How could you not remember sweet Dallas and Austin’s rustic engagement session? I still can’t get over the fact that they both have Texas city names. What a perfect match?!
These two had a perfect July wedding at The Mill at Plein Air which is absolutely adorable. John and I love the variety of locations The Mill has to offer, and their chapel is absolutely gorgeous.
We got to work with amazing vendors such as Southern Sparkle Weddings and Events who made the day run impeccably smooth. Emily Cohen did Dallas’ hair, and we absolutely loved her romantic long locks. Beauty by Brady did Dallas and all of her lovely ladies’ makeup, and it lasted even through the Mississippi summer heat. We loved working beside VM Studios who delivered the most gorgeous wedding video. The extremely talented John Mark provided all of the stunning florals! Dallas’ classic satin gown was from Lows bridal and even had pockets!
One of my favorite memories of the day (and I had many) was Dallas and Austin’s first look/ bride and groom portraits. They set aside so much time and really prioritized that time together. Another favorite memory is how insanely FUN their reception was. Every guest in attendance was on the dance floor at least once!
Who doesn’t love a Memphis rustic engagement session? Meet Maranda and Josh, the absolute cutest couple there ever was.
John and I actually met Maranda over six years ago. She was only 15 or 16 at the time, but we’ve stayed in contact through social media over the years. She and Josh were dating back then, and when we saw these two got engaged IN DISNEY, John and I were absolutely ecstatic for them. We were even more excited when Maranda asked US to photograph her wedding. Considering Maranda is also a talented photographer herself, it’s always flattering when another photographer wants you to photograph their wedding.
This March, after EIGHT years of being together, these two are *finally* tying the knot. One thing I love most about Maranda and Josh is how important family is to them. They are always spending time with one of their nieces whether it be on Josh’s side or Maranda’s, you can tell they genuinely enjoy spending time with their loved ones. When they aren’t spending time with their families, you can find them going out to eat, watching Netflix together, or playing with their new puppy! What’s not to love about Maranda and Josh?!
Maranda has SUCH a giving heart. I mean, this girl has mailed me so many happies; a cute graphic tee and about a dozen pairs of statement earrings. On top of that, at Maranda’s engagement session and her bridal session she asked if she could get a photo with me. I was absolutely flattered and blushed for the rest of the day. Maranda is just SO sweet and anyone who knows her should consider themselves lucky.
We cannot wait for Maranda + Josh’s wedding this March! You guys enjoy!
What’s to say about Caroline + Whit that I didn’t say in their engagement post, here?! These two had the MOST beautiful Summer wedding at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens.
I won’t say how long ago this wedding was, BUT, better late than never, right? We had an absolute blast spending the day with Caroline and Whit. Believe it or not, Caroline and Whit didn’t do a first look. Though you know I have an entire list AND blog post on reasons first looks are a great idea, Caroline and Whit were intentional and smart about their wedding day timeline, and they carved out almost an hour worth of photos after the ceremony. It made for two VERY happy wedding photographers.
Caroline got her gorgeous gown from Lows’ Bridal. It had a plunging deep V in the back. Caroline wore a very dainty back necklace that was such a conversation starter. We loved her chic and simple bridal style. Kasey Acuff did Caroline’s makeup and it lasted through the harsh Memphis heat and all of Caroline’s amazing dance moves! Social Butterflies coordinated the day and did a great job keeping everyone on schedule!
I loved that Caroline and Whit chose the location that they did for their ceremony. At the Dixon, there are lots of different places you can have your ceremony, but this ceremony set up was by far my favorite! Caroline’s bridesmaid’s dresses all definitely made a statement. The different textures and colors really showed each bridesmaid’s personality.
I’d like to start this post by saying you should never compare your life to someone else’s social media. Rarely do you see people post/talk about what went wrong, what they didn’t accomplish, or tough life lessons they‘ve learned. My friends and followers know my theme this year has been “no rain, no rainbows” so I’m here to recap our life in 2019. The rainbows, the rainy days, the sunny days, and the darkest storms.
