I did an earlier blog post on out-of-the-ordinary bridal sessions that place the bride and her gown in some extraordinary, often grungy, locations. John Michael Cooper was one of the first photographers to begin photographing brides like this, and he was definitely the one that inspired other photographers to do the same. Now the whole phenomenon is gaining national attention.

The New York Times even published an article on the trend this week.

Now I'm really excited to get out there and see what I can come up with so the first qualified person to email me will receive a free anti-bridal session. To qualify, you must already be married and be willing to use your own dress. You must sign a model release so that I can post the photos online, and you must be available to do the shoot on a weekday (probably July). If you're a person that's up for anything or know someone that fits the description, please get in touch.

In addition to offering a free session to the first person, if you have a really great session idea or access to a great location then contact me and you may also get a free session. Just brainstorm for creative locations that you may have access to: old theaters, barns, warehouses, junkyards, fire stations, lofts, cabins, forests, the lake, yachts, bed and breakfasts, museums, airplane hangars, cafés, horse stables etc.

In addition to attending workshops and conventions, reading books and magazines, watching instructional DVDs, and participating in online forums, I like to hone my photography skills by working with other photographers. In 2005, I had the opportunity to second shoot the Campbell wedding with the amazing Tina Wilson.

Sarah Keeton & Scott Campbell had their wedding at Cedar Springs Presbyterian in Knoxville. Then the wedding party took a trolley to the reception at The Knoxville Museum of Art.

I think the most common "mistake" for ceremonies is that the bride is so excited that she forgets to get her bouquet for the recessional. I'll admit that I forgot at my own wedding.

The second most common would probably be a problem with the ring exchange. I've seen several people drop the ring. At this wedding, the couple shared a fun moment when Sarah couldn't fit Scott's ring onto his finger.

Another memorable detail from this wedding would have to be the wedding cake. Elaine Mason of "I Do" Cake baked and served a strawberry cake, and it was delicious.

Yesterday, Marcus and I spent the day at the wedding of Allison Skowronski and Rocky King. After getting ready at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Knoxville, Allison and the girls walked next door to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for the ceremony. The forecast called for scattered showers, but it stayed dry and overcast all day. After the ceremony, a KAT trolley chauffeured the guests to Calhouns on the Tennessee river while the wedding party boarded another trolley for a photo trip downtown. We did a few group shots around Krutch Park and outside the Tennessee Theater on Gay Street before continuing on to the reception.

Allison had a beautiful gown with exquisite details. At the reception, the train went up in a French bustle (my favorite bustle type).







The wedding party had a cold, celebratory drink while riding around on the trolley.



The flowers were slow to arrive, but the bouquet was beautiful and smelled SO good. I LOVE peonies. At the reception, DJ Chip Fuller kept everyone dancing and having fun.




Rosa's provided the cake which showed off the pink and green wedding colors. I thought the groom's cake topper was very creative.

Last year I shot Becca Patton & Adam Foster's wedding at Crescent Bend (The Armstrong-Lockett House) on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. It's a beautiful venue that I was very excited to photograph. After getting ready in the bridal suite, Becca posed for some bridal photos on the terraces overlooking the river. The day was sunny and warm, but the guests were given bottled water as they arrived and seated under a large tent. The wedding party circled around a large fountain for the ceremony and later moved closer to the guests for a prayer with their families.

There seems to be a trend with men wearing brown suits instead of black tuxes, and I thought it really worked well with the girls' coral colored dresses. Since the ceremony was so early in the day, the couple opted for a lavish dessert reception. I'm a sucker for anything sweet, but everything was beautiful as well as delicious. The bright, happy wedding colors were even incorporated into the food and drink.

After saying their goodbyes, the couple went to Volunteer Landing for a few more photos together. By then, they were very relaxed, and I got some great shots. While I really enjoy evening weddings, it's always worked out well when I shoot afternoon weddings and then do couple sessions right after.

In 2005, Anna Whitehead married Derek Brownlee in an outdoor ceremony at the Mabry Hazen House in Knoxville. I had attended a bridal tea on the Mabry Hazen porch before, but I didn't realize that it was such a nice place for a wedding. Unfortunately, I think it's often overlooked but worth checking out.

The house is a museum, but we were allowed to take a few photos inside. Anna wore a long, flowing veil that has been handed down in her family. Her proud father walked her down the lawn to Derek, and they said their vows in front of the gazebo.

 The whole wedding day had a fun, laid-back feel to it. From the flower print shirts and nut necklaces that the guys wore to the sand and shell candle hurricanes on the tables, Annna had incorporated a Hawaiian beach theme into the event. The reception at The University Club spilled out onto the patio overlooking the river. Guests chatted and danced until the sun went down. Then the bride changed into a cute sundress, and the guests bid a bubbly farewell as the couple left in a white limosine.