Kellye Pritchet and Chaz Huesman are Married!!!

I LOVED photographing this wedding!
There are so many reasons why!

First of all Kellye and Chaz are totally in love and SO good at showing it!
They are both performers at Dollywood so as you will see in the images ... they had no trouble turning on the charm for the camera. They are complete naturals and made my job a breeze.
On top of that ... their wedding was at the beach. North Myrtle Beach, SC to be exact.
The weather was perfect and I have to say that I LOVE shooting at a beach setting.

On the evening of the rehearsal Kellye and Chaz humored me for about 20 minutes so we could get some engagement photos. They are such an adorable and fun couple. I knew after this little mini-session that the wedding would be amazing. I was right.

How they met:

We met at a friend's birthday party on May 23, 2007 and we were introduced by a mutual friend, Candice. We exchanged a "Hey" and I knew that there was something there. I kept telling people that I wanted Chaz for my birthday and I got his phone number on my birthday! The rest is history!

How he proposed:

It was the preview night before our opening day of shows for the Christmas season. At the end of our show, Santa started saying that he was sad that he wasn't going to meet all the little boys and girls after shows this year. He then had the stage manager bring out a chair and a "Nice and Naughty" book. He had the stage manager sit on his lap and said that he had just a few weeks to get on the nice list. He then did the same with one of the cast members who was playing my husband. Then I had to sit on Santa's lap. He told me I had been a good girl and that he had an elf that needed to give me something. Then Chaz got on the microphone in front of everyone I have worked with in the last 5 years! He then gave the perfect speech and got down on his knee and asked me to marry him!!!!! I love him!!!!

One thing that I really loved about Kellye and Chaz's wedding was that it was simple and significant. Every element of the day was centered solely on Kellye and Chaz and the fact that they are in love and getting married. Any other extravagant, unnecessary detail was either ignored or forgotten. This wedding was not about a wedding ... it was about the beginning of a beautiful marriage.

As a result the day was utterly perfect.

By the way, Kellye is

B E A U T I F U L

Forget it ... she is just breathtakingly stunning ...

Chaz on the other is too ugly to even show his face.
(HA - JUST KIDDING!)

I just love how introspective he looks in the above image.
The thoughtful groom just before the ceremony.

The following image showcases his personality a little more ... I LOVED Chaz's hat and style!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention ... my assistant for the wedding was my Mom!!!

She took this adorable shot of one of the flower girls ... love it!

Mom also got the next two gorgeous moments just before Kellye and her dad walked down the isle. Perfect.

I just can't get over the amazing blue sky and the dreamy feel of all the ceremony images. I LOVE shooting ceremonies on the beach.

One other special little detail that I loved was that Chaz's dad was the officiant.

I am completely in love with the next three photos. Once again Kellye and Chaz humored me and spent about 20 minutes doing a few portraits before we went to the reception. Definitely my favorites of the day ...

Coming soon ...

I have so much to share!

The next thing up on the blog will be Kellye & Chaz's wedding in Myrtle Beach:

The adorable Osbornes:

And you still haven't seen the Jamaica wedding!
This is one stunning portrait of Ashley:

Lawson is getting so big!

Then I photographed two gorgeous couples in Townsend one day.

Melissa and David are getting hitched next March:

Brittany and Adam got married this past August:

The Headla Family:

Olivia Gurley is such a happy girl with a huge personality:

Glen is working on his acting/producing/directing career.
So he needed some headshots:

Corbin is my new favorite play mate:

Then I met the Poston's in Asheville, NC for a wonderful session at The Biltmore:

And then I got to meet Robbie and Lily for an engagement session here in Knoxville. I can't wait for their wedding in November!

Jenny Franklin and Andy Henry are Married!!!!

Jenny Franklin and Andy Henry got married on September 26, 2009
At Twin Cedar Farm in Rockwood, TN.

Id love to say that it was a picture perfect day but I had doubts the day before when there was a 100% chance of rain. I was still shocked at how hard the rain came down all day. Guests were shuttled in to the wedding facility because the property was flooded. It was unbelievable.

Regardless of the weather, something really wonderful was taking place that day.
Jenny was marrying her best friend Andy
and the significance of that overshadowed everything else.
Rain or shine ... wedding days are always beautiful!

My assistant for the day was Lauren ... always a calm presence for me
... and a consistently thoughtful eye for details.
Im going to start with two of her shots because this pair is just lovely.
Well done, Lauren!

It poured and poured all day and finally around 7pm the clouds eased off and the rain stopped. As a result, the most amazing rainbow and sunset happened. I have never seen a sky so pink.
I was so thrilled when I saw this image - even with zero editing I thought this image was worth all that stormy weather.

