RECENT WORK FROM ERIN LEE ALLENDER PHOTOGRAPHY.
Elegant Cheekwood Wedding - Kaye & Edward
Kaye and Edwards elegant wedding photographed at The Hermitage, Christ Church Cathedral, and Cheekwood in Nashville, TN. This New York Couple had a Milk Bar Birthday Cake shipped from New York City.
New Yorkers Kaye and Edward were married this past weekend and it was absolutely lovely. As far as a wedding will allow, it was a very relaxed day. Everything was elegant, classic, and surprisingly not stuffy. The bridesmaids dresses were fantastic and throughout the portraits there were references made to the royal wedding. Naturally, I approved. And Kaye’s dress, oh my gosh…. Kaye and Edward allowed themselves be in the moment and soak in their wedding day and it really showed. I adored working with the two of them and their families and I hope you enjoy their Elegant Cheekwood Wedding Sneak Peek.
Planning & Design: Kelly Dellinger Events
Getting Ready Location: The Hermitage Hotel
Church: Christ Church Cathedral
Reception Location: Cheekwood
Rentals: Music City Tents and Events
Rentals: Please Be Seated
Catering: Flavor
Lighting: Bright Event Productions
Florals: Enchanted Florist
Band: Funky Town Band
Cake: Milk Bar
Classic Brentwood Wedding Mass - Sarah & Mitchell
Sarah and Mitchell’s beautiful and classic wedding photographed at Brentwood Country Club and Christ the King Catholic Church.
Sarah & Mitchell were married a week ago at Christ The King Catholic Church and the wedding reception followed at Brentwood Country Club. The day was nonstop rain, but fortunately we had two gorgeous locations with plenty of places to photograph in. With a beautiful bride and groom and their very sweet families, I had plenty to work with. Sarah and Mitchell were the epitome of the classic bride and groom. Sarah's and her dress were spectacular and Mitchell looked dapper in his tuxedo.
I love big family weddings! I come from a very small one so there is something so lovely about larger families and all their tight-knit craziness. Sarah is one of 4 daughters. Photographing the bond between sisters is honestly one of my favorites so when you have four of them together, it's pretty fantastic. Sarah wore her mother's veil down the aisle and one of her sisters, Katie, baked her wedding cake. Watching them officially welcome Mitchell into their family was amazing and I get to do this all over again in June when I photograph Sarah's twin sister Anna's wedding!
Congratulations Sarah & Mitchell. Here is your Classic Brentwood Wedding Mass sneak peek! Can't wait to photograph you both again in a couple months!
Special Thanks to Their Vendors:Reception & Getting Ready Location: Brentwood Country Club
Church: Christ The King
Planning: Weddings By Wanda
Florals: Kelsy Marie Designs
Hair & Makeup: One 10 Beauty
Rentals: Liberty Party Rental
Sneak Peek Elegant Cedarwood Garden Wedding - Sara & Connor
Photographs from an elegant garden destination wedding at Cedarwood in Nashville, Tennessee.
I just love these two! Sara’s smile lights up everything around her including a cloudy, raining wedding ceremony. Connor is just the absolute best = they are perfect together. Sara and Connor met while they were both with separate friend groups sitting at different tables at Patterson House. Connor was stationed in Clarksville and Sara was on vacation. Crazily, Sara and one of her bridesmaids both met their husbands that night!
Sara and Connor looked incredible on their wedding day and Historic Cedarwood looked stunning as always. The entire day was overcast and we were hoping that the rain would hold off until the reception but instead it decided to start raining right before Sara walked down the aisle. Sara and Connor were troopers and had their whole ceremony in the rain. They never complained once and STILL looked amazing afterwards. The rain ended almost as soon as we started their portraits leaving us with some really fun light to play with. By far my favorite moment was when Sara was walking down the aisle to Connor on her dad's arm. She started crying and then started apologizing to all her guests for it! It was adorable. Please enjoy this sneak peek of Sara and Connor's Elegant Cedarwood Garden Wedding!
