This wedding. This wedding is exactly the reason I love photographing weddings. There were beautiful details, but most importantly Maeghan and Isaac's love is so pure and sweet. It was lovely getting to watch them together on their day. Maeghan, Isaac, and I all went to high school together. Maeghan and I even sang in choir together! I love getting to work with couples that I've known a long time! 

Maeghan and her bridesmaids got ready at the reception venue, Venue 912. After hair and makeup was complete, the girls dressed and headed outside for pictures. Because we live in Tennessee, it was 65 degrees in the middle of December (despite it being in the 30s and 40s in the days prior). Thankfully that made outside pictures, which is what Maeghan really wanted, much more pleasant. The sky threatened rain most of the day, but it kept holding off. We were so grateful. Isaac and his groomsmen showed up at the venue for their pictures as well. After that we headed to Maeghan's home church for the ceremony. The ceremony was sweet and sentimental; Maeghan's parents were also married there, and the pastor that married Maeghan and Isaac married her parents too.

Following the ceremony, a limo picked up the new Mr & Mrs and took them back to Venue 912. The reception featured a dessert bar lined with every kind of sweet treat you could think of! Pies, parfaits, peanut brittle. Oreo balls and a chocolate fountain. A hot chocolate bar with toppings and flavorings to add. And then there was cake! Which was one of the most unique and beautiful wedding cakes I've ever seen. It looked like marble and was adorned with flowers. Speaking of, Maeghan and her mom made all of the bouquets and arrangements. Coming from a family of florists, Maeghan knew exactly what she wanted and crafted some of the most beautiful bouquets I've ever photographed. I was in love with the floral details! After visiting with guests, the couple danced to I Can't Help Falling In Love sung by Haley Reinhart (I love that version!). Their first dance was just as sweet as they are. Family and friends sent off Maeghan and Isaac with sparklers at the end of the night. The day was fun and beautiful and went down without a hitch. I would photograph this wedding a hundred times over. It was just so special to get to be a part of it.

Maeghan and Isaac, I am so thankful you trusted me to photograph your wedding. I hope you love this preview of pictures!  

Earlier in the summer, Jen sent me a message saying that she and her sister Jamie wanted pictures made of the two of them and their kids. I absolutely loved this idea! Jen and Jamie are so close and raise their kids like siblings. This made for some pretty special pictures that really show the bond they all have! They have some cute kiddos, and I loved getting to photograph them. I hope these pictures are always special to y'all! 

Sweet kisses for "Bubba Rhett"- which all of them call him! 

Oh, that little tongue sticking out! Too cute! 

I just love this shot. 

Thank you to these sweet families for letting photograph you! 

I love when I've got a vision for a shoot, and my clients just roll with it! Meet Christy and Juan. Christy and I went to high school together. We became good friends in our senior year math class, and then we both came to Austin Peay. Freshman year of college, Christy, Leah (another high school friend and Christy's roommate), McKenzie (my roommate) and I would go out for ice cream dates or get together to watch the wedding episodes of 19 Kids and Counting. However, we all changed our living arrangements for our 2nd year of college, and we didn't get to frequent Chick-fil-A quite as often. 

Christy was currently dating Juan, a guy she'd met on a mission trip to Ecuador. This sparked some Spanish language love in Christy, and she hung out in the Hispanic Cultural Center (where I work my scholarship hours). Soon after I found out that Juan was coming to stay in America and study at Austin Peay. Fast forward a year or so, and Juan and Christy are married! AND they just had their precious baby girl Madelynn! Weddings and babies are my favorite things! ;) Anyways, when I found out Christy was pregnant, I knew I wanted to do maternity pictures with her! We kept having to reschedule due to weather, but we finally were able to take these photos. Christy and Juan have such a deep love for each other and their baby girl. Madelynn should be coming home from the hospital soon, and I'm hoping she's going to make a guest appearance in front of my camera! ;) 

Juan and Christy, you two are precious souls. Thank you for letting me document this exciting time in your lives!

Also, I was really proud of this DIY flower crown made of real flowers! First one I've ever made! ;) 

This wedding... I hardly know the words to write. It was just lovely. From the horses to the thrifted dessert china, every detail of the Frank Wedding was special and unique. It was such an honor to get to be a part of this event.

