Liz + Will = Clementine Wedding

Liz and Will had their incredibly fun wedding at Clementine in Nashville. A few weeks before their wedding I got to photograph Will’s brother’s wedding. I always love working with the same families, I just don’t usually get to do it so soon.

As with most 2020 weddings, the initial plan was a little different, but you couldn’t stop these two amazing people from having an awesome wedding day.

Venue - Clementine

Florist - Fresh by Carry Ann

Lindsey + Horace = James K Polk Home Wedding

I first met Lindsey and Horace while working at the Governor’s office. Horace was the social media manager when I was working there so we got to hang while photos were being uploaded. There was word on the street that there are usually a few couples that form during a campaign, and Lindsey and Horace are the proof. It was so fun to shoot their wedding and see so many familiar faces that I have missed. Lindsey grew up in Columbia, so the James K. Polk historic home was the perfect venue for them. It rained off and on all day, but everyone toughed it out and we were still able to get some really fun shots. I’m so happy for this sweet couple!

Kayla + Charlie = White Dove Barn Wedding

I’ve know Kayla for several years because she has been a bridesmaid in a few weddings I have photographed. She is part of a friend group that contains some of the sweetest ladies on earth. Based on what I knew about Kayla, I knew her fiance’ was going to be awesome, and Charlie did not disappoint.

They decided to have their wedding at the White Dove Barn which is an absolutely gorgeous venue in Beechgrove, Tennessee. It was a hot July day but you would never know by all the smiles . It was such an honor to capture this day for Kayla and Charlie. The entire day was perfect and I’m so glad I got to be a small part of it.

Venue - White Dove Barn

Video - Full Frame Cinema

Flowers - Cali Roots Designs

DJ - Wade Evans

Noble + Stella = Nashville Kid(ding) Wedding

Well…this day came way sooner than I planned. My 5 year old son decided to tie the knot.

One of the good things to come from the Craziness of Covid is that we have become amazingly close to our neighbors…maybe a little too close.

The battling neighborhood kids crews, the OK kids and the Black Jays, decided to make a bold move towards neighborhood peace using the power of matrimony.

Stella the bride and OK Kids members was presented with 4 equally matched suitors from the Black Jays.

Swept up in a blur of emotional fury, the bride didn’t make her decision until moments before the ceremony was set to start. We will never know what happens in the heart of a young woman, but she chose Noble, a Black Jays member known for his dangerous record of sharing too much and loving to laugh.

We were all curious to see if the this union would resolve the tensions between the two groups. We have photographic evidence of high fives and hugs following the ceremony, so it appears that this union did in fact have the power to unite two souls and two neighborhood kids crews.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds were reported to have returned to their separate parent’s homes for dinner and a good nights sleep, because they are in fact only 5 and 9 years old.

Photographer - Justin Wright Photography

Officiant - Byron Fanning

Bridesmaids Dress Designer - Rachel Fanning

Venue - Crieve Hall

Florist - Mother Nature

Wedding Day Timeline

I’m assuming that like all other couples, you want your wedding day to be perfect.  One of the most effective ways to have a laid back wedding day is to have a solid timeline for the day.  

A good wedding day timeline will give you the time you need to enjoy the day, get all the photos you want, and not feel like you spent the whole day rushing around barely getting to spend time with your friends and family. 

After shooting over 400 weddings and seeing all kinds of different schedules, I created one that is my ‘go-to’ timeline for every wedding.  Things don’t always work out where we can use this timeline exactly because of logistics or time restrictions at the venue.  However, this timeline is always a great place to start.  

My average package is 10 hours long.  I’m passionate about telling the complete story of the day and this timeline allows me to be at the wedding from getting ready to the exit.  Almost every wedding seems to run behind schedule for one reason or another so it has just enough buffer time built in without wasting any time or having too much down time.

I’ve found that 1.5 hours or less of the getting ready portion of the day is plenty.  Nobody needs 100 photos of getting hair and makeup done, but having an hour to get a few shots of hair/makeup and all of the details like the dress, shoes, and jewelry is plenty.  

I also like to end the portrait section of the day an hour to 45 minutes before the ceremony because that is usually when guests start arriving but more importantly, it gives you a chance to catch your breath and relax before the wedding goes into high gear.  

Here is the core of the timeline:

2:30pm - Bridal Portraits

3:00pm - First Look and photos of Bride and Groom

3:45pm - Bridal Party Photos

4:30pm - Immediate Family Photos

5:00pm - Finished with all Pre-ceremony Photos

6:00pm - Ceremony

There are a few things to mention here.  

It always helps to give people an earlier time than I actually plan on shooting them because it means they will actually be there when I’m ready for them.  

If the bridal party knows they need to be ready by 3:45pm I can definitely start shooting them at 4pm.  The same goes with the immediate family too.  I like to knock out as many family photos as possible before the ceremony.  We usually wait until after the ceremony for the large extended family photos so they don’t have to get to the wedding early. 

With a 10 hour package here is what the full timeline would look like:

1:00pm - Getting ready photos

2:30pm - Bridal Portraits

3:00pm - First Look and photos of Bride and Groom

3:45pm - Bridal Party Photos

4:30pm - Immediate Family Photos

5:00pm - Finished with all Pre-ceremony Photos

6:00pm - Ceremony

6:30pm - Ceremony Ends + Extended family photos

7:00pm - Reception

11:00pm - Grand Exit

11:30pm - Justin goes to Taco Bell for a double decker, bean burrito, and chips N cheese.  Don’t judge.  

I hope this helps you as you start to think about your amazing wedding day. If you have any specific questions or thoughts just shoot me an email and I’d be happy to answer them for you.