Monday, September 21, 2009

John Mark Woodard and Claire Fisher are now Mr. & Mrs!

It seems like I get to do a wedding like this once or twice a year ... and its my favorite kind of wedding ever in the world. Well actually this wasn't the wedding. Since they had the ceremony privately with family and close friends in Vermont (it was vermont right?) they decided to do a separate reception so they could celebrate with all their Tennessee family and friends.

So what made this celebration my favorite kind?

First of all - either the groom or bride or both is someone that is a dear friend of mine. In this case it was the groom. John Mark and I became friends my freshman year of college. But over the course of doing their engagement and bridal sessions Claire has become someone that I just love.

Second - When I think about how happy I am for the couple it makes me cry a little. I was that way last year at my friend Kelly's wedding and my friend Jamie. I felt that way for John Mark and Claire because their relationship is so evidently blessed. And doesn't it make you cry just a little when you see your friends at their happiest. It does me.

Third - Not only did I love this couple but I loved all the guests too! It was wonderful to see so many old friends all together again. What a time! I love friends! It reminds me that weddings are special to everyone - not just the couple or the families - but the guests too. Its such a beautiful celebration.

And finally - The location and details of this event were fantastic. Simple but completely gorgeous. That's my favorite.

Check out this guy.
John Mark ... what a guy.

Kissy ... cakey ...

You should recognize these fellers ... Its Maple and her lovin mommy Brandy and daddy Josh ...

I saw Maple again this past weekend at the Rhythm and Roots festival ... she danced with me and giggled a little. I just can't get enough of this beautiful little baby girl.

Alright ... on to the really really good stuff.

Claire and John Mark stepped out with me when the light was perfect to do a few portraits on this amazing property. Thanks to Nick (my super awesome boyfriend) who came along with me to this wedding and had the idea to use the lantern. I love the lantern! I love Nick! And I LOVE this photo!

This particular photo is my idea of perfect.
Complete silly joy ...

John Mark and Claire are the best at being silly and laughing. Its completely natural for them which makes it so easy to photograph them. But they can also do this (HOT!!!) :

Please be sure to watch this lovely slide show!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Julie Roberts Photography weddings, families, babies, everything!

If you haven't noticed, I am getting caught up. And it feels great. A little structure in my schedule has caused it all. I discovered that in one week I should only schedule what I can actually process and no more. To do otherwise is to get behind. Duh! I'm so glad I finally got that one figured out! I have some serious plans to get completely caught up by the end of this year. I will be doing a lot of traveling with three destination weddings coming up (South Carolina, Arizona, and Jamaica) plus a visit to New York City. The only way I can stay on top of things is to be very structured about when I schedule sessions.

The important announcement that I am making here is that I will only be doing photo sessions through the second week of November.

It is true.

I will not be taking any photo sessions November 15 through January 12.

That will give me two months to get caught up on processing weddings and sessions, design storybooks, turn around christmas orders, and maybe even take some days off and spend them with my family and my beau.

The other big announcement is:

November 10-12 I will be doing a 1/2 session special.

You can email me (julie@julierobertsphoto.com) to get a head start on booking your session. My available dates will fill up quickly and I am sorry to say that I won't be making any exceptions. After January 12 of course things will go back to normal. Session prices will go up at that point because I will be renewed and more inspired than ever.

So I just want to give you a sneak peak of what I have coming to the blog in the next week.
I am SO excited about these!

John Mark and Claire Woodard:

Broedy Slade:

Ashley and Deric - engaged:

Jessica and Tim with Cody the horse:

Sweet Eliza Mae:

And the alpacas:

George and Maria's engagement session at the Shirley Family Blackberry Farm:

And two completely different weddings at Sampson's Hollow two weekends in a row:

Ashley and Brandon Kittrell:

Cynthia and Andy Dennis:

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Pastor Larry Warren and his Family

Earlier this spring I came home from a photo shoot, checked my mail, and sat down to open up the monthly newsletter from my church. I always love to sit down and read the newsletter because it will include a personal note from Pastor Larry. This time, instead of a little note or poem, there was a formal letter. Pastor Larry was announcing his retirement. My first reaction was very selfish. I was shocked and heartbroken.

I became a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church about two years ago. I love this sweet little group of folks who make up the church. It was Pastor Larry and Chris (his wife) who were the ones to first make me feel welcome. I have felt so connected to them. Pastor Larry has counseled me through some really difficult decisions and I could never fully express what a difference his advice and prayers have made in my life.

