Intimate Destination Wedding in Tennessee | Elise + Abram

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2 photos side by side, the left is of a car outside a house with a skull ornament on the front bumper, the right is of a wedding dress hanging in front of a stone wall

Are you ready to relive a one of a kind intimate destination wedding in the mountains of Tennessee with me? I sure hope so! Elise and Abram seriously put together one of THE coolest weddings that I’ve had the privilege of photographing! Between the private house in the mountains of Tennessee, the epic backdrop for their ceremony, and the BEST taco Tuesday ever I literally could not have found a way to say yes faster when Elise asked me to be their wedding photographer! 

A wedding dress hangs in front of an outdoor stone wall

Getting Ready in Tennessee 

Hurricane Ridge, which was the house in Tennessee that Elise and Abram rented, unsurprisingly turned out to be THE perfect space to host their intimate destination wedding! The house had plenty of space, tons of natural light, and a gorgeous style to it which was the perfect setting for Elise and Abram’s day. Both Elise and Abram got ready separately with their intimate wedding parties before their ceremony. While the two didn’t share a first look, Elise and her father did have a first look which was SO emotional and special for the two of them. We’d find out later that day during her father’s speech that Elise had some complications at birth, and her father feared that he wouldn’t be able to walk her down the aisle. With that moment now mere hours away, to say emotions were running high would be an enormous understatement! 

2 photos side by side, the left is of a groom smiling at the camera, the right is of the groom and some wedding guests standing around a pool table in the basement of the Airbnb they are at
A mother pins a flower on the suit of her husband as they get ready for an intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
2 photos side by side of a bride and her father about to have a first look, the left photo is of the bride standing behind her father and the right photo is of her tapping him on the shoulder
2 photos side by side of a bride and her father during their first look, the left is of the father reacting to seeing the bride for the first time and the right is a black and white photo of them hugging
A bride and her father hug one another during a first look prior to the bride's intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A bride smiles at her father as he tears up for the first time seeing her in her wedding dress before her intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and her father each wiping tears from their eyes, the right is of the mother clasping her hands together while watching
2 photos side by side of a bride in her wedding dress, the left is of her smiling at the camera and the right is of her with a serious face
2 photos side by side of a bride playing with her wedding dress in front of a window, the right is a black and white photo
2 photos side by side of a bride in a circle with her mother and bridesmaids, the left is in color and is taken from behind the bride, the right is in black and white and is taken in front of the bride
Guests of an intimate destination wedding in Tennessee stand and look out of a window towards the mountains in the distance

Their Intimate Ceremony

Elise and Abram’s ceremony was up next which would take place outside of Hurricane Ridge. When I mentioned that their intimate destination wedding took place in the mountains of Tennessee, I meant IN the mountains! The rolling green mountains as a backdrop for their ceremony was absolutely stunning. Elise and Abram still had a pseudo first look for their wedding day, as while Elise began walking down the aisle Abram turned around to see her for the first time as she moved towards him. It was honestly SUCH a cool way for them to start their ceremony. After their ceremony and the two newlyweds began making their exit they both were simply overjoyed with just how perfectly everything had come together up through this point, as they should be!

3 photos side by side, the left is of florals decorating a wedding arch, the middle is of a flower girl standing in front of wedding guests, the right is of the same flower girl getting a high five from one of the groomsmen
Guests of an intimate destination wedding in Tennessee sit outdoors as they wait for the wedding ceremony to begin
2 photos side by side of a groom before his wedding ceremony, the left is of him with his back to the bride as she comes out from around a corner, the right is of the groom's reaction once he turns around and sees her for the first time in her dress
A bride walks hand in hand with her father outdoors as they both tear up before her the wedding ceremony of her intimate wedding in Tennessee
A bride hugs her father after walking down the aisle during her intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, the groom stands next to them and watches while guests stand in the background
A bride and groom stand holding hands during their intimate destination wedding ceremony in Tennessee, guests stand and watch and in the background are mountains in the distance
Close up photo of a bride and groom's hands holding one another, each hand has a letter of the other person's initials on them
Close up photo of guests of a wedding that are seated holding hands during the ceremony
A bride reads her vows during the ceremony of her intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, the groom stands across from her while guests around them watch
A bride and groom kiss after the ceremony of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, behind them are mountains in the distance and their wedding parties watch on either side of them
A bride and groom kiss in the middle of the aisle with their guests around them as they exit the ceremony of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, behind them are mountains in the distance
A bride and groom smile and hold hands while standing next to large shrubs after exiting the ceremony of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A bride and groom talk with and hug their parents after the ceremony of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A groom smiles at the camera as the bride next to him has a woman help adjust her hair while they stand outside after the ceremony of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee

Portraits With the Mountains

Before heading inside for their reception, Elise and Abram stayed outside for some portraits with their loved ones who had traveled to Tennessee to celebrate their intimate wedding with them. I mean, how could we NOT take advantage of the gorgeous view we had to work with?! After portraits everyone made their way inside to help rearrange the living room to become the reception space. Elise and Abram actually brought all of the décor down with them in a U-Haul which really added an extra level to how personal their day already was.

