Lauren + Joey :: Knoxville, TN ::: PART THREE

When it was all said and done I shot for well over 20 hours during Lauren and Joey's wedding (rehearsal included.) Just when the reception was over, at the point when most weddings would end, the best part of the day was just getting started. We jumped in the car and drove to a family owned junkyard where we met the hair dresser for touch ups and to do a quick photo shoot. This is the same junkyard where in just a couple short hours all of the family and guests from the ceremony would reconvene for what might be one of the coolest wedding receptions in history - a Halloween costume party complete with a live band, fire barrels, a photo booth made from a junkyard truck, lots of booze, a homemade vegan buffet, prizes, and some amazing dancing. The junkyard was a perfect backdrop, for both the photo shoot and the party. Check back tomorrow for the fourth and final installment of this fun fall wedding.

And in case you missed it, you can see parts I and II:

HERE and HERE.

Lauren + Joey :: Knoxville, TN ::: PART TWO

I have to remind myself all of the time that Lauren is younger than me. Her wedding day was the type that should have been stressful, but due to her mad organizational skills and incredible maturity, (plus all of the amazing love and help from every single friend and family member) the day went as smooth as a Miles Davis ballad, slow and steady with all the right notes. It was a fantastic day.

Lauren hired me to work at a health food store in Durango almost two years ago. Between then and her wedding I moved to Florida and she and Joey moved to Virginia. We all came together in Tennessee. I ask myself all of the time why I love this wedding so much and truly the answers are endless. Sometimes, as a photographer you have moments when you are "on." At Lauren and Joey's wedding things felt "on" all day long. The venues were perfect, the light exceptional, the love so genuine, the day so stress free, and everything had been handmade. Lauren's dress was made from a piece of vintage lace she'd bought at an antique store and literally no one saw it before the ceremony except my assistant and I. Joey's mom made the flowers and boutonnieres. The vegan cake was created by Joey's sister, the ceremony was officiated by a best friend, and the vows were (beautifully) written by the bride and groom themselves. Every detail of the day had been so carefully crafted so that when the wedding came, all that was left behind was laughter, tears, and pure enjoyment - the way a wedding should be. This is why I'm such a hopeless romantic. And, this is why I photograph.

Stay tuned for PART THREE tomorrow featuring a steamy portrait session with the bride and groom in a family-owned junkyard. And, in case you missed it, you can see part one HERE.

Destination: Knoxville, TN.

Getting ready: Historic Oliver Hotel, downtown Knoxville
Ceremony & Reception: IJams Nature Center

Dress: Avail & Company