Howe Farms Wedding Guide: What Couples Should Know Before Getting Married There
When couples start searching for wedding venues around Chattanooga, Howe Farms is one of the names they're likely to encounter.
And having actually worked a wedding there, I understand why.
I've had the opportunity to capture a wedding at The Apple Barn at Howe Farms, The Vineyard Hall, The Highlands Chapel, The Loft, The Pavilion, The Woodlands, and Water into Wine, and one of the things that stood out to me was how much visual variety the property gives us without needing to leave the venue.
But there's something else I noticed firsthand:
The sunsets at Howe Farms can be incredible.
That's important because choosing a beautiful venue is only part of creating beautiful wedding photographs.
How you build your timeline around that venue matters too.
If you're considering a Howe Farms wedding, here's how I would approach the day from a photographer's perspective—including the decisions I think can make the biggest difference in your final gallery and wedding experience.
Where Is Howe Farms?
Howe Farms is located in Georgetown, Tennessee, outside Chattanooga.
That makes it particularly appealing to couples who want the Chattanooga-area wedding experience without necessarily getting married in the middle of downtown.
Instead of city streets and buildings surrounding you, the property gives your wedding a much more open Tennessee setting.
From a photography perspective, that distinction matters.
If your vision includes natural scenery, open space, sunset portraits, and a wedding that feels removed from the city, a venue like Howe Farms naturally supports that look.
Why Howe Farms Photographs So Well
A beautiful wedding venue doesn't automatically guarantee beautiful wedding photographs.
What I'm looking for as a photographer is variety.
Can I create different-looking photographs without taking the couple away from their wedding for an hour?
Can we find flattering light at different times of day?
Can I photograph wide environmental portraits and then create something intimate a few minutes later?
At Howe Farms, the property gives us options.
That's valuable because your wedding gallery shouldn't look like every photograph was taken against the same background.
More importantly, we don't necessarily need to leave the property to create variety.
That means less driving.
Less waiting.
And more time actually enjoying your wedding.
My Biggest Photography Recommendation at Howe Farms: Protect Sunset
If I were helping you build a Howe Farms wedding timeline, this would be one of my biggest recommendations:
Give us 10–15 minutes around the best evening light.
You do not need an hour-long sunset photoshoot.
In fact, I don't want to pull you away from your reception for that long.
But I have seen the sunset at Howe Farms firsthand, and I think it is absolutely worth building a short portrait window into your timeline.
Imagine this:
The ceremony is over.
You've had dinner.
The pressure of the day has started disappearing.
I grab the two of you for 10 or 15 minutes.
We step away from the reception.
You're finally married.
And instead of rushing through portraits earlier in the afternoon under harsher light, we have a few quiet minutes together as the light changes over the property.
Those photographs often have a completely different feeling from portraits earlier in the day.
Don't Schedule an Important Reception Event During Sunset
This is where planning ahead makes a huge difference.
Let's say the best light is expected around 7:30 PM.
But your reception schedule says:
7:20 — Toasts
7:30 — Cake cutting
7:40 — Parent dances
Now we have a problem.
I'm not going to interrupt your dad's speech because the light outside looks good.
And I don't want you watching the sunset through a window thinking:
“Should we be taking pictures right now?”
The solution is simple.
Before your wedding, your photographer, planner, and DJ should coordinate the reception schedule around that short portrait window if sunset photographs are important to you.
Ten minutes of planning beforehand can prevent a major conflict on the wedding day.
Should You Do a First Look at Howe Farms?
A first look can work extremely well at a venue like Howe Farms, but I don't believe every couple needs one.
If you choose a first look, we can potentially complete:
Couple portraits
Wedding party portraits
Immediate family photographs
before the ceremony.
That gives you much more freedom afterward.
Instead of spending your entire cocktail hour taking photographs, you may be able to enjoy part of it with your guests.
And when sunset arrives later, we aren't trying to create your entire portrait gallery in 15 minutes.
We've already taken the essential photographs.
Sunset becomes a bonus.
But What If You Don't Want a First Look?
That's completely fine.
If seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony matters to you, keep that moment.
We simply need to make sure the timeline leaves enough room afterward for:
Family
Wedding party
Couple portraits
The venue should work around the experience you want—not the other way around.
How Much Photography Coverage Would I Recommend?
There's no universal answer because two Howe Farms weddings can have completely different timelines.
But for a traditional full wedding day, I would generally begin the conversation around eight to ten hours of photography coverage.
