Baylee & Mark’s Joyful Spring Wedding at Two Rivers Mansion

6 days ago

4 min read

Updated: 1 hour ago

Some wedding days feel effortless from beginning to end, and Baylee and Mark’s was no exception.

Bride in a strapless satin ballgown and groom in a black tux looking over their shoulders smiling at their Two Rivers Mansion wedding.

From the moment I met Baylee, she radiated joy. She is funny, upbeat, and completely herself, while Mark is kind, laid-back, and so easy to be around. Together, they had such a lightness about them that made my time with them incredibly enjoyable.

No matter what was happening around them, they never let anything get in the way of enjoying their wedding day.

Nashville bride and groom walking hand in hand to their rehearsal dinner at 5th + Taylor in Germantown.

Nashville bride and groom sharing a champagne toast at their rehearsal dinner at 5th + Taylor in Germantown.

The celebration began the evening before with a chic rehearsal dinner at 5th + Taylor in Germantown, followed by their May 16th wedding ceremony at Assumption Catholic Church and reception at Two Rivers Mansion. Their wedding date held a sweet significance, falling just one day before the third anniversary of the day they met.

Baylee had dreamed up every detail of this wedding with her mom, and with the help of their planner, Brandy Lester Events, they brought that vision to life. The result was a spring celebration that was elegant and timeless while still being completely personal to Baylee and Mark.

Detailed shot of a Nashville bride and groom’s sage green invitation, rings, and white tulips.

A Meaningful Beginning at Assumption Catholic Church

Their day started with that special kind of excitement and quiet anticipation you feel before everything officially begins.

Baylee spent the morning getting ready with her mom and bridesmaids at Buddeke House before heading to the church, and I loved being able to capture those purely feminine, joyful moments. There was so much happiness between them, and knowing how much Baylee had dreamed of this day with her mom made those moments even more meaningful.

Bride and her bridesmaids in matching getting ready pajamas posing in front of the Buddeke House in Nashville.

Mother of the bride in a powder blue gown helping her daughter zip up her strapless satin wedding dress.

Baylee shared a sweet first look with her bridesmaids, and then her dad and brothers.

Bride in a white satin wedding dress and veil sharing a first look with her bridesmaids in matching black satin and sage green bridesmaid dresses.

Bridesmaids in matching sage green and black satin bridesmaid dresses reacting to the bride’s first look.

Bride in a strapless satin wedding gown sharing an emotional first look with her father and brothers, who are wearing classic black tuxedos.

Her bridal look was classic and romantic, with a beautiful strapless gown, a delicate veil, and a bouquet filled with white tulips. Even the smallest details felt intentional, from her floral stationery and rings to her shoes, monogrammed clutch, and perfume.

Nashville bride in a classic strapless satin wedding gown carrying a bouquet of white tulips.

Detail shot of a personalized handkerchief gift for the mother and father of the bride.

Meanwhile, Mark looked every bit the handsome groom in a classic black tuxedo and bow tie. And once Baylee made her way down the aisle, his reaction said everything.

Nashville groom in a classic black tuxedo, posing for a portrait as he buttons his jacket.

Close-up detail shot of a groom in a black tuxedo with a white rose and tulip boutonniere.

Pale blue arched ceilings of the Assumption Catholic Church in Nashville, decorated for a spring wedding ceremony.

Mother of the bride in a pale blue gown being escorted down the aisle at Assumption Catholic Church in Nashville.

Bride in a strapless satin wedding gown and delicate veil being escorted down the aisle by her father at Assumption Catholic Church in Nashville.

Smiling bride with her face covered by a delicate veil being escorted down the aisle by her father in a black tuxedo.

Father of the bride lifting the bride’s veil as her groom smiles waiting to exchange vows.

After a beautiful ceremony at Assumption Catholic Church, we headed to Two Rivers Mansion to continue the celebration.

Nashville bride and groom holding hands and smiling as they exchange vows at their Assumption Catholic Church.

Wedding portrait of a Nashville bride and groom surrounded by their bridal party at the Assumption Catholic Church.

Bride in a strapless white wedding dress, posing for a portrait with her parents at the Assumption Catholic Church in Nashville.

Spring Wedding Portraits at Two Rivers Mansion

Two Rivers Mansion was the perfect setting for the next stage of the day. The historic home, formal gardens, and lush greenery provided a beautiful backdrop for portraits while still letting Baylee and Mark simply enjoy being together.

Groom dipping his bride for a dramatic kiss in front of their Two Rivers Mansion wedding.

Nashville bride and groom sharing a tender moment before their spring wedding in Nashville.

Some of my favorite images from their day are the ones where they let their personalities come through. They laughed, played, and moved through the grounds together without taking themselves too seriously. And those moments are exactly what I love capturing.

Nashville bride and groom sharing a kiss as their bridal party cheers them on.

Bride and groom celebrating as a saxophone player leads a processional into their reception at Two Rivers Mansion.

