Henrik and Jessica: Timeless Wedding Celebration

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Henrik and Jessica celebrated their wedding at The Venue at Birchwood in Spring Hill, TN. They combined timeless elegance with garden-party charm. Inspired by Blue Willow China, their day featured soft pinks, peaches, and delicate blue accents. The ceremony took place in the picturesque stone chapel, followed by a reception in the elegant reception barn. The celebration was made even more special with lively Armenian dancing, honoring Henrik’s heritage and creating unforgettable memories for all. The evening concluded with a joyous bubble send-off, marking the start of their new journey together.

How did you meet?

Henrik and I met at church! My old roommate was friends with his sister and decided that we should sit with his sister and her family. We met, and the connection was instant, but it wasn’t until a few months later, when we ran into each other at a church Christmas gathering, that we reconnected. He was showing all the signs that he was interested – commenting on my posts, adding me on all social media, etc. I couldn’t take the suspense, so I ended up asking him out on our first date, which ended up being on New Year’s Day!

Tell us about your engagement!

I knew that Henrik was more than likely going to propose during Labor Day weekend! He had started medical school, and we were doing long distance. We both knew that we wanted to have a few days after getting engaged to be with one another — and Labor Day weekend was the one break he had that was 1. Around the time he said he would propose, and 2. the only extended break he had until Christmas. Leading up to the day of the proposal, I was looking for every single hint I could find that would indicate a proposal was imminent. All my clues, though, fell short. On Sunday, Sept. 3rd, we had plans to go to the botanical gardens at Cheekwood — which is what I thought was for sure going to be where he proposed, but it was still a little too on the nose. His sister and her husband invited us to join them at Arrington in the afternoon, as well. At first, I didn’t want to because it didn’t make sense to go to Arrington and Cheekwood, but Henrik gently pushed me to go. So, I conceded, and we drove to Arrington. When we got to Arrington, we started looking for where his sister and her husband had placed the picnic blanket. Henrik found it, and as we got up to the blanket, his sister and her husband were nowhere to be found, and there was only a box on the picnic blanket. I picked up the box and inside was a Bible with the name “Jessica LeAnn Hahamyan” (Aka what my married name is now). Immediately, Henrik got down on one knee and proposed! I cried my eyes out — I literally can’t remember a word he said. The crowd at Arrington went ballistic. After the proposal, all our friends and family appeared, and we got to celebrate the rest of the day with them!

Where did you get your dress/attire? How did you know you had found your dress?

I found my dress online through Anthropologie. I saw my dress and thought, “Hmm, I think this would work well for my body type.” So, I ordered the dress, and it fit like a glove. It both hid my insecurities and highlighted my assets. This was the first dress I had ever tried on, and I tried it on at home! We later, solely for the experience, went to Adorn Nashville to try on dresses. The women were amazing there, and every dress I tried on pointed me right back to my dress from Anthropologie! I feel like it’s so rare to have such an easy experience with wedding dress shopping, so I feel incredibly grateful!

Tell us about your vision of your wedding day hair.

My vision for hair was one I didn’t necessarily have until about a month before the wedding. Originally, I was planning on having my hair down with the classic slicked-back pieces with Hollywood waves. This changed, though, when I was chatting with my MOH, and she said, “I think with a dress like that, you really need to put your hair up!” I hadn’t considered doing my hair up, but suddenly, I wondered if she was right. I stumbled across the “bridal French twist” and fell in love, but I was also faced with the fact that I would never be able to do that on my own. So, I went to one of the several wedding Facebook groups that I joined. Those Facebook groups, by the way, are amazing! That’s where I found about half of my vendors! Caitlin’s portfolio of impressive styles is what really convinced me to go with her, even though I did not do a hair trial before the day of the wedding. I knew that I could trust the hair would be good, but Caitlin did some incredible work. Her attention to detail – from the loose curls, the placement of pearls, the location of the bun – was impeccable. She was such a joy to talk to and so kind. She even gave me a little hair chop to ensure that the hair would look the way I wanted it to. Caitlin also did the same style for the mothers, but she made sure their styles, while beautiful, did not clash with my own hairstyle. Caitlin is a rare talent, and I can’t believe I was lucky enough to book her last minute!

What was the vision & theme for your wedding? What details were used to create this vision?

For years, I’ve had blue willow china plates on my radar for a wedding. This was essentially the theme of the wedding. I wanted the colors to be soft, garden-party-esque, yet formal. I wanted something that would be timeless yet unique enough that it wasn’t necessarily “on-trend” for weddings. Just my luck, though, Garden Party weddings IS the trend of 2024, haha! The vision for colors to accent the blue plates morphed and changed over time. What originally started as a heavy blue theme ended up being more soft pinks and peaches with blue accents. I loved every detail!

Tell us about your day.

My now-husband and I were both living with his parents when the day of the wedding arrived. We had decided long ago that we were not going to exchange private vows during the wedding, so that morning, we began by exchanging vows over a warm cup of coffee. From there, we were in full swing! Due to venue access, the mothers had their hair done at the house, and I showered and got my hair ready for later. We drove to the venue and were surrounded by AMAZING friends, many of whom were not in the wedding, who arrived to help decorate for the wedding. Because of their help, I was able to be fully present and slow down, and enjoy the day. I remember so many moments while I was getting my hair and makeup done — hiding from the groom, walking through and feeling overwhelmed by the amount of friends who put in such care and love into decorating and putting my vision to life, my florist making the most gorgeous cross piece, my bridesmaids praying over me before the ceremony, etc. During the ceremony, the DJ played the wrong song, but it was hilarious (It was the Office theme song). My husband did not repeat his vows but rather said, “I will! I do!” which was the highlight of the ceremony, and our dip kiss was “chef’s kiss.” Henrik and I danced to “Beyond” by Leon Bridges, which has been our song since the beginning of our relationship. Henrik’s family is from Armenia, so we incorporated lots of Armenian dancing. Some of our non-Armenian guests got SO into the dancing that one guest actually ripped his pants! The wedding day was special – toasts and vendors were amazing. After we were sent off, there was something so incredible about being surrounded by people who have witnessed you in so many different seasons of life coming to celebrate the most important day of your life. I know I’ve used the term “overwhelming” several times, but it most literally brought both my husband and me to tears while driving to the resort.