I love all the unique bridesmaid dresses that I’ve seen on Pinterest & many wedding blogs! & I love that David’s Bridal is getting a little bit of competition. Sure, it’s great, and they offer every style possible in every color, but there are some definite gems to be found elsewhere. For some reason David’s Bridal has almost tricked everyone into believing that the only types of bridesmaid dresses you can have must be labeled bridesmaid dresses. Not only are these non-bridal boutique dresses unique, but they are all under $50!!

I stole my sister & her friends to illustrate this idea. We went shopping & found a ton of dresses that are under $50 & would be awesomely unique for a wedding. The purpose is not to showcase each particular dress, but to show how easy it is to find dresses that are creative, affordable, and available. And your girls will thank you when they can re-wear the dress :)

Most of these dresses are from Target, Delia’s, and Dillard’s. Other great online retailers are Ruche, Lulu’s, J. Crew, and ModCloth. There are tons more, of course, just let your imagination run wild!

Y’all remember High School Superlatives right? Well here’s my fun little version of superlatives for my weddings of 2011. I had so much fun compiling these. And please,it’s just for fun! Don’t get mad that you didn’t win the “most camels” award! Stay tuned for my “Best of 2011” post! Hoping to put it up tomorrow. Have a safe & fun New Years!!

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Jess & Tyler
Tyler wrote & recorded a song for Jess for their first dance. Jess had no clue. Ain’t that the sweetest?


THE LONGEST TRAIN (C’MON N’ RIDE IT): Lauren & JD
C’Mon N’ Ride It (the Train) is a really popular song played at weddings, but Lauren & JD’s train took the cake. I’ve never seen such a long train. This thing seemed endless & I’m pretty sure everyone at the reception joined in! I especially loved when different parts of the train would meet up for epic high fives.


MOST CHEERFUL BRIDESMAIDS: Lauren & Robert
These girls were smiling all night long.


BEST GROOM REACTION: Korri & BJ
Now brides, I know you’ll probably disagree with me on this one, but BJ’s reaction to Korri walking down the aisle was my favorite of the year. Sorry :)


LUCKIEST: Jessica & Will
Rain threatened this outdoor ceremony & reception all day. I was constantly looking at the radar on my phone & it was looking grim. It started raining just as we began taking pictures with the bridesmaids so we were stuck in a greenhouse. Then I grabbed Will for their first look. It immediately stopped raining & the sun came out. It never rained again. Perfection.


BEST PROCESSIONAL: April & Christian
April & Christian’s bridal party danced up the aisle. And BOY did they get into it!!


MOST COMFORTABLE WEDDING: Josh & Mai-Li
After a HOT summer full of weddings, I was so happily surprised by how awesome Josh & Mai-Li’s late September wedding felt. The perfect temperature.


THE MOST TEARS: Lauren & JD
I love emotion in photos, so naturally I love happy tears at weddings. Lauren & JD’s wedding was full of them. So sweet!


THE BEST EXIT: Lakin & Zach
It’s not normal to have a ton of people throwing confetti at your face :P


BEST RENDITION OF “DON’T STOP BELIEVING”: Lauren & Robert
You better believe it.


CUTEST FLOWERGIRLS: Jess & Tyler
‘Nuff said.


MOST BEAUTIFUL LOCATION: Josh & Mai-Li
Gosh, can you imagine watching the sun set over the Smokey Mountains every day? Josh & Mai-Li held their wedding at their grandmother’s property. I was in awe of this place the moment I got to Cosby Tennessee.


BEST APPETIZER: Jessica & Will
Milk & cookies. Yummy!!


SWEETEST PRE-CEREMONY MOMENT: Lauren & Robert
I’ll admit, I was choking back tears trying to photograph this. Lauren & Robert didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, but they still wanted to speak to each other & take a few photos. I remember this moment so well. Robert sweetly told Lauren “In a few hours when I hold this hand you’ll have a ring on it”.


FUNNIEST MOMENT: Lauren & JD
This photo is easily one of my favorites from the entire year. I remember hearing people laughing as this ringbearer tried to sneak a peek up a bridesmaid’s dress. SO many people asked me if I got this photo after the ceremony. Yes, I got it! :P


THE MOST CAMELS: Lakin & Zach
I just love this camel that greeted me at Lakin & Zach’s reception!


CRAZIEST BOUQUET TOSS: April & Christian
Note to self: Never try to jump to catch a bouquet while holding a cocktail.


MOST RELAXED DAY: Melissa & Dave
This morning wedding with a lunch reception was so perfect. I absolutely loved it.


MOST LIKELY TO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN BUT DIDN’T: Korri & BJ
Everyone wants their wedding day to be perfect, right? Well the electricity & water went out for two hours during Korri & BJ’s reception. No air conditioning, no lights, no DJ music, and no toilets. Can you imagine? I would have flipped the heck out. But not Korri & BJ. They calmly celebrated their day & when the electricity finally came back on, they danced the night away. Bravo!

Last September I had the pleasure of assisting Jenna of JHenderson Studios photograph JoEllen & Kevin’s wedding at Legacy Farms. I was the third photographer. Wait what? Third? Yep. It sounds crazy until you realize that Jenna was photographing JoEllen’s wedding while pregnant. And as maid of honor/best friend. She’s awesome! You probably noticed the pregnant bridesmaid. That’s Jenna!

I was super stoked for this wedding for a few reasons. I’ve been a fan of Jenna’s work for a while, so getting to work with her was a blast. I’ve also been dying to photograph a wedding at Legacy Farms in Lebanon. It’s just a quick drive from my house in Murfreesboro & I’m photographing Gabby & Cory’s wedding there next October. LOVE that venue. It’s super gorgeous. Thanks Jenna for the opportunity! Congrats to JoEllen & Kevin!

Jess & Tyler held their wedding at Whitestone Country Inn in Kingston, TN. Wow, what a GORGEOUS venue. It’s right on Watts Bar Lake too.

What an amazing day. After the ceremony was over and we were exploring the property for Jess & Tyler’s portraits, I witnessed such a sweet moment. Jess asked Tyler, “What was the first thing you thought when you saw me coming out of the church?” He replied, “Oh my goodness, I hope I don’t cry.”

That’s the type of couple they are. Jess & Tyler glow around each other & I’m so so happy to have had the opportunity to document their wedding. I also really enjoyed spending the day with their families.

As the reception was winding down & I was packing up, Tyler asked everyone to give me a round of applause. Me? What? Why? I’ll be honest, I teared up a bit. I freaking love my job & my clients. Thank you Tyler & Jess.

Venue: Whitestone Inn
Coordinator: Denise Lane at Whitestone
Cake: Brittany Harmon
Videography: Whitestone
Florist: Mellisa Timm at Whitestone
Makeup: Deb Dougan
Hair: Laura Floyd

Excited to share this wedding with y’all in the next few weeks :)

In September, fellow wedding photographer Jenna Henderson of jHenderson Studios needed another photographer to help her photograph her best friend’s wedding. Somehow she managed to be both the maid of honor & photographer. That takes some crazy awesome skills! Thanks for having me along, Jenna! JoEllen & Kevin were married at Legacy Farms in Lebanon, TN. Check back in the next few weeks to see more of this sweet couple :)