We still remember fondly the first time we sat down with Christina, over cups of coffee in Solarium Cafe inside The Dwell Hotel in downtown Chattanooga. She was an out of town bride that had chosen Chattanooga for her and Miguel’s destination wedding, and she drove to meet with us one morning to talk all things wedding design. In case you’re wondering, this is pretty much our happy place - being in a beautiful space, sipping coffee, dreaming up gorgeous wedding decor with our brides. Christina had a wonderful vision of pulling in her and Miguel’s heritage and personalities into their wedding day, and we loved being able to play a part in bringing that vision to life! From the Mexican desserts from Gordo’s Bakery that literally filled the room with mouth watering scents, to the pampas grass and succulent details that made you feel you had been transported to a Southwestern desert, to the stunning architecture of the Tennessee RiverPlace, Christina + Miguel’s wedding day was one for the books!

As you scroll through these photos beautifully captured by Emvision Photography, don’t miss hearing about Christina & Miguel’s wedding day from Christina herself! And as always, scroll to the bottom for information on all the wedding vendors that participated. Enjoy!

Christina + Miguel's Southwestern Chic Wedding at Tennessee RiverPlace

“Miguel and I a true modern-day couple in that we met online! We chatted for a few weeks and finally met up for tapas. Over mouthwatering dishes, we talked effortlessly for hours and knew there was something special. Our lives together are intertwined with our sense of humor (which includes laughing at ourselves often and crazy voice impressions). We also naturally fell into cute reminders that have become a normal part of our everyday lives. Miguel surprises me with fresh flowers often and I leave him silly/encouraging sticky notes in his lunch. We are still obsessed with tapas and always up for a new adventure together!”

“It was a random day in February and we were down in Florida for a quick trip I was on for work. We had a small window of free time and decided to visit the Florida Botanical gardens. I had no idea he was going to propose that day and spent little effort on my outfit choice that day (but at least my nails were painted!) At one point, we were standing in a gazebo overlooking a lily pad pond. While searching for alligators, I turned around and Miguel was down on one knee. It was such a special moment and of course I said YES!”

“We are an easy-going couple but also have a taste for elegance, so we decided on a “Southwestern Chic” style. This idea also stems from the fact that Miguel is from Mexico and we wanted to incorporate not only what we like but also who we are. Our venue was stunning, and the natural setting connected our overall vision. Our elements included cactus and succulents (we proudly cared for and kept them alive leading up to the wedding), a coffee station, pampas grass, decorative pots, taco truck, geometric tea candle holders and a mariachi band. It all came to life so beautifully and it reflected who we are as a couple!”

“There are so many memories to choose from the day! I really liked how the first dances all turned out. I come from a large family (I have 8 siblings!) and we all did a “family dance” together. It reflected a soul train style and my brothers, sisters and parents had a chance to show off their moves down the line. Miguel and I also loved our first dance which honored bachata- a genre of Latin American music. We had one private lesson five days before the wedding and no one knew we had a choreographed dance planned. It was a fun surprise for our guests and we nailed it!”

“First, don’t sweat the small stuff in the planning process. Second, develop and stick with a vision for the day! Invest in vendors who compliment and add to your style and vision. That will immensely help with decision making on venue, food, décor etc. Third, take time to just enjoy your future spouse. Planning can feel overwhelming and checklists never-ending but be intentional about carving out time to just enjoy each other through it all.”