Special Thanks To:
Venue- Cedarwood Weddings
Florals- Cedarwood Weddings
Catering- Dream Events and Catering
Hair & Makeup- One10Beauty
Wedding Gown- BHLDN
Rentals- Liberty Party Rental
Cake- Patty Cakes
Paper Goods - Designs in Paper
DJ- Premier
Crispy Baked Peanut Tofu and Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry Recipe
A Crispy Baked Peanut Tofu & Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry Recipe from Minimalist Baker.
I am not a good cook. I can semi follow a recipe alright. Although the bok choy in this shot is not cooked all the way, the tofu isn't caramelized enough, and I stuck the plate in the microwave after taking this photo, it was SOOO delicious. The recipe was from Minimalist Baker and you should definitely make it. Click HERE to get the recipe. I used frozen cauliflower rice to save time (although I didn't thaw it long enough hence the microwave) and used expired maple syrup instead of honey because my honey had solidified. I'm still alive and it was still good!
Sneak Peek Classic Spring Wedding - Channing & Taylor
A classic spring wedding at Covenant Presbyterian Church and University Club Nashville photographed by Erin Lee Allender in Tennessee.
I met Channing and her mom in Frothy Monkey last fall. My house had just flooded and we were living in an Airbnb without the pups. All I wanted to do was sit in front of the TV with ice cream and eat my miseries away. The last thing I wanted to do was have to promote myself to new people but then walked in two of the loveliest people ever, Channing and her mom Heidi. I instantly wanted to photograph this wedding.
This past weekend I finally got to meet the groom, Taylor and the rest of the bride and groom's families. When I say I have the best couples and the best families, I really mean it. These two and their families despite the ridiculous heat were gracious and fun the whole entire day. The size of this wedding party beat out the count of any other wedding party that I have photographed in my career and there wasn't a difficult one in the bunch. They were all amazing!!! Most importantly you could tangibly see how much joy Channing and Taylor had in each other's presence. Please enjoy their sneak peek!
Special Thanks to Their Vendors:
Church: Covenant Presbyterian Church
Reception: University Club of Nashville
Wedding Coordinator: Marcia Husband
Hair: Mark Massa at Style Kitchen
Makeup: Caroline Myers
Dress: Sarah Seven from LVD
Bridesmaids Dresses: BHLDN
Tuxedos: Jos A Bank
Florist: Elder Floral Design
Cake: Triple Crown Bakery
Doughnut Bar: Fox's Donut Den
Caterer: Chef Nick Govrik at the University Club of Nashville
Draping and Lighting: Events Plus
Rentals: Liberty Party Rental
Band: Number One Party Band
Paper goods: Audrey Hurst Weddings
Signage: Kristi Anne Design
Vintage Car and Trolley: Fadd's Entertainment
Year In Review - 2016
Year in review for the 2016 Nashville Wedding Season of Erin Lee Allender.
It is already 2017. When I was in grade school my mom thought it would be really funny to get me pencils that had my high school graduation year on them. I was the class of 2000. It felt like it was going to take forever, but now post Y2K, (aging myself again) we are 17 years into the 2000s. CRAZY.
This year was a monumental year for me in my career. After working for The Collection since 2009, with the encouragement of my husband, I launched my own brand. It has been a great year. I have had so much support from within the Nashville photography industry and just the Nashville wedding industry in general, that I have been blown away. I have photographed everything from promotional images for a personal trainer to your babies, your weddings, and even your family reunions and vacations. It has been incredible.
Even though part of our house flooded and we were displaced or sleeping on couches for almost three months, I am happy to announce that my husband, Taylor, has almost reached the magic 2 year remission mark for his type of cancer. This means that there is a very slight chance that it will ever come back.