Hayley and I were in the band together in high school. She was such a beam of sunshine, always energetic, always funny, and always caring and kind. I looked up to her, and I thought even more of her after we joined the after-school percussion ensemble together. We parted ways when she graduated, but we both ended up at Austin Peay. Hayley's bridesmaid Neely, of Neely Lawson Photography, told Hayley that she should hire me to shoot her wedding. And the rest is pretty much history!

I've loved getting to work Hayley and David over the last few months. David is madly in love with Hayley (and vice versa), and it's plain to see. Couples who are so in love make my job easy and so fun. It's a breeze to photograph love when its just always there. 

The wedding day was full of wonderful people who cared so much about the wedding and all of the vendors. Hayley's mom, Nurse Mary (aka the band nurse), made sure that Carly and I were included, taken care of, and well fed. Nurse Mary told us specifically that we weren't hired help; we were friends. So we ate the meal at the same time as everyone else, and that was such a special thing to us! I also can't speak highly enough of Cactus Creek, the wedding venue. The owners, Ken and Connie, were incredibly sweet to me as well as the bridal party and family. Connie offered to drive us anywhere on the property we wanted to go to take pictures. She brought us carrots and helped the horses visit the bridal suite (pictures of that below!). I was blown away by how much Ken and Connie cared about everyone on their property. Those are the kinds of people who are wonderful to work for.

And now for some pictures of the Sunday brunch event...

The bridal suite window opens to the horses' stall, and Hayley got to feed some beautiful horses!

This necklace was Hayley's great, great, great grandmother's. One of the coolest heirlooms I've seen at a wedding! (I can't imagine being able to keep up with a piece of jewelry that long..) 

Hayley's maids were incredible. They were so supporting and loving..

A goooorgeous bride! 

I'm still not over this bouquet. Christie, owner of The Farmer's Florist, grows most of her flowers herself, and the quality is just beyond imagine. 

I loved these sweet favors! (pun intended)

David looked sharp. Navy suits may always be my favorite.

Hayley's dad hadn't so much as seen her dress. It was a total surprise, and their "first look" would move anyone to tears.

Hayley and David spent a minute together before the ceremony to pray. 

Watching Mr. Jack walk Hayley down the aisle was a moment I may never forget. Everyone was crying.

And.... THEY'RE MARRIED!

The barn was set up for the most beautiful reception! More of Christie's perfect floral arrangements atop navy table cloths tied it all together. 

Hayley and David purposefully kept away from the reception site all day. They wanted to be surprised when they saw it all put together for the first time.. They were pretty blown away!

I refuse to apologize for the amount of food pictures in this post. I could write sonnets about the biscuits. House Blend really knocked this Sunday brunch theme out of the park! There were biscuits with assorted butters and spreads, bacon and tomato crostini...

fruit salad, candied bacon (!), and quiche.. 

a gorgeous dessert table with cake, petit fours, cookies, cupcakes...

Whether you're 2 or 22, girls still judge a dress by how well it spins... 

Their first dance was to "Can't Take my Eyes off You" by Frankie Valli, and it was perfection. They started sweet and slow then kicked the dancing up a notch! 

I LOVE YOU BABY AND IF ITS QUITE ALRIGHT, I NEED YOU BABY TO WARM THE LONELY NIGHTS

The sweetest father daughter dance..

Hayley and David's other song is "Brown Eyed Girl", and they were getting it! 

The guests were grooving too.. Sha la la la la la la la la la ti da! 

Then we took some bride + groom photos.

Connie let us in the field with the horses. Alfalfa was only 1 week old, but he was able to make a guest appearance in some photos as well! 

There are actually cactus that grow on the farm, hence the name Cactus Creek. I wanted a shot that featured a little bit of that beautiful cactus! 

Hugs and goodbyes..

...and then the Franks were honeymoon bound! 

I'll say it again. I'm so grateful to have worked with Hayley and David. I think that this Sunday brunch wedding was everything they could've hoped for! 


