Holly and Tyler are high school sweethearts and such a fun couple! They call themselves “weekend warriors,” and love taking weekend trips to the mountains to explore and get away for a few days! One of their favorite places to visit is downtown Banner Elk, North Carolina, as it’s just a hop and skip over the TN/NC border and just far enough to get away for a few days. When Holly told me about their trips, I figured it would be the best place to take their engagement photos since it’s so special to them! I cannot wait to photograph their wedding in June!

I’m a little late on blogging my behind-the-scenes photos from 2019, but I’m hoping that this blog brings some smiles, laughs, and uplifts your day just a little. Huge thanks to call of my couples, second shooters, fellow wedding vendors, and my amazing friends and family who made 2019 one hell of a year.

This day and this couple. I have been dreaming about Ashley and Logan’s wedding day since I met Ashley for coffee and it was truly magical! Logan and Ashley became husband and wife at one of the newest venues in our area— the Waterstone Venue! Even though it was mid-September, their day was partly sunny and almost 90 degrees! The day was humid and hazy, but that didn’t keep Ashley and Logan from having the most amazing wedding day!

Day-of timelines are pretty important for planning your wedding day, and that includes deciding on having a first look or a more traditional timeline. From a photographer’s perspective, and having been a bride myself, I am personally a huge fan of first looks! My husband and I decided to do a first look for our own wedding and it was the best decision. We have never regretted it! With wedding season around the corner, I thought I’d share my top 5 reasons to why you should consider having a first look on your wedding day!

Last year, I had so much fun putting together my first behind-the-scenes blog (you can see that here) that I made more of a conscious effort to get more content this year! I am so thankful to have had amazing second shooters who caught some funny (and embarrassing) moments throughout the year of me doing what I do! I love sharing the not-so-glamorous side of wedding photography- it’s not all rainbows and butterflies on a wedding day! Enjoy this brief inside look of what it’s like to be a wedding photographer in Northeast Tennessee!

Kaity and Kyle drove from Middle Tennessee to meet up with me at one of my favorite mountain locations- The Beauty Spot. Located in the heart of the Unaka Mountains, the Beauty Spot always lives up to it’s name and this night was no exception! When we first arrived, the sun was out, but dark clouds loomed over the mountains headed our way. We shot for a while, always keeping an eye on the clouds. Eventually, the clouds passed right over the Beauty Spot, but thankfully not even a drop of rain fell! We finished the evening laughing, getting to know each other, sharing stories and enjoying a bright pink sunset on the bald.

Kayla and Aaron are getting married at the Millstone in Limestone, Tennessee this coming Spring! We jumped at the opportunity to catch the last bit of Fall and explored the grounds of the venue for their engagement session. It was unseasonably warm, so we were able to spend the whole evening there just laughing about Aaron's top 5 pizza toppings and chatting about wedding details! When the sun faded, I got on Spotify and played 'Perfect' and let them dance under the patio lights! It was a magical way to end our evening!