After I got over my shock and selfishness I tried to see things from Larry's perspective. I can now say that as much as I miss him and Chris ... I am so happy for him and proud of him for making this change in his life. I know the transition will not be easy. Before leaving, he told a story about a painting that he saw of a tired old bear with his head laid upon a rock. When he saw that painting he just knew it was a reflection of how he felt. He was a tired bear. He deserves to rest ... relish life with his wife, children and grandchildren.

He does have a beautiful family ... so to honor him I offered to photograph them anytime they would like. It turns out we actually did this session on his last Sunday at Gloria Dei - which I think makes these images even more significant.

Here is my favorite tired old bear: Pastor Larry

I just love this beautiful family.

This is Caleb, Larry and Chris's son, his wife Kathy, and their three kiddos ...

Amelia, Asha, and August

Tonya, Larry and Chris's daughter

Larry and his lovely wife Chris. I dearly loved hearing the stories about Larry and Chris's early years of dating: when he first fell in love with her, hoping to kiss her at the bell tower, when she first mentioned "someday we". Perhaps it will be those stories that I will miss hearing the most.

My favorite shot of the whole family

Be sure to play the slide show ... it has frogs and crickets!

Oh AND! you can keep up with Larry and Chris and their travels by following their blog.
CLICK HERE

Whitney Tallent & William Wilson are Engaged! Knoxville - Engagement Session

This super hot couple is getting married next May
... and no, they are not professional models.

But seriously, how lucky am I to have clients who are wonderful in every way ... and on top of it all ... they look like this.

Whitney's dad is a collector of old cars. I can't wait until we do the bridal session. I am totally obsessed with old cars lately!

William is a little bit of a football fan ... so for being such a great sport during the photos ... we rewarded him by taking him to the top of G-12 so he could get a good look at the new jumbo-tron. I think this next photo is so hot! ZOW!

Thanks so much Whitney & William! Slide show below:

Dave & Theresa - Downtown Knoxville - East Tennessee

Dave and Theresa are some of the most generous people you will ever meet. They wanted to do some portraits just to showcase their sweet relationship ... but they are also starting ministry and Dave is writing a book so they have all kinds of reasons to need photos of their beautiful selves. I just love this couple and their story ... as soon as I have more info about their ministry and website I will be sure to post it here. Until then ... here are some lovely images of two lovely people.

Dave and Theresa

Merv, Kara, & Delana Pritchard - Knoxville - East Tennessee - Baby & Family Portraits

I can't believe Delana is 9 months old!!!

This is the Pritchard Family ... Merv, Kara, and lovely Delana. They used to be my neighbors until I moved. They were the best neighbors and I miss them! But now I get to see them every three months and its amazing how much that little girl changes each time.

Delana has the most piercing eyes. And she is so happy and lovely and easy to photograph.

This one is my favorite, I think ... what a funny girl!

Here is another one showcasing those amazing eyes. What a beautiful girl!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Abbi Foster & Family - Knoxville Tennessee - Family & Baby Portraits

This gorgeous little muffin is the grand-daughter of the wonderful Lisa Foster of Lisa Foster Floral Design (aka the best florist in town!). Lisa now has a blog of her own [here is a link] so go over and tell her hello!

Lisa's son Brandon married adorable Bryana in March of 2008. I was SO honored to photograph their wedding then. And even more excited when I later found out about baby Abbi! I LOVE it when my wedding clients turn into little families right before my eyes. This was my second time photographing Abbi and don't you just know she is a perfect little bundle of goodness! I just LOVE spending time with this family.

Of course she loves flowers ...

Ashley & Ray - Downtown Knoxville - Engagement Photos

So I am completely thrilled to tell you that I am going to be doing my first international destination wedding! Ashley and Ray are getting married in just a matter of weeks in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I can not fully express how EXCITED I am!!!!

This is Ashley and Ray ...

And even though of course we will do more engagement type photos on the beach ... we still thought it would be fun to do a local e-session right here in Knoxville.

At the UT Gardens:

And downtown around Gay Street:

This is Sidney. She is quite a girl! She will definitely keep me busy in Jamaica!

Daisy Hope Miles - The Miles Family - Knoxville - East Tennessee - Family & Baby Portrait Photography

Check out this BEAUTIFUL baby girl!!!

