RECENT WORK FROM ERIN LEE ALLENDER PHOTOGRAPHY.
Intimate Gallatin Backyard Wedding - Shelby and Davis
Shelby and Davis’ intimate backyard wedding photographed at the creek where they went on dates and Davis’ parents backyard.
Calling a wedding simple should not be considered a bad thing. A modest wedding can be absolutely beautiful and very meaningful. Shelby and Davis had the most perfect intimate backyard wedding in Davis’ mom and stepmom’s backyard. Davis’ mom is my neighbor. I actually walked my “little” green wagon with my gear three houses down from my house to work. In one of the photos you can see my son’s beloved “Dinosaur Pumpkin Head” inflatable in the background. They were married in September of last year and, oh my gosh, I can’t believe we set up Halloween decorations so early. I apologize to the neighborhood.
Shelby and Davis are sweet and adorable and not ones to stand in front of a bunch of people. So together with 20 or so of their family members and their dog, they were married in Davis’ mom and stepdad’s backyard. We drove down the street and photographed their first look and wedding portraits at a creek near our house. I suggested that location not knowing that they used to go on dates there. Giving us one more reason that an at home wedding is a great option, your history as a couple is ever present. The day consisted of getting ready, portraits, the ceremony, dinner, and toasts. It was beautiful and perfect for Shelby and Davis. I hope you enjoy some of my favorites from their intimate Gallatin backyard wedding.
Here are some more intimate weddings for you to look at:
Ale and Kenny at Edwin Warner
Allison & Alex at First Presbyterian Church and parents’ home.
Mary Katherine & Kevin at Cathedral of the Incarnation & Lowes Vanderbilt Hotel
Rebekah & Tyler Airbnb Wedding
Catherine & Whit at Belle Meade Plantation
Sarah & Simon at Home in Boulder Colorado
Laralee & Adam at Immanuel Baptist Church
Nashville Backyard Spring Wedding - Mary and Thomas
Mary and Thomas’ bohemian meets garden party backyard wedding photographed at her parents’ home in Nashville, TN.
Wanting your wedding to feel more intimate and homey? What feels more like home than home? Mary and Thomas had a beautiful bohemian meets garden party affair in Mary’s parents’ backyard in Nashville. Because it was April, they opted to tent both the ceremony and reception location. They even included the new trees in the backyard by tenting over them and adding uplights!
I photographed Mary’s sister’s wedding years ago and I remember having to tell myself that Hope probably wouldn’t appreciate it if it was the Hope plus Mary wedding gallery. Mary is just so photogenic and you can’t help but photograph her. The more I have gotten to know Hope, I now know she would have probably been just fine with that. These two sisters are inseparable.
Mary and Kevin are the sweetest couple and neither one of them particularly enjoy the spotlight. This more relaxed backyard wedding was perfect for them. Family members gave speeches and Mary’s aunt officiated the ceremony. It was charming. I loved these two and I loved the look and feel of their Nashville backyard wedding.
Please enjoy some of my favorites. Vendors are listed below.
You can check out more of my backyard weddings-
Lascassas Backyard- Katie & Matt
Colorado Backyard - Sarah & Simon
Kentucky Backyard
Adams Backyard- Meg & Jake
Childhood Home Wedding in Lascassas, TN - Katie and Matt
Katie and Matt’s beautiful fall wedding at photographed at Katie’s childhood home outside of Nashville in Lascassas, TN.
There is nothing more charming than photographing a backyard wedding at a childhood family home. I get such joy walking through a house looking at all the family photos and seeing pictures of my client as a little child. It’s easy in my job to look at a wedding as formula. First we do the getting ready photos, then we do the portraits, then comes the ceremony, and so forth. Seeing a photographic timeline of how a client came to be where they are now and knowing how much love their parents have for their no longer little baby, whips everything back into focus (pun intended). Having your wedding or reception where you grew up adds history and depth that isn’t possible in a venue. It also adds so much more work. SO MUCH MORE and you really need to be ready for a massive commitment. You also must have a coordinator and not just a day of coordinator, but I digress.
Katie and Matt were married last fall in Lascassas, TN at her family church, Lascassas First Baptist. Lascassas is about 50 miles outside of Nashville. The reception followed at her childhood home. The view was absolutely gorgeous and there were horses. What could be better? The couple was ADORABLE. You couldn’t help but be happy around Katie. Her joy and enthusiasm bubbles over. You’ll see it in the photos. We photographed around the town of Lascassas and I got to hear all the stories about different shops and their owners. One of the best moments was their exit when their guests threw paper airplanes at the couple. Katie is a flight attendant! Their reception dance floor was hilarious. Katie’s dad, who appeared to be a reserved man, really let loose and had all of us in stitches. I hope you enjoy some of my favorite images from Katie and Matt’s childhood home wedding in Lasscassas, TN. See their vendors below.
