I recently photographed a bridal session at a new venue in north Knoxville, The Sterchi Mansion. Unfortunately, I can't share any of the photos until after the bride's wedding in July, but I wanted to go ahead and thank the owners for being so welcoming and accommodating. It's a gorgeous, historic home, and anyone interested in an outdoor ceremony should definitely contact Linda and check it out. It would be especially beautiful in the fall.

Now for some photographs from a wedding reception that I photographed back in February. Natalie and James had a destination wedding in Jamaica (lucky ducks!) and then celebrated here in Knoxville with a reception at Southern Graces atop the Sunsphere. It was surprisingly warm for February, and we shot a few quick portraits around the base before heading up for the party.

I really love beautiful portraits so most of my favorite images that end up on the blog are semi-posed. However, I do photograph the majority of the day with a more photojournalistic style so I'm going to try to remember to post more candid wedding photographs this year.























Natalie had once heard about a celebrity serenading his bride on their wedding day and mentioned to James that she thought it was romantic. The idea stuck, and James had a special surprise for Natalie near the end of the reception. It would have been super sweet regardless, but he's a really good singer!

We originally scheduled this photography session for two weeks from now, but then I saw that the Dogwood Arts Festival will be on Market Square that weekend. Not wanting to compete with the crowd, we switched dates. Unfortunately, there is apparently always something going on in downtown Knoxville these days. On Saturday, there was a Red Bull chariot race AND a marathon. We had beautiful weather though, and I had fun traipsing around downtown and shooting urban engagement photos with Matt and Molly.




















I'm looking forward to the wedding in July and hoping that the weather will be just as gorgeous for their outdoor ceremony.

I met Kendra when she was the maid of honor at Candi's wedding last year, and I am honored to have been her wedding photographer this year. Kendra and Matthew's ceremony last Saturday was at The Knoxville Botanical Gardens on what turned out to be a very hot and humid day. Happily, the girls got ready in the lower level of the house which has stone walls and stayed nice and cool. In addition to all of the beautiful plants and trees, the stone walls and buildings are really what make this particular venue so unique and charming. The reception later that evening was held at Regas Restaurant in downtown Knoxville.

Although they didn't want to see each other before the ceremony, the couple did have a short "meeting" on either side of a heavy door.



Kendra was expecting a romantic kiss on the hand from her loving, soon-to-be husband...



Guests were provided with fans and cold drinks to beat the heat before being seated for a short but sweet ceremony in the greenhouse.



Rather than a candle or sand ceremony, the couple performed a unity tree planting which was especially appropriate given the venue.







After a bubble exit and some dress adjustments, we did a few quick formal, bridal, and couple photos in the gardens.







It was great seeing Candi again as she was Kendra's matron of honor, and Kendra's brother also received leave from the navy to attend the wedding.



Kendra and Matthew's wedding was my last for the year as I am now 31 weeks pregnant (and huge). It's going to be tough taking off from weddings until next year, but I couldn't have ended this year's season with a better couple. Special thanks to Marcus who was wonderfully helpful as always and to Sondra of Leban Photography who graciously withstood the heat to help me with this wedding.

Sarah & Matt Fielden were married at New Market Baptist back in March but waited until everything turned warm and green to do their photo session together. Sarah had two beautiful dresses for her wedding, one for the ceremony and one for the exit, so she used both for the photos. She also had sexy shoes that just had to be shown!

A professional coordinator will make sure that all the details are under control and can go a long way in relieving the stress on your wedding day. However, if you can’t afford to hire a pro, do ask a trustworthy friend or family member to put together a survival kit. If you’re prepared then you’re less likely to have anything go wrong, right? Most importantly, make sure that they remember to bring it on the wedding day!

 

Also, make a list before the wedding day of items to take to the venue and go over it before leaving home. Things can be so hectic. I’ve seen a groom forget the wedding bands and a bride forget her gown, but more likely you'll forget something like the garter, jewelry, or cuff links. The further you are traveling from home, the more important a survival kit and wedding checklist can be.

 

I am not saying that you need to spend a lot of time or money putting this together, but here are some things that you may want to include in your kit depending on season and venue:

Clear nail polish (for runs in your hose)
Individually wrapped nail polish remover pads, nail file, polish for touch-ups 

Scissors 

Safety pins, straight pins, corsage pins 
Travel sewing kit (including thread to match the dress)

Tissues 

Aspirin/Advil 

Brush, comb, bobby pins, hairspray 

Super Glue (broken heels, jewelry, etc.) 

Sanitary products 

Gum, Mints, breath spray 

Shout wipes - removes stains/dirt from tuxes and dresses 

PeptoBismol Tablets, Tums, Imodium 

Duct tape, Scotch tape, double-sided tape 

Lighter or matches

Bactine, clear bandaids 

Mosquito repellent 

Club soda (if serving red wine) 

Sunglasses 

Bottled Water and light snack

Rice/blotting paper and powder for shiny skin 

Umbrellas 

Wrinkle releaser 

Jumper cables 

Benadryl 

Black socks for the men 

Lint remover 

Compact mirror 

Lip gloss or lipstick for touch-ups

Toothbrush and paste 

Deodorant

Fix-a-flat aerosol can 

Wooden or padded hanger for the dress