The Union Station Nashville Yards, Autograph Collection

From behind the camera

Filming at Union Station: what we've learned.

Best first look spot

Two great options. Outside, just in front of the hotel's entry doors by the drop-off drive, with the historic stone entrance behind you. Or inside on the second level, overlooking the Grand Lobby and its stained glass ceiling.

The light

Most of your day here happens indoors, with time outside for portraits at the stone-arched Broadway entrance or on the covered Veranda, so the time of year shapes that outdoor light. Inside, our photographers work with off-camera and on-camera flash, and our film team adds lighting during your reception moments as needed, so everything stays cinematic and dramatic.

The ceremony

The Grand Lobby is the showstopper, right under the stained glass. The Dixie Flyer and Hummingbird Rooms just off the lobby, with their original stained glass windows, are a more intimate option.

The reception

The Grand Lobby, or the covered outdoor Veranda. The open-air Trestle beneath the Broadway Bridge is another option.

If it rains

The Veranda is covered, so it works rain or shine, and the Grand Lobby and side rooms are all indoors.

Drone-friendly?

Absolutely, airspace permitting. Union Station is one of the most iconic buildings in Nashville: that Romanesque stone, the clock tower and the turrets couldn't be mistaken for anything else on the skyline. From the drone we can rise past the tower and circle the rooftops to frame the whole station against the city, the kind of shot nobody on the ground will ever get, and one that tells everyone exactly where you said yes. Downtown has controlled airspace, so our FAA-licensed pilots clear every flight ahead of your date.

One tip for your timeline

Build a little time into your timeline for drone footage. This part of Nashville is stunning from the air, and once the day gets going it can be tough to step back outside.