Oops. It looks like I’ve been missing from the blog for a while. I definitely need to do better, and a wedding post seems like a great way to start. Claire and Adam were married this month at Trinity United Methodist Church in Knoxville. It was a beautiful day with truly wonderful people, and I was very honored to be a part of it.

Claire’s makeup was just the right mix of sophistication and drama without being overdone. I also loved the orchids in her bouquet. Beautiful!

Possibly the most anticipated moment of the day is when the groom sees his bride coming down the aisle. Whether it’s a look of awe, shock, or just complete joy, it’s always fun to see his reaction.

Adam’s mother performed their ceremony with a heartfelt service which included communion and a foot washing.



I had never seen a foot washing done before, but I found it to be very romantic. It was a powerful symbol of their commitment and love – definitely something that more couples should consider including in their own ceremonies. There was even a lighthearted moment at the end while Claire struggled a bit to slide Adam’s sock back onto his still damp foot.

After the service, the guests enjoyed a sit-down dinner and dancing at Rothchild Conference Center. As always with Rothchild Catering, the food was great.

After their honeymoon in Blowing Rock, NC, I met back up with Claire and Adam for a photography session. I was so excited that we were able to go to Dara’s Garden for the photos because it is such an incredible venue with lots of cool photo opportunities. Amazingly, her bouquet had even survived the week fairly well and could be used in the photos.

Unfortunately, I was looking forward to several weddings this year that I had to pass on because of my pregnancy. Hailey and Michael are getting married at Holy Ghost Church next month, and I was very excited about getting to work with them. Her father was one of my favorite teachers in high school, and I really enjoyed photographing her sister Hannah's wedding in 2005. I also did Hailey's senior photos, and I know that she will be a gorgeous bride. I'm confident that my friends Matt and Erin Browne will do a fabulous job in my place though, and at least I did get to photograph their engagement session at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens.

















They are such a super sweet couple, and I hope that they have a beautiful wedding and a very happy marriage!

Molly wanted to do her bridal photos at The Sterchi Mansion in north Knoxville because she has fond memories of visiting friends there as a child. Coincidentally, my earliest memories in life are from the same property so I was super excited about the prospect of going back. I didn't know that the owners are now hosting weddings and events at their home. I'm sure that they will be very busy once the word gets out, and I'm looking forward to photographing more events there in the future.

Because we did Molly's bridal photos before the wedding, we stuck to a more traditional style in order to keep her dress clean. The mansion's interior and grounds are the perfect backdrop for beautiful, classic portraits, and I'm excited to finally be able to share some of my favorites now that the wedding is over. One of my greatest joys in being a wedding photographer comes from being able to produce elegant, timeless photographs of a beautiful bride.

Kristy and Kegan are currently living in on a military base in Germany, but they were able to come back to Tennessee for a wedding at Dara's Garden this past weekend. The roses are in bloom at Dara's, and we had beautiful, clear skies for their outdoor ceremony. Kristy and Kegan are so in love, and the day was very emotional for everyone.

Kristy may be surprised to see this, but her dress took a little trip outside while we waited on her and the girls to arrive.



Kristy and Kegan chose to have a private meeting in the gardens and spent a few moments together laughing, hugging, kissing, and crying.



Lisa Foster did a great job designing the flowers, and the girls wore canary yellow dresses. Everything was light and summery - perfect for a garden wedding.







The couple entered their tented reception through an arch of sabers where Kristy was ceremoniously spanked with a saber and welcomed into the army.





I've seen a lot of touching father/daughter dances, but this one was very special. The DJ (who did a fantastic job all night) used a full-length-version of Butterfly Kisses, and I know that at least some of the guests were crying through the whole song.

Part of what made this wedding so wonderful is that the couple and guests were really able to just relax,  enjoy themselves, and be "in the moment".









Want to guess who went home with the bouquet?





Special thanks to some of the other vendors that helped make Kristy and Kegan's wedding day so memorable:
Dara at Dara's Garden
Bob Kerr at Hightech Video
Peggy Love at Plan it with Love
Salon Visage on Market Square
Drew Holloway with Ogle Entertainment

I'm always surprised at how two people so obviously perfect for each other can be brought together. Afia and Paul have a great story. They met in high school in Senegal even though neither one of them is from Senegal. Years later, here they are about to be married in Tennessee, but neither is from Tennessee.

Paul may be the funniest engineer I've ever met, and he kept us all laughing as we traveled around searching for photography locations. Afia is a natural in front of the camera, and has great style. Isn't this yellow dress adorable?  I'm so excited for their wedding in July!