Selfishly, what I absolutely love about destination weddings is getting to spend so much time with my brides & grooms and their wedding guests. Whereas at a typical wedding I may meet friends and family and the entire bridal party on the afternoon of the big day, at destination weddings I almost always have a few days of meeting and greeting and getting to know everyone before vows are ever mentioned. By the time the wedding day arrives I feel as though I already know the bridal party and the couple’s family and the sweet great grandmas who love to tell me stories of their grandchildren. Getting to know my brides and grooms is one of my most favorite parts of this job of mine. And getting to know the friends and family who make these couples who they are is the icing on the cake. A few weeks ago I had the joy of flying to Tennessee to photograph Stephen & Ariel’s Nashville wedding. And over the course of bridal teas and sweet teas and a rehearsal dinner down Music City’s Cumberland River, I remembered why I so deeply love Southern weddings. They’re hardly a one-day affair, but rather an entire week steeped in rich tradition, delicious food, and delightfully sweet southern accents.
While I’m spending my week drooling over their weddings photos, I wanted to share a little taste of Stephen & Ariel’s rehearsal dinner. A steamboat ride at sunset while being serenaded with live music and fireflies? I don’t mind if I do!
