Knoxville wedding photographer blog – shannon kelley photography » Knoxville based wedding photographer – modern photography for hip people

For the next couple weeks we’ll be looking at weddings behind the scenes. We’ll look at fun stuff like formal pictures, to see each other before hand or not, where is Knoxville on the wedding scene…all sorts of fun stuff.
Today, a first look? To do or not on your wedding day?

A trend that is continuing throughout the United States with weddings is a first look. This is when the bride and groom see each other before the wedding in an intimate moment so the photographer can capture the first look and then proceed to get amazing couple shots before the hubbub of the wedding begins.

I’m finding more and more, here in Knoxville, Tennessee, the tradition of seeing the bride when she first walks down the aisle is still holding strong. As a photographer I’m kinda on the fence about this one. Maybe I shouldn’t be because a lot of photographers have strong opinions about seeing each other before hand but I have to say I understand those that want the traditional way. So, I thought a blog post was in order:) Plus, I had another photographer weigh in on the matter (and one that isn’t from Knoxville to get a little perspective on it:) )

First, some pro’s and con’s:

PROS for a first look:
-Dedicated time to have your photographer to yourselves and get amazing pictures of the two of you!
-It’s intimate, just the two of you, with time to yourselves as you take this amazing journey together.
-You don’t have to worry about your makeup if you cry during the ceremony.
-Lessens the amount of time you need to dedicate to photos between the ceremony and reception= happy guests:)
-The light! Depending on your ceremony time the light can be better before hand (this is one to talk with your photographer about). I know that weddings here in Knoxville right now that start at 5pm would be better light with a first look beforehand.

CONS for a first look:
-It’s breaking tradition by golly!
-You want his first sight of you being when you walk down the aisle.
-You don’t want to kiss before the ceremony.

What Jared at Jacobus Photography based in Ohio had to say: “I let them decide unless its a winter wedding where it gets dark really early. If light will be an issue then I recommend they meet before. If they still want to wait to see each other then I am fine with it and I make sure I do my job.”

My personal opinion, similar to Jared’s, is I am all for tradition and completely respect the decision BUT if you opt to wait, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE put aside time after the ceremony for just the bride and groom to steal away and get some good pictures. So often you get into the groove of the wedding and if you don’t plan time the priority dwindles when Aunt Hilda is pulling on your arm for a hug. Just sayin’.

Lesson for the day: Whether a first look or the tradition: make couple shots a PRIORITY! Those are the ones you will want to see and hang up after the wedding! Oh, and talk to your photographer about the light and timing to get their opinion:)

A big thanks to Jacobus Photography! Here is one of their amazing pictures!

So a few weeks ago I was talking to a fellow awesome photographer friend that just was having one of those days/weeks that we all sometimes have.  a hard one.  one where we wonder what the heck are we doing.  I recommended reading Dane’s book, Fast Track Photographer, because it just puts everything into perspective really.  I texted her the next day to see how she was and her response “getting through it.  God and Dane”

Last week I had the privilege to meet Dane at his workshop in Florida.  Lifechanging, fun, informative, hopeful, moving, and magical are words that come to mind.  Equally as amazing was all the great girls I got to meet and develop friendships with.  Can’t wait to see where God and Dane lead us:)

We had a photo shoot with Amanda and Colton in the GORGEOUS Florida sun! Seriously, why do I live in Knoxville, TN again?   Here are some of my faves…well, alot of my faves.

Today is one of my fave’s! DIY wedding inspiration! When I got married almost 5 years ago I made the place and the wedding photographer (of course!) my main priority. I wanted my wedding to be simple elegance. It was held on a Friday evening at Belmont Mansion in Nashville, TN (where we lived at the time and where Brad is from) with a black and white theme and only red roses (300 red roses to be exact shipped in from Ecuador fresh! More on that later!). And we were on a budget, I mean, aren’t most people. Yes, you hear about people who spend hundreds of thousands for their wedding but for the majority of engaged girls sitting at their computer right now, budget friendly is good. cute, pretty, and awesome budget friendly is even better! DIY is what you make of it. You can have a gorgeous wedding on a budget with DIY’ing it. So that is what we are looking at today! Yay for the craftiness in all of us!

