Showing posts with label Wedding. Show all posts

When we docked back in Knoxville, Andrea did a change of clothes before heading out to the limo that was waiting for them...

Today I want to share some more photos from the Yacht wedding of Andrea and Aaron!

 Andrea and her girls had a great time hamming it up for some casual photos!

Ceremony on Yacht

This was so cute...they actually let the bride steer the boat!  What a neat experience and cute photo op! (www.volunteerprincess.com)

Today I have a continuation of some of the portaits we did of Andrea and Aaron prior to their ceremony and reception on the Volunteer Princess Yacht in Downtown Knoxville.  We started out at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville which is where the bride got ready and all the guests stayed. 

This was in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville.  They have a beautiful lobby and grand staircase and the staff was very cooperative about letting us utilize this space.

Last year I got to go to Knoxville to photograph the wedding of a sweet, dear friend of mine.  I saw her grow up...literally.  When I was in college I bought the house next door to Andrea and her family.  Her mom and I became great friends (Andrea, too, now that she is all grown up).  I was so happy for her when she found THE ONE and honored when she asked me if I would photograph her wedding for her!  I am starting a 4 part series today of the coverage of her wedding so here we go...

Before the wedding, we met up at the hotel for her getting ready photos.  Believe it or not, Andrea is as beautiful a person on the inside as the outside.  I was so glad to be able to share in this special day with her. 

Mother of the bride helping bride with gown.

Bride with father while getting ready.



Mother of the bride helping with her veil.

After Andrea was ready, she and Aaron decided to meet before the ceremony to do some photos.  Their actual wedding and reception was on a yacht called the Volunteer Princess which cruises the downtown Knoxville Riverfront.  It was really a neat experience for all their guests!  However, because of the limited time to do photos on the boat and the presence of all their guests, we met up at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville where Andrea was getting ready and all of us were staying and did some family photos and photos of the bride and groom at the hotel and around the downtown Knoxville area within walking distance from the hotel.  I always recommend pre-ceremony photos to couples if they aren't opposed to seeing each other before the wedding.  This allows extra time for photos but also sometimes calms nervous jitters.  Of course, I understand and respect that some couples want to keep the tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding (that is what I did, actually), but "First Looks" seem to be getting more and more popular! 

Here is one of the photos we did on the grand staircase at the hotel.    More to follow in coming days...

Blast from the past...a few years ago I worked Tia and Adam's wedding at Scarritt Bennett's GORGEOUS Wightman Chapel with a reception following at University Club of Nashville.  Scarritt Bennett's Wightman Chapel is stunning...really if you haven't seen it, you should check it out.  I am a sucker for architecture and historic buildings and the Gothic architecture of Wightman Chapel is one of my favorite types!  Here is some information for you straight off of the Scarritt Bennett website:

For more details, check it out here:  http://www.scarrittbennett.org/weddings/default.aspx

The bride and groom put a lot of thought into decor at their reception.  The table numbers were different pictures of the couple...so sweet!





The BEAUTIFUL cake was made by none other than Dulce Desserts!  Brides, if you have not checked out Dulce Desserts, they are a MUST TRY!  I attend A LOT of weddings (as a photographer) and although I am always offered wedding cake, I almost never partake...not that I am so uber healthy that I won't touch cake.  Don't get me wrong, I love some dessert, especially all things chocolate, but honestly I prefer cookies, brownies, pie, almost anything really to cake.  It just isn't my thing so I don't bother with it.  However, if you hire me to photograph your wedding and you have a Dulce cake, you better save me a piece!  Juanita Lane, the owner of Dulce is super sweet and helpful.  I highly recommend you make an appointment to meet with Dulce at their retail location in mid-town Nashville!  There are lots of pretty wedding cakes being made in Nashville, but not all of them taste fabulous and Dulce cakes taste FABULOUS!







Yum...now I am hungry for some Dulce cake!  In my next posting, I'll share some aspects of the super fun reception!  Make it a fabulous day!

The larger tables had the hydrangeas and succulents and candles (all of which I love) in these gorgeous wooden boxes.  I loved the rustic of the wooden boxes and the simplicity of the clear glass.  I have aways remembered those wooden boxes because I remember thinking that I needed to make some planters like that for my house (this wedding was about 4 years ago and I still haven't made any planters, but I swear I have good intentions about making them)!





Until next time, friends...have a fabulous day!

I thought I would take a minute to share a little bit about something new (well not so new to those of us in the wedding industry because they have been around for a while, but some of you newly engaged out there may not be aware of them)...it is the Engagement and Bridal Photo Guest Book!

This is a professionally printed guest book with images from your Engagement and/or Bridal Sessions which has spots set aside in it for your wedding guests to sign in or even write you a message on your wedding day...I think they are so cute!  Even though they do end up costing more than your average store bought guest book, this guest book really does become a keepsake because instead of just having a roll call of who attended your wedding, you also have a book of professional prints of the best of the best images from your enagagement and bridal sessions...so in other words this is a guest book you will actually be able to locate and really will flip through fondly years from now.

Here are just a couple of sample pages from a recent design I worked on...check it out and let me know what you think!


This is an example of the front and back cover...

