Andy was right when describing Meghan’s “energetic” & “spunky” personality. Before you know it you feel like you’ve known her forever as she has a way of connecting with others. And the same is the case for Andy. He’s a genuine guy… caring & interested in others. There’s no question why these two make such a great pair.

On a trip to Charleston, Andy took Meghan to visit a lighthouse… “it actually turned out to be a metal skinny building,” she joked. Admittedly, Andy was a bit disappointed as his expectations were thwarted. Yet, sitting on the beach, enjoying one another as they watched the sun set, all seemed right in the world. Andy asked Meghan’s hand in marriage… “yes!”

… which leads us to their beautiful wedding. Andy & Meghan were wed at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (which is also our church… hooray!). Outside it was a bit wet, windy & cold, yet we were able to work around it & I can’t imagine having a better time. I think you’ll love their day.
Meghan’s personality is so radiant & easily communicates in her photographs.
Beautiful.
And her ladies were such sports as they fought through the cold & wet weather.
(R) When her father saw her for the first time in her dress.
The fellas getting ready.
You never know what you’re going to get into with a groom & his guys. This was no exception… good times!
Andy preparing a gift for his bride.
The details… just prior to the beginning of the ceremony.
The incredible designer, Natalie Clayman, provided the design details. Her work was featured at the reception as well.
It’s time.
Love this reaction!
The reception was held at The Hilton, downtown Knoxville. Due to the early sunset, we faced a dark sky yet braved the cold & had a great time using the city lights as our backdrop before heading to the reception.
Love these!
We headed to the reception & spent a few moments in their beautiful lobby.

The reception was beautiful.
This crew knew how to party!
Congrats friends! You’re wedding day was wonderful; thank you for the opportunity & privilege to share this occasion with you.

These two are such fun. Meet Levi & Caroline. Levi is literally from across the country, raised in the beautiful state of Washington. Caroline, on the other hand, raised in the small town of Sweetwater, TN. Who would’ve thought they’d find one another. But they have… & it’s wonderful.

As the story goes… on a trip to Washington to visit his family for Christmas, Levi planned a two-day trip to Victoria, Canada. They shared an incredible dinner together followed by a walk through the park lit by Christmas lights. As she turned to speak to him, she realized he was several feet behind her, kneeling on the sidewalk. Admittedly, neither of them remember what he said… but she cried & said “YES!”

Levi & Caroline came by the studio last week for their engagement shoot. Since it was rainy & cold when we started, we opted to capture some shots in the studio. Here are a few of my favorites:
It was so much fun to hang with these two… always serious laughing when I’m behind the lens!
The rain clouds passed so was ventured outside for a bit.
Love this! Can’t wait to see you guys again!

Meet the Pinkners: Greg, Jennifer, Jack & Bailey (the dog). There is so much I could say about this incredible family. I’ve known Jennifer since my childhood & have really fun memories of her at church camp & events. Plus, her mom was my music teacher in elementary school… those were the days. Without a doubt, I could easily say that Jennifer was such a great example & godly influence on us all! And still is… check out her blog here! She married a Texan by the name of Greg. Greg happens to be one of the most gifted communicators I’ve heard & through his teaching is making an profound impact about students locally & abroad. He is a teaching pastor at Fellowship Church in Knoxville & when I was in grad school I would listen to his podcasts faithfully. I can’t overestimate how much the Lord used that in my life.

After years of wanting to have children, Greg & Jennifer were blessed with John Benjamin Pinkner, aka Jack… love that name! Jack is around 8 months old & is a big little guy. He was such a pleasure to meet & I had such a great time with Greg & Jennifer. This is their season of life & it’s beautiful. Here’s a sneak peek.

Story time. I loved Greg’s editorial commentary he added as he read.
Bailey was eager to get involved.
Action shot… yes, that’s Bailey’s tongue sprinting in for a kiss on Jack.
Jack & his buddy, Aslan.
As of late, Jack has been quite fascinated with mirrors.
Love this look on his face.
I’m not sure what he was thinking but I like that look!
Congrats my friends. It was such a pleasure to spend time with you guys. Can’t wait to see you again soon!

It’s hard to beat seeing your weddings in print & to see the satisfaction of that comes when others have the opportunity to enjoy as well. Congrats Michael & Jamie!

Well, it most certainly did. The main reason for the trip was to photograph the wedding of Grant & Fernanda. Following their vintage inspired engagement shoot, I knew their wedding was going to be incredible. What’s not to love about these two?! Grant is as nice of a guy as you’ll find & his leadership qualities seem effortless. And Fernanda, what a beautiful & pleasant bride, inside & out! They have such a wonderful marriage to look forward to!

The day of the New Year’s Eve wedding was unreal. Who would’ve believed that it would be a calm 70 degrees throughout the day. And the wedding party, as well as Grant & Fernanda’s families, were so gracious & hospitable. It felt like I’d known them for a lifetime. To top it off, I had my best mate, Ismael, helping me throughout the day; we were also privileged to work alongside Thomas & Sarah of TLC Wedding Videography.

Our coverage for the day began at the Historic L&N Station, site of the reception. Since the sun sets so early for Winter weddings, I was eager to shoot some of the reception details beforehand. I love how Grant & Fernanda continued the vintage theme from their engagement session into the wedding details.

