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About Us
Meet the Nelsons
We’re Emilie and Andrew—a husband-and-wife photography and filmmaking team based in Chattanooga, TN.
Our own marriage story began at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Overnight, all of our carefully made wedding plans were thrown out the window! Instead of gathering with friends and extended family at the venue of our choice, we held a small, meaningful ceremony in Andrew’s parents’ front yard with just our immediate families present.
It wasn’t what we had envisioned, but it was beautiful—and it marked the beginning of a marriage we’re so deeply grateful for.
The Nelson’s Photography and Films was born out of a desire to preserve stories like these. Stories full of real emotion, honest moments, and the kind of love that lasts. We wanted to offer something different: an experience that’s relational, collaborative, and tailored to each couple we work with.
Our favorite part of this work is the connection we get to build with our couples—walking alongside you as you step into marriage, and helping you remember the day not just through beautiful images and films, but through the emotion behind them.
If you're looking for a photography and filmmaking team who values story, connection, and collaboration—we’d be honored to be a part of preserving yours.
Behind the Lens
Andrew (Filmmaking)
I've had a camera in my hands non-stop since 2010.
It all started when my Grandfather let me use his Nikon D3100 to take photos of my cousins waterskiing. I was hooked! I asked for a GoPro for Christmas and took it with me everywhere.
It didn't take long before my love for photography transitioned into a love for filmmaking. Inspired by Red Bull videos online I filmed myself skateboarding, riding dirt bikes and doing all sorts of other wild adventures.
Overtime Filmmaking became more than a hobby - it became a core part of how I experienced the world and how I related to others. It became a communal activity. To get out of writing papers in high school I'd ask teachers to let me create short films with friends instead, which, to my surprise, they agreed (praises for good teachers!). I'd invite friends, classmates, and people I hardly knew to get in on the fun to create something special together.
This relational emphasis in my filmmaking carries over today to the way I approach capturing weddings. The best films are always a synthesis of the couples' connection with one another and my understanding of them developed through building a relationship with them both beforehand and throughout their day. It's this part of the process, the relational aspect that makes what we do so much fun.
Other things about me:
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I have my Masters of Divinity from Abilene Christian University
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I studied philosophy and filmmaking in college
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I love almost every genre of music
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My favorite way to spend my time is hiking, playing board games with friends, or brainstorming video ideas
Emilie (Photography)
I've always loved details.
The way things look, how they fit together, and how they quietly complement each other—design has always felt second nature to me. Even before picking up a camera for the first time, I was drawn to anything that let me create beauty and harmony—whether it was styling a cozy space or putting together an outfit that just feels right.
Looking back, I think that love was shaped early on by two seemingly unrelated things: music and math. I've loved both since I was a kid. I picked up guitar early on and spent years leading worship in college ministries. Both music and math require an attention to detail and a feel for how things are supposed to fit together—whether it’s a melody or an equation. So when Andrew suggested I try out a camera for the first time, it just clicked. The technical side of photography was new, but the instinct to notice small details, appreciate good design, and find harmony in a scene made it feel like an extension of how I already saw the world.
That same attention to detail shapes the way I photograph weddings today. For most couples, the wedding day is a blur—so much happens so quickly that it’s impossible to catch it all in the moment. I love that my work gives me the chance to slow things down, to notice the in-between moments, the stolen glances, the little details they may have missed. It’s my way of helping couples not just remember their day, but really see it—exactly as it was, and maybe even a little more beautifully than they realized in the moment.
Other things about me:
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I have my B.S. in Pure Mathematics from Lipscomb University, Masters in School Psychology from Abilene Christian University, and currently am a part-time School Psychologist in Tennessee.
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My favorite way to spend my time is reading, being in the sun, and doing something musical.
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I've watched every season of Shark Tank.
THE NELSONS
PHOTOGRAPHY
AND FILMS
Story-driven wedding photography and video based in Chattanooga, Tennessee
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