I love hearing how people got engaged.  It is always nice to hear a funny or romantic story, but I REALLY love it when you hear about a proposal that took some thought, planning, and originality.  I found this posted online today (well actually a friend of mine sent me a link to it so I won't take the credit for finding it)...I thought it was great and I think it definitely qualifies for having taken some thought, planning, and originality :)

Enjoy:

http://youtu.be/hya9xxn7CA0

And again I will leave you with a little bit of eye candy now...did I mention that I have a thing for shoes?

I am just getting ready to go photograph a wedding at Cragfont Mansion.  I am so excited for Lindsay and Sean.  I met them the first time back in March and they are so completely adorable, I cannot wait to see her dress and share some fab-u-lous photos with you!  I am especially excited because I have never done an event at Cragfont Mansion so this will be a new experience for me and I cannot wait to see the place looking great!

Until I can share details of Lindsay and Sean's wedding with you, I am starting a series of 3 posts today that hold 15 Questions to ask when interviewing a Photographer: PART 1 (1st 5 Questions)...


Of course we all know that you will peruse about a MILLION different websites looking for a photographer with a style you like, but what should you really ask a photographer once you meet them in person or chat by phone to help you make a decision? There are lots of great photographers around the area, so make sure you ask the right questions to help you choose... here is a list that I think you should consider before booking someone (and also how we would answer). 

1. Do you have my date available?

If not and you are not interested in changing your date, you can cut your conversation short right here. Remember a lot of wedding dates fill up quickly so try not to wait until the last minute to book your photographer.

2. Are you the photographer who will shoot my wedding?

Brides are often surprised to find out that the photographer that they spent so much time picking out and screening is often not the photograher who shows up to their wedding. Many photographers get booked quickly and farm out some of their weddings to other trusted photographers while taking a cut of the fee. While these other photographers may still do a great job, I personally feel that this practice is one of "bait and switch" and we do not do this at By Heart and Hand. I think it is fine as long as everyone is up front about who will be shooting the wedding and obviously if it is not the person you are talking to, you really should (in my opinon) speak to the photographer who will be assigned to shoot your wedding.

3. How would you describe your photography style?

It helps here if the bride actually has an idea about the different styles of photography, what they mean, and what she likes. I suggest a little research to decide what you like and look for someone who utilizes your style. You want to know whether you would like a Traditional or Classic style of mostly portraits for display in albums, a Photojournalistic style (less formal and posed with little direction from the photographer and a more natural look - more of a documentation of the events that occur), or a blend of the two. Additionally, some photographers have more a of a High Fashion look to their photography (artsy and glamourous) while some favor a more natural look or even call themselves completely Natural Light Photographers. It is important to know what look you like and will feel comfortable with as well as what style the photographer you are considering is capable of executing to. At By Heart and Hand for example, we consider ourselves to be a blend between traditional and photojournalistic styles. We mostly cover events at the wedding in a photojournalistic style...trying to document all the highlights of the events. However, we almost always have some more traditional, posed photos of your bridal party and families thrown in for good measure. Additionally, we will use "down time" at the wedding to try to capture portraits of some of your guests and, of course, the bride and groom! We do a lot of wedding outside where we like to utilize "natural light" for the flattering and ...well...natural look it gives, but we also have a set up of studio lights can bring along for select pictures or engagment or bridal portraits.

4. What type of equipment do you use?

You will get a sense of the photographer's knowledge and experience by what equipment they choose to use. We shoot digital at By Heart and Hand but the one bad thing about the advent of digital equipment and accessibility of it is the fact that there are several consumer lines of pretty good quality digital equipment available. With that, there has been an explosion of "moms with cameras" who are now calling themselves photographers. While your Aunt Sue may do a really great job taking pictures, you have to ask yourself whether you trust someone with little or no formal training and a consumer grade camera with a kit lens to capture your wedding. Professional cameras and lenses are heavy and expensive which is why they are only purchased and toted around by professionals who need to capture extremely high quality, high resolution images...the ones you will want to blow up in to canvases and other pieces of art for your new home together! They also require knowledge on how to operate them correctly. You can easily screen out the not so professional photographers many times by asking them what equipment they use. If the person you are interviewing has not made the investment in professional equipment for use their business, you may very well end up with a less than professional finished result.

5. Do you use an assistant if you are the only photographer I hire? Does this cost me any extra (especially important if you have a tight timeframe)?

We at By Heart and Hand will sometimes use an assistant so even if you don't book a second photographer, someone else will often be along to help tote equipment, coordinate people for formal photos, etc. As I said, this is especially important if you have a tight time schedule in which to complete your formal photos before other events take place. Partially whether or not an assistant comes along is dependent on the size, scope, and budget of your wedding. If you are having a large wedding (more than 80 or 100 people) and you do not get a 2nd shooter, I believe an assistant can be very valuable. You can discuss this with the photographer you are interviewing for yourself and decide whether it is something you really need, but either way, it is something you should definitely consider.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the next 5 questions coming very soon.  In the meantime if you need any additional information, you can e-mail us at info@byheartandhand.com  or find us on facebook to keep in touch!

Now because I wouldn't dare want to post without posting some eye candy for you, enjoy: