This Stylish Wedding in the Woods Took Place at a Secluded Lodge in Tennessee

Lodgings

The couple wanted to host their wedding at a venue that would allow them to bring guests together in one place. A travel agent recommended RT Lodge for its 57 rooms, and the couple fell in love with the wooded locale at first sight.

Signed, Sealed, (Hand) Delivered

Robert has a passion for high quality paper, so he went all out on the invitation suite. He had such a great experience working with Alpine Creative for one of Anthony's birthday parties, that he decided to hire them for the wedding, too. With a navy-and-gold color scheme in mind, they chose deep blue paper with gold foil, backed with brown leather. "The invites ended up being so large and so thick, that they had to have a custom envelope; most were hand-delivered to guests!" Robert says. The couple delivered invitations to loved ones living in New York City, while Robert's mother delivered invites to guests in Atlanta.

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Robert's Meaningful Repeat

When the time came to find the grooms' wedding-day attire, they consulted New York City stylist Giulia Papailias, who suggested they use pieces from their wardrobe that had meaning rather than buy entirely new items. Robert previously worked for designer John Varvatos, who created a custom tuxedo with a silk shawl collar for him, so he decided to wear that on the wedding day. He paired the tuxedo with a custom monogrammed shirt from Proper Cloth.

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Anthony in Navy

Anthony wore a navy tuxedo from Suit Supply; like Robert, his personalized shirt was also from Proper Cloth.

Cool Kicks

Robert paired his tuxedo with bespoke Stubb and Wooten slippers, while Anthony wore classic black shoes from Bruno Magli.

Bright White Bouts

Robert's boutonnière incorporated a white phalaenopsis orchid, while Anthony's consisted of various small blooms.

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Not Your Typical First Look

Instead of a first look, Robert and Anthony decided to get ready together at the venue. They shared Champagne as they watched guests arrive and make their way down the winding road to the ceremony area. It ended up being one of their most cherished moments of the entire weekend, they say.

Into the Woods

When Robert first saw the venue, he knew he wanted to host the ceremony in the driveway, deep in the woods. Rather than a typical, elongated setup, 35 rows of chairs were set up with just two on each side. Vintage brass candlesticks were placed on either side of the road at the start of the long aisle, as well as at the altar.

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Take a Seat

The couple selected bamboo folding chairs for the ceremony; each reserved spot was adorned with flowers.

An Elaborate Grand Entrance

Robert and Anthony took advantage of that long country road by traveling to the service together with their parents in a white Range Rover—it was quite the dramatic entrance.

Their fathers sat in the front, with their mothers in the back, and the pair sat on the tailgate. As they approached their guests, a bagpiper accompanied the car the rest of the way. Anthony and his parents exited the vehicle and made their way down the aisle first, and then Robert walked down with his mother and father as a string trio played with the bagpiper. "It was one of the most magical moments of the weekend for everyone, especially for us and our parents," Robert says.

The Moving Ceremony

The ceremony incorporated a few Bible verses to honor Robert's Christian background as well as a Jewish tradition, the stomping of the glass, to honor Anthony's. They also asked Anthony's sister, Talia, to read the majority opinion from United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy that solidified nation-wide marriage equality in June 2015. Robert and Anthony each wrote short vows that brought laughter and tears.

On the Rocks

After, the cocktail hour took place on the back porch of the venue, surrounding a koi pond. "In the middle of the pond there is a large, flat rock," Anthony says. "Robert knew from the first site visit he wanted a string trio to play on the rock during cocktails. His vision came to life!"

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Appetizers and Champagne

Robert and Anthony wanted to be the first ones at their cocktail hour, and it was a decision they didn't regret. There was a full open bar for guests as well as Ruinart Champagne—the couple's favorite—by the glass.

Passed appetizers were also served, including caviar on homemade potato chips, oysters and shrimp cocktail, and foie gras chicken liver tarts. Some of the snacks were presented on custom trays that RT Lodge made just for the wedding.

