This Couple Embraced Art Deco Decadence at Their Country Music Hall of Fame Wedding in Nashville, Tennessee
Theirs is a timeless love: Aidan Grano and Brady Mickelsen shrewdly infused aspects of their blended personalities and tastes into their Nashville nuptials. In an effort to highlight the different vibes of each of their wedding venues, the grooms decided to play to the spaces’ unique styles. “Each location really had its own unique style, which we loved,” they reveal. Since this was a destination wedding for the couple and all their guests, they partnered with Sara Fried, owner of Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings, to seamlessly bring their vision for their multi-venue celebration to life.
The ceremony space keyed in on “clean”—a soft, romantic aesthetic brought together by the floral chuppah featuring white blooms, lush greenery and crawling moss as the centerpiece. The couple said “I do” amongst the roses, hydrangeas, orchids and dogwood flowers. Another special detail: “each pillar [of the chuppah was] artfully wrapped with copper tubing for a masculine touch,” the grooms note. The simple and sophisticated atmosphere allowed the couple and their nearest and dearest to focus on the pure love in the room.
Following the ceremony, guests were ushered to a spectacular rooftop lounge at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum overlooking Nashville’s skyline to enjoy cocktail hour. The name of the game for this leg of the event: masculine magic. The space was filled with leather-and-wood focal points flanked by whimsical pergolas sporting winding vines and hanging bird cages. “Worn chocolate leather couches with cow print pillows and gold tree stumps overflowing with gorgeous green and white dripping flowers were the center of attention as guests enjoyed passed appetizers,” they describe. The stars of the show, surely, were the 1920s-inspired signature drinks (accented by a roaming magician and flapper dancers)—"The Clara Bow,” a bourbon and mezcal mix in honor of Brady, and “The Mae West,” an absinthe and gin concoction inspired by Aidan.
A flurry of 1920s-themed entertainers lead attendees to the reception: an Art Deco speakeasy event that required a secret password to enter. Guests reveled in the deliciously designed details, including a Champagne wall featuring a “L’Chaim!” sign, the custom black dance floor and crystal and black chandeliers, all set against a sophisticated color palette of deep hues, including burgundy, blues and greens. Plush, elegant sofas surrounded the dance floor, which displayed the couple’s custom wedding monogram as an extra personal touch.
The grooms both agreed that the most wow-worthy reception moment came after the toasts were complete. As the Broadway tune “No One Mourns the Wicked” from the musical Wicked played out, “we had our cake descend from the ceiling!” They shared. “It had been hidden in the rafters the whole night, so when it came time for the big reveal, everyone’s jaws dropped. We spent years keeping that a secret from everyone so we wouldn’t spoil the surprise, and the payoff was worth it.”
Such a sophisticated event called for excellent fashion choices, and the lovebirds didn’t disappoint. “Aidan’s personality probably came out the most in the clothes: we had custom embroidered tuxes, a costume change to different jackets for the reception, and Louboutins for dancing,” say the newlyweds. They donned offset black and white tuxedos for the first half of the event before switching to a matching pair of gray outfits for the second—a lovely representation of their blended lives.
Religious and cultural touchpoints made up Aidan and Brady’s favorite memories from their big day. “Aidan’s favorite memory is standing under our gorgeous floral chuppah, hearing our ketubah being read aloud by our rabbi in Hebrew and our friends in English. Brady’s favorite is dancing with family and friends we haven’t seen in a very long time, particularly the Hora and the Mezinka.” And of course, both bask in the fun and enjoyment they experienced. “A close second is all the laughter—I don’t think we stopped laughing with each other, our wedding party, or our families the whole day.”