Autumn in the Smoky Mountains always inspires families to have a portrait session created. I've been told by my brides and colleagues many times that "Honeysuckle Hills is a magical place..." I believe that with my entire heart.

I'm not sure if Gambler was trying to give Garrett a kiss or what...but it sure was cute!

Scout is featured in Garrett's family portrait. I have no idea this child is going to be a huge heart-breaker one day!

I think this field is becoming a favorite of mine! Family portraits at Honeysuckle Hills often begin on our farm and then expand into a full-blown adventure along the miles of beautiful country near us as well. Tashia decided to include their family pet, Odie, in their family portrait. What a hoot! After he wallered and slobbered all over everyone he settled down as the perfect accent to their image.

Our horse, Gambler, has been itching to model for us again this year. He's taken a back-seat to Sugar for way too long. I think his color goes extremely well with the girls' hair and complexion. Add a little fall color and art work, and here's an image that brings a smile and motivation to get up and enjoy life like a child again...

You may remember seeing Christi and Mark's engagement images from earlier this spring. They're one of our home-town Smoky Mountain Wedding Couples! The first thing I have to brag on is Graybeal's Catering for all their delicious food and incredibly beautiful displays! Any bride still searching for a caterer should contact Keith Graybeal at 865-429-6474 or e-mail him at kgraybeal@charter.net.

I love the way our new balcony photographs from the outside, especially against the deep red of our barn. How lucky can one photographer get for the perfect clouds framing the wedding couple, though? There was no artistic liberties taken here, I promise!

This image of Christi and Mark on our bridge was enhanced to give the appearance of beautiful autumn color. It's still just a little early for the Smoky Mountains to have the fall colors they are renowned for, but there's never any harm in taking a few artistic liberties!

Last but not least, I always love to share the "snuggly" moments from a wedding. Christi's daughter was being a little shy during the family portrait session, and it made a cute shot! And who can hold back tears when you see a father dancing with his daughter after walking her down the aisle only moments earlier? Those are memories one will carry with them for the rest of their lives. It's what MAKES a life....

The first time Emily's mother met Jeremy, she left knowing in her heart that she had just met her future son-in-law. Finding one's soul-mate is rare enough, but when your parents recognize that love as well, it's akin to finding a fine diamond in a haystack.

Emily and Jeremy are both students at MSU working on a white-tail deer project that consumes most of their time. However, like my own profession of photography, because they love what they do it's more like play!

Emily and Jeremy chose Honeysuckle Hills because of our closeness to the Smoky Mountains, and they wanted a beautiful outdoor wedding. They scheduled enough time for an engagement session the day before wedding, and we took advantage of the mountain streams near by Honeysuckle Hills. On wedding day we also traveled up the road to a field of white flowers in full bloom.

Notice the fawn in this image? This is their signature art print, in which I added the fawn from one of our wildlife images taken a few years earlier.

I'd like to share some of my favorite pages from Jenna and Gary's wedding album. They were married in early August of this year, traveling all the way from the breezy open plains of Oklahoma!

Jenna's wedding bouquet dangled with her grandparent's wedding rings on delicate silk. Because the rings were so sentimental to her, I used that image as the cover to her album.

If you're a regular follower of our blog, you may notice something new at Honeysuckle Hills...the balcony! The railings are made of twisted mountain grapevine, a native staple of the Smokies. The balcony actually opens up from our private living quarters, but I can't resist the opportunity for a good wedding photograph! This image of Jenna and Gary has an added Victorian style overlay.

If the old saying "it's good luck if it rains on your wedding day" has any truth to it, then Lauren and Daniel will be swimming in luck for the rest of their lives together! They were married upstairs in our wedding chapel while it literally poured rain from morning until late afternoon on September 26th.

We were lucky indeed for the rain to subside long enough for some outdoor wedding photography. Their signature art print includes the most important things in their life: their son, Rylan, horses, and their devotion for one another.

The winner of the longest distance to travel to Honeysuckle Hills and the Gatlinburg Smoky Mountains area to get married is Randy and Wendy! They drove down from Ontario, Canada for a private wedding attended only by their two best friends.

The wedding ceremony took place at Starkey's Cabin in the afternoon among the beautiful green forest.

After the ceremony I discovered their golf clubs had also made the long distance haul from Ontario, so we had to include them in a shot! Both Randy and Wendy enjoy a good game of golf. I asked who usually wins the game, but they were both just too modest to admit victory!