The line-up for the day with some comments from Jenny:

The wedding coordinator: Michael Cannon

The venue: Twin Cedar Farm in Rockford, TN

The flowers: Tammy Phillips
I met Tammy through Anderson Rental (who I also used for my linens ) I saw Tammy's work and just fell in love immediately. Tammy was such an amazing person. My flowers were more than I dreamed of. I loved working with Tammy throughout our wedding process, I felt like she was more a friend than anything. I can honestly say anyone who has the chance to work and meet Tammy Phillips will be amazed at all she can do for you.

The Videographer: Ryan's Videography
They were amazing! They were there every step of the way the whole wedding day!

Andy and I met about three years ago through mutual friends. The first thing I noticed about him was his beautiful smile and charming personality. After meeting we immediately started talking all the time.

It wasn't shortly after that he asked me out on our first date, I remember being so nervous. After our first date we were inseparable, We spent all of our time together.

It was about a year after dating that we started talking marriage. On October 4, 2008 he asked me to marry him at Krutch park in downtown Knoxville. We were in Knoxville shopping for a jacket when I noticed he was acting so strange. I was turned away from him to look at something when I turned around to see him getting down on one knee. He was so nervous he dropped the ring! The proposal was so unexpected and so perfect!

We have been together for almost three years. When I was younger I always thought about my husband and my wedding day, I got exactly what I wanted. I couldn't be any happier I married my best friend!

The Photographer: Julie Roberts (of course)
After becoming engaged one of the first things I did was set out to find the perfect photographer. Before meeting with Julie I had met with several photographers. One night I happened to stumble across Julie's website, and I knew she was the one I wanted by looking at her blog. I could see the passion she had for pictures. After meeting Julie I knew I made the right decision. Our engagement session with Julie was just the most amazing feeling ever! We laughed and talked and I felt so comfortable. Our pictures were amazing just as our wedding photos will be. I can say Julie has a special place in my heart and I will look forward to using her in the future.

The cake: Angel Cake & Confections
I met Angel about eleven months before our wedding. The very night we met we designed our wedding cake. She is so talented. When I saw our wedding cake the day of the wedding I was overjoyed! Angel took our ideas and made us the perfect wedding cake and not to mention so very good!!

The food: Our food was catered by O'Charleys! They did a great job with the amount of food we ordered!

The Pour Guys from Maryville were the bartenders for the night.

Chip Fuller from Fuller Lights N Sound was our DJ. Chip was so much fun to work with he kept our guests happy and dancing all night which is the one thing we wanted!

Tasha Cook & Brandon Watson - Married !

-Wedding Site: Vonore Baptist Church-Vonore, TN

-Reception Site: Brandon's aunt and uncle's residence in Madisonville, TN (Brandon's aunt and uncle volunteered to let us have the reception at their home. They have a beautiful home and backyard, so we decided to have an outdoor reception. We prayed for no rain, and it ended up being way more beautiful than I ever imagined!

-Flowers: Connie Isbill-Connie is from Cleveland, and she was recommended to me by a family friend. She did a wonderful job! She was very easy to work with, and I loved how everything turned out!

-Cake: Sandy's Cakes-Sandy did a wonderful job with both the wedding cake and the groom's cake! I still have people telling me how good the cake tasted! www.sandyscakes.com

-Photographer: Julie Roberts! Julie did a wonderful job with everything! We loved out engagement pictures, and the compliments we have gotten about them are endless. Julie stayed with us the entire day and was very helpful. I'm so glad we asked Julie to photograph the wedding!

I met Brandon in 5th grade, and we went to school together until we graduated high school. He went away to play football in college and eventually to ETSU, and I went away to UT-Knoxville. We didn't see each other for about 4 or 5 years. On November 30, 2007 we ran into each other at the local Walmart. We chatted for a bit, and he gave me his number and told me to call him and we could meet up sometime. I told a friend at work about this (who happened to be good friends with Brandon), and we went out on a double date a few weeks later. The rest is, as they say, history!

Brandon proposed to me on January 31, 2009. We were eating with some friends at Macaroni Grill, and the waiter got the order wrong. In order to apologize for messing up the order, the waiter brought us "free" dessert. Brandon and I were eating the dessert, and I could see the plate had some writing on it. The plate said: "Tasha, I love you and want to speak the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me? Love, Brandon" I was so shocked! Of course I said yes, and he placed the ring on my finger! He had planned the entire thing-from calling Macaroni Grill to see what plates they had, to getting the waiter to "play along" and mess the order up, to having a plate specially made for me.