A couple things when you are going to DIY at your wedding:

• Remember to find your style for your wedding.  It’s easy to get a little overwhelmed with all the awesome DIY stuff out there.  If you know your style it will be a little easier for you to narrow ideas down.
• Do NOT sacrifice some things in the name of DIY’ing!  Photography is the biggest one I can think of. Yes, Uncle Joe has a nice $300 camera and may think he can do it.  NO, Uncle Joe is in no way ready to capture one of the biggest nights of your life!  There is so much that goes into being a wedding photographer.  Notice I said wedding photographer, not photographer. Photographing a newborn or in a studio is completely different from a wedding.  So look for a photographer who specializes in weddings to make sure you get your wedding day perfectly captured.
• Great things to DIY on: decor, favors, table numbers, all the little things that make your wedding you.
• When DIY’ing, take advantage of the great things on the web.  There are so many amazing sites dedicated to weddings that offer beautiful inspiration and even some freebies:) (no worries, I share all the one’s I love below!)
• Even if you aren’t crafty, enlist your crafty friends and become one with your inner craftster.  It’s fun, promise:) Plus I’m willing to bet that we all have one or two friends itching at the seams to help you with the fun details and craftiness of your wedding.

So, I’m ready to DIY and craft, where do I go from here!?

The Wedding Chicks
Ah, my fave diy place ev-ah! Love this site! Click on the DIY freebie button towards the top to get all sorts of juicy fun projects and downloads. Even better, they aren’t just all for weddings so if you are already married you are in luck!

My DIY Wedding Day
This site is strong on the inspiration and project side. There may be a few freebie things in there but mainly is projects and instructions on how to. Still awesome though!

I do it yourself
LOVE this site! SO much to utilize even in everyday decorating! On the left you will notice some fun categories of the site: DIY Tutorials & How-To’s, Freebies & Downloads, Steals & Deals, and Repurposed & Upcycled. Lena’s next birthday party is so getting some DIY love!

So, lesson of the day. It’s fun to DIY and can make your wedding fab! Check online for some great inspiration and make it your own! Hope you enjoyed!

So today we are talking about finding a wedding photographer. With all the wedding photographers out there (I know in Knoxville alone that are hundreds!) and the photos of your special day being the most lasting element of the wedding I thought it was fitting:) Much like what we talked about yesterday, take the steps of knowing your style and find a couple photographers that you think may fit with you and your style. So, you have some prospective wedding photographers, now what?

Meet with them at best or at least chat with them on the phone or through email.  Then ask the two big questions…

1. Do I like this person? Do I get along with them and feel comfortable with them?
2. Do I like their work? Does it fit my style?

Those are the two big ones to ask yourself…here are some smaller questions to ask your knoxville wedding photographers as well to help you on your way as well to a signed contract.  I’m not even going to pretend to be able to surpass the great knowledge and lists of questions already out there so I did some researching for you and wanted to share the most relevant list of questions of what to ask your knoxville wedding photographers. Yes, there are questions like “do you shoot black and white” that you can, and should, ask.  But here is a list that I think is a little more relevant to what you need to know in determining who your wedding photographers will be and encompass all those little questions like if you shoot black and white:)

This was taken from here and written by the humorous Jonathan Ryan. Love these guys and makes me wish I was from the UK:) I mean, anyone who spells favours instead of favors is a-ok in my book!

1. Can we see some of your pictures?

OK, nobody is going to choose a wedding photographer without seeing their portfolio (you weren’t, were you?) but notice a key word in that question your pictures.  What you want to see is the photographer’s own work where they were the main or only photographer.  It’s fine for them to get experience assisting another photographer but there’s a world of difference between pictures taken while a guest at a friend’s wedding or while assisting an experienced pro and their own unaided work.

2. Can we see a whole wedding?

Cherry picking is great and you’ll want to see your photographer’s top work but no single day is going to match their 10 best ever shots.  Ask to see a whole day.  Either on screen, in print or (best of all) in a sample album just like it would be delivered to you.

3. Will you be our photographer?

This is only really a question for the big studios but it’s worth asking of everybody you meet.  It doesn’t matter if they show you an amazing portfolio of their own beautiful work if they are going to send somebody else on the day.

4. How would you describe your approach?

Another obvious one – if you tell a photographer you want a hands off guy who lets everybody do their own thing and capture the moment then it’s pretty likely that will become their specialty.  If you say your favourite is a lady who knows how to take control of groups then hey presto, instant expert.  Ask them to describe their approach (are they bossy, friendly, invisible?) and see how that matches your expectations.

5. Can you…..?

Everybody’s wedding is different.  Everybody has different expectations.  If there’s something that’s important to you then don’t be afraid to ask the photographer if they will be able to capture it.  And follow up too.  “Can you take pictures of our fireworks?”.  Sure, no problem.  “Great, can I see some examples of your fireworks pictures?”

6. What else do you do?

Plenty of great wedding photographers balance their photography with another full time job.  It’s worth asking if they are full time or not though.  If they aren’t then you may want to make sure that they aren’t over committed and that your pictures will get the care they deserve.  Actually, even if they are full time it’s worth checking a couple of things.  A photographer who shoots 100 weddings a year may be great because she’s so popular and in demand.  It may also mean he’s overworked and will rush things.  A couple of questions should enable you to tell which is which.

