As we rang in the New Year yesterday, everyone is posting about their goals and ambitions for 2020.  So, we thought we would share a win from 2019 before we get wrapped up in the new year.  Over the summer, we got to check something off of our business bucket list… a destination wedding! Both of us are travelers, adventures, and wonders at heart, so it was only natural we wanted to go to get to travel to do what we love.  At the end of June, we traveled to Alpine Tennessee to The Farm at East Point Marina to photograph Alyssa and Ryan’s stunning summer wedding for Kat Hall Photography.

The best part about this destination wedding, it wasn’t terribly far away in the beautiful state of Tennessee. Yes, going to somewhere tropical or even overseas is what you may normally think of when you hear destination wedding… but traveling about 4 hours to another state is a destination to us!

Every wedding we photography has it own set of challenges.  Alyssa and Ryan’s wedding day was no exception.  This was the first wedding where we had to literally remember everything before we left the house.  However, our biggest challenge was we had never met the bride and groom!! Nicole had exchanged maybe a handful of text messages with Alyssa the week before the event but that was the only contact we had with them since we were associate shooting for Kat Hall Photography.

Those who’ve had the pleasure of working with us know we love to meet a few times before the big day to build up a connection and friendship. However, we love weddings so much, a few weekends a year when we’re free, we’ll associate shoot for Kat Hall Photography.

Even though Alyssa and Ryan are not an official OTF couple, we enjoyed and loved their day just as much! These two lovebirds are from Cincinnati, Ohio but Ryan has strong ties to Tennessee. After he proposed to Alyssa, it was only natural they were drawn to the country and beauty of the Tennessee area.   By choosing get married at The Farm at East Point Marina, they had the best of both worlds. 

As beautiful as the area was, we can confidently say we were in the middle of nowhere.  Yes we were warned beforehand but didn’t realize it till we arrived.  The closest towns were a 30 minute drive in either direction through the mountains. But… the surroundings and venue were perfect for Alyssa and Ryan’s rustic inspired day!

We wanted to share some of our absolute favorites from their day. To walk into a wedding day without know a single soul to end the day making new friends was an amazing experience for us! Alyssa was a very hands-on bride and her day was beautifully coordinated to show her hard work. Not to mention, both sides of the wedding party were just an absolute joy to work with!

These two flower girls were just beyond adorable!

This is one of Nicole’s faves of the day. The genuine smile and laughter of a bride truly enjoying her day!

A very underrated but vital part of any wedding day should be a Daddy/Daughter First Look. After seeing how emotional both Alyssa and her father were, how can you NOT want one!!! Her father was speechless as he stared at his stunning daughter as a bride! Both shared tears of joy during this encounter!

After having an emotional moment with her father, Alyssa continued her journey down the road, to see her soon to be husband for the first time of the day! Ryan patiently waited for Alyssa to join him. Before they saw each other, the couple held hands for a few moments, taking in what was about to happen. Upon seeing her, Ryan couldn’t hold back the emotions and, as her father did, shed a few tears while looking upon his beautiful bride to be! What a reaction!!!

Right after an emotional First Look, we snagged a few more photos in the open field of hay barrels! These two were amazing considering how hot it was out, but hey it was June.

Now… it was time to get hitched!

Someone was not happy she couldn’t stay in the middle of the aisle!

Alyssa and Ryan choose to take a horse draw carriage ride to enjoy a few moments alone as a new Mr & Mrs!

There are those moments during a wedding, when emotions overtake someone. Usually the first look or walking down the aisle, but for Alyssa it was when a double rainbow appeared in the sky during family photos. Rainbows hold a special place in her heart, especially in Tennessee. One of the first times she visited the area with Ryan, a rainbow graced the sky. On her wedding day, she walked down the aisle to Somewhere Over The Rainbow and then two rainbows showed up in the sky while we were capturing their first family photos as a married couple. At that moment, the joy and emotions of the day fled into Alyssa and she began to cry a happy cry. This made her day perfect (other than marrying Ryan of course).

Marriage is more than a wedding or having a super fabulous reception. A huge part of marriage is having support.  Support for each other.  Support from your family and friends. When we saw Alyssa and Ryan surrounded by so many people who all traveled for their wedding (some as far as Colorado), we knew they were a special couple and their marriage to each other was supported by their family and friends. When Alyssa stopped her wedding reception to wish her friend a happy birthday, it just showed how caring and thoughtful this couple is!

Someone did not play so nice during the cutting of the cake!

Being in such a beautiful place, we stole the couple for a few moments to capture some portraits after the sun had gone away!

Alyssa and Ryan, thank you for allowing us to come down to Tennessee for the weekend and capture your wedding day for Kat Hall Photography!  We had a fabulous time meeting all of your family and friends from near and far.  Also, we hope you get to celebrate your 6-month anniversary in style since it’s just right around the corner. 

Have a wonderful day,

Nicole & Ryan