On Tuesday evening I met up with Tessa & Jimmy for their newlywed photos. Dara's Garden provided a beautiful, colorful backdrop for the session.










I'm so glad that we had the chance to do these photos. It is obviously great to have the extra time for more photos, but what I really like is the fact that they were so much more relaxed. Wedding days are just very stressful events, and it is much easier to capture natural expressions when people are relaxed.
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Too many couples think that it is just a big hassle to do a session after the wedding day, but it doesn't have to be.

Most guys do not rent a tux again. They just go with a dark suit. If you want to look a little more formal, purchase a tie in the same color as the one worn on the wedding day.

Most girls do not have their hair and makeup professionally done. It's a good opportunity to even try a different look. If you normally wear your hair down but had an up-do for the wedding then it's nice to wear your hair down or half-up for the couple session.

You do not have to have a bouquet, but if you want one then you can just purchase some roses at the grocery and give them a couple of days to open up. Then use rubber bands and ribbon to bind them together.

You do not have to worry about the dress being in perfect condition. I actually prefer if it's a little dirty so that brides don't think twice about sitting on the ground or leaning against trees.

Leah & John just celebrated their second anniversary yesterday. Their wedding was held at a really great venue, Bleak House (Confederate Memorial Hall). After an outdoor ceremony, the guests were treated to a buffet and cake indoors with dancing on the tent-covered patio overlooking the grounds. They are a great couple, and I'm really glad that I could be there to photograph such a perfect day for them.

















The military has had them living out of town, but I saw Leah again a few months ago. She was the wedding planner for one of my spring brides. I wanted to get the bride to do some photos by this cool window that Calhouns has upstairs. It was really hot though, and she was busy dancing with her guests. After my time was up, Leah agreed to model for a few shots.

Saturday was my first opportunity to visit one of the newer venues in town, Dara's Garden. It's really nice and made the perfect backdrop for Leah & Robbie's outdoor wedding. The venue has several locations for outdoor ceremonies and a large, well landscaped yard with many photo opportunities. It is definitely a place worth checking out.

After getting ready in separate wings of the house, Robbie and Leah met in front of a large gazebo to exchange vows and rings. Rothchild catering provided the catered buffet on the stone patio, and the guests danced into the night under several large trees. It was a beautiful evening.



This is what you do when you can't get the flower girl to pose with the bride... trick her into being in a cute photo anyway.



The sun was setting just as they had their first dances. With the lights in the trees, it was a magical, touching scene.



Check out the cool fountain area and the happy newlyweds!

To put their own personal stamp on the wedding, Robbie & Leah incorporated one of their favorite activities, golf, into everything from the wording on their invitations to the groom's cake (shaped like a golfball on a field of green).

I realize that I haven't posted in a week, but I've been very busy. Last Friday, I did some photos at Thompson Cancer Survival Center for an upcoming trade magazine article. The article features a local nurse named Victoria, and here's one of her photos.



On Saturday I photographed a nice outdoor wedding, and on Sunday I celebrated my 31st birthday! Marcus gave me a cool necklace that he purchased in Sweden a few weeks ago. He's really good at finding unique jewelry pieces. We also went to eat at The Melting Pot. Of course I like to be behind the camera rather than in front of it so I don't have any birthday photos to share.

On Saturday I photographed the wedding of Tessa Smith and Jim Wilson. The ceremony took place at All Saints Catholic Church in Knoxville. The couple did meet early in the day to get all of the formals out of the way. After the ceremony, there was a bubble exit, and the wedding party rode away on an antique trolley headed downtown. After a short stop at Weigels to pick up some beverages, we attempted a few group photos around the World's Fair site. It was really hot and didn't take long before we were all back on the trolley and on our way to the reception at KMA.

I've seen plenty of orange grooms' cakes and orange garters, but I think this was my first wedding where the men wore orange vests. Considering the vols had their first game of the season that day, it was very fitting and looked really nice with their dark brown suits. The girls also wore brown, and oranges were used to decorate the reception.






Tessa's uncle made this beautiful, wooden cross for the couple. I am doing a couple session with Tessa and Jimmy after their honeymoon to San Juan, but I couldn't resist a few bridal photos.



Marcus was visiting his family in Sweden last week, but the awesome photographer Claire Presnall of Rebecca Claire Photography was kind enough to shoot with me. She got some great shots including these cool details.