7. Do you work on your own or as part of a team?

This one’s tricky.  Some photographers prefer to work alone and some prefer to have an assistant, a second photographer and a tea boy in tow.  Both approaches are fine (though if you’re planning a quiet intimate affair then you may not want a 6 person team!) – just be careful that they don’t tell you there will be “two photographers” if one of them will be a trainee!  And if the photographer favours the large team approach then ask them again “which of these pictures did you take?” and “who will be there on the day?”

8. How long will it be before we see our pictures?

There is little worse than coming back after a two week honeymoon and being told that it will be “another month or two” before you see your pictures.  Even a busy photographer should be able to show you the images within 3 weeks of the wedding.  If not they may be over committed – either to another job or other clients.

9. What do you do if it rains?

Or snows, or your camera breaks down or a herd of llamas invades the wedding?  A professional should have an answer to these (except maybe the llamas).  Backup cameras (and lenses), planning for wet weather, extra lights in case the pictures need taken indoors, file backup strategies and dry clothes are just some of the reasons why professional charge so much for their services.  And if you meet a photographer who, when you ask “what do you do if it rains?” just smiles and says “I kick ass” then ask to see the album of one of the wettest weddings ever .

10. What would you like to eat?

Seriously, I generally shoot for 10 hours and it’s always nice to know whether I’m going to get dinner or bring my own.

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See, I told you that was written far better then I could have ever written it (and more funnier!) For all you Knoxville soon to be brides, hope this helps you in your quest for an awesome wedding photographer. For you photographers, feel free to share this with your brides or blog audience:)

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Shannon Kelley Photography | Shannon Kelley Photography Blog | Knoxville wedding photographers

As announced here this week is going to be wedding week! Jan 2nd through the 8th were going to cover all sorts of fun wedding things from photographers (of course that had to be in there:) ), diy, Knoxville weddings, etc. Lots of fun for those Knoxville brides getting ready to plan their 2010 wedding! Today its all about finding the right vendors for you! There are so many choices that a bride faces as she plans her wedding…here is how to make sure you are paired up with the perfect vendor

How to find the right vendors for you!

-Find your style! This is one of the first basic things that will make all the other decisions a little easier. Have you dreamed of a small vintage garden wedding your whole life or do you want the princess wedding dress with a large church wedding and reception? Knowing things you definitely want or don’t want make life a little easier. Need some help in finding your style? Here are a few ideas

• Take a quiz! Go here to take it and see what it says about you and your style.  This one is a little more simpler to take and quite fun as well:)
• Make an inspiration board.  LOVE this idea! Gather items for a few days of things that inspire you.  They don’t have to be wedding items.  They can be textures, pictures, magazine clippings.  Something that you see and think “this is so me!” Then put it all together on a poster board, paper. Lay it all out and look any themes that pop out, take inspiration from those things.

-Finding vendors that match your style. This is the hard part.  There are several ways that you can find wedding vendors now.  One is the lovely internet (or if you are like my mom and still rely on a phone book you can go that route!), through marketing or ads, or through word of mouth.  A few things to keep in mind..

• Word of mouth is a great tool.  You can gain valuable knowledge on the quality of the vendor through people who have already used them.  This is also a good way to gauge style because if you friend had a similar style wedding and loved this vendor then that takes out the first initial guess work.
• Google and other search engines have transformed how we can search and look up local businesses.  It’s also made it a little harder to find the right one.  Just type in knoxville wedding photographers and you get 609,000 results.  What!? So search away but be sure to check the vendors work.  If they are a good reputable vendor they should have a good website with their info on it and photographers should have their work displayed.
• The nice thing about websites is that it allows you to see their style.  If you are searching for a artistic knoxville wedding photographer, for instance, and you go to a photographers site that is very traditional and posed then you know they aren’t for you.
• After you have narrowed it down and have your couple vendors who you want to look more into, give them a phone call or email.  This will save you some time instead of meeting with them all.  Then once you chat with them and feel this may be the one, schedule a time to sit down and get to know them.  Yes, you want to see the wedding photographer’s portfolio and know what their pricing is but also see how you mesh.  Do you get along? Photographers are probably one of the more important vendors to make sure you have a good relationship with and can trust.  They will be with you the whole day and also be in charge of capturing your wedding.
• Head on over to Onewed.com or Project Wedding to search for vendors in your city.  These sites have lots of vendors that you can search for with most having pictures, reviews, and info on collections and pricing.  Yay for efficiency:)

Are you a bride or any photographers that have any other ideas or what worked for you in finding the right vendor? Feel free to leave comments!

and thought we needed some picture love on the blog:) I’ve been madly working on some albums and this is a page from one. Love fun wedding albums!

