{a bridesmaid's funky friday}

Happy Friday to all my friends, brides (both past, present and future)! You all have been so fabulous this last year and I am so happy with how things are shaping up in 2011! Just thought I should let yall know!

Anyhoo, I had run into some roadblocks in trying to come up with something fun for Funky Friday this week! (I almost felt like I couldn't top the Its all about the Shoe Funky Friday but I am loving these beautiful handmade finds! Have I mentioned my love affair with Etsy?! Really and truly, its amazing!

These are beautiful for those winter or even spring weddings, when the weather is crazy and you never know if its going to be 36 degrees or 63 (as is evidence of this last week of weather!)

Crocheted Shaws

Or what about this super cute and vibrant bridesmaid dress? 

Cotton Bridesmaid Dress

 

Or what about these adorable clips? They can be made into hair clips or added to satin and be the cutest sash to have strutted down the aisle!

Peacock Feather Hairpieces

So if you feel like ditching the bridal salon and want to go the handmade route...Etsy is where you shall visit!!

 

{adam and dakota}

So I was thinking last night how horrible it was of me to not do a wedding post for the oh-so-envious Valentine's Day! What was I thinking? So in that case, I am breaking all the rules! Yup yup! With that being said, here is your semi-tardi (or completely late) Manic Monday.

Back in December, I got home from shooting a super awesome wedding (weather included) and realized I had never blogged this amazing engagement session!! It is so awesome when you meet a couple and you just know that 50 years from now they will be pulling out their wedding albums and gushing over them! I absolutely love Dakota and Adam! So when I was finished with their wedding, and I hadn't had enough of them, I ran home and went back through their engagement session and found some of my fav!! So I now finally get to show you guys some of the awesomeness from their biggo day!!

I absolutely love me some winter weddings!!! White always looks so good!

Dakota was stunning in her dress. Absolutely stunning!

  

I love how serious Adam looks here...because he is such a goof!

Adam and Dakota were all about the first see! I really loved this one because all in all they are very traditional, but we were able to have so much fun running around to a couple of different locations to get the best shots!!! Its fun when photojournalism meets with art. 

I had big plans for Adam and Dakota's pictures! I mean, when I am given free rein of downtown, you bet you booty I am going to run around!! But first, the church they are members of was so beautiful, I thought it would be the perfect backdrop. I didn't realize that it would be a death trap.

This is Dakota cracking up at me when I fell backwards (feet over head I might add) over a light fixture in the middle of the lawn. I mean really? A light fixture? But it got this amazing laugh! 


 

The bridal party met us at a park to do some fun formals (and not so formals). This was a fun bunch! I am loving Adam's groomsmen with the cell phone!! He seriously cracked me up! 

Love how dramatic these two shots are!  We all know how much I love me some solar flare!!  ;)  Can you believe that these pics were taken on DECEMBER 18th???  It was actually green!!  And not TOO cold... although the bridemaids certainly stayed huddled up!

So off to go get Married!! I always love capturing the bride and her father. Especially at the moment when the maid of honor goes down the aisle and the bride and her dad are left there for just a few minutes. Its always the sweetest part of the day!


Adam and Dakota took part in an incredibly beautiful tradition during the ceremony. Feet washing is an amazing way to demonstrate the commitment they are making as husband and wife.  Everytime I am apart of this, I feel like I have seen an amazing couple give the greatest gift they could possibly give to each other. Its beyond beautiful.

After the ceremony, I believe everyone was ready to boogy and eat donuts...yup, donuts! Probably one of the best ideas yet! Who doesn't love Cinnabon and donuts...um, no one!

And as the sign says, it is bad luck. So they didn't waste anytime diggin' in!

 

One of the funniest moments at a wedding! Even though you may have married her daughter, Adam, you still need to watch your back!!!

Mission Accomplished; barely unscathed.

Adam and Dakota, I had such a blast with you two! Your love is one to be reckoned with! You two are the bomb-diggity!

{funky green friday}

Happy rainy Friday everyone! I was purusing Etsy and realized I hadn't done Funky Friday in some time! :Shame on me: So here are a couple of really fun favors I found and an added bonus is these are green favors!! No, not the color; they are either vegan or use recyclable materials! Go us for being GREEN!!

