A post wedding bridal shoot? I had never heard of such a thing...but that doesn't mean anything, right?

I first met Megan at a bridal fair at Red River Farms near Springfield, TN. She had already booked her photographer for her wedding, but I encouraged her to enter into the free session giveaway I had going that day. Well, I pulled her name from the hat a few days later, and I am eternally grateful to have met her and her then fiancé Reid.

I asked if she wanted a Bridal Shoot, but she said she would rather do spring engagements as she had only done fall themed engagement photos.

It was a gorgeous April afternoon when I went to meet Megan & Reid on his grandfather's farm in Greenbrier, TN. We choose to shoot at golden hour and man did God show out! I remember thinking "I am dreaming! This couple is amazing!" It was quite obvious how in love this couple was. They had love radiating from every pore! I could not wait to get home to look through the images taken that evening, and I was not disappointed. They turned out beautiful. There was no denying these two were a perfect match!  Image I was not able to be at Megan and Reid’s wedding, but I did send her a text that day and stalked Facebook waiting to get a glimpse of the Bride and Groom! Lol

I talked with Megan after the wedding – she was a glowing bride of course! To be perfectly honest, I was a bit sad I had not met Megan sooner. She and Reid had made an impact on me, and it was evident what was valuable to them.

I received a text from Megan in late July asking if I would be interested in doing some bridal shots for her. You would not believe the happy dance I did – I was so stinking excited!! You see, Megan is one of those girls who is gorgeous, and she doesn't know it. Her truly natural beauty radiates from the inside out.

It came time for the shoot, and we again decided on late afternoon hoping to take advantage of the setting sun’s glow. I asked my assistant (aka mama) to tag along with me as extra eyes, hands and brain. My mama graciously came and helped with her great ideas and witty one-liners. We arrived at Megan's childhood home and met her fabulous mama and a few furry friends. I loved everything about this shoot: the light, her dress, the location. It was all so perfect. For me as the photographer, getting invited into a client’s home and meeting the family is such an honor. At one point, I was reviewing an image on the back of my camera, and cold chills ran all over me. It was a stunning image. I immediately turned to show her mama, who teared up. That was the biggest compliment I could receive especially considering her daughter had already walked down the aisle and been married for 6-8 weeks. I truly believe that being a photographer is my calling and passion! To be able to evoke such raw emotions is magical for me, and I pray that the moments I capture with my camera live on in their homes and hearts for years to come. These are happy times that you will need and want to remember.  I tell my couples, "You will need these images to remind you of the love you share, because there will be hard days ahead. There will be great times ahead too, but hold on to these memories so that you can stay grounded in your love for each other."

So, my whole idea behind this blog post is really just to say “wear the dress, eat the cake and take the picture!” Preserve these moments that mean the world to you. Most of us plan our wedding days our whole lives! We dream, search Pinterest, and read magazines trying to create the most magical day. We want our wedding to be a statement of our love story and commitment to each other. So we then search for the perfect dress, venue, and cake. Choose the right photographer to document your perfect day, and it is my mission to be that photographer for you.

I asked Megan how it felt to wear her dress again, and she just beamed a huge smile and said "It's a touch tighter this time, but I love it!!" And she was every bit as beautiful as the day she walked down the aisle. We had so much fun playing dress-up in her parents’ field and on the family's tire swing. Thank you, Megan, for an enchanting evening!