Jacob and LB Wingfield, ladies and gentlemen.
These images are from a Lookslikefilm Tennessee meet up from last summer. One of the best things about these meet ups is the way you challenge yourself to shoot in different angles to avoid having someone else in your shot. (it usually gets crowded at these things lol)
UGH, here are my FAVES! <3
Connor & Co. and I were itching to play around with lots of florals since all of the greens from spring rains were starting to pop through this dreadfully dead season we've been in lately. We popped into Fresh Market and got lots of pretty colors to use and spent the day making the arrangements and bouquet.
Aaron and Anna were available to come hang out with us and fight off all the summer bugs for a few hours and boy were we glad! Their chemistry was unbelievable. Not needing any direction from us, they became one together in their movements right before my very eyes. I WAS IN LOVE.
Having been recently married, their love poured outwards even more than I had originally planned to shoot. But I wasn't going to stop them. Sometimes when you just feel it, you go with it. No matter what. And 9 times out of 10, it turns out way better than you anticipated.
Wall Doxey State Park was our "backyard" for this bright and intimate Spring Inspired Elopement. One of my favorite places to shoot.
I had an absolute blast getting to know Aaron and Anna this evening. They made me feel like a cool kid.
One thing I wanted to capture with this styled shoot was the emotion and chemistry between a couple and their interactions to bring out the heart gripping feelings when you're in the presence of someone you love deeply. Anna and Aaron made that extremely easy for me. I love the happy and joyous moments but I also love the soft and serene moments between two people. Every marriage has both along with many other moments. It isn't easy, but its worth it when those hard times pass. There is nothing greater than going through life and all of its curveballs with someone who knows you inside and out better than you know yourself.
THE HATCHES | MEMPHIS TENNESSEE
SO for starters I have to just say.... Wow. That about sums it up. 2016 was the year I discovered who I was and who I wanted to be. 2016 took me to new places I had never seen before. 2016 gave me friendships, I've never dreamed of before. I have grown in my work and my style and have had clients become lifelong friends.
YOU guys have made this year one HELL of a year. We traveled more than we ever have but not as much as we are going to. We have so so so much to share for whats in store for 2017 but for now we want to remember 2016 and some of the best times of our lives.
We've traveled to 9 States, shot 31 Weddings, and 106 Sessions. We also flew on a plane for the first time.
2016 : You were kick-ass.....
2017 : Take notes. Its only up from here.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. WE LOVE YOU.
*I didn't get a chance to post every single session. Please do not feel discouraged, I have so much more to share from 2016. This is just the beginning! <3*
WOW. That's what I'm going to start with. Shira and Wesley were every photographer's DREAM to capture. From the moment they stepped out of their car to the very last frame, they lit up the world around them. When Shira smiled, Wesley smiled. When Wesley laughed, Shira laughed. I had never met a couple more in sync like these two.
They both, despite the freezing cold, had me laughing until my sides hurt. They were so... energetic and full of love and emotion for each other, I had VERY little direction to give them. I literally sat and soaked up every second of their relationship. And I have ZERO complaints.
Shira is also a photographer, Shira Marie Photography, so photographing them came as easy as their love for each other. Wesley admires Shira. You could see it in his face. And Shira adores Wesley, you can see it in her smile. I LOVE these two, I hope I get to photograph them again!
Here are some of my absolute faves, I hope you guys enjoy! <3
I will start this blog off by saying, my legs are STILL SORE. Although that could be argued with the fact that I'm always on a trail of some sort, hiking into some kind of wooded area.
We took separate vehicles and used Snapchat to fire questions back and forth to each other. We probably had the most fun with this. It helped us get Allie and Nathan's interests and hobbies and quirky little stories and helped them open up to us and really let us in on their love life.
Not in a "nosey" kind of way but in a way where we could all trust each other enough to get the emotions and vibes we were trying to pull from them.
"What is something that Nathan is stronger with where you are weaker?"
"What's your favorite thing to do on Sunday mornings?"
"What is something that you two are looking forward to on your wedding day?"
