Spring GardenWedding at Long Hollow Gardens in Gallatin, Tennessee

Lanie Deel
Jun 7
2 min read

Some weddings aim for timeless. Others shoot for trendy. Maggie and Alex went straight for authentic. They made everyone feel like part of their celebration. They laugh easily, dance without hesitation, and love their people well.

Spring GardenWedding at Long Hollow Gardens in Gallatin, Tennessee

Maggie chose my 10-hour wedding package, and it made all the difference. With a timeline designed for breathing room, her and Alex had space to actually enjoy their day. Breaks in the AC (thank you, Tennessee humidity), time for snacks and champagne, and first looks (yes, plural). Maggie shared a first looks with her bridesmaid (they were the ultimate hype squad), her dad, and Alex. These weren't rushed or overly staged, just honest, thoughtful and intentional joy from everyone. There’s this idea that doing a first look with your partner takes away from the emotion of the ceremony, but nothing could be further from the truth. Alex teared up during their first look, and when Maggie came down the aisle, he cried again. Not because it was expected or dramatic, but because nothing could prepare him for that moment. For seeing her walk toward him with forever in her eyes. A first look doesn’t take away anything. It gives you more space to feel everything.

Long Hollow Gardens truly offered an abundance of stunning backdrops for portraits, which made their finished gallery full of variety. The weather was beautiful and the lawn set up was so stunning that my second shooter, Annie, and I fist bumped behind our cameras. They had a memory tree to honor past family members, including Alex's father who had a special chair reserved just for him during the ceremony.

When I say the reception was a party, I mean it. These two know how to celebrate. From the towel dance to “Car Wash” (yes, it happened and yes, it was amazing) to a packed dance floor that never once emptied, the night was alive. There were late-night pizza and cookies that hit the spot after hours of dancing, and people laughed and drank like they never wanted the night to end. They truly thought about their guests and the experience they were having to make the night truly enjoyable for everyone. Until the next love story, xoxo.