My brides often approach me with special requests for their wedding photographs, and I'm always up for something new. Sometimes I'll take a look at a wedding photograph they've seen and add my own unique twist to it. After all, no one wants to be exactly like someone else. Leslie brought a photograph to me with wedding rings atop the New York Times paper on their wedding date. We improvised a little with our local paper, "The Mountain Press." I took it even one step further by replacing the headline with, "Leslie and Jamie wed at Honeysuckle Hills."

Leslie and Jamie had an outdoor wedding in our little home town of Pigeon Forge just in time for our black-eyed susans to be in full bloom. Oh, what great scenery they make!


Leslie and Jamie came back for an engagement session since they're staying in the Smoky Mountains for an entire week. (Fabulous honeymoon!) Leslie had me all fired up to try yet another new idea, so we pulled out an antique wooden bucket and watering pitcher for one of their engagement images. Thanks, Leslie, for being such a great sport! I'm still smiling about it!

The Print Salon Results are in! I was ecstatic to learn that two of my prints were selected for the next PPA Loan Collection book. Many thanks to Elaine and Aubrey for modeling for my photography projects. It becomes harder and harder each year to please the judges!

http://www.ppa.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=23

Many thanks as well to Master Print Maker Jonathan Penney for his assistance in preparing my images for the salon. His work is unmatched by any other. Jonathan also prints the breathtaking giclee images you will see on our walls at Honeysuckle Hills. His hands are the only ones I trust to create the wall portraits selected by my brides for their home galleries.

www.jonathanpenney.com

A wedding chapel may not have time to create passionate wedding images for you, but we will. With subjects like Step and Antonio it certainly wasn't difficult! I don't believe you will ever experience the same emotions as those on your wedding day. It's just like your first kiss. You just can't replicate that!

I journeyed with Step and Antonio to the top of one of our many hills and discovered a beautiful cloud formation. We created some very playful wedding photographs there.

I loved 4-H whenI was a child. Now that I'm "all grown up" I can still be a part of 4-H by inviting the kids to Honeysuckle Hills for a photography summer camp class each year. Here the kids are, just like I was once, photographing a pony on the farm! I think one of them is my future competition...notice the gal with the wedding veil on the left.

My daughter brought out Scout to visit with the kids, too. Horses are always a favorite subject for budding photographers.

When planning a wedding in the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area, don't forget your most precious four-legged guests! Slinky was an important part of Heather and Chris' wedding. So important, in fact, that they requested the traditional ring shot to include the paw of their beloved.




Wedding Albums with story-book design are becoming more and more popular with brides. I've begun to include a few artistic designs in the wedding proofs to give my brides an idea of what's possible for their own wedding album. One of the reasons brides choose Honeysuckle Hills is for the flowers we have in bloom at different times of the year. They make their outdoor wedding colorful and provide great features of interest for our artwork.

Leah and Wade were tons of fun! They were actually married the following day at their cabin in Pigeon Forge. They scheduled a wedding portrait session with us for the day before the ceremony. One of the requests Leah had was for Wade to chase her. It's so wonderful to see people with that much spunk and flirt!






Leah and Wade teach English in China, so their trip to Honeysuckle Hills and the Great Smoky Mountains was a long one. Leah used one of the hand-made scarves she purchased in China for one of her portraits. The colors are splendid!

I also photographed two of the children in Leah's wedding at our pond. They were so sweet! This image is a wall-hanger, no doubt.

I absolutely adore wedding veils. Nikki had the most beautiful veil I've seen all year, and it lent itself to many beautiful images.



I think the veil is especially important in an outdoor wedding because it provides soft accents to all the images. It makes the mood of an outdoor wedding so much softer and elegant.

Nikki and Freddie were very romantic together and slipped away to Pigeon Forge for a wedding just for two.

Michelle and Danny have actually been married for a year or so already. To fulfill her desire for an outdoor wedding with all the trimmings, Danny made Michelle's wish come true. I have never witnessed a more patient, devoted groom.

Our sunflowers are now at their peak, and it couldn't have happened at a better time. They provided a beautiful backdrop for their wedding photography. I picked one of our crimson colored sunflowers for Michelle to hold while they were photographed alongside our red barn. The coneflowers in the lower right hand corner lead you right to the desire on their faces.

Whenever possible, I love to photograph children at our weddings. We have a little white bench in our wedding chapel that all the children love to pose on. Michelle's daughter looks quite striking in this setting, especially with her locks red hair. Look deeply into those blue eyes! I see another gorgeous bride in the making, and one who will have hundreds of suitors to choose from.

