Our Story | From Beach Weddings to the Smoky Mountains

If you would’ve told us a few years ago that we’d one day own a wedding venue in the Smoky Mountains, we probably would’ve laughed.

Leather & Lace Wedding & Event Co. started with beach weddings along the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2021. What began as a leap of faith quickly turned into something we poured our hearts into — intimate ceremonies, destination weddings, handcrafted décor, photography, officiating, planning, and long wedding days spent hauling trailers across the sand while trying to create unforgettable experiences for our couples.

We built this business from the ground up as a husband-and-wife team. No investors. No big company behind us. Just long hours, trial and error, family help, determination, and honestly… a lot of chaos along the way.

Over the years, we met incredible couples from all over the country who trusted us with one of the biggest days of their lives. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, our dream started changing. We didn’t just want to create beautiful weddings anymore — we wanted to create an entire place that felt like an experience from the moment couples arrived.

In 2024, we packed up with our dogs, traveled across the country, and eloped ourselves in Colorado. That trip changed everything for us. It reminded us why intimate weddings matter so much. It reminded us that weddings don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. Some of our own photos didn’t even turn out because we forgot to change camera settings — but somehow it was still the most perfect day imaginable.

Not long after, life pushed us into making one of the biggest decisions we’ve ever made. We left Florida 2 months ago, stepped away from a lot of noise and stress, and moved to East Tennessee to start over and chase something bigger for ourselves and our family.

That dream became Leather Bound Hollow.

Now home to The Cardinal’s Nest, our Smoky Mountain wedding venue in Sevierville, Tennessee blends everything we’ve loved throughout this journey — intimate moments, natural beauty, romantic lighting, handcrafted details, and weddings that feel personal instead of cookie-cutter.

Today, we continue serving couples in both Florida and Tennessee while building something we hope people can genuinely feel when they arrive here. Not just a venue, but a place created with real life, real love, and real stories behind it.

We’re still growing. Still learning. Still building. But one thing has never changed — we care deeply about the couples who trust us with their wedding day.

And honestly? We’re just getting started.