Top 10 Most Expensive Luxury Wedding Venues in Nashville, TN
- Nicole Morehead
- Mar 21, 2025
- 15 min read
Updated: Jul 11
Last reviewed and updated: July 2026
Nashville’s most expensive wedding venues include The Hermitage Hotel, The Estate at Cherokee Dock, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Riverwood Mansion, Cedarwood Events, The Cordelle, Belle Meade Historic Site, The Bridge Building, The Bell Tower and Marathon Music Works.
These high-end Nashville wedding venues offer everything from historic ballrooms and private waterfront estates to skyline rooftops, manicured gardens and dramatic industrial spaces.
However, there is no single publicly verified ranking of the most expensive wedding venues in Nashville. Many luxury venues provide customized proposals based on the date, guest count, catering, bar service, rentals, staffing, lodging, design and production involved.
For that reason, this list is not arranged by a fixed rental price. Instead, it features ten Nashville venues with the setting, service, and customization potential to support a substantial luxury wedding investment.
A Beautiful Venue Gives Your Wedding a Setting. Photography Lets You Keep It.
Choosing your venue is one of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding. It establishes the atmosphere, influences the guest experience and becomes the setting for nearly every part of your celebration.
But after the final dance, the flowers are removed. The candles are extinguished. The tables are cleared, and the venue prepares for another celebration.
You will leave with each other, your rings and a few carefully chosen keepsakes. Your wedding photographs are what allow you to hold everything else again: your parents’ expressions, your friends laughing together, the room you spent months designing and the fleeting moments you never even realized were happening.
The venue gives your wedding day a place to happen. Photography gives you a way to hold it after the day is gone.
I’m Nicole, a Nashville native and the photographer behind Destination Life Photography. After 16 years in the wedding industry, I look at a venue differently than someone simply touring a beautiful room. I consider the direction of the light, the rain plan, the movement between spaces, the portrait opportunities, and how the venue will look at every stage of the wedding day.
Nashville’s Most Expensive Wedding Venues at a Glance
Venue | Location and Style | Best For | Photography Strength |
The Hermitage Hotel | Historic downtown luxury hotel | Timeless and black-tie weddings | Ornate interiors and editorial portraits |
The Estate at Cherokee Dock | Private lakefront estate | Wedding weekends and destination celebrations | Waterfront, mansion and garden variety |
Schermerhorn Symphony Center | Grand downtown concert hall | Formal, large-scale celebrations | Monumental architecture and dramatic symmetry |
Riverwood Mansion | Historic Southern estate | Garden and mansion weddings | Romantic grounds and classic interiors |
Cedarwood Events | Historic countryside property | Refined outdoor celebrations | Rolling landscape and natural scenery |
The Cordelle | Historic urban venue and garden | Stylish downtown weddings | Indoor-outdoor variety and documentary moments |
Belle Meade Historic Site | Historic estate and gardens | Classic Nashville elegance | Mansion architecture and formal gardens |
The Bridge Building | Modern riverfront venue | Skyline weddings and energetic receptions | Panoramic views and evening city portraits |
The Bell Tower | Historic converted church | Dramatic indoor celebrations | High ceilings, beams and atmospheric lighting |
Marathon Music Works | Industrial music venue | Large, entertainment-focused weddings | Bold architecture and energetic reception images |
Planning advice: Never choose a venue based only on photographs of an empty ceremony space. Ask to see the getting-ready areas, indoor rain options, portrait locations, reception lighting and the paths guests will use throughout the day.
1. The Hermitage Hotel
Historic Downtown Nashville Luxury
The Hermitage Hotel is one of Nashville’s most recognizable historic hotels. Its ornate lobby, richly detailed ballroom, stained-glass ceiling, columns and dark woodwork create an unmistakably elegant atmosphere.
The venue is particularly well suited to formal dinners, black-tie weddings and couples who want their celebration to feel timeless rather than trendy. Its downtown setting also gives out-of-town guests convenient access to the city while allowing the wedding experience to remain contained within a refined hotel environment.
The Hermitage offers several event spaces, including its Grand Ballroom, lobby and more intimate rooms for smaller celebrations.
A photographer’s perspective
The Hermitage rewards thoughtful use of architecture. Rather than placing a couple in front of a decorative wall and taking a standard portrait, I look for symmetry, reflections, layered doorways and the contrast between formal surroundings and genuine human moments.
