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The Collection

About

The Collection exists to bring superior images, along with trusted service, to a variety of brides. When working with The Collection, you can trust you will receive excellence in service and the highest quality for your investment.

General Information

The Collection is a new name, but not a new face to wedding photography. Each photographer, hand picked by owners Peter & Whitney Carlson, are held to the highest degree of perfection.

The collection exists to bring superior images, along with trusted service, to a variety of brides. When working with a photographer from The Collection, you can trust you will receive excellence in service and the highest quality for your investment.

The Collection is not a co-operative of photographers, but one trusted photography studio supplying a variety of creative and artistic photographers.

All photography coverage includes 2 photographers. We dedicate the day to you so your photographer of choice will only photograph your wedding on your wedding date.

WHO IS THE COLLECTION:

ERIN LEE
Erin shot her first wedding in 1990, at the age of eight, with her Kodak 110 camera and her guinea pig, Lora, who was dressed like a bride. Her decision to be serious about photography came about 10 years later while she was playing drums for a Chicago-based alternative rock band. She noticed that no one knew how to take photos of a chick-drummer. Erin then spent numerous years photographing musicians in the Chicago area.

Erin also enjoys relaxing outside during the summer with friends, reading books by Brennan Manning, watching The Office, and discovering magical atmospheres. She is sad that LOST has completed. Her guilty pleasure is visiting Opryland Hotel and can’t wait for it to reopen. When Erin is not busy with photography and the mentioned activities, she is still rocking out as the Marketing Director for a music–based advertising and sponsorship company.


JESSICA LAYNE
Jessica has been photographing weddings for over two years, and has had a considerable amount of training over the years from her older sister Whitney Carlson of Dove Wedding Photography.

Jessica lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Alex and 120pound black Labrador Triton. She is a 6th grade school teacher that loves the outdoors. When she is not teaching or photographing, she spends her time with her husband hiking, rafting, camping, and watching LOST marathons.

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Albums
Digital Files

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Photojournalism

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Flush Mount
Prints

Reviews of The Collection

Write a review
Write a review
S
Sasha Sent on 06/20/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Erin Lee Allender is amazeballs! Her photos speak for themselves. I am now a picture snob. She gave us such valuable and well documented memories of our special day. She shot my best friend's wedding and I knew that she would be my photographer when my time came. After the venue, her services were the second item I purchased. Photography is pricey if you want quality, but she is well worth it. I have already booked her for my future children at her new business, Erin Lee Allender photography. She will no longer be a part of the Collection, but the impact she made on this brand will stand the test of time.
She knows how to read people. That is what makes her so gifted. She could tell when my energy was fading, She even stopped during the reception to get me a drink when I was overwhelmed with taking photos for guests. Erin helped sew one of my bridesmaids into her dress when the side seam burst right before she was to walk down the aisle. She is gal's gal and people's person. She is awesome. Her services were a great investment.
U
User2607547 Sent on 05/13/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Erin and her team are unbelievably amazing.
reasons to choose her
1. The pictures speak for themselves - she's amazing at capturing the joy in the moment. She's not intrusive, not bossy, and still able to take beautiful shots.
2. She's super professional - very prompt and responsive prior to the wedding, evaluates your site prior, and comes early to set up, and stays late to make sure all photos are downloaded in a safe place before leaving.
3. She goes above and beyond her role - I didn't have a day of coordinator, and Erin and her team helped me survive: they helped trim flower stems, redo my hair, set out dinnerware, among many others. Prior to the wedding, I also didn't know anything about Nashville and wedding planning, and she followed up with her colleagues to help me figure out lots of catering questions.
4. She and her team are SUPER FUN

If I had to choose again, I would no doubt choose Erin to be my wedding photographer a second time. It is 100% worth it. You have a million other decisions to make, so focus on getting those done and rest assured you won't regret choosing Erin and her team.
User2470776 Sent on 12/16/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Erin with The Photography Collection was an invaluable part of my wedding experience. We used her for both our engagement and wedding photos and every single photo is flawless. I was fairly new to the Nashville area and when I told Erin I wanted to do an outdoor shoot near a creek but didn't know where to go, she did her own research and found us a beautiful spot! On our wedding day, she worked within the strict guidelines of our church, and managed to take beautiful photos without us even knowing she was there. Erin was always quick to respond to my emails, very detailed, organized, and professional (yet she still made it feel like we were hanging out with a long time friend). The most important thing I have to say about Erin though is her character. While photography was her priority the day of the wedding, she genuinely cared about making sure our day was perfect. I had food poisoning the day of our wedding and she followed me around with water and ginger snacks, and made sure I sat down plenty between shots so that I didn't feel feint. She also would fix my dress, veil, and hair as needed, totally unrelated to photos. She just wanted to make sure I looked my best at all times. Since my wedding, two of my friends have used Erin and they also have been very pleased with their interactions with her and their photos. Erin's pricing is very fair for the Nashville area. If you use Erin, it will be the best decision of your wedding process!
M
Meghann Sent on 11/18/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Erin was simply amazing to work with, and her work truly speaks for itself! My husband and I ultimately chose to work with her because a) we loved her easy-going personality and really meshed with her, and b) her work is timeless, not trendy, and had a good mix of the traditional posed shots (that I didn't think I really would like, but they ended up being some of my favorites!!) as well as amazing candid captured moments. I really felt that she captured the full essence of the day! We had a LOT of little special details and she got them all!