Here are links to more home weddings I’ve photographed:
Allison & Alex
Sarah & Simon
Julia & Ryan
Lauren & Michael
Planner - Simply Yours Weddings
Florist- Murfreesboro Flower Shoppe
Catering - Tasty Table Murfreesboro
Reception Music- Premier
Rentals- Southern Events Online
Lighting- Bright Event Productions
Coffee & Donuts- Donut Country Mufreesboro
Paper Goods- Designs in Paper
Intimate Backyard and Hillwood Country Club Wedding - Lillian and Randy
Lillian & Randy’s intimate backyard wedding photographed at the couple’s house followed by a reception at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville, TN.
Lillian and Randy had a lovely small wedding ceremony in the backyard of their home in Nashville, TN. It was a second marriage for both of them and they wanted the ceremony to be intimate, involving only their children, Randy’s parent’s and a couple of friends. Lillian wore a gorgeous silk jumpsuit and each guest was given the gift of a tree planted in their name. The couple walked to Hillwood Country Club where a larger reception with more friends and family members followed. I really enjoyed photographing the blending of these two families and watching the interactions with the couple and their adult children!
Special Thanks To Their Vendors:
Venue: Hillwood Country Club
DJ: DJ Connection
Planner: Meghan Duplantis & Claudia Kornmeyer
Officiant: Teri Pugh
Sneak Peek Bookish Murfreesboro Intimate Wedding - Lauren & Michael
A literature themed intimate backyard wedding in Murfreesboro, Tennessee photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Oh my gosh you guys! This wedding has all of my favorite things - It's in the couple's backyard, it's a tiny wedding, IT HAS DOGS, it has a literature themed decor, a dinosaur cake topper with attire to match the bride and groom's attire, and most importantly an extremely sweet and fun couple! Did I say that it has dogs??
Lauren always wanted to be a librarian but became a lawyer instead. She met Michael a few years ago and guess what? He IS a librarian! So they decided to get married. I'm sure it actually had a lot to do with his other redeeming qualities and not just his job.
Cooper and Charlie's mom and dad were married in their backyard this past Saturday and I was lucky enough to be there to photograph it. The decor made my nerdy heart happy and you will not believe that the florals were done by Lauren's mom! The best part of all of this is that I get to see everyone again next month when I photograph Lauren's sister Kayla's wedding! Please enjoy this Bookish Murfreesboro Intimate Wedding!
Special thanks to their vendors:
Dress- Mod Cloth
Florals- Lauren's Mom
Cake- Publix
Judge- Judge Donna Davenport
Catering - Tasty Table Fine Event Catering
Rentals- Stewart Special Events
Sneak Peek Boulder Colorado Intimate Home Wedding - Sarah & Simon
A Intimate Home Wedding in Boulder Colorado photographed by Destination Wedding Photographer Erin Lee Allender of Nashville, Tennessee.
I'm trying so hard not to write a dissertation on this wedding. I met Sarah years ago when she was interning for Angela Proffitt and I took her headshot. Not long after, she took a job with The Collection, the company that I was photographing for. She was the Diana to my Ann(e). She was around when I met Taylor, she got chiggers at sessions when I got chiggers and when she moved away, I missed my Sarah. This girl was one of the main reasons that I stayed sane at my wedding. She oversaw setting up my reception and I didn't have to lift a finger. So when she called me and told me that she wanted me to photograph her tiny wedding (can we start calling them that) in her backyard in Boulder, Colorado, I could not wait to be involved.
About a year ago Sarah and I were chatting on the phone about this awkward dinner that her roommate was making for her and this guy that her roommate wanted to set Sarah up with. She was mortified by this idea and could not imagine a more awkward situation. Well that awkward dinner led Sarah to the love of her life. Sarah and Simon are literally perfect for each other. It's undeniable.
Last week I flew from Nashville, Tennessee to Boulder Colorado for their Intimate Home Wedding and Reception. I photographed a lifestyle engagement session in their home on Thursday and their vow ceremony and reception on Friday. They wrote some of the most poetic and beautiful vows I have ever heard and had a spontaneous first dance in their living room with no one around. Also Rosie, their Min Pin who was also my friend in Nashville, was an active part of their day.
I'll stop there. Please enjoy the Sneak Peek of their Boulder, Colorado Intimate Home Wedding.
