The beauty in the simplicity of this wedding took our breath away. Along with their wonderfully romantic story, these two made everyone excited about love.

            Meet Jani + Nate

– How did you meet your husband/wife? What is your dating and/or proposal story?

We met at work in 2015. We dated for about a year before deciding to move to Missoula, MT together and go on an adventure. It was there that he proposed at the base of a mountain range in deep snow, it was stunning.

– How/when did you start dating?

Nate – Jani and I first starting talking to each other more frequently around the end of April 2015. We began hanging out at work functions and I eventually had enough courage to ask her on a date in May. We went on a few dates in Knoxville before I asked her to come to my cabin at Paint Creek, near Hot Springs, NC. I took her up to the overlook where I asked her to be my girl (June 6, 2015).

 Jani – Nate finally asked me on our first date in April thanks to office instant messenger, a whopping 4 cubicles down J I remember our first few dates so well, because on each one we ended up having a 4+ hour dinner, we couldn’t stop talking. I knew pretty early on that this guy was special.

– Can you share something you learned through the wedding planning process? (ex: what’s important vs. what’s not? something you’d recommend everyone do?)

Book the venue fast, but take your time on everything else. And stop looking at Pinterest! Your taste will change over and over if you keep Pinterest shopping. Pick one look and stick to it.

– How did you get engaged? What’s the story?

Nate – After moving to and living Montana for roughly 6 months, I knew Jani was the love of my life. I wanted to propose the weekend after Thanksgiving, but the ring that I had custom built was not ready yet. This forced me to come up with a new proposal plan. I finally got the ring from the jewelers about two days before we were scheduled to go on a Caribbean cruise, so I did not have much time to pop the question if I wanted to do it prior to sailing. I could have proposed on the cruise ship, but I wanted to propose in Montana, a place that we both loved. I thought back to one of the first places that we ever explored in Montana and decided to go back there to propose. It was the day before we left for the cruise and I told Jani that we needed to take her dog on a long walk before leaving him with a pet sitter for the week. So we hopped in the car, drove to the fishing access in Bonner, MT and to my surprise there was 12 inches of snow on the ground. This made the proposal even more magical. We went down to the river and I asked her to be my wife after digging out a place in the snow so that I could get down on one knee. We then celebrated our engagement in the Caribbean, not a bad way to celebrate.

Jani – Nate’s description is spot on J I don’t remember what he said or even when he put the ring on my hand, I just remember standing there seeing my future flash in front of my eyes and being the happiest I’ve ever been. Luckily he propped his phone in a tree so that we can relive the moment every year.

What are your favorite things to do together?

Nate – Jani and I have had a unique opportunity to adventure across the country together. After moving to MT, we loved to hike, ski, kayak, and visit all of the national parks in the area. We also love to watch UT football, spend time with our friends, and relax and enjoy a cup of coffee on Saturday mornings. Our favorite thing to do is eat.

Jani – One of the best things in our relationship is that we have so much in common in what we love to do for fun. Our more adventurous hobbies include hiking, biking, boating, skiing, even skydiving, anything and everything. But the simpler things like walking the dog or enjoying a morning coffee are just as good. And Nate is right, our all-time favorite is eating J

Planner/Designer/coordinatior: Sarah Pittman Weddings and Events

Getting Ready Location: The Barn at Sycamore Farms

Ceremony Location: Trinity United Methodist

Reception Location: The Barn at Sycamore Farms

Officiant: Rev. Travis Garner

Invitation Designer: Minted

Caterer: Bacon & Caviar Gourmet Catering

Floral Designer: Ruffled Feathers Events

Cake and/or other desserts: Ruffled Feathers Events

Dress Designer: San Patrick

Bridal Shop: Fabulous Frocks Nashville

Groom’s suit: Men’s Warehouse

Bridesmaid dresses: Weddington Way

Getting ready robes: ThePaisleyBox on Etsy

Groomsmen’s suits: Men’s Warehouse

Bride’s shoes: Dyeable Shoes

Groom’s shoes: Men’s Warehouse

Live music: The Respectables

Rentals: Liberty Rentals

Makeup Artist: Jessica Arnholt and Betsy Briggs Cathcart from Studio BBC Salon

Hairstylist: Jessica Arnholt and Betsy Briggs Cathcart from Studio BBC Salon

Wedding rings:  Rogers & Co. Fine Jewelry and Design (Missoula, MT)

Sarah Sidwell is an award winning top photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee. Sarah specializes in wedding, newborn, baby, child, family, and lifestyle documentary photography. Her studio space where she photographs newborns & more is located about 15 minutes outside of Historic downtown Franklin. 

Due to high demand, Sarah accepts a limited number of clients each month, to reserve your date on her calendar contact Sarah here.
Sarah books maternity, newborn, & family sessions One to Six months in advance.
Sarah books weddings up to 18 months in advance. 
Her calendar fills up quickly for Newborns, Family, & Weddings – so contact her today: hello@sarahsidwellphotography.com

For Newborn through family photos Sarah serves the middle Tennessee area including: Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Nolensville, Arrington, Spring Hill, Thompson Station, Bellevue, Belle Meade, Fairview, Leipers Fork, Hendersonville and more. 

For wedding photography Sarah photographs most weddings in the Middle Tennessee area, but does accept a limited number of destination weddings out of state and/or out of country per year. Travel fees apply. 

Thank you for taking time to read this blog post!! 
This post should give you a peak into what you will receive when you commission Sarah to photograph your family or wedding. 

If you have booked a session with Sarah and love this blog post – please send her a link so that she can see what you hope to create in our time together. 

Sarah enjoys her work and is passionate about the importance photographs can play in the development of children. She loves creating beautiful photographs for her clients and is thrilled to provide high quality prints, canvases, & albums that will stand the test of time. Being able to assist you from start to finish from creation of your photo to artwork hanging on your wall provides an effortless experience and high quality service & artwork. 

Studies show that displaying family photos of parents, of children (all phases – newborn through adolescent), and of the family all together can help to boost a child’s self esteem & confidence. This is what excites Sarah most about her work. As a past Art teacher, Sarah loves children and wants to help you preserve your memories, as well as help your children remember how much they are loved by their family. 

Contact Sarah to inquire & reserve your spot!