A bride and groom stand with their families on either side of them and smile at the camera after their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, behind them are mountains in the distance
A bride and groom kiss one another, on either side of them are their parents who also kiss one another after their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, behind the group are mountains in the distance
A bride stands and poses with two guests of her wedding, behind them are mountains in the distance
Black and white photo of children all holding hands and running to the camera while laughing, they're guests of an intimate destination wedding in Tennessee and behind them in the distance are mountains
A bride and groom stand with their wedding parties and their flower girl as they all smile at the camera after their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, behind them are mountains in the distance
A bride and groom look at one another , on either side of them are their wedding parties who look in opposite directions, behind the group are mountains in the distance
Black and white photo of a bride and groom look at one another , on either side of them are their wedding parties who look in opposite directions, behind the group are mountains in the distance
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride with her two bridesmaids, the right is of the groom with his two groomsmen, each photo has the group smiling at the camera
Detail photo of a bride and two bridesmaids holding their bouquets in front of them
3 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom kissing underneath a wedding arch, the middle is a black and white photo of them kissing while the groom holds the bride, the right photo is the same as the middle but in color
2 photos side by side, the left is a close up photo of a bride smiling, the right photo is a portrait of the same bride standing on a hilltop looking down at her bouquet
3 photos side by side, the left is of a bride hugging a groom from behind as they both close their eyes, the middle is a close up of their hands holding one another, the right is a black and white photo of the bride kissing the groom's cheek
During portraits of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, a bride hugs the groom from behind and is about to kiss him on the cheek
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride hugging a groom from behind while they both close their eyes, the right is a black and white photo of them in the same position but the bride is kissing the groom's cheek
During portraits for their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, a bride and groom look at one another and smile while holding hands
Waist down photo of a bride and groom showing off the boots they're wearing for their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee, the bride is lifting her dress so the boots are visible
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom sitting on the steps outside a house together and laughing, the right is of the same couple standing and acting tough in front of the camera
Black and white photo of a bride and groom sitting on stone steps, the photo is taken from the waist down

A One of a Kind Reception

As I mentioned earlier, Elise and Abram’s wedding took place on a Tuesday, which wonderfully enough made it a Taco Tuesday as that was their reception meal of choice! I’m all for some tacos, but Elise and Abram had one more trick up their sleeves, an ice cream sundae bar for dessert. Talk about a DREAM meal for a reception! After everyone had eaten it was time for the first dances which were handled in an incredibly unique way. See, Elise and Abram not only danced to their own first dance song, but to those of each of the married couples in attendance including both of their parents, grandparents, and Abram’s aunt and uncle. It was SUCH a cool experience and made the reception just that much more meaningful to the newlyweds and their loved ones in attendance! 

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom kissing in the entryway of a home, the right is of food on a table as guests of the wedding fill their plates
A bride, groom, and guests of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee all sit at a table indoors and pray before eating their food
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom sitting at a table next to one another about to kiss, the right is of them in the same position but looking at the camera instead
A bride and groom hold hands and laugh while seated at a table with guests of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
Guests of an intimate destination wedding in Tennessee sit at a table and pray before eating their food
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bridesmaid standing and giving a speech during the reception of a wedding inside a house, the right is an aerial photo of the table from the previous photo with guests seated at the table
Guests of a wedding laugh while seated at a table as a groomsmen reads a speech while standing
Guests laugh as a groomsmen stands and gives a speech during an intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A bride and groom cry from laughing so hard during a speech at the reception of their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
Top down photo of a woman taking toppings for ice cream from bowls and putting them on her ice cream
A bride and groom sit on a fireplace with their guests as they eat ice cream together after their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A bride and groom dance in the center of a living room as guests around them watch during their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom dancing in a living room as guests watch, the right is a close up photo of the couple dancing
A groom plays an acoustic guitar while sitting at a fireplace with the bride sitting next to him while in an Airbnb during their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A bride and groom stand with the guests of their wedding around them, they're all standing in front of a fireplace after their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
A bride and groom play pool with two of the members of their wedding part with them after their intimate destination wedding in Tennessee
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom kissing one another as the bride is about to play pool, the right is a black and white photo of the same couple laughing afterwards
2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom standing next to one another looking out a window at the mountains, the middle is of the same couple but close up about to kiss and in black and white, the right is of the couple smiling while showing their rings to the camera

It really is difficult to explain just how incredibly wonderful Elise and Abram’s intimate destination wedding in Tennessee turned out to be, although I’m sure from the photos you can start to get an idea! Their day was a dream come true for them thanks to the work they put into it, and the help of their family. Congratulations to the newlyweds and thank you SO much for having me as a part of your perfect day. If you’re looking to book me for your own wedding day, whether it’s a destination wedding or something in my neck of the woods back in Springfield, be sure to send an inquiry through my contact page so we can reserve your date!

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom looking at polaroid photos together, the right is of those polaroid photos displayed on the stone floor

Vendors

Dress: GOWNS

Wedding Boots: Boot Barn

Wedding Attire: Lulus

Venue: Hurricane Ridge

backyard weddings, Elopements, Weddings

October 12, 2023

Rachael McMillan

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