We were completely blown away at the chemistry between these two. The laughs, the talks, the movements, all of it, simply intimate. We didn't pay attention to time or the people around us, we were just living in the moment and connecting with new friends. I, for one, am SO excited for their spring wedding at the beautiful venue, Bonne Terre.
May can't come fast enough and we cannot wait to celebrate you guys ALL DAY as you take your next step into the adventure of marriage <3
Thank you both for allowing Jacob and I to invade your personal space and make some magic with ya ;)
You might recognize this couple from their surprise proposal that I photographed last August in the sunflower field, so incredibly adorable right?
Of course, one of the things I love about Jessica is her love for being unique. Other people may have done a canoe engagement session before but this was a first for me and, let me tell you.... it was a heck of a work out. BUT totally worth it. As you'll see below, it was almost impossible to not get a gorgeous picture of these two.
Jessica and Tyler will be tying the knot next August at The Barn At Snider Farms and we are beyond excited!!! HUGE thanks to Jonah for helping Tyler and I get the canoe down and of course to Haily for assisting me and helping me lay all of these florals just perfectly <3
Here are a few of my faves from their session last month!
CONGRATS JESSICA AND TYLER!
Skylar and Brian were absolutely wonderful to work with. There is nothing we love more than natural chemistry between two people and Brian and Skylar were complete naturals, at that. We laughed, we ran through tall grass with fear of snakes, we sweat our tails off but had the best time doing it. We love when couples will let loose and let us get them comfortable in their own skin during their session. We want to give youmore than "just taking pictures", we want to create an experience with you. We want to make memories with you.
Of course, they rocked the hell out of their superhero shirts. The whole session, really. I can't get enough of these images. Thank you, Brian and Skylar for hanging out with us and making our job easy. We love you guys!!
Here are our favorites!
Every year since Bray was just a sweet little babe, Chris, Alika, Bray and I venture off to have a fun family session. This time we picked Shelby Farms so that Bray could totally let loose and have some fun exploring. I was so eager to see how much Bray had grown since we last saw each other and boy did he have some stories to tell!
One of my favorite things about my job choice (because I don't have to do this but I choose to, I want to!) is watching each family grow. Each year they have new stories to tell, new tricks to share and new adventures to explore and I get to hear it all. I love it. Having fun with my clients is my top priority, along with documenting your precious moments, of course. As I was showing Alika and Chris some from the back of my camera, Alika would say things like "Yep. That one is going up in the living room." and my heart just flutters every time I hear that. The fact that I can give these families beautiful portraits of their everyday life for them to remember and pass on for years to come, is truly the sole reasoning I do what I do.
Memories are priceless. Prints, canvas, photo books, all of it..... Print your memories. Whether it is an iPhone snap or one from a camera you've had for a few years now... PRINT them! Your kids will thank you, your family will thank you, your great grandkids will thank you. A picture is worth a thousand words and sometimes a picture is all we have.
Here are my favorites!!
It was a romantic setting for David and Jennifer as we gathered at this inanely beautiful Italian restaurant, The Farmer, in the heart of Midtown Memphis, Tn.
Jennifer and I had met prior to their wedding and she told me all about this cute little place, but I had NO idea that it was this freaking gorgeous.
Talk about every photographer's dream venue!
It was so simple and filled with greenery and every shade of florals all around the corners. It pains me to say that they have moved since I photographed this wedding but my word, pictures don't do this place justice.
BUT! The night was only getting so much better.
When Jennifer arrived, I had just finished getting some detail shots of the venue and of their decor when I turned the corner and stopped DEAD in my tracks. Jennifer had the most BEAUTIFUL white satin dress on and I was BLOWN away. I'm not kidding. She was, without a doubt, a complete knock-out!
David's reaction (pictured below) was extremely close to my very own!
