Kristen and Taylor’s WaterStone Venue Wedding in Johnson City, TN
If there’s ever been a couple or wedding day that I have called perfect, it’s Taylor and Kristen and Taylor and Kristen’s wedding day… See why!
If there’s ever been a couple or wedding day that I have called perfect, it’s Taylor and Kristen and Taylor and Kristen’s wedding day.
Yes, the day was beautiful but more importantly the thing that makes it so special is their genuine love and kindness towards each other and the people around them. From the moment they reached out to us about their wedding we felt more like friends than hired wedding vendors. The wedding industry feels so crazy at times that you often feel like you are failing, no matter how much you work and deliver - Our experience with The Johnsons (and all of their wedding party + guests) was the opposite. I feel like they are the type of people that would invite you to Christmas and probably get you a gift even though you aren’t actually part of the family haha!
Kristen was so calm and at peace with her decision to marry Taylor, and vice versa. When they weren’t together on their wedding day, they asked about each other. When they were together, they stole glances and had fun while taking in each moment with each guest around them.
Everything about their day was done in excellence - from the peony bouquet, to the triple sparkler exit and everything in between - it was truly a day to remember!
Our amazing vendors from today!
Dress: Lillian Ruth Bride
Groom and Groomsmen attire: Men’s Warehouse
Hair and Makeup: Glamhouse Studios
Bridesmaid attire: Birdy Grey
Florals: Flowers by Tammy
Venue: Waterstone
Catering: Opie’s Pizza Wagon, Single Barrel Events
Invitations: Truly Engaging by Magnet Street
Zach and Ashlynn’s Knoxville Engagements
We loved spending our evening with Ashlynn and Zach in downtown Knoxville! Their engagement session ended with a perfect evening on the river.
The best part of being a photographer is telling each couples story. Each couple we meet and have the privilege of working with has a unique story that we get to portray through our camera lens. It is no different with Zach and Ashlynn.
This couple moved to Knoxville, not too long ago and have embraced the “Knoxvillian Life”. Living close to the downtown life, it only seemed fitting to take their engagement pictures where their home is! It is so much fun to go to the same location as other couples and pictures look unique each time because our couples are so different!
We took some time to walk to Market Square and taste-test one of our favorite wedding vendors Proper Popcorn, danced to the live music on the square and went to the historic Oliver Hotel.
We finished the evening with an outfit change, and night on the river. It was a perfect evening! Zach and Ashlynn are so sweet! We loved our time with them in one of our favorite places.
Having trouble picking a location for your engagement pictures? We have a list of our favorites that we recommend to our couples having a hard time deciding. Reach out to us!
Abbie and Denver’s Pastel Perfection
Abby and Denver put all tradition aside and planned a wedding THEY loved! Read about all the unique details from their day.
The Aydelott’s wedding day was truly a dream. From the very beginning of the planning process, Abbie and Denver put traditions aside and planned a day full of things they love! Every detail of this day showed their personality and their love for each other.
A few things that made Abbie and Denver’s wedding day so unique. First, Abbie opted to wear a beautiful, pastel flower crown to match her bouquet rather than wearing a veil. She pared the crown with a hand made dress that she designed herself! Second, rather than a unity candle or sand, Abbie and Denver made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the shape of a heart. They even ate it right there on stage. This was such a fun part of the ceremony! Lastly, they made sure to read the vows that they wrote each other. This moment during the ceremony, all the family and friends could tell just how much Abbie and Denver love each other.
When it came time for the reception, who can go wrong with a fire pizza oven, a live band of amazing family musicians, and a candy/pretzel bar?! They literally thought of everything. Our bride and groom are not fans of cake, so instead of cutting cake, they chose to feed each other their first bite of pizza as a married couple! Live music and singing from friends and family happened all throughout the reception. Denver (the drummer) even jumped in on a few songs to complete the evening!
Overall, we absolutely loved every unique moment and detail from this day! Thank you Abbie and Denver Aydelott for allowing us to be there and share this perfect day with you! It was a beautiful day!
Check out the amazing vendors from this wedding: Eric Young Designs, Men’s Warehouse, Hairstyles by Becca, Thistle and Lace Florals, Cedar Pond Farms, Auntie Ann’s Pretzels, Wood Oven Eats
Planning a wedding in an un-traditional way? We would love to hear what you chose to make your day unique!
Abby + Noah’s Wedding at the Barn at Faith Farms
This couple had a beautiful, intimate wedding at the Barn at Faith Farms. We have all the love for this venue and our couple!
We can’t say enought about the Barn at Faith Farms. We love this venue and staff so much, we would work here every weekend if we had the opportunity. From the beautiful grounds to the staff’s willingness to help and drive around in the golf cart, it’s always a great experience! Abby and Noah’s day had a rain shower which ultimately made the setting feel that much more intimate and romantic. I’m so happy we were able to go out into the field and take pictures just before the sun went down. The couple did not have a first look, and this was our opportunity to take bride and groom portraits on their wedding day—which is always an important part of the day!
