Stephanie & Derek - Nashville Wedding Photography

It was the perfect day for a wedding - the temperature was just right, the sky was bright blue and full of huge fluffy clouds and Steph & Derek, who we've come to know and love over the past few months, had started their surprisingly anxiety-less preparations for their wedding day.  They were excited, happy and most of all 100% certain that they were meant for each other.  As an outside observer I could just see the peace they had and their sense of "rightness" together. The whole day was a celebration of that. 

We caught up with Steph first as she was putting on makeup.  Derek and Stephanie chose to do a private first look session (which we love!!) and so after putting the finishing touches on, we followed Steph over to the church for her first glance at her groom!

Right after the first look session, the swingset was the first thing on Steph's agenda!  Our brides are so adventurous!

When the time came for the ceremony, it was truly all about their love for each other and for their families -   from the attendants who were grandparents and sisters, right down to when the Pastor asked "Who gives this woman to be married?" her father answered "Her mother and I and everyone who loves her."  They celebrated and gave thanks with hymns sung by candlelight.

The reception was all about enjoying time with friends and family - so lighthearted and fun.

The entire wedding was beautiful - here are a few of the vendors who worked their magic:

Flowers were done by Flowers by Judy
Candle Spirals by White House Florist
Beverage fountains by Grand Central Rentals
Chocolate (milk chocolate & purple chocolate) fountains by Luv Chocolate
Wedding cake - Cakes by Rebecca

We wish Stephanie & Derek the very best, and are so glad they allowed us to be a part of their special day!

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
Kristin

www.surrealimagestudios.com

Allison - Class of 2010

On one of the last days the colorful fall leaves clung to their branches, we met with Allison.   A recent storm had stripped many of the trees down to bare limbs leaving a red, yellow and orange carpet of color over the ground.  There was a slight wind, that made the day feel like a little adventure was in order. We weren't disappointed. Allison was ready for anything and willing to pose or be posed anywhere we suggested.  After the sun set, we even played around and tried out some light painting! You can see in the photos below how beautiful and charming she is, but what you may not notice in the pictures is her quiet sense of humor, her self assurance and her sharp wit.  You may also not see that Allison is a photographer herself, as well as a pianist and guitar player.  In a just couple hours of shooting it was apparent that Allison is every bit as talented as she is lovely, and we think she's going to be a great success in whatever direction she goes after her graduation.  We wish her the very best in her new adventures beyond high school (and photography)!

Here are some of our favorites from the shoot!

 

Until next time!
Kristin

My Wedding, a mere two years ago!

This week (Tuesday) was Chase and my second anniversary.  Every year (I can say that now, since there's more than one) we have these little mini conversations while we are doing whatever mundane thing we are doing.  Were you a fly on the wall (in the car) you would have heard this as we were pulling in from the grocery yesterday:

Me: "It's 5:22." 
Chase:  "Yep, two years ago we were having our first dance right now."

Over the day, we relived different moments from our wedding day (sort of).  Walking up the steps to the house after carrying in groceries:

Chase: "What time is it now?"
Me: "About 6. We were probably having dinner" 

Chase: "Maybe we were standing around awkwardly for pictures"
Me: "Well, in honor of that, come stand awkwardly in the kitchen while I make dinner." 

We had a little laugh about that.  It's almost always awkward feeling to have the full attention of two people photographing everything you do, but it is so worthwhile when you get the photos.

We thought back on all the great things about our wedding, and every year we forget a little more of the tiny snags that happen in every wedding and remember more of the really good

It was great to reminisce and think about how far we've come together... life is so good, and I am so blessed to have someone like Chase.

Here's a couple of pictures from my wedding from the great people at Dreamland Pictures

 

 

I have to give props to our photographers, Dreamland Pictures for doing a great job and being so fun and enjoyable to spend the day with (AND they actually remembered us when we ran into them almost a year later at Opry Mills!) .

I hope for all the brides that work with us that your wedding is every bit as wonderful and memorable as mine...and that years later you still love going back over your photos.

Well, enough of this sappy business!  We'll be back to you soon with some shots from our senior session!

Until next time!