Now this may look like yummy candy, but in fact it is Vegan Soap!! How cool is that?

And these Custom Bookmarks are some of my all-time favorites!! I have NEVER seen these before!!

 And these Fragrant Sachets make for super cute table settings!

 

{kristin and daniel}

Disclaimer #2: Last week's was long...this one just might even be longer!! Lets get an espresso this time around!

Kristin and Daniel!! I absolutely love these guys!! Kristin is wonderful; I just couldn't get enough of her all day! Talk about easy going! Nothing went wrong on her day and I think so much of it had to do with her attitude! Ugh...Love this girl! So lets get started. Kristin and Daniel got hitched out at the Museum of Appalachia. LOVE this place in the fall!!

One super awesome part about the Museum is that you can rent cabins that are right up behind it. Therefore, your "getting ready" pictures can completely fall in theme as everything else! Whoo hoo for consistency!

Oh man, oh man...look at those brown beauties!!

Lets show off some more cowboy boots...can't get enough of them!

Now onto the beaus! Kristin and Daniel decided to not see eachother before the ceremony so I took the guys out back! And oh did we have some fun! Daniel restored his grandfather's Scout (oh the year escapes me...bring out the pitchforks) and wanted to make sure it was featured! I was told it wasn't a "car" it was a "Scout"; so I will be sure to refer to it as just that! Yup, thats Daniel's Grandfather sitting in the driver's seat!

Ok, so its wedding time! I love love love the details that Kristin had spread all throughout the ceremony and reception! Especially that bucket of lavender...my fav! Its the smallest things that really add so much! Oh and the peacocks come standard with the Museum! :)

This broom cracks me up! The story behind it is that apparently in the olden days, couples used to jump over a broom in order to seal the marriage. I am not exactly sure of the reason behind this (which I am now going to go look up) but this broom was highly protected all day. It seemed to pop up in the most random places and always wanted to be in pictures! Just cracks me up to think about it!

Oh you bet I did!! I can't resist climbing in the back of a Scout when given the chance!

Boy oh Boy!! Look at this girl! She's beautiful! Makes my job so easy!

Love how old timey this here picture is! 

Heading in for the party! Again, I just love the details! Ball mason jars will always and forever be a hit in my book! They are just so awesome...and I can't get enough burlap! 

Perhaps my favorite first dance pictures ever! And I mean that 100%! 

Kristin was previously in the army, so of course her army buddies were there to dance, perhaps drink, and be merry! However, things took an ugly turn when they could not accurately do the YMCA. Kristin wanted them to drop and give her 20!

Kristin and Daniel, you too are beyond awesome! I had so much fun with you guys and wish we could do it again every year! LOL!

 

{nicole and michael}

Readers beware: This just may have been the hardest/worst blog ever! Why you ask? Because I simply could not narrow down the awesomeness! Seriously, I just kept adding and adding; therefore, grab a cup of coffee, a blanket, some tunes and hunker down for the night. This might take a while! 

Let me start this off with saying that Nicole has fantastic taste!!! She knew what she was doing; her dress and accessories matched not only her and Michael's personality, but also the venue, which is not an easy task! OH and Nicole created a fantastic blog that documented her entire wedding process; the good, the bad and the...well, the creative! It is fantastic! Definitely check it out The Plunge Project. She is still doing awesome give-a-ways!!

I love these next two! Not only are they so much fun...but she didn't move an inch! I just ran on top of the bed and snapped away!! 

These are actually two seperate pictures...but I thought both of them showed the bridesmaids' personalities so well!!! Love how they are holding their flasks differently and how their shoes are so vastly different!!! 

I love getting those shots that the bride and groom want. Now, Nicole and Michael didn't want formal pictures, so here is my spin on formal. We all know that in 20 years, you are probably going to want the formal pictures so we always do them...however, I love throwing in some fun too! 

Now, if I can help it, I try and do as little of running around as I can (but that doesn't always work). Here is a perfect example of it working though! These two pictures were probably taken within 20 ft of eachother...we just ran up the steps in the second one!

Nicole and Michael chose to get married at the amazing L&N Station in downtown Knoxville. Its fantastic for details!!

Now, onto the fellas! Michael was so much fun! He literally put all his trust in me and just wanted to have fun...so of course I could't let him down!

