Bryan & Jonna | Part Two | 7.29.10

Here we go... Part Two of the Jackson wedding! 

Look at Jonna & the bridesmaids' bouquets... aren't they gorgeous?! 

It was just too cute watching the flowergirls look at Jonna's dress.  They looked at her like she was a princess who'd danced straight out of a fairytale.  And we all love this shot of the girls with Bryan.  :)

                   "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other..."                               
                                 - 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Get a load of the wedding cake!  Talk about something that looks too pretty to eat!

When I stepped out onto the back patio, I was delighted to see a beautiful buffet... of CANDY!  I'll tell you who else was delighted... every single kid under the age of 12.  What a dream come true.  M&M's, Jolly Ranchers, Twizzlers, Rock Candy... and the list goes on.  Talk about your sugar rush!  

Oh - but I will say that I saw quite a few adults sneaking candy, pretending it was for their kids.  You know who you are!  :)

Everyone enjoyed the reception.  Bryan & Jonna took the time to make each person feel welcome and wanted.  Plus, the food was excellent, and the atmosphere at the Keene Run Country Club was so nice! 

The first dance...

There is something about this next image that I love.  You can just feel the fun and excitement coming from it.  :) 

The groom and his mom...

During the father/daughter dance, I kept humming the tune to Stephen Curtis Chapman's song, "Cinderella". 

"So I will dance with Cinderella,

While she is here in my arms.

Cause I know something the prince never knew.

Oh, I will dance with Cinderella,

I don't want to miss even one song.

Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight...

And she'll be gone."

"They are no longer two, but one..."
                     - Matthew 19:6

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Jackson!  :)  We all enjoyed being part of your wedding day!  And a special thanks to Jennifer Allen for letting us side shoot!

jill <><

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P.S.  Bryan & Jonna chose some fantastic vendors for their wedding!

Flowers: The Rose Garden

Catering: DaRae & Friends Catering

Cake: The Sugar Forest

Bryan & Jonna | Part 1 | 7.28.10

We so enjoyed the recent opportunity to side shoot a wedding for Lexington photographer Jennifer Allen.  Mom was excited because this wedding took us back to her old stomping grounds on Asbury's campus in Wilmore, Kentucky.  Estes Chapel, on the seminary side of campus, is a beautiful place to hold a wedding.  An added bonus, Bryan & Jonna attend our church!  

The details of the Jackson wedding were phenomenal, and the fact that it was such a family affair made it all the more special.

We cracked up when we looked back at the pictures of Bryan's son, Matthew, before the ceremony.  Why?  Because in half of them, either his dad or his grandad was adjusting his collar for him, or fixing his tie, or straightening his vest.  I know he was glad when it was all over and done so that he could shed that coat and tie!

Bryan arrived at the church bearing a cooler full of soft drinks and snacks - for everyone to share.  At first I thought - "Nah, I won't need anything."  However, to say that it was hot the day of the wedding... is a major understatement.  It was a sweltering heat.  After about an hour, I broke down and made a beeline for that cooler.  As you can see below... I was not the only one!   :)

The Jackson men...

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."   
                                        - Proverbs 31:29

These little flower girls were amazingly cooperative when it came to having their picture taken. 

And the ring-bearer?  Quite the handsome little fella.  Just look at him in the middle of all those girls!  :)

Don't look now... but that preacher fella looks awfully familiar.  Hey wait - that's Dad!   :)

One of the neatest things about the ceremony... is that they sang our song!  Well... not our song... our friend from Indiana, Sarah Scharbrough's song, "Faith, Hope, & Love" - which you hear as our website loads!  Vocalist and pianist, Beth Mankel sang it beautifully, setting the tone for one of the most joyous, worshipful weddings I've attended.

Officially... "Mr. & Mrs." !

Turner was extremely zealous in helping to blow out the candles after the ceremony.  Love that expression!

It ain't over yet!  There is more to see in Part Two... coming soon!

jill <><

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Spencer | Senior | 7.24.10

Spencer told Kay right off the bat that he wanted to go out to Fort Harrod and use this gigantic tree - the same one that his dad had senior pictures taken in front of.  When he said "tree,"  I wasn't thinking that it would look like this...

                      

We couldn't believe it when we pulled up to Fort Harrod, and on the other side of the tree we'd driven an hour to shoot in front of... was a wedding.  There were no more parking spots, so we had to park behind some cars - one of which turned out to be the groom's car (he said it was okay).  We arrived at 6:00, and the wedding didn't start till 6:30, so we shot until we heard the music announcing the bride.  (Don't worry, we stayed out of the view of the wedding guests.)  Luckily, the ceremony was extremely brief - so we were able to use all the spots we'd wanted to - and not have to crash the wedding.   :)

                       

Spencer plays the drums, and is part of the praise and worship team at our church.  We - of course - wanted to incorporate his talent into his senior pictures.  So the plan was to set up his drums in front of the barn.  By the time we got to the farm, it was thundering and lightning a bit, and dark clouds had rolled in, so we waited for it to clear up a little.  When it didn't, we had Spencer set up his drums anyway.  :)  Luckily, it only sprinkled on us.  Though I have to say, the entire time we were shooting and the lightning kept flashing every once in a while in the far off distance, I kept thinking, "This goes against everything Mom & Dad ever taught us about storms!"  But then again... ya gotta do... what ya gotta do!

There is something about putting a drum set outside that Kay and I have always liked.  And for photographs - we love to put things where they don't normally belong.  So we enjoyed the mini concert outside!

The farm was a phenomenal spot to shoot.  And the surroundings?  Absolutely gorgeous! 

We all agreed that Spencer had one of the best ranges of expressions.  Let me clarify - good expressions.  Everybody has a big range of expressions, but Spencer's ... for the most part ... were photogenic.  :)

jill & kay <><

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Happy 4th of July! | 7.4.10

We are always taking pictures of someone's family... but rarely is that family ours.  This week, while Mom and I were in Alabama, I had the chance (that is much too infrequent for my liking) to take some pictures of our own family.  Nothing was really staged - I just tried to capture our time together... Michael's first 4th of July... Adam and Daniel's fun with sparklers... even Pa-paw pulling yet another grandchild around the yard in a cardboard box.  While we missed having Kay and Dad with us, as you can see by the pictures... we had fun.  (You'll hear more about what Kay was up to at X-FUGE Mission Extreme Camp later!)

Take the time to have some fun with your family this week.  Treasure them!

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."    - Matthew 6:21

jill <><