Ever since I got into wedding photography, I’ve always been told that the very most stressful part of the day would be family formal portraits. I think that is simply because, from a couple’s perspective, you’re trying to round up family members and hope everyone cooperates, and as a photographer, you’re trying to photograph a whole group of people that you’ve mostly never met before and are trying to keep them happy before they head to the reception! It can definitely be a little stressful, but if both the couple and photographer prepare, it really can go more smoothly than expected!

Here are 5 tips that I’ve learned through the years and shooting weddings that help make family formal portraits run smoothly!

Mason proposed to Holly at the South Holston Dam in Bristol, so it was only fitting that we go there for their engagement session! We met up in March for their session, just a few months prior to their wedding day in May. Even though Spring had just started, the trees hadn’t yet decided to wake up from their winter slumber and give us any leaves. The winter sun still gave us such a beautiful, glowy, sunset that we watched from the top of the dam!

Eric and Kelsey are married!

Even though their original plans had changed a few times thanks to Covid, these two were finally able to become husband and wife on Labor Day weekend in September! Since Kelsey and Eric are from Ohio, they chose Sugar Hollow Retreat because they offer weekend packages with lodging on-site, so it made traveling a little bit easier for their families! They also loved the relaxing atmosphere and outdoor retreat feel of the venue, which made their wedding weekend feel more like a vacation in the mountains than a traditional wedding day and allows for more time spent with friends and family! Sugar Hollow is also dog-friendly, which was an added bonus for these two dog lovers!

Coco and Sam were married on one of the most beautiful Summer days at one of my favorite venues in East Tennessee, The Waterstone! It might have been slightly warm and humid, but at least we made it through without any rain— and I’ll take that! They had originally planned to get married the first week of June, but like many couples, had to reschedule to late July thanks to the Covid pandemic and state regulations. Thankfully, orders lifted little by little and along with precautions, we were all able to gather and celebrate their amazing day!

As engagement season is upon us and as more couples start to research and book vendors, and start the wedding planning process, I thought it would be the perfect time to share just exactly what us photographers do when you book us for your special day! Wedding photography can often seem like a photographer will just show up on the wedding day and click a button- but I’m here to tell you that as a professional, we do SO much more than that! I know that wedding photography is a huge investment and takes a big percentage of a couple’s budget when it comes to their wedding day. I want to walk you through the process and share a little behind-the-scenes information of what goes into being a wedding photographer!

Zack and Kinzie finally became husband and wife on a balmy July day at one of my favorite venues here in Johnson City— The Side Porch! When my second shooter, Sam, and I arrived, it was certainly hot and humid but the forecast had appeared clear. After everyone was ready, we captured a super sweet first look in the forest where Zack and Kinzie said private vows. Immediately after, as we were gearing up for the ceremony, a huge rain cloud loomed over the venue. Everyone hopped into gear and brought the ceremony inside in minutes where Zack and Kinzie would finally become husband and wife! Talk about an adventure, but what a story to tell!

Styled shoots are truly some of my favorite events to photograph! It’s a great time to get creative without the stress of a wedding day timeline. Melissa Baskette, of Melissa’s Vintage Details, invited a few photographers (including myself) out to the Millstone venue in Limestone, Tennessee to photograph a styled shoot solely dedicated to details! I love photographing couples, don’t get me wrong, but it was also super nice to have a whole shoot focused and dedicated to decor and details so that I could really hone in on those skills! Melissa had multiple setups with many amazing vendors that collaborated on each one.

They may have had a change of plans, but Ryan and Rachel didn’t let Covid-19 stop them from getting married. In the safety of their family’s home, these two said their vows in the backyard surrounded by just their parents and their two best friends. Other family members attended virtually through Zoom to congratulate them after officially becoming husband and wife! Rachel and Ryan both could NOT contain their smiles and just radiated happiness all day!

We met up back in January for Kelsey and Eric’s engagement session while they were in town visiting their venue. At the time, they had planned on getting married in May, but thanks to Covid, they had to reschedule their big day for September. Because Kelsey and Eric were in town for a brief weekend, we had to squeeze in their engagement session on one of the coldest days of the year, but these two were troopers and dressed for the occasion.! We explored one of our local lakes here and were even lucky enough to get some snowflakes. They even brought their two dogs Kona and Bailey (who I absolutely love)!

I’m a little late on blogging my behind-the-scenes photos from 2019, but I’m hoping that this blog brings some smiles, laughs, and uplifts your day just a little. Huge thanks to call of my couples, second shooters, fellow wedding vendors, and my amazing friends and family who made 2019 one hell of a year.