A Fall Grand Hall Wedding Full of Surprises
Chris and Evan’s fall Grand Hall wedding at Nichols Heir was full of surprises from beginning to end. All day long, I was fully focused on not giving away the wrong surprise to the wrong person. And there were a lot of them to keep straight!
The first surprise wasn’t planned at all. During hair and makeup, Chris started dancing with her mom and sister to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye. It was one of the sweetest moments. Watching her lose herself in time with her family made it so abundantly clear that she had let go of any stress, any control, any pressure, and was just living in the moment.
That theme came back around during the ceremony, when Evan’s vows were all about how Chris helps him not look to the future or the next thing, but live in the here and now. I had watched her do exactly that just a few hours earlier. Getting to witness something he cherished so much about her that he wrote it into his vows was so cool.
Another surprise was the gift Chris gave her parents. Her mom’s reaction was literally priceless. When she opened it, she fell to the floor in awe of how amazing it was. You have to look at those photos, because it was hilarious and also so, so sweet. Later, Chris and her dad surprised the crowd with a fun choreographed dance, and she surprised HIM with a sweatshirt to memorialize that dance.
In the hour before the ceremony, after we finished all of their portraits and the two of them had a little time to relax, Evan surprised Chris with a card game tucked away in one of Nichols Heir’s many beautiful rooms. These two love card games and have played them throughout their entire relationship. So, it was only fitting that they got to play one on their wedding day.
Something else I really loved, though it wasn’t a surprise, was that they took communion with their wedding party before the ceremony began. Their officiant led a small devotional, and afterwards, they all laid hands on Chris and Evan and prayed over them.
After the ceremony, we had a very short window of daylight to get the rest of their pictures done. A huge cloud rolled in during the ceremony, and it looked like we wouldn’t have a sunset at all. But this time, the Lord gave us one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever witnessed at Nichols Heir. Their sunset portraits are literally some of my favorites I have ever taken.
Now onto the biggest surprise of the whole day. Evan loves Adam Doleac, a country music artist out of Nashville. Chris never really enjoyed country music, but Evan turned her on to Adam’s music, and it has been the soundtrack of their relationship. So during the reception, Chris got out her guitar and started playing one of Adam’s songs and singing it to Evan. After the first verse, she acted like she had forgotten the words, looked at Evan, and said, “Why don’t we just have Adam play the rest of it?” And Adam Doleac walked in the side door, plugged in his guitar, and sang the rest of the song with her as a duet. It was one of the most memorable reception moments I have ever witnessed. Adam stayed and sang their first dance song while they danced and laughed and sang to each other, and it was precious. Evan was truly blown away, and so was every single person in that room. Also, Adam is one of the most down to earth, relatable, personable celebrities I have ever met. If you love country music and don’t follow him yet, I definitely recommend it!
As if this day needed one more surprise, Chris and Evan ended the night with a huge firework show for their guests. It was my first time photographing a firework show at the Grand Hall at Nichols Heir, and it was more than perfect. The way the Grand Hall sits on the property let the pyro team shoot the fireworks right above eye level, so instead of cranking their heads toward the sky, everyone got to take in the show right in front of them. The photos of Chris and Evan with the fireworks going off directly behind them are amazing! Everyone was surprised, and everyone loved it!
Chris and Evan, thank you for trusting me with a day so full of joy, faith, family, and the very best surprises. Keeping all of your secrets until the exact right moment was such a joy, and I am completely obsessed with the images we created. You hosted a fall Grand Hall wedding I will never forget!
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Vendors used by Chris & Evan:
Assistant Photographer: Mary Nelson Photography
Venue: Nichols Heir
Planner: Everly & Co.
Content Creator: Adeline & Social
Bartender: Simply Sip
DJ & Photobooth: Second Song
Hair & Makeup: Chop Chop Beauty Club
Wedding Dress Shop: Luxe Redux Bridal
Fireworks: Impact Pyro
Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Linens: BBJ La Tavola
Pianist: Brian Wight
Marquee: Alpha-Lit Knoxville
Caterer: Family Meal
Audio Guestbook: After The Tone
Dinnerware: The Planners Table
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