Eight hours can work beautifully if:
Most events happen at the venue
You're doing a first look
Your ceremony and reception timeline is compact
You don't need extremely late reception coverage
Ten hours may make more sense if:
You want extensive getting-ready photographs
You aren't doing a first look
You have a large wedding party
You have a large family portrait list
You want significant reception coverage
You want your final exit documented
The important thing is not choosing eight or ten hours because that's what a package says.
I would rather look at your actual timeline and determine where coverage should begin and end.
Take Advantage of Having Everything in One Area
One of the most underrated advantages of a venue where the wedding can stay primarily on-site is how much time it saves.
Consider a wedding where you:
Get ready at a hotel.
Drive to a church.
Drive somewhere else for portraits.
Drive to the reception.
Even if every location is only 15–20 minutes apart, you've lost a substantial portion of the wedding day to transportation.
And photography coverage continues during those drives.
When we can keep more of the wedding in one area, those minutes become useful again.
We can spend them:
Taking portraits
Photographing details
Capturing guests
Giving you a break
Letting you enjoy cocktail hour
That's one of those things couples don't always think about when touring venues.
Give Yourself Breathing Room Before the Ceremony
One mistake I see couples make isn't venue-specific at all:
They schedule photographs until the absolute last possible minute.
I don't recommend it.
Ideally, I want you hidden away before guests begin arriving.
That gives you time to:
Drink some water
Touch up makeup
Fix your hair
Use the restroom
Sit down
Talk with your wedding party
Actually process what's about to happen
Your wedding day shouldn't feel like:
Photo. Photo. Photo. Ceremony.
Some of my favorite wedding photographs happen precisely because there is enough room in the schedule for something unplanned to happen.
Think About Your Ceremony Time Before You Finalize It
Your ceremony time affects almost everything that follows.
Before locking it in, consider:
Time of year
Sunset
Whether you're doing a first look
Ceremony length
Family portrait list
Cocktail hour
Desired portrait time
A 5:30 PM ceremony can work beautifully during one part of the year and create a difficult photography timeline during another.
This is particularly important for fall and winter weddings when daylight disappears earlier.
If photography is important to you, I strongly recommend asking your photographer for input before finalizing the ceremony time.
Fall Weddings at Howe Farms
It's easy to understand why fall weddings are so popular around Chattanooga.
Temperatures begin cooling.
The Tennessee landscape changes.
And outdoor portraits can be beautiful.
But fall also means progressively earlier sunsets.
If you're planning an October or November wedding, don't build your timeline using the sunset time from your summer venue tour.
Look at the expected sunset for your actual wedding date.
And remember that the quality and direction of usable light can change before the official sunset time.
That's why I prefer planning portrait windows conservatively rather than waiting until the final few minutes.
Summer Weddings at Howe Farms
Summer gives us the opposite challenge.
We have much more daylight, which is fantastic.
But Tennessee can also be hot and humid.
That means I don't necessarily want to schedule every outdoor portrait during the hottest portion of the afternoon.
A first look and smart use of shaded areas can help.
Then we can return outside later when the light is softer and temperatures are hopefully more comfortable.
Summer sunsets also happen later, so your best portrait light may fall during the reception.
Again, communication between your photographer, planner, and DJ matters.
What If It Rains at Your Howe Farms Wedding?
Don't panic.
Seriously.
Rain doesn't automatically ruin wedding photographs.
What matters is having a plan before the forecast becomes a problem.
I recommend discussing:
Ceremony backup options
Covered portrait areas
Indoor family portrait locations
Clear umbrellas if appropriate
Extra timeline flexibility
And remember that Tennessee weather can change quickly.
I don't want couples checking the weather every ten minutes during the week of their wedding and assuming the entire day is ruined.
Your photography team should be capable of adapting.
Do You Need a Second Photographer at Howe Farms?
Not automatically.
I would base this decision on the wedding itself rather than the venue name.
A second photographer becomes more valuable when you have:
A large guest count
Separate getting-ready areas
A large wedding party
A tight timeline
A strong priority on guest candids
Several important things happening simultaneously
For a smaller wedding with a relaxed timeline, one experienced photographer may be plenty.
For a large celebration, having two photographers allows us to divide responsibilities.
While I'm photographing you, another photographer can document guests, details, or another part of the property.
Photo and Video Teams Need to Work Together
If you're hiring both photography and videography for your Howe Farms wedding, I strongly recommend thinking of them as one visual team.