The interiors also create valuable options during rain, summer heat or cold winter weather. A venue with beautiful indoor portrait locations gives your photography timeline more flexibility and keeps poor weather from determining the quality of your wedding gallery.
Best photography style: Editorial, architectural, elegant and timeless.
2. The Estate at Cherokee Dock
A Private Lakefront Wedding Weekend Near Nashville
The Estate at Cherokee Dock is a private estate in Lebanon, Tennessee, along Old Hickory Lake. The property combines a large Southern mansion, waterfront views, gardens, gathering spaces and lodging possibilities.
This is more than a ceremony-and-reception venue. Couples can create an immersive wedding weekend with welcome gatherings, rehearsal events, overnight accommodations and a post-wedding brunch without moving guests between multiple properties.
The estate offers in-house planning, design and catering options, along with a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. Its combination of privacy, lodging and extensive customization is one reason a celebration here can become a significant overall investment.
A photographer’s perspective
Cherokee Dock offers visual variety without requiring a lengthy trip away from the wedding. A gallery can move from quiet getting-ready photographs inside the mansion to garden portraits, a waterfront ceremony, golden-hour images beside the lake and an evening celebration.
That variety matters. The strongest wedding galleries do not look like hundreds of photographs taken against one background. They tell a visual story that develops throughout the day.
Best photography style: Romantic, cinematic, scenic and story-driven.
3. Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Grand Architecture in Downtown Nashville
Schermerhorn Symphony Center is an architectural landmark in downtown Nashville. Its formal columns, courtyard, expansive halls, marble surfaces and performance spaces create a sense of scale few Nashville wedding venues can match.
The Schermerhorn offers multiple event spaces that can accommodate wedding-related celebrations ranging from smaller gatherings to ceremonies and receptions. Its built-in audiovisual capabilities also make it appealing to couples planning an entertainment-focused or highly produced event.
A photographer’s perspective
Large architectural venues need to be photographed at two scales.
The first is the grand view that shows the couple within the architecture and preserves the magnitude of the setting. The second is the intimate view: a hand being held, a quiet look before the ceremony or a parent watching from across the room.
Without both, a gallery can document the building while failing to document the relationship. My goal is always to preserve the grandeur without allowing the venue to become more important than the people inside it.
Best photography style: Dramatic, editorial, architectural and formal.
4. Riverwood Mansion
Historic Southern Elegance in East Nashville
Riverwood Mansion is a historic East Nashville estate known for its gardens, Southern architecture and full-service approach to weddings.
The property provides both indoor and outdoor possibilities, which is important in Tennessee’s unpredictable weather. Couples can plan a garden ceremony while still having access to interior spaces and an established rain plan.
Riverwood also offers an organized planning process and can accommodate celebrations of varying sizes across its grounds and event areas.
A photographer’s perspective
Riverwood is especially suited to couples who want their gallery to feel romantic, established and unmistakably Southern.
The gardens create softness and movement, while the mansion adds visual structure. This combination allows a photographer to create both natural documentary photographs and more composed, gallery-worthy portraits without the final collection feeling disconnected.
When touring, ask which garden areas are available during your specific season. The light, foliage and landscaping can look very different in April, August and November.
Best photography style: Romantic, garden-inspired, classic and documentary.
5. Cedarwood Events
A Historic Countryside Setting Near Nashville
The property many couples recognize from past wedding features is now represented online as Cedarwood Events. Its grounds include a historic house, rolling hills and a collection of indoor and outdoor settings for weddings and private events.
Because the property and its offerings have evolved, couples who previously encountered the name “Cedarwood Weddings” should request current information directly from the venue rather than relying on an older blog, directory listing or social-media post.
Its natural surroundings continue to make Cedarwood attractive to couples who want an elevated countryside wedding without traveling far from Nashville.
A photographer’s perspective
The landscape is one of Cedarwood’s greatest strengths. Open land gives a photographer the ability to work with changing light, environmental portraits and movement.
The most flattering outdoor photographs usually happen when the timeline allows portraits later in the day rather than scheduling every couple’s portrait under strong midday sunlight. Before finalizing your timeline, ask where the sun sets in relation to the ceremony and portrait spaces.
Best photography style: Organic, pastoral, romantic and editorial.
6. The Cordelle
Historic Character and a Private Garden Downtown
The Cordelle offers a combination that can be difficult to find in downtown Nashville: historic architectural character, indoor event space and a substantial private garden.
