A Chat with Nichole Holmes and Sarah Miller from Netflix’s Marriage or Mortgage
Wedding flowers or kitchen flowers? We were thoroughly intrigued about what couples actually value in the early stages of their engagements, so we jumped at the chance to speak to both Nichole and Sarah about their thoughts on where newlyweds should spend their dollars when entering this new phase of their lives.
While the hit Netflix show highlights couples making these hard decisions, to some, they are just no brainers. We ask Nichole and Sarah details about their fields, why they believe some couples choose a wedding over an investment, and where the future of weddings and real estate is going.
Nichole and Sarah, what led you both to your respective careers?
Nichole: I come from a construction and land development background. My family owned a construction company for 3 generations, spanning over 100 years. I grew up listening right outside the conference room door to deals happening on the other side. My parent owned and ran several apartment complexes in my hometown. I grew up showing, renting and helping manage those apartments since I was 16! My college degree is from the school of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University. I majored in Radio/Television and minored in Psychology. I’ve worked in front of the camera in some capacity since I graduated college. Marriage and Mortgage was a dream come true, combining my love for real estate and my love for being in front of the camera.
Sarah: I grew up in Atlanta, GA where my mother had brought me up in her creative career of Interior Design. I love shadowing her as a young girl, while she was shopping, designing, and pulling together all the pretty details. You can say it just stuck when I was older and moving into high school all I wanted to do was Art Classes. Studying interior design in college to then go to designing my own wedding in Florida made me realize I love the actual design and feel of weddings. That Drive brought me to Nashville TN and into the wedding planning industry. I worked for another company for years when I realized after my growing family that I needed to be out on my own designing and enjoying my job!! That is where Southern Vine & Co. was born. My love for interior design and design/planning of weddings goes hand and hand!
What perks do you find in intimate weddings as opposed to big ones?
Sarah: No matter what kind of wedding you have in mind, small or big, intimate, or large, you will want to enjoy your wedding day as much as possible without any regrets. I love planning both and no matter what size it is all about being creative for my clients. I will say the perks on planning a smaller wedding is I get to know the families and guest much more than the larger ones which I love because it is all about the relationships we bond. The other is that my client love that they get to dance and mingle all night long instead of having to try and great and or speak with so many guests. Third thing is that it opens many more options for venues, destinations, and budget. Now for my large wedding clients, I honestly have never heard any regrets, they have loved the moment for everyone in their lives to come together to celebrate their love. Which would never happen in any other setting. It is a time you get to see so much, love, joy and laughter of people that just met. The Con on the large size wedding is that it does limit the destination and venues to choose from.
What can we expect from the suburban housing market over the next five years, and how can couples looking to buy within that timeframe prepare for the changes?
Nichole: I wish I could predict that! Real Estate can be cyclical. I feel the Nashville market will plateau at some point but I’m not sure it will ever drop significantly from where we are today.
What are a few ways a couple can save on their wedding while keeping their desires for a full day intact?
Sarah: I love to talk about smart money and dumb money! I hate to say it like that but its true. I honestly live by this as a planner. Put your money towards things you love a want and scale back on the rest. That does not mean you have to compromise each area it just means maximize your budget where its needed most. There are plenty of ways to scale back in areas and still have a stunning wedding. Plus, I think hiring a wedding planner to lead you in the right direction for each area is key. Planners can help you in the long run maximize designs, vendors and all the details depending upon what you are looking for.
Although it is specific from couple to couple and their circumstances, what are some general rules of thumb on what to compromise on when looking for the right home?
Nichole: It’s important to know what your deal breakers are and what your top must haves are. If schools are super important, obviously you’ll sacrifice something in the home to afford being in the right school district. If proximity to work in the city is important, maybe you’ll give up yard size so your commute isn’t as far. It’s all very individualized. It’s my job to figure those important pieces to the puzzle out when house hunting.
Do you see a shift in the way weddings are being approached after the pandemic?
Sarah: Honestly, NO. Since the pandemic, the event world has gone 0 – 100 in a few months. Where we went from unnoticed as planners to overbooked. Most families and or Brides and Grooms took the Pandemic as an awful experience where they lost or where not able to see their loved ones. Everyone now that things are safer want to celebrate and make sure they don’t miss out on these celebrations with the ones they love. Now on the vendor side, yes. Vendors have put so many new protocols into play for safety/cleanliness to still ensure that we are still able to carry on with these events while taking care of guest and staff. But overall, there has never been a right or wrong way to plan a wedding, so do what feels right and safe still in these unusual times.
We recommend Marriage or Mortgage for your next Netflix binge.
Keep up with Sarah and Nichole on their socials: Nichole Holmes, Sarah Miller