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A Bright and Colorful Wedding at Old Glory Distillery in Clarksville, TN

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Aaron and Jessica’s wedding was very much a spring wedding in Tennessee. They had beautiful pops of color throughout their florals and decor and like a lot of spring weddings, we were dodging light rain for most of their portrait time. When I first arrived at Old Glory Distillery, they had a beautiful outdoor ceremony setup. When the weather forecast looked like a good bit of rain was on its way, the Old Glory & PSR Events teams moved the ceremony setup indoors. Well….since Tennessee weather is crazy and doesn’t know what it wants to do, the rain just kept dying off before it got to us so everyone jumped into action a few minutes before the ceremony to move everything back outside. It really was exciting to see everyone work so quickly to put together the ceremony that Aaron and Jessica wanted.  And as a photographer, I was all about that good natural lighting for the outdoor ceremony.

I loved getting to watch Jessica light up anytime she got to be alone with Aaron on their wedding day. I don’t know if you know this or not, but wedding days can be SUPER stressful. You spend all this time planning out all the little details and answering a million little questions but when Jessica was with her Aaron, you just got the feeling that all the wedding day stress melted away because she was marrying her person. They had so much laughter and love and it was really nice to get to witness that and be a part of their day.

Some of my favorite parts of their wedding were Jessica’s wedding dress, her blue wedding heels, her man of honor, and a delicate handkerchief that had been passed down by multiple generations in her family to be worn on her wedding day. Jessica’s wedding dress was fully beaded and weighed a ton! It was stunning and I honestly don’t know how she wore it all day and night!!! Pair that dress with her blue heels and I was in love!!

I also loved that Jessica had a “man of honor” and a “bridesman” in her bridal party. I love that some of her closest friends got to stand up beside her and help her marry the love of her life. And let me tell you, Kevin (the man of honor) definitely did not take his job lightly. He was just such a huge help to everyone that day and I was so grateful for him. His toast during the reception brought the entire room to laughter and then tears as he talked about his friendship and love for Jessica. He was the perfect “man of honor”!

Aaron and Jessica, I loved getting to witness and capture your love on your wedding day. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your photographer and I hope you love this sneak peek blog post of my favorite moments.

Jessica and her two “bridesmen”

Right after we captured some photos of the full bridal party, it started raining so the groomsmen all moved inside for their photos and I think it was really fitting for this group of guys! They looked great standing in front of the production distillery room.

While we were setting up for the photo in front of the Old Glory sign, I noticed a ladybug on Jessica’s dress. I pointed it out and then went to move it and Jessica said “Oh, that’s my Nana!” She went on to tell me that after her Nana passed, they kept finding ladybugs everywhere and that it’s her showing up for important life moments. I just immediately got misty-eyed and made sure to put that ladybug right back where I found her.

Soooooo many guests were chanting for Jessica to smash the cake in the beard! Can you imagine cleaning that out?!

I love the barrel filling at Old Glory! You get to learn a little bit about the process and if you’re lucky, the working cat comes out to say hi!

VENUE | Old Glory Distillery

FLORALS | PSR Events

CAKE | The Peanut Butter Sucker

CATERING | PSR Events

PLANNING | PSR Events

DJ | DJ Emcees Nashville

RECEPTION TRANSPORTATION | Big Fish Limousines

BRIDESMAID DRESSES | David’s Bridal

GROOMSMEN ATTIRE | Men’s Warehouse

You can see a gallery of even more of my favorite images by clicking this link: JAC’S FAVORITES

You can see another wedding I photographed at Old Glory Distillery by clicking this link: BLICK WEDDING

To view all the photography services I offer, click HERE

After my first meeting with Amber to discuss her wedding at Old Glory Distilling Co., I knew that I was going to be counting down the days to her wedding. I left that meeting on a wedding photographer’s high! Amber’s mother works for PSR Events in Clarksville and they were going to be doing all the wedding coordination, decor, and florals for Amber and John’s wedding so I knew it was going to be absolutely beautiful.

Amber and John got ready at John’s parents’ house, which I think is so special and made the getting ready photos so meaningful. I loved listening to the guys holler out random facts about John’s childhood bedroom and tease him as we were taking some of his photos. We could not stop laughing! To say that this bridal party was a blast is an understatement. We had so many inside jokes by the end of the day!

I love that Amber and John were able to have their first look under the crepe myrtles behind the house. It was just a beautiful setting and that spot will always be special to them now. It really does make my heart happy to think that one day they’ll probably get to watch their kids play in that same little spot that they first saw each other on their wedding day. I can just picture two little boys running around playing football back there.

The Blick family’s big backyard with tall trees was a lifesaver for all of the bridal party photos. It was hot hot hot that day and the shade made it so much more bearable. John’s dad even had these huge fans sitting out by the trees to help with the heat that day. (THANK YOU MR. TERRY!)