I've been waiting 8 months to meet this precious girl. Her mommy and daddy (Amanda Brown Miles and Joey Mile) are friends of mine from way back in high school. I photographed their wedding in 2007 and was completely thrilled when I found out they were expecting a little bundle of joy. We did some maternity photos at the fair last year on like the hottest day in history. But Amanda has one of the most upbeat and positive attitudes ever - she is up for anything and she always has a smile and laugh ready to go.

Look at what an adorable family they are:

No one has ever been more cut out for parenthood than Joey and Amanda. They are so madly in love with little Daisy. She is such a lucky girl.

And they are lucky parents because Daisy-girl is the most lovely, happy baby girl. She was completely easy to photograph and obviously a natural! I love this mother daughter moment below.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Rebekah Rodriguez & Darrell Greer : Married! : Maple Lane Farm : Johnson City : East Tennessee : Weddings

I have to start out by saying that this wedding was such a special one. Ok, wait, don't I say that about every wedding? Yes I do. I do! And I mean it every time! But this one was especially wonderful! I loved the location and I mean L.O.V.E.D. this place! I have dreamed of doing a wedding at Maple Lane Farm since I attended a wedding as a guest there three years ago (right when the wheels of my business were beginning to turn). It's my ideal wedding location. In addition to being a farm with a rugged barn and beautiful natural surroundings it's also dressed up with a quirky charm and elegance of a classy wedding venue.

As if that weren't enough ... let me just take a moment to say that the stars of the show, Rebekah and Darrell, were amazing to work with! Most importantly they are so obviously in love. I can't say how happy it makes me to work with people who are truly in love. It makes my job a dream job. Not only are they in love but they are beautiful and have warm loving families and friends surrounding them. I'm telling you I have a dream job!

The rest of the commentary you read here will be notes from the bride.

How we met:
As "cheesy-TV- movie" as it may be, Darrell was the boy next door. He is 6 years older than me so we didn't know each other growing up. In fact, the first time I met his mother as his girlfriend, she said "Isn't that the little girl from next door??" We officially met while working together at Schlotzsky's Deli. We soon became good friends... and then we became more than friends... and then we fell in love. Now six and a half years later, here we are!

How he popped the question:
Darrell has a very large glass jar that he puts spare pennies in. It was always a running joke between us, that when the penny jar was full he would buy me a ring. The night before my graduation, I had a hooding ceremony which included a slide show of all the important moments throughout physical therapy school... such as everyone's engagements and weddings. (He knew this was the perfect set-up.) As soon as we got home, he handed me some pennies and said, "Here, go put this in your penny jar." I, very gracefully, took the pennies from him, slammed them on the counter and said "That penny jar should have been full a long time ago!" As I turned around... I noticed the penny jar was overflowing, and I knew immediately. He dumped it out and inside was a box with his great grandmother's ring. In all the emotion, shock, and excitement, he said everything but those four words I had been waiting to hear! And it didn't matter, the moment was perfect. He did eventually say them... and we still joke about it. I couldn't have been more excited to know I would soon be marrying my best friend. Needless to say, I was glowing at graduation the next morning.

Venue: Maple Lane Farm, Johnson City, TN
I can not say enough about Bernie and David at Maple Lane! They did an incredible job taking all our different ideas and making them a reality. We had the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception there. Darrell and I came up with a custom menu for the reception and they did an amazing job with the food. Thanks to Bernie and David, all the wedding festivities could not have been more perfect!

Florist: Betty King, Food City
I love Betty!! I came to her with a mix of different ideas and she made sense of it all to create absolutely gorgeous flowers. My mom and I cried when we saw my Bridal bouquet, it so much more than I had ever imagined. We loved working with her!

Wedding day coordinator: Adrianne Brown: Andi is very organized and did a good job making sure everyone knew where they were supposed to be at the right time. She coordinated our rehearsal and ceremony and made sure that it all flowed smoothly.

Salon Bella Donna: Nikki, Lori, and Heather did such a great job with all the girls hair and my make up! They booked 9 hair appointments for us that day and every girl loved her hair! http://www.salonbelladona.net/

The Dress: Tricia's Bridal
Tricia is the best! She knows bridal gowns better than anyone! She gives her brides 100% one on one attention and was so much fun to work with!!

Bagpipes: John Shell
The bagpipes were a huge hit!! We had John hide out before the ceremony so none of the guests would know he was there... he went miles down the road to warm up the bagpipes before the ceremony. He led me and my dad in and it really added to the emotion of the moment!