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Shannon Kelley Photography | Shannon Kelley Photography Blog | Knoxville wedding photographers

Number One:

As of tomorrow we will be doing a little funness on the blog here in cold Knoxville. You see, its a known thing for wedding photographers and vendors that January is a busy month for planning weddings. Its after the holidays when, as Lita Asscher, president of Royal Asscher North America says, 50% of engagement rings are sold in the last 3 months of the holidays. And of course, you have the new year, when all our inner organizational divas yearn for something to plan, organize, and put in a binder. So what better thing to do than start planning your wedding!? So, here at this Knoxville wedding photographers little ol’ blog I thought, what better way than to kick off 2010 than do a wedding week! Starting tomorrow we’ll have all sorts of fun things wedding! It’s going to be fun! Plus, you wedding photographers can get some good ideas and share the wedding week extravaganza on your blogs too!

Number Two:

**so apparently the thing we need to do to calm Lena down from mach 10 is to tell her she is helping me with work on the blog. She clammed up like I have never seen! She is jumping all over the couch like a banchee as I type…I should take a video of this moment so you could see her in her real form:) At any rate, she was our lovely Vanna and drew the winning name:)

click here to view lenabug in all her vanna-ness:)

Winner from the comment contest is Meredith Rowlen!!! She is an awesome fellow photog in Alabama! She left this comment:

Meredith – I LOOOOVE THIS.. I just keep coming back and staring at it.. it seriously rocks girl

Congrats Meredith! I’ll be emailing you!

Planning your wedding? Email me to get involved in wedding week!

The first day of 2010! So many thoughts going through my head of all the great weddings that I have gotten to photograph here in Knoxville and East Tennessee and best of all, all the great clients and brides that I have gotten to meet and befriend. Being a Knoxville wedding photographer is a job I love and I can’t wait for 2010! I could go on and on but I think I’ll save it for another post:) Because today we are announcing the winner of the picture of the year!! Yay!

Knoxville wedding photographer: picture of the year!

The winner, with over 40% of the votes, #11!!!!

I heart Casey and Courtney so much! They were married back in May just outside of Knoxville in Historic Rugby TN and had a beautiful wedding complete with diy amazingness, slideshows, a giant tent, and a little Miley dancing…I mean, what else can you want! A huge congrats and a thank you for letting me photograph your beautiful wedding!

Knoxville family photographer: picture of the year runner up!

Also! More funness! I decided I didn’t want to leave the also impressive runner up out.  With over 20% of the votes, #7!

I love this shot because its all about family. As a wedding photographer for a majority of my time, I love those sessions where I get to photograph families doing what they do best, loving each other and just being themselves. This picture is of a family new to Knoxville and I’m so happy to have gotten the privilege to capture their beautiful family! Second place is also going to get a full session in 2010 and a 11×14 print! Woohoo!

There is more awesomeness, you say!

Of course! Tomorrow (or later tonight…if Lena cooperates because she will be the Vanna White!) we will announce the winner of the comment contest! Those who left a comment on the nomination and contest posts all get entries in it and the winner gets awesome craftiness from the wedding photographer turned etsy lover and a lil’ sumpin sumpin (it’s a session but I just wanted to say sumpin sumpin on the blog:) )

Congrats to the winners and nominee’s! I’ll be emailing soon!

today is the day of our last nominee! Ta da! Tomorrow: a recap post of the nominee’s and what the heck is going on for those just tuning in:)

Some final thoughts from mwa:)
-I have done this picture of the year the last 3 years, with the contest aspect starting last year. This year it was far harder to pick nominee’s…to the point that I got some help:) There are definitely many a picture of some of my wonderful, great clients that so deserve to be up here. But, we have to limit it somehow and I’m afraid not everyone could get picked:(
-I lovelovelove all my clients and like things like contests, newsletters, etc.. because it gives back a little to them and celebrates their beauty…because really, without great clients there would be no great pictures. This picture of the year contest makes me love them more! Aren’t they awesome!
-So, I couldn’t decide on the last nominee…there were too many to choose from and one image wasn’t just jumping out at me. So, I asked some people including some random stranger sitting beside me at Panera…and this is who won:) ….well, this is one that won! It was a tie so I decided to make it a baker’s dozen. Tomorrow we will announce the 13th and have the summary of all the funness around here:)

Only fitting since this cake is the most amazing thing I ever tasted:) This picture is from Jenny and Brian’s wedding and I love it because I love the depth of it with the sparkling lights behind it! Yummy!