This was my first wedding at Old Glory Distilling Co. and I wasn’t really sure what to expect when it came to decor. HOLY COW did PSR Events just blow me away with how beautiful everything was. I think I said “oh my gosh it’s just so pretty” a million times that day. All of the greenery and pastel tones had the entire space feeling so elegant and timeless. And I always love it when my couples do a long family style table for the bridal party at their reception. It’s beautiful and it keeps your closest friends up there with you so you can talk and have fun while eating!

Definitely one of the coolest parts of this wedding was the “filling of the barrel”. At Old Glory, you can fill a barrel with bourbon on your wedding night! You’ll have to scroll down to see the photos of Amber and John filling their barrel. If this venue had been around back when my husband and I were married, he totally would have booked our wedding at Old Glory JUST for this! I’m not even kidding.

Amber and John, I hope you enjoy reliving your amazing wedding day through this blog post!!! It was such an honor getting to be your wedding photographer!!!

I love that all the girls had these matching monogrammed robes from Marley Lilly

Amber’s wedding gown was so gorgeous! She looked like royalty!

Amber’s first look with her step-dad was so sweet. I love his smile so much!

Are they not just the sweetest?! Amber had to take a few moments before she could tell John to turn around. The love that these two have for one another was so sweet to get to photograph.

I definitely wanted to make sure that I got a few photos of John with his family while we were still at their home since it was so special that they were able to get ready there.

I just love these photos of the girls steaming Amber’s dress right before the ceremony.

His face is just priceless here!

How cute is this frame that was decorated for photos?!

I just loved this bridal party! Some of them got really into their entrances into the Reception.

I can’t NOT give a little background on these next photos. John’s grandfather was asked to give the blessing for the meal and it somehow morphed into this epic blessing/toast where story after story of John were told. We all couldn’t help but giggle at the longest blessing ever and it was truly amazing! We all loved it!

Sneaking out during the reception for sunset photos with the Bride and Groom will always be a favorite.

They had the most beautiful sunset over their day.

Showing off their new bling!

He definitely shoved cake up her nose!

The filling of the barrel!!

Below are some of the Vendor links that were a part of making this wedding a dream come true for Amber and John. If you click on the company name, it will take you to their website.

Venue | Old Glory Distilling Co.

Wedding Coordinator | PSR Events

Florals | PSR Events

Hair | Kendyl Davis Unger with Flawless Beauty Company

Makeup | Katelyn Hamaker with Flawless Beauty Company

DJ | Van Herndon

Videographer | Patrick Robinson

Ceremony Musicians | Brio Strings

Wedding Dress | Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaid Dresses | Bill Levkoff

Groom and Groomsmen Attire | Mens Warehouse

Cake | Walmart

Amber and John’s Wedding Highlight Video 

Amber and John’s Engagement Photos

Amber and John’s Gallery of Wedding Favorites

If you looked at the forecast at any time during the week leading up to Kendyl and Daniel’s wedding, you would have seen a very high chance of rain on their wedding day. I had already prepared myself for having to do all their portraits indoors and I had a game plan in mind, but that didn’t keep me from praying that it wouldn’t rain. Their wedding day arrived and the chance of rain had dropped drastically but there was still a chance for pop-up storms. It was pretty crazy how we could see a pop-up storm heading our way and right before it would get to us, the storm would just disappear. This actually happened a few times that day and it was really cool to watch!

There were so many details of Kendyl and Daniel’s wedding that I absolutely loved. Kendyl’s bouquet was made of wooden flowers (yes…I said wood! they were gorgeous!) and she had heart shaped patches sewn into her wedding dress. One patch with her Granny’s handwriting and the other patch was her Mother’s. Kendyl’s grandmother passed away 2 years ago and her mom got her handwriting from a letter that she wrote to Kendyl.  Kendyl and Daniel incorporated a lot of sentimental items into their day and I absolutely love it when couples do this. I couldn’t help but shed a few tears multiple times that day.

One of the more tearful moments of the day was when Kendyl had her “first look” with her dad. OH MY! Let me tell you! It was the most precious moment to get to witness. Kendyl cried. Her dad cried. Her mom cried. Me and my second shooter for SURE cried! What made it extra special was that the ceremony piano player was setting up his equipment at the time and just as Kendyl and her dad were finishing up their first look, the piano player decided to play her processional song for them. Kendyl’s dad took her in his arms and they just danced. Hands down one of the most perfect moments during the day.

When I say that I loved this wedding, I mean that I really really LOVED this wedding! This next thing I am going to mention about this wedding is something that I’ve been telling everybody because I think it is genius. Two Words: PIZZA BAR! A buffet of pizzas! I just loved their pizza bar so much! Number 1: Who doesn’t love pizza? There was even a veggie pizza option. Number 2: It incorporated how Kendyl and Daniel met which I love.

The other thing I just cannot shut up about: the band at their reception. HOLY SMOKES was this band fantastic. They could play anything and everything, they were amazing singers, dancers, and entertainers, AND they knew exactly how to get everyone up and dancing. I’ve never experienced a wedding band like the 12South Band. Their website boasts that they are “more than just a band…it’s a “show”!” and I couldn’t agree more.

Kendyl and Daniel, below are just a few of my favorite photos from your wedding day. I hope that you enjoy getting to relive your day through this blog post. I cannot wait for you to see the rest of your photos! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your story.