Erin was amazing throughout the wedding planning process, but she really was a rockstar on the big day. She's extremely calm, and her presence really added to the calm, easy feeling of our wedding day. She made my husband and I feel comfortable in what can sometimes be an awkward situation of posing and smiling and feeling silly, but she kept the mood light and fun! She was respectful and polite to all of our guests and vendors; extremely professional but not in any way snooty or rude, as I've experienced with other wedding photographers in other weddings I've been in.

She even went out of her way to help me in non-photog duties: she grabbed me water when I was having a coughing fit, she even bustled my dress for me when my sister and I forgot to do it before the first dances!

On the photo side, I was always concerned about my arms looking big in pictures, or my "bad" side being photographed, and Erin did a really great job of telling me how to pose for the most flattering angles. And boy was she right! I felt like I looked better in my wedding pictures than I ever thought I would, which was a huge plus! :) Even my bridesmaids commented on how good Erin was at telling a woman how to properly stand for the most flattering shot! That's a huge plus!

She also got our engagement and wedding pictures back to us SO quickly! We had a sneak peek go up while we were on our honeymoon, which was super fun! :)
K
Kristen Sent on 10/18/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Erin was great. Very professional and has a great eye. You can tell she's done this once or twice :)
E
Erin Sent on 09/05/2015
5 out of 5 rating
We could not have asked for a better photographer for our wedding! Erin was fun and professional and made our wedding day so easy. And the pictures are gorgeous! We can't recommend her highly enough!
U
User2288005 Sent on 08/26/2015
5 out of 5 rating
We worked with Erin and she is wonderful! She is so bright and cheerful and her work is amazing! I knew when I saw her portfolio that she is who I wanted to work with. She made a point to get to know us as a couple and made sure our pictures reflected our style. I was also really impressed with how professional she was. She showed up almost an hour early (!) on our wedding day to start taking pictures of us getting ready and then was really good at wrangling our entire wedding party. And after the wedding and at the reception she was so patient as a million different people tried to get in her way to take cell phone pictures as she working. Then the icing on the cake was when we saw the finished product! Our wedding pictures were breathtaking! I would absolutely recommend her to anyone getting married!
U
User2287153 Sent on 08/26/2015
5 out of 5 rating
I can't express how great Erin was for our wedding. She not only calmed my nerves about what we considered the most important aspect of our wedding (the pictures) but she answered all my other random wedding related questions also! Erin remained calm and professional during her time with us. After seeing all of our beautiful wedding pictures, I have had other friends book Erin for their weddings. When you book Erin, you will get incredible memories of your special day that will last forever!
H
Hellen Sent on 08/26/2015
5 out of 5 rating
I could not say enough kind things about Erin with The Collection Nashville. From the very beginning she made sure she knew exactly what I wanted. From calling me and spending time just getting to know me and from working with me anytime I had questions or concerns. She went above and beyond expectations. On the wedding day she took charge which was amazing! I do not know what I would have done without her that day! I would highly recommend The Collection and Erin to all my friends and family and even strangers. I will cherish my beautiful photos forever. They are just priceless.
N
Nicole Sent on 06/26/2015
5 out of 5 rating
We can not say enough great things about Erin! We met with her prior to our engagement photo shoot and she spent a couple of hours talking to us and getting a feel for us as individuals, a couple, and what we were looking for. Our engagement photos were beautiful and we had so much fun. Through that session she really got to know us so when it came to our big day we knew Erin would capture all of our special moments. She has that talent of being in the middle of it all and getting those unique and special moments yet you never even realize she's there!! Our pictures could not be more perfect!
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Awards

39
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner

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Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
Menu Maker Catering & Events Menu Maker Catering & Events Wedding Caterers

I have worked with them many times. They have a creative flair in everything that they do.

Map

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Photography Nashville
Photography Nashville (City)

The Collection frequently asked questions

The Collection includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • High-Res Images
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Albums
  • Digital Files
The Collection offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Photojournalism
The Collection offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Additional Hours
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Second Shooter
The Collection offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Albums
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
  • Flush Mount
  • Prints
The Collection is recommended by 99% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in average response time, 5 in flexibility, 5 in professionalism, 4.9 in quality of service and 4.9 in value.

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