A drizzly December day couldn’t stop this beautiful wedding at The Standard in downtown Knoxville, TN…and being eight months pregnant (and huge!) couldn’t stop me from photographing it!
After capturing Rachel’s brother’s wedding in 2015, I fell in love with the family, so when Rachel and her fiancé asked me to photograph theirs, I was over the moon! I had been looking forward to Rachel and Brandon’s wedding all year long, despite my growing belly and aching feet, and it was every bit as elegant, emotional and downright gorgeous as I imagined it would be.
Rachel was an absolute picture of sophistication and grace in her Pronovias gown from Loveliest Bridal, and she positively glowed under the slate skies during the first look. I love finding creative ways to overcome uncooperative weather, and I think the shots of Rachel and Brandon under a transparent umbrella in the rain are some of my favorites from the whole day!
This Christmas wedding was full of holiday cheer and all the personal family details that make a wedding day truly magical. A picture of Rachel’s late grandfather, Ren, was attached to her Thistle and Lace bridal bouquet, and the newlyweds toasted with the same champagne glasses that Rachel’s parents used on their wedding day so many years ago. Brandon also wore a charm with his grandparents’ pictures inside it pinned to the inside of his tuxedo. A sapphire ring her grandmother wears glittered on Rachel’s finger as her “something borrowed and something blue,” and she gave her dad a handkerchief she had embroidered herself for him to wipe away any joyful tears that might sneak out during the ceremony.
The reception sparkled with love and laughter as family and friends busted moves, and especially when Rachel and her dad hit the dance floor for a choreographed song and dance and when Rachel and her sister sang Christmas carols with the band. The hot beverage bar was the perfect touch to warm up the guests on the cold December evening. At the end of the night, the guests cheered as the new husband and wife drove away in car bedecked with “Just Married,” and, despite that eight-months-pregnant exhaustion, so did I.
Amazing Vendors:
Venue: The Standard Knoxville / Floral: Thistle and Lace / Hair: Salon Visage / Makeup: Stunning by Rachel / Food: Lee’s Chicken / Dress: Loveliest
Words From the Bride:
Wedding colors: winter greens, whites, grays
Describe your Wedding in 3 words. Timeless, elegant, authentic
What was your wedding venue and why did you choose it? Our wedding venue was The Standard in downtown Knoxville. We wanted a venue that could hold both the ceremony and reception and of course in December it needed to be indoors. One of the first weddings I remember going to was actually at The Standard and I remember talking with my mom about how I loved the exposed brick walls and bistro lights and how I would love to get married there one day! I was so excited to be able to book a venue that I not only thought looked beautiful but that also held a sweet memory.
What was your favorite wedding detail? My bridal bouquet – not only did I thing they were absolutely gorgeous, but attached was a picture of my late grandfather, Ren Potterfield. I enjoyed the sweet sentiment of him being with me the whole day.
What was your favorite wedding day memory: First looks! Somehow I was able to keep the secret of what my dress looked like from everyone except my mom, grandmother, and sisters – ha! So the day of I did a reveal with my girls, my dad, and Brandon. They were all so sweet and special in their own way!
Describe some personal touches:
One of my favorite details was a handkerchief that I embroidered for my dad and gave it to him the day of the wedding. We also used family pieces throughout the wedding as well – the champagne glasses were the ones my parents used at their wedding and my great grandmother made the ring bearer pillow. I also wore one of my grandmothers sapphire rings as both my something borrowed and something blue. Brandon and I both carried charms with our grandparents photos in them, too – his were pinned inside his tuxedo jacket and mine was attached to my bouquet. Another sweet moment was our daddy/daughter dance. Instead of a traditional dance, my dad and I sang a song together along with choreographing a little bit as well. We used to sing and dance together when I was a little girl so I loved being able to bring back all those memories while creating a new one!
Describe your experience with Abigail Malone as your wedding photographer.
Abby is amazing! I could not have asked for a better photographer and could not have imagined this whole process without her! She goes above and beyond and is professional yet I also feel like I made a sweet friend throughout this process. She is easy going, patient, kind, and has captured such sweet and intimate moments that I will treasure forever. I definitely recommend and cannot wait for all the future memories she will capture for us.
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