Kristin

Nashville Wedding Photography

Stephanie & Derek | Nashville Engagement

Stephanie grew up here in the Nashville area.  She went off to college, started her career and found one heck of a guy. Now in just a few week she'll be bringing the love of her life back to her home town to tie the knot!

A couple weeks ago, Steph & Derek drove down all the way from Pennsylvania to do some wedding planning and to shoot their engagement session.  As you can see in the pictures, we all had a great time (it's fun to shoot fun people!) and they looked fabulous.  I can't wait for their wedding, Steph is going to be such a gorgeous bride!

Here are a few of my favorites from our shoot!

Derek proposed to Stephanie at a picnic he set up for her, so as a nod to that special day we had a little re-enactment picnic for our lovebirds!

I love the tickle sequence!

I hope you enjoyed the photos! As you can see we had a great time and we're looking forward to shooting with these guys again soon!

Until next time!
Kristin

Nashville Wedding Photography

Big Announcement!

I promised a much better post today, and let me tell you...I have one. Oh yes.

Let me explain: My husband and I have been sick with some kind of virus since Tuesday. It has been incredibly crappy. But I'm also very thankful for it, because I think something really good is going to come of it...! I should also warn you that the announcement will be at the bottom, because I like to imagine that will keep you hangin' around long enough to read my entire post :)

For the past few days, I've had a lot of crazy things going through my head. Most of them aren't terribly rational, but ultimately, sometime during my fever I had a really great idea.

Here's a little detail on how things progressed for me:

1. "Nah, I can't be getting another cough...I just got over a cough."
2. "My joints are killing me..."
3. "Chase...I'm so sorry you're sick too. From now on we'll always find out if people are sick before we vissssiiitttt."
4. "When will this end?"

5. "Will this end?"

I know what you are thinking. It's probably something along the lines of:

"Of course it'll end, it's just a virus silly! And would you please stop with the pink, that is NOT in your color scheme."

Well here's my thoughts on your thoughts: "That's not always the case.... and...Oh Yeah?? For this month, Pink is definitely in my color scheme".

What I mean is, sure, for me it will end. I just have a virus. But there are people who we probably all know personally who will have to live with sickness from serious diseases and they aren't fighting to feel better...they are fighting to survive. They aren't sick from a virus, they are sick from cancer or cancer treatments. In my fevered state, this was a total revelation. It kept me up the night before last.

"I'm so lucky to just have this virus. It's breast cancer awareness month and I don't have breast cancer. I have a crappy little virus."

So rather than continue to wallow in my virus, I want to do something proactive.

Here's the deal: Book with us during the month of October for a session in October or November, and we will donate 10% of our profits to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. That's every wedding, every family Christmas portrait...every session.

So tell all your friends who are newly engaged, and remind your family about the Christmas card photos, oh and your cousin who's going to be a Senior this year. Take advantage, because the money is going to a really, really good cause.

Here's a little about Susan G Komen for the Cure: 87% of all donations go directly to the Susan G. Komen mission of fighting breast cancer. This includes education programs for early breast cancer discovery, treatment programs, research for a cure and screening programs. You can find out more here . Take a look!

Until Next Time,
Kristin

I'm still here...

Guys - wow.  It's been a terrible week!  I've got some sort of virus, and have been S-I-C-K since Tuesday.  Like, shivering with fever and burning up at the same time while coughing my head off and everything else sick.  So that's why you haven't seen hide-nor-hair (or is it hare?) of me.  I'm still addled by fever, so please excuse anything I say that is too ridiculous.

The main reason I'm writing is to let you know I'm still here and haven't forgotten about you, and to promise a significantly better blog post tomorrow.

Now I'm going back to what I was doing before, laying on the couch, saying "ughhhhhhhh" everytime I move.

Here's to tomorrow being better than today....and every other day this week.
Kristin

Nashville Wedding Photography

PEZ...and the one thing every bride needs most (Aside from a great photographer)

I was tempted to try to explain how I got on this topic, so that you wouldn't think that I'm a weirdo...but then I realize that ship has sailed! So in the spirit of good fun...on with the post!