This year, 54 couples trusted us in capturing their most important day. That’s about 5 more weddings than we’ve ever done in one year. We photographed our first lesbian wedding and it was one of the best weddings we’ve ever shot. We are in the beginning process of suing a car manufacturer for the Lemon of a vehicle they sold us. We finally, after five years of saving, got to spend over a week in Hawaii together and had the time of our lives. Our past home owner’s insurance was beyond unhelpful which resulted in us purchasing a brand new roof, out of our own pocket! We met Courtney Cox, Heather McMahan, Tommy Lee, Chris Delia, Brantley Gilbert, and Matt Nathanson, again- all of which were polite, kind, and charming. I struggled with PCOS health issues, which was challenging. We launched our own YouTube channel which has been so much fun learning about a new social media platform. We’ve had people step in and show up for us, when we trusted and affiliated ourselves with those who misled us. We started offering videography as an additional add on to our business. The support we’ve received from our new endeavor has blown our minds. We have friends from all walks of life struggling with difficulties that range from loneliness, illness, depression, uncertainty, and friends who are grieving the loss of their close loved ones. Our associate Madi’s business is absolutely booming and she has contributed far more to KGP than we ever could have imagined. I post all of this to show you with growth comes hardships, with success comes failures, with happiness comes grief, with joy comes sorrow, with strength comes weakness, and to enjoy the rainbow, you have to first endure the rain.
A giant thank you to ALL 54 of our couples who trusted us this year:
Shelby-WOW WOW WOW! KGP I am so proud of you! 2019 has been one incredible year where I truly feel you have put out your best work yet. 54 couples were so blessed to have you!! Can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!ReplyCancel
January 9, 2020 - 2:13 pm
Shelly garrard -From this proud momma & daddy, ya’ll were/are amazing at what you do! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for not only being the BEST team of photography, but “friends” as well. ❤️ We continue to highly recommend you!! After all the bells (go dawgs!) were rung, left over cake packed up & we all danced the last song, you guys hung strong through a long & STORMY day. Our outdoor event being moved inside at last minute never threw ya’ll off at all! You stayed calm & that made us calm (which is huge!😉)
Thanks again!!! Mike & Shelly Garrard/ Hannah & Brandon Cooper (bride & groom)ReplyCancel
Both Cedar Hall and Heartwood Hall are absolutely dreamy, which is why Allison and Jordan took advantage of BOTH gorgeous venues!
Allison and Jordan are getting married THIS weekend at Heartwood Hall, and we cannot wait to do photo and video for them. Since they knew they would already get tons of photos at Heartwood, they figured having their engagement photos done at Cedar made most sense! We absolutely love when our couples do that. At their engagement session, we got to meet their adorable pup, Archie, who I instantly fell in love with. JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE.
Allison and I are actually sorority sisters! We weren’t ever in the chapter at the same time, but we were always social media friends, and I loved watching her journey through Alpha Gam, and watching her relationship with Jordan grow through photos. John and I were absolutely thrilled she asked us to capture her most special day.
Who would have guessed a blind date would lead to these two saying I do, just two and a half years later. As always we asked Allison and Jordan what their favorite thing about each other is. I love what they both said.
Allison: My favorite thing about Jordan is how much he cares for me. We joke about how much we’ve been through in our short time together, but it is true. We have both experienced such devastating losses in our lives and been through these together, and that has made our relationship stronger. Jordan always strives to help comfort me and pray for me daily. He is a great example of a Godly man.
Jordan: My favorite thing about Allison is how caring and loving she is of others. She is genuine in everything she does and keeps my head on straight and my eyes on the prize in whatever endeavor I take on.
These two are made for one another, and it’s clearly evident. We are SO EXCITED to be photographing their wedding this weekend at Heartwood Hall. We’ll get to work with some amazing vendors such as John Mark Enterprises and Maggie Louise.
I’ll leave you with one of my MOST favorite things Allison and Jordan said about their relationship:
I think we both knew we were meant for each other when we went to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Orpheum last winter. We ate at Spindinis (that we now always go to before going to the Orpheum), and enjoyed each other’s company so much. I think we both had that feeling of –“I could drink wine and go to Orpheum shows with you forever. You are my person.”
