Foryears,FarrahhashelpedEastTennessee couplescreateunforgettableweddingexperiences thoroughhercollectionofwedding-focused businesses.Fromthefirst dressfittingtothe finaldance,sheofferstheexpertise,creativity,and attentiontodetailthatmakedreamweddings cometolife.
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Blount County Quartery (BCQ) is published quarterly by The Daily Times, a newspaper of Adams MultiMedia, located in Alcoa, Tenn. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the content herein is prohibited without the prior written consent from the general manager. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher, manager, editor, Blount County Quarterly or The Daily Times..
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Blount County Quarterly magazine
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EDITOR
Marcus Fitzsimmons
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WRITERS
Zoe Ballew
Linda Braden Albert
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Marcus Fitzsimmons
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Well, it isn’t Shanon filling this space anymore. Our former editor is now running things at The Greeneville Sun and while I agreed to fill her shoes at BCQ, I wasn’t quite prepared for what my first issue would require. It seems someone, <cough>Jeff Craft <cough>, neglected to mention that the summer issue was also the Wedding Edition until I was well down the road in planning. There’s probably a lesson there for all couples involved in signing vendor contracts before the wedding — read the fine print. That said, it’s been a whirlwind of fun to talk to so many people in the area involved in the businesses that make wedding dreams come true. While the bigger picture was to capture areas of interest and our area’s resources to a bride-to-be starting their planning for 2027, an aspect that caught my attention and ended up featuring a prominent role in this year’s wedding package was the venue options that have developed in recent years along Severville Road. In a 4.6 mile stretch that goes from 13 Curves to the turn off on Burnett Station Road by Eusebia Presbyterian Church there are three awesome locations that each have a unique charm and capability as a wedding site. What truly struck me in the conversations with Jeremy, Allison, Lissa, Colleen and Dustin was just how much they cared about the couples who choose to use their location to say their I Dos. That is something unusual within itself and I hope that shines through in our features on those venues. That isn’t to take anything away from our other wedding subjects, who are also dedicated, caring pros, but more a fascination with the quirk in geography that clustered those sites along the same stretch of highway.
connection to the wedding theme and rode out the rougher spots of the transition pretty well, and have my thanks and apologies for those.
I’ll also throw in a shameless plug for our daily newspaper.
Did you know that The Daily Times publishes engagements and weddings free of charge? It’s practically unheard of, but the paper still offers that service via www.thedailytimes.com/site/forms/ and it certainly has an advantage over just a social media post given the filters these days.
But to steer into the wind of our theme, I’ll share a few items I’ve learned about weddings along the course of attending more than a few. I’ve never experienced the ceremony side of a barn wedding, but as a reception space they can be a fantastic alternative, but for the sake of every female guest, the ones with built-in restrooms will help keep the memories on the bride and groom rather than anything unfortunate outside.
While I’ve enjoyed a couple theme-weddings, understand everything gets a little more memorable. I still recall the time I saw a Maid of Honor clad as Xena Warrior Princess marching three groomsmen clad in storm trooper armor out of a hotel bar and back to the wedding’s ballroom at sword-point. I never heard the story behind that, I just assume someone else found the droids the guys were supposed to be looking for.
Most importantly, it isn’t the venue, the food or even the dress, it’s what you say to that love of your life that matters. If you’re lucky, you’ll open that album up for one of the anniversaries to laugh and smile and maybe realize how long it has been since you’ve seen those photos. The thing to get right is the love. Everything else will take care of itself.
Almost our entire group of writers found a
Marcus Fitzsimmons is the new editor of Blount County Quarterly. Email bcq@thedailytimes.com to share your thoughts on BCQ.
The next edition of BCQ will arrive in the fall and we’re looking for hikers who have tips on the best trails to see the fall colors and tailgaters, who might invite us to stop by and capture their gameday rituals. Email bcq@thedailytimes.com to volunteer.
Life-changing events should be a signal that it is time to review goals and actual financial plans. While these events are either tragic or wonderful, they usually represent a change in one’s life. There are a variety of these events from the loss of a loved one, birth of a child, graduation of a child, divorce, unexpected illness of a loved one, or a promotion. However, the one in focus today is your upcoming ‘marriage’.
Your marriage most likely will create the most significant change in your life. The combining of households, including finances, can be overwhelming. Whether this is your first, second… it would be an opportune time to coordinate former individual goals into joint or family goals.
secure?
Now that there are two of you, coordinating the size and location of emergency funds for unexpected expenses should be reviewed. Setting aside funds monthly for near-term goals as well as retirement should also be discussed. The impact on growth of investments1 by time value of money can be significant. This chart was shared in this publication a year ago and reflects the cost of waiting to start investing. While enjoying what life can bring ‘today’, there is a cost in the form of achieving targeted investment values later in life, or perhaps not at all.
Those of you entering into your first marriage may find a sudden surplus in the budget since the cost of one household is now gone, and for many couples both could be earning similar salaries. The resulting impact of this newfound surplus could find its way into the everyday budget as fast as a wink and a smile! It could be newer and more expensive cars, more frequent gatherings with friends at area restaurants/bars, more trips, and even a larger apartment. All of these things are clearly enjoyable, but will they help you become financially
In addition to investing for the future, there is a need to review beneficiary designations on existing bank accounts, investment and retirement accounts, and work retirement plans such as 401K plans. Depending on the number of job changes up to now, there may be company retirement plans still in place at former employers. These should be reviewed and the best options for these plans should be determined. Even if they are small, do not forget the impact even small accounts can have over decades of growth.
Once these have been reviewed, creating an estate plan may be in order. For most couples, this would include a Will or Living Trust with a pour-over Will, Durable Financial Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney if not combined in other documents, and the
Investing $2,000 per year via monthly payments of $166.67 with an example return of 8%. This does not represent any particular investment. 2
Advanced Health Care Directive. These can be created through the purchase of software, and for some that may be sufficient. But others may want or need the direction of an estate planning attorney to ensure the needs are met and properly designed. Once signed, these documents are often not reviewed until there is a need. A life-threatening illness or worse, a death occurs, and it is determined views or needs have changed, or even worse, the language in the document is unclear leaving questions as to the intent. These need to be in place at all times and reviewed at least annually, perhaps on your anniversary.