To all of my couples. I really feel that possessive “my”…in a loving and not creepy way… I LOVED EVERY MINUTE with you all. I can’t imagine anyone could have clients as great as I have had.w You have welcomed into your lives and treated me like I have been there forever. 2016 and my bride and grooms did not disappoint.
To all the vendors that I work with. No one can tell me that Nashville doesn’t have the greatest group of wedding professionals ever. You continually give me beautiful things to photograph and been so supportive of my business endeavors.
Without further ado. Here are SOME of my favorite images from my weddings in 2016. Thank you all for making 2016 one of my best years yet. I am still booking weddings in 2017 and I will still be Focusing On Moments That Capture The Emotions You Want To Feel For A Lifetime.
Sneak Peek Rooftop Rose Gold New Years Eve Wedding - Jackie & Patrick
A Rooftop Rose Gold New Years Eve Wedding at The Bridge Building in Nashville, Tennessee photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Well here is a sneak peek of my last wedding of 2016 and technically my first wedding of 2017. Jackie and Patrick were married on New Years Eve day at The Bridge Building in Nashville, Tennessee. The couple resides outside of Los Angeles California where Jackie is a meteorologist for CBS. Jackie and Patrick, a entrepreneur who now lists himself as a trophy husband on Instagram, met at a golf tournament and after their first date, they knew that they had found their person.
Since Jackie is a meteorologist, we knew in advance that it was going to rain on their wedding, but because of their location and the stunning design work of Sara Fried of Fete Nashville, I wasn't worried at all. Their wedding ceremony took place on the rooftop of the Bridge Building and the reception followed downstairs in the main room. The decor centered around white, rose gold, and of course some sparkle. They started off the evening with a band playing for their guests and the night concluded upstairs with an after party on the rooftop. There the couple and their guests rang in the New Year with a DJ, champagne, and grilled cheese. The sides of the tent were removed so that their guest could watch the fireworks over Nashville's Skyline.
I loved working with this incredibly sweet, gracious and fun couple. You know that you are working with good people when they list their flower girl as their "something special" at their wedding. Please enjoy their sneak peek. And a special thanks to their incredible vendors-
Venue: The Bridge Building
Designer + Planner: Fete Nashville
Florals: Enchanted Florist
Video: Klassy Productions
Rentals: Liberty Party Rental
Draping + Lighting: Visual Elements
Hair + Make-up Bridesmaids: Madison Hardy Dennis
Hair + Make-up Bride: Brittany Renee
Cake: Triple Crown Bakery
Catering: Infinity Events and Catering
Linens: BBJ Linen
Transportation: Grand Avenue
Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuilier
Band: The Downtown Band
Invites + stationery: Minted
Style Shoot - Romantic Garden Party at The Hermitage
A Romantic Garden Wedding Style Shoot at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage photographed by Erin Lee Allender of Nashville, Tennessee.
Last year Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage asked me to do the photography for a style shoot in the gardens of The Hermitage while VIP Wedding Open House was going on. The setup was GORGEOUS and besides the torrential downpour in the middle of of the shoot, we all had a blast. A huge shout out to Emily from The Hermitage for setting all of this up! Thank you to all of the fantastic vendors that participated and a huge thank you to the adorable couple Grace and Sammy for being my models. Below are some of my favorite images!
Hair/Makeup: Chelsea Blair
Florals: Green Finch Floral
Rentals: Liberty Party Rentals
Couch and Frame: Two Monkeys Vintage
Gown: Modern Trousseau
Tuxedo: Street Tuxedo
Jewelry: Brentwood Jewelers
English Summer Wedding at Cedarwood - Hope & Freddie
An English boy meets an American girl. They fall in love in England and get married in Nashville at Scarritt Bennett and Cedarwood. Photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Hope and Freddie met while Hope was studying abroad at Oxford. Freddie was from England and Hope was from New York City. They fell madly in love but the time came for Hope to move back to the states and at the time they weren't able to maintain a long distance relationship. They kept in touch and two years later Hope made an excuse to visit a friend in London and as they say, the rest is history.
