Elam & Spencer | Owen Chapel, Thistle Stop Café, Nashville, Tennessee Wedding Photography

Elam is what one might call an old soul. I have known her for several years, as she advanced through her undergraduate degree (in record time, because for Elam, anything worth doing is worth doing 110%). We both did the same 200-hour yoga teacher training last summer and over the course of the month-long immersion, our hour-long drives from Malibu to Santa Monica quickly turned into heart-to-hearts. Our conversations covered everything from ethics to trends, love & life lessons and what it means to be a Christian yogi. And we talked—a lot—about her boyfriend, Spencer. 

Efrolam & Spencer met their freshman year, studied on different continents their sophomore year, and finally started dating their junior year. They never looked back. Their relationship is bursting with respect, intentionality, and a deep understanding of the value of mentorship and community. 
Last August, Spencer flew into town from his summer internship in Israel to surprise Elam at her beachfront apartment (is this real life?) and propose with a beautiful family heirloom diamond ring. I hid in the rocks with my zoom lens and captured every second of it (below). 

(Check out the rest of the sweet proposal photos here >>) 

They planned their wedding to be in Nashville in May, and I was beyond excited when Elam asked if I would be her photographer. What I loved most about this wedding was how intentional Elam was about supporting others with the details of the event. Weddings are expensive and if you're not careful, they can easily turn into a materialistic free for all. Weddings are an industry, just like many life events. Elam & Spencer chose simplicity & sustainability wherever possible. The ceremony was a simple chapel affair with one attendant on each side of the bridal party (but plenty of boisterous friend photo ops). Elam opted out of a wedding band and now wears her engagement ring as the symbol of their commitment. She rocked TOMS shoes (naturally) and most importantly, they chose to bring awareness (and tons of business) to the Thistle Stop Café for their reception. 

Thistle Stop Café is a restaurant owned and operated by Thistle Farms, which is a community of women who are healing from prostitution, trafficking & addiction.The restaurant took excellent care of the wedding guests, the food was delicious, and the staff even jumped in for the dancing later on in the night. 

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Ceremony location: Owen Chapel, Brentwood, TN 
Ceremony coordinator: Lindsey Campbell 
Photographer: Cecily Breeding (yours truly!)
Floral design: Terri Wood 
Hair: Blowout Bar
Dress: BHLDN by Anthropologie 
Ceremony music: The Corwin Trio 
Reception location: Thistle Stop Café
Reception coordinator: Courtney Sobieralski 
Caterer: Brooke O'Dell 
DJ: DJ Dan Co. 

Like these? I shoot lots of weddings and would LOVE to document yours. I work alone or with a second shooter, I love to dance the Electric Slide, and many wedding guests and clients have compared me to a photo ninja—always capturing the action, but never in the way. 

Check out more weddings I've shot below, click over to my price sheet to start talking dollars & cents, or shoot me an email to get a conversation rolling. 

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