Waterstone Venue Wedding | A Perspective from a Johnson City Wedding Photographer
The Bride and Groom – Ashlyn + Colby
This was our first time photographing a Waterstone Venue wedding in Johnson City, Tennesse, and it absolutely exceeded expectations! With the natural beauty of East Tennessee, Ashlyn and Colby’s joyful, rainy day celebration was everything you could hope for in an outdoor wedding. Ashlyn and Colby were friends throughout undergrad and started dating right after they graduated. They even dated long distance while he was in seminary school in Johnson City, and she was in Charleston at MUSC! When I first met Ashlyn and Colby in person at their engagement session, they both were so easy to talk to and laid back. Even now on their wedding day, their personalities made this rainy, misty day be incredibly vibrant and joyful!
Waterstone Venue Wedding – A Brief Overview
The Waterstone Venue, located in the heart of Johnson City, TN, is one of the most unique and breathtaking wedding venues in East Tennessee. Featuring a hobbit house bridal suite, a treehouse groom’s prep space, and a rock quarry waterfall ceremony site, it’s a dream for couples wanting a nature-focused wedding experience. It is truly breathtaking no matter where you turn!
Pre-Ceremony
When we arrived at the Waterstone hobbit house, we started with Ashlyn’s bridal details and the girls getting ready! Some of my favorite photos from this day were taken near and beside of this unique bridal suite. Once Ashlyn was in her dress, we took some beautiful bridal portraits of her inside, followed by the sweetest first look with her dad right outside. Next, we did all of the bridesmaids photos with the rock quarry and waterfall right behind. Ashlyn’s vision for their day was really coming together so beautifully!
At this point, our overcast weather was starting to turn a bit iffy. I quickly walked down to the treehouse to meet up with the guys in hopes to get their photos in before it started pouring the rain! The guys were great to work with, and even though it started sprinkling, we got some amazing photos with just a little bit of rain!
A Rainy Waterstone Wedding Day
The downpour risk became very real as we got closer to ceremony time. We arrived at the Waterstone Venue wedding under mostly cloudy skies and a high chance of rain, just about an hour before the ceremony. Everyone hoped the rain would pass and the sun would peek through, but instead, the skies opened up right as the ceremony was about to begin.
Ashlyn made the call to keep the ceremony outdoors, rain or shine, and stood by that decision with total grace. After waiting just 30 extra minutes, the rain cleared completely, and they had the beautiful outdoor ceremony they had planned all along.
The sun never fully came out, but it didn’t rain again for the rest of the evening. We captured every single portrait before they stepped into their reception, and it honestly felt like magic!
Bride + Groom Portraits at the Waterstone Venue Wedding
One of my favorite parts of Ashlyn and Colby’s day was their wedding portraits! In her inquiry, Ashlyn shared how much they were looking forward to fun candids, party shots, and sweet, romantic photos of just the two of them. We captured all of that! Waterstone Venue had so many beautiful, photo-worthy spots—it made our job easy.
Right after we finished family formals and bridal party photos, it was time for photos with Noogie—their adorable pup! Noogie totally stole the show in her little flower crown necklace. After we wrapped up those shots, we stayed by the rock quarry waterfall to soak in the magic. The soft color palette, cascading waterfall, and lush greenery tied everything together in the most stunning way.
Ending a Magical Day at the Waterstone Venue Wedding
Now they were able to dance the night away, and enjoy time with their friends and family! We were able to hear some incredible stories from their friends and families, watch their first dances, cut the cake, and all of their guests showed up on the dance floor! It was all so incredible.
Ashlyn and Colby, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for letting us capture your day! It was truly an honor, and one wedding day we will never forget!
If you’re dreaming of an outdoor ceremony, waterfall portraits, or just love the charm of unique East Tennessee wedding venues, Waterstone Venue is a perfect choice—and I’d love to photograph it again.
Click here to inquire about your Waterstone Venue wedding!
The famous hobbit house at Waterstone, named The Sassafras!
This color palette is what dreams are made of!
It started to rain just a little bit while we were doing photos of all of the guys! Once everyone was tucked away before the ceremony, the sky completely opened up. It came a downpour!
Colby was completely blown away by his beautiful bride!
They’re married!!!
We had to grab a bridal party photo with the umbrellas for the memories! Notice how all of the girls dresses are soaked at the bottom! It truly rained so hard!
How precious is Noogie?!
The most incredible floral design by Susan Liles! One of my all time favorite bouquets!
Special thanks to these vendors who made this Waterstone Venue wedding possible:
Ceremony + Reception | Waterstone Venue
Dress Store | White Lace and Promises
Dress Designer | Essense of Australia
Florist + Decor | Susan Liles
Planner | JamiEvents
Hair | Haley White
Make Up | Carlie McKeehan
DJ | Starr Weddings and Entertainment
Catering | Good Batch Mama
Bridesmaids Dress | Azazie.com
Groomsmen Attire | Jos A. Banks
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