Jamie Guest and Ethan Allen traveled from Michigan for a 2005 destination wedding in Gatlinburg. Family and friends joined them for a ceremony at one of the many wedding chapels, and then the group went to Calhoun's for dinner and cake.

Jamie was one of the most relaxed, generous brides that I have had the pleasure to work with, and from the way the couple included their son and Jamie's 3 girls in the day, it was very obvious that this is a close-knit, loving family.

Traditionally, bridal sessions took place in a studio before the wedding so that brides could display a bridal portrait at the wedding reception. However, I usually recommend that couples plan bridal/couple sessions for after the wedding. If you do the session after, you don't have to worry about planning time on the wedding day for all those dreamy, romantic couple photos that you want. You can pick the time of year, the location, the time of day for the best lighting etc, and, unlike the wedding day when you're rushed and stressed, you can relax and spend the time you want getting all the photos you desire. Best of all, unlike a traditional bridal sesison, you can do it together.

One of the biggest advantages to having the session after the wedding is that you don't have to worry about getting the dress dirty. Wedding dresses are notorious for starting to get dirty the moment you put them on. Of course you can carry sheets or towels and be extremely careful to keep it clean, but you can't do the fun, cool poses when you're worried about keeping a dress clean.
Some brides and photographers have taken this post-wedding bridal session idea to the extreme with "trash the dress" sessions, and there's even a blog to document this phenomenon.

This is what the blog's creator Mark Eric has to say about it:

Go ahead, you know you want to. Trash it. Get it dirty. Get it wet. Roll around in the mud. Drench it in the ocean. Totally trash it.
Why? … Why not? You’ve made a commitment to your husband. He’s your one and only true love, right? Then you’ll never need the dress again. And no, your daughter won’t wear it in 20-30 years. So you have two choices:
1) Suffocate it in plastic and throw it in a closet
2) Show your husband how committed you are by trashing the dress, and get some great fun pictures while you do it!
Then after you do it- send the pictures to us to publish for all the world to see. What are you waiting on?

Just think about the amazing photos you can get when you aren't worried about the dress! Admittedly, you will get your dress dirty and wrinkled, but for the most part even "trash the dress" sessions will probably not cause irreparable harm to the gown. You have to get it cleaned after the wedding anyway so why not have some fun before you do?

If you're a fun-loving bride looking for some adventure and unique, out-of-the-box photos, send me your ideas for a "trash the dress" session. Whether it be in an abandoned warehouse, in the forest, at a firehouse, or even in a junkyard, if you have a great idea then contact me. Let's have some fun and create some gorgeous photos.

Today I headed up to Clinton High School to photograph a prom fashion show. The girls all looked great in dresses provided by A Joyous Occasion, a Knoxville store that also sells wedding gowns. The guys wore tuxes provided by Savvi.

Those who participated in the show can email me for further information on the photos taken today. For anyone who did not participate or would just like to have their own extended, personal portrait session, please contact me for information on available packages. Senior sessions booked in the next two weeks will receive a free online proofing gallery to share with family and friends.

If you contact me and don't receive a response then try again because it probably means that you did not supply a valid email address.



PostScript fashion photography tip: Glitter does not photograph well. Especially when a flash is used, glitter shows up as bright, distracting flecks and often must be removed with additional editing work.

Over the weekend, I went to West Virginia with my brother and husband to visit my grandmother's sister and her family. They live in Logan which is a really quaint, little mountain town, and we had a very nice trip. My cousin Emily grew up at her grandma's (or mamaw as we both say), and I always loved going to visit and hanging out with her. Now Emily, who is just a bit younger than me, is married and has two adorable little kids. Her little girl looks exactly like Emily did when she was that age, and I had fun getting to know her. She cracked us all up with her joke/story. She said, "Once upon a time there was a pooh bear and a piggy", and then she'd stop and laugh hysterically.

Happy anniversary to the Raders! Holli Irwin and Eric Rader were married March 2006 at The Foundry by The World's Fair Park in downtown Knoxville. After a very sweet first look meeting in front of the fireplace where they would later have their ceremony, Holli, Eric, and I spent some time taking couple portraits around the Foundry and the historic L&N depot.

Beside the Foundry, I saw a tree that was just getting its new spring leaves. Something about it there in the sunlight, so bright and happy, just seemed to capture the mood of the day perfectly. There were also some very ominous clouds which made for a beautifully dramatic sky, but the rain held off.












This was the first and only time I've seen the Easter Bunny, a surprise guest invited by Holli's mother,  ask to dance with the bride.