Jacob and I couldn't have been more excited to be able to witness such a presence of love and fellowship between friends. We can't thank David and Jennifer enough for allowing us the honor of documenting their wedding day. We wish you guys many years of happiness as you embrace this journey in your life ahead! <3
VENUE / CATERING : THE FARMER
PHOTOGRAPHERS : EMILY + JACOB PHOTOGRAPHY
DRESS : LOW'S BRIDAL
HAIR : LINDSEY GAMMEL
MAKEUP : KENDRICK SIMPSON
CAKE : MISS MUFF'N BAKERY
COORDINATOR : ANNA CAROTHERS
It's always fun to hear from friends in your past about documenting their futures. For some reason it makes it that much more to take in. Emotionally. For me, at least.
I grew up playing ball with Shana, Sabrina and Cameron as well as having their mom as my 5th grade teacher. We are from a small town haha. Needless to say, when Shana contacted me to photographer her wedding, I was jumping for joy! I photographed her sister, Sabrina's wedding back in 2014 so naturally I was excited to be back with their family!
After talking about the venue and how much their small wedding meant to them, I was that much more excited for them and to have the opportunity to help them relive this day over and over again. Shana was not your typical bride as she was requesting photos for more of an adventurous person, which is right up my alley! When Shana mentioned the river, I was ready to jump right in. Some of my favorite bride and groom portraits are in this river.
It was so nice to meet Ethan and his side of the family as they were all very welcoming and accommodating. I had such a great time visiting with everyone and capturing Shana and Ethan's wedding day, I truly appreciate you guys asking me and I feel honored to have been a part of your day!
Here are the highlights of their day!
Venue : Scatterridge Wedding Chapel
Location : Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Contact : scatterridgepm@gmail.com
Jessi came to me with a brilliant idea and I jumped at the chance to do something a little different than a normal senior session.
Jessi was full of laughter, and as you can see had one very contagious smile. She would have me laughing more than taking the photos themselves! It didn't take much get Jessi to open up and she completely K-I-L-L-E-D her session. BAM. Every shot had so much personality.
By sunset, the sun was fading fast so we made the most of it by running through a cornfield covered in paint. I even have a little reminder on the front of my camera (it's blue to be exact) from how much fun we had! I really can't pick one single image that I love more than the next, I apologize for the lengthy post of images, lol.
Here are my favorites, Congrats to Jessi on her senior year!
June was an incredibly busy month for weddings and it was the hottest. No one let the heat interrupt their moods though, this wedding was one for the books!
My husband must be popular in the DeSoto area because most of my brides from this year and next have gone to school with him, or his brother, or at least know someone who knows him (so it seems like haha).
Kelsey was the most relaxed bride and she could care less if anything went wrong that day. She knew by nightfall that she would be Mrs Andrew Cupples, regardless. The BEST attitude to have. I know brides stress over things being absolutely perfect but it's not worth letting it get to you on your wedding day. Enjoy the little moments because the day will pass you by before you finish blinking.
As you'll be able to tell when you scroll down a ways, during reception Kelsey and Andrew had one kick ass DJ : R&R Productions. And people let me tell you, he made the entire room dance. You just couldn't sit still while he was mixing.
Jacob and I were beyond thrilled to have gotten to spend the day with The Cupples and their closest friends and family and even more humbled that they asked us to document their day. We wish you guys nothing but the best in life and we can't wait to see what the future has in store for your precious family!
VENUE : NORTH CREEK GOLF COURSE
DRESS : LOW'S BRIDAL
DJ : R&R PRODUCTIONS
PHOTOGRAPHERS : EMILY + JACOB PHOTOGRAPHY
TUX : MEN'S WEARHOUSE
'MAIDS DRESSES : CORAL REEF \ DAVID'S BRIDAL
CATERERS : AMBER LOVELL - PINK FLAMINGO CATERING
MAKEUP : ALEXANDRA HALL
HAIR : ADORE SALON - SOUTHAVEN, MS
I honestly don't even know where to begin on this post. It's probably why it has taken me so long to write it.
