Planning the Big Day ~ All the Places Part 1

In light of what I will be doing later today, I thought it was a perfect day to discuss wedding venues!!!

I had a specific style of venue in mind and I couldn't waiver from that style. I wanted a plantation style home with loads and loads of charm. Something that wasn't too familiar in the wedding world (at least not here in East Tn) and something that made me feel comfortable. I know 100% my reasoning behind this and its because of my grandmother's house. I absolutely loved spending time at my grandmother's 1800's house that was originally a parsonage and later renovated to be a family home. This also goes along the lines of my love for the Biltmore! Vintage, antique, charm....these were all words that make me feel warm and fuzzy when I think about my wedding. 

If you read the previous Planning the Big Day blog that had loads of inspiration in it, then you may have already checked out our first venue that we visited! I ran across an AMAZING styled photo shoot on the Once Wed wedding blog and immediately fell in love with this quant little Lebanon, TN farm house. Oh, how the goats and chickens called to me. LIterally, I could imagine little goats and chickens running around and eating food that was fresh from the farm for our wedding. This place was perfect! But, if you know me at all, you know I love to research! Seriously, papers in college were my favorite thing because it meant I got to research! 

So off I went, emailing one of the owners of Watermelon Moon Farm, Emily. I might have given a muffled shriek of delight when she replied! ;) So Robby and I were off that following Saturday to Lebanon, TN to see what Watermelon Moon Farm had to offer! The only thing I never thought of was that would be the one weekend that we were threatening to have a snow storm...and what happened on the plateau?? Snow! Its was frigid outside, plus Robby came down with a mighty hefty version of the stomach bug. But, we braved the cold and pulled in to the adorable and delightful venue. (In my excitement of meeting Emily and seeing the house, I completely forgot to take a picture of the prettiest part...the FRONT! Forgive me, but you can always check out their website, it looks exactly the same!)

We were greated by a herd....literally! 

 We might have named one of them Billy (it was the obvious choice) because he was such a camera hog! 

The fantastic aspect of this venue is the freedom you have! Literally whatever ideas we had, Emily said they were 100% possible! Any caterer, any rental company, bands or DJ's could set up where ever they liked, etc! Now, it was January, and it was frigid, so we didn't get to see the farm in all its glory. There is a grape vine that grows behind the ceremony site and completely covers the fence (can you say magical?) and a butterfly herb garden. The area in the middle is surrounded by beautiful fresh flowers of all sorts (depending on the time of year) and vines that grow wild to make the venue a really fresh and organic feel. The porches are 100% yours and so is that most charming 2 bedroom and bath house in the back. 

(Look how old...the foundation is rocks! This is so my kind of place!)

And yes, the animals run wild, but Emily did say that she could tame the chickens and pheasants for the wedding and guests! :)

And last but not least, the ceremony site. This adorable old church window is situated at the back of the ceremony site and would be an adorable and picturesque backdrop! Even if you don't want the church window as the ceremony location, you can always opt to having the ceremony at another location on the property (Love the flexibility)!

After being outside for no more than 15 minutes, I couldn't feel my fingers, nose or ears. It was time to head back to the car. :( Emily and her husband were busy getting ready for the agricultural fair and we didn't want to keep them any longer than we already had so we decided to head to Nashville for some lunch. 

Watermelon Moon Farm is definitely a phenomenal location and I would love to go back and see it in full bloom! Plus, the pricing is unlike any venue in Knoxville, at least not like one with as much character and charm!!! 

Next week is a venue a little bit on the bigger side. Make sure to check back to see Maple Grove Inn! 

the question: keely and scott

I am absolutely thrilled about the engagement session that I had up at Grist Mill a couple of weeks ago! To start off the story, Keely's awesome cousin, Hayley (Maid of Honor), is actually best friends with one of my best friends!!! What a coincidink! So Haley passed my name along to Keely and that is when the love fest happened! :) Just kidding, but I did instantly fall in love with Keely and Scott! They are sooooo smitten with each other and we had such a ball up at Grist Mill with their engagement session! Sadly, I have never made my way up to Grist Mill so I was incredibly excited to have a new location to play with! And boy did we have fun! We were playing with the sun a little bit (crazy time change) so we took some time and walked around the area to get a feel for some great spots. 

I absolutely love this next series...

Keely and Scott were so laughy, cuddly and just all around lovely! I don't believe there is anything more that I could ask for! 

