Katie + Matthew, Wedding

We took a mini road trip to Memphis to photograph Katie and Matthew's special day, and my goodness-- it was lovely! The venue was the Memphis Metal Museum, which provided such a great backdrop, especially when paired with the river to the side. We loved the assorted vases and jars they had collected to use as their center pieces, and we thought the food-- from the food truck to the cakes-- was absolutely fabulous. They had wonderful taste all around! Even though it was a bit cold on that March evening, no one seemed to let that keep them from celebrating such a lovely couple. The little ones had so much fun playing the yard games and busting the piñata filled with candy, and the adults even had a little piñata of their own. ;) Katie and Matt had thought of everything, and everyone! I hadn't gotten the chance to meet Katie and Matt in person before the wedding, but once we met them they were so kind and welcoming, they made us feel like friends. You could tell during the ceremony and throughout the day that these two were so in love, because the only smile that outshone Matt's was Katie's. Capturing them laughing and kissing and celebrating was so much fun for us and we were happy to be a part of their big day! I hope they'll be laughing and dancing and this in love in 50 years!

Special thanks to Courtney Baum for being my second photographer for this event, and to my handsome husband Jimmy, who was my assistant. :) Katie's hair and makeup was done by Sarah Bailey from Styles on Broadway.

Christa + Clint, Wedding

Sometimes we can get all caught up in dresses and flowers and music and the latest wedding trends on Pinterest, and forget what weddings are all about. I've been a bride and I've been around enough brides to know that it's easy to do. What I loved about Christa and Clint's wedding was that it brought everything back to just the sweet simplicity of a bride and a groom committing themselves to each other for the rest of their lives, in front of their closest family and God. It was such a privilege to even be able to come to the wedding, and even more so to take pictures for them. Christa's family was friends with my family before we were born, so we have grown up with each other and have kept in touch for over 20 years. She is a dear friend of mine and I'm so happy that she has found Clint-- I couldn't picture her with anyone else! Congratulations you two-- come see us soon! :)

Sloane+Matt Wedding

I met Sloane and her mother several months before her wedding, and Sloane beamed as she told me about her fiancé, Matt, and all about their plans for their May 2014 wedding. They were going to say "I do" at a big, antique church downtown with glorious stained-glass windows and beautiful cascading front steps, and the reception was to be held at the newly opened Discovery Park of America in the Dinosaur Hall-- which is such a classy place for a reception. She told me about the dresses and flowers, about color choices and the limo they would be taking everywhere. They were already thinking of fun pictures we could take and sentimental details they wanted me to capture, and I was so excited that they chose us to photograph such a special day for them! Capturing weddings sometimes makes me feel like I'm a fly on the wall, in the very best of ways. I got to be in the room when Sloane's father saw her for the first time in her wedding dress, and when his face lit up and they hugged each other, I saw her mother wiping away tears in the background and realized what a big day this was for everyone. We got to capture the bridesmaids' reactions as well, when they saw Sloane in her wedding dress, and heard squeals of excitement and the sniffling of noses  as they celebrated their friend becoming a bride. And when Matt saw Sloane for the first time, I had to blink back a few tears as he smiled so big, and they hugged, exchanged gifts and then sat on the steps and prayed together. What a wonderful way to start a marriage. Witnessing moments like these is one of my favorite parts of being a photographer, and it's such a beautiful responsibility to capture these little happenings throughout the most important day of their lives.

When we arrived at the salon the morning of the wedding, I asked Sloane how she was, and she said, "I woke up today so excited, because I thought, 'I'm getting married today!''   I hope Sloane and Matt wake up every morning and think of how wonderful it is to be married to each other, and that they carry a bit of that excitement through the rest of their marriage. :)

Thank you so much, Sloane and Matt, for choosing us to be your photographers! We hope you love your pictures as much as we loved taking them. Thanks so much to Nicka Smith for being my lovely and super talented second photographer for this wedding. And thanks to Susanne Marsidi and her team for helping everyone get where they were supposed to be, when they were supposed to be there, and for your flawless taste and expertise! Sloane's hair and makeup were done by the talented Camille Piatt at Styles On Broadway in Martin, and the other stylists took care of the rest of the bridal party.