{candace + garrett}

Y'all!!  It is eye-candy time in Tennessee!  This is ONE GORGEOUS WEDDING with some beautiful people.  If you know me well, you know that I LOVE working with type-A brides.  They know what they want out of life and love and also out of their wedding.  They plan and plan in advance and then usually, the day of the wedding they are super zen and just ready to enjoy the fruits of their labor.  This is a perfect example of that.  Every detail was impeccable from her amazing pink dress to perfect vintage hair waves, to the florals and the hand-lettered signs (Candace was a cheerleader and apparently, cheerleaders get lots of practice hand-lettering things).  But most of all, I love how much Garrett seems to admire and appreciate and support her.  They have supported each other for the last few years as they got their PhDs in Physical Therapy and are now getting to work {sorta} together as they start the rest of their lives.  They have learned to be a good team already and it shows. Anyhow... enough of the talking and onto the action!  

Venue: The Standard

Event Planning/Coordination: Honeybee Events

Lighting and Entertainment: Special Notes

Florals: Lisa Foster

Food/Cake: Bradford Catering

Dress: Lazaro

Rentals: All Occasion Party Rentals

 

{kayla and matt: the wedding}

Ooooooh, yes!  This is a good one, y'all.  SO. MUCH. JOY.  So if you are feeling cold and dreary today (like I am!!), grab a hot beverage and a cozy quilt and take a second to let this wedding warm you right up.  If the joy on your faces doesn't do it, the amazing light we had for shooting certainly will. I adore this couple, who made me laugh, made me cry and made me sooo happy to be a part of their day.  You can't find two more in love or genuine people than these two.  And they aren't too bad lookin' either!  ;) 




{lauren and michael}

Okokok!  So I have to warn you... this is a BIG POST with a LOT of images!  Probably too many for most attention spans... but just bear with me, because this is one magical wedding... it just got better and better.  I did something a little different for this one and I'm starting off with the rehearsal dinner (because it was just too cool to skip!).  We didn't get to do an engagement session because Lauren and Michael live way up in Minnesota, so I "crashed" their rehearsal dinner and stole them away for a few short minutes to get some casual shots of just the two of them.  Super sweet and I think they were grateful for the quiet minutes. ;) But, the wedding itself was the magical part.  Held at the DeBarge Vineyard in northern Georgia, not only was the bride absolutely gorgeous and the ceremony amazing, over-looking the valley and hills below, but we majorly lucked out with the best sunset light I think I've ever shot... EVER.  So cuddle up, stay awhile and tuck into this sweet love story...






Thanks to my second shooter for the day, Matt Brock, who totally rocked it and HUGE thanks to Lauren and Michael, who trusted me to come along on their journey.  :) j

{kayla and michael}

Pretty excited about this one Y'all!!  One of my favorite gals in the WORLD got married out at the beautiful Castleton Farms and was kind enough to share it all with me.  I'm going to do a much more intense post about this one when I get a chance, but just had a share a little sneak peek!  I am pretty much in love with everything about this Carnival-themed bash executed by the uber talented Jennifer Laria.  And to top it off, Kayla was just nominated for the cover of Pink Bride Magazine.  You can vote for her HERE




{vegas: dusten and mike}

To say that this is one of my all-time favorite esessions is the understatement of the century.  I cannot describe how lucky I feel that I got to shoot photos for these two.  They are both travelers at heart and have had a whirlwind of dating while living in different places, so they decided the only real way to tell that story would be to take me along on an adventure with them.  So the following is what happens when a crazy, fun, in love couple takes along a photographer to one of their most favorite places.  Viva Las Vegas!!








{rachel & chad}

Holy cow, I love so much about these two.  From their laid-back personalities to Rachel's uber-classic style (and beauty).  I am also pretty much in love with their venue.  They got married at Bluebird Hill and instead of the normal garden area, they chose to have the ceremony up on top of the hill.  Just perfect in every way.  Chad made the awesome, rustic wooden cross and I lovelovelove her flowers by Sassafras.  Enjoy and Happy Tuesday!  




{kelley & matt}

If you get simple beauty, and naught else, you get about the best of what God invents.  - Robert Browning    

I absolutely adore this wedding from February that is chock-full of simple beauty.  From her lovely white flowers (by the ever-talented Lisa Foster) down to her sweet sparkly shoes, every last detail was perfect... and they also might just be some of the most lovely people I've ever shot.  Just look for the photo of him hugging her after the first look... you'll see what I mean.  xoxo




{contest winners}

OMG!!  I'm sitting here in my office watching it snow and so, so excited to post the winners of this give-a-way!  I'm also excited to share some of the super sweet writings and poems that you guys shared!

Lets start with the haikus and poems.

Here are a few of my favorites:

**By Bennett Giles:

Light that is my wife.

What is this world we made here–

What now? you whisper.

 

**And from Kayla Hyder:  

I LOVE THIS ONE!!

Pictures, Pictures 4×6.  