As important as the estate plan is to protecting one another, the protection against the loss of income is equally so. Too many marriages create shared purchases such as a home or the future care of one or more children and yet suffer severely upon the unexpected death of a spouse. The life insurance offered by many employers, while often sounding significant, routinely falls short of replacing the lost income for more than just a few years. It requires approximately $125,000 of death benefit to provide $10,000 of replacement annual income for twenty years if when invested it makes approximately 5%. Thus, to replace $40,000 of take-home pay, around $500,000 of death benefit is needed.
Prior to tying the knot, it may be best to do a financial review and update. Checking the box that all these areas are reviewed and updated may avoid discovering you are now celebrating your 5th or 10th anniversary and many of these goals have yet to be defined. Congratulations to all future grooms and best wishes to the brides to be.
Citations:
Glossary of Financial Terms: https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/investingglossary-100-terms-and-definitions
1 Finance/Yahoo.com, Markets include Dow Jones Industrials®, S&P 500®, or the NASDAQ Composite®, each an unmanaged index. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss.
2 This is a hypothetical example and is not representative of any specific situation. Your results will vary. The hypothetical rates of return used do not reflect the deduction of fees and charges inherent to investing.
Doug Horn, CFP®, Registered Principal. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member of FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through QFC Advisory LLC, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. Tax services and insurance offered through QFC Services LLC. QFC Advisory LLC and QFC Services LLC are wholly owned by Quality Financial Concepts LLC (collectively, QFC). LPL and QFC are not affiliated.
The Blount County Public Library has plenty of cool programs lined up to help you beat the heat as we enter the last half of summer! With our Summer Reading program in full swing and many of our fan-favorite events on the horizon, a visit to the BCPL is the perfect remedy to summertime boredom.
This year’s Summer Reading theme is “Unearth a Story”, and we’re inviting you to dig into some great books! From now until July 25, visit the BCPL to pick up a reading tracker and log your reading to earn rewards. Every age group has a different challenge, featuring prizes and goals tailored to each, so all ages can participate.
Get the museum experience at your library on July 28! Families can join us for guided tours at 1:30, 2:30, 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. in the Main Gallery, and see real fossils, replicas, murals, and other fascinating dinosaur-themed exhibits.
Tomato Jam has grown into Garden Fest! This year, we’re branching out beyond tomatoes with a celebration of all things gardening from 9 a.m. to noon July 25 in the Main Gallery. At this fresh take on the annual staple you know and love, hear from gardening experts, shop from food vendors, do some crafts, and participate in more fun activities for the whole family.
For the many talented gardeners in our community, we’ll also be hosting some friendly contests, with categories like most unique produce, best flowers and best sliced tomatoes. Details on how to participate can be found by visiting www.blountlibrary.org and clicking on the Garden Fest banner on our homepage.
Your friendly neighborhood comic convention returns for its ninth
Participants work on their chalk drawings in designated squares on the sidewalk outside of the Blount County Public
year running 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 15. As always, Mini Con will feature all the main comic con staples, including a vendor’s hall in our Main Gallery where you can shop from area artists and creators, a cosplay competition where you can showcase your best cosplay creations, and more returning favorites. This year’s schedule also features some new additions, like a K-Pop Demon Hunters sing-along and a pirate show.
We’ve also invited professional actor and artist Matthew Atchley. As a returning special guest, Atchley will be here to give a talk called “The Many Twists and Turns to Becoming a Professional Artist and Working Actor.” Atchley has co-created a cartoon/comic series with actor Sean Astin and has been featured in over 100 productions, such as Homicide Hunter, Fatal Attraction, Ozark, The Resident, The Originals, Watchmen, The Righteous Gemstones, Tulsa King, and many more.
Finish your summer on a high note with our Hot Summer Nights Concert Series! Every Thursday night in August from 6-7 p.m. in the Main Gallery, we’ll have free live performances from talented musicians.
Our lineup includes Roux de Bayou’s authentic Cajun jams on August 6th, Wild Blue Yonder’s old-fashioned Appalachian folk tunes on August 13th, Villaphonic’s multi-genre instrumental stylings on August 20th, and Cole Ritter and the Night Owls’ blend of Americana and indie-pop on August 27th.
Even once school is back in session, the fun isn’t over quite yet. Come brighten up our sidewalks at our chalk art competition from 9a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept.19 outside the BCPL’s back greenway entrance! Artists of all ages are invited to grab some chalk, use the library’s sidewalks as a canvas for their colorful creations, and maybe even win some prizes.
Check out these recommendations from the BCPL! All the titles mentioned can be found in their respective sections, and can be reserved online through our catalog, in the Librista mobile app, or by calling 865273-1425.
By: Margaret Rogerson
Location: Young Adult Fiction | YA FIC ROGERSON MAR
After sixteen-year-old apprentice librarian Elisabeth Scrivener is framed for releasing the library’s most dangerous grimoire, she finds herself entangled in a sinister, centuries-old conspiracy that could mean the end of everything. With only her sworn enemy to turn to, she is forced to question everything she has ever known.
By: Claudia Gray
Location: Adult Fiction | ADULT FIC GRAY CLAUDIA
Historical mystery meets Jane Austen as one of literature’s most notorious villains, Mr. Wickham, is found dead after showing up uninvited to Emma Knightley’s summer house party. In an unexpected turn of events, the Knightleys and their guests, many of whom will be familiar to Austen fans, find themselves in the center of a thrilling murder mystery, with a killer hiding in their midst.
By: Annalee Newitz
Location: Adult Nonfiction | 930.1 NEW
Acclaimed science journalist Annalee Newitz takes readers through her quest to explore some of the most spectacular ancient cities in human history—and figure out why people abandoned them. Newitz examines the rise and fall of four ancient cities: the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey, the Roman vacation town of Pompeii on Italy’s southern coast, the medieval megacity of Angkor in Cambodia, and the indigenous metropolis of Cahokia. Through cutting-edge archaeological research, she reveals the mix of environmental changes and political turmoil that doomed these ancient settlements.