So... for the past week or so, every day when I take my shower I think about Christmases past and all of the Scooby-doo, Wonderwoman, Ninja Turtles and other fabulous PEZ dispensers that we used to get in our stockings as kids.  As a kid you never thought about how weird it is to eat candy that pops out of a superhero's neck area, but I do think about that now. Even still, I think I may get myself a new PEZ dispenser and taste some of that deliciously bad candy.  But why PEZ and why, oh why, do I think about that in the shower?  Because every now and then one changes the type of bodywash one buys...and sometimes it smells exactly like PEZ candy, even though they call it "Energizing Citrus".  It's not my style to throw out perfectly good bodywash ("But...", you are probably saying, "...it smells like PEZ!"), so if I smell like candy, well that's why.

And since we're on the subject of candy, I thought I would share a link to some free chocolate (from Mars.  The company.) for my brides, who deserve chocolate while they plan their wedding.  Because let's face it...that's tough. :)

The Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act

P.S. They are giving away chocolate every Friday. Enjoy

In other news STAY TUNED THIS WEEKEND FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW WEBSITE.  I can't say exactly when yet, because I like to keep people on their toes..we're rolling out a new look and some great new products/packages! I'm excited! You too?

Well be sure to check in with Your Favorite Nashville Wedding Photographers over the weekend to get a first peek!

Until next time!
Kristin

Identity

Let's be honest.  You don't think much about who you are until you have to (in actual words) describe yourself. 

I'm on this subject because I've been drafting text for the "About Us" section of the new website (I've mentioned this...coming soon).  I've changed it ten-thousand times already, because I haven't yet found two sentences that fit just right.  That's right, it's about a paragraph.  Take this blog post as proof that I'm not short of things to say...it's just sometimes less is harder.  Maybe because less it more. Haha.  Sorry.

My Mom is awesome
Even though it was very short, when I wrote the part for mom it just made sense - because I know who she is to me. She may read it and think "What the heck was she on!?".  But there are things that you can know about someone else that may not make your own radar.  I know she's a gifted artist, I've spent my life around her watching the things she creates. She can very literally make just about anything, always with near professional results.  Wood carvings, drawings, paintings, any wood project, lithographs, calligraphy and of course, photography.  For example she (with no prior experience) made an ice carving for my wedding, and my brother's wedding. It's ridiculous!

I know that she really does care about the people that we work with, and the final product from our sessions(this is one area we're a lot alike in...see my perfectionism below).  I also found out the other day that she prays for each couple we work with - for their relationship, their lives together and the faithfulness of their love.  To me that's awesome - even if you don't see eye-to-eye with us on our beliefs (in Jesus Christ), I think you can recognize that as the mark of someone who really cares. 

Granted I've spent my entire life around her, and may be vaguely biased, but she is an amazing person.  Of course she would never tell you this, and may or may not agree with my assessment, because she is also very humble.



I'm a totally different person.  
Now I'll tell you what I think about myself...since writing about myself is what's got myself in such an uproar. (Yes I know I mis-used "myself" there, but it made me think of Austin Powers and that was kind of funny.)  I realize this is borderline stream of consciousness, but bear with me, it could be fun.


Sometimes I'm a talk first and think later kind of girl, but I'm learning to get a grip on that. :) 

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my creations - photo shoots, websites, crafts anything I make. For things I make, even perfect isn't perfect enough.  I can refine and refine and refine until I drive myself crazy.  I usually do.  But on the other hand this means my brides get something awesome.  Which I love.  Which may also contribute a little to my mania. (For everyone who's been to my house and is right now screaming "HOLD THE PHONE!!!" This doesn't apply to my house. I'm learning to get a grip on that, too.) 

In regards to photography, I know what I like to see and I can usually make that happen. 

I love weddings.  I loved weddings before I worked in weddings.  Everything about them is so cool, but now that I'm married I love weddings even more (because it reminds me of my own, duh!).  Weddings have evolved into such a neat tradition...I mean, a lot of things about wedding tradition seems to stem from "the olden days" when the bride was a captive and the wedding party was there to keep her from getting away, rather than join the bride and groom in celebration.  Now, each wedding is so personalized a celebration that when you go to a couple's wedding, you get a glimpse into the love story that they have come to join together.  That's right, I'm just waiting for a glimpse into people's lives...kind of like a mental peeping tom.  Ha.  Jussst Kiddding.  But in all seriousness, one of the reasons I like doing this so much is because I get to be the 'bridge' between that day and the rest of a couple's lives.  So that when they forget any of the good things that brought them together, they can look at the images we took and it will bring that moment back.  Sappy, I know. Hush.

