It's really great having a best friend who you can plan shoots with. Carly shot my prom pictures, and I told her I'd do some fun boho pics of her in exchange. She found a perfect location, and we shot the next night. So easy to pull together shoots like this with 2 creative minds. It was such a good shoot just for *me* and I'm so in love with the shots we got!
0 Comments
I shot an engagement sesh with Josiah and Danielle back in April, and I just never got around to blogging it. You know, awards nights and graduation, senior trip, family vacation. It's been pretty busy since April! Their wedding is coming up in about 2 weeks, so I wanted to get them a little blog post up before the wedding. Josiah's family has been friends with my family for a long time because of church connections. I can even remember his family visiting with our church when I was really young, I always thought he was the coolest guy because he'd play with me after worship. :) Flash forward 14 or 15 years, and Josiah sent me an email about photographing his proposal to his girlfriend. I wasn't able to shoot the proposal, but we discussed shooting engagements, and then he and Danielle decided to book me for their wedding too! I was over the moon! Typically the bride to be is the one who books the photographer, so for Danielle to trust Josiah's judgment about me shooting one of the most important days of their lives meant so much to me. Josiah, Danielle, and I met in downtown Franklin to shoot their engagements. We started shooting at the Starbucks because of their adorable love story. Complete strangers, Josiah came up to Danielle in this Starbucks as she was reading a book. He asked what she was reading, and the rest is history! *Insert the song "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg ;) * We made our way down the streets and found so many neat places to tucked away to shoot in. I had an absolute blast and couldn't stop shooting. We only stopped once the sun was gone, or we probably could have shot for hours more! I cannot wait for their wedding. I know it's going to be SO incredible! Have I mentioned how much I love my job lately? Well, I do. Photographing love is such a unique and extraordinary experience that not everyone is blessed with. I am so in love with what I do. "I've been waiting to smile, been holding it in for a while. Take it with me if I can, been dreaming of this since a child. I'm on top of the world." -Imagine Dragons
On the drive home from "the lake", our home away from home on the Tennessee River, sister mentioned the inevitable reality check once you've arrived back home. "At the lake, you're in a bubble with your family away from the hustle and bustle and schedules of real life. You get home, and it's back to being busy and running all over the place all the time."
She nailed it. In a world where wifi and fast food restaurants don't exist, the lake is our haven away from reality. Where the smell of lake water welcomes and encourages you after the twisty roads. Where the sun melts across your face while you read The Fault in Our Stars on the front porch with your feet kicked up. Where you laugh out loud while tubing because you've been repeatedly assaulted by the water's splashes. Where you eat every meal and spend every moment together with your whole family and you thank God for the blessing that that is. Where you make memories in the house, or the boat, or the golf cart that'll light up a smile on your face any time you think back on those sweet times. Of course it's always nice to come home, especially for a homebody like me, but thankfully the magic of a place that lacks a dose of reality is just a drive away. I had such a great time shooting Brittany and Kevin's wedding! I met Brittany about 2 and a half years ago because she was a bridesmaid for Rachel, the bride of the first wedding of my very own! I remember her mentioning having me shoot her wedding whenever the time came, and 2 and a half years later, here we are!
Brittany and Kevin's wedding took place at the Five Star Retreat in Lyles, TN. Everything was so beautiful, from the flower arrangement and bouquets to the handmade arbor built by Brittany's dad which the ceremony took place in front of. Every detail was so perfect. The newlyweds celebrated and then left with a sparkler grand exit. I'm so happy for you two, and I wish you the best! Thank you so much for having me shoot your special day! Be sure to check out their slideshow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR36-xaFX40 The clouds covered the sky Saturday morning as Carly and I drove to Columbia. Eager and excited, we arrived at Greymere church of Christ as Ashlyn was having her makeup done. Ashlyn's parents married at Greymere 25 years ago, and Ashlyn and her bridesmaids dressed in the same classroom that her mom dressed for her wedding. Her lace and tulle gown was stunning, and from the moment Ashlyn slipped on the dress, she beamed all day. Clay and his groomsmen dressed in the library, a small room with character that spoke from the shelves filled with books. The whole bridal party laughed and joked all day, and there was a pure sense of joy among them all. Clay and Ashlyn saw each for the first time in the auditorium where they'd say their vows a few hours later. The stage was covered in Christmas trees and candles. The family and bridal party walked down the aisle to Christmas songs, and Ashlyn made her way down the aisle with the instrumental version of The Polar Express song, "Believe." Clay and Ashlyn pledged their lives to each other, and were prompted to kiss as husband and wife when Ashlyn's brother pulled out the mistletoe! Clay and Ashlyn smashed the cake in each other's face, and later the groomsmen went to "decorate" Clay's car for their getaway. Friends and family threw snow glitter at Clay and Ashlyn to wish them well as they drove off to begin their lives together.
I have had so much fun working with Clay and Ashlyn over the past couple of years. I took pictures of them for Ashlyn's birthday before they were even engaged! They wanted me to shoot their wedding and engagements as well, so we've had a lot of fun together. I can't thank them enough for trusting me with the honor of capturing their memories from their wedding. I hope we get to work together lots in the future! I never know how to start out wedding blog posts because all I can think is "EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!!!"... Oh well, that's exactly how I'm going to start it. EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!!! Devin and Daniel's small intimate wedding could not have been any more gorgeous and perfect. The two were married in Devin's parents' house. In the living room. In front of the fireplace. With candles glowing in the background. Did I mention it was perfect? Surrounded by their closest friends and family, Devin and Daniel pledged their lives to each other and began the first day of their forever.
