Amy & Christopher’s Wedding at Noelle

Amy & Christopher’s Jewish Wedding at Noelle Hotel Nashville

Amy and Christopher met decades ago when they were both students at the University of Rhode Island. A friendship bloomed but that is all it was until years later when they fell in love. Rather than having a big Jewish wedding in Nashville, they opted for a small courthouse wedding as their lives took some very unexpected twists and turns only reenforcing their their vows of for better and for worse, in sickness and in health.

Traveling down a rocky road together they finally decided to have the wedding they always wanted. It would be a celebration of not only their love but all the struggles and hurdles they overcame together! Then the pandemic hit. Thankfully, Amy and Christopher took this in stride as they do with most things. They looked at it as an opportunity to complete their conversion to Judaism. A goal that they had been working tirelessly towards for years. Christopher and Amy had always wanted a Jewish wedding in Nashville. Thanks to life throwing them a curveball they would finally be able to have one!

Getting Ready for the Big Day

Amy and Christopher’s wedding day began as most do. With the groom spending a relaxing morning reading a book while drinking coffee. And the bride getting even more beautiful than usual. With R&Co’s crack team of bridal beauty experts they got Amy’s hair and makeup just right. We are pretty sure that Amy enjoyed her morning of pampering, too! Who wouldn’t?!

The First Look

Even though they were already married 12 years ago, they were looking on this as their “official” wedding. Especially since they had always wanted a Jewish wedding in Nashville. We made sure to pull out all the stops! It began with having Christopher and Amy get dress in separate suites at the Noelle Hotel. From there, we arranged for them to have a first look. Amy was as excited as any young bride would be. Christopher was simply overwhelmed at seeing the joy on Amy’s face. It was finally happening! Their dream of a Jewish wedding in Nashville was coming true.

Amy & Christopher’s Jewish Wedding Ceremony

Assembling the havdalah candle, the besanim, kippot and ketubah we prepared for the ceremony. Set to begin at the end of shabbos, Rabbi Laurie and Cantor Lisa took their places under the chuppah as we gathered the guests together. Coming from around the world to attend this momentous occasion, there was excitement in the air. As Amy and Christopher walked the sever circles you could see that this was a dream come true. Their Jewish wedding in Nashville was finally a reality. When Christopher stepped on the glass, everyone shouted “MAZEL TOV!!” Their smiles were just beaming!

The Grand Entrance

We absolutely loved Amy and Christopher’s choice of playing You’re Still The One by Orleans for their grand entrance. We’re pretty sure that song was written with these two in mind. “You’re still the one that makes me laugh. Still the one that’s my better half. We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one.” Even more shouts and cheers of “Mazel Tov!” were heard throughout the ballroom as they entered. Knowing all that Christopher and Amy persevered through to make their dream of a Jewish wedding in Nashville come true made the night even sweeter.

The Hora – A Jewish Wedding Tradition

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Jewish wedding without a traditional hora! Gathering up all their guests the bride and groom were seated in the center of the dance floor. The celebrants circled around them smiling and dancing. Then much to the surprise and delight of Amy and Christopher, their chairs were hoisted up on their shoulders. Parading the newlyweds around to cheers and laughter, we were sure this night couldn’t have gotten better.

The Beautiful Florals

Every single detail of Amy and Christopher’s vision had been brought to life. They waited far too long to have their Jewish wedding in Nashville not to achieve perfection. Everything from the delicious dinner provided by Noelle Hotel Nashville to the incredible florals bursting from every surface. Wanting to incorporate their favorite hues of blues and purples, Melissa Marie Floral Design not only matched their vision perfectly, she exceeded it.

Each table featured a large low footed silver bowl bursting with fragrant blooms. But the true showstopper was the chuppah. Following their Jewish wedding ceremony we set up the sweetheart table for the bride and groom beneath it. Seemed to be the perfect place for them to begin their newly remarried life together. The incredible fragrance from the ballroom floated out into the hotel lobby attracting many to the scent.