Couples can host the ceremony and reception at one location while moving naturally between the garden, the Great Hall and the property’s historic spaces. The layout allows different portions of the day to feel distinct without forcing guests to travel across the city.
The Cordelle describes itself as an indoor-outdoor downtown wedding venue with flexible design and vendor possibilities.
A photographer’s perspective
The transition between spaces is especially valuable for documentary photography.
A wedding gallery becomes more engaging when it includes the anticipation inside the getting-ready rooms, the openness of an outdoor ceremony, cocktail-hour interactions in the garden and the atmosphere of a reception after dark.
The Cordelle also works well for couples who want a sophisticated celebration that still feels relaxed and personal.
Best photography style: Modern, candid, fashion-inspired and intimate.
7. Belle Meade Historic Site
Formal Gardens and Historic Nashville Architecture
Belle Meade Historic Site offers more than 200 years of history, a Greek Revival mansion, manicured grounds, mature magnolia trees and a formal boxwood garden.
The property feels connected to Nashville without resembling a downtown hotel or modern event hall. It is particularly appealing to couples who want historic architecture and garden scenery within a convenient distance of the city.
Ceremonies can be framed by the gardens and mansion, giving couples a setting that already feels complete before extensive decoration is added.
A photographer’s perspective
Belle Meade offers natural opportunities to build visual layers into a gallery: wide photographs showing the mansion and grounds, quiet portraits beneath the trees, editorial bridal imagery and documentary photographs of guests moving through the gardens.
Its architecture can also anchor family photographs so they feel intentional and connected to the venue rather than appearing to have been taken in an arbitrary patch of grass.
The key is to reserve enough time to use the property without turning the wedding day into a prolonged photo session.
Best photography style: Timeless, Southern, editorial and garden-inspired.
8. The Bridge Building
Riverfront Views and the Nashville Skyline
The Bridge Building sits directly along Nashville’s riverfront and offers views of the Cumberland River, downtown skyline and nearby pedestrian bridge.
Its industrial architecture, floor-to-ceiling windows, terraces and rooftop possibilities make it one of Nashville’s most recognizable urban wedding settings. Couples can host different portions of the celebration across the venue’s indoor and outdoor spaces while keeping guests close to downtown hotels and entertainment.
The venue also offers planning support, in-house catering and multiple event spaces.
A photographer’s perspective
I have photographed a complete wedding at The Bridge Building, from the ceremony and family interactions to skyline portraits, dances and a full reception.
The changing light is one of the venue’s greatest strengths. Daytime river views gradually become sunset color, and the skyline begins glowing as the reception moves into the evening.
The important word is gradually. The strongest timeline does not pull the couple away for an hour. It creates a few intentional openings throughout the day so they can enjoy their celebration while still receiving portraits that show the venue at its best.
Best photography style: Cinematic, energetic, urban and documentary.
9. The Bell Tower
A Historic Church Transformed Into a Downtown Venue
The Bell Tower is a former church transformed into a full-service event venue in downtown Nashville.
Its high ceilings, exposed beams, open rafters and dramatic interior give it a sense of history without requiring couples to plan a traditional church wedding. The largely indoor environment is also attractive to couples who want to reduce weather-related uncertainty.
The venue provides planning, design and culinary support, allowing couples to create a highly customized indoor celebration.
A photographer’s perspective
The Bell Tower’s scale makes lighting especially important. Tall ceilings and evening receptions can look beautiful in person but require a photographer who is comfortable balancing ambient light, flash and the atmosphere created by the venue’s production team.
Good reception photography should preserve the mood rather than eliminating it with harsh, flat light. The goal is to see the movement, candlelight and energy while still clearly capturing the people who made the celebration meaningful.
Best photography style: Atmospheric, dramatic, documentary and elegant.
10. Marathon Music Works
An Industrial Venue Built for an Unforgettable Party
Marathon Music Works is a restored industrial space in Nashville’s Marathon Village area. Its warehouse architecture, high ceilings, stage and open floor plan make it suitable for couples envisioning a large, entertainment-centered celebration.
Rather than giving couples a predetermined ballroom aesthetic, Marathon provides a flexible environment that can be transformed through lighting, florals, draping, rentals and production.
It is particularly well suited to couples who care deeply about live music, dancing and creating a reception that feels more like an incredible private concert than a conventional banquet.
A photographer’s perspective
A large, dark industrial space requires experience with movement and rapidly changing light.
