Why I love weddings :

Because I love marriage. I respect marriage. I respect people who make solemn vows of commitment and agree to spend years practicing love, not just proclaiming it. Marriage is hard, and not for the faint of heart. I think that's what makes it great.

I love my husband. I love being married to him. I love being reminded of my vows to him, during every ceremony I witness. I love knowing that others have found a similar joy and peace, that I have found in Lincoln. What a glorious thing, to find your person. 

I love that Jesus calls us his bride, and that John talks about "the wedding feast of the Lamb" in Revelation. This is a metaphor worth celebrating. 

I wrote these words, for two friends to read on their wedding day:

"Just whatever you do - don't miss the gravity and the holiness of this:  you are making a covenant with and before the King of Heaven & Earth today. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, whose voice twists the oaks and strips the forests bare, who touches the mountains and they smoke, who has swallowed up death forever - and who takes us as a bride, as you take each other today. 

This is no small thing. No small vows you make today, and no small audience you have in heaven. You are on holy ground.

Hallelujah."

Now I will risk being too honest - the wedding industry makes me weary. I do not feel at home in it. If I didn't believe those words above in italics with every fiber of my being, I would have stopped weddings a while ago. But I do believe them. And I do feel very at home at some weddings. I have cried behind my camera, because I felt so grateful to be witnessing such holy moments with such good people. 

There are a lot of different kinds of photographers, just like there are a lot of different kinds of people getting married. In five years of photographing weddings, I have learned that I am honestly not a good option for some people's weddings. But. I am a kickass, match-made-in-heaven option for other people's weddings. And as I walk forward, I want to work with kindred spirits, for both of our sakes. 

So in this next section, I'm going to be brave and honest, and tell you what I believe I can do well. If it sounds good to you, I'm going to ask you to be brave and honest in return, and tell me a little about yourself and your fiance, in your first email to me. Yes, even before you know if I'm available on your date or not. I have tried to give you an honest sense of my heart, personality, and mission, all over this website. It means the world to me, for you to do the same for me. I want to know what is important to you, what you love about your fiance, why you're choosing to get married, how you want to feel on your wedding day.

I have learned what to listen for, and if I don't think I am the right photographer for you, I will be kind enough to tell you that, and I will suggest at least one photographer who I think would be a good fit for you. 

Here's what I know I'm good at :

There is not a shortage of wedding photographers in Nashville. This is what I believe sets me apart. This is what I like about how I choose to shoot weddings.

  -> I am a peaceful person, and I am purposefully very gentle on wedding days. 

You don't spend all day with your florist, or your caterer. You do spend a lot of the day with your photographer, though. I consider this an honor, and a huge responsibility. If I give you pretty photos, but make you feel bossed around and small and unsure of yourself in the process - I've failed. Not all photographers see it this way, but I absolutely do. During the portraits of the bride and groom, I hope you learn something new about each other, and forget I'm there for a second and really laugh together. Also - I know that wedding days are exciting for parents - but can be pretty stressful, and even heartbreaking. I know no one wants to say that, and bring down the joyful mood. But I know. And I will be gentle with you. 

  -> It is so important to me to NOT distract from your ceremony. 

Several times, people have made a point to thank me for this, after the fact. I know there is a balance to be found, and there are times when even I will distract people or block someone's view for a moment - but it's important to me that everyone is able to focus on this beautiful fleeting moment, that you invited them all to witness.

  -> I'm shooting with your future selves and children in mind. Not Instagram. Not wedding blogs. 

If nothing else, this helps me prioritize. Real moments are more important to me than pretty details. Believe me, I like the pretty details as much as the next girl, and I like taking those photos. But I tell you what. When my Grandpa passed away, that photo of him taking communion at our wedding suddenly became one of my favorites of the whole day. I'm glad Palmer, our photographer, had her eyes open for that moment. I want to leave space to catch some of the real and unplanned moments on your wedding day. 

I have a wall in our home full of black & white family photos. I want your kids to have some photos like that from your wedding day. That's why the traditional, very posed and organized portraits are also important to me. And I want your children to know that their parents were in love on their wedding day. I want you to look at your wedding portraits in twenty years and think, "I still love to lay my head on his shoulder that way," or, "how do I still laugh every time she makes that face?"

  -> I want to be your friend. I want to care about you. So I make a point to start getting to know you before your wedding. 

I want you to feel like your best self, while we are taking photos and when you look at them later. I have to know a little bit about you, before I can watch for those little moments and expressions that make you you. I want you to be excited to see me that day, not wondering what I will be like! I prefer to meet with every couple in person before we decide to work together, and if we can't take engagement photos for any reason, I'd like us to share a meal together sometime before the wedding day. 

Here's the Deal :

  -> I ask $2,400 for wedding day photography. 

You can add a second shooter for an additional $400, and if I am traveling out of Nashville, a travel fee will be added, depending on distance, time, and expenses. 

  -> Please, let's take engagement photos! 

An engagement session is included in this all-inclusive price, because I really want to spend an afternoon with every couple I work with, before their wedding day. If we aren't able to take engagement photos for any reason, the cost does not change, and I will offer to treat you to dinner instead. Because I want to be your friend.

  -> I have eight hours in me. Tops. 

It took me five years to learn this, and this is the "brave & honest" part I mentioned earlier. Every wedding day looks a little different, but what this probably means is that if you have open dancing at your reception, that is when I will take my leave. Four hours is a very common reception time, and I want you to take as long as you want to dance your little heart out. But I only have a couple hours in me. I will stay to document any first dances with the couple and parents, any toasts, and the cutting of the cake, but not for an hour + of opening dancing, or the send-off. If you're planning a shorter reception without open dancing, I'll be there until the end!

  -> You can have the files. You're in charge of printing. 

I will deliver an online gallery within two months after your wedding. There will be at least 500 photos that I have chosen and edited for you. From there, you can download the photos to keep forever, and you can order prints, small and large, of your favorites. I do ask that you order any prints through the gallery, only because printing is incredibly important! It's important to print photos, and it's important to print them well. I think the process is easiest when you order through the gallery, and I know the quality is excellent. If you have your eye on products from another company, please let me know, and I can send you a print release. 

That's a lot of info. Thanks for sticking with me. If you're tired of reading and want to see some of my favorite images from past couples I've worked with, or if you have any questions for me, or think I could be a good fit for your wedding, those buttons below can help you out.