Garden Party Tennessee Wedding at Southall Farm

Sep 17

The grad-to-bride pipeline is so real, and I absolutely love it when past grads come back around for their wedding photos. When Cat first stepped in front of my camera for her grad session, I had no idea I'd be documenting her and Andrew’s love on their wedding day, just years later. Fast forward, and there I was at the beautiful Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, Tennessee, watching Cat walk down the aisle toward her forever person. The grad-to-bride pipeline never gets old, and honestly? It's one of my absolute favorite parts of this job.

From the moment Cat and Andrew started planning their wedding, they knew exactly what they wanted. They wanted it to be a day full of joy and community amongst the people who love them the most. And let me tell you, they absolutely nailed it. Working alongside the incredible Laurie D'anne from Laurie D'anne Events, this couple created something truly spectacular. A garden party wedding that blended together a rustic modern charm that my Southern heart just oozes over.

Southall provided the most dreamy wedding venue for their vision. Nestled in the heart of Franklin, Tennessee, this Tennessee wedding venue offers rolling hills, towering trees, and that blend of rustic charm and refined elegance that makes outdoor weddings feel like pure magic. The moment you step onto the property, you understand why couples fall head over heels for this place. It's basically like stepping into a Pinterest board in real life.

The color palette that stole hearts

Can we talk about their color palette for a hot second? Pink, cream, and green eloquently covered Cat and Andrew’s wedding space in the most beautifully elegant way. Bridesmaids wore soft pink satin floor-length dresses, complementing the pink parasols to beat the Summer heat. These colors paired together perfectly captured the essence of a Summer garden party, everything that Cat and Andrew wanted their wedding day to embody. T Villager Designs, a Nashville florist, absolutely outdid themselves with the floral arrangements. From the ceremony walkway lined with vibrant Summer blooms to Cat's breathtaking bouquet, every single floral element was pure perfection. The centerpieces were also amazing works of art. Lush, romantic, and perfectly sized. The way they incorporated their color palette with pops of green created this cohesive aesthetic that tied the entire day.

cat & andrew’s outdoor garden party at southall farm

We began the day with Cat and Andrew getting ready. First, let's pause for a moment to talk about how absolutely stunning Cat looked on her wedding day. One 10 Beauty worked their magic on her hair and makeup, and the result was pure perfection. Cat's makeup was flawless; natural enough to let Cat's genuine joy and excitement shine through, but elevated enough to photograph beautifully in both outdoor and indoor light. Her look was complete when she slipped into her stunningly fitted dress from Dress Theory. The makeup was flawless – natural enough to let Cat's genuine joy and excitement shine through, but elevated enough to photograph beautifully in both the soft outdoor lighting and the golden hour magic we captured later in the day. One 10 Beauty clearly understood the assignment: create a look that would make Cat feel like the most beautiful version of herself while perfectly complementing the garden party aesthetic.

The outdoor ceremony was something out of a storybook, and everything Cat and Andrew dreamed of. Picture this: rows of guests seated under the open Tennessee sky, surrounded by the natural beauty of Southall Farm, with the most gorgeous floral arrangements creating a romantic walkway leading to where Andrew waited for his bride. Guests were each offered complimentary pink parasols to protect from the Summer Tennessee heat. It was an ethereal atmosphere that only complemented how stunning the ceremony space was.

As Cat walked down the aisle, you could literally feel the joy and love radiating from every single person. This wasn't just a wedding ceremony; it was a celebration of community, of two people who had found their forever person, and of all the friends and family who had supported them along the way. The emotion was palpable, the setting was perfection, and honestly? I may have teared up behind my camera more than once.

the beautifully curated garden party reception

If the ceremony was magical, the reception was pure joy in its most beautiful form. The transition from ceremony to cocktail hour flowed seamlessly, giving guests time to mingle and take in the stunning venue while Cat and Andrew were whisked away for some gorgeous golden hour portraits. If a garden party were in the dictionary, this cocktail hour/reception space would be the definition. Long tables adorned with T Villager Designs' stunning centerpieces created intimate conversation spaces, while the pink, cream, and green color palette carried through beautifully in every detail. Lights strung overhead added the perfect amount of ambiance as the sun set, transforming the space into a romantic and enchanting atmosphere. Delicious food was shared, laughs were exchanged, and the whole night was spent with more dancing than I could even endure.

What struck me most about Cat and Andrew's wedding was how perfectly it captured their original vision of creating "a day full of joy and community amongst the people that love us the most." Every single element of their celebration supported this goal – from the intimate ceremony seating that made every guest feel included, to the reception layout that encouraged mingling and conversation, to the overall atmosphere of pure happiness that permeated the entire day.

This is what happens when a couple stays true to their vision and works with a team of vendors who truly understand and support that vision. Laurie D'anne Events, T Villager Designs, One 10 Beauty – every single vendor played their part in creating something that felt authentically Cat and Andrew while being absolutely stunning to witness and photograph.

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Cat and Andrew's garden party wedding at Southall Farm was everything a celebration of love should be: joyful, beautiful, authentic, and surrounded by the people who matter most. It was a day that perfectly captured their personalities and their love story, set against one of Tennessee's most gorgeous venues, brought to life by an incredible team of vendors who 100% understood the assignment.

This is the kind of wedding that reminds you why you fell in love with wedding photography in the first place. The kind that leaves you feeling grateful to have been part of something so beautiful and meaningful.

Cheers to The Boudets! 🥂