Brenely and Casey provided me the opportunity to shoot at one of my absolutely favorite Chattanooga venues– Common House Chattanooga. With interior design by Lazo ID, offering a textural, colorful (but still understated) backdrop, paired with all the rich, historical elements like salvage terracotta tiles and 1920’s architecture, the Common House Chattanooga offers a playful yet sophisticated backdrop with just about a million different photo opportunities throughout.
Common House Engagement Shoot Locations
The main draw for Brenely & Casey wanting to shoot their engagement session at Common House Chattanooga was the terrace– so that’s where we headed first!
01. THE TERRACE
There’s an outdoor upstairs bar with these really cute seating and umbrellas, and an outside bar up there. We wen’t ahead and ordered some champaged for them to do a little toasts to kick off our time together. The terrace has an incredible amount of natural light, against the beautiful white stone walls, bounding
02. MINI-STARWELL
We then stop in one of their “mini” stairwells, with the arched ceiling and the big sky-light. Common House has tons of little corners, with gorgeous architectural details and historical tiles and hand railing.
03. DOWNSTAIRS BAR
Common House’s primary bar has this really gorgeous dark green blue bar with velvet couches, and dark chunky wood cafe table on the first floor. So naturally, I popped them with the flash, celebrity style for some fun, flashy pics.
04. HISTORIC FRONT DOORS
The front doors are these big, old school, wooden doors with wrought iron details set beneath these beautiful stone archways.
Looking for more information on an engagement shoot at Common House Chattanooga? Scroll on down! Just beneath the next section on Eagle’s Nest, I have all sort of pro tips and tidbits on this historic building turned modern social club’s photo pass for purchase, parking, history, and more!
Eagle’s Nest, Lookout Mountain Engagement Shoot Locations
So, for the second half of the photo shoots, we wanted to get some couple’s shots against a natural backdrop so we headed up Lookout Mountain to a spot called Eagle’s Nest. Eagle’s Nest is about half-way up Lookout, it’s a very small spot with limited parking but it’s very gorgeous most times of the year and easy to access.
Eagle’s Nest helped us to contrast the architectural and interior beauty of Common House against one of Chattanooga’s beautiful, green spaces.
It’s also another one of these locations that can look completely different depending on the time of year you go up there- think summertime wild flowers, or trees of bright orange in the fall, etc.
Common House Photo Pass
Common House Chattanooga provides a gorgeous backdrop for couples looking for some killer interior stylings with the architectural chops to support it! A photography note for those interested in this eye-catching location, Common House does charge a photo shoot fee (but I will let you know right now, it’s totally worth it.)
Another thing to note, if you’re considering getting a photo pass at this venue, is that you are shooting around other guests or members there. Note: This has never really been a problem for me; we’ll likely just wait people out or move on to a new spot for the backdrop we want and can schedule around high traffic time (like happy hour, etc.) to make the most of our time together, i.e. aim for times when the “house” isn’t very busy (like a Monday).
There are a million photo spots in and around this building, this engagement shoot will shoot you JUST A FEW! So, what I’m also saying is another photoshoot could look really different than this, just because there is an incredible amount of variety.
About Common House Chattanooga
Common House Chattanooga is a modern day social club that opened in 2021, offering members meeting and work spaces, various programs and events, live music, seasonal food and beverage menus, a fitness center, podcast studio, and steam room! To learn more about Common House Chattanooga’s amenities, membership pricing, seasonal menus and more– click here!
Common House Chattanooga’s Historic Location
Located at 1517 Mitchell Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37408, just off Main Street in the heart of Southside Chattanooga, Common House was once home to the YMCA back in 1929! To learn more about the building’s rich history, click here!
Parking at Common House Chattanooga
Common House members and guests have the option of parking in the Common House parking lot (with vehicle decal displayed), or may get parking validation for the CARTA garage located beside the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Getting to Common House Chattanooga
Engagement Photoshoot Vendors in Chattanooga
Venue: Common House – Chattanooga Social ClubPhotography: Our Ampersand Photography – Give me a follow on Instagram @Our_Amerpand_Photo to keep up with travels, trends, celebrations, and real LOVE!