Vendors on this lovely day: The Barn at Faith Farms, Lillian Ruth Bridal, Layla Joy Bakery Creations
Did you get all the bride and groom portraits you dreamed of on your wedding day? Did you get rained out? It’s never too late to book a session to create memories!! We would love to connect with you and book your photos. Let’s make some magic!
Josh + Lindsay’s Wedding at The Barn at Faith Farms
We were so honored to be a part of Josh and Lindsay’s wedding at the Barn at Faith Farms.
There are some couples that we come across that we know will stick with us forever. Lindsay and Josh are no exception. Their day was filled with so much love and support about the decision they were making to spend their life together! From every prayer spoken over them by parents and bridal party to Lindsay’s infection laugh and the beautiful setting at the Barn at Faith Farms—the day was simply perfect.
Lindsay and Josh, thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a special day centered around your faith and family. It will be a day we never forget and we were honored to play a small part in celebrating this beginning of your lives together.
Our lovely vendors from today: The Barn at Faith Farms, Vintage Florals, Say Yes with Jess, The Bridal House of Charleston, Make up by Chloe Hall, Styles by Ciara, David’s Bridal, Sweet Art Cakes, DJ T3.
Grande Exit Ideas
Looking for a unique exit idea? Here are a few tips for a photo-worthy exit!
When it comes to reception exits, there really is no wrong answer! In recent trend, sparklers have become a great go-to for reception exits. Also in recent trend, venues have put a stop to sparklers due to them being giant sticks of open flames… that doesn’t always mix well with a forest or state park venue or guests that have had just a little too much fun at the party…
Have no fear! We have you covered with some alternative suggestions. We have had some very creative couples that have found ways to have amazing, picture perfect exits that don’t require sparklers. These couples have chosen biodegradable confetti, flower petals, glow sticks and bubble guns! Check out this gallery of some of our favorite recent Grande exits!
Confetti
Abby and Denver had a beautiful East Tennessee Farm Wedding. They chose to have pastel confetti cones matching their wedding colors for their guests to throw as they were leaving their reception. We also used them for bridal party portraits!
Jordan and Patrick chose confetti also! They chose a confetti “exit” with just their bridal party at a Country Club in Knoxville. The intimacy of having the bridal party do a fake exit before the reception was great! There was no rush, and our bride got the pictures she dreamed of!
2. Bubbles
Sam and Josh’s wedding in downtown Knoxville had an exit that we are still talking about! They bought bubble guns for all of their guests and it turned out amazing. Everyone stood around for a long time afterwards enjoying the fun - their guests didn’t want to leave!
3. Flower Petals
Flower petals, whether dried or right off the stem are always a beautiful choice for your reception exit. Our brides Jordan and Abby both chose flower petals and it did not disappoint.
What exit idea are you dreaming up for your wedding? We can’t wait to hear all about it!
Emilie + Patrick’s Smoky Mountain Engagement Session
We met up with Emilie and Patrick for this early morning session at Cades Cove and it did not disappoint!
First, let’s get one thing straight… I am not a morning person. However, if every morning looks like this, I think the change is possible! Emilie and Patrick’s engagement session was so beautiful that we didn’t want to leave. Even a 4:30 AM wake up call couldn’t stop us from enjoying all the beauty of these mountains as the sun was rising. I wish we could share every photo because they are all our favorites. We can’t wait to celebrate them again at their 2022 wedding!
UT Gardens with Nolan + Flannery
It’s so important to take the time to create memories that you will remember for a lifetime. We loved this anniversary shoot with Nolan and Flannery!
The Carpenter’s celebrated their first wedding anniversary with a sweet photoshoot which featured Flannery’s wedding bouquet! The attention to detail from her now sister-in-law is impeccable — I honestly thought that her flowers were real until she told me they were from her wedding day a year ago! I tell all of our brides, if they don’t get the outdoor pictures due to rain on their wedding day, let’s plan something after the honeymoon or even on their first anniversary to capture these moments in your relationship that you will want to look back on forever!
A Classic and Romantic Summer Wedding with Jordan and Patrick
We were so honored to be a part of this classy couple’s wedding day! Check out Jordan and Patrick’s wedding at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN.
Jordan and Patrick’s wedding day was full of love and joy! We were so honored to be a part of their day. We started the day off at the Cherokee Country Club where the couple got ready with bridesmaids and groomsmen. They took some time while they were there to exchange gifts with family and their bridal party. The ceremony was set at the breathtaking Sacred Heart Cathedral in West Knoxville. This was our first Catholic wedding and it did not disappoint. It was such a beautiful day for the sweetest couple! Check out all of the wonderful details and vendors included below!
Tips for the Best Wedding Pictures
Here are a few tips for any bride to make sure you have the best pictures from your wedding day!