By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Location: Adult Fiction | FIC MORENOGARCIA SIL
In this captivating tale based on Mexican folklore and mythology, the Mayan god of death sends a young Casiopea Tun on a harrowing, life-changing journey after she accidentally frees him from his prison. Casiopea must help the deity reclaim his throne from his treacherous brother, embarking on an adventure with him that takes her across 1920s Mexico and down to the depths of the Mayan underworld. If she fails, Casiopea faces her certain demise, but her success could be the key to achieving her dream of a life beyond her small, dusty hometown.
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MARK D. BENNETT | Maryville City Archivist
As time marches on, downtown Maryville continues to evolve, reshaped by each generation while retaining traces of its historic past.
The Gamble-Waller Building was constructed in 1899 by Andrew Gamble (1862–1910) and Elmer Briton Waller (1859–1913), after they purchased the lot from Robert S. Kithcart (1850–1940), who had operated a harness shop there. Kithcart’s building was moved directly behind the new structure before the Gamble-Waller Building was erected. Gamble was a local Maryville attorney who also served as a squire and, at one time, owned Montvale Springs resort. Waller was a professor of mathematics, sociology, and allied subjects at Maryville College. Together, their names became associated with one of the notable commercial buildings in downtown Maryville’s evolving streetscape. They also constructed another building on the western portion of the old courthouse square, at the northwestern corner of Broadway Avenue and Cusick Street.
One of the first businesses to occupy the Gamble-Waller Building was the Kyker&Stone Pound Store, a variety store comparable in concept to today’s dollar stores. In 1901, Charles William “Bill Joe” Henry (1878–1935) operated Blount County High School and Commercial College, later known as Maryville Polytechnic School, on the second floor of the building before moving the school in 1904 to the present campus of Maryville High School. In 1902, R. M. Magill (1842–1914), a kinsman of David W. Proffitt (1891–1987) of Proffitt’s Department Store, moved into the building. Magill remained there for about a year before retiring. He was followed by J. H. “Homer” Greer (1881–1919), who operated a clothing store.
The wedding of Millard Filmore Cupp (1888–1942) to Austria (Bright) Cupp (1889–1939) was held on August 17, 1908, in front of the store. Later that year, a fire on the Gamble-Waller block gutted the building. It was later reconstructed on the foundation of the original structure. Greer did not reopen his business when the new building was completed. A. E. McCulloch (1880–1943), a descendant of Blount County pioneers Robert McTeer and Josias Gamble, moved his jewelry and optician business into the rebuilt structure, where he remained until his death. S. A. Whittle and Briscoe also operated a restaurant in the building.
In 1919, the Maryville Public Library, the forerunner of the Blount County Public Library, opened on the second floor of the building and remained there until moving in 1927. Around the time the library opened, Robert D. Hunnicut (1884–1948) operated the Service Barber Shop in the building.
In 1960, Jane (Waller) Gauding, daughter of Elmer B. Waller, acquired the one-half interest formerly held by the Irma Gamble Estate, thereby gaining full ownership of the building. Irma Gamble was the only child of Andrew Gamble. After the death of Harry H. Gauding (1900–1981), husband of Jane (Waller) Gauding (1902–1976), Charles Walker “Paddlefoot” Johnson (1914–1999) purchased the building in 1983. Johnson owned the J&K grocery stores in Maryville. During his ownership, several finance companies occupied the building.
Other businesses that occupied space in the building included
The wedding of Millard Filmore Cupp and Austria (Bright) Cupp was held on August 17, 1908, in front of the J. H. Greer Store in the first Gamble-Waller Building.
McCammon Office Supplies, Broadway Jewelers, Quickway Homes Real Estate Co., NowTown Restaurant, Exotique Beauty Salon, and Gardner Real Estate.
After the death of Paddlefoot’s wife, LaRue Johnson (1916–2008), their son, Walker Johnson, inherited the property. He later leased the building to Brackins Blues Club Bar and Grill, which was opened by Mark and Linda Brackin in 2002. The establishment was later owned by Greg Beaty and then by Christina O’Rourke in 2023. In 2019, the brick facade fronting East Broadway collapsed. The front was rebuilt to closely match the original as a reconstruction rather than a renovation.
The history of the Gamble-Waller Building reflects the broader story of downtown Maryville Itself — a place continually reshaped by generations.
From Robert S. Kithcart’s harness shop to the 1899 commercial building erected by Andrew Gamble and Elmer B. Waller, and from early merchants, schools, barbers, jewelers, and restaurants to its later association with Brackins, the site has remained part of the city’s active business life for more than a century. Each occupant added another layer to the building’s history, connecting the property not only to downtown Maryville’s commercial development but also to the people whose work, enterprise, and community ties helped define the city’s character. Today, the building stands as a reminder that even as downtown changes, its historic places continue to preserve the memory of those who lived, worked, gathered, and built there.
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The Ivey House offers versatility with timeless farmhouse charm
Be the dream a small, intimate ceremony or an extravaganza for several hundred, the Ivey House has the versatility to accommodate the special day in a special way.
With a vintage home anchoring the space, the facility offers options for indoor or outdoor ceremonies, a banquet space with views of the mountains and outdoor areas that can cater from the elegant to the freeflowing informal.
The Ivey House is the evolving dream of owners Colleen and Dustin Brackins. A professional wedding planner, Colleen nursed the idea of one day running her own venue. The couple began a deliberate search but then, much like that instant spark of a new love, the Ivey House entered their lives in a whirlwind and has grown into a deep, evolving relationship over the last seven years.
“We knew that we would like an older house, which we thought would be great for people getting ready, and then we needed some property, but this was just literally a God thing, and a total dream come true, as well,” Colleen said. “We found out on a Friday that it was up for auction and on Tuesday we found out we were the winning bidder. Seven years later, we’re still not sure how it all happened.”
“Colleen being in the wedding world, there’s a ton of different venue types and kind of blending what she does with my background in business,” Dustin added. “She loves the vintage, historic homes and my business side was saying that is a classic style. As wedding trends
The Ivey House, located at 1726 Burnett Station Road in Seymour across from Eusebia Presbyterian Church, has been a distinctive home on the path from Maryville to the crossroads in Seymour since 1886. Originally built as a wedding present by Dr. Taylor, the home is now the centerpiece of a wedding site operated by Dustin and Colleen.
change, we thought the classic home, that old farmhouse, is never going to go out of style.”