The best photographs at Marathon are not limited to posed portraits. They include the anticipation backstage, the scale of the room, the crowd reacting to the music, guests dancing and the small emotional interactions taking place within a large celebration.
When entertainment is one of your priorities, your photographer needs to be prepared to document action without interrupting it.
Best photography style: Bold, energetic, cinematic and photojournalistic.
How Much Does a Luxury Nashville Wedding Venue Cost?
Many couples searching for the most expensive wedding venues in Nashville are also looking for straightforward prices. Unfortunately, luxury venue pricing is rarely simple enough to compare through one rental number.
A lower published venue fee can lead to a higher total after required catering, bar packages, rentals and staffing are added. A more expensive starting package may already include services another venue charges for separately.
Your total venue-related investment may be affected by:
The season and day of the week
Your guest count
Food and beverage minimums
Bar service
Tables, chairs, linens and place settings
Planning and coordination
Security, valet and transportation
Setup and cleanup
Lighting, sound and production
Tent or weather-related rentals
On-site lodging
Taxes, service charges and gratuities
Additional portrait or property-access time
When comparing Nashville wedding venues with prices, request a sample proposal based on the same guest count and date range from each venue. That will give you a far more accurate comparison than looking at the advertised starting price alone.
Seven Questions to Ask Before Booking an Expensive Wedding Venue
1. What is included in the quoted price?
Ask for an itemized explanation of venue access, rentals, planning, staffing, catering, bar service and cleanup.
2. Is there a food or beverage minimum?
A minimum can substantially affect the final price, particularly for a smaller guest list.
3. What is the rain plan?
Do not settle for “we can move it inside.” Tour the actual rain location and decide whether you would genuinely be happy getting married there.
4. Are there attractive indoor photography locations?
Beautiful indoor options protect your portrait timeline during rain, heat, humidity or winter weather.
5. How much time is included?
Ask when the wedding party, vendors and photographer can enter the property and whether additional access requires an extra fee.
6. Are there photography restrictions?
Some historic properties, hotels and performance venues limit where portraits can be taken or require advance permission.
7. What will guests experience between each part of the day?
Consider parking, accessibility, walking distance, room transitions and the amount of time guests may spend waiting while spaces are changed.
Each of these venues offers an unmatched combination of luxury, elegance, and Southern charm, making them the perfect settings for a grand wedding. Whether you're envisioning a lavish ballroom affair or an elegant outdoor soirée, Nashville has a venue to match your dream wedding vision.
Which Luxury Nashville Wedding Venue Is Best for Photography?
There is no single Nashville venue that is best for every couple. The right choice depends on the kind of wedding experience and final gallery you want.
Choose The Hermitage Hotel for ornate interiors and timeless editorial portraits.
Choose The Estate at Cherokee Dock for a private wedding weekend with water, gardens and mansion scenery.
Choose Schermerhorn Symphony Center for monumental architecture and a grand formal atmosphere.
Choose Riverwood Mansion for romantic Southern gardens and historic charm.
Choose Cedarwood Events for rolling countryside and nature-focused imagery.
Choose The Cordelle for a modern indoor-outdoor celebration in the city.
Choose Belle Meade for formal gardens and iconic historic architecture.
Choose The Bridge Building for the Nashville skyline, riverfront and evening city light.
Choose The Bell Tower for dramatic interior architecture and an atmospheric indoor celebration.
Choose Marathon Music Works for an energetic, music-centered reception with an industrial edge.
The best venue is not necessarily the one with the highest price. It is the venue that supports the way you want the day to feel—and gives your photographer the space, access and time required to preserve that experience.
Which Luxury Nashville Wedding Venue Is Best for Photography?
There is no single Nashville venue that is best for every couple. The right choice depends on the kind of wedding experience and final gallery you want.
Choose The Hermitage Hotel for ornate interiors and timeless editorial portraits.
Choose The Estate at Cherokee Dock for a private wedding weekend with water, gardens and mansion scenery.
Choose Schermerhorn Symphony Center for monumental architecture and a grand formal atmosphere.
Choose Riverwood Mansion for romantic Southern gardens and historic charm.
Choose Cedarwood Events for rolling countryside and nature-focused imagery.
Choose The Cordelle for a modern indoor-outdoor celebration in the city.
Choose Belle Meade for formal gardens and iconic historic architecture.
Choose The Bridge Building for the Nashville skyline, riverfront and evening city light.
