They started out as friends working in the same office and before we knew it, they were engaged. It has been so special getting to watch their relationship grow this year, and I cannot wait for their wedding in July.

It’s been a hot moment since I have had a chance to blog and catch you up on the craziness around here, but this summer is one full of a whirlwind of traveling – whether vacationing with my family, shooting multiple weddings around the country, or doing missions overseas in Greece. Today, the first part of this summer’s adventures took me and my dear friend Ari through Knoxville, Tennessee.

I had never visited Knoxville before today, however, we wanted to make the most of our quick trip through. We decided to do brunch (our favorite meal of the day, can I get an amen?) and searched for local places serving unique dishes we may not be able to get elsewhere. After looking around, we decided to visit the French Market Crêperie

Goodness gracious, I’m convinced these two are secretly models. Mackenzie was my freshman year roommate, and I couldn’t be more excited for her to marry the man of her dreams in August. Josiah treasures her so very deeply, and you can tell in the way he speaks of her, looks at her, and sacrificially cares for her. 

I thought we were going to take pictures for Alex’s portfolio, but instead we learned how to make ceramics from this incredible artist friend of mine (he tells me his official title is “potter” but I think that makes him sound like an 80 year old man, ya know?). Anyways, I’m quitting photography now to study ceramics so enjoy these pictures of art because WOW.

These cutie lovers made my heart SWOON during their sunset session in Cedarville, Ohio. As they laughed and played, their tender love for each other was so highly evident. Leslie kept giggling as she teasingly tickled her boyfriend and he worked hard (unsuccessfully) to keep a stoic face despite her antics. They are simply so comfortable together and cherish one another so well.

Oh my lantaaaaa Georgia. These two. This day. Her dress. What a dream. This was six months after Hayley and Caleb said “I do” in a precious ceremony in Oregon, Wisconsin. While they loved their wedding day, the day was full of rain and the timeline was rushed, so they wanted to celebrate their six month anniversary with more bridal portraits. They exuded pure joy and their sweet, newly-married intimacy made our time together effortless.

This day and this couple were both simply breathtaking. We adventured through downtown Columbus, OH, stopping to drink lattes and eat the MOST amazing cinnamon rolls ever at a precious local coffee shop, Fox in the Snow Cafe. Our wanderings then took us further into downtown to North Market, home to many local small business makers and growers, where they “adopted” a cheese baby together and admired the view of Ohio’s capital city. The prettiest view, though, was by far these two and their precious love for each other. You can see the gentleness in Jon’s love for Alyssa and her passionate love for him in every frame. This day was a dream.

I had the joy of photographing this sweet couple tonight. Hayden and Gracie have been dating since they were in high school and are finally getting ready to tie the knot in summer 2018. This evening we explored a state park as the sun set, these two lovers cuddling to stay warm as they laughed and talked together. Tonight was absolutely magical.