 I have to say that once we changed outfits, I really felt things start to click and just work! This is one reason why I highly recommend engagement sessions. You never know what to expect on the day of your wedding. If you know how I work, and I know what makes you comfortable (and uncomfortable) then the wedding day is a piece of cake! There's no stress of not knowing how to do things or not knowing what you should do. I consider the engagement session a trial run per se! :) And boy is it a fun run!! :)

We ended the day at this beautiful area of trees right down the road from Grist Mill. It was literally the perfect place for my favorite pictures from this session!! The green, the sunset, the trees...I was one happy girl! 

Keely and Scott...December 1st can't get here fast enough!! I am beyond excited to spend the best day of your lives with you!!! :)

Keely and Scott are also the first recipients of the wedding website that I offer! Yay!!! If you are interested in having a wedding website with your package make sure you let me know and check out Scott and Keely's HERE!

Planning the Big Day ~ All the Inspiration

One of the most amazing things about planning a wedding nowadays is the amount of inspiration that is out there! Whether it be wedding blogs, Pinterest, wedding magazines or friends' albums on Facebook, there is always somewhere to draw ideas from! I love visiting wedding blogs! There are some seriously amazing brides out there who think of anything and everything to make their wedding unique! I can get my cup of coffee in the morning, check my email and just sit on wedding blogs for HOURS!!! Don't put it past me on a Sunday morning!

This is going to be a very small post this week, but hopefully, the amount of info and additional looksies will keep you occupied for some time! :)

Here are the blogs that I hit up (at least) daily:

Green Wedding Shoes: Robby and I are doing vintage spoons for the wedding that I found on this blog the first day I visited it! 

DIY Vintage Spoons

Ruffled: They have some of the best vintage weddings out there!

Style Me Pretty: Their blog slogan is perfect. "The Ultimate Wedding Blog"

Southern Weddings Magazine: because when your a Southern Bride, this is your Bible!

One of their writers, Emily, is currently writing about planning her own wedding!

100 Layer Cake: They have some amazing DIY tutorials!

Once Wed: The most elegant wedding blog I've come across...the photography they feature is to die for!

I fell in love with this Farm Fresh Wedding Photoshoot so much that Robby and I visited the venue...check back next week for my post on Watermelon Moon Farm!

The Wedding Chicks: I love their vendors and DIY tutorials!

Rinse. Repeat.: A bride that shared her entire planning process and then surprised EVERYONE by going and eloping! She is amazing and has beautiful ideas!

I hope you have a blast going through these sites and get some phenomenal ideas!

Next week, I will talk about our quest for the perfect venue...it isn't complete, but it is definitely a journey to talk about! :)

"Change and Struggle go Hand in Hand"~J*

Last week, I had the extraordinary honor of heading up to Nashville with Kristin of KLP Photography to go see not only a photographer, but a mentor and an inspiration. When I saw that Jasmine Star was going to be in Nashville for something called "The FIX" I immediately shrieked, put a note in my calendar and impatiently waited for the day that tickets went on sale. I had no idea what she would be talking about or what The FIX even WAS! But I knew I had to be there. Since starting this crazy and intense ride of kick starting my photography career, I have always watched and listened to what J* has said. She worked her butt off and has always stayed humble and down to earth and that is something to be admired; especially today and especially in the photography industry. 

I'm not going to lie! I was absolutely star struck at first. I couldn't get over the fact that we were both wearing navy and white stripped shirts! Did this mean we were meant to be best friends forever? J*...you're friendship bracelet is in the mail! ;)
Once I had a glass of wine and mingled and met with other photographers, I finally calmed down and really started to get interested in who the other photographers that were there were! People came from near and far! I couldn't believe that everyone in that room was there for this one person. But not only that, they actually seemed to care about what I had to say (or it could have been the wine...when I get nervous I can't seem to shut up). I walked away from The Fix, not only with a new found feeling of accomplishment for what I've already achieved, but also with a gaggle of gals that I know I could shoot an email, or jump on a FB photography forum and ask a question and they would be there to lend a helping hand! That my friends is powerful!

I sat on what she said for close to a week. I didn't look at my notes, I just let it soak in. Once I finally sat down yesterday and looked over everything, I realized that I don't believe there could have been a better time for me to hear the words that she spoke. That she preached! Can I get an 'Amen'? ;)

So to Jasmine Star and The FIX I can only say 'Thank You'. Thank you for sharing, for teaching, for encouraging and for just being You! 

Planning the Big Day ~ The Guests

So, just in case you have recently stumbled across my blog...or me perhaps, you might have missed the small teeny tiny fact that I'm engaged!! :) Yes, the love of my life popped the BIG question on a beautiful May day at none other than the Biltmore! You can check out our blissful (and I have to say the sweetest, most thoughtful and most romantic) engagement right here at Jennie Andrews Photography!