Rewind back to 2013 when Meagen Montgomery sent me a message filled with questions she had found from an article on Pinterest. I answered each one as best as I could and even though I had no idea at the time, we would become best friends. Not to mention the second time I ever met her, was for her boudoir session as her wedding gift to Mike so we got pretty comfortable with each other fairly quickly LOL. We spent a lot of time talking and it later became about things other than wedding related activities. We were on the road to sisterhood (Mrs. Lisa, Meagen's mom, calls us something different haha) that would later develop into one of the most genuine friendships, I've ever encountered. Meagen and I have way more in common than most people think and it's quite hilarious to watch us act similarly without even knowing it. Just ask our husbands LOL. Meagen has taught me what true friendship is and how you can't get a good friend until you become a good friend, yourself. Who knew, right? ;)
Meagen and Mike own a small business, Alexander's Mobile Pet Grooming Service and are actually the very reason we have both of our dogs! Meagen, on the side of working at her parent's medical office in our hometown The Cockrell Family Medical Center, helps immensely with the process of rescuing and fostering dogs in the Mid South area. She has three pit bull dogs of her own and two of those beautiful beings gave me my sweet, brindled Pitbull/Mastiff BABY. Because that's what he is, one big baby. Meagen has one of the BIGGEST hearts I've ever seen when it comes to these precious animals and I am forever grateful to say that I am friends with her gentle soul.
Fast forward to now, 2016. They've been married for 2 years now and are expecting a baby girl in December. You'd never know in the images because Meagen just has a rockin bod. ;) These two people, Meagen and Mike Alexander, have been one of the greatest blessings to my husband and I. I don't know how we grew up in the same town, lived DOWN THE STREET from each other and didn't even meet until we were in our 20's. Heck, our parents went to school with each other! So much for the small town life, huh? HAHA. I love her parents dearly and I am so thankful to be considered part of their family, The Cockrell Family, and continue to watch them grow.
WE LOVE YOU! Of course we had to end the session with a tasty treat because what pregnant lady doesn't want cupcakes? Happy Be-Lated Anniversary! <3
MAY SIXTEENTH TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEEN
I first met Haley years and years ago, probably 20 in fact, and found it fun that Haley had contacted me for photographs after all this time! We both grew up in the same small town and went to the same small town school. We even went to the same small town daycare when we were kids! Another fun fact, we were both married to the love of our lives on May 16, 2015. Haley had contacted me about a Day After Session after explaining the disappointment in her recent experience with wedding photography. There were tons of images she loved but was just a little bummed over certain ones missed. It can happen. Timelines are so important in wedding planning that often we get caught up in the mix of things and lose track from time to time.
I wanted to give Haley and Joe that awesome feeling again. I wanted them to have someone to look back on later so I helped them recreate moments from the day of by getting them to interact in different ways that would pour through their photographs. What I was feeling from them was coming to life on my camera screen.
I heard a friend once quote "You can spend $10,000 on a wedding and hire a $100 photographer and it will look like a $100 wedding. Or you can spend $100 on a wedding and $2000 on a wedding photographer and it will look like a $10,000 wedding."
This is metaphorically speaking, of course, but you get the gist right? Don't hire someone based on their price. Hire someone based on their style. Their personality. Their relationship with their clients. Hire them for the images that drew you to them in the first place. You won't regret it.
For a list of things to look for when hiring your perfect wedding photographer click here for the article, 10 Tips When Searching For Your Perfect Wedding Photographer!
These are some of my favorites from Haley and Joe's session! I hope you guys enjoy them!
"June 28th, 2014 the journey of a lifetime began. I remember this date specifically because it is the day a charmingly outgoing young man approached me at the gym. After some flirting and conversation, he asked for my number and went on with his work out. I remember leaving that night thinking I would never see or talk to this guy again. What a “player” he must be to hit on me at the gym. Little did I know the same man would get down on one knee and ask me to be his wife a little over a year later. Throughout out the beginning of our journey, there were many times I tried to find a reason for it not to work but what some believe as fate, kept bringing us back together; running into each other, hanging out with the same group of friends, obvious signs we could not ignore. Maybe it was fate, but I believe it was God’s plan showing through. I had found the love of my life, the man you read about in fairy tales, and dream about as a little girl, in Joey. And the best part, he wanted to marry ME! Joey is selfless in every way, gives me butterflies with every kiss, and makes me laugh until I physically can’t laugh anymore but then somehow makes me laugh again.