Special thanks to all of their vendors:
Hair: West End Salon
Makeup: Tru Skin
Wedding Dress Designer: Willowby by Watters
Dress Shop: Boulder Bridal
Reception Dress: Mod Cloth
Florals: Fiori Flowers
Catering: Savory Cuisines Catering
Chair Rental: RC Special Events
Family Home Backyard Wedding
An elegant open air backyard wedding at the bride's family home and farm in Kentucky photographed by Erin Lee Allender from Nashville, Tennessee.
Last summer I travelled out of Nashville to photograph this beautiful wedding in KY at the bride’s family home and farm. The day started out absolutely gorgeous, the perfect temperature, a historic farm house, beautiful gardens, and wait until you see the open air reception setup. The couple opted to have a pre ceremony cocktail hour as well as a post ceremony cocktail hour. They wanted everything to flow, be relaxed but very classy. Almost as soon as the first cocktail hour began, it began to downpour. There was a 0% chance of rain that day and it rained for a solid 45 minutes. Guests huddled on the porch, the planners rushed around grabbing napkins and menus trying to salvage them and we all waited for the rain to stop so that the ceremony could start. I tell every bride and groom on their wedding day that something not planned is going to happen. It’s inevitable, but it will always work out. Maybe not the way that you had planned, but it will work out and that is just what happened. The linen napkins were dried in the family’s dryer. The chairs at the ceremony were dried off, the bridal party line up on the porch, and as the bride walked down the aisle, we witnessed a gorgeous sunset. I really hope you enjoy this wedding. Sarah Willard of Music City Events and LMA Designs did a fantastic job with the decor. The bridesmaid’s dresses were so fun and colorful and were a gift from the bride to her bridesmaids. The fantastic vendors were- Music City Events, LMA Designs, Music City Tents and Events, Visual Elements, Sensational Sounds and Nashville Event Lighting.
DIY Backyard & BBQ Wedding - Linda & Shane
A couple has their DIY wedding and reception at the groom's childhood home outside of Nashville, Tennessee photographed by Erin Lee Allender.
Linda and Shane are adorable. Their wedding last April took place at Shane's family home outside of Nashville, Tennessee where he grew up. The couple with the help of friends and family, did almost everything themselves. Shane's father, a minister, even married them. When rain on their wedding day looked inevitable they decided to set up the reception inside the house. Guests were seated in the family room and dinning room, Whitt's BBQ set up in the driveway, the cake cutting took place in the kitchen, and dancing took place in the living room. Everything was personal and uniquely Linda and Shane and because of this, it was one of my favorite weddings last year. You may want to contact Linda if rain is threatening your day. Her "rain go away" dance (see photo below) held the rain off so that we could have their ceremony outside. Please enjoy these two and and their DIY Backyard & BBQ Wedding.
Backyard Reception In The Rain - Jessica & Kent
Jessica and Kent decided to have their reception in their backyard. A thunderstorm moved the wedding inside their house and they had their first dance in their dinning room. Photographed by Erin Lee Allender in Nashville, TN.
Kent and Jessica were neighbors but officially met at a house party that Kent threw. They began dating and on Jessica’s Birthday, Kent gave Jess a box of cards. Each card had a date written on them instructing her when to open it. Most of them were ideas for dates they would go on but unbeknownst to Jess one of those cards had the date that he would propose on it and one was for her to read the day that they got married. Every bit of this was involved in their wedding.
The card box was at the wedding and used as their guest book. Kent’s yard was to be the reception location. The flowers came from the florist that Kent had used throughout their relationship, the cake was from their favorite bakery, the catering was their favorite food truck, they did a bourbon toast rather than a champagne toast because that was more them, the groom’s friend married them, and lieu of gifts they asked for donations to their favorite local charities. Everything was intentional and was done because it was part of their story. It was very fitting for a couple who live their lives with great purpose and intentionality. Jess is a nurse practitioner who became a nurse with the sole purpose of helping others and Kent works for Martha O’Bryan running after school academic programs for underprivileged youth.
The couple wanted to have the ceremony in a place that reflected the sacredness of their vows so they chose the historic Wightman Chapel at Scarritt Bennett. During the middle of the ceremony we could hear the thunder start which was followed by a Tornado watch for the rest of the night. The torrential downpour moved the reception into the couple’s house, but it made it all the more personal when the couple had their first dance in their dinning room.
Special Thanks to Music City Events, Bloom, Biscuit Love, Southern Events Party Rental, Sweet 16th Bakery, The Bride Room, and Babe Beauty Bar.