Guitarists: Tom Intardonato & Josh Norman
Tom and Josh are good friends of ours. Darrell and I gave them a list of songs for the ceremony and each and every one of them sounded perfect!! We would recommend them to anyone!!

Officiant: Rev. Carolyn Claiborne: Rev. Carolyn is so sweet and gave Darrell and I lots of unique ideas to personalize our ceremony. She was so helpful and easy to work with!

Cake: Susie's Specialty Wedding Cakes
Susie was so easy to work with and the cake tasted fabulous! Darrell had so much fun designing his groom's cake and she brought every detail to life!

Jazz Band: The Diamonds
Glen and the band did an incredible job!! We got TONS of compliments on the band! They play at Atlanta Bread Company every Thursday night if you want to stop in and listen!

Videographer: Steve Talbert, Abingdon Video
Abingdon Video was great to work with. They were with Darrell and I all day and were right there for every special moment. I can't wait to see the video!

Last but absolutely not least... Photography: Julie Roberts!! All I need to say is... if Julie is your photographer, you are a very lucky bride. Just having her there on your wedding day makes all the difference! Julie is the best at what she does because she goes so far beyond being your photographer, she is a true artist and her passion for her craft is evident in her pictures. Much love and many thanks Julie!!!!!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Gilley Wedding

Kimberly Lassiter and Aaron Gilley were married on August 1st. I really loved photographing this wedding because there were so many beautiful details. In addition to that and more importantly Kim and Aaron's wedding was really about the two of them and their marriage to each other. I love it when that really is what the day is all about. Their ceremony had a very honest and intimate feel which had me in tears behind my camera.

Here are some of my favorite details from the day:

A word from Kimberly and Aaron on the vendors that made their day happen:

Flowers: Anna Marie's Florist
They did a wonderful job; they took everything we envisioned for our flowers and made it better than we expected. Most of the compliments we received had to do with their beautiful arrangements. Aaron has used this florist for years, so it was an easy pick for us.

Cake: My Cake Art
Margie did a great job with our cake. It was beautiful, tasty, and very reasonably priced! The owner's daughter is a friend of Aaron's from graduate school.

DJ: Big Time Entertainment
Our DJ did a great job with entertaining the guests. He was easy to work with, and he had lots of great ideas for fun games.

Reception/Catering: Carnegie Hotel and Wellington's
Our reception site was beautiful, and the Carnegie staff was very helpful in assisting us with our reception. Their on-site catering, Wellington's, made some great food for our guests and the bridal party. Their event coordinator was helpful throughout the entire planning process, suggesting lots of different vendors and calming our nerves.

Transportation: Fantasy Limo
They took us from the church to the reception in style! The company had a wide variety of autos to choose for our big day. The driver was courteous and prompt.

Church: Grandview Christian Church
Grandview was the perfect setting for our ceremony. It had a short aisle, which was nice for Kim because she had fewer chances to fall! The open windows in the sanctuary provided a gorgeous backdrop for our guests: the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee.

Photos: Julie Roberts Photography
Nothing more needs to be said! Julie Roberts did a fantastic job with our photos. We really like what we have seen so far.

Video: Tee Jay Productions
This Ohio based production company did a fantastic job with our videography. They were there from start to finish and captured all of the great moments from our wedding. We are super excited to see the finished video and share it with all of our friends and family. They were very professional and we are very pleased with this vendor. We would recommend this vendor to everyone. They did a SUPER JOB!!!!!

Aaron and Kim met in school at Milligan College. Aaron was a New Student Team Leader, and Kim was a freshman on his team. They quickly became friends, but didn't keep in contact much over the next year or two after Aaron graduated (unless Kim or her friends needed to borrow his truck). In January 2007, they happened to drive by each other at Blockbuster one evening, and they rekindled their friendship over coffee at Starbucks that week. Their relationship grew over the next year or so, and they fell more and more in love with one another.

Aaron went home with Kim for Christmas in 2008. Aaron had moved to Virginia for a new job the previous summer, and Kim only got to see him about twice a month since he left. On Christmas Eve, after a beautiful ride through the Maryland countryside, Aaron dropped to one knee outside Kim's parents' house and asked her to marry him. At a loss for words, Kim finally mustered up an "Of course I will marry you!" Seven months later, they were joined in Holy Matrimony on August 1st, 2009.