These two had the sweetest and most perfect Sunday wedding in September. Taylor is in the military so they had to work with his schedule to pick their date. It was a warm day with a light breeze— my favorite! We started the day with a sweet first look by the creek and a few portraits, then made our way to their creekside ceremony. Callie and Taylor invited their closest family and friends, which made for it to be such an intimate celebration!

Morgan and Clint's wedding day at The Lake House was nothing short of breathtaking!

We lucked out with such a mild, Fall day-- it was sunny, with a slight breeze, and a touch of fall foliage! The sun drenched everything and made it so beautiful and golden! These two had previously told me that they both had fond memories of visiting the lake with their friends and family and that's part of the reason why they decided to have their ceremony lakeside! After exchanging vows and rings, and officially becoming husband and wife, Morgan and Clint exited their ceremony with confetti poppers! We then spent the golden afternoon taking portraits by the lake and headed to the reception. Morgan and Clint danced with their guests on the outdoor patio while the sun set over the lake!

Goodbye, 2022…

Wow, guys! It’s been an incredible year, to say the least, and I can’t believe a new one is just around the corner!

At the end of every year, I tend to get a bit sentimental and emotional looking back and thinking of all of the amazing things accomplished, places traveled to, new people met, and memories made. This year was no exception! 2022 has been a bit of a rollercoaster— definitely been one of the busiest but also most rewarding years in my business yet. All in all, I’m just so incredibly grateful.

Bridal sessions have quickly become one of my favorite types of sessions that I offer! I absolutely love that my brides get to dress up in their dresses, test out their wedding day makeup and hairstyles, and we get to create some beautiful portraits! When Morgan asked me if we could do a bridal session prior to her wedding day at her venue, The Lake House, I of course jumped at the opportunity! I was so excited to see what style of dress Morgan had chosen and to finally see their gorgeous venue!

Emily and Christian's wedding day was nothing short of beautiful.

These two became husband and wife on the most perfect September day-- it was partly sunny and in the 70s with a breeze that reminded us that Fall is just around the corner. When I first arrived at the Waterstone venue, I saw both Emily and Christian while they were getting ready and asked how they were. They both responded with the biggest smiles and said, "Getting a little nervous, but excited!"

Happiness just radiated between these two and their families throughout the day. We were all in tears watching Emily read Christian's letter and then again when he first saw her walk down the aisle. It's obvious from their smiles just how much these two love and adore each other.

Amber & Kit’s wedding day was so beautiful and intimate. The day before, it was probably 30 degrees and the mountains were topped with snow. The day of? A warm 50-60 degrees. Talk about whacky Tennessee weather, but it was perfect for their day. We kicked things off with a sweet little first look in the drive up to the Chapel. Their closest family members and friends then joined us in the glass chapel for their sweet ceremony. After officially becoming husband and wife, we took advantage of the beautiful view next to the chapel and took some portraits while overlooking the Nolichuckey. Kit and Amber then ended the day with an intimate dessert reception at the next-door cabin. Amber said that she had always wanted a winter wedding and I believe she got exactly that (minus some snow, hehe). I loved her winter decor touches, especially the wreaths on the doors of the chapel.

Summer is in full swing over here in Northeast Tennessee and I am absolutely loving it! It has me reminiscing back on this beautiful styled shoot that I was able to organize with some of the best wedding vendors here in Johnson City, Tennessee!

Full transparency— last year, I felt myself feeling quite burnt out. It comes and goes in waves and usually when creatives are stressed out or doing things repetitively. To help fight the burnout and increase creativity, photographers will often try to get out of their normal rhythm and will shoot something for themselves or start personal projects. For me, I had never set up my own styled shoot— I had only attended ones organized and created by others. This was definitely a bit out of my comfort zone, but was such a fun experience!

Ever since I got into wedding photography, I’ve always been told that the very most stressful part of the day would be family formal portraits. I think that is simply because, from a couple’s perspective, you’re trying to round up family members and hope everyone cooperates, and as a photographer, you’re trying to photograph a whole group of people that you’ve mostly never met before and are trying to keep them happy before they head to the reception! It can definitely be a little stressful, but if both the couple and photographer prepare, it really can go more smoothly than expected!

Here are 5 tips that I’ve learned through the years and shooting weddings that help make family formal portraits run smoothly!

Eric and Kelsey are married!

Even though their original plans had changed a few times thanks to Covid, these two were finally able to become husband and wife on Labor Day weekend in September! Since Kelsey and Eric are from Ohio, they chose Sugar Hollow Retreat because they offer weekend packages with lodging on-site, so it made traveling a little bit easier for their families! They also loved the relaxing atmosphere and outdoor retreat feel of the venue, which made their wedding weekend feel more like a vacation in the mountains than a traditional wedding day and allows for more time spent with friends and family! Sugar Hollow is also dog-friendly, which was an added bonus for these two dog lovers!

As engagement season is upon us and as more couples start to research and book vendors, and start the wedding planning process, I thought it would be the perfect time to share just exactly what us photographers do when you book us for your special day! Wedding photography can often seem like a photographer will just show up on the wedding day and click a button- but I’m here to tell you that as a professional, we do SO much more than that! I know that wedding photography is a huge investment and takes a big percentage of a couple’s budget when it comes to their wedding day. I want to walk you through the process and share a little behind-the-scenes information of what goes into being a wedding photographer!