Misty and Bailey's Wedding at the Venue at Gordon Lee
One wedding professional I admire is Deborah Poe, who manages the Venue at the Gordon-Lee Mansion in Chickamauga, Georgia. Owned and operated by the City of Chickamauga, it provides a classic and historical venue for a wedding.
I was thrilled when Deb called me and said, “I have this sweet couple . . .” with her distinctive Southern drawl. And sweet they are, Misty and Bailey. They proved that a budget wedding does not mean you have to forego quality, and they found that the Venue at Gordon Lee gave them a sense of opulence while meeting the high prices often seen in private venues. With a newly renovated chapel (thanks to Deb’s efforts) and a spacious lawn to set up a marquee, they chose wisely.
As a photographer, what I loved about the Venue at Gordon Lee is the variety of settings that is available for photographs. There is the historical mansion with its long, leading drive that brings one up to its porch. And what a porch - it is immense with traditional columns.
Misty and Bailey already had their “facorite” spots - Bailey loved the country feel of the groom’s dressing room and asked that he and his groomsmen be photographed there. Misty wanted at least one segment to happen in front of the bamboo strand, so we chose to have the First Look there. And she loved the chandeliers in the huge oak tree and wanted to see those in a couple of bridal portraits. There are many nooks and crannies at the Venue at Gordon Lee offering interesting hardscape and architectural detail - a lot of “good spots” in a relatively small area, which means no bride has to trudge around any great distance!
The skies darkened as the time drew near for the ceremony and sure enough, while all were within the cool, sheltered chapel, the rain came. Did you know it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day? Even better luck is when it is a passing thunderstorm, so common on summer evenings in the South, but what was good is that there is nothing like that to cool the air and make the greens of the season pop!
Add a beautiful bride and a handsome groom and . . . it’s magic!