Choose The Bell Tower for dramatic interior architecture and an atmospheric indoor celebration.
Choose Marathon Music Works for an energetic, music-centered reception with an industrial edge.
The best venue is not necessarily the one with the highest price. It is the venue that supports the way you want the day to feel—and gives your photographer the space, access and time required to preserve that experience.
Do Not Spend Months Designing a Wedding You Barely See in Your Photographs
A luxury wedding is made from hundreds of decisions.
You choose the venue, the florals, the linens, the paper, the lighting, the food and the music. More importantly, you decide who will stand beside you, who will give the speeches and who will share the dance floor with you.
Your photographer is responsible for bringing all of those decisions together into one lasting story.
That requires more than arriving with a camera and taking a few beautiful portraits. It requires someone who can anticipate emotion, photograph changing light, understand a complex timeline, work alongside your planner and preserve the design without overlooking the people.
My approach combines documentary storytelling with intentional, gallery-worthy artwork. I want you to have photographs of the room you created and the skyline you selected—but also your mother’s face as your dress is fastened, your closest friend laughing during a speech and the quiet moment the two of you finally realize, “We are married.”
Those are the photographs that become more valuable with time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nashville’s Most Expensive Wedding Venues
What is the most expensive wedding venue in Nashville?
There is no reliably verified single most expensive Nashville wedding venue because many premium venues create custom proposals. The final investment depends on the date, guest count, catering, bar, staffing, rentals, production, lodging and design.
The Hermitage Hotel, The Estate at Cherokee Dock and Schermerhorn Symphony Center are among the venues capable of hosting exceptionally elevated celebrations, but an exact comparison requires customized proposals based on the same wedding specifications.
How much do luxury wedding venues in Nashville cost?
Luxury Nashville wedding venues frequently begin with a five-figure venue or event investment, but the complete cost may be much higher once catering, bar service, rentals, production, taxes and staffing are included.
Always compare itemized estimates rather than advertised starting prices.
Which Nashville wedding venue has the best skyline view?
The Bridge Building is one of Nashville’s most recognizable wedding venues for riverfront and downtown skyline views. Its windows, terraces and rooftop possibilities allow the city to remain part of the experience throughout the day.
Which Nashville luxury venue is best for a wedding weekend?
The Estate at Cherokee Dock is particularly well suited to a multi-day celebration because it combines a private property, several event spaces and optional lodging.
Which venue is best for an indoor wedding?
The Hermitage Hotel, Schermerhorn Symphony Center and The Bell Tower all offer distinctive indoor environments. The best option depends on whether you prefer an ornate hotel, monumental concert-hall architecture or the warmth of a converted historic church.
Which venue is best for an outdoor garden wedding?
Riverwood Mansion, Belle Meade Historic Site, Cedarwood Events, The Cordelle and The Estate at Cherokee Dock all offer outdoor scenery. Tour each property during the season in which you plan to marry because foliage, light and garden conditions will change throughout the year.
When should we hire our Nashville wedding photographer?
You can begin contacting photographers as soon as your venue and date are confirmed. Hiring your photographer early also gives you access to professional advice about lighting, portrait timing, logistics and how much coverage your venue and plans will require.
Can our photographer help us build the timeline?
Yes. I work alongside each couple and their planning team to create a photography timeline that protects the experience of the wedding while allowing enough time for family photographs, portraits, details and documentary coverage.
The photography timeline should support your celebration—not make the wedding feel like an all-day photo shoot.
Your Venue Is Only the Beginning of the Story
An extraordinary venue creates a beautiful stage, but the meaning of the day comes from what happens inside it.
It is in the shaking hands before the ceremony, the people who travelled to stand beside you, the laughter that interrupts the speeches and the quiet look you exchange when the room is full but the two of you briefly feel alone together.
At the end of the night, you will leave the venue behind.
Your photographs will bring the view, the voices, the movement and the people home with you.
I would be honored to preserve both sides of your celebration: the unscripted story you never want to forget and the artful photographs worthy of the extraordinary setting you chose.
About the Author
Nicole is a Nashville native, professional photographer and the owner of Destination Life Photography. She has spent 16 years in the wedding industry documenting celebrations in Tennessee and destinations throughout the United States and Caribbean.
Her approach blends candid documentary storytelling with editorial, gallery-worthy portraiture. Wedding experiences can include timeline guidance, digital photography, film, aerial imagery, hand-edited full-resolution photographs and custom album design.
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