I am beyond excited to start on this little endeavor known as planning a wedding. Most brides probably have a slight panic attack when they realize just how much goes into planning a big shindig...where as I have seen probably (creeping up on) 100 weddings while tagging along with Jennie Andrews over the last 3 wedding seasons, so naturally I thought I had this in the bag. Oh boy...was I wrong! I feel like I just made 5 brides decide on eloping. :( But to be honest, I have seen SO much and have had SO many ideas, that deciding on what I really wanted and what would capture Robby and I as a couple has been a little bit tricky! I know I'm not the only bride out there who has felt like this (I follow an amazing blogosphere of ladies who blog about this very subject - see the end of the post for links). So I would like to put it all out there. Go through the tough guest list decisions, the breaking of traditions, deciding on if we should have a carving station or not...all of the little things that are left out of the bridal binders. Especially for planning a wedding here in East Tn! I hope to give you some venues that are a little bit less known, some alternative ideas for bands or DJ's, and maybe even some DIY moments thrown in here or there (because lets face it...this is definitely going to be a DIY wedding)!

One thing Robby and I knew from the beginning, was we wanted only close friends and family and we wanted it to be laid back. Not show up in your blue jeans and flippie floppies laid back, but a relaxed atmosphere..no fuss. We've patiently waited 8 years for this marriage to begin (it'll be 9.5 by the time the wedding rolls around) so we want to focus on us and making this a day that WE will remember.

Believe it or not, the guest list was the first thing we tackled. I had been told by many, many people that this is where the fights lie. He'll want this person and that person and you'll want friends that you haven't seen in years there. I already knew that family was a must for me...and boy do I have a big family. So I knew that I would have to cut back on the friends...whereas Robby has a microscopic family (compared to mine) so he gets to go wild with his guys, and that was something that I had no problem compromising on. I am very, very happy to say that the mission of the guest list was solved one night, sitting at a restaurant where I had a glass of wine and Robby had a beer. No fights, no "if you are going to invite that person then I want to invite this person". We even started suggesting who the other should invite! :) We had decided that 80 was the number we wanted to stay close to, but we allowed ourselves the wiggle room so as not to add stress to a "potentially" stressful decision. Although the guest list isn't 100% finalized, we have a hard list. Meaning, no one will be added. If we haven't thought of them yet, then there must be a reason (ouch...little harsh there Kay). Once we finalize the venue, we are hoping to finalize the list!

Image by: Jill Thomas Photography found on explore. dream. discover

Need help on narrowing down (or even just beginning) a guest list? I actually created a list of my own, and Robby (with some help from his mom) created his list. Then we came together and went over both of them. Since we had a number in mind that we didn't want to veer away from too much, that limited each of us while we created our own lists. We created a list of the "bare essentials" as we are calling them. These are the people that we wouldn't feel right if they weren't at the wedding. Basically, all of our family members were on this list (with the exception of the long lost aunt and uncle or the cousins that we haven't seen since we were 7). Obviously, not everyone is in the situation we are. I have a close friend who doesn't like half of her family. Not that she doesn't see them...but she doesn't like them. I have told her..."now thats a tough one" many times! Your wedding is your and your fiance's day. And you should spend it with and surrounded by the people who will be there throughout your marriage to support and guide you. Hopefully that will help make those little odds and ends fall into place. 

Check back next week for our "Venue" post...man oh man...Knoxville has some killer areas for venues!!! 

KaylaFPhotography.com is LIVE!!

This has been a long (looooonnnnggg) time in the making! I bought Kayla F Photography over a year ago and it has just sat there. Its rather depressing once you think about it. So when it came time to renew the domain, I got to thinking. "This is ridiculous. Why am I going to renew it when it has just sat there for an entire year?" So after mulling over it for about 5 days, I kicked my butt in gear and decided that the reason why it has sat there is my own fault (obviously). The idea of creating a website just absolutely terrified me. Websites are so insanely expensive. Who on Earth would design it? Do I even have enough in my portfolio to interest people? Finally, I decided that if this is something that I want to do (you know, the whole being a photographer dealio) then I need a website. Not just a blog, but a legit website.

I have heard so many amazing things about Showit and know a few photographer who use their services, let alone almost all of the photographers whose work I drool over on a daily basis. If its good enough for them, well it has to be good enough for me! I signed up and 3 weeks later "TADA!!!"

There were many nights and weekends of Robby asking me to get off of the computer and to not eat my dinner at my desk (all requests I of course obliged). There was a lot of edits, a lot of emails to one very very trusted photographer confidant, and many questions to Robby...the computer genius. But in the end, this website is 100% me! Done, 100% by me! I don't know if I could be any more proud! So, on with the tour!