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Throwback Escort Cards

This couple wanted to personalize each and every escort card for their 150 guests. In the few months leading up to the wedding, the couple hunted on social media and asked friends and family for wedding photos or old snapshots of everyone on the list. They printed the photos and applied them to blue-and-gold paper to fit the color scheme. On the big day, the couple enjoyed watching each guest locate their escort card in delight.

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Sneak Peek

Robert and Anthony skipped the last few minutes of the cocktail hour to get a first look at the reception setup.

The Draped Entrance

The newlyweds hired Leesha Newton of Luma Designs to create a dramatic draped entrance for the reception's sailcloth tent, which was decorated with cherry blossom and spirea.

Glitz and Glamour

Inside the tent, several round and rectangular tables surrounded by black cushioned Chiavari chairs were set up around a black-and-white dance floor. The couple worked with the venue to add lighting to the trees around the tent, which set the mood for the black-tie party.

Robert and Anthony wanted the reception design to bring some glamour to the venue's natural atmosphere. They selected navy velvet and sequined linens; some tables had low centerpieces while others were topped with tall arrangements on stands. Black taper candles were placed inside glass hurricanes on each station.

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Up Above

String lights were hung from the tent ceiling and around each pole; two large flower arrangements were suspended from the main one and hung over the dance floor.

The florals for the reception included phalaenopsis orchids, garden roses, hellebores, butterfly ranunculus, spirea, cherry blossom, and Solomon's seal.

Luxe Details

Place settings featured gold-rimmed plates and white linen napkins emblazoned with the couple's initials.

The First Dance

Anthony and Robert shared their first dance to Kina Grannis' rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love." "The cake cutting and first dance are always one of my favorite and most memorable parts from all the weddings I have attended as a guest, so it felt amazing to be doing it for myself," Anthony reflects.

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A Spin with Mom

Robert shared a dance with his mother, Leslie, to Van Morrison's "Days Like This," while Anthony took a spin with his mom, Charlotte, to "Tennessee Waltz" by Patsy Klein as a nod to the wedding location.

The Light Show

As guests were invited onto the dance floor, a custom light show was projected onto the tent ceiling. DJ Brian Mills, who the couple hired for Anthony's birthday party the year prior, kept the celebrants on the dance floor all night long.

A particular highlight? The couple loved dancing the Horah with their friends circled around them.

One Bite Wonder

Even though Robert and Anthony didn't actually eat a full slice of cake on their big night, they know it was amazing from the one bite they took of it during the cutting ceremony. The four-layer confection incorporated Anthony's choice of almond cake with buttercream filling and Robert's preference of strawberry cake with strawberry icing.

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Our Little Secret

The navy cake, designed by Lisa Cunningham of Ovenart, featured a central layer covered in gold foil. "Here's a little wedding secret: Only part of the cake was real, as Robert wanted the cake served immediately after cutting," Anthony shares with us. "Lisa prepared sheet cakes that were cut previously and plated."

After the wedding weekend, the couple went to Blackberry Farm for a two-night mini-moon and later took a three-week trip to Bali, Bhutan, Thailand, and Laos.

Sources

Photography, Natalie Watson
Venue and Catering, RT Lodge
Coordination, Katie Stinnett of RT Lodge
Event Design, Robert Fowler
Flowers, Colby West Design
Invitations, Alpine Creative
Paper Products, For Your Party
Makeup, Makeup by Jessica Miller
Robert's Attire, John Varvatos; Propercloth
Robert's Shoes, Stubbs & Wootton
Anthony's Attire, Suit Supply
Anthony's Shoes, Bruno Magli
Engagement Watches, IWC
Music, Special Notes Knoxville; Brian Mills
Cake, Oven Art
Rentals, La Tavola Fine Linen
Transportation, Chariots of Hire
Lighting, Ogle Entertainment
Tent Draping, Luma Designs
Balloons, Volunteer Balloons
Yoga, Flow to Go Yoga