Once I came back down to reality after all the excitement, all the crazy wedding plans began. I found “THE DRESS”. Bridesmaids dresses and the guys suits were done. We were booking the venue, food, reception hall, and the pictures. I thought I was doing everything right; finding the best prices and asking around for opinions of the people I had chosen to help with the big day. I made extra sure about the photographer because pictures are so important to us. We take pictures of EVERYTHING!!! What I soon learned was that other people's opinions are great but they are not your own. What some thought was a great experience, I saw very differently. The day of the wedding, we spent more time looking for the photographer than we did taking pictures. When the photographer did come around, she was yelling at everyone and even had me crying at one point in the day. The pictures we did take were very posed and I did not feel like we were getting any meaningful shots. But I told myself it would be okay because at least the pictures would turn out good. I was wrong again. Once we received the pictures, most were blurry, had shadows over the picture, or the photographer's equipment was in the background. There were so many special moments missed, such as; Joey seeing me for the first time or my daddy and grandaddy seeing me. Sadly, I will never get these moments back. With our one year anniversary approaching, I would still look back at our wedding and emotions would take over. Not the butterfly happy emotions but the disappointed and bitter emotions. I struggled to get past how one person had affected so much of the day.
We decided to retake pictures in my dress and try to recapture some of those special moments missed. This time I did not care about the price, I wanted the best and I fully believe we got the BEST with Emily Hatch. From the first e-mail, I knew this time would be better. She asked questions about the set up of pictures, the time of day we would want, and things we were interested in. We sent pictures back and forth to give her a clear idea of what we wanted and hoped for. With the first photographer, I did not know what to expect, so I did not realize how much she did not get to know us as people or a couple, or care about what WE wanted captured. Emily cared and wanted us to get exactly what we invisioned. It was finally time to retake our pictures. I was so nervous on the way there. I felt confident the pictures would be great because I had already talked to Emily so much about it and had seen her work before, but with the last experience, I wanted it to be perfect. AND IT WAS!!!!! She immediately had us laughing at one another and in the moment. Real emotion was captured with each click of the camera. I remembered our wedding day in a positive light for the first time, with each picture she showed us. No, it wasn’t the real day and no it wasn’t him seeing me for the first time, but it was picture after picture of the love we share for one another and the happiness we bring to each other. Literal tears filled my eyes, knowing that because of Emily and her passion for photography and capturing moments, I would now be able to look at a wedding picture and smile, laugh, and remember it as I should.
My advice, ALWAYS talk to the photographer for yourself. Allow him/her to get to know you and see if your ideas are the same. NEVER let the price determine who you choose for such a special and important job. Photographers will work with you if you really want them. Emily was a complete joy to work with. Contacting her was always easy and she replied quickly each time. The price was by all means doable and WORTH IT!!! She not only wanted to take great pictures but meaningful and emotional pictures as well. My love for Joey and His love for me can be seen so evidently. That’s all you can ask for."
Guys, meet Rusty and Maury. Two of the most romantic souls. Two of the most humble souls. I first met Maury through a mutual friend and I photographed her oldest daughter, Chevelle, 3 years ago when I held lemonade minis. I instantly became fond of this precious little family and later developed a friendship with Maury that is still alive today. We're actually going to Jerry's Sno Cones tomorrow :P
Maury and Rusty were so enthralled with each other that their emotion seeped through these images. They have that shy, intriguing romance that pulls you in and boy was it hard to stop taking photos of them together. I always enjoy getting to catch up with The Fletcher's because they genuinely are some of the most down to earth people. We always have lots of laughs and love getting our kiddos together.
It's always a pleasure working with Maury and Rusty <3 Here are some of my faves!!
"I am so grateful for that random summer day in July 2008 when I saw Rusty for the first time. I didn't think for a second he would be my future husband! It took us three months for us to have our first date, on Halloween night! Ever since then, we have been quite literally inseparable. It's the absolute best thing being married to your best friend (cheesy but true :)) Rusty and I mainly just want to be the best examples for our kids. We want to love each other the way God has called us to. It isn't always easy, but we choose each other everyday."
_ MAURY <3