Hannah and Mason’s wedding at The Turnbull Building in downtown Chattanooga checked off boxes from so many lists! We got some gorgeous traditional moments highlighted by some super cool industrial textures and vibes. You’ll see what I mean when you scroll through their gallery!
A REAL LIFE ROM-COM
You know the age-old story of a bridesmaid and groomsmen hitting it off?! Well, here it is in real life!! I’m not even joking…. Hannah and Mason met while in the same bridal party supporting friends. They immediately hit if off and hung out all night at the reception. Then, on their first official date, Hannah took Mason as her date to another friend’s wedding.
And so here we are down the road, years later, at their very own wedding celebration. And this Turnbull wedding and reception was all class!
ROADSIDE FIRST LOOK AND BRIDAL PORTRAITS
While Hannah and Mason were pumped about their downtown wedding, they really wanted to incorporate some more natural Chattanooga landscape for their bridal portraits. Since The Turnbull Building doesn’t really have any great outdoor space, I scouted out a roadside field a few days ahead of their event for their first look and portraits. That’s just how easy it is to find typical Chattanooga scenery!
Because they planned their ceremony and reception for the same location, we knew we wouldn’t have tons of time between the two for a long photo session. It really helped that Hannah and Mason opted for a first look ahead of the ceremony because we had more than enough time to shoot their portraits, bridal party photos, and most of their family photos, as well.
OH! Check out Hannah’s VELVET SNEAKERS! I love it when my brides bring a practical shoe along with their heels. When we do their portraits, the bride and groom need to be able to move easily, freely, and much more comfortably, especially when we have limited time. Hannah was prepared to party in those sneaks, so they were the perfect comfort shoe.
LUSH WEDDING FLORAL DESIGN BY PETALINE
When I heard that Petaline was designing the florals for Hannah, I contacted them in advance to bring extra flowers so I could style the invitation suite. Petaline created the most lush designs for The Turnbull Building. Their work looks so natural and still somehow so polished. Hannah’s bouquet was absolutely next level. Insane. So beautiful. I’m obsessed. The end. I really can’t say enough about the flowers! Petaline is truly a step above the rest with an incredible eye for design.
WEDDING AT THE TURNBULL BUILDING
Ok, here’s a fun bit of history for you. As the story goes, W.W. Turnbull visited the World’s Fair as a boy and saw people eating ice cream out of rolled waffles (I know, right? I can’t believe I’ve not done this before!). Years later, in 1907, Mr. Turnbull invented the world’s first ice cream cone-making machine. His company, Turnbull Cone and Machine Company, relocated from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Chattanooga in 1918. The company eventually became one of the US’s largest ice cream cone producers! The building itself was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, but the company closed a few years later.
The Turnbull Building is located on the edge of downtown Chattanooga between the Southside and the Riverfront. Over the past 20 years or so, Chattanooga has worked to develop and beautify its riverfront. While this development started at the heart of downtown, Chattanooga’s Southside has seen incredible growth and revitalization in more recent years. These days, the Riverfront and Southside are edging closer and closer to each other with fantastic reformation happening on just about every corner.
After being rehabbed for modern use, The Turnbull has been restored and is enjoying its second life as an event venue! The interior features tons of natural light and exposed brick and beams, and is a perfect mix of old industrial and sophisticated charm.
The historic warehouse loft has two floors dedicated to hosting events, either large or small. The 3rd floor can host a seated reception of 150 or standing reception of 250. On this floor, you’ll find the private dressing room and prep kitchen. The 4th floor is able to host a seated reception of 250 or a standing reception of 300 and includes additional catering prep space as well as a small accent loft area.
Something I really appreciate about a wedding at The Turnbull Building is that the rental period is from 11:00am until 11:59pm! This means, if you time your wedding well, you can fill the entire day without the stress of having to be out before folks are done partying! (One thing to be aware of is that The Turnbull Building requires an event planner or on-site day-of contact person. So if you’re leaning toward booking the venue, make sure you’ve got that detail on your radar. I’m happy to make recommendations if you need a coordinator!)
The Turnbull is such an adaptable space, y’all. I’ve seen it richly decorated, but, as you can see here, the building’s details can be teased out with a gentle touch and simple, classic decor. For Hannah and Mason’s wedding at The Turnbull Building, I love the contrast of the 100 year old heart pine and the iron windows with the event’s soft fabrics and lush white florals.
THE TURNBULL BUILDING’S BIGGEST WEDDING DAY SECRET
Just kidding, you guys. It isn’t a secret–but it always feels like one to me! I’m talking about the alleyway behind The Turnbull. I LOVE photographing in this alley. It’s one of my favorite places to shoot, especially when it’s overgrown with ivy like it was in these shots of Mason and Hannah.
As you can see, the light is so even back there! You get tons of sun pouring in from every direction because the building is covered with windows. And it’s texture overload, which is so so appealing to me as a photographer. It brings wonderful depth to my photos, and you know I’m completely digging the contrast of textures once again!
WEDDING RECEPTION AT CHATTANOOGA’S TURNBULL BUILDING
After we finished their alleyway photo sesh, we returned upstairs to Mason and Hannah’s reception. The couple danced the night away with the help of a live band and Lee Towery Catering! At the end of the night, they headed out in style in Mason’s dad’s vintage Pontiac GTO convertible. Swoooon!
Special thanks to the vendors and venue that made Mason and Hannah’s day so memorable:
Venue – The Turnbull Building
Caterer – Lee Towery Catering
Florals – Petaline Floral
Dress – Lillian West from Sweet Elegance Bridal in Decatur, GA
Suit – Jos A Bank
Hair – Korian Bradley w/ Steel Magnolia Salon
Makeup – Katie Hulgan w/ Steel Magnolia Salon
Band – The Atlanta Wedding Band
Cake- Sweet Angel Cakes
Event Design- Me 🙂
Linens – White Table Specialty Linens
Man, I do love shooting in that alley behind The Turnbull. I live just down the street from downtown, so I’m extra familiar with hidden spots like that! If you dig Hannah and Mason’s gallery, check out other weddings I’ve documented at The Turnbull Building. We always have a great time! I’d love for you to read through my other Chattanooga wedding blogs for more ideas and inspiration!
