Breana Dodd & Joshua Smith

Always and Forever

Married

Jun 16, 2018
Loudon , Tennessee

Photo Credit

Ancelet Photography

Style

Formal

Season

Summer

The Proposal

In January 2018, Josh was going to be training for the NFL in Chicago for eight weeks. A few days before he was supposed to fly out, he asked me to join him in Chicago to help him get settled in. I was so excited as I had never been to Chicago before and was looking forward to exploring a new city together before we would be apart for two months. On the last day of the trip, we bundled up in our coats and hats, went to get coffee, and adventured all day. That evening, we grabbed drinks overlooking downtown, enjoyed dinner at Ruth’s Chris, and then went ice-skating in Millennium Park. After, we decided to head to the Cloud Gate, also known as “the Bean.” On the walk over, with hot chocolates in hand, it started snowing and Josh turned to whisper in my ear “I have a surprise for you.” The next thing I knew, he was on one knee proposing with the most stunning ring!

Breanna Dodd & Joshua Smith Couple In Field

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In Preparation

Since Josh was training in the NFL, we didn’t have much time to prepare for the wedding. We had no idea what our future would look like or where we would be. We decided to get married in June – only five months away! I had always dreamed of having an outdoor ceremony and Castleton Farms proved to be everything we wanted in a venue. The mansion sits on the most gorgeous property overlooking the Tennessee hills and has a breathtaking vineyard that you can see from the bridal suite. Thanks to our wedding coordinator, Darla Walker, we were able to plan the wedding in just a few short months.

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Breanna Dodd & Joshua Smith Bride Dress

The Big Day

Although it was the hottest day of the year, I don’t think our Big Day could have gone better! Josh just signed with the New Orleans Saints the day before we were to say “I do” and flew in just hours before our rehearsal dinner. On our wedding day, I woke up in the bridal suite at the Castleton Farms mansion and remember thinking that I wanted to be as present as possible so I wouldn’t miss a moment of the beginning of our new life together. We had the sweetest first look with our family and my bridal party; we gathered in the Whimsical Woodlands Gardens for photos and then had our ceremony in the Tuscan Vineyard Gardens. The reception took place in the Southern Gardens Pavilion. My favorite part of the night was when Josh and I slipped away to visit the vineyard alone. We danced underneath the full moon and got to soak in being Mr. and Mrs. Smith for the first time.

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Breanna Dodd & Joshua Smith Kissing

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The Retreat

We visited Jamaica once before and absolutely loved it, so we knew we wanted to go back for our honeymoon.We stayed at the Sandals Resort in Ochos Rios and had a room with our own private pool. It was magical! We spent every day lounging by the beach and our nights eating fresh, local cuisine by the water.