Malmö, Sweden Destination Wedding - Elizabeth + Sten
We were given a truly amazing and unique opportunity when Elizabeth, a former schoolmate of Jason's, contacted us about traveling to Sweden to capture her wedding. When we first talked about traveling overseas, it just seemed too good to be true, but as we boarded the plane destined for Copenhagen, we realized that we were on our way to capture our first international wedding outside of the Carribean.
Elizabeth greeted us at the airport where we also met up with one of her sisters, Leslie, and boarded the train that would take us to neighboring Malmö. This initial interaction set the tone for the remainder of the trip, which focused on family. Our favorite thing was, in fact, getting to know and building relationships with Elizabeth and Sten's families, as we are not usually afforded this on multiple occasions prior to a wedding; however, we think it made everyone feel more comfortable, which always makes for better photos. We shared dinners with the family, and they were even so kind as to take us around town to see such sites as Slottsmollan, a beautiful windmill; the Turning Torso, so named for its shape; some of the gorgeous parks around Malmö; and even Malmohaus Castle, built in the Middle Ages and home to some of Malmö's well-known museums.
The site that we were most blown away by during our visit, however, just happened to be the ceremony site at Sankt Petri Church, or St. Peter's Church. This is the oldest building in Malmö and is adorned with beautiful paintings and religious artwork added over the course of centuries. We were impressed with the amazing stone floors and the phenomenal altar that the two wed in front of. This venue was truly breathtaking!
After the ceremony, we took family photos by the ornate doors of the church and walked to the main square to capture the bridal party in front of Stortorget, a large statue surrounded by stairs. Then, we escorted the couple to a nearby park where we snapped some photos along the water and amidst the insanely tall hedges on the outskirts of the park. These turned out to be some of our favorites!
We were all staying at the Mayfair Hotel, where both the bride and groom prepared for their nuptials, and this was also the location for the reception (which was held in the cellar present since the 1300s although the classically elegant hotel has only been in use for about 100 years). We loved the perfectly placed table settings, and the arches provided an appealing architectural detail that we absolutely loved in the photos. Speeches and toasts were a huge part of the reception and a tradition for the Swedes at such special occasions. Everyone attending the wedding was there celebrating love and the union of these two, and it truly showed!
We cannot express how amazing this trip was and how excited we were to be part of Elizabeth and Sten's special day. Take a peek at our adventure in Sweden to capture this couple's wedding!
Ceremony- Sankt Petri's Church/ St. Peter's Church | Lodging and Reception- Mayfair Hotel Tunneln | Cake- Playbake Sweden | Suit- Dressman | Groom and Groomsmen accessories- The Tie Bar | Wedding Dress- Lilly | Bridesmaids' Dresses- David's Bridal | Catering- Malmo Rokeri | DJ- Robert Persson
Molly & JT - Backyard Wedding
Molly and JT's intimate wedding took place on the outskirts of the gorgeous Riverview Golf Course in Loudon. Although the rain held off most of the day, the couple shared the moments after their first look cuddling under an umbrella to avoid the sprinkles, and these sweet shots turned out to be some of our favorites.
The wedding featured many DIY elements that were truly original. For example, the bride crafted paper flowers from the pages of a book to decorate the tables, and her one of a kind dress was handmade. The unique bouquets for the wedding party, featuring lavender, combined perfectly with the bridesmaids' sage dresses and touches of baby's breath in their braided hair.
We loved the simplistic charm of this backyard wedding, and we hope you do too.
Danielle & Justin - Downtown Knoxville and UT Gardens Engagement
What an amazingly fun day we had exploring Knoxville with this awesome couple, Danielle and Justin. Their session started with iced coffee and sweets in Market Square from the best coffee shop in town, Coffee and Chocolate. Next, we took a stroll with the two through the park and over to Gay street in order to capture some sweet moments with the famous Tennessee Theatre sign.
In keeping with this fun-loving duo's hobbies, the two brought cards from a favorite game as well as dice, which kept the shoot lighthearted and true to their natures. We loved how Danielle and Justin ran straight to the Kool Aid man and Mario Brothers graffiti in the alley, reinforcing how truly playful and comfortable they are (and check out that posing...love it!). We also really wanted to grab some shots of the two riding their bikes on the greenway, since this is something they frequently do together. Our day ended at the UT Gardens for some more romantic photos of the couple and sincere moments of love and joy shared between the two.
We can't wait for Danielle and Justin's unique wedding to be held on the Volunteer Princess next May, but for now, enjoy this sweet shoot in downtown Knoxville.
Stephanie & Greg - Knoxville Botanical Gardens Engagement
Stephanie and Greg's engagement shoot at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum was a blast for all of us. Talk about a sweet couple! Their positive attitudes and sincere love shine through in these photos, but when we look at this shoot, we think, "Those eyes!" (seriously both of them...stunning)
When Greg and Stephanie pulled up in his truck, we knew immediately that we were going to utilize the old truck on the property, and we are so glad that we did. The candid moments of the two together in the truck (despite the fact that it was almost 90 degrees and they were roasting) are truly some of our favorites.
We are so excited to shoot Stephanie and Greg's wedding in September at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Farragut followed by their reception at Embassy Suites, and we feel so honored to share in their joy.
Take a stroll with this couple in the gardens today and enjoy!
Wedding Photography
Some of you already know that I have recently added photography as a part of my production company. I have always had an interest in photography, but never had the tools and the time work on it. There is so much beauty that a picture can bring. The old saying, A picture is worth a 1000 words, is still very true. I enjoy the geometry, the science, and the artistic elements that go along with making a great photo. When I bought the Sony NEX 5, I didn't understand a bit about it and just knew from doing research on the computer that it was a good camera. If you are or were like me, when buying a camera we looked strictly at megapixels. Which camera has the highest? A professional photographer or even someone that knows a bit about photography will tell you that its not always the case. The sensor comes into play, the lens, shutter speeds, flash, etc. Over the past few months I have been learning these things and how they all work together to create a great shot. I am not a professional photographer by any means, but I think maybe one day I could be in a sense.
Last night I was able to practice a bit on some of my new learned photography skills at a wedding rehearsal. At first I was a bit shy in taking photos of some of the people I barely knew, mainly because I wasn't a hired photographer, but I knew that I needed to practice my skills and this would be a good test. I shot something like 200-300 pictures some bad some good. As I was taking pictures one of the brides relatives noticed what I was doing and we had a chat. He said that he did professional photography and he gave me a few pointers. If you know anything about lenses, I was using a 18-55mm lens last night to shoot pictures. He told me that for wedding photography you may need to use a bigger lens 55-210mm or 75-300mm. I asked, "Why?" He responded saying that the smaller lens will get you great wide shots with lots of surrounding room, but for wedding photography you really may want some tight close shots which is why you would use a bigger lens. I thought, wow that makes great sense. Most of the time when I see wedding photographers shooting they usually have a bigger lens on their cameras. It's great to know why now. The wedding is tonight, so I will definitely be bringing my bigger lens to take shots this time. Here is just a preview of last nights shots I took:
***Click the picture to view all photos***
Check out some of my other photos I have been working on at flickr.com/juicebeats
Juicebeats