Hahahaha....I still laugh when I see these next ones! Look at that longing look on Michael's face to his groomsman and look a those BARE ankles!!! Scandalous!!

We walked on over to the playground (because what group of boys can't resist a playground). After we met back up with Nicole before the ceremony she said that she actually saw us down there with the guys and was jealous...she wanted a picture like this one too!

But girls in dresses, flying around...probably not the best idea!

Now, I normally never blog family pictures, but I couldn't pass these up. Like I said earlier, Nicole and Michael didn't want super formal pictures and these are some of my favorite of capturing the bonds between their families!

It was so cute to see how adamant Michael was about not seeing Nicole before the wedding; usually its the other way around. So onto the ceremony we went. Now, this is one of my all-time favorite captures. When all eyes are on the bride for the first time, I always try and get the groom...that picture always speaks volumes!

 

Hooray for couples pictures!! These are some of my favorites (if not absolute favorites) all season!

One for me, because I love it so stinking much!

Stunning!

 

Not only was it freezing, but Nicole and Michael were ready to see all their guests and so were we! Everything was kicked off with the toasts, then onto the cake cutting...EPIC! There must be something about the L&N and the cake cutting, its always fantastic!

Michael and Nicole have awesome taste in music...some I have never heard at a wedding which just made it even more them! Their guests (including Grandma) had a trip dancing!!!

Nicole and Michael, I don't know if I have ever had so much fun with a couple on this entire voyage we call a wedding!! Your engagement pictures are some of my favorites and now your wedding pictures are too...that just speaks volumes to how great your guys are and how easy it is to capture your love (soooo cheesy, but so true)! Love you two!

{its all about the shoe funky friday}

OH how I have missed you guys! So lets just say, life and business has been crazy lately! I know you all are probably so sick of hearing that, but its so very true! My "break" is actually writing this blog! haha! So, since things are crazy hectic (getting ready for Premier Bridal Show on Sunday, January 9) this will be a short little blip, but is probably some of my favorite Etsy finds to date!! And thats saying a LOT!!

So brides are trying to be unique every chance they get. Nobody wants a cookie cutter wedding anymore! So here are some things for your tootsies that will definitely make people ask you to pull up your skirt...to view those shoes of course! :)

For a little bit of the traditional bride

Chiffon Beaded Clips

 

More for of the funky brides!

Peacock Shoe Clips

And finally, something that can go super traditional and classy or crazy funky and wacky!

Remember to check out these seller's pages to see all the different selections that are out there. All I did was simply type in "Shoes" in the search field under weddings and Voila!! 

{mandy and hunt}

Hello my friends!!! I hope you guys are getting pumped for Christmas!! I sure am! Anyway, I wanted to share a fantastic wedding that I had earlier this fall out in North Carolina! Lets talk about a picturesque backdrop! It was stunning...and some of the best weather! So, without further adieu, here are Mandy and Hunt...the best smiles ever!!

I love love love taking pictures of the bride getting ready! Sometimes its so hectic and crazy, but every now and then you get a bride like Mandy who just completely goes with the flow!!

So due to crazy traffic, we weren't able to go to the original spot we wanted to for the first see...however, you would be surprised what you can be given instead...a white porch and a beautiful tree always are fantastic!!! This is why we just roll with the wedding day punches!

Mandy might have been having just a little bit too much fun....but thats what I LOVE!!!

Once we got to our location, I had so much to work with...this little stairway just popped out of nowhere and wanted its debut! I would say it complimented Mandy and Hunt perfectly!

Once we got to the church out on Lake Junaluska...I almost had a heart attack when I saw what I got to work with. Lets just say, the quiantest, little church with the best backdrop EvEr!!!

This made me giggle!

So from ceremony...to reception!!

 

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Mandy and Hunt opted out and went with the most scrumdiddleuptious apple pies from Haney's! Apparently they are famous...and I now know why! I might have maddoff with 2 of them! YUMMY!