Hope and Freddie both live in London, but Hope parents recently moved to Nashville. Hope and Freddie fell in love with the southern charm of the city. The whole wedding was planned by Cedarwood and Hope from opposite sides of the ocean. They chose to have a traditional English wedding ceremony at Scarritt Bennett in Nashville. Hope got ready at her parent's house and traveled to the location via a double decker bus. The wedding took place in the early afternoon and the men all wore wool morning suits. After the ceremony everyone, including the guests, changed into their evening attire which for Hope, was her mother's wedding dress. When the guests arrived at Cedarwood they were greeted by a cocktail hour on the lawn with a bluegrass band playing for their enjoyment.
The decor was natural but elegant. The reception pavilion was decorated with trees and large white floral arrangements on tables with classic white lines. While the guests were enjoying their family style dinner and passing the different dishes, they could view the rolling Tennessee hills of Cedarwood. Their guests came from all over the world and Hope and Freddie gave them a beautiful southern experience on a gorgeous summer night.
Ceremony Venue- Wightman Chapel Scarritt Bennett
Reception Venue- Historic Cedarwood
Cake: Patty Cakes
HMUA- One 10 Beauty
Catering- Chef Christopher
Paper goods- Designs in Paper
Rentals- Liberty Party Rental
Airy Classic Cordelle Wedding - Katie & Chester
A classic but airy wedding photographed by Erin Lee Allender at West End United Methodist Church and The Cordelle in Nashville, TN.
"We met through friends at a party in Chester's backyard. No special story behind the actual meeting, but the night we met, Chester sang karaoke, Katie wore a bachelorette tiara out at the bar, and we went to South (a dance club) and danced together most of the night. Also, Chester thought Katie's name was Kathy for the first few days they knew each other, because the friend that introduced them had given Katie that nickname."
I feel like that statement from Katie and Chester's questionnaire describes them perfectly. Oh Katie and Chester, how I loved working with you guys and your quirky fun personalities.
Katie and chester had a classic yet airy spring reception at The Cordelle this past May. Their wedding took place at West End United Methodist Church and everything was planned by Kristin Kaplan of Stunning Events and Designed by Hillary Yeager. Everything from the light green bridesmaids dresses to the pale flowers and eucalyptus table runners was perfect (wait until you see Katie's dress!). Delicate china on gold chargers with set salads welcomed the guests into the tent where dinner was served. When that was over they danced the night away to the music of The ErikBlueBand.
Special thanks to: Kristin Kaplan of Stunning Events, The Cordelle, West End United Methodist Church, Hillary Yeager, LMA designs, Dulce Desserts, Nashville Event Lighting, Nashville Audio Visual, inc., Music City Tents, Flavor Catering & Special Occasions, One10 Beauty, and Prime Source Entertainment Group.
Classic Gold & White War Memorial Wedding – Katie & Vinny
A classic gold and white destination wedding at War Memorial Auditorium and Wightman Chapel Scarritt Bennett. Family came from as far as Italy and the reception included a tarantella. Photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
I’m so excited to show you this beauty. Meet the lovely Katie and Vinny. Katie was born and raised in Nashville, TN and Vinny was born in Italy and was raised in New Jersey. The two started Columbia Law School at the same time and met at a law school mixer. It wasn’t long before they started dating. The couple lives in Manhattan (with their puppy) but decided to have their wedding in Nashville. They teamed up with Kristin Kaplan with Stunning Events for their gorgeous event. There ceremony took place at Wightman Chapel at Scarritt Bennett and their reception took place at The War Memorial Auditorium.
