Not Even a Hurricane Could Stop This Couple’s Fun and Fabulous Nashville Wedding at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Ali Stagnitta Carbone, a pop culture content creator and the founder of What Do I Do Brides, and Rich Carbone, who is in business development, first met at a workout class just before the pandemic, in January 2020. Nearly 11 months later, they finally reconnected when Rich sent Ali a message via Hinge on Thanksgiving Day. After a first date of dinner, dessert, and martinis a few days later, “the rest was history,” says the couple. Rich proposed two years later, and the pair set out to plan a wedding that “offered a full weekend of fun” for their guests. “Nashville kept coming to top of mind as that place,” says Ali. “It’s easily accessible for so many guests—just a short flight—and a certified fun party. When we first walked into the reception hall at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, we knew it had to be there. Those floor-to-ceiling windows and the view of Nashville was simply breathtaking, and we couldn’t wait to get our guests in there.” The duo invited 228 friends and family members to celebrate with them on September 28, 2024. Though they had a vision for the décor—romantic lighting, pastel florals, and elegant accents—their top priority was the celebration.

“We wanted fun, we wanted great music, great food, great drinks, and great vibes,” says Ali. They stayed at “five or six” different hotels before choosing one for their guests’ accommodations, booked favorite local spots for their rehearsal dinner, welcome party, and after-party, and enlisted Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings to coordinate the details. “What I loved about working with them was how each person on the team has a design background, so they were constantly coming up with things that were unique and had never been done before that they were eager to try,” says Ali. “We didn’t just want ‘a Pinterest wedding,’ we wanted to be creative and different—and working with Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings on the weekend helped execute that to the nines.”

Ali and Rich spent two years planning their wedding, from bringing in their favorite menu items from New York’s Carbone restaurant for the cocktail hour to customizing matchbooks and candles with personalized photos. “The hardest thing for me was not knowing what I don’t know,” says Ali. “You don’t know how specific or detail-oriented you need to be about things, until really they’re already done. I found it so tough to wrap my head around that you get one shot at making this day come to life, you spend one to two years, and thousands of hours working on it, and you don’t even get to do a little dress rehearsal of the whole thing so you can perfect it one more time for the real deal!” (As a result, Ali formed her own business, What Do I Do Brides, to guide other engaged couples through those wedding-planning decisions.)

As the day approached, every detail fell into place—except one: Hurricane Helene landed on Nashville just as the couple’s guests were flying in for the weekend. “At first, our minds went to, ‘Why is this happening to us?’” says Rich. “We quickly remembered that people were losing homes and loved ones because of this hurricane. Also, we weren’t the only people getting married on this weekend in the hurricane's path—nothing was happening ‘to us,’ it was just happening.” This encouraged the couple to shift their mindset for the better. “Our expectations of the day went from, ‘Every last thing needs to be perfect, to, ’Will our people literally be able to land in Nashville?’” says Rich. “That put it in perspective for us: The only thing that mattered was that the people we love were there.” The weather even provided some unexpected benefits: “Downtown Nashville was much less crowded because of the rain and allowed our guests to roam more freely on Broadway and have fun,” says the groom. “We used a beautiful tent for the ceremony—one that we actually liked better than the normal background!”

With all of their guests accounted for, the bride and groom were able to enjoy the easiest part of the process: “Waking up the morning of the wedding—and having a great day,” says Ali. “I had the most incredible sense of preparedness and calm that morning, there was nothing else to be done—the hard work had been done, and I was ready to get married!” Ahead, so every curated, intentional detail in these photos by Steph Sorenson.

Ali and Rich kicked off their wedding weekend with a “total BBQ night” rehearsal dinner at One Fourteen—complete with flowers arranged in cowboy boots, bandanna napkins, and a “rhinestone rodeo” dress code—that included the signing of their Ketubah. “It was really beautiful and fun to teach our friends about the Jewish custom,” says the couple. 

After dinner, the couple hosted a welcome party at nearby Ole Red, a last-minute option when their original choice, a venue next door to the rehearsal site, was still under construction. “They helped us out by literally branding the sidewalk with our monogram and creating a pathway for guests to walk from One Fourteen to Ole Red,” says Ali, who wore a custom Undone By Kate dress with a shimmer shrug and cowboy hat for the occasion. “Walking in and seeing everyone in the space was just incredible. We were so nervous because of the storm on Friday and just didn’t know if people would be able to get in, and taking in that whole bar being full of our friends and family was the best memory."

After leaning into Nashville’s iconic atmosphere for their welcome events, Ali and Rich wanted their wedding day to feel “ethereal, whimsical, romantic, and elegant,” she says. “I wanted there to be color, but in a really natural, elegant way. We all aligned on this romantic atmosphere with pastel blooms and timeless beauty.” Invitations from Caroline James New York defined the aesthetic with a delicate floral design. 

Makeup artist Shawna Vassallo added eyelash extensions that gave Ali an “amazing, doe-eyed, bold look I really wanted to have,” says the bride, who got glam in a custom Lé Lauriér dress (the brand also made her getting-ready pajamas). “The vision was a ‘blushing bride.’ I wanted to look glowing and bright-eyed.” 