Mandy and Hunt, I had such a blast tromping around Lake Junaluska with you two!!! And I now have a favorite apple pie! Send me some! :big smile:

{out and about}

Hey all my fabulous friends!! I wanted to drop a quick note...and when I say quick I mean quick because I am about to have ZERO internet in about 2.5 seconds! I wanted to let everyone know that I will be sans internet until late Tuesday, December 21. So if you have any questions...hopefully they aren't dire and I can get back to you when I land back in TN! On the great side...I get to leave the continental US for a wedding!! So that is always exciting! I look forward to joining you guys back here in the uber cold, icey, home we call East Tennessee! (Maybe looking forward is an overstatement)

Have a Happy Weekend...and don't worry...I've already done the Funky Friday post...so be looking for it tomorrow!

{Phot wants to congratulate...}

Happy Late Tuesday everyone! So I have plenty of stuff to show you guys...I just haven't had much free time to do it! But hopefully I will be a little bit more active here on the blog very very soon! :D

So, hopefully everyone stayed bundled this weekend and was able to safely enjoy the snow. Before the winter festivities began, I had a wedding this Saturday in my lovely neighborhood of South Knoxville! So, being all sentimental...hahah...I wanted to show you guys one of my favorite e-sessions...Dakota and Adam! They got hitched this last Saturday, December 11 and the weather could not have been more perfect! So here is their e-session...from way back when I was so busy I couldn't even stop to post one picture!!! So a biggo CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS to Dakota and Adam!!!

 

I love it when couples play around...and let me climb trees!

 

{stephen and devon}

Oh, the wedding season is slowly coming to an end...but don't you dare worry! I have pLeNtY of weddings to keep you guys busy (actually, to keep me busy)!! We are off with Stephen and Devon who got hitched out at the Knoxville Convention Center on a spectacular early October Saturday! The weather was absolutely beautiful as well as the bride!

These next two pictures are two of my favorite! Literally...stunning!!!

Now, Devon found herself the sweetest groom and a Marine at that! So I was expecting a hard core, no emotion-I-don't-want-my-picture-taken-all-day kind of guy. Oh boy was I wrong...lets start by introducing Stephen on one of my most memorable notes of the day! Teeheee!!

Doesn't it just make you giggle to see a Marine get all gushy?!? However, what is up with my Grooms this season...they are a bunch of tear gushers...but I LOVE it!!!

 

Now, this is what I call "Give 'em some Love!!" Well, not the groomsmen. That's "Mafia".

So onto the ceremony! Devon and Stephen said their vows out on the plaza of the Knoxville Convention Center! It was beautiful!!! And the colors were so vibrant! Maybe that is why Stephen got a little misty again...because of the beautiful scenery! He must have forgotten what he and Devon had decided to say to themselves so they don't cry..."Hide yo' Kids, Hide yo' Wives..."

And seriously, have you ever seen two parents who looked so proud?!

This speech has to go down in my book as the best speech of all time! Seriously...just perfect

Now, onto the dancing!! This was a wild bunch!! They were so much fun to shoot...and dance with!

Stephen and Devon...you are a beautiful couple and the love between you two is phenomenal! Thank you so much for having me be there to capture all the fun!

{ecclectic funky friday}

Happy Friday everyone!!! So this week has been fantastic! I've gotten so much work done (which is why the blog has been a little bit neglected) and I am seriously getting in the Christmas Spirit!! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving...I know I did.

When I jumped on Etsy this morning...I came across so many finds that I just fell in love with or thought they were so much fun! I know some of these might be repeats...but I just couldn't pass them up! So, instead of having a theme this week, lets get a little bit ecclectic! Hope you enjoy!!

Super super cute, bridesmaids clutches!

Upstyle Clutches

Probably the Most PeRfEcT Groomsmen gift I have ever come across!!

Personalized Groomsmen Capcatcher

And super super super adorable cake toppers!

  Hand Blown Glass Wedding Cake Topper

 I hope you guys enjoyed the funkiness for this week! Let me know if you find any super fun Etsy finds. Shoot me an email or a shoutout on my Jennie Andrews Photography Facebook Page! Have a great weekend and see you guys next week!

{giving back}

Happy Thanksgiving Day EVE everyone!!! I know tomorrow you will be spending the day basting the turkey, watching football, enjoying some family time and gorging on the best food EVER...or so I will be, so I wanted to shout this out to all you!  To say thank you, I am offering a special on the website and just wanted to let you all in on it.  All print and canvas orders will be 25% off throughout the weekend! Whoo hooo!!! I say, "Bring on Black Friday!"

