WEDDING BLOG

An all-red color palette, a black retro hotel, food trucks, and a ceremony interrupted by a party bus blasting Usher. Junebug’s very own Vendor Operations and Marketing Coordinator, Kailey, and her husband, Adam, had a very different kind of wedding in mind. At BODE Nashville, they skipped the usual formalities and planned a weekend celebration around good music, great company, and plenty of time on the dance floor.

Their story began thousands of miles away, when Kailey walked into a bar on her first night of solo traveling through England and met Adam. What followed was a long-distance relationship that eventually had them splitting their time between Arizona and Manchester. By the time they gathered their closest family and friends in Nashville, they were already married. The wedding weekend was their chance to bring together the people who had been part of their lives on both sides of the Atlantic.

What We Love About This BODE Nashville Wedding:

• An all-red color palette of crimson, burgundy, and deeper shades against a black, retro-inspired hotel
• A wedding dress purchased brand-new at 70% off from charity-supporting boutique Brides for a Cause
• A party bus blasting Usher just as the couple was about to exchange their vows
• Food trucks, no traditional speeches, and a reception focused on dancing
• Wedding cake served for breakfast at the Airbnb the following morning

From a Chance Meeting in England to a Life Across Two Countries

Kailey wasn’t expecting to meet her future husband when she set off on a solo trip through England. But on her very first night, she walked into a bar for a drink and met Adam. They stayed in touch after her travels, and eventually, he flew to Arizona to visit her.

Their relationship quickly became a commitment that required considerable effort. With 5,000 miles between them, they had to decide early on whether they were willing to make it work. Years of traveling between Arizona and Manchester followed, along with the patience and flexibility that came with building a life in two countries. “I knew he was the one when I realized that no amount of distance could make me feel less loved by him. Even 5,000 miles apart, I felt so much love.”

That history also explains why having their loved ones together for the wedding mattered so much. Friends and family who ordinarily lived on different sides of the world could finally share the same space, something Kailey and Adam had spent years navigating themselves.

A Retro Hotel, an All-Red Palette, and No Pressure to Match

Kailey and Adam had a clear idea of how they wanted their wedding to look: bold, retro, and a little unconventional. They weren’t interested in a perfectly coordinated event or following a traditional wedding aesthetic. They wanted their guests to walk in and immediately recognize their personalities.

The black exterior and vintage-inspired atmosphere of BODE Nashville made it an easy choice. Against the hotel’s darker setting, they introduced an almost entirely red color palette, mixing brighter reds and crimsons with burgundies and deeper rose tones. There was no requirement for every shade to match. In fact, they preferred the variation.

Creativity, inclusivity, and a willingness to try something different were high on their list when choosing their vendors. Nashville-based planner Ashley Bri helped them navigate the local wedding scene and coordinate the details from afar.

Their photographer, Emily Snyder, was an especially fitting addition. Emily had been working on a personal challenge to photograph a wedding in all 50 states, and Tennessee was one of the places on her list. For a couple whose relationship had already spanned two countries and 5,000 miles, helping someone else check another destination off her list sounded like a pretty good match.

An Usher Song Interrupted Their Ceremony at BODE Nashville

One of Kailey and Adam’s favorite decisions was asking their close friend Morgan to officiate. Morgan knew them both individually and as a couple, which gave her plenty of material for a ceremony filled with inside jokes, stories, and a few emotional moments.

Then came an interruption nobody could have planned. Just as the couple was about to exchange their vows, a party bus drove past blasting Usher. When Morgan prompted Kailey to say “I do” Kailey responded by singing, “Yeah, yeah!” Everyone burst into laughter.

It was spontaneous, a little ridiculous, and exactly the sort of moment that could only happen at their wedding. Morgan rolled with it, and the ceremony continued with a story everyone would remember.

Making the Most of Their Budget With a Weekend of Celebrations

With guests traveling from various countries and states, Kailey and Adam made the most of their $30,000 budget, stretching it across an entire week of wedding celebrations. They focused their spending on time together, a venue they loved, and a party everyone could enjoy. Since they were already married, they didn’t feel obligated to include every traditional wedding element. Instead, they put their money toward the parts of the celebration they were most excited about.

That included a welcome party at Playdate in Nashville, where guests could mingle over drinks at a private bar and take a turn on the venue’s giant slide. It was a casual alternative to a formal rehearsal dinner and gave friends and family a chance to get acquainted before the wedding.

Keeping the guest list small was one of their tougher decisions. Both had people they would have loved to include, but a smaller gathering gave them more time with those who made the trip.

Even with her experience working at Junebug, Kailey knew the value of having a local expert on their team. She and Adam brought in Nashville-based planner Ashley Bri, whose knowledge of the area’s venues and vendors proved especially helpful when planning from afar. They also wanted to enjoy the process without turning wedding planning into a second job.

A Wedding Dress Find That Was 70% Off

Kailey approached her wedding dress with the same practical mindset she brought to the rest of the planning. She wanted something she loved, but she also wanted to be thoughtful about the cost.

She found her dress at Brides for a Cause, a bridal boutique that sells donated wedding dresses and directs proceeds toward charitable causes. Her dress was brand-new and marked down by 70%.

It was exactly the kind of purchase she had hoped to make: a dress she was excited to wear, substantial savings, and the added benefit of supporting a cause through the purchase.

Food Trucks, No Speeches, and More Time on the Dance Floor

The reception was planned around a straightforward priority: Kailey and Adam wanted to spend as much time as possible celebrating with their guests.

Dinner came from food trucks, keeping things casual. They skipped traditional speeches and didn’t schedule an elaborate dessert service. Neither is particularly interested in sweets, and they preferred to keep the music playing and everyone dancing.

Even their wedding cake followed a different schedule. Instead of serving it during the reception, they saved it for breakfast the following morning at the Airbnb, where everyone could enjoy it together.

For Kailey and Adam, their wedding wasn’t about fitting as many traditions as possible into the day. They were already married, and the celebration was an opportunity to enjoy being in the same place as the people they loved.

The Moment Kailey Wishes She Could Relive

With so much attention given to the party, it might be surprising that Kailey’s favorite memory happened at the very end. Before their grand exit, she looked out a window and saw their family and friends gathered outside, waiting for them. Moments later, she and Adam ran out to cheers and smiling faces.

For the first time that day, Kailey remembers being completely present. “I actually had this very clear thought in my head: ‘Remember this moment, Kailey. This one will stick with you.’ And it has.”

After years of managing an international relationship and bringing together people who ordinarily lived thousands of miles apart, everyone was there, cheering them on.

Their Advice: You Don’t Have to Follow Every Wedding Tradition

As someone who works behind the scenes at Junebug, Kailey knows there’s no shortage of wedding inspiration out there. But when it came to planning her own, she and Adam focused on what mattered to them. “Your goal shouldn’t be to plan a generic wedding. Your goal should be to have everyone walk in and immediately think, ‘Wow. This is so them.'”

They recommend putting money and energy toward the parts of the celebration that matter most to you, even if that means skipping things other people might expect. For them, that meant an all-red wedding at BODE Nashville, a ceremony with an unexpected Usher soundtrack, and a reception where dancing took priority over formalities.

And, of course, wedding cake for breakfast.