Micro Wedding Edwin Warner Park - Ale and Kenny

In August I photographed Ale & Kenny’s socially distanced micro wedding at Edwin Warner Park and I just noticed that I didn’t blog this very sweet day! Ale and Kenny hired me to come photograph for three hours. I was able to photograph their first look, portraits, ceremony, and toasts during that time period. When two lab researchers from Vanderbilt have a wedding, they do it very, very safely. Not only was it safe, but thanks to Ale’s creativity and floral skills it was beautiful too! Ale and Kenny’s family where not able to be there but because of technology, they got to witness everything via Zoom. I absolutely love photographing these small but oh so special weddings. Again a wedding doesn’t have to be over the top to be lovely, that lies solely within the couple and the love they have for each other and those they choose to celebrate with.

Covid Micro Home Wedding - Allison and Alex

Allison & Alex are another one of my 2020 couples that decided that despite the pandemic, they wanted to be married in 2020. They didn’t want it to keep them from being husband and wife for a full year so they opted to do an intimate ceremony this year and had a small reception following at Allison’s parents’ house. Next year they are going to have a large ceremony and celebration so that all that they love can be present to share in their happiness.

Their micro wedding took place in the chapel of First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN. I personally thought that it was far more stunning than the sanctuary and added so much to the charm of the day. Throughout the ceremony Allison could not stop glancing up at Alex. It was adorable. After having to reschedule their date already once, it was apparent that they were so happy to be finally getting married.

Everything was so personal, elegant and charming. The reception was spread out all over Allison’s parents’ beautiful house. There was something so wonderful about watching people mingling in the kitchen of the bride’s family home. They cut their cake in the living room, toasted in front of the fireplace, and settled onto the sofa to watch a video message from friends that couldn’t be there to celebrate with them. Again, 2020 has brought us back to what is important, there was plenty of flair that day (notice Alex’s goose feather accessories), but there was so much love and homey charm. Please enjoy Allison and Alex’s Covid Micro Home Wedding Sneak Peek. Congratulations to you both. You are lovely and I am so excited photograph you again next year!

Special thanks to the vendors:
Planner: Weddings by Helen
Florals: The English Garden
Catering: Beyond Details

Classic Nashville Micro Wedding - Mary and Kevin

Mary and Kevin decided that for everyone’s safety rather than cancelling their wedding, they would downsize to only their immediate family. Not only did their wedding day plans change, but Hurricane Delta decided to bring a monsoon to Nashville. They embraced all of it with massive smiles and kept their focus on what was truly important, their marriage. Mary and Kevin’s wedding is a perfect example of how gorgeous a micro wedding is. When I posted the first sneak peek image my husband said, “I don’t think people realize how beautiful it can all still be.” I agree. Most couples don’t understand how wonderful a tiny intimate wedding is. It’s so personal, relaxing, and special. It focuses on why we have weddings in the first place. I know it’s different when you are forced into making that decision, but again I say, it is not a consolation prize. I think it’s a gift that you didn’t know you wanted until you get it.

After the photos were done (we had some sun!) and Mary and Kevin were now husband and wife, we went over to the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel where the couple had a private dinner with just their parents and siblings. I loved listening to the conversations that were happening at the dinner table. They all sat around and talked about when Mary and Kevin first met, what everyone thought when they first started dated, when Kevin’s grandma met Mary, etc. The whole evening was completely focused on celebrating the journey of Mary and Kevin as a couple, nothing distracted from that. Love is not cancelled.

Special thanks to the vendors:
Planner: Weddings By Helen
Florals: The English Garden
Makeup: Mandy Davis MUA
Hair: Sarah Crews
Ceremony: Cathedral of the Incarnation
Reception: Loews Vanderbilt Hotel
Cake: Nayeli Hartman

Oh and thanks to Mary and Kevin for the Double Stuff Oreos and the massive piece of cake you sent home with me!

Micro Airbnb Brunch Wedding - Rebekah and Tyler

When Rebekah and Tyler got engaged they decided on a relaxing micro wedding. They found a farm on Airbnb in Goodlettsville, TN for their family celebration. With a winding gravel road and a creek bubbling by the ceremony spot, it was peaceful and perfect for what they wanted. They opted for an early celebration with a brunch spread and only their immediate family present. Tyler’s two children and Rebekah’s sister made up the wedding party and the day centered around exactly what is important on a wedding day, two people becoming a new family. I really enjoyed photographing Rebekah & Tyler’s micro Airbnb!