Ali asked her hairstylist, Jessica Miller, to give her the same “bouncy, gorgeous curls” as singer Megan Moroney, another of Miller’s clients—but the color and extensions presented more of a challenge. “My hair was a journey, from the color of the extensions to the look itself,” she says. “Depending on the weather and season, my hair color will change depending how much I’m out in the sun. I got my extensions color-matched to my hair a few weeks before the wedding, and by wedding day, they were looking a little too dark for my hair. Thank goodness, my amazing hairstylist washed them a few times and got them as close to my shade as possible!”

Ali’s Galia Lahav gown, with its sheer corset top and layered tulle skirt, was the first one she tried on—but though her aunt knew immediately it was the gown for Ali, the rest of the shopping party wasn’t convinced. “We didn’t know if we were just wowed and excited to see me in a wedding dress!” says Ali. “However, as the day went on, it was obvious that the first dress was the one to beat.” 

When she returned to the boutique for a second try-on, she discovered that she had a long history with the design. “It was the only dress I had saved on my phone—the back of the dress, so I didn’t realize!—from August 2022, way before I was engaged” she says. “I knew it was meant to be if I had my eye set on it for that long!” As the designer took her measurements, Ali even inspired a stranger to make a last-minute gown switch. “Another bride in the store, who was there to pick up her dress, saw me and decided she wanted to switch dresses because it looked so good,” she says.

Florist Mary Love Richardson of Rosemary and Finch created the couple’s wedding-day florals, including an oversized bridal bouquet in hues of pastel pink, peach, and lavender. “I told her my vision of a whimsical, overgrown, loose bouquet and array of florals throughout the wedding, and she absolutely delivered,” says Ali. “My bouquet was the biggest thing I’ve ever seen in my life! I felt like I had a death grip on it all day, because I could only reach my hand around half of it! But it was truly the bouquet of my dreams.”

A pearl-and-diamond tennis bracelet and earrings from Verstolo complemented Ali’s glittering Christian Louboutin shoes, which she says were “shockingly incredibly comfortable.” She borrowed her veil from her cousin, who wore it at her own wedding in 2023; a seamstress customized the veil with embellishments that matched Ali’s gown, turning the piece into a future something borrowed for all the brides in the family. “My cousin and I decided we’d continue to pass it down,” says Ali. (As for the bride’s something blue? Her mother donned a custom navy gown to serve as a good luck charm for the day.)

Ali used her floral palette as inspiration for her bridesmaids to pick their own wedding-party attire. “Crazy for a type A bride, I know, but they totally executed!” she says. “I really wanted my bridesmaids to feel gorgeous and comfortable, so I let them choose their color and their dress. Each chose a color within this pastel-rainbow palette and when they all came together, it was that amazing burst of colors I had envisioned, which was even better on the rainy day.”

Ali and Rich wanted to make the most of their time with their guests after the wedding, so they chose a first look portrait session before the ceremony. “It was so special,” says Ali. “I had come from doing a first look with my dad and another one with my brother — which was super emotional and sweet — and I was just excited to go see Rich and hug him. My entire being that day was just excited for whatever was next. It felt like just the two of us in the moment, the rest of the world and anxieties went away. I was just ready to marry him!”

The moment was equally emotional for Rich. “It was the moment that I realized it was all here,” he says. “All of the prep work, anticipation, stress, and excitement finally was coming to fruition.  It was also the moment that it sunk in that I am lucky enough to be with Ali for the rest of my life.”

Rich finished his custom Gentleman’s Playbook look with two thoughtful accessories: a Rolex watch that was a wedding gift from Ali—”It is the first watch I have ever owned, and it is super special to me,” he says—and cufflinks featuring the couple’s dog, Jenks. “I was sad because he couldn’t be at the wedding, so I wanted to make sure he was on the dance floor with us in some capacity,” says the groom. 

The day’s rainy weather forced the couple to set up a tent with draping that surrounded the couple and their guests during the ceremony and protected their wooden chuppah, draped with peonies, ranunculus, roses, wildflowers, dahlias, lisianthus, delphinium, and greenery. “Because we ended up having to tent the ceremony, it almost had this greenhouse vibe,” says Ali. “The aisle featured two cherry blossom trees at the top and then was lined with whimsical, lush meadows on either side of the aisle with the same florals as the chuppah.”

Both of Ali’s parents escorted her down the aisle as one of her bridesmaids, Broadway singer Ana Villafañe, performed “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones. “In Jewish tradition, your mom and dad walk you down the aisle, so that is what we did,” says Ali. “Even if it wasn’t tradition, I would have done it, because I truly wouldn’t be me without the hard work, love, and lessons from both of them. When I heard Ana start to sing, the most overwhelming sense of calm came over me. I wasn’t nervous or anxious, I was ready. She sounded so good—everyone thought it was a recording!”

Ali and Rich designed a ceremony that included both Jewish and Greek traditions, including Stephana Crowns and the Kiddush. “Our aunts both read beautiful poems and we wrote our own vows,” says Ali. “The vows were filled with so much love and history and promise of an amazing future.”