I have prayed for my future husband since I was a little girl, and God has blessed me with more than I can ever imagine. Brandon is my husband, my love, and my best friend!

Shelly & Brandon are engaged!

This adorable couple met in college. Brandon was a football player and Shelly was a cheerleader. Perfect. Now as a happy couple they share a love of the Steelers
and two of the most lovable dogs you've ever seen.

They live in Philadelphia but they'll be getting married at Sampson's Hollow this November.
They made a visit a few weeks ago and we worked out a little engagement session.

Shelly and Brandon are seriously cute together ...

This shot is my absolute favorite of the day. Love their interaction.

Shelly has the most natural camera presence and the prettiest complexion. I can't wait to photograph her as a bride!

Seriously! Can you believe those beautiful amazing dogs?!!!

Emma Rose - Knoxville Family and Kid Portraits - East Tennessee

Its been almost a year since I last saw Emma Rose.
I can't believe what a big girl she is now!
She has grown so much but she is just as happy as ever ...

She loves to laugh and run!

I LOVE this family shot! Perfection!

Emma's mommy Brittany and daddy Dustin are so much fun to photograph because they are so playful with Emma and they are a gorgeous family.

The Horton Family - Family and Newborn Photography - East Tennessee

It has been a while since I photographed the Horton Family. When Renee contacted me for another session I was so excited to hear that they have a brand new addition.

This is beautiful baby Emme

She is a very good sleeper.

I just love those newborn baby details ... nothing sweeter!

Yeah, it had been a while since I saw Ethan ... but there was no mistaking this character!
Ethan has the most expressive personality and he is such a smart boy!
I LOVE photographing him!

The happy Hortons:

Did you miss me?!

One week of no blog posts - because
I was in Jamaica photographing a wedding (and vacationing).
Don't hate me! I have gorgeous photos to share!
But before I can get to the beach-y stuff here is what you'll be seeing soon:

Beautiful baby Emme and her family The Hortons:

Sassy miss Emma Rose and her gorgeous mommy and daddy:

Shelly and Brandon's engagement session plus their glorious doggies:

Brandon and Tasha's Wedding (vonore, tn):

Andy and Jenny's Wedding (twin cedar farms, maryville, tn):

Chaz and Kellye's Wedding (myrtle beach, sc):

The adorable Osborne Family:

And of course, Ray and Ashley's Wedding (negril, jamaica):

Andy and Cynthia Dennis are married!!!

Cynthia Fain married Andy Dennis on September 13, 2009 at Sampson's Hollow. All of the decor and flowers were done by Janice and Leslie and the Sampson's Hollow team. They did a wonderful job making this wedding beautiful ... and the pictures are proof that every detail was perfect and lovely.

That's right - Sampson's Hollow two weekends in a row for me. LOVE IT THERE!!! The owners and staff there are quite possibly the most accommodating, hard working people ever. Beyond that, they really know how to make you feel at home. Guests, wedding party, vendors - it doesn't matter - when you're at Sampson's Hollow, everyone is family!

Oh, and its beautiful there too.

Cynthia is special because I have known her since 1st grade. We used to twirl batons in sequined outfits and play with baby dolls together. It was so special for me to get to photograph her wedding day. I am so happy for her.

Cynthia is crazy photogenic and beautiful! I LOVED photographing her!

The old smoke house ... my favorite!

Cynthia and Andy waited to see each other at the ceremony. The anticipation was exciting.

Very sweet and beautiful mother of the groom.

Finally they see each other for the first time ... this pair of images makes my heart smile!

One of the many things I love about Sampson's Hollow is that there are so many beautiful spots to photograph. They even have options for the ceremony. The wedding I did the previous week was held in the open field with the mountain view. Cynthia and Andy opted for Sarah's Glen. Which is a more intimate area set in the woods surrounded by trees. It was completely perfect!

My favorite portrait of the bride and groom:

Oh, no wait ... this one is my favorite:

Cynthia and Andy's story:

