All the way home I'll be warm - Steve and Lauren - Dec. 15, 2006

Christmas weddings. How I love the Christmas lights, the joy in the air and Christmas couples. This one in particular was a wedding I looked forward to, because Steve and Lauren are friends as well as clients. I had a secret hope in my heart that they would fall in love and marry during the time about a year ago that they were only friends. So, today I got to witness a personal wish come true.

The Courtyard in Murfreesboro where they married was all decked out for Christmas with trees, lights, garlands and ornaments. Lauren was beautiful in her creme-colored dress with sophisticated details. She picked the perfect color to look radiant. Lauren seemed very calm up until the moment came for her to see her groom for the first time. I got a shot of Steve's face when she came down the stairs to meet him during the ceremony. What wonderful emotion as he saw her coming down the center aisle to marry him.

Lauren's family was quiet and nice; her Father's speech at the toast brought sweet tears to almost everyone. Steve's family was funny and kind just as he is. They came all the way from England to be a part of his life-changing day. I am very excited for my friends as they enter the world of marriage with such a strong beginning. Congratulations to two very wonderful friends who well deserve each other.

If you'd like to see Steve and Lauren's slide show, please click on the following link:

www.adefiningimage.com/steveandlauren/

Justin and Lesley, Nov. 18th, 2006 - A Golden Day

This day was golden; from the bride's dress to the beautiful leaves turning outside in the crisp, clean autumn air. What a beautiful day for a wedding. The little church where Lesley and Justin married is just the church I always drove by on Hwy. 840 and wondered what it would be like inside. Lesley was beautiful in a light golden gown and her glow was matching her gorgeous dress. Her Mom Carol should be a wedding coordinator; she had every detail in place and ready to go! This wedding was extra special for me, because I was fortunate to know some of the people involved. Everyone was so sweet. Extra thanks to Wayne who hung Lesley's dress high on a tall window sill just for photo effect of course. Lesley and Justin; congratulations to you both. May your marriage be wonderful and romantic every day that you are together. P.S. Leslie, I did the True Love Waits commitment too!

To see Lesley and Justin's slideshow click on the grey link below:

http://www.adefiningimage.com/justinandlesley/

Family Tied

Today was a pretty fall day...finally. After rescheduling a family shoot for everything from sickness to a broken arm to rain, we had a pretty day and everyone healthy at the same time! The McCray family just so happen to be relatives of mine, so I was most excited to do this shoot for them. The girls were full of fun, climbing trees and playing in the leaves. Of course, we were working on getting everyone still for a "formal" shot. I like this one. Brian and Melia are such sweet subjects too. Brian also had me working on a new image for his business card. If anyone needs a great realtor in the middle TN area; he's the one to call. Thanks Brian and Melia for the opportunity and hope you have lots of sunny days in the near future.

5 Years and Still Strong

About a week and a half ago, I got to shoot some wedding portraits for my wonderful new 2nd photographer Kristy Johnson. It was so great driving out into a beautiful, hilly area in Franklin to shoot their session. The neat thing is they've been married now for 5 years, but wanted some new wedding photos to make up for some they didn't get when they had their ceremony. Kristy's husband, Derrick, is a race car driver in Nashville; he races at the fairground in Nashville. (Yes, he is in his racing suit in the photo.) They got married at the track and he drove her around for a victory lap at the end of the ceremony.

Derrick has been pretty successful with racing from the awards I could see hanging on his walls. Derrick and Kristy have been happily cruising along ever since that wonderful first ride as husband and wife, and they are still so sweet and flexible. We all laughed and had so much fun shooting. They still act like newlyweds after 5 years of marriage. That's a good reminder for all of us who have been married a while to treat each other with the same love and respect that we did before we married. Thanks Derrick and Kristy for asking me to come. I had a great time.

Joe and Lacy, Sept. 9th, 2006

When I think of Joe and Lacy's wedding, I think of joy. It was everywhere I looked just surrounding the day. The ceremony was poignant and I got the feeling that the minister and the guests had been anticipating this wedding with great excitement for a while. Watching Lacy and Joe during their first dance was wonderful; they were one of those couples you could clearly see were totally in love with each other. Lacy was kind and prompt and made the day just work seamlessly. (Beautiful gown and bride as well.) Joe and the guys were easy-going and very sweet. I had fun shooting my first digital event and enjoyed being behind the lens catching the wonderful emotion. Thank you Lacy and Joe for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your day. Because this was my first "official" digital wedding, you can see my first wedding slideshow at the link posted below. Many more will follow in the upcoming months.

www.adefiningimage.com/joeandlacy/

First Words

Welcome to my new blog spot. Pull up a cozy chair, put on some coffee and make yourself at home. It's been a few years since my business started, so instead of trying to catch you up on a lot of exciting changes I'll try to let you in on what is happening now. Maybe this can be a little window into my world for you. Thanks for spending some time here; hope you enjoy.