When your wedding day is coming up quick, it’s best to be prepared. We like to have a timeline call with our brides 1-2 weeks out from their wedding day. In this timeline call, we nail down those final details for the day so that the wedding day can be a breeze! Each wedding timeline is uniquely planned for each bride depending on location, the day’s activities and time of ceremony. Here are just a few easy tips to ensure that you have the best photos from your wedding day for any bride!
Prep all of your details before your wedding day!
When we first arrive to your wedding day we are on a mission to photograph all of your special details because once the wedding day timeline gets going, it’s difficult to go back! We recommend having a bag or box full of the items so we can collect them upon arrival. This includes your engagement rings and both wedding bands, any additional jewelry, flowers, shoes, veil, perfume, invitation suite, etc.! We will take your dress and photograph that during this time also. You can customize your flat lay and detail shots however you’d like by the items you choose to provide. We provide ribbons, ring boxes and beautiful mats to display them on!
2. have a detailed timeline
If you have a wedding planner, they will be taking care of this for you and we will give our input where needed. If not, we will help you plan a detailed timeline - because it’s one of those things you can’t do without! Having a detailed timeline for the wedding day will allow enough time in each location for detail pictures, first looks, giving of gifts, bridal party and family pictures while also allowing you to enjoy your new spouse and guests!
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
This is your day! Relax and enjoy time with your family, friends, and your new husband/wife. You are spending so much time, energy, and money to plan this day, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Something always happens- someone is running late, a candle won’t light, the wind is blowing too hard. But at the end of the day those things don’t matter. How do you want to look back on your day for years to come? You’ll think about your friends and how they had such a great time, your grandparents and how they loved being a part, the excitement and anxiousness you felt before your first look, some may even remember how good their cake was (guilty). Enjoy yourself. Everything is going to be perfect - and when it’s not, that’s okay too!
4. Plan a detailed family photo list
Yes, t’s so important that it’s got it’s own special place on the blog! The last thing we want is to have to run up to your over and over on your wedding day asking about who you need to take pictures with. Remember - we don’t know your family so if your mom tells us to make sure you get a picture with your cousins and your great aunt, we don’t know their names or their faces in the sea of people at your wedding. You know that time directly after your ceremony when all of the family is looking around and waiting for direction? That’s where the list comes in! We always have a printed list and a member of our team will call out names and mark them off as we go so no one gets left out.
A detailed family photo list looks something like this:
Bride and Groom with cousins Eric, Lindsay, Brittani, Steven and Kami
Bride with great aunt Sally
I know it feels like overkill for you to make this list but it makes our day (and yours) so much easier and the family photos will be efficient without leaving anyone out and hurting feelings. We get compliments from family members all the time about how we handle these situations. Family photos do not have to be a pain. Let’s get you to that reception so you can have fun and enjoy your guests for the rest of the evening!
Still looking for a Knoxville vendor?
We’ve assembled a list of wonderful vendors to assist you in your wedding planning!
As your wedding photographer and someone who is on your team, I want to make sure that you are given all of the information possible to make the best decisions for your day! I believe that you not only need professionals that are great at their job, but you need people who are nice, have your back, can do what it takes to get the job done. These are those people. If they are on this list, it’s because I love their work and also believe in who they are as a person. Your wedding vendors have the ability to make or break your wedding day, so why not make it perfect! As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions! We will be updating this list periodically so feel free to check back for more! - Brittani
Florals:
Make Up:
Dinner, Bakery, Favors:
Custom Invitation Suites and Calligraphy:
Are you a vendor interesting in joining our list? We would love to work with you! Send us a message at bsloanphotography@gmail.com
Haley + Jack’s Fun Loving Wedding Day
Haley and Jack’s wedding was a true representation of their love for each other from beginning to end. The weather was perfect, Haley looked like a dream, and Jack married his bride! It was a wonderful day!
Haley and Jack. This fun and energetic couple made our job so easy! Their love for each other showed so strongly in everything that happened throughout the day. When we took Haley and Jack aside to record vows before the wedding, we couldn’t help but see why they were in love with each other. The words they wrote to each other, the care they have for one another, and the life they look forward to together was shared so clearly though the vows they wrote.
Throughout the whole day, so many of the details reflected Haley and Jack’s personality. Haley and Jack love all things Disney, Star Wars and really any fun thing you can think of. The bride and groom each had a pair of converse painted with their favorite Disney characters. And let me add—Haley is a DIY queen!! She made all the bridesmaids bouquets, the table center pieces and she decorated her jacket for the end of the evening with jewels and pearls. There was even a horse-drawn carriage to leave the ceremony and a lightsaber exit!
When we asked what their vision for the day was, their response immediately was “We want everyone to have a good time!” Wholeheartedly, we feel that it was accomplished! Everyone was laughing, dancing, and complimenting our bride and groom. We want each couple to have their perfect day and we love capturing those moments for them!