The couple started with the house that was built as a wedding gift in 1886, the spring, a field and a sense of what they wanted it to become. Before finalizing plans they invited many of the vendors Colleen had worked with as a wedding coordinator to the house to offer thoughts and perspectives on what they thought would work best in the space. They took the input from caterers, photographers and other coordinators, adjusting some and moved forward with repairs to the 130year old home with an eye for maintaining the house’s charm and appeal but creating serviceable spaces for vendors and one-of-a-kind photo backdrops.
“I think to be in this business, you have to be that kind of person that really cares about the outcome of someone’s big day,” Dustin said. “ I think people like that can make any venue stand out, but for us, this house, this property was used for years for all these amazing family gatherings and Christmases and weddings.”
The Ivey House theiveyhouse.com
1726 Burnett Station Road in Seymour 865-742-5880
That start got a bit more complicated as shortly after things began to move forward the world was introduced to the word Covid.
“We always say that we opened in 2019, but our first full year in business was 2020. Here we are with a new business based on let’s gather, and they’re saying, don’t gather, don’t get together with groups of people, but it worked out,” Collen said.
That pandemic break turned out to be an opportunity to move
forward on upgrading the venue from the early footprint. More work was done on the outdoor ceremony areas and the original Pavillion, which serves as the main banquet space, was enclosed. The versatile space is modern infrastructure but utilizes vintage fixtures, many repurposed from the property, that allows it to function as an airy but warm space on a crisp fall day but also for the doors on multiple walls to roll away and become more of an open air entertainment area on a summer evening.
The latest addition is a reworking of the patio off The Pavillion that provides a two-level outdoor space that can provide anything from a high-topped formal reception space to a casual vibe where children can play or guests can talk by the fireplace or get in a game of cornhole.
A true gem of the house isn’t on the grounds but in Colleen, who can be either a venue host or serve as a wedding coordinator. The best venue hosts will step in to do whatever they can to make a wedding day run smoothly, but very few venues offer a coordinator service as well.
“We will host the weddings by having the event at our venue and we don’t plan their wedding. But if they want us to, they can add on to have us plan and coordinate.Some people just come here and use our space, and we’re here to help and make sure everything goes well, but we’re not planning the actual event,” Colleen said.
“We’ve introduced our all-inclusive packages where if they just want to say, ‘OK, tell me how much it is and have it all ready, and we’ve done that. I’ve done that in the past, so it’s not a stretch for us. Plus, we work with so many great vendors here. We make sure the vendors that are working in this space are going to do the best they can for
these couples.”
Not all brides use a coordinator and The Ivey House is prepared for that desire as well.
“I’d say maybe half are a hybrid where the couple wants to be highly involved in planning their own wedding, and we’re here whenever they need us. They’ll reach out and say ‘I need help with this or I need help with this.’ We do monthly open houses where they can come in and ask us anything.”
The open house days at The Ivey House are something the Brackins developed as an opportunity for couples to both decide on wedding details and become comfortable with the venue. Dustin, Colleen and staff members are on hand to answer questions about what is possible in the space and can provide input on what works well. They also open up the Decor Room. While events can arrange for their own centerpieces and decorations, the venue also maintains a wide array of those items that couples can arrange to use.
“One of the benefits that gives us is it allows couples and anybody else to have more time here on site, so they get to learn the venue a lot better,” Colleen said. “On wedding day, they’re more comfortable because they’re not coming into a place that they don’t know. I always tell people it helps us get to know them. When the wedding day comes, we know better what their expectations are, and the more we know what their expectations are, the better we can help.”
While the couple can’t pin down a favorite wedding at the house, there was this one event that marked a milestone of sorts for their endeavor.
“One of the coolest things was when we had, so our very first event here, the Seymour eighth grade prom back in 2019,” Collen said. “We really weren’t ready yet but It was one of those I will never forget. It
was our first time having any event on the property and it was a little bit of a hot mess, but it was fun. We made memories and the kids enjoyed it. Then last year we had one of those eighth graders get married here and it was like things had come full circle.”
— Marcus Fitzsimmons
Photography
Jayna Biery Photography
Mary Mason Photography
A Lifetime Photography
Emerald + Ivy, LLC :: Photography
Winx Photo
Cherish Bickel Photography
Tecalyn Photography
Videographers
Smoky Mountain Creative
Young Videography
Molina Vision Media
Midnight Magic Media
Hawkins Film Co., LLC
VE Videography
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Tucked into the corner at the far end of the 13 Curves of Sevierville Road, the Barn at Wildwood Springs offers more than just an old barn. Once a dairy farm divided by the road, the Barn provides that beloved big space, wood feel to events but also offers tree-covered foothill grandeur along the stream that runs through the property and a range of accommodations unique to the site.
Owners Jeremy and Stephanie Goode purchased the property from some family friends that had renovated the 120-year-old barn structure.
“I think that’s for me, it’s providing a beautiful place for people at an affordable price,” Jeremy said.
The Barn gears more to the do-it-yourself wedding, acting as the venue for the event and one of the vendors.
“We do just renting out of the facility,” Jeremy said. “It’s more for DIY people.We start at a lower price, and then people can build and add whatever they want.
“We’ve got our beautiful ceremony side out there but we’ll kind of just walk people through things. What’s nice about our barn is we can set up inside for if it rains, so that’s one thing that we will let people know. The biggest thing I feel is that we really give people a lot of flexibility so they can decorate however they want. They can have whatever vendors they want, so we kind of allow them to dream it and then go for it. I think that’s something that’s kind of unique about our space. We just really give people a lot of freedom.”
The two-level barn provides a range of options from simple to elegant. Some events have been basic allowing the barn’s wooden interior to serve as the backdrop and the mountain view to be the center, while
others have draped the ceilings into an elegant, soft-lighted space that glamorous the contrast of rustic to lace.
While the barn is over a century old, the renovations for modern comfort and present but not offputting to the feel. Bathrooms prevent the need for the rentals that can complicate ceremonies at some venues. Two bed rooms in the building can serve as bride and groom quarters and are also available as AirBnB rentals.
“That’s probably what’s the most unique about our venue versus other venues. We have overnight accommodations, so people can stay in a unit in the Barn and we also have two cabins on property as well. The bigger one is a three bedroom, two bath and the other one is two bedroom, one bath.”
