As a Nashville elopement photographer, I’ve captured countless love stories, but Lucie and Casey’s Nash Vegas-style elopement was truly one-of-a-kind. Their intimate wedding at the Rhinestone Wedding Chapel was a perfect blend of rock and roll, romance, and Elvis! Truly a dream come to life. Speaking of dreams coming true, their wedding was even featured in the international UK bridal magazine, Rock n Roll Bride. It has been a lifelong dream of mine as a photographer to have my work published in a bridal magazine, and an international one at that! But we'll get to that in a minute. First I want to walk you through how a Broadway musician and a British lingerie fashion designer met, their iconic Nashville love story, and their whirlwind wedding day that I spent capturing around Nashville, Tennessee!
How Lucie & Casey Met
Lucie, who is a talented lingerie fashion designer and female business owner from England, embarked on a solo trip to Nashville without knowing that it would lead to meeting the love of her life - Casey, a Broadway singer and touring musician. It all began at Doc Holliday’s Saloon on Broadway. And one conversation (the night before Lucie left to go back home to the UK) about music and the city they both loved led to daily video calls and Lucie returning to Nashville two months later for their first official date during CMA Fest. Within six months of that first chance meeting, Casey proposed outside the Grand Ole Opry.
Inside their Nash Vegas Elopement
Lucie and Casey dreamed of a small, stress-free elopement that reflected their personalities. “We wanted a Vegas-style little chapel elopement with Elvis,” Lucie shared. Their vision led them to the Rhinestone Wedding Chapel, which offered a playful, yet cozy and romantic, Vegas vibe in the heart of Nashville, complete with the option of an Elvis officiant. They kept their wedding short, sweet, and personal—just the two of them, Elvis, and myself capturing the vows and 15-minute ceremony. Watching this beautiful couple exchange vows, which were filled with emotion, laughter, and a few playful nods to Elvis lyrics, was one of the highlights of the day. After the ceremony, I captured bridal portraits with Elvis, followed by intimate portraits of the couple around the chapel grounds.
“You don’t need to spend thousands to have an amazing wedding day. Don’t worry about other people. Do it your way! It should be for the bride and groom, no one else.”
A Sweet Stop at the Sonic Drive-In
After the chapel, we made a celebratory stop at the Sonic Drive-In — a must-visit for Lucie, who, as a Brit, found the classic American drive-in experience completely novel. The staff welcomed the newlyweds with a handwritten congratulations note, setting the stage for a series of playful, edgy, documentary-style portraits that perfectly captured the just-married energy of the moment.
American Gothic Portraits at Urban Cowboy
Next, we adventured over to East Nashville to Urban Cowboy, caught our breath and chilled for a while as the couple grabbed some beverages, danced on the outdoor patio, and basked in being newlyweds while admiring their newly placed rings.
Set inside a restored historic Victorian mansion in East Nashville, Urban Cowboy has a vibe that feels equal parts Western lodge, bohemian hideaway, and romantic designer escape. The space is layered with rich textures, vintage details, moody lighting, and eclectic décor that invites you to slow down and connect — exactly the kind of environment that feels made for celebrating a just-married moment. There’s an intentional sense of warmth and intimacy there, almost like stepping into a dreamlike oasis tucked inside the city, where music, conversation, and human connection take center stage. For Lucie and Casey, it was the perfect place to pause, soak it all in, and simply exist together in that quiet, glowing “we just got married” feeling.
The portraits I captured of them here are some of my favorites I’ve ever taken. They lean heavily into an editorial style that feels both cinematic and narrative. Inspired by and deeply rooted in American Gothic, while still grounded in a distinctly modern, Nashville-Western edge. Shaped by the layered textures, moody light, and intimate atmosphere of the space itself, and surrounded by worn wood, vintage details, and that unmistakable blend of rustic grit and romantic warmth, the setting naturally lent itself to images that feel timeless.
Laid Back East Nashville Reception
To get the evening festivities started, the couple met up with friends at Schulman’s Neighborhood Bar in East Nashville for an informal reception-style gathering. Everyone leaned fully into the vibe dressed in Western-inspired black outfits and cowboy hats creating a scene that felt effortlessly cool, cohesive, and very "Nashville".
True to its reputation as a laid-back neighborhood hangout, Schulman's has an unpretentious, come-as-you-are atmosphere filled with friendly faces and a sense of local character that makes it feel instantly welcoming. It was the perfect setting for the couple to shift from the emotion of the day into pure celebration as I captured several candid portraits including friends and family of Casey, the Groom.
Back Where It All Began on Broadway
We wrapped up the evening on Broadway as Lucie and Casey returned to Doc Holliday’s Saloon, the very bar where their story first began! After a full day of emotion, adventure, and celebration, this stop felt deeply symbolic, like closing a perfect narrative loop.
Inside the lively, neon-lit space, surrounded by music, laughter, and the unmistakable energy of a Nashville night, they carried out a small but meaningful ritual. Together, they wrote their names and wedding date on a dollar bill and pinned it to the wall next to the dollar bill they had written their names on only a few short months prior, joining countless others while marking their own permanent place in the setting that first brought them together.
There was something beautifully full-circle about that moment. After exchanging vows, celebrating with friends, and exploring the city throughout the day, they ended exactly where their relationship had started. No longer strangers meeting for the first time, but partners returning as newlyweds, forever connected to that place and to the story it holds.
A Nash Vegas Elopement Done Their Way
Lucie and Casey’s wedding felt so special because every part of the day was intentionally, unapologetically theirs. There were no rigid timelines, no pressure to follow tradition — just a simple ceremony, meaningful locations, and a series of playful, intimate moments that reflected who they are as a couple.
As Lucie shared so perfectly: “You don’t need to spend thousands to have an amazing wedding day. Don’t worry about other people. Do it your way — it should be for the bride and groom, no one else.” That spirit of freedom and authenticity shaped the entire experience, turning it into something that felt less like a production and more like a true celebration of their story.
Editorial Wedding Photography for Nashville Elopements
As a Nashville elopement photographer, these are exactly the kinds of days I love documenting — celebrations that are deeply personal, visually expressive, and rooted in real emotion. My approach blends editorial storytelling with documentary awareness, capturing not just how a wedding looks, but how it feels in the moment.
Lucie and Casey’s day — from the ceremony at Rhinestone Wedding Chapel to their portraits across the city — even caught the attention of Rock n Roll Bride magazine, a reflection of how powerful and inspiring intimate, personality-driven weddings can be.
If you’re planning a Nashville elopement, whether indoors in a classic chapel, or somewhere completely unexpected, my goal is always the same: to create timeless, editorial images that reflect your personalities, your connection, and the story only the two of you can tell. Because at the end of the day, the most meaningful weddings aren’t about following some pre-packaged formula — they’re about creating something that feels unmistakably yours.
The Vendors