One of the best parts of being a wedding photographer is the chance to go on road trips. Today, I took a drive to the barn at Hickory Hills in Cleveland TN. Having stayed in Chattanooga, TN for some time, I knew where I was heading.
This barn is tucked away in pretty deep inside Cleveland, TN. I had no idea a wedding venue would be located here. But then, I am not surprised as some wedding venues are in some odd locations. But I guess that’s what makes them special.
The Barn at Hickory Hills is no different. A great red barn, and enchanting forest, like seriously next door, and a house for getting ready at. All within walking distances. Love these kinds of venues, where you don’t have to walk a mile from place to place.
Getting Ready at The Barn at Hickory Hills
A 10-hour wedding is awesome because it gives me the ability to capture everything from the start to the beginning. Like any other wedding, the story always begins with getting ready.
Both Nikki & Tyler was getting ready when I arrived (well, actually Tyler was playing video games). I started off with Nikki, because the girls always take the longest time. Trying to avoid as much clutter as possible, but that’s something I can rarely avoid in tight spaces.
I took the wedding dress outside to get a photograph of it, but I wanted the red barn in the background. I found a little cover place, right in front of the barn to hang the dress upon.
Wedding Ceremony in the Forest
The cool thing about the Barn at Hickory Hills venue is that there is a forest right next to it. I called it the enchanting forest because it looks amazing especially when it’s about to freaking rain! And it was going to rain seriously…haha
If you guys are ever considered rain during weddings, don’t be. They make the perfect light to create some amazing images. And I was truly enjoying the weather.
Portraits in the Enchant Forest at the Barn at Hickory Hills
This venue reminds me so much of the wedding I shot in Monroe, NC. The Seed Mill Barn, which has a similar style of setup. But for the portrait session with Nikki & Tyler, it started to rain.
I had to keep my camera covered in plastic from getting wet in the rain, and I also asked a family member to help me take the portraits with Nikki & Tyler. Their task was to hold an umbrella over them, while I took their portraits session.
Lucky, I was able to pull it off with this setup and it worked great. They also had a clear umbrella around so I made sure I took advantage of that, as I always wanted to take a shot with that kind of umbrella.
Wedding Reception
The inside of the barn is just an amazing view, with all the lights on the top, makes a great backdrop for some creative shots. I was grateful that the bridal party table was near the doors, which gave off some great natural light.
During the wedding reception is also the time, I take the ring shots. Because of all the lights around the place, I can just take those rings around anywhere and it will make a great shot. I have done so many of these shots, I need to figure out a new way to take the rings now 😛
After the rain stopped, they took all the dances outside. Still have enough natural soft light outside after the rain. But once it got dark, I wanted to take a creative shot. Always a pleasure to have coupled up for my creativity task as I had no idea if it would work lol.
And, of course, make sure you check out the full gallery. There are only so many pictures I can put on the website without affecting my SEO. And of course, you know what to do if you need a wedding photographer!