Ellen just might be the happiest bride you’ve ever seen! The giddiness and sweet spirits of these two made their big day such a wonderful experience for everyone. Even their story is the sweetest thing! Make sure to read about it!

Also – side note – Ellen & Aaron got married at Front Porch Farms, where Mark & I tied the knot just a little over 2 years ago! Being back where we said our marriage vows made this wedding extra special for us to be a part of! 

          Meet Aaron + Ellen

– What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?

My favorite moment was standing at the altar with my dad getting ready to take Aaron’s hand, and also saying our vows to each other. – Ellen

My favorite moment was the first look. I was nervous beforehand, but once I turned around and saw her in her wedding dress, my nerves went away and I knew we were in it together. – Aaron

– How did you meet your spouse? What is your dating & engagement story?

Ellen doesn’t actually remember meeting me for the first time, but I remember meeting her. We were at a bonfire at a mutual friend’s house with just a few other people. I was a junior at the time, and she was a freshman. I thought she was really cute, but she was a freshman so I couldn’t ask her out or anything, because you know, freshmen. Fast forward a year and I was treasurer of my fraternity and she was purchasing coordinator for her sorority. So when we had socials together, she would design and order the t-shirts. We were in the library one night and she was handing out t-shirts from a box. I was studying, or at least pretending to study, while also thinking of how I was going to go to her sorority’s formal that semester. I had been to every single one of her sorority’s formals since my freshman year and I didn’t want to miss out on the last one during my senior year. So I went over and said hey to Ellen, and she was just about to leave, so I helped carry the box of t-shirts to her car. We talked a little bit and then parted ways. A week or two later she said she was stopping by my fraternity’s chapter meeting and asked if I’d be there, turns out she asked me to her formal in front of my whole chapter. I really had no choice but to say yes. Also turns out it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. We went out a couple of times before her formal, but it was probably during that night that I knew I wanted to date her. Maybe a month later, we were studying at her apartment and doing homework together. We talked for most of the night about life, our pasts, ignoring all of our homework. We went to say goodbye to each other later in the night and in her fatigue she said “I Love You” then immediately realized what she had said and gushed with embarrassment, apologizing and blaming her tiredness. I laughed and said it was no problem. I walked away thinking the joke was on her, because that’s exactly where I thought this relationship was heading. -Aaron

– Are there any quotes or bible verses that you relate to OR that you tried to keep in the forefront of your mind leading up to your wedding day?

At one of our bridal showers, a group of friends gave us a piece of handwritten wall art that says “With my whole heart for my whole life.” We have it hung downstairs and it reminds me to give my all in our marriage even if it has been a long day and there’s a lot going on– we try to remember to give our whole heart to each other when we’re with each other and not let anything get between us.

– What are your favorite things about being married so far?

Ellen: My favorite thing has been being able to come home to my best friend every day. No matter how busy work was that day, or how much I have going on, we can always count on each other to be that one “constant” thing in our life to help us forget whatever we are worried about. And we have been able to try new things together, like combining our styles and decorating a home together, and cooking dinner together with recipes that we grew up with.

Aaron: Coming home to her every day and making her laugh. Knowing no matter what, she’ll be there to encourage me and keep me going.

Planner/Designer/coordinatior: Alex King, Kathy Best (Front Porch Farms)

Getting Ready Location: Front Porch Farms

Ceremony Location: Front Porch Farms

Reception Location: Front Porch Farms

Officiant: John McCullough

Invitation Designer: Brian Massengale

Caterer: Pig & Pie

Floral Designer: Alex King (Front Porch Farms)

Cake and/or other desserts: Publix

Dress Designer: Stella York

Bridal Shop: The White Room

Groom’s suit: Men’s Wearhouse

Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal

Getting ready robes: Etsy

Groomsmen’s suits: Men’s Wearhouse

Bride’s shoes: Nordstrom

Groom’s shoes: Men’s Wearhouse

 DJ: Mad Dog

Rentals: Liberty Party Rental

Makeup Artist: Beauty by K2

Hairstylist: Beauty by K2

Wedding rings: Scott Kay

Any other Jewelry: Kendra Scott

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!! 
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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. 

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