Also,(follow me here...) I realize that because in photography we're playing with light, it isn't always about capturing exactly what is there (what everyone else sees with their eyes). The camera allows the photographer to capture what we want to see to a certain degree (it's not magic.).   It's an opportunity to take something away from a scene that may be just a little more beautiful, or a little more perfect than it was through our eyes.  It lets us take away something from the wedding day that looks the same way it felt.  Which is amazing.  Maybe it is a little magic. 


So I know all that, but I can't get together a couple sentences that explains it very well.  Why is it so hard to articulate to someone else who we are?  Maybe I don't see about myself the things that would be easy to articulate. 

For instance, I have one particularly wonderful friend who feels as though "single" is the word that describes them.  What does that even mean?  It doesn't say anything about this person, but they think it does.  If we're looking for a short description for them, it should read something like "Loyal friend, intelligent conversationalist, well-educated classy , fun loving hockey fan who also has great taste in clothes and accessories.".  But those are things other people think about you, and things most people don't think about themselves.  Unless you are really arrogant, which we may have to cover in another post. 

 
Wait a minute.  I may have just had a true revelation, live, here "on the air" today.  Well maybe not.  But maybe I should get someone who knows me to write my two "About Me" sentences, because maybe I can only see the things that I've chosen to see.  Like my friend. 

Which would make it hard to write about oneself...

That's all for now...
Kristin

P.S.  Here's a photo.  When you look closely, this dragonfly is really pretty.  (If I haven't mentioned it before, you can enlarge all my post photos by clicking on them.)

Fun on the lake

So I'm a bad blogger. We knew that.  Haha! As a result, I'm changing my bloggin' commitment - Forget that old Monday-Wendesday-Friday blog you so mistakenly (kidding...sorry) thought you could expect.  How does "I'll drop you a note a couple times a week" sound?  Good?  Good.

Now...let's get started.

A couple weeks ago (labor day, whenever that was). I mentioned going down to Georgia.  Let  me (finally) tell you what happened! As expected, things chilled out a whole lot once we hit the road.  We fueled up with Venom energy drinks (the red ones are nasty, btw!) and headed down to Georgia!

 

Chase got some on-the-road camera training, and here are a couple of his shots!  I've always wondered what kinds of things are interesting to guys on the road...

I know, it's random but this photo really cracks me up because it was one of at least 12 tractor photos he took :)

 We had a good time getting there, but we really had a lot of fun once we got on the lake. I even tried some new things...like driving a jet ski! I know this is small potatoes for most people but, for those of you who know me well, you know high adventure isn't always my thing.  However, Chase let me drive for a long time and I actually had a blast!

A day or so later Don & Chris and Ben & Julie met us down there for some family fun.  We played Sorry (it has been a LONG time)

Annd...the in-evitable midgame rule check!

The next day Don drove us around on the boat, and Ben & Chase decided to go tubing (even though it was a little chilly). Here are a couple of my favorite shots from that little extravaganza.  First, here's Don getting everything ready for them to ride.

Ben, holding on for dear life!

Chase likes to showboat every so often...

But even the proudest tubers (no pun intended, Chase..."Mr Potato Head", my favorite couch potato! Sorry that was really bad!) sometimes take a spill. :)

Here's Julie & Chris, aren't they cute?

There was a gorgeous sunset the last evening we were there...

After that we took one last boat ride and headed home.  Ah, I only wish long weekends lasted just a little longer!  We had a great time and can't wait to go back.



In other news, we are meeting with one of our Fall Brides (& Grooms) this evening for an engagement shoot!  I'm so excited because they are coming all the way in from Pennsylvania this weekend for wedding prep and we get to join in! I'll have photos from that soon to share.

Until next time!
Kristin

Nashville Wedding Photography