This last year has been absolutely phenomenal! I couldn't ask for better clients! You guys have given me some of the best laughs ever and definitely some of the best pictures ever! Those moments will always be with me! So now, away from the gushy stuff! Stop by the website and check out the fantastic discount!! If you're falling a little bit behind on ordering those prints or canvases then NoW is the time to buy!! (haha...that felt very furniture store advertising-y!) Perhaps a little Christmas Shopping to get out of the way?!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

{fall and phot}

 

Before we get to the goods... I've got even better goods to share!!  Keep and eye out tomorrow on FB, your email and here on the BLOG for the big ole' sale I'll be posting about!  It will run from Thursday through Sunday and the coupon code will save you 25% on all print orders purchased through the website! I'm calling it The Giving Thanks Event because I am soooooo grateful for all of YOU... my clients... that allow me to have this amazing career.  If you've been procrastinating on ordering those wedding or family pics... well, be glad you waited.  ;)  NoW is ThE tImE!!!

 

I LOVE happy people!!   

And the lovely Kimberly...ooooh, don't I love fall colors (and the yummy light that always seems to go hand in hand with it)!

And making a mad dash back up to Devon and Stephen! OMG...I can't stop giggling at her aunt's "I'm verklempt" face fanning in the second.  So adorable.

{melissa and kevin}

Oh boy...is this going to be a FuN blog! I am super excited about this one because it was my First Biltmore Estate Wedding!!! If you saw last week's Phot Tuesday post, then you saw how Melissa and Kevin's style complimented The Biltmore so incredibly well! Well, lets just say, they were so much fun! We had limited time to run around the grounds, but that didn't stop us! So, without further adieu, here is Kevin, Melissa and special guest, The Biltmore Estate!

Two of my favorite shots! They compliment eachother so incredibly well!

The absolute sweetest first see!! This is why I love these; you would think it was so the BrIdE could cry, get emotional, what have you and then go reapply makeup so she can look spectacular for the ceremony...but no. Its usually for the GrOoM!

Once the crying stopped and the groom's tears were dried...sorry Kevin...we headed out to the Biltmore!

I couldn't choose between these next two...they both gave me crazy chill bumps! Seriously...ahhhh there they go again! 

Gahhh...you know you got them too!

After tromping around the grounds for a while, we went back up to the Inn on Biltmore Estate for the ceremony and reception! Melissa and Kevin have the sweetest little daughter! Even though her parents were getting married, we now know what was on her mind!

Onto the ceremony! Have I said how much I love Kevin!? (And how incredible Melissa looks?!)

This next series cracks me up! Melissa had the funniest faces the entire time they were cutting the cake! I don't think she liked what one of the groom's men had to say! (Perhaps he wanted to see some cake-in-the-face!?)

But he didn't get it...at least not a messy one!

One thing I will sometimes bring along with me to the weddings is my impromtu "photobooth"! Its so much fun to see what CrAzY things we can get people to do...or sometimes what they do without us having to convince them of anything!

And of course the dancing ensued shortly after! Can you spot the...uh hum...Photographer?!

Melissa and Kevin! Thank you sooo soo sooo much for my first Biltmore experience! I don't think I could have asked for a better couple to share it with! You guys rock my world!

{etsy in bloom}

Happy Friday everyone!! Its almost Turkey Day so before the family rolls in (or you roll out) check out these super fun finds from Etsy!! Flowers are always one of my favorite aspects about a wedding, however, doing a fun spin on them will make your day even more unique!! And isn't that what every bride wants?!

I definitely see this being for more of a FuNkY bride...just think of the endless possibilities of PaPeR!!

Custom Flower Bouquet

Or maybe you are looking for something really elegant and something that will last for YEARS?! 

Rosebud Bouquet

Or

Chiffon Bouquet

 

And maybe even a little something funky for those bridesmaids! Now I have seen these as decorations...but just think how cute and fun these would be walking down the isle?!?

Pon Pom Bouquets

 I will see you guys next week for an extra special post that I am just so excited about!!!