The Goodes work to keep prices for The Barn at a reasonable rate. That’s been especially important in recent years. The goal is to give couples the chance to add what they want but to have the venue be an affordable option.
“People want to have a venue, they want to have a nice place, but
barnatwildwoodsprings.com
4081 Sevierville Road in Maryville 865-742-3320
sometimes they’re just priced out, like it’s just too expensive,” Jeremy said. “People are trying to get creative.I think when people find out about us, because we don’t really do much advertising, but they’re like, ‘oh, wow, your prices.’ We have one package for a two-day option. Stay in this unit, stay in that unit,. have the day before to decorate.”
— Marcus Fitzsimmons
The Barn at Wildwood Springs is surrounded by natural spots including the stream that flows through the property.
Photography
Magnolia and Ember
Sullivan Photography
Mobley Photography
Jayson Mullen Design & Photography
Jamie Weiss Photography
Moore’s Flutter Me
Shutters Photography
Rachel Newman Photography
Kat Photo
Michele Farris Photography
CJK Photography
Tickled Orange Photo Booth
Mile Marker Images
A table sits ready for wedding guests at a reception.
Blount businesswoman focuses on all things bridal
Planning a wedding can be a stressful experience, especially when you don’t know where or how to begin.
Farrah Williams-Deck can help make sense of all that confusion. She has worked in the wedding industry since beginning her photography business in 1999, progressed to wedding planning, and now owns Foothills Wedding Boutique and Formalwear and Sweet Somethings LTD in Foothills Mall in addition to Farrah’s Photography and Event Services. She also operates Foothills Bridal Connection out of the wedding boutique and owns a wedding venue, Colonial Estate Gardens.
“We started the photography in 1999, so that’s where it all started,” Williams-Deck said. “I noticed for the first couple of years, I ended up inadvertently being a wedding planner. When we were photographing their event, they didn’t know what came next — there was nobody to guide them on what to do during
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East Tennessee is becoming a popular spot for destination weddings. Williams-Deck said, “Sevierville is just under Vegas for being the wedding capital of the United States. Mountains are a huge draw for people to get married.
“But my heart is in Blount County, and I have always pushed to promote more venues here. I think Blount County is one of the most beautiful counties in Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains is one of the top areas to get married in the world. I know at my venue, about half of our weddings are destination weddings. We’ve had people come from France, from Colombia, from Canada and all over the United States.
“I think Blount County has some of the most unique wedding venues in Tennessee. It’s almost like a best-kept secret, but I think word is getting out.”
Farrah Williams-Deck suggests hiring a coordinator as her top tip for weddings. “A lot of times people don’t hire a coordinator until they get in panic mode and realize that they really needed one,” she said. “A coordinator is there to make sure all the pieces of the puzzle are scheduled and planned out long before the wedding day comes. The earlier they hire a coordinator, the more stress they are going to save. A planner knows what vendors work well together, too, because a lot of people have their own way of doing things and, when you have a group of vendors who work well together, it’s like a well-oiled machine.”
For the best photography, Williams-Deck advises to choose your time wisely for an outdoor wedding.
“Your best lighting, which is what we call the golden hour, is an hour before sunset,” she said. “You do have to take into account how much time you need for pictures after your ceremony so you don’t lose the daylight. That’s why, especially if someone has a large wedding party, I highly recommend them doing a first look between the bride and groom before the ceremony.
“That is their moment together without all the other people seeing them see each other for the first time in their wedding attire. They can have a very private moment where you typically get more emotion. That makes for much more meaningful photos, I believe, and it also helps the photographers to pick the spot that’s going to look best based on the lighting. That allows them to get their couples’ pictures before the ceremony instead of being the very last pictures that they take before the reception.
That allows them after the ceremony to go eat with their guests instead of spending an hour taking photos after the ceremony.”
Williams-Deck also advises that guests take all the photos they please at the reception or before the ceremony, but not during the ceremony itself.
“Nobody wants to see somebody’s hands sticking out in the aisle during the photos,” she said. “I’ve seen so many times when someone ruined the photo of the bride walking down the aisle, or shooting the groom’s face and somebody’s cellphone is in the picture.”
She recommends no aisle runners at outside weddings.
“I’ve seen people go buy those thin fabric aisle runners and try to put them on the ground, and they are always a mess,” she said. “They tear, they won’t stay put even if people tack them in the ground. They aren’t pretty in the pictures, plus they are a tripping hazard.”
— Linda Braden Albert
Choosing the dress is something Foothills
the reception or how the day should go. We ended up being the planners without planning to be! So, we decided to just tack on the planning with the photography and offer the services together.”
Next came the wedding venue.
“In 2010, we had a couple who hired us for photography, and they met at our home in Maryville, which has a beautiful mountain view. Her venue fell through and she asked if they could get married on our property,” Williams-Deck said. “So, we had a wedding out here and it went really well. Then we took all the measures we needed to turn our home into a wedding venue. In 2012, we became a fully functioning wedding venue.”
The venue includes a gazebo and a pavilion as well as Airbnb accommodations.
“When people have out of town guests, there are more options for them to stay on the property,”
Williams-Deck said. “We now offer the option for people to check in on Friday for their Saturday wedding and check out on Sunday. If they have people traveling, that’s very beneficial, but also to know that the bride and her ladies can stay the night before and get up early the next morning and start hair and makeup without having to drive. That can take a lot of stress off.”
A space dedicated to the men is under construction and expected to be ready in June 2027.
“It will have two pool tables, a dartboard, an air hockey table and a poker table,” Williams-Deck said.
“The guys will have something to do while the ladies are having their hair and makeup done. If they do stay the night, they will have something to entertain them.”
Williams-Deck moved her wedding boutique to Foothills Mall in 2017. Foothills Wedding Boutique and Formalwear (FoothillsWeddingBoutique.com) offers designer bridal gowns as well as formalwear by Kate Parker.
One of the designers, Kenneth Winston, has since retired, but Williams-Deck said, “I was able to get my hands on some of his dresses before he stopped making more, so we have some gorgeous Kenneth Winston dresses at a discounted price that are highly sought after, and since he’s not making any more, they are truly going to be one-ofa-kind dresses. We also carry Pronovias, which is out of Barcellona, Spain. I now go to the Barcellona convention annually to pick out our
next year’s collection. I went in March this year to pick out our 2027 collection. They are just starting to come into our store now.”