Special Thanks to Their Vendors:
Airbnb- The Barn
Ceremony garland- Import Flowers
Florals- from Import Flowers put together by the bride!!!
Catering - Johnny Haffner

Micro Wedding Belle Meade Plantation - Catherine & Whit

And I say it again - “You can still get married in 2020.” Catherine and Whit decided that rather than rescheduling their 2020 wedding AGAIN, they were going to go adjust their wedding plans and make their Belle Meade Plantation wedding into a micro wedding. They cut their guest list down to only immediate family and their wedding party bringing their count down to 25 people. With the reduction in guests they were able to allocate more of their wedding budget towards decor and it was stunning. With less people there was a more relaxed atmosphere and less time constraints. Because of this, they opted to ditch their first look and waited to see each other at the alter. With less people to feed and keep entertained, they were able to allow for more time for their ceremony and what resulted was one of the most personal services that I have ever photographed. Besides the cutest flower girls ever, one of the most memorable moments from the day was watching Catherine absolutely light up when she was around Whit. You could just see her relax as soon as they finally saw each other. I think the story of how they met explains them very well.-

“On a whim and on the pushy advice of some of her dearest friends (and bridesmaids) Catherine hesitantly downloaded Bumble. Five minutes later she had a match and opened with an Office quote, “Would you rather be feared or loved?” Whit responded in kind and thought they were hitting it off. Anxiety ridden Catherine said something to the extent of “I can’t do this and if you want to keep talking here’s my number” and immediately deleted the app. They talked almost non-stop over the next three weeks and made plans to meet up. An impatient (and uncharacteristically demanding ha!) Catherine couldn’t wait and invited Whit to join her at Dan McGuinness where she had stopped after a long day of hanging out with her girlfriends. Whit got there and was smitten pretty much immediately. In an effort to make sure he got to know her better he called in a wingman (best man) to provide a conversation partner for Catherine’s friend. Catherine and Whit spent the entire night talking. He was impressed by her sense of humor, openness, and twinkling eyes. She thought she hit the jack pot because he had a “real job”. They soon started to steal hours together after he got off work and before she had to leave to go to work, working night shift at the hospital. By New Years Eve, a memorable night when they went to see Jason Isbell at the Opry, they were in love.”

Please enjoy the photographs of Catherine and Whit’s Belle Meade Plantation Micro Wedding! Love Is Not Cancelled!
Special thanks to their vendors:

Planning: Kennedy Occasions
Venue: Belle Meade Plantation
Rentals: Southern Events
Cake: Susie’s Sweets
Lighting: Bright Event Productions
Strings: College Grove Strings
Draping: Events Plus Inc
Catering: Chef Penelope
Florals: Flower Girls Floral Design
Hair: Lindsey Binkley

Covid-19 Small Wedding Inspiration- Angela & Dave

Here’s another Micro Wedding Covid Inspiration! This is Angela and Dave’s wedding! Smaller weddings open up your location possibilities. Angela and Dave fell in love over Johnny Cash. Dave is a member of John Carter Cash’s band, Angela works for the Johnny Cash Museum, and they both recorded at Johnny Cash’s cabin in Hendersonville, TN. A location with meaning to a couple is always the best location and the Cash cabin was perfect. If their guest count was any larger, this would not have been possible. The reception followed at Two Rivers Mansion in Nashville, TN. After dinner while the sun was setting, all their guests gathered on the back porch of the mansion to enjoy drinks and dancing. Again, not something that would have been possible at a larger wedding. It was something very special and the intimacy was definitely a main factor in creating the magic of the evening. Here’s what Angela had to say about having a small wedding -

“My husband and I chose to have an intimate ceremony in June 2019. While we have large families on both sides, we wanted the day to feel relaxed and to celebrate with just our very closest friends and immediate family.

It was a joyful, stress free day. You’ll hear over and over again that your wedding day flies by. It’s so true! By keeping our wedding small (we had less than 40 guests!) we were able to spend the entire day focused on each other and the amazing love that brought us together with those few folks who know us best.

Beyond the obvious plusses of saving time, money and logistics on a “micro” wedding, I really feel like my husband and I had a chance to truly take it all in, in a way we couldn’t have experienced with a large wedding. I wouldn’t change that for the world!”

Vendors:
Reception Venue: Two Rivers Mansion
Hair & Makeup: Lydia Brittan
Flowers:  Kaley Daeger
Cake: Morgan Kincaid
Rentals: Liberty Party Rental
Car: Matchless Transportation
Dress: Oleg Cassini
Alterations: Only One Tailoring
Catering: Two Fat Men

Covid-19 Micro Wedding Inspiration - Sarah and Simon

I know that many couples are either postponing their celebrations or having a smaller gathering now and having the larger one later. Some have even decided that they only want to do a smaller wedding. For those of you that are going ahead with a mini, micro, tiny, intimate or whatever we are calling it, wedding… these upcoming blogs are for you. I want to encourage you that they are still beautiful and romantic. They can be luxurious or they can be simple. The beauty about a micro wedding is that they can be whatever you want them to be. These upcoming blogs are from mini weddings that I photographed in the past. I’ve asked the couples to tell you why they did a micro wedding and why it was special to them. I hope that you find them hopeful and encouraging. I know that 2020 has been a whirlwind for all of us, but marriage isn’t cancelled. Love isn’t cancelled. You can still become a family in 2020 and that ultimately is what is important.