Vendors-
Venue: Cactus Creek Barn
Dress: David's Bridal
Hair and Makeup: Kaitlin Roe
​Flowers: The Farmer's Florist
​Catering: House Blend
Cake and Dessert Table: Sweet 'n Sassy Bakery of Nashville 
​Music: Mike Bromley
​Favors: Wedding Favors Market
​Photography: Briana Owen Photography

2 weeks before Hayley became a Mrs. we photographed her bridal session! I get a lot of questions from brides asking what a bridal session is and why they should book one. A bridal session is a photoshoot with just the bride. She gets to wear her dress, accessories, etc and have her hair and makeup done. This works as a PERFECT trial run for hair and makeup. You get to see the whole ensemble before the day of the wedding so that you know it will all look exactly as you've dreamed. Another great reason to book a bridal session? It's just fun! The wedding day is amazing, but it tends to be busy, a wee bit stressful, and a tiny bit chaotic (or so it can be!). You've put a lot into making sure you look perfect, so having plenty of pictures documenting that is always important. Of course you'll have some bridal portraits taken on the day of your wedding, but having a couple of hours with no wedding timeline is stress free. It's all about celebrating how beautiful you are, how incredible the wedding is going to be, and how excited you are to be getting married!

Bridal sessions also allow you to have a variety of locations in gallery of bridal portraits. These of Hayley were taken at her parents' house. The first set of images were taken in her room. Now she's all married and living with her husband and stuff ;) so those pictures are taken in such a special location. 
 
One last bonus? You can be totally yourself. The last shots were taken with the fridge to document Hayley as a self-proclaimed foodie. You can't go wrong with some French Onion dip during your bridal session! ;) 

Hayley, you are so fun and full of love and light. Thanks for being a BOP bride. You always keep me laughing! 

I think it shows how much you're loved when you've got all your friends and family together at your wedding. I think it REALLY shows how much you're loved when your friends and family come to your outdoor wedding in the middle of a Tennessee summer and it's about 96 degrees. The heat didn't matter. Emily and Aaron are two people who make you feel special. They make you feel important. And it showed when their guests filled the hay bell seats in front of the arbor. 

Aaron, who previously told me he wouldn't cry when Emily walked down the aisle, was so anxious and excited when the ceremony began. As the minutes ticked by, Aaron was pacing in his spot in front of the arbor. The energy was palpable. This man was incapable of waiting another day, another hour, another minute to see his bride. Emily was driven in a horse drawn wagon to the field, and met her dad. The two walked down the aisle to Aaron. Once Emily and Aaron were hand in hand, you could tell Aaron had relaxed. They promised forever to each other in front of their guests, and then celebrated with cake and dancing. When the reception was wrapping up, Emily got her horse Princess out of the fenced in area. Emily climbed up, wedding dress and all, and rode Princess around the field. This is the only way to end your wedding, true cowgirl style! 

Aaron and Emily's wedding was fun and laid back, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. Emily and I have known each other since elementary school. To get to tell her love story was such a special thing. Emily and Aaron, I wish you the very happiest ever after! xoxo

When Halla's mom Mary messaged me months ago asking me to take Halla's senior pictures, I was over the moon! Halla is the sister (and sis in law) of my clients Travis and Casey, and I actually photographed their whole family last fall. Halla is beautiful and ridiculously photogenic, but more importantly she is so sweet and kind. Her smile is electric, and she has a heart of gold. Halla is on her high school wrestling team, and I think it's safe to say she's pretty at it. ;) She is feminine and also incredibly strong and athletic. I think she sends a powerful message to girls everywhere. You can be both. You can be strong and a wrestler AND girly and beautiful. There are no limits as to what girls can do. And with that little bit of girl power preaching, here's her pictures! :) 

I mean seriously.. STUNNING!

I think this set might be my favorite.. I LOVE these! 

Just a few of her medals.

Halla, you keep working hard. You're going to succeed in ways you've never dreamed! Thank you for letting me be help tell the story of your senior year! 

Jewel toned skies reflected in the emerald waters as the white foam crashed against the pier and the sandy shore.... Sorry. I'm just day dreaming while reliving how perfect this session was. 

I had a family trip to Gulf Shores planned the second week of June. I put it out into social media-land that I would be available for beach pictures if anyone else happened to be there that week. Jordan commented on my post saying how disappointed she was that we were going the week before she and her family got there. Funnily enough, I actually had planned a small 4 day trip with Savannah for that next week. And we were going back to Gulf Shores. SO I got back with Jordan to tell her that I'd actually be at the beach during her vacation too. I think this shoot was just SUPPOSED to happen. 