{phot visits Biltmore}

Happy Phot Tuesday everyone!!! Just doing a quick post and then off to edit some more of this delicious Biltmore goodness! Kevin and Melissa were my first Biltmore wedding and their style was a perfect fit! Just think: bird cage veil, zoot suit, pin stripes, suspenders, dark red flowers, bright red lips, tattoos...you get my drift! It was beautiful! So here is a little something something from their day!!

 

 

 

 

{brad and gresha}

After a week off (in the blog world), I am coming back with full vengeance! With the wedding season coming to a slow down, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m not still crazy busy! If anything, I’m even busier…is that even a word?! Anyway, I started getting stuck in a rut with the photos I was showing you guys from weddings, so I thought I would spice it up a bit! I absolutely love so many aspects of photojournalism! And that is one thing that I like to brag about…you get some posing with me but you also get those incredible moments that sometimes go unnoticed! I love capturing smiles and looks that the bride and groom give each other when they think no one is looking, or the father of the bride getting misty eyed before he walks his baby girl down the aisle. Those are the moments that make weddings! So, here are some of those moments that myself and my camera caught while no one else was looking! Or at least ones that people might have forgotten about! Check out Gresha and Brad!

The first see...you can't get any better than this! One of the sweetest!

Brad wanted a little bit of time by themselves. I snuck a couple of pictures, but wanted to give them some privacy.

Ava was awestruck by her mama...and who could blame her?

I love just letting the bride and groom do their thing for a little bit! It leads into some great poses and plus...you get moments like these!

Ava couldn't have been cuter! She did this all on her own!

But once she was done taking pictures...off she went!

We just might have do to a caption contest for this one! Cracks me up everytime!

Some of the sweetest ceremony pictures! I love when my assistant Kayla and I capture the same shot but in different perspectives. Its like that moment was meant to be captured!

And no blog is complete without some dancing! We have some thriller, some twirling, and some just plain ole fun!

Brad and Gresha...You guys really are fantastic! Thank you for having me follow you around on your wedding day to capture these moments!

{Funky Friday - Save the Date}

Happy FuNkY FrIdAy everyone!!! I'm doing some running around today, so this will be a quick post...no rambling for me!

Here are some awesome ideas for "Save the Dates"! Also, don't forget, I offer Save the Date cards that you can use shots from your Engagement Session! :)

My Favorite!!

Save the Date Magnets

Something super awesome if you were to have a small wedding! Personally painted invites!!

Hand Painted Save the Date

And for all you DIY brides!

 

 Save the Date Stamps

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!! Check back on Monday for a full wedding post!!!

 

 

 

{phot and family}

I love family sessions!!! Especially when the family is a recent BRIDE!! Gresha cracked me up at her wedding! She said, "Jennie, I don't know what I'm going to do after this wedding? I'm going to miss you! Do you do family sessions?" hahaha! It was hilarious!! I build such a bond with my brides that it is weird to not talk to them on a reguarly basis after their wedding! But that's why we have families! So here is Gresha and Brad and their super adorable little girl Ava! We were out on Brad's family's land that is literally about 3 miles from my old house when I was younger! Love me some South Knoxville beauty!

 

{Anissa and David}

Happy Monday everyone! It’s that time again…time to share some awesome moments from Anissa and David’s wedding back in August. I’m jumping around timeline wise, but trust me, you will see pretty much every wedding!

Anissa and David had their Big Day out at Flatwater Grill in Oak Ridge! You might remember a little sneak peak I did a few weeks back. Well, I have brought you the fog I promised!! I do, however, want to start it off with some shots of Anissa at her bridal session. I love how the lush green background just sets off those beautiful eyes and her strawberry blonde hair!!

 The man of the hour, David, didn't look so shabby himself! I love me a groom in seersucker!!

Once the rain subsided and the fog set in, Anissa wanted to see her guy! So we decided to do the first see! Mother Nature decided to cooperate and boy oh boy...did she just make my day! Look at that FOG!!

 

 

 One thing I love to capture are all the details of a wedding. You guys put so much into making this day everything you possibly dreamed so of course you want to remember everything! Its the subtle things in life right?!

 And what wedding isn't complete without some partying?! Anissa and David know how to throw one!

 

 

 Thank you so much Anissa and David! Remember...a little bit (or a lot) of rain on your wedding day is good luck! But you guys don't need it!