The Venue
I was certain of two things upon meeting Cathy & Mike at Juniper Green at The Old School Farm:
- No less than 24hrs after sending Cathy my Wedding Planning/Timeline Questionnaire (which is somewhat lengthy albeit thorough) – she handed it to me fully and perfectly filled out. I knew she was on it, had a vision for their day, and that I immediately liked her and Mike!
- The gorgeously restored Wade Schoolhouse & property belonging to the Juniper Green made me feel like I’d found a bit of English countryside right outside of Nashville.
The Wade Schoolhouse was originally built in 1936. Inside one of their rooms, there are pictures of how terribly run down and abandoned the property was before restoration work began (you can see them in the picture below above the cigar couch). The transformation is spectacular! It makes my heart happy that there are people out there with the resources and the heart to save these beautiful, historic buildings like Wade Schoolhouse. I was so happy to be asked to document Cathy & Mike’s special day and excited to take pictures at such a charming venue!
The Details
Cathy & Mike’s wedding was so beautiful! The wonderful Ashley of Magnolia Events Tn was the one who actually referred me to Cathy & Mike, and let me tell you, she is an absolutely talented and hard working wedding coordinator! I was so excited to be working with her again because she is so organized, fun, and amazing at taking care of all of the details. She definitely took Cathy’s vision for the day and ran with it! The center pieces for the tables was one of my favorite details for the day, a subtle nod to how they met at work, which was for a trucking company. The ladies made all the bouquets, boutonnières, and centerpieces the day before at the Nashville Flower Market – such rich and stunning colors.
The Couple
It’s very apparent from the get-go that Cathy & Mike not only love each other, but that they are best friends. I think it’s somewhat of a rare thing to find a person in life who you not only love, but that you also just genuinely enjoy being around. Someone who you immediately want to tell things too as they happen throughout your day – someone whose presence makes experiences that much better – someone whose quirks match your own – your partner in crime, your confidant. Mike & Cathy have that!
Getting Ready
Cathy’s daughter Clare was her Maid of Honor and Mike’s two daughters bridesmaids! The room for getting ready at The Juniper Green has the best light! You don’t always get so lucky in Bridal suites to have all that natural light pouring in! It really helps for taking fantastic pictures, as well as doing hair & makeup!
These girls were so fun to hang out with! Lots of laughter! They made me feel like one of the girls, and not just the photographer.
I have to say, one of the other highlights of my day with Cathy & Mike was their grandson Noah.
He was the cutest kid with all the little boy mischief in his twinkly eyes! We struck up a friendship pretty quick though and he even helped me take some pictures!
The Crew
It’s the people who make the day – and this group was so fun and easy going. I absolutely LOVED Cathy’s boots and the girls wore some to match! Hello Nashville!
The Ceremony
Drenched in golden hour light, Cathy & Mike’s ceremony was lovely…and hilarious – let me explain!
Have you ever watched The Princess Bride? (we might not be able to be friends if you’ve never seen this movie lol) Let me tell you, when the Officiant replaces his fedora with a pope hat and does an immaculate recitation of the wedding monologue complete with accent from Princess Bride…you know you’ve seen something special!
All tom foolery aside, the ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt.
Time to Party
After the ceremony everyone made their way into the barn for dinner, dancing, and to finish the night, a surprise Ice Cream truck!
Two Fat Men Catering served a delicious dinner with cute cornbread salad jars, and mac ‘n cheese that I want to eat every day forever lol.
The NashVegas All Stars had the crowd going covering all the best!
And the surprise Ice Cream Truck at the end of the night was a cherry on top of such a fantastic day. The guests were definitely delighted!
I was truly honored to document the festivities for such a beautiful, lively, fun, special day!
What a beautiful post about our day! You nailed everything- I am crying while I sit here and look at the pictures and read your words.
You were such a blessing for us-Thank you just doesn’t seem to be enough! You came in at the eleventh hour and saved the day! You are a joy to be around and such a talented person.
I am so thankful!!!
Thank you so much! I can only hope that all my future couples are as amazing as you two, it was one of my favorite days to be a part of yet! ♥️🥰