From the bride, Sarah-

We had a small wedding in the backyard of the home we were renting in Colorado, surrounded only by our immediate family. It was perfect and personal! 

Our family had flown in a few days prior to the wedding to be able to hike and see the city before the festivities. The morning of the wedding, I went to get my hair and makeup done with my sister and mom, while my husband had breakfast with his family. We then met up at the house to have our first look. It was just the two of us (and Erin). We were both nervous about saying our vows in front of others, so we decided to say our vows then. We exchanged our vows for one another and shared a very intimate, sweet moment basking in our love. We then went to take photos in the mountains before the guests arrived. 

All of our decor was either homemade or rented. Once everyone arrived, they helped us set up the chairs and assemble the arbor we had made out of copper pipes. Having said our vows earlier, and having had everyone around us prior, had taken away the nerves and formality of the ceremony. As my dad walked me down the aisle, my husband and I felt much more relaxed and could truly enjoy the moment. My husband gave a quick welcome speech and we repeated our vows for our family to hear. In Colorado, you do not need an officiant. We chose to hold the ceremony ourselves, rather than having a stranger attend or having to pick someone from our friend group. It was just for us and that’s what we wanted. 

After the ceremony, the catering arrived! As we took family photos, the catering team set everything up and left us to eat on our own. We shifted all of the decor into a pretty seating area, where everyone was able to see and talk to one another. There were times when the whole table was engaged in one conversation, a true combining of the families, which was really nice. After dinner, we crowded into the house for an evening drink, while the catering team came back and cleaned everything up. The food was amazing, and thanks to it being a small wedding, we had leftovers for weeks to come! Overall, it was the perfect wedding for us! It was stress-free, personal, inexpensive, and in the end, we were married! 

Why have a small wedding? The wedding was for us and about us. We didn’t feel the need to make a big show out of it or have lots of people witness it. We figured if we really wanted to, we could always hold a celebration party for more people at a later time. We are also both introverts, so the idea of being the center of attention to a large group of people was not appealing to us. Being able to spend quality time with our family was very important. Weddings are often very expensive to attend, then you barely get to see your guests. By having the small gathering we did, we were able to really soak in the time with our family, without being pulled in multiple directions. It was also substantially less expensive! With the money we saved, we were able to go visit the friends and family who did not attend, thus getting quality time with them as well. Plus it also allowed us to travel, which is something we value highly. Often people feel like they need to have a big wedding and invite everyone they know, simply because that is the norm. In the end, you need to do what is best for you. If you don’t want to invite your dad’s best friend’s cousin, don’t invite them! The wedding is for you and you’ll be much happier doing things your way! People may be surprised at first when you say you’re having a small wedding, but those who truly know you and love you will understand and be happy for you no matter what. 

I also wrote about it on Medium Here…..

Why should you choose Erin? (note: I didn’t ask her to write why you should choose me. That was just a bonus! Love you Sarah!) Erin was perfect! Not only did she take amazing photos, she was also great at reading the mood. When it was just my husband and I, during our first look and first set of vows, we barely knew she was there. She gave us space to have our time together and share intimate moments, while secretly capturing it all. When we were feeling nervous, she was there to support and to lighten the mood. She cracked jokes to take our mind of things and told us stories about her own life that were relatable. Once the family arrived, she slipped in and out, joining in when appropriate and giving us privacy when necessarily, again all while photographing the sweet moments that were occurring. I would highly recommend her for your small wedding!

Covid-19 Quarantine Wedding - Laralee & Adam

My first and so far only wedding after coming back from maternity leave was smack dab in the middle of the Covid-19 shut down. Laralee and Adam were already planning an intimate affair for their wedding day, but per the shutdown rules for Nashville in April, they had to pair their already small wedding down to 10 people. That 10 people included me, a videographer, the church coordinator, and the minister. I witnessed Laralee grieve over what she originally had planned, but when it came down to it all she really wanted was to marry Adam. The result turned out beautifully. Laralee wore a reworked version of her mother’s wedding dress, she was still married in the chapel of her church, they live streamed their ceremony so that friends and family could watch, and they even cut a pie that Adam’s grandmother had made for them. When their ceremony was over there was a surprise waiting for them. Friends lined up in cars to drive by and congratulate them. Yes social distancing applied, yes we had markers spacing us 6 feet apart during the ceremony, yes they were in and out of masks, but just like everything during this pandemic, we learn what is really important. All that really matters is Laralee and Adam love each other and they still were able to get married. It can still be done in a beautiful and romantic way. The bigger celebration will come later, but the most important part happened even in the middle of a pandemic.