Nashville bride and groom posing for a joyful family portrait in front of Two Rivers Mansion.

Bride in a strapless satin wedding gown surrounded by her bridesmaids in matching black and sage green bridesmaid dresses carrying white floral bouquets.

Bride and groom surrounded on either side by their groomsmen and bridesmaids posing in front of their sailcloth tent wedding.

Groom and his groomsmen in classic black tuxedos walking together in front of Two Rivers Mansion.

The mansion itself provided a gorgeous backdrop for their portraits, while the gardens gave us a softer, more natural setting. One of my favorite photos shows Baylee and Mark dancing together in front of the house, which feels like such a perfect representation of the two of them: elegant, happy, and completely at ease.

Nashville bride and groom dancing in front of Two Rivers Mansion before their spring wedding in Nashville.

Bride carrying a white tulip bouquet looking over her shoulder and smiling as she poses for a spring wedding portrait in her strapless bridal gown.

An Elegant Sailcloth Tent Reception

For the reception, Baylee and Mark chose a sailcloth tent wedding at Two Rivers Mansion, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Elegant sailcloth tent wedding in Nashville at Two Rivers Mansion with lush greenery and white floral décor.

Nashville tented wedding reception with a checkered dance floor, white linens, white florals, and green accents.

The open-air setting invited the surrounding landscape into the celebration, while the sailcloth tent created an intimate, welcoming space for dinner and dancing. Warm strings of fairy lights stretched across the ceiling, greenery wrapped around the tent poles, and beautiful floral arrangements brought the tables to life.

Sage green table number and a white and cream colored floral centerpiece at a tented wedding reception in Nashville.

The overall effect was elegant without feeling overly formal. Natural wood chairs, soft white linens, abundant greenery, and delicate floral arrangements complemented the setting beautifully.

Throughout the reception, little details made the celebration feel distinctly like Baylee and Mark.

Custom sage green cocktail napkins with the Nashville bride and groom’s names and wedding date.

Custom monogrammed cocktail napkins and coasters and glasses with an image of the couple’s dog at their Nashville tented wedding reception.

Mark is originally from New Jersey, so his groom’s cake featured the logo of his beloved New York Mets. They also served tri-color (aka rainbow) cookies, an East Coast favorite that added another personal nod to his roots.

I love details like these because they don't just make a wedding beautiful; they tell you something about the people getting married.

Mark and Baylee shared a sweet first dance, followed the traditional father-daughter and mother-son dances, before the rest of the guests joined them on the dance floor for an incredible party.

Bride and groom sharing a romantic first dance at their sailcloth tent wedding in Nashville.

Bride in a strapless satin wedding gown sharing an emotional father-daughter dance with the father of the bride.

Groom in a classic black tuxedo sharing a mother-son dance with the mother of the groom in an elegant navy blue gown.

Nashville bride and groom surrounded by their guests on the dance floor at their elegant sailcloth tent wedding at Two Rivers Mansion.

A Celebration Full of Personality

As beautiful as the day was, what I remember most is how much Baylee and Mark enjoyed it.

They danced all night long, surrounded by their friends and family, and you could clearly see how genuinely happy they were. There were no worries about whether everything was going according to plan. They were fully present, celebrating with each other and the people they love most.

And the reception certainly reflected their personalities.

Bride and groom dancing with their guests at their Nashville tented wedding at Two Rivers Mansion.

Groom in a classic black tuxedo sharing a toast with his groomsmen at his Two Rivers Mansion wedding.

With Emerald Empire Band keeping the dance floor moving, the night quickly turned into the kind of party where everyone wanted to join in. At one point, Baylee even took to the stage, singing along with the band, surrounded by their guests.

Bride singing on stage with the Emerald Empire Band at her Two Rivers Mansion wedding in Nashville.

Father of the bride and other guests celebrating on the dance floor at the Two Rivers Mansion wedding.

Those are the moments I treasure most as a wedding photographer. The perfectly styled details are beautiful, of course, but the photographs that bring me back to the feeling of a wedding day are often the ones filled with movement, laughter, and a couple who has completely forgotten I'm there.

Baylee and Mark's wedding had all of the elements of a beautiful Nashville celebration: a historic setting, timeless details, beautiful florals, and an elegant sailcloth tent reception. But what made the day really special was the way they experienced it.

They were fully present. They laughed. They danced. They celebrated with the people they love. And they never lost sight of what the day was really about.

For me, that's what makes a wedding memorable—not just how beautiful it looked, but how it felt to be there.

Bride and groom exiting their Nashville wedding venue surrounded by their loved ones throwing confetti to celebrate their sendoff.

Bride and groom exiting their Two Rivers Mansion wedding in a cloud of confetti, surrounded by their guests.

Nashville bride and groom in their getaway car during the sendoff at their Two Rivers Mansion wedding.

Bride and groom sharing a sweet kiss in their white getaway car as they leave their spring wedding in Nashville.

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