This Nashville engagement session is SURE to leave you swooning. Meet Maddie + Elliott. The first time we met them was at our house. When the meeting was over we both agreed Maddie + Elliott seemed like ridiculously fun people we’d love to go explore or share a cocktail or 4 with. We were hopeful they felt the same about us, and that was entirely confirmed when they hired us to photograph their wedding.
From the very first meeting, Maddie informed us that having her engagement session done at her aunt’s farm in Lebanon, Tennessee was a top priority. We were entirely down for an adventure, and we got lucky with incredible weather. (Side story- we actually drove all the way to Jackson earlier that month in hopes to do their session and unfortunately had to turn around because bad weather came out of NO WHERE. I am super thankful that happened though because we got the MOST gorgeous sunset Lebanon has ever seen.)
I feel like both Maddie + Elliott and John and I have so much in common. Maddie + Elliott are high school sweethearts like John and I. They both enjoy being outside, love a big breakfast complete with champagne, and honestly just being next to each other.
I can’t help but get a little teary eyed when I think about how Elliott proposed to Maddie. I found myself reading and re-reading about it from Maddie’s perspective. I’ll let you read her version:
“When I talk about Elliott’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail to gift me the very best…wow!
There was a 2 week streak in Nashville last February where the rain kept coming down…it was gray, yucky, cold, winter days. For Elliott and I being the outdoorsy people we are, we were eager to be able to get outside again. You could say we had cabin fever. We decided one weekend to go to one of our favorite places that is near and dear to our hearts, a place where we can go and relax, escape the Nashville city lights, and not have a to-do list…this place is my Aunt Jamie and Uncle Bill’s farm, Lock Five Farms. Located about 40 minutes outside Nashville, this special place always provides us with a much needed breath of fresh air when we need rejuvenate. Throughout the weekend, the rain continued to come down and finally cleared up late Saturday night. Elliott made a big bonfire, and we were able to enjoy being outside, under the stars. Elliott suggested we wake up to watch sunrise since we weren’t able to witness a killer Lock Five sunset because of the weather. Elliott and I have a lot of strengths, but being morning people is not on our list! I thought to myself, sure, I’ll set an alarm for 5:30am, but no way I’m getting out of the warm bed to go out into the February frost. The next morning comes…That 5:30am alarm came early. I thought I turned it off before Elliott could hear it, and I quickly went back to sleep. When I had gone back to sleep, Elliott had sneakily gotten up to go see what it was looking like outside. He quickly ran back into the room right before 6am demanding we get up because it looked, “SO COOL OUTSIDE! It’s finally not raining!” I quickly got up and grabbed my coat to go on our morning sunrise walk. Elliott had his phone playing Jack Johnson (my favorite) on his phone, which I didn’t think twice about because we usually have music of some kind playing on our walks. We walked the front of the property, and Elliott suggested we got to the top of the drive where we could get the best pictures from the sunrise. Once we got there, that’s where he asked me to spend forever with him. Blabbering through my happy tears, I was able to squeak out a YES. We spent the rest of the morning at the farm walking the property and calling loved ones. We wanted to focus first on celebrating with each other, so naturally, we made a big Sunday breakfast with Lock Five fresh eggs, sausage, and biscuits, and of course, CHAMPAGNE! When I picture how I fantasized that day in my head…I thought I would have brushed my teeth, or heck, had a bra on, but I could not imagine a more perfect morning to spend with my best friend. Elliott engraved “Better Together” in cursive print on the inside of the ring…the song that was playing when he popped the question.”
I just love that Elliott kept it super private and intimate. I’m a sucker for music and lyrics and I love that the Jack Johnson song lyrics “Better Together” is engraved in her ring. How ironic is it that the proposal involved a gorgeous sunrise and the engagement session involved a gorgeous sunset?!
Maddie + Elliott are getting married April 27th at the Stratton House in Collierville, Tennessee. We are SO excited to be a part of their most special day. You guys enjoy!
