Wedding Photography Access to Antebellum Homes such as Historic Elm Springs

Mary Grace and Tim were married on May 23 at Elm Springs in Columbia, TN.  This pre civil war plantation house was a photographer's playground with great photo opportunities everywhere you turn.  


There are many beautiful antebellum homes in Middle Tennessee that are popular wedding venues but the vast majority including the Hermitage, Belle Meade Plantation, Traveler's Rest, and Carnton Plantation do not allow the wedding party to have photos taken inside the historic homes.  The no-photography policies are understandable considering that flashes can fade old paintings and light stands and tripods can scratch the floors and antique wall paper not to mention the damage a heard of groomsmen or bridesmaids can do as they stampede from room to room.  This said, it is still a delight from the photographer's perspective when you get such amazing access to these old homes and all that they have to offer.  With just a few exceptions such as Riverwood Mansion and Belmont Mansion, Nashville brides who want to be able to have photography inside an antebellum home will have more luck when they look as far South as Spring Hill where they will find Rippavilla Plantation and Haynes Haven or in Columbia where there are many historic homes including Elm Springs where I recently had the pleasure of shooting.  


Following are a few examples of the types of photographs that may not be possible at most of these old venues.  I have also included a link to the proofing site where you can view the rest of the wedding photos below:
http://pictage.com/844046

And here are a few others I couldn't resist posting.

Engagement Portraits at Centennial Park and the Old Spaghetti Factory

Courtney and Wesley will be married on October 16th.  I've photographed engagement portraits in Centennial Park at least a dozen times and yet we still found locations that I've never used before.  I always try a few things that have worked in the past but also try to stretch myself to get something unique.  It was great hanging out with them on a beautiful day and I'm looking forward to the wedding.

View the rest of their images at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/848000

Save the Date on a Wall

I drove around for at least an hour with Denisse and Dennis following behind as we searched Nashville for walls that we could write on without getting arrested.  We finally found the solid gray wall that you see above.  The words were not written with Photoshop.  We used large sidewalk chalk.  It was really raining the whole time but wasn't picking up very well in the shots against the gray wall so I Photoshopped in the rain on that second shot above.

View the rest of their images at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/841825

Radner Lake in the Rain

Lauren and Nathan will be married June 12th in Nashville at the City Club.  After the wedding they will move to Illinois where Nathan has already been living.  Because Nathan lived so far away we didn't have the option of rescheduling due to the rain so I grabbed some umbrellas and we made the best of it.  We started at Radner Lake and pretty much had the place to ourselves.  Then they decided to just let themselves get soaked and handed me their umbrella.  In the end, the weather made our session much more interesting!

View the rest of their engagement photos at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/841769

Dana & Joe - May 15, 2010 in Columbia, TN

Dana & Joe were married on May 15th in Columbia, TN.  It was another rainy wedding but we were able to go outside for some photos just before their reception and take advantage of the gardens at the Polk Home across from their reception site of the Memorial Building.  The tank was located at the American Legion across from the church so I had to drag the guys over there since I just finished
watching "The Pacific" on HBO.

The rest of their images are located at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/841213

Mandy & Michael

Mandy & Michael were married on Friday, May 14th at the Loveless Cafe Barn.  We only had a little bit of daylight b/c the sky was so dark with rain clouds.  Mandy was all about going out in the rain for a couple of shots with the umbrella despite the risk of getting her dress dirty.  She was definitely a laid back bride and really seemed to enjoy herself all night!  We got a lot of really fun dance floor shots and photobooth shots too.  

Check out more of their photos at the following proof site:

http://pictage.com/839802

 

Emily & Jeff - Charlotte, NC

Emily and Jeff were married on May 8, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Emily is an old friend and I've been looking forward to this destination wedding all year.  I hadn't met Jeff until the rehearsal dinner but really had a great time hanging out with he and his groomsman.  Jeff and Emily had been living in Colorado, were married in Charlotte, honeymooned in Hawaii, and then immediately moved all of their belongings to their new home in Charleston, South Carolina.  They have been all over the map this past month but Emily tells me that a month later things are finally starting to settle down a little for them.

This was my 3rd destination wedding in 3 weeks and the first sunny wedding in 4 weeks.  The weather couldn't have been more beautiful.  The fluff from the cottonwood trees floated all around throughout the backyard ceremony and lit up in the sunlight.

View more of their photos at the following proof site:
http://pictage.com/838414