The Venue for their Jewish Wedding in Nashville

We were so honored that Christopher and Amy chose the Weddings & Events by Raina team for their Jewish wedding celebration in Nashville. When Amy had heard that Raina is actually Jewish, she knew there was no one else who would do a better job at planning her dream wedding. Having over 100 five star reviews on Google, Wedding Wire and The Knot didn’t hurt either.

Finding the perfect venue for them was easy. They wanted to be sure they had their beloved Nashville skyline in their photos as well as the elegant mid-century vibe that they both have come to love. Once we brought them to the Noelle Hotel Nashville we knew it was a match!

The Delicious Dinner

It was especially a love match for these foodies when we had them try the catering at the Noelle Hotel Nashville. Take about delicious! The most difficult decision they had to make during this entire planning process was the menu. There were so many iterations of selections. It was truly trying to determine what to eliminate. Offering a fresh farm-to-table seasonal menu guests were wowed with how incredible the food was.

The First Dance

Christopher, being the romantic that he is, chose the first dance song. She’s Got A Way by Billy Joel. “She’s got a way about her. I don’t know what it is. But I know that I can’t live without her.” All eyes were on the loving couple as they made their way around the dance floor. They only had eyes for each other. It was as if no one else was in the room. They even kept dancing long after the song had ended. They are clearly very much in love. Probably even more so, after all these years.

The Decadent Wedding Cake

The wedding cake was certainly a work of art. We are fairly certain we caught just as many guests taking selfies with the cake as we did with the bride and groom! Can you blame them? It really is beautiful. Jenifer’s Cakes artfully combined flavors for all six tiers. This would ensure that everyone would have a chance at something delectable. Flavors like strawberry lemonade and cinnamon roll were the real favorites. They were followed closely by chocolate raspberry and vanilla almond. We were hard pressed to find a clear winner.

Signature Cocktails

Similarly, the signature cocktails were a huge hit as well. In addition to The Christopher and The Amy, the Noelle Hotel mixologists wowed guests with their own signature creations. It was like cocktails and a show watching these two talented gentlemen create drinks for the eager guests.

The Concoctions Coffee Bar

Being a massive coffee addicts was something that Christopher and Amy would joke about with us during planning. It only seemed fitting that we would have to have a gourmet coffee bar set up to surprise their guests! The Concoctions coffee bar featured local roasts from Just Love Coffee. In addition, a host of flavored creams and syrups to create their favorite barista style drinks. This was definitely a hit. Especially after all that incredible cake they consumed.

Favors from their Favorites

Wanting to bring their two worlds together, Amy and Christopher treated their guests to some spectacular sweets. Offering cookies stamped with their alma mater…these were so good! And hand crafted marshmallows from Bang Candy Company in Nashville. Their guests were blown away by not only how musical our city is but also by how delicious! The marshmallows came in unique flavors like rose cardamom and chocolate chili. It was certainly a delight to the tastebuds!

Cigars in the City

As the night wound down Christopher and his friends made their way over to Printer’s Alley to share cigars in celebration of his nuptials. We learned that this particular group of friends rarely gets to see one another since they all live around the globe now. However, one of their traditions, when they do, is to smoke great cigars together.

Happy that the wedding ended on a high note, we are excitedly looking forward to planning Amy and Christopher’s big anniversary celebration for them next year!

Amy & Christopher’s Vendor Team

Venue/Catering/Bartending – Noelle Hotel Nashville

Planning & Design – Weddings & Events by Raina

Photography/Videography/Photo Booth – Ivory Door Studio

Florals – Melissa Marie Floral Designs

Cake – Jenifer’s Cakes

DJ – Choice DJs

Coffee bar – Concoctions

Hair & Makeup – R&Co Bridal Beauty

Favors – Bang Candy Company

Havdalah Candle & Besanim – Judaica.com

Kippot – Yofah Religious Articles

Ketubah – Ketubah.com