Despite the arctic temperature, the sun shone, and it was a beautiful November day to get married. Devin was absolutely stunning in her lace gown. The simplicity of the whole day left everyone at ease. Everything went down without a hitch, and after the ceremony, everyone loaded up and headed to Chapel Hill for Wednesday night Bible study. The reception followed Bible study, and all of Devin and Daniel's church family was there to celebrate. I think Devin was the first bride to book me for this round of weddings I've booked this year. I've known Devin my whole life, and I could not have been more excited to shoot her wedding! It's been so much fun getting to talk about the dress and the planning and all the fun wedding talk. I've absolutely loved getting to work with Devin and her whole family, and I cannot thank them enough for having me shoot this day for them! It's always an absolute honor to get to shoot a wedding, and I love getting to capture once-in-a-lifetime memories for some of the most wonderful people on this planet. Thank you so much Devin, Daniel, Ms. Lora, and Mr. Kevin for letting me take part in Dev and Dan's flawless day. Love you all so much! And now here's the pictures. :) XOXO Briana How can I even begin to tell you about this wedding? Well, first, this was my first wedding in 2 years. This was also my first wedding to work with my shooting partner, Carly. Megan found out about me through a mutual friend, Devin (whose wedding I'm shooting in November), and decided to check out my work. After seeing Devin's sister Kelsey's mock bridal shoot, she decided to book me. She took a leap of courage to book with me. She'll never really know just how much that leap meant to me. Now about 6 months after we first got talking to each other, I've shot their engagements, bridals, and wedding. I really consider Megan a great friend, and I'm going to miss our texts about the wedding and picture ideas and all the fun stuff! I never really imagined the depth of some of the friendships I've formed through weddings. I'm actually a little sad that it's all over because we probably won't talk as often. Well, I guess that just calls for coffee dates, Megan. :) Now onto the real wedding stuff! Megan and Kevin's day was so perfect. It truly was a beautiful day filled with so much emotion- love, excitement, gratefulness, joy. There were moments without dry eyes to be found. Megan and Kevin are so in love, and especially after witnessing their promises to each other, I know they're made for each other. It was such an honor to document their important day, and I hope that I did it justice. These amazing people deserve the very best adventures that life has to offer, and I wish it all to them. Happy forever, Megan and Kevin. XOXO
BOP This stylized session was an absolute blast to put together and shoot. Thank you so much, Allie and Patrick, for being so willing to model this story.
You booked your session with me, and you were super excited until the daunting task of picking outfits ran across your mind! It's not as hard as it may seem. And you don't even have to go out and buy a new wardrobe for every family member! Step 1: Consider your location. Outfits fit for a lush field at sunset aren't going to look right in an urban setting and vice versa. Typically urban outfits are going to be bolder colors, more blacks and reds, trendier selections pushing the box in the fashion world. When I think of nature locations, I still picture bright colors but with more earth tones or colors that go well with the greens, browns, yellows of fields and trees. Step 2: Picking the main outift. This is typically a dress or top worn by mom or a daughter. This dress/top is your color inspiration for the all the outfits. You probably want this to be a patterned piece with lots of colors. Florals pieces are always great and stylish. Make sure this is something you love wearing so you look confident as the focus of the outfit selections! Step 3: The coordinating outfits. You've just chosen a patterned, colorful outfit. Now, every other person should wear something in a color from the main outfit. You'll be tempted to choose solids for everyone else but fight the temptation! If you're wearing a navy dress with gold, coral, and red floral/designs DON'T just put one person in gold, one person in coral and one person in red. Use patterns that coordinate. Stripes and floral look great together! Have one person in a navy and white striped shirt. Have another in gold dress. Have the hubs in a lighter shade of blue, denim, or even plaid. Step 4: Tie it all together with your accessories! Have sister wear a navy sweater over her yellow dress (obviously weather permitting) and have brother rock some red shoes. Make sure you've got enough of each color in your outfit. Wear a yellow bracelet if you need more yellow for sister's dress to blend. Step 5: Try it all on days before the shoot. Make sure everyone is comfortable and happy! Step 6: Take a breather because you just planned rocking outfits for your session! Congrats! Example: I started here with mom's dress. It had lots of great color and pop. I knew I wanted brother's shirt to be navy and white striped and have him wear khaki shorts. I was looking for either an orange or coral dress for sister, but I found a coral one I loved first. Dad was the hardest to dress, but I felt like the gray shirt balanced so there wasn't too much navy/blue going on. I wanted mom to have cute shoes so I went with coral flats and everyone else got Tom's that basically went with someone else's colors. I gave sister a denim headband to bring a little blue to her outfit, and done! Mom would need to wear some jewelry of course, but nothing too over the top. Her dress is the statement piece!
See? Super easy to get gorgeous coordinating (BUT NOT "Let's all wear white shirts and khaki pants!") outfits that can really reflect each person's style! I hope this was helpful to someone trying to plan their session. Feel free to pin this tutorial on Pinterest or share it on Facebook! For more inspirational outfits follow my Photoshoot Clothing board on pinte Happy Styling! XOXO Briana This is one of the most amazing and most inspirational young women I know. Kendall has fought for her precious baby since day 1. She's overcome every trial and obstacle and grown stronger and deeper in her faith. Kendall is one of the most optimistic and positive people and has put her trust completely in the Lord through every storm she's been in. After several scares, I'm so thrilled that her much prayed for baby boy will arrive soon and should be healthy and happy. Kendall is going to make such a wonderful mother. I had such a great time shooting Kendall's maternity photos, and I can't wait to photograph her little man once he arrives! Thank you for having me photograph this exciting and blessed time in your lives, Kendall and Zac!
XOXO Briana |
Archives
May 2019
|