Kendyl got ready at Isabella Sophia in Clarksville where she works as a hair stylist. Her sweet friend Lindsey did her hair.

We had to get a photo of the baby bumps! Just a few weeks later, I got to take Caitlin’s baby’s newborn photos.

I just love the heart patch sewn into Kendyl’s dress. She had another heart on the other side with her mom’s handwriting.

How cute are they in their matching outfits and slippers?!?!

Kendyl’s first look with her girls was definitely emotional for all of us!

All he could say over and over again was how beautiful she looked.

I love his face when he got to see his wedding band for the first time!

Those suspenders and bowtie on their little boy were just the CUTEST!!!

Absolutely loved the green bridesmaid dresses!

That beautiful smile on Kendyl’s face is directed to her little boy being held by a family member during the ceremony. I absolutely love the emotion on her face!

This family couldn’t get any cuter!

VENUE | Wilma Rudolph Event Center

DRESS | Glitz

BRIDE’S MAKEUP | Katelyn Hamaker

BRIDE’S HAIR | Lindsey Heggie

FLORALS | Knots and Daisies

CATERING | The Choppin Block

PIZZA | Luigi’s Pizza

STYLING | Total Package Events

CAKE | Reanne Nicholson

RECEPTION BAND | 12South Band

Y’all! When I first noticed that they were calling for rain on this lovely couple’s wedding day, my heart dropped! I just did NOT want it to rain on Mary Pat and Joey’s wedding!! I absolutely love outdoor wedding ceremonies and wanted so badly for them to have their outdoor fall wedding they had been planning for so long. I prayed for days that the rain would go away or at least wait until after the ceremony! When I woke up every morning, the first thing I would do…check the extended forecast for the week. I’m definitely my father’s daughter in that way! The morning of the wedding, still calling for rain! UGH!!! I fully prepared to crunch the timeline and get as much as I could before the rain and storms moved in. I was going to move as fast as possible! I had talked with Mary Pat about it over the phone and she was just so calm and had such a great go-with-the-flow attitude. That’s one of the many reasons I loved having her as a wedding client! When an outdoor wedding is looking like it is going to be rained out, you would think that the bride would be stressed, emotional, and cranky. This was just not the case for Mary Pat!

Can you believe that it never really came a downpour on us?! We did get sprinkled on and at the end of the ceremony, it became a light rain. I think we would all say that we feel blessed that it never actually stormed on us like the forecast was predicting. I truly love the images that we were able to create…even with me rushing the timeline a little to make sure we got as much as we could if it did decide to rain.

Their grey, blush, and burgundy wedding color palette makes my photographer heart swoon. Their wedding colors complimented the trees that were just starting to change for fall and their daughter’s flower girl dress was just the prettiest little dress I’ve seen! Did I mention yet that their daughter is just the CUTEST little girl!! Just wait until you see the photo of her twirling in her dress! Speaking of photos….I’m sure you want to see them now instead of reading my rambling.

You’ve been warned…there are a ton of wedding photos below this point!

 

Wedding Decor and Linens | Total Package Events

Florals | Sango Village Florist

Catering | Nicoletta’s Catering

Wedding Dress | Wedding Belles

Makeup | Josie Romero at Isabella Sophia

Hair | Nicole Gordon Rye at Isabella Sophia

 if you would like to see all these photos individually for purchase, I’ve created an early gallery just for these sneak peeks! Just click here: Mary Pat + Joey | Wedding Sneak Peeks

OH. MY. WORD!

So, I got to be a part of something super exciting and fun! I was contacted a few weeks ago to photograph an engagement party at one of my favorite venues, The Belle Hollow. Little did I know… it was a SURPRISE WEDDING!! I arrived at the venue early and when a man walked in, dressed ready for photos, I asked if he was the “groom-to-be” and he said “shhhh, it’s a secret.” I think I had a little look of confusion on my face because he then said “nobody knows”. I think the next thing I said was “but they know you’re engaged, right?” and he said “yea, but they don’t know we are getting married”

I’m pretty sure, that at this point, I was making the classic stupid-confused face. It seriously makes me laugh out loud to think about it. Chas, the groom to be, then went on to tell us that they were going to surprise everyone and get married at their “engagement party”. HOW FUN!!!

I’ve never been involved in a surprise wedding and it was just an amazing night! Their parents didn’t even know!!! I got an amazing photo of the moment that Casey’s mom found out that she was about to see her daughter get married!

Their ceremony was so so sweet. I had to hold back sweet tears for them a few different times. I may have just met this couple tonight, but I felt that this type of wedding fit them so well and was so perfect for them. I can’t wait to show them all the photos, but for now, I hope they enjoy my favorites that I was able to edit tonight.

Casey and Chas, I wish you long and loving lives together!

If you would like to see the rest of the images once I get them edited, just head over to Facebook and like my photography page because that’s where I will post the first update!

www.facebook.com/byjphotography 

UPDATE
to see all of the images from this surprise wedding, just click here!