I don't want to load you down with a "How To" of the site...hopefully its easy enough to navigate...but there are some little goodies tucked away! :)

On the home page, see those cute little 5 pictures?!? Click on them to see what fun awaits! 

Once you click on a picture, it will take you to one of three galleries (more galleries to come)! The first two pictures take you to my engagement and weddings. The third picture will take you to my lifestyle sessions and the last two will take you to the weddings that I have assisted with Jennie Andrews Photography! It was sooo hard to choose which photos to use, which is why I'm excited to add more galleries in the future! 

The last little hidden bit is on the hello page! See those two boxes at the bottom? Click on those and they'll take you to some awesome questions that every bride, to-be-momma or anyone whose interested in a session probably think of from time to time! The box with the big "f" not only bids a nod to the f in Kayla F Photography, but it also sends you to my Facebook page so you can get the latests photos and updates!

And that just about sums it up! There might be more pages added in the future (maybe something on my interests other than photography, more galleries, and maybe even an intro video) so keep checking back to see any improvements. And if you run across something that seems a little bit finicky, shoot me an email at kayla@kaylafphotography.com and let me know! Don't be shy!

Oh! And I have to give a HUGE shout out to my "very very trusted photographer confidant"! Kristin of KLP Photography is awesome and amazing, and I might have completely lost it and thrown my computer out the window if it wasn't for her. She gave me ideas and helped me out when things were getting intense! Plus, make sure you check out her blog! She's GIVING AWAY an engagement session! You bet your little booty Robby and I are submitting our pic! 

A DIY Christmas

So since I have (almost) distributed all of my Christmas presents, I figured I would share some of my fun new finds from Pinterest!!! If you aren't a member of Pinterest, then you need to jump on it! I don't believe it is invite only anymore so everyone gets to indulge in the foods that make your mouth water, the home decor ideas that get you inspired, the photography that makes my heart start racing and of course the funny little things that just make you giggle! :)

So, I really wanted this year to be a local and/or DIY Christmas! Robby and I have tried really hard to start buying and supporting local businesses and I've tried to pinch a penny or two (we are in wedding planning mode) by doing more things DIY! So here was my first project! Coasters!! Who on Earth doesn't need coasters?!?!? Especially cute little frilly ones? Well, maybe some people, but not me...or my friends! So off I went to a hardware store...now I tried to find a local hardware store, but I don't believe they exist! Seriously, if you know of one, please leave me a comment! So, off I went and found these little gems!
Disclaimer: I have to apologize for the awkward hand positions and lack of pictures. I tried to do this project and take pictures by myself...lesson learned.

.16 cents a piece!!! Seriously?!?!? No way! Oh yea! I might have had to scrounge up the last remaining ones, but you bet I'm on board the .16 cent train!
Then I went through my stash of scrapbook supplies and found EVERYTHING else! Yay!!

Here's what you need for the Scrapbook Coasters!
4 - 4.25x4.25 tiles from a hardware store
1 sheet of 10x10 scrapbook paper
a straight edge or paper trimmer of some sort
mod podge
mod podge acrylic spray
1 spongey brush
felt bottom circles (not pictures)

1. The first thing I did was cut all of my paper to 4x4 size. I wanted to have a little bit of white space around the paper.
2. Put the paper on the tile. I took the mod podge and got a good amount on the spongey brush (about a quarter size) and evenly distributed the glue all over the paper; starting from the middle and working my way out to the edges.
3. I then made sure, after each coat of mod podge, to smooth out any ripples or bumps.
4. Let the mod podge sit for about 15 minutes (I completed the rest of the tiles)
5. Add about 3-4 coats of mod podge on to the tiles/paper

*Now is where I put my camera down and forgot to pick it back up! :(
6. Make sure to do this next step outside! Do nice even sprays of acrylic spray on the tiles. Make sure to cover the entire tile and cover it good! I did 2 coats of the spray just to make sure that I got everything. It only takes about 1 min for the acrylic spray to dry.
7. I am uber paranoid about Diesel (our frenchie) licking things, so I left the tiles outside for a day to make sure they were good and DRY!
8. I then attached felt furniture pads to the bottom of the tiles. I put one in each corner.

And that is it! I have to say these little (less than $5) coasters were a hit!!!

So now that I'm in the DIY mood, I'm starting on some *Wedding DIY* projects!!! I'm trying document them as best as I can and as soon as I take care of one BIG to-do I will post the first series! :)
Hope you guys enjoy this little break from the norm. If not, let me know...but I will probably continue to do them until I'm all DIY'd out! :)