Years after they had moved to Tennessee, Steven Ganser proposed to his beloved Nicole Golub at Olive Park in Chicago. “It’s where I always wished I would get proposed to… I’m from Downtown Chicago, and my building faced the park along Lake Michigan,” she reveals. “I would often go there for walks with Steven when we lived in Chicago.” Steven had asked for her dad’s permission prior to proposing while walking in the park one Saturday morning during a visit to the city over the summer. He had arranged for their respective siblings to hide amongst the trees and then reveal themselves once she said yes!

Since they had made Nashville their home, purchasing their abode sight unseen during Covid, and luckily, immediately loving the house and the town, they didn’t consider being wed anywhere else. “I never thought I’d leave Chicago, but with Steven, I felt like he was home early on, and I was open to take the big leap of moving,” she explains. 

Nicole had a clear vision in mind for their nuptials – thanks to the beauty of social media – so when she saw an ad pop up for wedding professionals who crafted a spectacular wedding at the Country Music Hall of Fame, she knew that was it. “I wanted something very similar and for the same team to help make it happen,” the bride confesses.

With the groom working with his mom on planning the welcome party, which would kick off the festivities for the special weekend, Nicole got to work with her wedding-planning team to bring a particular theme – very colorful and vivid – to fruition. “I’ve never seen any wedding lean into it in the way that I envisioned,” she explains. “I kept seeing the same patterns, and I wanted to create a more unique experience for my guests.” Her deep love of fresh florals went into high gear: “I wanted to have as many colorful flowers as possible!”

The floral pattern of the aisle for the terrace ceremony was crafted to illustrate a sunset theme to complement the Nashville skyline. The same punchy tones bedecked the arbor that marked the spot for the “I dos.” The bride – on the arm of her father – made her grand entrance wearing an A-line dress featuring a floral-dotted overlay and an illusion deep V-neck bodice. Her bouquet was a mixture of the colorful collections presented in her bridesmaid’s nosegays.

“I wanted the vibe of our wedding to be as positive and fun as possible, so [The Music City All Stars] started playing the second the doors opened.”

Guests then shifted to the cocktail room where Nicole opted to lean into the décor scheme of the space to highlight the dark-wood details and green velvet couches. This choice helped the couple stay within their spending limit, and it also offered a break from the vibrant elements. “By the time guests got access to the main event, they were not expecting the amazing pop of color,” exclaims the bride. 

A “Friends in Low Places” seating chart (a play on the song by Garth Brooks) was displayed, so partygoers could easily find their seats at tables adorned with either low, compote-style arrangements in mixed colors or mono-floral clusters in either fuchsia, purple, blue, or orange.

For the head table, surrounded by clear resin Ghost chairs, a colorful, textured wave of flowers was affixed overhead, above a 40-foot-long runner of mono-floral modern bud vases in varying sizes. Each table had an accompaniment of votives and taper candles for a layered, candlelit look. The pièce de résistance was the oversized, hanging installation of colorful florals intermixed with disco balls suspended over the dance floor, where the newlyweds spent most of the evening.

“I wanted the vibe of our wedding to be as positive and fun as possible, so the band started playing the second the doors opened to the reception room,” she explains. “We had three very fun songs for everyone at the wedding to dance to and get loose before sitting down and having the first course. 

We were told by many friends afterwards how fun that experience was for them and not what they’re used to. I highly recommend it!” In addition to that, Nicole’s dad is a drummer, so he performed the final song of the evening with the band – The Music City All Stars – and ended the night on the perfect final note.

This real wedding was originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

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