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Confession: I hate blogging. There, I said it. I need to incorporate it into my workflow, but I rarely find the energy or time to do it. That’s not fair to my brides. I’ve been a bride and I remember that seeing our images up on vendors’ sites was a big deal and SO exciting. In 2015, I vow to be better at this; to refresh my blog site/template and to do my best to keep up with my weddings and share the talent of these incredible photographers I work with! After all, it took an entire team of people to pull these events off as flawlessly as we hope and I owe it to my couple and my team of vendors to sing their praises in ‘thanks’!!!
My main reason for not blogging in so long is that my next sequential event to document is my sister’s wedding. I imagine that every planner has that wedding that they will never forget. The one that they poured their heart and soul into; shed tears for. Lost sleep. The one that was so close to their hearts that it overshadowed even their own wedding. My little sister’s wedding was that event and I still tear up thinking/writing about it. But, I’m going to do it. So, Part 1 of our tale….
Jena and Trent met in college. Simply friends, these two went their separate ways. Trent moved to Utah to pursue his Master’s in Architecture while Jena took a job with Kirkland’s home office in Nashville. I remember Jena talking about Trent off and on and the day she told me she was going to Salt Lake for a long weekend “to catch up with my friend, Trent”. Her face, her tears and her behavior when I picked her up from the airport told me everything. She was gonna be visiting this sweet guy A LOT!
Fast forward a year-ish and these two crazy kids were engaged and planning a wedding. Jena may not have wanted my help in the extreme way I gave it, but I was determined that she was going to enjoy her wedding day like I wasn’t able to enjoy mine. This was to be my gift to her, Trent, my parents and his. This was going to be what they wanted, designed as they wanted and none of us were going to be crazy people on the wedding day. So the fun began.
A date was chosen. Although not Jen’s ideal wedding date, these two were struggling with the distance. We set a September date (4 months from the proposal!) and I had my work cut out for me! Four months to plan my little sister’s wedding and play planner, florist and Matron of Honor. Holy crap. We got busy….Dress shopping went well, date change was embraced and we moved on to decor.
This picture started it all. A cheerful painting found during a Pinterest search set off the color scheme for the entire event. With a dark teal background and pops of dark orange, golden yellow and white, we created Trent and Jena’s colorful brunch wedding. Working with 2 incredibly talented, artistic individuals is tough, btw.
Bridesmaids’ dresses were chosen and we loved them! Flowers were chosen and I was stressing out. Pinwheels were crafted over many weekend sis-dates and ribbon chandeliers came together beautifully. Trent designed and created their invitations and paper suite and the date drew nearer. And I was stressing out. I was trying to maintain my cool for Jena: the bride, my mom & dad: who were preparing their daughter for a cross-country move, and myself: who was falling apart at the seams. But, I digress.
With the colors and decor chosen, the menu chosen, the venue toured and approved, we started creating the overall feel for the day. Delicious cake, a gourmet coffee bar and gelato were essential for these foodies and were huge hits. A laid back, casual feel was also essential and we worked to make the 96 guests that were expected feel welcome and well-fed as these two didn’t want anything stuffy or superfluous. The rehearsal went well, we actually got a little sleep the night before and Jen woke up to incredible hair and makeup treatment. She looked insanely beautiful. And the day began…
I love all the detail shots captured of socks and jewelry, etc. I wore part of my mother’s veil when I got married, and although she may not ever admit it, it was important to her that Jena did too. With a bit of creativity, mom and Jen created a beautiful headpiece (mom hand beaded it) that could be worn when Jena took off the veil.
Always a believer in hiring a 2nd shooter, NOT having one was not an option for Jena’s wedding. You’ll notice different angles of the same event in several photos that follow. While Krista was in one place, Esther was in another, taking photographs of the same moment and the finished products tell a complete story of the day. For instance, their first look…
So, naturally I’m crying all morning and it was tough to pull it together for the formals, but I did my best…
But seriously, how BEAUTIFUL is my little sister!?!?!
Trent and Jena wrote their own vows and their service was so heartfelt. Oh, but you’re wondering about the dinosaur? I’ll explain him in the next entry of “T+J 4Eva”.
The photos with bridal party members holding blue ribbons? They got a bit frisky during the prayers and luckily we were able to grab hold and nix those pesks! Another excellent argument for a second shooter! 🙂
Until next time…
Venue: The Governor’s Club
Wedding planning: Kennedy Occasions
Photography: Krista Lee Photography
Floral Design: Bouquets/bouts/centerpieces – Emily Kennedy
Wreaths – Melissa Marie Floral Design
Musicians: Mockingbird Musicians
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