A Smoky Mountain Wedding with Cuban Food and a Packed Dance Floor
Alexis (she/her) and Lauren’s (she/her) wedding in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee came at the end of a very full year, with new jobs, a move, a proposal in Hawaii, and planning it all at once.
Set in the Smoky Mountains and surrounded by their closest people, the day brought together everything that mattered to them: the mountains they’d grown up visiting, Cuban food to die for, and a dance floor they had no intention of leaving.
Lex & Lo
Our love story started as love at first sight…for Lauren. We met at the children’s hospital where we both worked as pediatric nurses, and what began as a friendship quickly grew into something more through pickleball sessions and time with mutual friends. Alexis fell in love with Lauren’s sweet yet spicy personality, and Lauren couldn’t resist Alexis’s funny yet deeply caring nature.
Before long, “Lex & Lo” the dynamic duo flourished and we became inseparable. Our adventures eventually took us to Hawaii, where Alexis proposed at the most beautiful waterfall. After starting new jobs, moving, and planning a wedding all in the same year, we got married in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee surrounded by our closest friends and family.
We chose Pigeon Forge because we both grew up vacationing there with our families. The Smoky Mountains hold so much meaning for us, and it felt like the perfect place to start the next chapter of our lives.
Booking It Before Seeing It
We actually booked our wedding venue before even seeing it in person! Thankfully, when we finally visited, The Magnolia was everything we dreamed of.
Our love for the mountains led us there. We always knew we wanted a mountain wedding with a space big enough to celebrate with the most important people in our lives. The views were breathtaking and exactly what we had envisioned for our big day.
Planning a destination wedding definitely came with its challenges, but we leaned on each other through it all and never lost sight of what really mattered: our love. We made every decision together and focused on what felt most important to us both.
Keeping It All in One Place
We were lucky enough to have support from both of our families, which made a big difference when it came to budgeting.
We kept track of everything through Zola’s budgeting tool since we were already using it for our wedding website, and it made it so easy having everything in one place.
The Right Energy From the Start
Our photographer and videographer were both recommended by our venue, but it was really important to us to find LGBTQ+ friendly vendors. After doing our own research, we reached out to a few different people.
The energy with Erin Morrison Photography and Young Videography was just there, and we knew we had to book them. We could not be happier with our experience or how our photos and videos turned out!
Cuban Food All the Way
Since Alexis is Cuban and Lauren absolutely loves Cuban food, choosing our menu felt easy. We had our wedding catered by the only Cuban restaurant in Pigeon Forge, Smokies Cuban Cafe.
We met the owners on our first visit to the venue a year and a half before the wedding, and not only were they amazing, the food was absolutely delicious. They even came in on their one day off to cook for our wedding! Our guests loved the food just as much as we did!
A Day Full of First Looks and Dance Floor Moments
We stayed at a gorgeous cabin right by the venue with both of our families, so getting to the venue was just minutes away. Alexis had her makeup done first by Bangs and Blush, then left the bridal suite so we could save seeing each other for our first look.
After first looks with our dads, we met in a private spot – Alexis in her white suit from Tweeds, Lauren in a dress from Nicole Maree Bridal that Alexis had never seen before – and we both cried (of course) while reading our private vows.
One of our best friends, Marissa, married us, and we headed straight into cocktail hour, which ended up being one of our favorite moments of the day. The reception kicked off with speeches from our dads, Lauren’s sister, and Alexis’s brother, followed by amazing Cuban food and a quick escape for sunset photos.
We came back for our first dance, dad dances, and a surprise dance for both of our moms to “Dancing Queen.” Once the dance floor opened with Sequoyah Entertainment, we never left. It’s always our favorite part of any wedding!
The Ones Who Made It All Happen
Erin, our photographer, was absolutely incredible and made everything feel so easy and natural. Vintage Floral Designs created the most beautiful arrangements and were so fun to work with from the very beginning.
And Smokies Cuban Cafe hands down made the best food. Our guests have not stopped talking about it!
Making Traditions Our Own
For the ceremony, it was really important to us that we both had our own moment walking down the aisle. Our parents and bridal party went first, then Alexis walked with her dad, followed by Lauren with hers.
For the dances, we each had a moment with our dads, and then surprised everyone with a dance with both of our moms – which ended up being a huge hit!
Captured by Erin Morrison Photography
Caterer Smokies Cuban Cafe
Dessert Crumbl Cookies
DJ Sequoyah Entertainment
Dress Nicole Maree Bridal
Florist Vintage Floral Designs
Hair & Makeup Bangs and Blush
Photobooth Tickled Orange Photobooth
Planner Dahlia and Vine
Rings Blue Nile
Stationery Truly Engaging
Suit Designer Tweeds
Venue The Magnolia
Videographer Young Videography