The couple’s friend Jonathan Hettleman officiated the ceremony, symbolizing generations of connection between Ali’s and Rich’s families. “Jonathan was a college friend of mine, but his great-uncle was also best friends with Ali’s grandfather,” says Rich. “Jonathan did an amazing job of putting us first, focusing on our story, while also educating the crowd on his connection to us and the reason he was chosen to officiate.” Hettleman spent hours on Zoom with Ali and Rich separately, mining them for stories and details that he used to create a memorable ceremony script. “The ceremony was supposed to be 30 minutes (at most),” says Ali. “It was 49 minutes—and there were no complaints, because Johnathan was so incredibly captivating with his storytelling of our love story, our backgrounds, our traditions.” 

The indoor garden party aesthetic continued into the reception, as guests found their seating assignments on a growing escort card wall. Guests also left messages and notes for the newlyweds on a black-and-white guitar—a nod to the reception location. “Our relationship grew from country music, and nothing better than the Country Music Hall of Fame to solidify that,” says Rich. 

Nearly a dozen glowing chandeliers lit the reception space from above. “The lighting was one of the most difficult parts of the planning process: We wanted something unique, but we didn’t want to take away from the stunning view of the Nashville skyline—and we also wanted to use up the massive space that is the reception hall,” says Ali. “In the end, the 11 chandeliers were masterful. They took my breath away when I walked in the room, as they were the perfect touch to encapsulate the feeling of romanticism and elegance we were trying to create. It all came together so beautifully.”

On four of the round tables, towering cherry trees surrounded by moss and flowers anchored the tablescapes; on the long tables, ombré lineups of bud vases and statement-making centerpieces incorporated the couple’s pastel palette. “The head table was lush, filled with a mix of large and small centerpieces, candelabras with pastel-colored tapers, and overflowing greenery at the corners,” says Ali.

The bride and her planners custom-designed oval menus with floral vellum and pearl embellishments from Caroline James New York. Textured, off-white linens, gold-rimmed chargers, and pink napkins in a floral medallion print kept the place settings sophisticated—not fussy.

Ali and Rich chose The Downtown Band for their reception, opening the dance floor to “Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs. ”We danced to the entire song, and my bustle ripped during one of our lifts!” says the bride. 

Chefs at the venue recreated the couple’s favorites from Carbone, where they got engaged (which also just so happened to be a fun nod to their last name), and added small bites inspired by Rich’s Greek heritage. A multi-course dinner included baby spinach salad, braised beef short ribs, honey-lime grilled snapper, mushroom bourguignon, and cavatappi with truffle and cheese. “Behind the Carbone station was a linen print of an illustration of the Carbone storefront with Rich and I in front of it,” says Ali.  

“My favorite moment of the wedding was actually during dinner,” says Rich. “We were sitting at the big table, and there was nothing left on the agenda—it was just eat, then dance. We had this amazing acoustic guitarist singing fun songs by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, and our whole table was talking, singing, waving our arms, and having fun. Being able to look around the room in that moment and realize that everyone you love was in one place and the next few hours would be the best of your life, and knowing you just married the woman of your dreams, is a special feeling and one I will cherish forever.”

As a playful reference to Rich’s Instagram reputation as “the martini man,” the couple served classic cocktails on napkins embroidered by Klein Designs. “The other cocktail was the Jenks’ Orange Crush—an homage to our favorite bar at the New Jersey shore (and our dog’s name),” says Ali.

A four-tier sour cream pound cake from Dessert Designs was a complete surprise for Ali and Rich. “That was such a moment,” says Ali. “I was so confused—why is there a cake? We didn’t get a cake. And my mom walked in behind me and said, ‘I didn’t want to hear my whole life that you didn’t have a wedding cake.’” The final touch was a custom topper modeled after the couple’s dog, Jenks. “It was such a surprise and the cake ended up being a huge highlight—people took photos of it all night,” says Ali.

During the reception, Ali changed into a glittering Netta BenShabu minidress with a Daniel X Diamond hat and cowboy boots. “I felt like it wasn’t fair that I had a few outfit changes, and the bridesmaids were staying in their gowns, especially with the mechanical bull at the after party,” she says. “So, I partnered with Pickle and each of my bridesmaids picked out a fun minidress look to change into whenever they wanted during the reception!”

Late-night snacks included sandwiches inspired by Ali’s favorite shop, Hoagie Haven. The custom wrappers and monogrammed stickers added to the day’s personalization; other DIY touches included sachets of Jordan almonds Ali made for the ceremony, monogrammed candles from TAJA, and bespoke matchbooks. 

Before decamping to the after-party in a fringed Karen Sabag Couture romper and matching boots, Ali and Rich joined a Dolly Parton impersonator to sing “9 to 5,” a moment the bride recalls as “epic.” “The stress, the tears, the anxiety—it’s all worth it for the day you get to marry the love of your life, look out at the crowd down the aisle, and see all of your family and friends together in one room,” says the couple. “Just get to that day, take a big breath before you get out of bed, give it to God, and have yourself a ball. It’ll be the best day of your life—if you let it be.”