Just before quarantine started, Will and Nicole got married at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee. Harlinsdale Farm has always been super special to me, so I was super excited that they chose to have their wedding there. Harlinsdale Farm is where I photographed my very first wedding (shout out to Evan and Megan!) and where Matt and I got engaged. I have done countless sessions there, and I have watched this park transform before my eyes since moving to Franklin in 2013. 

Harlinsdale Farm was the perfect location for Will and Nicole too. They wanted a relaxed get together with their friends and family from all over the world. The goal was for it to be a family reunion style, and it could not have been better suited for that. 

Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned. Not that weddings ever go as planned, but this was a bit more than normal. About 30 minutes before I was leaving my house to head to Franklin, I got a text from Nicole saying, “Stay tuned. The tent company hit an irrigation line and flooded. I’m not sure where the wedding will be. Just hang tight until we figure something out.”  Obviously, I wasn’t going to just hang tight.

Everyone came together to help, and it was beautiful.

I jumped into the car and headed to Harlinsdale Farm to see how I could help. Luckily, both of their families were there helping move things and set up the whole day. When I arrived, Nicole had just left to get ready for their wedding. Will was still running around trying to get approval from the fire department for their new location. Yes, this did include one failed fire code inspection, and then fixing it. Before long, I was ushering Will off to go home and get dressed. We had a wedding to get started!

Originally, we were going to start the day with their portraits, and then go into a fun cocktail hour that they would attend. Due to the delay from the irrigation line, they weren’t able to attend the cocktail hour because of portraits. We did knock them out as quickly as possible, but it was also nice for them to relax and take a breather after a hectic day. Before the ceremony started, they also FaceTimed their grandparents who couldn’t travel to them for the wedding due to COVID-19. It was so sweet!

If not everyone can be around for your wedding due to COVID-19, video call them. Let’s take advantage of this technology available to us.

Once portraits and cocktail hour was done, the ceremony started. Will’s grandfather officiated the wedding, which was so special. I love when a family member officiates weddings because the ceremony is more personal. As the ceremony started, wind kicked up and caused some extra noise, but it was still beautiful. After the ceremony, we cleared the seats and made room for people to mingle and enjoy their Mexican food. 

Overall, there were a lot of mishaps throughout the day that made their wedding day extra memorable, but it was so beautiful. It definitely showed how wonderful family is and how everyone can come together. Even though it didn’t go as planned, in the end, Will and Nicole are married and that’s all that matters!