activity during cocktail hour, guests had their photos taken and hung them on the twine line to replace their table assignment card. The photos are a great memento for us of who was at our wedding, and much better than signatures in a book.”

Guests moved outside to the property’s pavilion for the reception. Tables were dressed in ivory linens and set with gold chargers and low floral centerpieces. European-style string lights were hung above the tables for added ambiance. “The lighting was important to me and one of my favorite parts of the décor,” Mayra says.

The couple dined at their own rustic sweetheart table, which was done up with a gorgeous arrangement of roses, tulips, and dusty miller.

Mayra and Kevin used the signs on the back of their chairs as another opportunity to call out their engagement story: They were stamped with an image of a hot air balloon.

To celebrate their Southern wedding location and to treat their guests to a local classic, the couple set up a self-serve biscuit and berry bar. Talk about inventive dining options!

The couple’s traditional vanilla wedding cake received an upgrade with blackberry and strawberry filling and glamorous rose gold icing.

The newlyweds left the party through a tunnel of sparklers, and then climbed into their brand new car. “I bought Kevin a Corvette as his wedding gift,” the bride says.

Looking back on that fairytale day, Mayra has this advice for other brides: “Allow your personal story to shine through, and don’t forget to drink in every moment of bliss,” she says. “It’s okay to be the center of attention for one day with your family and friends.”

Venue, Wedding Planner & Florist: Historic Cedarwood || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Lazaro, purchased at Bridals By Lori || Shoes: Christian Louboutin || Invitations: Designs in Paper || Music: Chris Marks; Premier DJ || Catering: Epic Event Centre || Cake: Patty Cakes || Photographer: Kristyn Hogan

Did you love this beautiful wedding? Then check out another couple’s southern bash in the video below.