These two wonderful people were delighted to marry each other. You could see it in every photograph I took that day and their families were just as delighted. People came all over the world to witness Katie and Vinny’s marriage. Vinny had a lot of family come from Italy and I got to witness and photograph my first tarantella. It is now a requirement at all my weddings and has been added to my contract. Their ceremony was one of the most heart-stirring ceremonies that I have ever been at. I had a hard time not crying when”The Prayer” was sung as a operatic duet in both English and Italian. I’m going to not say anything more and let the images “do the talking”. Special thanks to all the incredible vendors- Stunning Events, Brocade Design, Lauren Marie Atkinson Design, Dulce Desserts, Visual Elements, Music City Tents and Events, Cosmo Creations, Flavor Catering, and Matchless Transportation.
Wedding Sneak Peek - Lindsey & Nathan
Wedding Sneak Peek of a wedding at Burritt on The Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Yesterday I drove out of Nashville to photograph a wedding for this ADORABLE couple at Burritt on The Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama. I didn't meet Lindsey and Nathan until yesterday and I think they are just the absolute cutest. A couple couldn't be more in love. Here's their wedding sneak peek!
Fall Hermitage Hotel Wedding – Emily & Stephen
A classic fall wedding at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
This is Emily & Stephen and this is their fall Hermitage Hotel wedding. Emily & Stephen grew up together outside of Nashville, TN. They went from grade school to high school together but didn’t start dating until they became reacquainted through mutual friends as adults. Stephen proposed at the viewing deck on the Eiffel Tower. What Emily thought was going to just be a photo taken by a fellow tourist, became Stephen on one knee proposing.
Emily and Stephen and their families were amazing to work with. I sincerely loved every minute of it. It was definitely a friends and family affair. Emily’s mom made the cake, A family friend did the floral arrangements, all the siblings and nieces and nephews were included in the wedding party. One of my favorite parts? The little flower girl HAD to have heels. Adorable. There were nods to Stephen’s alma mater UT in some of the colors of the flowers and the groom’s suspenders. As you can see in the photos there was so much joy and laughter all day long. AND they had a Garrett Popcorn bar which, although I'm a bit biased, is the best popcorn ever. Please enjoy the photos!
A Vivid & Chic Symphony Center Wedding – Laura & Ben
Lots of bold color and gorgeous lighting at this Schermerhorn Symphony Center Wedding in Nashville, Tennessee photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Laura and Ben were married in July on the hottest day of 2015. Fortunately their wedding took place at The Schermerhorn Symphony Center which has a never ending list of places inside to photograph. We snapped a few photos out in the courtyard but for the most part we stayed in the building and I still didn’t get to photograph half the places that I wanted to. Sarah Willard of Music City Events and Laura came up with a gorgeous design for their day. There were vivid purples, orchids, grand vases, and a purple wash with a subtle floral design over the concert hall. All of this was under the amber glow of the Symphony’s chandeliers. It was magical. Laura and Ben looked stunning and there was so much laughter and love that day that it made it really hard for me to pick my favorites! Just take a look at Laura’s face after the cake cutting or the photo of everyone singing along to Journey. It really was a fabulous day and I hope that you can see that in these photos. Special thanks to all the vendors – Music CityEvents, Nashville Symphony Center, Music City Tents and Events, The Frosted Affair, Knestrick by Design, Bacon & Caviar, Top Tier Band, Nashville Silver Stings, and Amy Lynn Larwigg.
An Elegant and Classic Cheekwood Wedding- Emily & Ben
A gold and blush destination garden wedding at Cheekwood in Nashville, Tennessee photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Emily & Ben are two of the most wonderful people that you will ever meet. After my first Skype consultation with Emily, I crossed my fingers hoping that they would book me. The two physicians decided to have a destination wedding at the spectacular Cheekwood Museum and Botanical Gardens in Nashville, TN. Sara Fried of Fete Nashville planned and designed the event and it was absolutely stunning. Guests came from all of the world and there were a lot of fun little touches. Their guest book was prescription pads where guests were asked to write out a “Prescription to Happy Marriage”. Ben’s groom’s cake was a tower of donuts with a sign saying to “Take One and Call Ben in the Morning”. I particularly loved the bud vases with gold glitter in the water that were the escort cards!! The day had lots of tears and lots of laughing so it was pretty much a photographer’s dream. Please enjoy some of the wedding photographs of their beautiful day that was put together by some of my favorite vendors. Special thanks to- Fete Nashville, Cheekwood, Enchanted Florist, Dulce Dessert, Bright Event Productions, Music City Tents and Events, Liberty Party Rental, Chef’s Market, Ellie’s Old Fashion Donuts, and Amy Lynn Larwig.