“We do tuxedo rentals and sales and we also offer suits, if someone’s looking to purchase a suit. As far as suits go, we can do sizes from 18 months all the way up to a 7XL in menswear.”
Her newest business is Sweet Somethings, LTD. “It’s right around the corner from the bridal store,” she said. “We offer sweets, gifts and flowers. We also do wedding flowers out of that store. Our primary purpose is offering chocolates, florals and gift baskets, but we also do offer food in Foothills Mall. A lot of people don’t know it, but we do burger sliders, chicken and waffles and we have cookies now. We do offer delivery. We’re in the process of signing up for Door Dash.”
Sweet Somethings offers dessert tables for those who either don’t want a wedding cake or who want a small cake and a mix of desserts for their guests. Also, they offer grazing boards for charcuterie or other cold food options for appetizer hour or a small reception where the bride and groom don’t want hot food.
Williams-Deck operates Foothills Bridal Connection, the coordinating business to connect brides with vendors, from Foothills Wedding Boutique. “Maybe they are looking for a planner or just need some guidance, so I meet with them and connect them with local vendors who fit their needs or their budgets,” she said.
“Sometimes people will hire me to just be the wedding photographer, maybe they have already booked a venue that has the planning services,” Williams-Deck said. “I enjoy sometimes just doing one aspect of a wedding rather than the whole thing, but I also offer all-inclusive packages, where the vendors I need to complement my services have already come together in a package. For instance, at FoothillsBridal.com, you can click ‘hire a coordinator’ at that website and it will show our package options where if they just need a planner, they can hire us as a planner, or they can book an all-inclusive package where they pick their venue and then we take care of just about anything else. That would include the photography, the officiant, the flowers, the cake, the food and the deejay, and the planning.
If they want to add hair and makeup and the videography, we have the vendors to add to that package, as well.
“While we do a lot of local weddings, we also do them all over the United States,” she added.
~ Linda Braden Albert
BY MARCUS FITZSIMMONS
Multiple venues in East Tennessee can offer fantastic backdrops for an outdoor wedding, but only one puts a veteran team with a track record of making the best out of any adversity on your side to make the big day perfect.
The Lake at Willow Oaks was born answering the call brought on by pandemic adversity, saw its mains structure destroyed by fire and then made that an opportunity to create an event space customized to accommodate all the details and wedding day needs for the bride and groom.
The Granary offers 4,000 square feet of event space with a covered terrace atop a small rise that looks out over the farm’s lake. The Smokies rise to the east and the 150-acre farm spreads to the west. A small upper ceremony site carries the mountain backdrop while the signature lower site is nestled beneath a massive 150-year old willow oak against the water’s edge. The well-appointed bridal suite is spacious and the groom’s cabin offers a comfy spot to relax. Behind the scenes, a prep kitchen is set for caterers, wiring is sound system ready, there’s a photobooth available on-site, besides the outdoor panorama there’s a variety of indoor white against wood niches for photographers to utilize and the bar is an antique repurposed from John H. Daniel’s checkout in downtown Maryville.
Lissa and Allison Christenberry, a mother, daughter-in-law duo, run the wedding venue while their husbands run the farm, except wedding days, when the boys are banned from the tractors and either have to help out or get out. The comfortable site wrapped around farm efficiency didn’t spring forth without a lot of effort and that following the decision to move forward when all the signs said stop. It all started back in 2020 when a family friend had one of those pandemic experiences that were so common amidst the uncertainty
and restrictions of that year.
“A girl that I knew was getting married in Knoxville and they had booked 250 people but because of Covid it was down to a 100limit capacity. They were going to let her have her wedding, but they were only going to do it for 100 people and they were still going to charge her the same that they were going to charge her for the 250,” Lissa said.”She’s like, ‘I can’t do that. Could you have my wedding out there?’
“We had to use a tent and get trailer bathrooms but we got all that together and we had her wedding for 265 people In October of 2020 and that kind of broke us in.”
Word of the farm’s picturesque views was spreading and the business was coming together as a separate endeavor as couples were planning weddings with no idea what 2021 would hold. Plans to use the main barn were progressing but disaster struck for the holidays. While the family was out of town they got the call from a neighbor that the barn was burning. The structure and everything that had been stored inside was gone.
“That was a hard one for us, but we drove home and a friend of
mine texted said,’If God knew you were trying to put lipstick on a pig, he’s just going to give you a new barn.’ We had 14 Brides at the time, and none of them wanted to go anywhere else and we’re like, ‘we don’t know what this is going to look like.’”
“We knew we were doing something,” Allison added “But we don’t know what it is,” said Lissa.
“We had to figure it out,” Allison concluded.
A call went out to a friend and the best flat spot turned out to be almost exactly where the first tent had been in 2020. The frame and rook went up and the first weddings took place under the roof with no walls yet in place on the new building now dubbed The Granary.
All that’s been added since boils back down to the perspective the family gained from their own wedding experiences and the belief that they could organize, package and simplify the entire process.
“We do it because we love it,” Allison said. “Not because we have to.”
“When they got married. We just realized there were a lot of hoops to jump through, a lot of discussion …. It’s just too much honestly, so we decided we could do it and do it better, and so we did. We purchased all the decor for them to use. Early
on, probably a couple years in, I figured out they were having photo booths come, and it’s an iPad and they’re charging these brides a $100.
“I said, Allison, I have another iPad, so we ordered a photo booth and we did the whole thing. Everything’s included with what we have here. We don’t do your food. We don’t do your DJ. I think those are very special choices, but we provide all the things that we can. You can have a wedding here with all the decor you need, and you don’t have to buy that. We tried to do things like that to better bless and serve the people who come here to our farm.”
The everything that is now included has grown to an extensive list. The package includes handcrafted farmhouse tables and chairs for up to 150 guests, full décor collection including charger plates, gold and silver candle holders, floating candle holders, signs and easels, a photo booth with greenery wall, hand-forged kettle fire pit, setup and breakdown, parking attendants, on-site staff throughout the event, the Bridal Suite inside the Granary, the Groom’s Quarters in the converted grain bin and the rehearsal.