Savannah (volunteer assistant) and I met up with these sweet friends of ours at the pier around sunset. We made it down to the water and claimed our territory (so many family photoshoots happen on the beach every night!).. This shoot was easy and fun, and when the boys had reached their picture taking limit, I stole Jordan away for these magical maternity pictures. Jordan isn't due until September, but how often do you get to be pregnant while at the beach and while you're already taking family pictures?! Obviously we grabbed at that opportunity, and I'm so thankful we did because God created a beautiful scene for us. The sky was painted with periwinkle and peach hues, and I was already dreaming of the prints and canvases that could fill Baby's room... Sometimes you know you're capturing magic right then and there, and this was totally one of those shoots. Thank you, Jordan and Jenny for booking these pictures with me! I'm so grateful I got to be a part of it!

Oh, Max. You're a stinker, but that grin... Agh. My heart. 

We all sit together at church. My mom, who grew up with all brothers but had only daughters, has a bit of a soft spot for sweet boys like Jack and Max. She usually refers to them as "my boys" and uses them as an excuse to buy Star Wars themed Valentine's candy. Mom couldn't get over how grown they look, particularly Jack, in these pictures. I know mom. Just keep buying the Star Wars treats. We'll have a new baby to spoil soon! 

Junior High sweet hearts.. and it looks like things are as sweet as ever. 

Jordan told me that she had a picture of Jack kissing her belly when she was pregnant with Max. Max has been asking for a while when he would get his picture kissing momma's belly! Here you go, Bud. 

There are clients who make you jump up and down and do a happy dance when you get to photograph them. The Burns family is one of them! David and Amanda are both long time friends, and that always makes for a fun session. Amanda told me that she and David hadn't had pictures made of just the two of them since their wedding nearly 7 years ago. So we fixed that problem right up! They've been together, though, for 10 years and needed pictures to celebrate that too. This family makes my job so easy. I'm so glad I got to work with David, Amanda, and Tinley (and Peach the Rabbit)! 

There's nothing like a little momma loving...

Tinley and her daddy melt my heart.. 

I crack up at this one every time I see it! Nothing like a good photobomb.

These friends are just so precious! 

Katelyn and Morgan. When I think about their day, I get a little teary. Dating since Katelyn was 14, these two were truly made for each other. When Katelyn walked down the aisle, Morgan cried. You could feel the anticipation of six and a half years. Finally, they were one short walk-down-the-aisle away from being husband and wife. Something they'd been waiting for for so long. 

Katelyn was calm and cheerful all day. She radiated grace and elegance the moment she stepped into her gown. One little flower girl was having a bit of an afternoon breakdown, but Katelyn took the time to talk to her, hug her, love her, and fix it. She was gracious and patient with everyone she saw that day. Katelyn was a dream bride because she had her eyes fixed on meeting Morgan at the end of the aisle. 

Morgan exuded joy and excitement from the moment he arrived on the farm. He hugged all the guests and loved on the flower girls and ring bearers. It is easy to see how Katelyn and Morgan have been together for so long. They embody the very spirit of 1 Corinthians 13. They are both patient and kind, neither arrogant nor rude, and so on. I think that they're set up for the best of marriages because of this. 

Before the ceremony, the sky began to darken. Everyone looked at the rain clouds wondering if it would dampen the event. But, in the way that the sky seems so often to do on a wedding day, it cleared. Not a rain drop fell. During the reception, the sun shone and lit up the party. Katelyn and Morgan ate cake, danced, tossed the bouquet and garter, and celebrated their brand new marriage with all of their family and friends. It was an honor to be a part of a day full with love and joy. Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Murphy for letting me tell your love story! 

xoxo
Briana

Vendors-
Photography: Briana Owen Photography, 2nd shooter: Brooke Danielle Photography
Videography: Porch Swing Films
​Wedding Planners: Gary and Klista Storts of Two Monkeys Vintage
Dress: David's Bridal
​Florist: Petals on the Bluff
Hair: Christa Stone at Length's Salon
Makeup: Kayla Osborne
​Cake: Kayla Stephens