Andy and I got together a little over 3 years ago through mutual friends. He proposed to me at Rock City (one of my favorite places on earth) in Chattanooga on Feb. 16th of this year. I had a long weekend so we went up to Chattanooga to stay the night that weekend. I was always going on & on about wanting to stay at a B&B since I never had, but Andy was never crazy about the idea. He booked a cottage room at the Chanticleer Inn across from Rock City. I got the feel of staying at a B&B while he got the privacy of our room not being in the main house. Of course, I loved it & thought it was just the greatest & sweetest thing in itself. We got up the next morning to go to Rock City. He was sort of rushing me & I got a little aggravated because I was wanting to take my time to get ready since I normally have to rush. So we finally got there & I had a great time walking around & enjoying the sights. I had no idea that was going to be the day that he proposed! We got to the top at the lookout & we looked around at the awesome views. It was Feb. & really cold, so I kept putting my hands in his jacket pocket. Little did I know that he had the ring box in there, I just thought that it was his tobacco! After we had been out there for what seemed like forever, I said I was cold & going in. He asked me to just wait a little longer, so I said fine & went to the bathroom. When I got back he waited another minute or so before he asked. He pulled the ring out & asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said YES! He had gotten me an Irish wedding band (Clauddagh) to propose with so that I could pick out my own "official" engagement & wedding ring. I was on top of the world (figuratively & literally)! I called my mom, sister, & best friend to tell them & his whole family already knew since he had talked to them about it before hand. Anyway, that's pretty much how it all began. Nothing extraordinary or spectacular, just simple & down to earth yet somehow still so thoughtful & special, very much like the man I fell in love with & now am married to!

Brandon and Ashley Kittrell! MARRIED!

On September 5, 2009 Ashley Mowrey and Brandon Kittrell were married at Sampson's Hollow. It was a PERFECT day for a wedding ... and every little detail fell flawlessly into place. I loved working with Ashley and Brandon because they were both SO laid back and cool about everything. We had SO much fun together! It was easy for Ashley to be laid back because she had an amazing team of vendors to help pull off her day without one snag. She has written a review for each of them and Ive pasted them throughout this blog post with corresponding photos.

She has also written a little bit about how she and Brandon met:

Brandon and I met in my sophomore year of college. I was playing college basketball, and he had been to watch several games. He showed interest in me, but at the time dating was the furthest thing from my mind. After talking on and off, I finally went on a date with him, and I knew from that first date that there was something special about Brandon. Not to mention that I thought he was the hottest man on earth!! Three months later Brandon left for the police academy in Nashville, and it was then that our relationship really grew. We soon fell in love, and now two and a half years later, here we are!

Venue: Sampson's Hollow,Walland, TN
I can't even begin to describe how much I love Sampson's Hollow! Brandon and I both wanted an outdoor wedding and we had our rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception there. Janice Livingston and her staff are wonderful, and they go above and beyond to make sure your day goes as planned. Our wedding festivities could not have been more perfect!

The Dress: A Joyous Occasion
Joyce and her staff are wonderful!! They go above and beyond to make sure you are ready for your big day. And, they were so much fun to work with!

You know I love a little lucky charm! One of the bridesmaids found this four-leaf clover and gave it to Ashley. Sweet!

Brandon and Ashley chose to see each other before the ceremony. They had their first look in Sarah's Glen ... which is a beautiful spot but on that day at that time was filled with gnats! Annoying, yes ... but check out how cool they made the photo look. Yeah, thats a bunch of bugs!

Florist: Lisa Foster Design
I love Lisa Foster!! Choosing a florist was difficult for me because it was something I had waited until the last month to do. Once, I finally met Lisa Foster and her staff, choosing my flowers was the easiest decision I made. I put full trust in them and knew without a doubt that everything would be beautiful. They are wonderful, and I couldn't have been more pleased. Thank you Lisa Foster!

I LOVE to photograph old barns. The old smoke house at Sampson's Hollow is my favorite spot on the whole property for portraits. There are so many awesome things you can do ...

This was my perspective:

And this was Lauren's shot (love it!)

My favorite of the day:

Wedding Day Coordinator: Lesley Livingston
Lesley is very organized and did a wonderful job making sure everyone knew where they were supposed to be. She coordinated our rehearsal and ceremony and made sure that everything went smoothly. She was great to work with and always assured me that everything would go as planned. Thank you Lesley for all your hard work!

Vocalist: Leah Frazier and J.T Tallent
Leah is a very good friend and former teammate of mine, and we were so thankful to meet J.T and for him to join her. Brandon and I chose several songs for the ceremony and each of them sounded perfect!

Officiant: Mitch Webster
Mitch is a very close friend of Brandon and I and we were so honored to have him conduct our ceremony. He has been a big inspiration to both of us!

The Proposal:

Summer of 2008 Brandon and I planned a trip to Destin, Florida. Our first night out after dinner he took me to the Destin pier. We watched the sunset, and Brandon began talking about how much he loved me and then popped the question! I was so shocked and excited, and remember my hand shaking so bad that I thought he may drop the ring off the pier into the ocean. Needless to say, the moment was perfect and I couldn't wait to marry my best friend!

