A Whimsical, Eclectic Wedding at the Union Station Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee

With a family background in marketing and events, it’s no wonder Olivia Abel went all out for her wedding with Jason Minatrea. The couple sent personalized video invitations with an augmented reality QR code—and they purposefully withheld nonessential details from their guests. “We released information about the wedding and its location (they only knew the city!) at the very last moments so that people arrived with excitement and anticipation,” the couple says. The wedding theme was “Magical Moments”—inspired inspired by Disney and Harry Potter—and came with a “moody jewel tone” color palette of oxblood red, midnight blue, gunmetal gray and copper. To start the festivities, a conductor welcomed guests to cocktail hour in the lobby of the Union Station Hotel, then brought everyone to a ceremony at the hotel’s exterior terrace, which had once served as a train platform. The couple decorated the ceremony site to resemble a chapel, and they hung four 450-pound flower chandeliers that dropped heart-shaped paper petals during the processional. “As I slowly walked down the aisle, enjoying my moment with a dad on each arm, I felt like a princess seeing the petals fall in front of me and then seeing the looks of amazement on the faces of our guests,” Olivia says. The reception took place next door at Frist Art Museum, where guests were met with giant images of the newlyweds peeking at them with a neon sign that read “It Was Always You.” They set up a clear tent and also created a makeshift “village” with illustrated storefronts and food stations. Decorations included movie posters of the couple (“Escaping The Friend Zone”) and a gallery wall of printed ink childhood photos. “Those who know us well would spot small nods to our story from icons like the groom’s jersey number (34) on street signs or doorways and photos hidden in the artwork that hung in the main tent, including the couple’s cats, Emma and Feeny. Each moment of the wedding was customized to showcase the things and people we love,” the couple says. 
Our Favorite #MakeTradition Moment: “When it came to certain traditions, we really wanted to make sure they spoke to us,” Olivia and Jason say. “For instance, a unity candle usually represents the bringing together of two families, but we went a different route. We decided to honor each person in our family who had passed by lighting a candle in their honor alongside their photo.”