They're nice to look at while you sit.

Pictures, Pictures 5×7.                        

Will be something to cherish when we're gone to Heaven.                       

Pictures, Pictures 8×10.

Love sharing them with friends.       

Pictures, Pictures 16×24.                   

My fav thing to see when I walk through my front door.                      

Pictures, Pictures I love them if you can't tell, please pick me for your mini sesh

because what I really love is having them taken from the BEST!!! 

 

I have to say that some of my very favorites were ones people wrote to win a session for someone else!!

**One of my awesome brides wrote this super cute one for her Stepson who is starting college soon...

University of Tennessee

Congratulations Taylor!

College here we come!

 

**And Heather wrote this super cute haiku for her sister:

One two three smile cheese, 

baby nephew needs captured, 

great gift for sister.

 

**I also thought this one was funny from Andi:

This actress is poor,

and I'm not too proud to beg,

oh please shoot my head.

 

**This one from Chrissy Eastridge took some serious work:

Congrats on ten years!

Must really be nice—

To look back with love

At still frames of life.

 

You’ve captured the moments

That people hold dear—

The smiles, the hugs, 

And sometimes, the tears.

 

Our story is special

Give us a chance, you’ll see—

Why Wesley and I’d

Like a session, for free :)

 

We’re starting out married life

Next Saturday—

A covenant, a promise

To love, always.

 

Let’s document our first year

Of married bliss—

To miss out on your art 

Would be truly remiss.

 

We need you, Jennie

To record these memories—

Can you help with our story?

Pretty, pretty, please?

 

**and one more before I announce the winners from Lisa Smith:

Photos are neat-o, 

Jennie and Nikon really

have so much swag-o.       

 

So... obviously, I had to choose the winners randomly, because how in the world else would I narrow it down?!??!?  The 3 winners of mini-sessions are.......

Shana Sparks-Beckett

Heather Wolfe 

aaand....

Amanda McNulty

YAY!!  So... if you are a winner, it is up to YOU to get with me to schedule your session!  You can do it any time this year, but I'd LOVE for you to wait until we have some flowers on the ground and leaves on the trees.  ;)  ENOUGH of this dreary winter weather!!  

Check back tomorrow for the canvas winners and some favorites from the last 10 years.

;)

j

 

 


 

#whatwe'reworkingonwednesday

 

OMG.  Let's just talk for a second about how much I ADORE this family - Erin, Brad and Panzer just simply rock.  They wanted to mark their one year anniversary by doing a 'dog washing session.'  This was TOTALLY Erin's idea, and in this world where nothing is original, I think this is as close as it gets.  Eek!  Anyhow... hope you enjoy this session filled with love and fun and bubbles!!!  ;)


#whatwe'reworkinonwednesday

Here we go!!  The latest installment of our weekly peek onto our computers and into our current edit sessions.  So, this week, we are sharing just a few from Ward and Judy's wedding we shot back at the end of August.  We've got a bit of a theme for this one.  Ward's dad had this AMAZING Thunderbird restored and they got to drive it from the church to the reception.  Well, naturally, I fell plumb in love.  Are you KIDDING??  An aqua vintage Thunderbird??  Seriously, my dream car!  So, I decided to share a bunch of the photos I took with the car.  Some of them are while driving down Kingston Pike (I really, really hope my mom doesn't read this... I'll definitely be getting a lecture about safe driving if she does!) and those are my uber-favorites!!  I also wanted to share a few from the end of the night.  Ward and Judy's get-away vehicle was his ski boat... so I took a few shots of them on the boat downtown and then met them back at their house to finish up on the docks.  Judy, I SWEAR I took photos not involving modes of transportation, these were just too awesome not to blog.  ;) -J




#whatwe'reworkinonwednesday

Welcome to another installment of #whatwe'reworkinonwednesday!  I got to go shoot the elopement of Justin and Belinda yesterday and I just had to come home and edit a couple... cause I LOVE elopements.  Just LOVE them!  And I love a couple who says, just shoot naturally.  We just want you to tell the story.  So excited to share these!

 

waiting...

the ceremony...

Thanks you two for letting me be there with you! Such a sweet, fun way to spend a Tuesday morning.

nancy & matt {hitched}

i LOVE this gal.  A few of you reading this probably know her too.  She's my colleague and (more importantly) friend Nancy from Hunter Valley and I was so honored when she asked me to shoot her wedding last fall.  

They had a way cool wedding that was both laid back (only about 15 guests at the actual ceremony) and a BLAST (family and friends showed up for the rockin' afterparty!!

The day started off with a tea for all of the ladies in the group...


 

So, not only did I have an amazing time shooting this wedding, but so did Kayla.  Her dream in life came true when I said... Ok... you have all the time you want to just walk around and get some great property/detail shots.  She came back with these beauties (including the stunning pics of the horses).

 

 

 

Nancy's design company Swank did all of the design... including these rad tables as well as her bouquet...