Prep days and wedding days at The Lake can quickly become as much a family affair as the operations around the farm. Cleaning the space, prepping the suites, setting up tables and chairs can be all inclusive. The parking attendant on wedding days even has a familiar last name.
“I just works for us. It works in a good flow,” Lissa said.
The venue’s views are tremendous but there are times when the farm shines.
“Our spring weddings are great. We do April, May and June well, though I don’t like the end of June. September, October, November are great, Lissa said. “We’re basically closed six months out of the year.”
“I don’t think anybody’s talking about it, but in my opinion, we’ve been seeing the leaves change later, like late October, early November,” Allison said. “This field behind is soybeans, so it’ll change color sooner as the crop grows, matures and then gets harvested. That color does change.”
Lissa calls Allison the Type A organizer that she is not and the pair have developed the procedures that streamline the weddings to take pressure off the couples so that the big day is about them and not the details of the wedding.
“We have a 30 day out meeting with the bride and coordinator,” Lissa explained. “Allison did a great CAD drawing of the barn itself with all these posts and how the tables can go. We have pieces of furniture that they can decide where they want to have those.
“We do those meetings so that when the bride shows up on Friday, they should be able to come in, set up, decorate, and do exactly what they were going to do because the space looks exactly the way we went over it. They have a copy of that and they know what we’re doing, how many seats are going to be on their front row. It is a very detailed meeting, that way, we’re not going back to the bride during wedding day, asking a million questions.”
“We don’t want her to need to ask any questions that day. We want her to enjoy her day and her family to enjoy their day,” Allison said.
— Marcus Fitzsimmons
Couples will remember their weddings forever. Tradition features prominently in many weddings, but that does not mean couples are beholden to customs that do not appeal to them. While embracing traditions can be fun, couples can blend a sense of the traditional with their own unique wants as well.
Traditional weddings feature some notable dances, including a couple’s first dance after tying the knot, a dance featuring the new bride and her father, and a dance with the groom and his mother. These traditions have endured in part because they can be particularly meaningful for parents and memorable for the newly minted married couple. But they can be tweaked to reflect couples’ own desires as well. For example, a couple’s first dance has typically been set to a slow and romantic song. But couples well-versed in the latest dance trends on TikTok can make their first dance together more upbeat and entertaining by incorporating their favorite social media dance trend into their showcase dance. Couples also can invite both Mom and Dad to cut a rug in an effort to highlight and honor the biggest influences on their lives.
A multi-tiered, all white cake is arguably the most traditional option when choosing dessert at the wedding reception. But many modern pastry chefs can create specialized wedding cakes that couples from decades past might never have dreamed possible. Couples who love to binge watch any of the myriad television shows highlighting the extraordinary talents of creative cake designers and bakers can order up a uniquely designed cake to serve as the centerpiece of the dessert table. This won’t forgo the tradition of offering a tasty
dessert at the reception, but it does allow couples to add a unique twist to a popular custom.
Bridal parties have traditionally been organized by gender. For example, bridesmaids have long been considered the bride’s closest female friends and family members, while groomsmen are the male friends and relatives the groom considers part of his inner circle. While the bridal party is a popular and meaningful tradition, many couples no longer make gender a deciding factor regarding who and who will not be by their side come the wedding. A bride might choose a beloved brother to stand by her during the ceremony, while the groom might have his sister standing next to him on the altar. Tradition can be a meaningful component of any wedding. But couples need not hesitate to tweak traditions and incorporate their own desires into wedding day customs.
Due to a combination of factors, one of the most surprising post-pandemic trends has been an uptick in the number of wedding invitations RSVPing “yes.” Before 2020, it was typical for couples to have a 75-80% acceptance from the invitation list. In recent years, area venues say that it is much more common to have a 90% acceptance. No one has nailed down the exact reason, but couples making more deliberate selections for their lists, a more willing attitude to celebrate special moments and a population that is aging and by percentage has more free time to travel to a wedding have all impacted the rate.
Planning a successful wedding is a multi-layered undertaking that often stretches across many months. There are dozens of decisions to make and often thousands of dollars involved in what culminates in one day of celebration. There are many components of wedding planning, and tasks may range from entirely enjoyable to tedious. Organizing a wedding reception seating chart tends to be more the latter than the former. In fact, the wedding resource Table Top Planner identifies arranging seating plans as the most stressful part of planning a wedding.
What seems like a relatively simple concept — giving guests a seat at the party — frequently turns into a stressful situation for couples when they begin to consider all of the personalities invited to the wedding. A wedding brings together close family, distant family, friends, coworkers, parents’ acquaintances, and others. These are people who may not interact on a regular basis, and plenty who have never met before. Throw in the added mix of people who are divorced, estranged or may not see eye-to-eye on hot-button topics, and the challenge escalates.
Arranging guests at tables where they will spend four to five hours together takes some effort, but it is possible. Follow these guidelines to make the process a little less cumbersome.
1. Understand the venue layout and their seating requirements. A catering manager or venue representative can provide a blueprint of how the room can be laid out and the maximum number of tables. Round tables generally are the norm at weddings because they encourage conversation and foster a more intimate atmosphere. Round tables often seat between six to 10 people.
2. Avoid skipping the seating chart for larger affairs. Couples hosting a smaller wedding may be able to forgo a seating chart. But most wedding etiquette experts advise a chart for weddings with 50 or more guests. You’ll want to save guests the stress of trying to find a seat on their own, which can lead to feelings of discomfort. Plus, having a seating chart and set table numbers facilitates organization.
3. Finalize the guest list. It may be tempting to get started on the seating chart right away, but you’ll need the final guest list before beginning. Afterwards, take time to group guests based on how you know them, such as family, school friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Finding commonality can make it easier to see who might be able to sit together.
4. Blur the lines of “sides.” Sometimes it seems like separating your family and friends into sides is the way to go. Your future spouse’s parents and friends are on one side of the room and yours are on the other. But by blending certain guests together, the seating chart may fall into place.
5. Resist the urge for wedding day matchups. Skip the idea of a singles table where unattached friends are seated in hopes they might make a match.
6. Ask for some help. Involve parents in the process, particularly with assistance in seating people they know personally and with whom you may be unfamiliar.
