Nashville and Destination Wedding Photographer - Fort Worth, Texas - Melanie Dunn

Nashville and Destination Wedding Photographer – Fort Worth, Texas

Whimsical garden wedding at Weston Gardens In-Bloom

Melanie Grady Photography

Congratulations Emily and Adison!!

Being a destination wedding photographer definitely has it’s perks! Josh (my husband and second photographer) and I were able to jet set out of Nashville for a 4 night work getaway earlier this month to the Lonestar state for Emily and Adison’s wedding (WITHOUT the kids, y’all!!). Travel is stressful, don’t get me wrong! We experienced more than enough moments of panic and jitters as we set off on this adventure. Traveling from our home in Cross Plains, TN to our hotel in Fort Worth, Texas was actually as smooth and perfect as we could have ever hoped, but the entire time I was an anxious mess over-thinking about the countless variables that could put us in a troublesome situation. Shooting a wedding thirty minutes from your home is nerve-wracking, but you can quadruple that uneasiness in an unfamiliar state and city traveling with thousands of dollars of equipment (that is used to pay the bills). I’m not a nervous flyer… I might sip a cocktail at 30,000 feet, but it’s not because I think we’re going to crash. 😉

We arrived on Friday and had lunch in Sundance Square (highly recommend the Taco Diner!) before driving to the Weston Gardens In-Bloom for a walk through of the venue. We were laser focused on the wedding and choosing the perfect places to photograph Emily, Adison, and their families. The gardens are expansive to say the least, so we had a lot to see and beautiful places to choose from. The sun was intense, and there were no clouds to be seen for a few days. Although we were immensely thankful for the dry weather, we were also put in a challenging situation with no cloud coverage for an entire day of outdoor shooting. (Photographers, you know how difficult it can be to shoot in full-sun all day… harsh shadows, squinty eyes, etc.) Emily and Adison chose the most perfect wedding venue for a sunny day because the gardens were lush and the large trees and shrubs provided some shade for photographs (even at mid-day). While we strolled through the gardens, we met up with Emily, Adison, and their bridal party and families who were there for their rehearsal. It was a huge relief to see them, hug them, and get to witness the ceremony a day in advance. After the rehearsal wrapped up, I was ready to get back to the hotel for a delicious dinner and a good night’s sleep! So, we did just that.

The wedding day was here! I can’t speak for the bride, groom, or bridal party… but for me the nerves were gone, and my excitement level was rising to new heights. In a nutshell, the entire day was impeccable. The gardens were transformed into such a beautiful and whimsical setting. The ceremony took place in an area that felt like a natural sanctuary in the trees. To enter the setting, you had to walk through a long archway of beautiful greenery. It was very private, intimate, and felt like a secret garden. A short walk from the ceremony along the garden path was the dance floor, hors d’oeuvres, two amazing cake tables, a head table, and round tables with elegant floral centerpieces that were set up for guests to dine and socialize among the trees and flowers. String lights from tree to tree made the evening look amazing and feel magical.

Emily and Adison’s love is deeper than the holler, stronger than the rivers… higher than the pine trees growin’ tall upon the hill. I’ve photographed well over 100 weddings, and I’m not sure that I’ve ever been so certain about two people being soul mates. I’ve had the greatest pleasure of getting to know them over the past year since their trip to Nashville for their engagement session. Meeting all of their friends and family on this trip to Texas was more evidence of how amazing they are. They are surrounded by kind and lovely people who go out of their way to smile and help others. They also all know how to dance and have a good time! Proof is at the end of the blog post. I’m going to stop talking now and let your eyes feast on some of my favorite photos from the day. 🙂

Thanks to the amazing vendors who made the day possible:

Wedding Venue: Weston Gardens In-Bloom

DJ – JoKyle Varner Full House Sound Productions

Florist – The Blooming Bride

Rings – Robbins Brothers

Cakes – Heavenly Taylored Sweets

Caterer – A Sophisticated Affair

Hair – Twisted Heads Salon (Ada Lozano)

Makeup – Bombshell Beauty Factory (Crystal)

Officiant – Josh Alexander – LakeShore Church Rockwall, TX