Both teams need many of the same moments:
Getting ready
First look
Ceremony
Portraits
First dance
Toasts
Sunset
Exit
The day becomes frustrating when photographers and videographers are competing for the same space or repeatedly making you perform the same moment.
That's one reason I care so much about coordination.
Whether you hire one company for both or separate companies, everyone should communicate and work toward the same goal:
Documenting the wedding without turning the wedding into a production.
Leave Enough Time for Family Photographs
Family portraits are often underestimated.
Ten combinations might move quickly.
Thirty-five combinations involving relatives who have disappeared into cocktail hour will not.
Before the wedding, I recommend creating a focused family portrait list containing the combinations that genuinely matter.
Start with larger groups and work down.
And tell everyone who is needed for photographs before the wedding day.
That one step can save an enormous amount of time.
Don't Spend Your Entire Wedding Day Taking Photos
This may sound strange coming from a wedding photographer.
But I mean it.
If your venue is beautiful, it's tempting to think:
“We need pictures everywhere.”
You don't.
We need enough time to create a beautiful, varied gallery.
Then I want you back with your people.
Your wedding photographs should remind you of your wedding.
They shouldn't remind you that you spent three hours away from everyone because your photographer kept finding another background.
That's another reason I like short sunset sessions.
Ten focused minutes in beautiful light can sometimes give us more meaningful photographs than an hour of forced portraits.
My Ideal Approach to a Howe Farms Wedding
If you hired me to photograph your wedding at Howe Farms, my priorities would be:
1. Build the timeline around your experience first.
I don't want photography controlling your entire day.
2. Identify the best portrait windows beforehand.
Especially sunset.
3. Create variety without constantly moving you around.
We don't need to photograph every corner of the property.
4. Protect candid moments.
Not everything needs to be posed.
5. Coordinate photography and videography.
One team, one timeline.
6. Get you back to your guests.
Your wedding isn't a photoshoot.
Those six things matter far more to me than creating the longest possible shot list.
Frequently Asked Questions About Howe Farms Weddings
Is Howe Farms near Chattanooga?
Yes. Howe Farms is located in Georgetown, Tennessee, outside Chattanooga, making it an option for couples looking for a scenic wedding venue in the greater Chattanooga area.
Have you photographed a wedding at Howe Farms?
Yes. I've worked at The Apple Barn at Howe Farms and have firsthand experience photographing and filming a real wedding day on the property.
Is Howe Farms good for sunset wedding photos?
From my experience there, absolutely. The sunset was one of the things that stood out to me most about photographing at the property. I recommend intentionally protecting a short sunset portrait window in your wedding timeline.
Should we do a first look at Howe Farms?
You don't have to, but a first look can allow us to complete more portraits before the ceremony and create a more relaxed cocktail-hour schedule. If you prefer a traditional aisle reveal, we can build the timeline around that instead.
How many hours of photography do we need for a Howe Farms wedding?
For many traditional weddings, I would start by considering eight to ten hours. The right amount depends on getting-ready coverage, ceremony time, first look, guest count, reception schedule, and whether you want your exit photographed.
Do we need both a photographer and videographer?
Photography and videography preserve different parts of the experience. Photography freezes individual moments, while video preserves movement, voices, vows, speeches, and atmosphere. If both matter to you, having teams that work well together can make the wedding day significantly smoother.
Planning a Howe Farms Wedding? Let's Build the Photography Around Your Day.
One of the advantages of hiring someone who has actually worked at your venue is that we're not starting completely from scratch.
I've experienced a real wedding at The Apple Barn at Howe Farms, seen how the property photographs, and seen firsthand what the evening light can look like.
But I'm not interested in recreating somebody else's Howe Farms wedding.
I want yours to look like yours.
At Spencer Purcell Films, I photograph and film weddings throughout Chattanooga, Nashville, and across Tennessee with an approach focused on natural moments, thoughtful timelines, and imagery that still feels meaningful years later.
If you're getting married at Howe Farms, we can talk through your ceremony time, first look, portrait locations, sunset, photo and video coverage, and reception schedule before the wedding.
That way, when the day arrives, you don't have to think about any of it.
You can actually get married.
We'll take care of documenting it.
Planning your Howe Farms wedding?
📅 Check your wedding date availability.
📖 Request complete wedding photography and videography collections and pricing.
📞 Schedule your complimentary consultation and let's talk specifically about your Howe Farms wedding timeline.
Popular spring and fall wedding dates throughout the Chattanooga area can book 12–18 months in advance. Once you've secured Howe Farms and your wedding date, I recommend reserving your photography and videography team as early as possible.