The Root Photography Blog

Photo of the Week

April 4, 2012 by Jensey 2 Comments

He was yelling, “To infinity… AND BEYOND!” <3

I’m gonna admit something here: I was a bit of a bully in elementary school. Not like beat you up on the playground sort of bully, but steal your necklace and lie about it sort of bully. Or turn the lunchroom table against you. Or steal candy from your backpack.

I remember hating Lisa the day we met. Why? Because she had red hair like Ariel and I wanted it. Since I couldn’t exactly steal her hair color, I did the next best thing- Named her my mortal enemy. All that changed within a couple short months… Our school had a presentation about Toys For Tots and our Dads were the Marines to put it on. I realized that day I could be friends with the girl with Ariel hair, not hate her!

Because our dads were both in the same squadron in the Marine Corps and Fedex pilots, our families were always close. From her 2nd grade birthday party to high school graduation, I loved growing up with Lisa. When she wrote sharing the news that she was not only engaged, but expecting a baby this year, I couldn’t help but tear up with happiness for my ol’ friend. I’m so thankful she asked us to be her wedding photographers, because there’s just something special about photographing the wedding of someone whose family has known you since you were seven.

Matt, Lisa’s now husband, is a phenomenal guy. So sweet, charming, and handsome… He’s the perfect match for her fiery personality.

It was so important that they saw each other early, since we would have had no light for photos after the ceremony! We started the day in Collierville’s historic town square.

Lisa’s gown was not only worn by her mom, but also her grandmother. That’s how you do vintage.

This wasn’t the church where their ceremony took place! Lisa and Matt had their wedding reception at Collierville’s White Church. It was my favorite venue in Tennessee- A church transformed to a reception space! It was so unique. It was doubly special for Lisa, because not only was it her parents’ wedding venue, but she and Matt were the last to ever have a reception here- Now it’s a museum.

Once the ceremony was done, it was off to party at the White Church! Honest to goodness, my favorite thing in the venue was the church lady’s photo above the wedding cake. Tell me she doesn’t look exactly like Dana Carvey in his SNL skit?! Well, isn’t that special? You can watch it here. :)

First dance love- The Beatles’ “In My Life.”

I love this shot of Miss Judy looking on as Lisa dances with her dad. I will forever love Judy- She’s the funniest woman I’ve ever met, and the ultimate sounding board for family drama. I’ve never been close to my aunts, so I think she’s the next best thing. :)

Their band was incredible.

I remember watching the cartoon Doug on Saturday mornings with Lisa and her little brother, Doug! So crazy seeing him all grown up. :) (And with a GoPro video camera strapped to his chest, no less.)

My favorite!

Did I mention how cool her little brother is?! I hope he posts that video soon!

Seriously- I loooooooooooooove this space.

Lisa, Matt, Billy, Miss Judy, Susan, Doug, and little Will on the way- Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your day!! Love y’all and hope to see you again soon. :)

More Tennessee events on the blog!

First Look on the 1st : Katie + Jason

April 1, 2012 by Jensey 1 Comment

Katie, thank you so much for sharing this sweet story!! If you’re new to this blog and don’t have a clue what a “first look” is, you can read more about it here. :)

Like so many, I have been obsessed with the Root blog for years. So when I got engaged in 2010 the first two things I did was 1)pick a date and 2) make sure the Roots were available to photograph my wedding. After ensuring I too would be a Root bride I had to convince my future husband that we would be doing a first look. Being a blog stalker I’ve read (and seen) all of the benefits of having a First Look so it wasn’t hard to determine that it would be a part of the our wedding day but I wasn’t sure how I was going to convince Jason of the same thing. Luckily I was marrying one of the the best men in the entire world and Jason was quick to buy-in to the First Look as well. We are both so, so, so glad that we did. I think the biggest benefit is that it gave Jason and I additional time to take photos, which is SOO important. In watching siblings and friends marry over the years it always seemed like photographs got the least amount of thought, which I never understood. Another important factor in our decision was that doing a First Look also gave Jason and I a private moment, before all of the wedding craziness began, to enjoy each other, just the two of us. And I’m not ashamed to admit that a small part of my decision stemmed from wanting Jensey to like me just a little more. :)

The day of the wedding was a whirlwind of emotions. Before I knew it, Jensey and Nate arrived at the golf club to start taking photos, hair and make-up were done, and I was being buttoned into my dress by my twin sister. Then I heard the magical words “Are you ready to see Jason?” As soon as Jensey asked that my heart started fluttering like a crazy. I felt like a high school girl before the prom. Jensey and Nate had previously scoped out the grounds and found the perfect little garden that was so private and secluded, away from all the prying eyes of my bridal party. As Jensey helped me down the walkway and I saw Jason, with his back to me, standing 100ft away I couldn’t help feel my eyes start to water. The moment was so surreal. As I approached Jason I reached for his hand and asked him to turn around. At that moment the world stopped and for a few seconds it was only Jason and I. For as long as I live I’ll never forget those few minutes where it was just the two of us being able to share and celebrate that special moment.

Now let’s talk about the practical side of doing a first look. Because we decided on the first look we had about 30 minutes prior to the wedding to take pictures of Jason and I. Moments while my hair and make-up were still near perfect (which is so extremely important). We weren’t pressured to rush our photos and get into the reception and it really was one of the most laid back moments of the day. Later on, as I walked down the aisle and saw Jason my heart melted for the second time that day. I could focus just on the two of us and our future. I know without a doubt that having a first look was the absolute right decision. It made our magical day even more magical and I would recommend every Root bride really consider having one as well.

More Katie + Jason Blog Love! :