Leslie and Jason are another of our bride and grooms who decided to slip away for a private wedding just for two in the Smokies. That is, until the Moms and Dads found out! This worked out extremely well, however, because who are the most important people in the world to be at your wedding? Mom and Dad, of course!

They were married in the heart of one of our flower gardens in the evening when the sweet smell of nectar floats along the breeze. As you can see, their outdoor wedding ceremony provided the perfect setting for laughter and merriment!


Lesley and Jason planned from the very beginning to be photographed atop one of our rolling hills with the horses and our mountain ridge view. One of the colts tried to eat Lesley's bouquet, and at times the horses curiously swarmed all around them. All these moments add up to make great wedding memories.

The fourth of July brings out the heat in more ways than one. Amanda donned hot pink heels with sexy polka dots for her husband, Garrik. Not to be out-done, the groom slipped on a very unique skull and crossbones cufflink.

Amanda's bridal bouquet only added sex appeal to the over-all wedding theme. I know Garrik must have been watching Amanda's every step as she walked down the aisle, glimpsing for a peek of those three inch pink heels! Naturally, we had to do a wedding photograph just for Garrik from a purely male perspective.

And yes, there were fireworks! I've been waiting all year to take this wedding photograph! Sparklers, smoke, laughing wedding guests, with an ecstatic bride and groom right in the middle!

The best wedding cake award goes to Lori and Marc! In the spirit of Independence Day, Smoky Mountain Cakes brought out a fabulously themed wedding cake for the fourth of July.

Lori and Marc love to ride on their Harley Davidson motorcycle. Can't you just hear her whispering, "I love you," just before they rode away happily ever after?

I've never seen a wedding dress look sexier than on a bride sitting on a Harley!

Mignon and Tim planned their outdoor wedding for the Pigeon Forge area for a little over a year. I had the opportunity to meet them on two separate occasions before the wedding. Mignon surprised Tim with a romantic picnic just for the two of them earlier this spring. They had lunch at our picnic pavilion and then walked around hand-in-hand along our creek.

Tim returned the surprise on their wedding day by bringing Mignon's sister. She had no idea her sister was coming until she opened the door at their cabin, and there she was!

They were married right in the middle of our bridge by Reverend Jeff Ownby. Mignon met Tim when he played in his band, "Flat Broke." At the end of their wedding, we played one of the songs Tim wrote for her. Many tears fell, but they were all of pure joy.

Jennifer and Grant have that "All American" persona that everyone dreams about. Not only do they look great together, they have common interests that have formed a bond that already shows to anyone who meets them.

Both serve in the United States Navy (they met on the U. S. S. George Washington,) but Jennifer has my favorite job, photographer! Her next great adventure will be in Bahrain, so be sure to wish her a safe return.



Jennifer and Grant hope to be married next year after her tour in Bahrain is over. I can't wait to see them again and pull out all the stops for their wedding photography!

Couples who stay married are a great accomplishment these days. I always love to photograph the bonds among families just like Angie and Steve.

Our little Smoky Mountain stream is always a favorite among our guests for portraits. It's a cool break from the summer heat! It also provides a nice, soft mood for a high school senior picture.

Our little stream is also a great smile motivator! Angie dressed her family so well for this image in white and blue. Our eye is drawn to their faces rather than their clothing.

Larissa and James scheduled an engagement / family portrait session with us the day before their wedding. The weather was beautiful, and their sons had a wonderful time splashing in our creek. By scheduling an engagement session before the wedding, I'm always able to capture more natural images because we have more time and there are less distractions than on wedding day.

The theme of Larissa's wedding was "A Top Hat Affair." Every single guest wore a hand-made hat with a creative theme. This year's election is heating up fast, as you can see with this gentleman's John McCain presidential hat. My first thought was, "Oh! A John McCain fan..." In truth it was worn as a joke to the bride, who is rooting for Obama for president.

Larissa's wedding started out as an unbelievably beautiful summer day in the Smoky Mountains. As the evening progressed, a much needed thunderstorm blew in, rushing everyone inside our barn. Just before the storm hit, I took Larissa and James out for some quick photographs.

The horses were more than willing to cooperate, and I just love the windblown look in Larissa's hair and the horses' tails!

A little later in the evening, a wedding miracle happened. A rainbow appeared! I know this has to be every bride's dream on her wedding day. Rain for luck, and then a rainbow to symbolize the beginning of their new life together.

I couldn't have asked for a better wedding for the two of them!