Pi Pie at The Bridge Building - Erin & John
A pretty and romantic wedding at The Bridge Building in Nashville, Tennessee with a creative pi pie bar. Photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Five minutes into our first meeting, I was already a big fan of Erin and John. Kind and goofy, they are a joy to be around. Erin and John were married at Calvary United Methodist in Nashville, TN where John’s mother is on staff. The day turned out to be rather rainy so we opted to do most of the photos in the church. John’s mother, Libby performed the ceremony and then it was off to The Bridge Building for their reception. They had little glimpses throughout the day into their goofy side (see their pi pie below) and John had Erin giggling her infectious little giggle all day long. They are just too cute and when I found out they were going to honeymoon at Harry Potter World, I was sold. Congratulations Erin & John! Florals by PS Designs Inc, cake by Dulce Desserts and catering by Infinity Restaurant Group.
Classic Modern Wedding at Symphony Center - Erin & Victor
A classic modern destination wedding at the Nashville Symphony Center with a silver glitter cake and flower and crystal chandelier. Photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
This was the first wedding that I photographed in 2015 and gosh it set the bar high for that year. I met Erin over the phone while she and Victor were living in Brooklyn. We instantly hit it off and we spent a long time talking about the craziness that is wedding planning. This is what I have learned over the past year that I have worked with Erin and Victor- they are the most gracious people and they are also quirky. Gracious and quirky is my favorite combination. Their Christmas cards usually involve photoshopping their faces onto some current pop culture photo phenomenon. I was in love with my clients. This January I got to meet their families and friends and hear all of the wonderful things everyone had to say about Erin and Victor and how much everyone was in love with them as well.
I had the good fortune of being able to work with some of the best professionals in town on this wedding. Erin and Victor wanted a romantic, classic wedding at The Symphony Center with a modern twist and their vendors made it happen! Special thanks to everyone that made this stunning event- Angela Proffitt, Jay Qualls, Lauren Marie Atkinson Designs, Chefs Market, Visual Elements, Music City Tents and Events, Heidi at Damali NYC, Nashville Event Lighting, Karen Hendrix Couture, Higher Ground Band, Nuage Designs, Graceful Tables, Matchless Transportation, and Street Tuxedo.
Classic Scarritt Bennett Wedding - Heather & Dan
Heather and Dan's Classic All White Flower Wedding at Scarritt Bennett and Country Music Hall of Fame photographed by Erin Lee Allender in Nashville, Tennessee.
Heather and Dan were married at Scarritt Bennett in May of 2014. Their reception followed at the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was an elegant and classic wedding that centered around the bride and groom and their families. There were lots of happy tears and the bride and groom looked at each other adoringly all day. Heather just radiated happiness and Dan was stunned by Heather. This wedding contained some of my favorite candids that year- the photograph of Heather crying when she showed her dad the veil that her mom painstaking hand beaded, the photograph when the doors opened and the light from the chapel hit Heather’s face and she began to walk down the aisle towards Dan, and the photograph of Heather’s mom crying while watching Heather and her dad dance. Like I said, lots of crying. The night ended with an exit in a horse drawn carriage where we left the guests behind and took night photographs around the city.
Special thanks has to go to the incredible vendors that put this together- Camie Occasions, Enchanted Florist, Country Music Hall of Fame, Scarritt Bennett, Blue Tone Music, Dessert Designs by Leland, and Matchless Transportation.