Salon: Looks By Libble and Co.
Tammy Phillips and Traci Farmer did a wonderful job with all the girls' hair and makeup!

Cake: Sandra Hipshire
Sandra is a friend of my mom's and an incredible woman with a phenomenal talent. We really enjoyed working with her, and designing our cakes. Brandon especially enjoyed his football cake.

Caterer: Oliver's Catering Company
I can't even begin to express how wonderful Oliver's Catering Company is. Larry Garner and his staff are a pleasure to work with. Their food is amazing, and they made exactly what we asked for!

DJ: KIMZ20Entertainment
Branden Kimsey was so fun to work with! I left choosing the DJ up to Brandon and he could not have done a better job. I called Branden almost everyday of the last month leading up to our wedding day to tell him new song ideas I had. Even though I know I was probably driving him crazy, he was so funny and always assured me that everything would be perfect. He definitely was the life of the reception, and had people up dancing that I never thought I would see dance!

Photography: Julie Roberts
I feel so blessed to know Julie and to have had her photograph our wedding. I met with Julie about 8 months before our wedding and knew right away she was the one I wanted to photograph our wedding. Julie is so fun to work with and without a doubt the best!!! Her passion for what she does is so evident, and that's what makes her so special. Much love and thank you Julie!!

George and Maria are engaged!!!

I can not begin to tell you how excited I am about these photos!!!

George is a good friend of mine who goes all the way back to grade school. When I discovered he was engaged I was SO excited ... and a little discouraged because he and Maria live in Salt Lake City, Utah. How in the world would it ever work out?!

Well ... of course it did work out! These two will be getting married next summer at the Shirley Family Farm in Pigeon Forge, TN. They were in town for a quick visit a few weeks ago and thankfully we were able to get together on the farm and do a few engagement photos. Actually it was more like a million. Who's counting?

I was speechless when George drove me to the top of the ridge where the ceremony will be held. The view is breath taking. On this particular ridge is a grape vineyard.

George and Maria are SO LOVELY to photograph!

All of their interactions are completely natural! I had to give them so little direction. They are so good looking and SO good at being in love.
Every single photo from the day is my favorite one. All of them!
Especially this one:

At the base of the farm are the black berries. Millions and millions of huge sweet blackberries. Also known as Heaven.

My favorite thing about doing photos on a farm is that there are always interesting equipment and vehicles. I don't know why I love dirty old cars but I do.

favorite:

So just to get a little contrast in there ... we thought we'd do a few images in downtown Knoxville.

I LOVED Maria's red shoes ...

Eliza Mae is a year old!

I seriously can't believe this girl has been on the earth for a year!
Time is just flying by!

Eliza Mae is growing and learning and becoming so expressive.
She is a beautiful girl.

I have been in the mood to try some new things lately and I have had Alpacas on my mind. Please don't ask me why. I just think they are fantastic. So I suggested to the Booth family that we do Eliza's one year session at an Alpaca farm. Most people would laugh and say "of course not!" But the Booths ... they are just awesome and they trust me and I LOVE them for it.

Seriously I love it when my clients trust me. It means everything.

So a good friend of mine gave me the name of Keith and Jannette Cox who own Alpacas of the Smokies - a farm in Sevierville, TN. (Thanks Kim!) Keith and Jannette didn't really understand my alpaca obsession either ... but they kindly obliged us and let us visit their farm for some photos.

Ok ... so maybe I am a little crazy about Alpacas ... but seriously ... how can you not love these adorable things ...

Eliza loves alpacas too. She is the one who understands me the most.

(just so you know, I had almost the exact same expression when I saw them!)

The Booth Family:

Jessica and Tim ... after the wedding ... and with a horse!

How long have I been saying I wanted to photograph a bride on a horse?

Forever!
And I finally got my chance with Jessica ... and her horse Cody.

Jessica and Tim were married back in July. This was the wedding that I did not actually photograph - but Lauren and Rachel (my awesome assistants) did an amazing job with this home-made wedding on Jessica and Tim's beautiful farm.

It was all so perfect and I felt left out! So I joined Jessica and Tim a month or so after their wedding to do some photos with the two of them and their sweet boy Cody. You wouldn't believe what a personality that horse has! I was in love!

Ashley & Deric are ENGAGED!!

This adorable couple is getting married next summer. I LOVED doing their engagement photos because they were so natural and fun.

My favorites from the day:

The Ferree Family - Broedy is 3 months old!

I photographed Cheyenne and Jonny's wedding back in 2007 ... they are now a growing family with baby Broedy who is over 3 months! Aren't they a beautiful family?