Vintage postcards were available for guests to write the couple messages… love this idea!
In lieu of favors, Grant & Fernanda made a donation to Rebuild Tuscaloosa.
Wedding photos of parents & grandparents lined the short hall of the station.
We then met up with Fernanda & her mother, Suzana, at Divine Appointments for their hair & makeup.
The ceremony was held at the church where Grant & Fernanda attend, Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, AL. Here, I captured some of the details.
On Fernanda’s bouquet was a Brazilian pendant, passed down from her grandmother.
The final preparations.
The couple chose to see one another before the ceremony, allowing some outdoor portraits before the sun was to set. Here’s their first look & exchange of gifts.
 We then ventured outside for some portraits of the couple, followed by wedding party & family photos. I love seeing these two together. Fernanda, you are such a lovely bride!
Such a dapper groom!
Fernanda & her beautiful ladies.

The wedding party.
And the fellas.
Every time I see this shot & the series (sorry, didn’t post them all), I can’t help but hear the song “Sabotage” run through my head.
Fernanda & her mother.
With her father.
Grant & his parents.
As the ceremony begins.
Hooray!!!

And the party started!

The first dance.
Fernanda & her father… love this picture!
And Grant & his mother… it never fails that I have to hold back tears during these dances.
Once the dancing kicked in, the party let loose.
The band for the evening were all University Fellows from the University of Alabama… they were a blast!
And the guests saw the couple off with sparklers… such a beautiful day!
Congrats friends! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed being a part of your day. Enjoy this highlight post, there are many more to come!

The day of the shoot couldn’t have been more perfect as we woke up to a snowy ground covering. Upon arrival I was able to meet the Interior Designer behind the King Residence, Sarah Bohleber, of Gift Gourmet & Interiors, Knoxville, TN. It’s always a pleasure to meet with designers & hear how they actualize the client’s vision. This was certainly the case for the King family; Liz said of Sarah, “we just clicked!”

I think you’ll love seeing the in’s & out’s of the King Residence… check out this beautiful home! And I think you’ll clearly see why At Home TN chose this home for their feature story.

On what seemed like a simple celebration for Katharine’s mother’s birthday, Hunter clearly had something more in mind. After returning from dinner with her family, Katharine was picked up at her parents’ house & taken to Hunter’s home. Upon arrival, Katharine was greeted by candle light as Hunter began to explain how much she meant to him & that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She said yes!

And that simple, “Yes!”, led to their wedding day, Saturday, December 10, 2011. The day began with a bridal brunch at the beautiful home of Laurie & Hunter Hallenburg. When I walked in the door I was met with such a warm greeting from Laurie & the other hosts. And the Christmas decoration was perfect & set a nostalgic mood that would last throughout the day.

The ceremony was held at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church in Athens, TN. They have such a wonderful parlor for brides, families & the wedding party. When I arrived, Katharine’s dress was ready.
And some of the details:
Some of the most meaningful moments of the day occurred when Katharine’s closest ladies were there to help her with the final preparations.
Katharine presented her dad, Carter, with a gift… the whole room was moved to tears. It’s so beautiful to see the unparalleled relationship between a father & a daughter.
And we snapped a few of Hunter as he was finishing up.
Hunter & Katharine chose to see one another before the ceremony (which, btw, was a great idea since the late Winter ceremony would’ve left us in the dark afterward for portraits!). We orchestrated an uninterrupted & private moment for the couple to see one another & help alleviate some the of stress of the day. I love first looks!
These are beautiful!
We then ventured over to the Keith Mansion for some outdoor portraits followed by portraits with the Wedding Party & families. The following are my favorite images of the day!
It was beautiful to see these two together.
Katharine looked stunning!
And her handsome groom, Hunter.
The Wedding Party.
As the ceremony was about to begin:
Katharine’s brother, John, read a portion of Scripture during the ceremony.
I loved the nostalgic feel that the Christmas decorations added to the sanctuary.
The grand exit before the couple was ushered away to the reception site, Old Woolen Mill, in Cleveland, TN.
Once we arrived at the reception I took a moment with the couple… although it was pitch black outside, we still had fun making use of available light coupled with off-camera flash. I love this image!
And the reception began!
The first dance… look at the joy on Katharine’s face!
And the dance with her father.
And Hunter with his mother.
And this is when the reception became a party!!! The band, Ascension, took things to a whole new level… they were fantastic!
Ha! At one point late in the reception, a friend grabbed my camera & pushed me out of the dance floor (L)… let’s just say that I didn’t mind at all!
And one last dance beneath the light of the moon! Congrats Hunter & Katharine… your wedding was incredible; thank you for allowing me the opportunity to spend this occasion with you!

We recently met up with Calling Glory to photograph for their new EP release (click here). Not only did we capture some incredible images but we had a great time hanging out with some wonderful friends. While you’re at it, connect with Calling Glory on Facebook. Here’s a sample of what we captured… stay tuned for more! *And thankful to my friend Alan Brock for rockin’ this shoot with me!

Can you believe how amazing the sunset was… these images are practically straight out of the camera!

Here’s a description of the book:
“Israel: a photographic journey is a collection of photographs taken from several trips to the ancient land of Israel. Many of the pictures have a biblical theme, yet others are more modern and descriptive of the land today. If you have never seen how beautiful the land of Israel is or have always wanted to visit, yet haven’t gathered the funds, consider Israel: a photographic journey. It will illuminate your perspective on that tiny stretch of land that has the entire world’s attention.”

Click here to view/order a copy from the publisher’s bookstore. 
And a few snapshots from the contents of the book:

A portion of the proceeds are reinvested into an account that provides support for those who are seeking to do university campus ministry & foreign missions/aids work. So far, we’ve been able to provide full financial support for 3 students doing work abroad.If you’re looking for a coffee table book rich in historical/spiritual meaning, check out Israel: A Photographic Journey. Buy a book = help support good things. In case you missed the link, it is: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/245716