Nikki and Adam spent the day with us at Honeysuckle Hills on June 5th. The day was filled with family, friends, and a wedding officiated by a dear friend in their family. Their minister used the same set of vows as he did from his very first wedding. Though the paper is now torn and tattered, the words and meaning are still just as sacred.

Weddings just for two are our favorites at Honeysuckle Hills, and the Great Smoky Mountains is the perfect honeymoon hideaway. Hilary and Stark snuck away to be wed outdoors on our farm, and because it was just the two of them we were able to do many more creative images than a larger wedding allows. The most interesting thing I discovered about this couple is that the bride has a tattoo of a honeysuckle on her leg. Now how cool is that!

Natalie and Seth drove their Harley Davidson motorcycles with a motley crue all the way from New Orleans! I don't think I've had that much fun with a group in a long time... They were all open to our suggestions and most willing to model for the Honeysuckle Hills wedding camera!


One of Natalie's wall portraits reflected her passion for the Harley and for Seth. The other Signature Portrait was printed on metal and is now displayed in her curio cabinet with other Harley Davidson memorabilia. The next time Brad and I are in New Orleans we plan on looking them up!

Memorial Day Weekend is when Ashley and Tyler decided to tie the knot. I thought it appropriate considering his own military status.


Ashley let us know that she enjoyed sepia tones and antique looks, so that was the direction we took with the photography. Their Signature Art Print has an "All American" feel, with a little old-fashioned romance and one of our Honeysuckle Hills horses to add a little more dynamics.

May is also a great time of year for children's outdoor spring portraits! It's an adventure at Honeysuckle Hills, and the kids never seem to want to leave. When it's time for their next session, it's better than asking them if they want to go to Dollywood!



What child doesn't like dipping their toes in the creek?

Whitney and Corey love four-wheelers, but she had such a beautiful, delicate appeal I included some more romantic images in their Signature Art Print. They were married outdoors on May 22nd at Honeysuckle Hills during the best part of spring here.


I couldn't help but create an autumn look with their wedding image alongside our creek. It's one of our brides' favorites, and nine times out of ten ends up on their wall.

Trash the Dress is still ever popular at Honeysuckle Hills, especially now that the weather is nice. The first question we're always asked is, "Did they REALLY wear their own wedding dress?!" Yes, and no. Sometimes brides are not as sentimental and did not spend as much on their gown, so they are more than willing to jump feet first into art. Others want the fun, but choose to use a consignment dress instead.



Brad helped us create a little "rain" for Jennie's Trash the Dress session.

Robin and Ray are set to be married during the joy and splendor the autumn leaves here in the Smoky Mountains. If their engagement photographs are any indication of what's to come for the wedding photographs, I just know we're going to capture some emotional photojournalism!

They met at their workplace, Denso Manufacturing, in Maryville, Tennessee. I have no doubt it was love at first sight.

I don't know if we had more fun with Amy and Michael during their wedding on May 15th or their engagement session the following Monday... It's definitely a close call!


During one of Amy's visits to our gallery, she admired a portrait of a bride and groom with clouds in the background. It made her smile so much that we had to create one for her, too.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...fifteen years of them, as a matter of fact! Congratulations to Steve and Melissa on their fifteenth wedding anniversary, celebrated with a vow renewal at Honeysuckle Hills. Plenty of tears and laughter filled the afternoon. My favorite lines during the renewal of vows were spoken by Melissa, "And dear, I love how you end each night with, 'Honey is there anything I can lick, stick...or poke?'" There was little time for wiping tears, for the guests were too busy clutching their stomachs with laughter!

After I heard how they met, (Steve pushed Melissa into a swimming pool,) and after watching Steve admire her legs with his tongue hanging out, I knew we needed to do some photographs to reflect his admiration.

The remainder of the evening was spent doing family photographs for all the guests. Melissa's number one concern was having time to create all these images. Photography is extremely important to her... and she came to just the right place!

May is the season for Proms, and around here eighth grade proms are as popular as junior / senior ones. Traditional photography provided at the prom is simply not enough for some. After spending hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on a dress, jewelry, hair and make up, many parents schedule a session with us. The result is an image destined for the wall to truly remember the evening. The prom is just the beginning of a young woman's life. It's her chance to shine and show that she is coming into her own.

Courtney and Steve are an incredibly sweet couple. They wed on May 1st, surrounded by all their friends and family. I became quite attached to her grandfather, who loves flowers even more than I do.

Courtney's bridesmaids were filled with an energy that led to antics like jumping in the air and running barefoot in our little creek. I suppose it's a relief to be able to get rid of all the nervous energy that builds up just before the ceremony.

For Courtney's Signature Art Print, we combined a few files from previous sessions. She loves Cades Cove, the mountains, horses, and spontaneity. I combined a mountain scene with our horses along with their original image in our field of buttercups. Magic...

High School Senior photography gives us a chance to really push our minds to the limit when brainstorming for ideas. Turner will be a senior at Gatlinburg Pittman High School next year. By talking to him and his mother, I discovered several things that make Turner smile. He loves football, enjoys a good storm rolling in, loves his truck, and loves mud even MORE. We all know that the girls count down the days until their senior portrait session, but the boys yawn and roll their eyes every time... that is until you tell them you're willing to get right down into the depths of sludge right with them for an image they will be proud to brag about.

Brad drove us to his favorite muddin' spot tucked away in a holler. I've never been so glad to touch solid ground in my life... Brad insisted on providing the "right atmosphere" by running our own truck through bumps, over stumps, splashing mud, and making me dizzy!

Kayla and JJ will be married at the end of May. and decided to take advantage of an engagement session a few weeks before their outdoor spring wedding in the Smokies.

The number one draw for us this time of year is our field of yellow buttercups. The primary colors of red and yellow simply scream, "love in the spring!" Someone recently described Honeysuckle Hills this way: "If you're not in love when you get here, you will be by the time you leave." I have to say I agree.

Kate and Anson's wedding on April 24th has got to be the funnest wedding we've had at Honeysuckle Hills, hands down! Even though we had to move all 100 guests downstairs in the barn for the ceremony because of rain, everything went off without a hitch.

I witnessed my first "keg stand," and laughed until I thought I would bust! There was quite a bit of friendly competition going on, but everyone had a safe ride home.

The flower girl caught the bouquet, and she was super-proud! She danced and pranced and showed off her prize... no doubt her wedding will be just as fine.... many years down the road, of course!