Path to the Perfect Wedding
When you’re looking for the perfect wedding venue in Nashville, it doesn’t get better than Acme Feed and Seed on historic Lower Broadway. The third floor of one of Music City’s most popular restaurants is a rustic-chic space that will enchant your guests, offering views of the Cumberland River, LP Field and Riverfront Park. Bride, Michelle Ruby and groom, Gonnie Morgan took full advantage of the Acme's indoor and outdoor space for their hip October wedding.
And with a built-in caterer on site — which just so happens to be a part of the prestigious Tomkats Hospitality group of restaurants that includes The Southern, Saffire and Southernaire Market — you know the food is going to be amazing.
We talked recently with Stevie Milhaven, one of Acme’s event coordinators, about what Acme can do to make your special day even more memorable.
What kinds of services does Acme provide as a wedding venue?
As a wedding venue, not only does Acme provide a beautiful 7,000-square-foot space with great views of downtown and the Cumberland River, but you also get to work closely with Acme's amazingly skilled and creative catering team and event coordinators. We have a beautiful menu, but our chef is always happy to customize for our guests.
Acme provides most of the necessities for food and beverage service for all our events, including bone white china, glassware, silverware, any catering displays, two reclaimed wood bars and a team of bartenders and servers. Since Acme toes the line between restaurant and music venue, we are also able to help in sourcing bands or other live entertainment and their production needs.
The catering menu looks amazing. What options work best for smaller weddings (under 150), and what works best for larger crowds (300 or so)?
For smaller weddings, Acme is great for more intimate plated dinners where guests choose from a selection of beautiful courses. Some of my favorites are our Berkshire Pork Osso Buco, with yellow corn grits, wilted rainbow chard, tomato-red wine sauce and crispy black-eyed peas, and the Pan Roasted Seasonal Catch with English pea puree, foraged mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and butter-braised leeks.
For larger weddings, Acme is able to offer dinner buffet options or a more casual — and very fun! — option of our action stations. An action station is where we have chef attendants making and serving different appetizer portions of our menu items. We have our classics, like the extremely popular Bleu Cheese Biscuit Bar that serves three options of our house-made bleu cheese biscuits with grilled beef tenderloin, grilled hot chicken or Benton’s Ham. Last month, Chef John Edmonson developed some new options like the “South” of the Border Taco Station, which has three taco options all inspired by classic Southern flavors. These, paired with some of our delicious passed hors d’oeuvres, are light and filling without being too heavy.
What time of day seems to be most popular for weddings?
A lot of couples are interested in booking at both our rooftop and The Hatchery — our third-floor space — in order to do both the ceremony and reception at Acme. These events tend to start in the late afternoon or early evening with a cocktail reception on the rooftop, followed by a simple ceremony at dusk, and then moving to the third floor for the reception.
For couples having their ceremony elsewhere, we have had receptions as early as 5 p.m. or as late as 8 p.m., depending on whatever the couple prefers. We have also received quite a few requests for brunch receptions starting around 11 a.m. or noon.
What’s the most popular month for weddings? Did you host any weddings during CMA Fest?
Coming up we have weddings in August and September, and quite a few in October. Being that we are still less than a year old and most couples book at least a year ahead, we didn’t have many this past May, but May 2016 is already filling up fast!
We did not host any weddings this CMA Fest, but there’s always next year. I bet there are some die-hard country fans who would love to share their special day with their favorite star playing on stage in the background.
Can you share any of your favorite tips for helping a wedding go more smoothly?
My best advice for a smooth wedding would be to hire a good wedding planner. Even the most organized couples should have a planner. They will help you to achieve your vision of your day and be there to execute it smoothly. The bride and groom will have enough to worry about without having to stress about signing a check for the band or dealing with the photographer’s schedule. It’s the bride and groom’s day to enjoy; let someone else handle the details!
For all the little wedding extras, shop local:
The Dotted Line
2141 Bandywood Dr., Nashville
615-385-0101
Gorgeous hand-stamped gift tags, letterpress notes, sweet treats
Fire Finch
305 Church St., Nashville
615-385-5090
Customizable initial necklaces, unique jewelry, emergency beauty kits
Vignette
130 Wilson Pike Circle, Brentwood
615 370-7990
Nashville map pendant necklaces, bath sachets, hip statement tees
Acme Feed and Seed Shop
101 Broadway, Nashville TN 37201
For last-minute gifts or party favors!
Nashville-based Etsy shops:
Rose and Lil
Boho repurposed cake toppers and more — think burlap and lace, pearls and sheet music.
ShabbyChic ShabbyShop
From wedding party invitations to guest books and ring pillows.
Southernaire Market
Southernaire Market is a New Orleans-style grocery in downtown Nashville offering artisanal products, fresh produce,...
