Real Southern Chic {Nashville} Wedding on a Plantation: Memory + Stanley

Now, this wedding is the epitome of Southern classic! Memory Baker and Stanley Johnson were married on a plantation estate in Tennessee – how cool is that ?! With classic black and white colors and yellow accents, this wedding is a classic feast for the eyes. It doesn’t hurt that the gorgeous couple is clearly in love and seemed to have the time of their lives: the bride even hopped on the microphone to sing with her friends.

This classic plantation wedding was so perfectly captured by Matt Andrews of Matt Andrews Photography. Each shot is perfection!

Bride: Memory Baker
Groom: Stanley Johnson
Occupations: Bride – IT Consultant; Groom – Teacher
Wedding Date: 09.01.2012
Location: Historic Belle Meade Plantation, Nashville, TN

How They Met ….. “Stanley always likes to say, “I met my wife in a place I would never go back to!” My husband and I met at a museum in Nashville, TN, during a monthly weekend museum crawl the city offers in 2010. I attended with a friend and he did the same. Our friends introduced us, and Stan says I shook his hand so hard that he felt like he had just made a business deal! I really just didn’t want him to think that I was flirting!”

How He Proposed ….. “Washington, DC, September 2, 2011. We had gone to DC to celebrate Labor Day Weekend, and we had just gotten back from dinner and a night on the town. While preparing for bed, I ALWAYS say my prayers. As I opened my eyes, there he was – on one knee! He said to me, “You know I’m a simple man, and I wanted to make sure that I asked you to marry me in the most pure, private, and simple moment of the day—right after your prayers. Will you marry me?” At that VERY moment, I knew that God not ONLY answered my prayer, but He delivered this blessing to me at the most sincere moment. I was excited and very humbled that he asked for my hand in marriage at such a private moment.”

Wedding Details ….. “Our wedding was very Southern Chic. We had a strict budget. When we sat down with the wedding coordinator, we knew that there were certain things that we could replace. For instance, instead of using lots of flowers for décor, we decided on lemons. We also knew that when all the cake had been eaten, the broom had been jumped, and the guests went home, that the things that would remain would be our photos and our video. We spent a little more on those type of things. 

The reception was at 6:00pm in the plantation’s horse stables; so, guests just walked over to the reception. There was an outdoor cocktail hour and guests began to use the photo booth. After cocktail hour, the band began playing and the wedding party was introduced. Our first dance was Kem’s “Love Calls”. The father/bride and mother/groom dance was Frankie Beverly & Maze’s “Happy Feelings”. 

We were very simple and used one type of flower – yellow calla lilies. The reception centerpieces were a mix of lemons, candles, and calla lilies. A simple setup of the three were used at all table settings. My bouquet was a brooch bouquet. It was my “something borrowed”. 

Our reception décor was very simple. Our colors were black, white, and yellow; so, everything for the most part was black and white—the flowers added the yellow. Each table cloth was a different pattern of black and white.”

Incorporating Culture ….. “We knew we both wanted a Southern-style wedding—outside, mason jars, etc. What we didn’t know was that we’d end up on a PLANTATION! It was an outdoor ceremony. There was a string trio. The ceremony was pretty Southern. There were mason jars of sweet Tea and lemonade in the garden, and everyone was asked to wear black and white.”

Unforgettable Moments ….. “One of the things that was SO special to me was the fact that my 90-year old grandmother was able to make the wedding. She is in the first stages of dementia, and I feel so blessed that she was able to attend. Additionally, I feel so blessed that my father officiated our ceremony.”

{You Make Loving You So Easy}

He loves ….. “Memory is the most caring person when it comes to my needs. She always knows what I need before I even realize I need it. I thank God that He did not send me what I wanted, but what I NEEDED.”

She loves ….. “What I love most about Stan is his character and his will to persevere. Because Stan is a teacher, his character means so much to him. Whenever we’re out, it never fails: a child will run up to him and say “Mr. Johnson, Mr. Johnson! Do you remember me?”—AND HE REMEMBERS EVERY ONE OF THEM!! He knows what he was put on this earth to do. Being a teacher goes most of the time without reward, but he truly believes that, one day, he will be rewarded by following purpose and not profit—and how sexy is a male teacher?!?!?”

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More images in the gallery here

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VENDORS

• Wedding Planner: Kasey Hills of The Harding House at Belle Meade Plantation
• Caterer: Harding House Restaurant
• Florist: Belles Fleurs Custom Floral Design
• Lighting/AV Company: Nashville Event Lighting
• Ceremony String Trio: Nashville Chamber Players
• Photographer: Matt Andrews of Matt Andrews Photography
• Videographer: Catchlight Cinema
• Cake: Dulce Desserts
• Hair and Makeup Stylist: Marjorie Cowan
• Band: Julius Fisher and the Genius Band
• DJ: Chauncey Springer
• Wedding Dress: Mikaella