7. List the seating chart alphabetically. Place the seating chart at the entrance to the reception space. You can be as creative as you’d like with the design, but just be sure to list each person’s name in alphabetical order so it is easy to find the table assignment.
Arranging tables and seating for a reception is challenging, but with some trial and error couples can find spots that will please most of their guests.
While it was certainly a Hasty decision, it was neither a quick nor an impulsive choice.
Blount County Clerk Gaye Hasty did not put her name on the ballot to seek a fourth term in office in May. After 43 years working in Blount County government over four departments, the lure of enjoying a cup of coffee on a fall morning with her husband rather than driving to the courthouse became too strong.
“My husband retired about three years ago and he talked about it and talked about it and talked about it before he did it. I think you know when it’s time. Everybody that I’ve talked to, they all say, ‘you’ll know when it’s time,’” Hasty said. “After he retired, two years went by, and I’m realizing it’s getting harder and harder to come to work knowing that he’s at home. Because we’re not getting more time. We’re at the age where if we want to do some things and enjoy life together and travel together, that probably needs to be pretty soon. And the thought process kind of started for me.”
That process came to fruition as hasty decided it was time to trade in daily hikes to the clerk’s satellite offices by the library and at Foothills Mall for some more time to hike in the mountains and choose her next adventures. That means leaving behind public office and a series of procedural changes she’s instituted over the last decade in an effort to create a more efficient, customer friendly team in the clerk’s office.
There are visible differences to anyone who still renews their car registration in person. Gone is the office that once created a
separation within the clerk’s area. There are also the unseen changes that are only visible by the lack of a closed sign. Hasty instituted cross training in the staff that allows for permits to still be processed regardless of who is out on PTO on a given day. While online renewals have shifted the load around, the clerk’s office remains a busy place and many of her changes arrived just in time. When Hasty first took office following a special election in 2016 the clerk’s office was accounting for $12 million in annual receipts. In the year that just closed, the office processed $23 million one license plate, one marriage license, one business permit at a time.
“There’s some relief in that this part of my life is coming to a close,” Hasty said. “The huge responsibility that I’ve carried for the past 10 years is going to be put on the shoulders of someone else. It’s a huge undertaking and it has grown so much since I first took over.
“I don’t think people realize on a day-to-day basis how much money we’re seeing go through this department. We have the responsibility of making sure it gets into the hands of the people that it’s supposed to get to at the state, the schools, the trustee’s office and others.”
Even with digital access, the actual county clerk’s office is a location most people see at least once in their life for the important moments like launching a business, getting a passport for the big trip or to get married. The staff processes marriage licenses but doesn’t perform weddings, however it’s not unheard of for officiants, even occasionally Hasty herself, to officiate a ceremony in another part of the courthouse.
“What we try to do is encourage them to go over to the old part of the courthouse to the marble lobby. It’s just beautiful. I sell them on the lobby and the steps because it’s such a pretty place for pictures,” Hasty said. “I have performed marriages on the front steps of the courthouse or over in the yard at the three-way stop. I’ve even asked couples, ‘hey, are you OK with walking down to the Greenbelt because I love going to the Greenbelt and doing weddings down there.”
While the office has moved away from staff performing civil services, there are the rare instances where law and procedure don’t match up with a couple’s plans and some Gordian Knot slashing work
“I have performed marriages on the front steps of the courthouse or over in the yard at the three-way stop. I’ve even asked couples, ‘hey, are you OK with walking down to the Greenbelt because I love going to the Greenbelt and doing weddings down there.
HASTY
arounds come into play to keep things on track.
“My clerks out front don’t perform ceremonies anymore. It’s a real rare occasion. Maybe if it’s somebody that they know and has requested them, we’ll let them step out to the front to perform a marriage,” Hasty said. “One thing that comes up is state law does not recognize online officiants and unfortunately, we’ve had couples come from out of state saying that they’re going to have Grandpa Jones do their ceremony at a rental cabin up in Townsend. Grandpa doesn’t meet this qualifications for the State of Tennessee to perform a legal marriage. In that case, we have done the ceremony so we can sign off on it, and then Grandpa can sign the decorative copy or whatever. We need to make sure that it’s legal and that the state recognizes the marriage as a legal marriage, so we’ve had some odd situations like that that pop up where I’ve had to kind of step in.”
Ironically, Hasty has never been a spotlight person and had to be pushed into seeking office in 2016, but when she won, she was in a place that had issues that were right in her wheel house.
“It was very strange because I am a behind the scenes person. I don’t like to be in the spotlight. This was going way outside of my comfort zone,” Hasty said. “I joke and say, ‘well, I am the third child of four. I’m that middle child where you just let us be and just let us do our thing. We’re over here. We don’t want anybody to see us.’ I joke about that, but there’s a lot of truth in that. I’m a worker bee. I like to stay busy. I like to work. I like to be involved in things.
“I had not worked in this department and I really had no aspirations to become an elected official at all. That was never in my thought process. With my career with Blount County government I just did not think that that was something that I was prepared to do, or that I was capable of handling that. There were several people that started coming to me and said, ‘hey, you really need to think about running for that office.’ That was scary to think about for me but they kept coming to me. They were saying ‘you have this background, and you have this and, and you know the people that work there already. You know what needs to happen. You know what needs to take place, and you’re great at organizing things, and you’re great at workflow and making processes better. You have a good temperament for that,
and for making those things happen.”
Hasty can recall how surreal it seemed the first time she drove by a home that had her campaign sign in the yard that first election. She’s enjoying the face that she had no signs in anyone’s yard during the spring run up to the primaries. After a career that started in the Property Assessor’s Office, veered into the Mayor’s Office and the Planning Office before her run for office, her last campaign will be the transition. The office must be packed, then there’s a process with the state auditors to close the books and transfer powers to her successor.
As the app on her phone continues its running countdown toward Aug. 31, the little tasks from a long career remain. Where will the Lee Roberson print go? What’s the fate of that Madam Cluck name plate that was spawned from the infamous incident when then County Commission Chair Ron French lost his gum and pronunciation during a meeting? Which trail will be the first hike of retirement?
Hasty may be taking that next step, but it’s doubtful she’ll really be slowing down
— Marcus Fitzsimmons
