I will normally only schedule one wedding per weekend, but this past weekend I photographed Lindsey & Aaron on Saturday and then helped Tara Kneiser of Dixie Pixel Photography with another wedding on Sunday. It makes for a very long weekend, but it's fun to shoot with other photographers on occasion.  The couple, Amanda and Shayne, had their wedding at The Emporium on Gay Street.

Being the second shooter on a wedding is a different experience from being the primary shooter. While the primary shooter has the responsibility of getting "the shot", the second shooter can focus more on candid moments, details, and different angles. The downside is that the primary shooter usually has the subjects' attention and the best vantage point. For instance, during the ceremony Tara was in the aisle in front of the couple. I was at the side shooting over people's heads, but I think it gives the photos a sort of intimate feel.




During the group formals, I was able to focus more on individuals like this without having to worry about getting the whole group.



Both brides last weekend did something really cool. They wore veils for the ceremony and then switched to a large flower in their hair. Lindsey on Saturday had a beautiful, long veil while Amanda on Sunday wore a hip, birdcage veil.





The wedding colors were pink and black with lots of pink flowers everywhere. The groomsmen had pink ties, and the bridesmaids wore black dresses.

I need to come up with a summer vacation destination ASAP so PLEASE help me.

My main requirement is that it not be too hot/humid in July which knocks out Boston, Charleston, New Orleans, Savannah, Arizona etc. Requirement number two is that it not be too very far away because I don't want to waste all my time traveling. That knocks out Japan and Australia. Marcus insists that it be somewhere safe and modernized so Russia and Peru are out of the question (although I would love to see Machu Picchu some day).

I'm not a huge fan of hanging out on beaches, but I do like to snorkel so Hawaii is one idea. We just took a cruise in the Caribbean a few months ago though. My ideal vacation spot is somewhere that's beautiful, not too very crowded or expensive, and has some historic, geological, architectural, or cultural sites to visit. Any ideas??

Lindsey and Aaron's wedding day was exceptional, and they deserved every minute of it. They're such a kind, loving couple, and I'm so happy to have been a part of their big day. The weather was perfect, and Lindsey was gorgeous. I may be biased since I was married there, but Whitestone Inn really is a wonderful wedding venue. The couple chose to have a private meeting in the chapel and then complete the group formals before the ceremony. After their ceremony, they took a private carriage ride around the grounds while guests made their way across the courtyard to the reception. All of the food is made on-site and is truly some of the best tasting (and best looking) wedding food I've ever had. The cake, done by Magpies, was also delicious.

a shot of Lindsey's gown in the chapel entrance and Lindsey walking to Aaron for their first meeting



the flowers were lovely and Lindsey & Aaron were so relaxed and happy



I love french bustles, and they always stay in much better when the seamstress uses color-coded ribbons that tie together.








and finally a very traditional but necessary photo in the gazebo... just check out the view!

Yesterday I met up with Megan and Monte for their engagement session. With Sundown in the City on Market Square, Thursday may not be the best evening to attempt a session downtown, but we did okay avoiding the crowds. We started early because the forecast had called for a cloudy day. As usual, the weather didn't match the forecast, and it was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky. Hopefully they'll luck out and the weather for their August wedding will be just as beautiful. They're both really relaxed in front of the camera, and we had fun hanging out. I think I may have shot more photos yesterday than at any other engagement session, but here are a few of my favorites.

On a lovely, albeit slightly windy, Saturday, Emily and Bryan were married at Church Street United Methodist downtown with a reception at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

While I do shoot most of the wedding day photojournalistically without a lot of posing, my favorite photos tend to be informally posed portraits. As a result, I show a lot of those on my blog and site so this time I tried to choose more candid shots of the day. The couple did not want to see each other before the ceremony and the group formals after the ceremony didn't leave us time for couple photos. Only these first two photos were posed.















the red light in the last photo was caused by the DJ's lights