Rock & Roll brides can take inspiration from this rustic Tennessee wedding

Rustic Rock & Roll Barn Wedding | Erin Morrison Photography

When people ask me about our own wedding planning they always ask about the decor, flowers, little details etc, and all I can say is “we really just care about how good the party is!” I believe we’ve found our kindred spirits in Liz and Cliff, as we high five their rustic, rock & roll, Tennessee wedding bash.

Music was the forefront of their planning – hiring a Led Zeppelin cover band (oh my, yes!) for a good portion of the afternoon and evening, and a well-curated list of classic rock favorites for their all-night DJ party.

It goes without saying this wedding spoke to who the couple is – beyond the music, Liz chose a wedding dress that felt like “her”. We admire how glamorous yet comfy and casual this BHLDN beauty is.

Our Love Story

We met at a rooftop 4th of July party in Chicago, IL in 2012.

One evening, I came home from work and went up to the bedroom-he shut the lights off on me and had written out “Liz, will you marry me?” in glow-in-the-dark stars.

The Dress & Attire

We wanted to be rustic but not country – as we are not country fans, plus it was August so we wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable.

I wanted a simple form-fitting dress – something that was “me”, something I felt myself in.

For the bridesmaids, I wanted something unique so I chose two-piece bridesmaid dresses by Jenny Yoo so they could switch up the tops and bottoms to their liking. They were light and airy in neutral tones which I feel made the dark flowers pop.

The groomsmen were in grey pants and grey suspenders, white shirts with burgundy ties and shoes. The groom in grey with a vest and all black accents-tie and shoes.

The Wedding Venue & Style

We wanted to have a rustic, rock ‘n’ roll wedding!

Marrying a farmer, I couldn’t have the fall wedding that I dreamed of but we made sure to incorporate fall colors into the flowers, attire, and decor. We chose a barn venue in Tennessee to keep our wedding intimate and to have some kick-ass scenery!

When planning the wedding we wanted it to represent us as a couple – we wanted it to be laid back, tons of fun, and good live music!

The Flowers

Oh, man, the flowers were insane! It’s funny actually because the flowers were the last thing I was worried about. My quote “Flowers are dumb, no one remembers the flowers at a wedding anyway.” Well, you would have remembered them if you had attended ours.

I gave my florist some inspiration and colors I wanted and let her run with it. They were jaw-droppingly beautiful-our guests are still talking about them!

Favorite Moments

We had so many favorite parts! The cocktail hour of live music was great. It was like a private rock concert for us and all our guests.

Our first dance was to “Thank you” by Led Zeppelin. We aren’t the best dancers so we took dance lessons prior to the wedding which made it extra special.

We played songs for both of our grandmothers whose spouses had passed away. During my grandmother & grandfathers song, I was dancing with her when she began to break down crying and pulling away. As soon as she was about to walk off the dance floor my husband Cliff came to the rescue and stole her for the dance – her face just lit up with happiness!

At the beginning of the ceremony, I had just reached the front and became so distracted by looking out at our guests so much that our officiant had to get my attention. We just felt so present and in the moment – I was soaking it all in!

Photo by Erin Morrison Photography via Bridal Musings

The Planning

The two most important things for us was food, as we are huge foodies and kickass classic rock music fans. We hired a live classic rock band, The Dead Ringers, which are a Led Zeppelin cover band for our ceremony and cocktail hour.

The bridal party walked down the aisle to “Going to California” and I walked out to “Over the hills and far away”. For the reception, we hired a DJ but made sure he had a full list of everything we wanted our guests to hear. We rocked out all night, I don’t think anyone sat down!

DIY Details & Decor

Instead of table numbers, we labeled the tables by Classic Rock band names: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. We created table markers and seating chart based around that.

We had a wedding memory table honoring those who had passed and could not physically be with us. We made welcome bags for our guests that we gave to them at rehearsal dinner. We had a handmade guestbook tree, made out of wood, where our guests signed on the leaves.

Cliff is a big fan of honey! So we had mini jars of wildflower honey with personalized labels, wrapped in lace and tied with a string! Also, we made personalized coozies!

We are not “cake people”. So instead we had a dessert table with all our favorites: donuts, mini pies, and popcorn.

Advice to Other Couples

It’s so easy to get caught up in making everyone happy, remember this day is about you two. Make it reflect you as a couple, the guests will always have fun if the bride and groom are living it up!