Years after first meeting on spring break in The Bahamas, interior designer Sophie Scott married finance professional Preston Howard on a fall day, at her parents’ home in Nashville, Tennessee. With the help of The Social Office, the bride’s childhood home was transformed for the celebration. Sophie’s friend, Amanda Eidson, crafted the stationery suite and all custom paper goods, pairing her designs with Valorie Cole’s penmanship. “I will never get over the incredible invitation sleeve Amanda dreamt up to mirror my dress,” Sophie notes.
On the morning of October 12, 2024, Sophie got ready with her mother and bridesmaids Nearby hung the two dresses that would define the night—her Oscar de la Renta ceremony look and the reimagined version of her mother’s 1980s wedding dress. “We took my mother’s gown down to the studs,” she explains. The lace bodice was stripped back to reveal the original silk, the hem was bubbled to honor the era, and beaded shoulder pieces were reapplied. The headpiece, worn spontaneously at her bridesmaid’s suggestion, instantly delighted her parents and family friends. “I know I will look back at my second look and smile thinking of my mom on her wedding day.”
For the ceremony, Sophie wore a laser-cut Oscar de la Renta look with appliquéd bees and butterflies. “They were the perfect detail I didn’t know I was looking for—they made the dress feel special yet effortless,” she explains. She kept her beauty simple, allowing the embroidery to stand out, and added jewelry with deep family ties: earrings gifted by her parents, a ring made from her grandmother’s old earring, and a vintage engagement bangle engraved with her initials and their wedding date.
Outside, Rosemary & Finch created a floral installation across the façade of her childhood home—a vision that Sophie describes as “gloriousness” and one that brought her mother’s ideas fully to life. A sweet bouquet completed her look. “There were so many bees and butterflies in my mom’s garden the week leading up to and on our wedding day,” Sophie says. “It felt like some kind of sign.”
Preston waited at the end of the aisle, having insisted on no first look. “Emotions were running high seeing him for the first time in this moment,” Sophie recalls. “It was completely surreal as I sobbed my way over to him.” They were married by his childhood pastor, a moment captured beautifully by photographer Natalie Watson.
Following the ceremony, guests found their escort cards displayed on Sophie’s mother’s vintage flower cart—another personal touch. “This special cart was put to perfect use,” she says. Cocktail hour took place on the terrace, while Sophie and Preston slipped away briefly for a quiet moment together.
The reception tent blended timeless design with personal elements collected over the years. The bride and her mother had discovered the tapestry-inspired fabric for the tent lining during a trip to Mood Fabrics in New York. Cord covers, salvaged architectural pieces used as centerpieces, and Sophie’s mother’s lamps flanking the chartreuse bar contributed to a setting that felt layered and expressive. “It really turned out even more beautiful than I could have pictured,” the bride adds.
Dinner was followed by cake cutting at a dessert table that carried family significance. Their simple, classic wedding cake was topped with Sophie’s parents’ original cake topper, and they used silver coupes and cake cutters that were heirlooms. Preston’s groom’s cake—an idea of his brought to life by Sam Cade of Cades Cakes—featured a turntable decorated with logos and references from his years in Dallas and at the University of Texas.
Dancing quickly became the heart of the night. “Dancing with Preston is my favorite thing,” Sophie says. Their first dance to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” remains one of the bride’s most cherished memories.
Midway through the reception, Sophie changed into her surprise second look—to everyone’s delight—and the evening concluded with confetti, a joyful send-off, and a yellow cab waiting to whisk the then Manhattan-based newlyweds away—“an ode to our New York home.”
